Riya Bhattacharjee
              Protected by Tyvek coveralls and steel-tipped boots, Shawn Weaver and Lawrence Davis, professionals hired by the recovery firm the O’Brien Group, clean rocks at the Berkeley Marina Sunday.
Riya Bhattacharjee Protected by Tyvek coveralls and steel-tipped boots, Shawn Weaver and Lawrence Davis, professionals hired by the recovery firm the O’Brien Group, clean rocks at the Berkeley Marina Sunday.

Extra

Flash: JUDGE THROWS OUT OAK TO NINTH EIR; DEVELOPERS MUST GO BACK THROUGH PROCESS

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday November 20, 2007

A California Superior Court Judge has voided the City of Oakland’s approval of the controversial Oak To Ninth development project, sending the project back to the Oakland Planning Commission and the City Council for a new round of environmental impact report certification and commission and council votes. -more-



Page One

Proposed Ed Roberts Center Funds May Knock Out Freeway Sound Wall

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday November 20, 2007

The Ed Roberts Campus—an easily accessible center where disabled people will find legal advocacy and housing help, learn computer skills, find specialized day care, practice fitness routines and meet friends for coffee without the barriers most local cafes present—may have found the last $9 million it needs to start construction on the project that began 12 years ago. -more-



HazMat Experts Replace Local Volunteers to Clean Shoreline

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Forty HazMat professionals battled toxic gunk on the treacherous Berkeley Marina rocks as part of the Cosco Busan Oil Spill Response Monday. -more-



Berkeley Council Addresses Oil Spill

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz took several emergency actions after the Nov. 9 oil spill. In a specially called meeting Monday afternoon, the council retroactively approved the measures: -more-



Neighbors Win Nuisance Case Against Pacific Steel Casting

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 20, 2007

An Alameda County Superior Court judge awarded thousands of dollars in damages to a group of West Berkeley neighbors Friday who sued Pacific Steel Casting for loss of use and enjoyment of their property and mental distress. -more-



Arrests, Branch-Cutting Bid Ratchet Up Tension at Grove

Tuesday November 20, 2007

Campus police have escalated their campaign against the tree-sitters at UC Berkeley Memorial Stadium, making arrests Sunday and Monday in the protest that began nearly a year ago. -more-



Features

Oakland Public Safety Plan Up for Consideration by Mayor

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylo
Tuesday November 20, 2007

With the impediments removed to the Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker’s plan for 12-hour shifts and dividing the city into three districts, community police advocates both inside and outside the Dellums administration are hoping that the way is now clear for the administration to move forward on a proposed Comprehensive Public Safety Plan as well. -more-


Berkeley Train Death Similar to June Accident at Jack London Square

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Scott Slaughter, 31, of Oakland lost his life Thursday morning when he crossed the train tracks north of the Berkeley Amtrak Station on his way to his job at Truitt & White, located near the tracks on Hearst Avenue. -more-


BP Seeks Global Harvest of Berkeley-Born Biofuels

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday November 20, 2007

(Editor’s note: This is the first of two articles on implications of the just-concluded $500 million agreement between UC Berkeley and BP. Part two will be published Friday.) -more-


School Board Delays Approving Firm to Demolish Berkeley High Old Gym

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 20, 2007

The Berkeley Board of Education held back last week from approving Emeryville-based Baker Vilar Architects to plan the demolition of the Berkeley High School old gym due to the lack of a timeline for the project. -more-


The Right Touch: Berkeley High Volleyball

By Al Winslow
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Mostly they play for the pure fun of it. -more-


Hassan Pleads Not Guilty in Son’s Death

Bay City News
Tuesday November 20, 2007

A Berkeley woman tearfully pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that she murdered her 9-year-old son at their Shattuck Avenue home last month. -more-


Call for Feinstein Censure Grows Over Nomination

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Editor’s note: This story ran in an incomplete version in the Nov. 16 issue. It is reprinted here in its entirety. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday November 20, 2007

veterans day -more-


The Real Truth About Oregon’s BRT System

By Doug Buckwald
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Oregon has a Bus Rapid Transit system called the “Emerald Express” operating on a five-mile route between Springfield and Eugene. This bus system is generally regarded as a successful transit project, and transportation planners in Alameda County should pay careful attention to several important factors that have contributed to its success. Steve Geller mentioned some of these factors in his commentary “Bus Rapid Transit Success in Oregon” (November 2), but downplayed or neglected others. I think it is important to have a more complete picture. -more-


KPFA Dialogue Must Be Honest

By Henry Norr
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Sasha Lilley is right that KPFA needs dialogue, not demonization (Commen-tary, Nov. 13). But dialogue can be effective only if it’s honest; if not, demonization is sure to prevail. Unfortunately, parts of her commentary are anything but honest. -more-


Let’s Talk Turkey

By Suzan Bateson
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Have you ever debated which was more essential to your Thanksgiving table—the mashed potatoes or the stuffing? Have you gone without turkey dinner all together? This is the reality facing numerous families in our community. Thanksgiving brings families together to celebrate a bounty of food. For many low-income families, Thanksgiving brings lean fixings as they struggle with the high cost of living in the Bay Area. A recent report released by the California Budget Project stated that in order to meet basic needs including health care, a family of four needs to earn more than $77,000 annually. Most Food Bank recipients live on a fraction of that and are continually faced with harsh choices—food or gas? Food or rent? -more-


Dinner for 1,000 on Thanksgiving

By Colleen Miller
Tuesday November 20, 2007

In its normal holiday tradition, St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County has begun preparation of its annual Thanks-giving Day holiday meal. The SVdP’s Free Dining Room, located on 23rd Street in Oakland, is the oldest and only facility in Alameda County to provide hot meals to homeless and low-income adults and children seven days per week. During Thanksgiving, the SVdP of Alameda County prepares a holiday meal consisting of turkey with all the trimmings to provide a seasonal meal for those in need. Approximately 1,000 meals will be served with almost as many adults and children in attendance to partake of those meals. -more-


Editorial

Thanks for Everything, and Why

By Becky O’Malley
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving to all and sundry. It’s the custom of the place to gather together family and friends and enjoy a lavish meal, to celebrate—well, to celebrate having family and friends and lavish meals. My Puritan ancestors in New England usually get the credit for popularizing the custom, with occasional nods to the generosity of their Native American neighbors, though Virginians and even Canadians also had Thanksgiving events early on. When you think about it, it’s a Puritan kind of thing at its theological heart, a tribute to how nice it is to be among the Elect, to be one of those lucky souls predestined for salvation, as per the beliefs of the first settlers who landed on Plymouth’s rocky shores. Due credit is given to the creator for choosing the right folks to save, of course. -more-


Columns

Birds in Berkeley: The Changing Campus Habitat

By Joe Eaton
Tuesday November 20, 2007

My previous column about the birds Joseph Grinnell observed on the UC Berkeley campus drew a response from Allison Shultz, a recent graduate who is now the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology’s Centennial Coordinator (more about that below.) Shultz said that for her senior thesis, she replicated surveys done on campus by Margaret Wythe between 1913 and 1927, and by Charles Sibley and Thomas Rodgers in 1938-39. Her results reveal significant changes among those data points. “I saw that the number of species didn’t change much over the years—it actually went up a little—but the community composition changed,” she explains. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Tuesday November 20, 2007


‘The Human Race’ at the Berkeley City Club

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Tuesday November 20, 2007

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Tuesday November 20, 2007

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Thanks for Everything, and Why 11-20-2007

Editorial: Growth: Who Pays for It? 11-16-2007

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 11-20-2007

The Real Truth About Oregon’s BRT System By Doug Buckwald 11-20-2007

KPFA Dialogue Must Be Honest By Henry Norr 11-20-2007

Let’s Talk Turkey By Suzan Bateson 11-20-2007

Dinner for 1,000 on Thanksgiving By Colleen Miller 11-20-2007

Letters to the Editor 11-16-2007

Commentary: The Biggest Game in Town By Merrilie Mitchell 11-16-2007

In Circulation: This Is Not the Time for Caution 11-16-2007

Commentary: The Source of Oakland’s Violent Crime By Jackie Wilson 11-16-2007

Commentary: Open Letter to Chancellor Birgeneau By Emma Fazio, Jessica Karadi, Christina Oatfield and Marcella Sadlowski 11-16-2007

Commentary: Truth to Power: What Truth? What Power? By Christine Staples 11-16-2007

News

Flash: JUDGE THROWS OUT OAK TO NINTH EIR; DEVELOPERS MUST GO BACK THROUGH PROCESS By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 11-20-2007

Proposed Ed Roberts Center Funds May Knock Out Freeway Sound Wall By Judith Scherr 11-20-2007

HazMat Experts Replace Local Volunteers to Clean Shoreline By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-20-2007

Berkeley Council Addresses Oil Spill By Judith Scherr 11-20-2007

Neighbors Win Nuisance Case Against Pacific Steel Casting By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-20-2007

Arrests, Branch-Cutting Bid Ratchet Up Tension at Grove 11-20-2007

Oakland Public Safety Plan Up for Consideration by Mayor By J. Douglas Allen-Taylo 11-20-2007

Berkeley Train Death Similar to June Accident at Jack London Square By Judith Scherr 11-20-2007

BP Seeks Global Harvest of Berkeley-Born Biofuels By Richard Brenneman 11-20-2007

School Board Delays Approving Firm to Demolish Berkeley High Old Gym By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-20-2007

The Right Touch: Berkeley High Volleyball By Al Winslow 11-20-2007

Hassan Pleads Not Guilty in Son’s Death Bay City News 11-20-2007

Call for Feinstein Censure Grows Over Nomination By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-20-2007

Call for Feinstein Censure Grows By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-16-2007

UC Signs BP Contract, Research Already Underway By Richard Brenneman 11-16-2007

Oil Spill Prompts City To Declare Emergency By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-16-2007

Residents Say Richmond Shore Cleanup Neglected By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-16-2007

Solar Grant Leaves CESC in the Cold By Judith Scherr 11-16-2007

DAPAC Upholds Lowered Skyline; Plan Final Meeting By Richard Brenneman 11-16-2007

Arrests Follow Fence-Cutting at Grove By Richard Brenneman 11-16-2007

City Stops Aquatic Park Project, Tests Sludge for Toxins By Riya Bhattacharjee 11-16-2007

Business Improvement District For Solano Avenue Dismantled By Judith Scherr 11-16-2007

Commissioners Tighten Grandfathered-In Liquor Sales Rules By Richard Brenneman 11-16-2007

Coalition Sues Caltrans Over Planned Caldecott Bore By Judith Scherr 11-16-2007

Brown Flip-flops on CEQA; Governor, Perata Spar By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 11-16-2007

State Senate Education Committee to Hold Takeover Hearing By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 11-16-2007

Columns

Birds in Berkeley: The Changing Campus Habitat By Joe Eaton 11-20-2007

Column: Undercurrents: For Commercial Development in Oakland, Look Beyond Downtown By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 11-16-2007

East Bay Then and Now: A Tale of Two Mystery Houses and One Politician By Daniella Thompson 11-16-2007

Garden Variety: A Rare Case of Virtue’s Being Fun: Annie’s Annuals By Ron Sullivan 11-16-2007

About the House: The Brick Chimneys in Our Houses By Matt Cantor 11-16-2007

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 11-16-2007

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 11-20-2007

‘The Children of Lir’ Plays Well to All Ages at Gaia Arts Center By Ken Bullock 11-20-2007

‘The Human Race’ at the Berkeley City Club By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 11-20-2007

Birds in Berkeley: The Changing Campus Habitat By Joe Eaton 11-20-2007

Berkeley This Week 11-20-2007

Arts Calendar 11-16-2007

The Theater: Zimmerman’s ‘Argonautika’ at Berkeley Rep By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 11-16-2007

The Best of Italian Cinema in San Francisco 11-16-2007

Moving Pictures: PFA Examines the Complexities of Chaplin By Justin DeFreitas 11-16-2007

Moving Pictures: Reilly: A Career-Defining Performance By Justin DeFreitas 11-16-2007

East Bay Then and Now: A Tale of Two Mystery Houses and One Politician By Daniella Thompson 11-16-2007

Garden Variety: A Rare Case of Virtue’s Being Fun: Annie’s Annuals By Ron Sullivan 11-16-2007

About the House: The Brick Chimneys in Our Houses By Matt Cantor 11-16-2007

Quake Tip of the Week By Larry Guillot 11-16-2007

Berkeley This Week 11-16-2007