News

Nicole Sawaya was named executive director of the Pacifica Foundation Sept. 29, began her job part time in November, and plunged in full-time in December, all according to an agreement with her bosses on the foundation board of directors. -more-

The coordinator of the tree-sit at Memorial Stadium represented himself in a court battle with UC Berkeley that ended in a hung jury Wednesday afternoon. -more-

Sandra Graber, a psychiatrist with the city of Berkeley, was struck and killed by a car as she was crossing Marin Avenue at Colusa Avenue on Monday at about 9:40 a.m. -more-

Plans to close the parking lot used by one of West Berkeley’s last relatively inexpensive havens for artists and craft workers are galvanizing occupants of the Sawtooth Building. -more-

Concerns over the timing of the environmental review of a towering computer lab planned for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) are triggering newly organized opposition. -more-

For Berkeley firefighters and police, 2008 started with a bang—an explosion that sent pieces of a stolen car flying more than 200 feet. -more-

When local voters go to the polls less than a month from now, the media emphasis and advertising blitzes will be focused on the Democratic and Republican presidential nomination races. But while there are no state and local offices up for grabs on Feb. 5 or for the absentee ballot period that has already begun and will run through 8 p.m. on election day, there will be important state and local measures on the ballot. A brief summary of local measures: -more-

With the retirement of David P. Orth as Deputy Fire Chief Dec. 16, Gil Dong assumed the high profile slot as deputy chief and department spokesperson. -more-

Former Mayor Shirley Dean, City Councilmember Betty Olds and environmentalist Sylvia McLaughlin drew a flood of media attention when they became Berkeley’s oldest tree-sitters Jan. 22. The trio brought 245 years of savvy to a high-profile protest to save the grove of trees UC Berkeley hopes to ax to make way from a $125 million gym complex along Memorial Stadium’s western wall. The project ended the year embroiled in litigation. -more-

Another protest ended in the arrest of one of the protesters outside the university’s administration building during a protest opposing the $500 million agricultural fuel program funded by the company once known as British Petroleum. -more-

Wendy Alfsen (left)of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee reacts with dismay to a proposal to erect up to 14 16-story high-rise point towers in the city center. DAPAC wound up its two-year struggle to draw up a plan with a draft that rejected the towers. Sitting beside Alfsen is Mark Rhoades, who left his post as city Planning Manager, triggering a celebration by some of Alfsen’s allies. -more-

Three artists from the Shipyard removed their belongings after a city inspection handed down multiple citations for building, zoning and fire code violations to the assemblage of studios housed in shipping containers at the West Berkeley site. The artists were given additional time to finish their projects for the annual Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. -more-

A Berkeley firefighter carries Misti Mina Hassan, 31, from her Shattuck Avenue apartment after a friend called police on Oct. 10 to say Hassan had told her she had murdered her 9-year-old son Amir. Police found the boy’s body in the apartment. Hassan has been charged with murder. -more-