An unlicenced 16-year-old Berkeley High student took his mother’s SUV for a drive without permission Wednesday morning, hit a parked car and tried to flee the scene, but flipped the vehicle over and smashed into the school building. See story, page five.
Mark Coplan
An unlicenced 16-year-old Berkeley High student took his mother’s SUV for a drive without permission Wednesday morning, hit a parked car and tried to flee the scene, but flipped the vehicle over and smashed into the school building. See story, page five.

Extra

Oakland School Disputes with State Show Rocky Road Back to Local Control

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday February 29, 2008

Posted Sun., March 2—In December 2007, State Superintendent Jack O'Connell came to Oakland to announce that he was turning over two more areas of control to the state-operated Oakland Unified School District: personnel and facilities management. -more-


Council Postpones Several Items, Approves Blood House Move

By Judith Scherr
Friday February 29, 2008

Posted Sat., March 1—Tuesday’s Berkeley City Council meeting, which was mainly devoted to a discussion of the light brown apple moth, ended in a surprise finale, with an 11:30 p.m. vote to extend the meeting until midnight falling short of the needed two-thirds approval. The council had been meeting since 5 p.m. -more-



Page One

Student Crashes SUV into Berkeley High

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday February 29, 2008

A 16-year-old Berkeley High School student lost control of a KIA sports utility vehicle around 8 a.m. Wednesday and rammed into a cement planter located alongside the school’s H Building. -more-



Allegations Mount Against Willard Administrator

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday February 29, 2008

Since the Planet reported last week that the Berkeley school board is investigating Willard Middle School Vice Principal Margaret Lowry for improper conduct involving two students, several more Willard parents have come forward with complaints against Lowry involving their children, complaints that they say were lodged with the school district months ago and about which they have never heard any resolution. -more-



Council May Face State in Court to Stop Moth Spray

By Judith Scherr
Friday February 29, 2008

The state secretary of agriculture failed to convince the Berkeley City Council Tuesday night that aerial spraying of a pesticide to eradicate the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) is either necessary or benign. -more-



Police Review Commission to Investigate Death of Anita Gay

By Judith Scherr
Friday February 29, 2008

Patricia Johnson wants to know what happened the day a Berkeley police officer shot her sister. -more-



Dellums’ Oakland Police Plan Gaining Momentum

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday February 29, 2008

With much less rancor than was widely anticipated, the Oakland City Council’s four-member Public Safety Committee unanimously approved Mayor Ron Dellums’ Augmented Police Recruitment Program Tuesday night with few alterations. -more-



Features

BUSD Reaches Settlement in Old Gym Demolition Lawsuit

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday February 29, 2008

The Berkeley Unified School District reached a settlement with Friends Protecting Berkeley’s Resources Wednesday over the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) lawsuit filed by the group a year ago. -more-


BUSD Fails to Meet No Child Left Behind Goals

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday February 29, 2008

Berkeley Unified School District did not meet the 95 percent participation criterion for local education agencies in their third year of Program Improvement for 2007, according to a state Department of Education release Wednesday. -more-


Planners Make First Move to Challenge Downtown Plan

By Richard Brenneman
Friday February 29, 2008

The ongoing battles over building heights and economics in downtown Berkeley heated up Wednesday night when the Planning Commission took its formal position on the Downtown Area Plan. -more-


Planners Side With Staff in Debate over Density Bonus

By Richard Brenneman
Friday February 29, 2008

A Planning Commission majority agreed Wednesday night not to challenge acting City Attorney Zach Cowan’s contention that key sections of a proposed density bonus ordinance are illegal. -more-


Kennedy/Teece Buildings Priced at $147 Million

By Richard Brenneman
Friday February 29, 2008

Berkeley’s newest and biggest landlord paid $147,397,171 for his seven apartment buildings, making Patrick Kennedy and David Teece richer than ever. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Friday February 29, 2008

Commentary: Spraying Provides More Questions Than Answers

By Helen Kozoriz
Friday February 29, 2008

Thank you for printing the article “Assembly Resolutions Attack Moth Spraying” by Judith Scherr. Shocked and outraged at the proposed plan by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to conduct aerial spraying of the pesticide CheckMate on Bay Area communities beginning Aug. 1, I felt compelled to attend the Berkeley City Council meeting last night to find out for myself what is really going on. -more-


Commentary: The Anschluss

By Alan Feng
Friday February 29, 2008

The United States can be compared to a powerful, but immature and egotistic child, imposing its will without discretion on the world. Consider what lengths the child may go to in order to obtain a delicious cookie: case one, if the cookie was rightfully earned, then he shall taut the “fairness” and “justice” of obtaining the cookie. Otherwise, seeing that there is no logical explanation for legal acquisition of said cookie, he may throw a tantrum, saying things like “but I want it!” Finally, when it is agreed that someone else should get the cookie, the child may just walk in and take it anyways. In the end, the child gets the cookie whether or not it was due. -more-


Commentary: Absence of Evidence is Not Evidence of Absence

By Gale Garcia
Friday February 29, 2008

In the Jan. 11 issue of the Daily Planet, Fred Massell disparaged Berkeley’s Luddites, and claimed, “While I too wanted to believe the worst about cell phone radiation, it appears that there is no real evidence to show that it causes any actual harm.” -more-


Commentary: Doing Good Without Doing Harm

By Sharon Hudson
Friday February 29, 2008

These days, a lot of usually “progressive” people seem to be just saying no to a lot of traditionally progressive ideas. -more-


Commentary: Car, Bike and Pedestrian Citizenship

By H. Scott Prosterman
Friday February 29, 2008

Pedestrians have the right of way. That’s a good thing since the law protects us from large, dangerous machinery, operated by caffeine-fueled drivers with nasty dispositions. -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Tell It To The Marines

By Becky O'Malley
Friday February 29, 2008

OK, I admit it, I finally cracked. What put me over the edge Thursday morning was this letter, similar in vocabulary, grammar and spelling to many we’ve gotten in the past few weeks: -more-


Columns

Column: Dispatches From the Edge: Notes from the Southern Cone

By Conn Hallinan
Friday February 29, 2008

Getting it right is what the government of Brazilian Lula da Silva seems to be doing these days. The country’s National Survey of Sample Households has just pulled together the results of his government’s economic policies, which indicate that women and the poor are doing considerably better than they did under previous governments. -more-


Column: Undercurrents: The Oakland Police Department’s Mixed Message

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday February 29, 2008

In one of the more hilarious scenes from Tim Burton’s 1996 parody film Mars Attacks, a group of invading Martians send a decidedly mixed message on an American street, broadcasting a recorded message shouting, “Don’t run; we are your friends” while simultaneously disintegrating with ray-gun blasts all humans within range. -more-


About the House: What to Look For When Looking Under the House

By Matt Cantor
Friday February 29, 2008

I spend a lot of time under houses. This isn't glamorous but it's what I have to do in order to do my job. Actually I don't mind it much. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Friday February 29, 2008

Albany Jazz Band Plays Anna’s

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet
Friday February 29, 2008

Woman’s Will Stages 10th Annual ‘24-Hour Playfest’

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet
Friday February 29, 2008

The Theater: Virago Stages Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ in Alameda

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet
Friday February 29, 2008

Opera Piccola Presents ‘Mirrors of Mumbai’

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet
Friday February 29, 2008

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Friday February 29, 2008

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Tell It To The Marines 02-29-2008

Editorial: Stuck With Bill’s Bills 02-26-2008

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 02-29-2008

Commentary: Spraying Provides More Questions Than Answers By Helen Kozoriz 02-29-2008

Commentary: The Anschluss By Alan Feng 02-29-2008

Commentary: Absence of Evidence is Not Evidence of Absence By Gale Garcia 02-29-2008

Commentary: Doing Good Without Doing Harm By Sharon Hudson 02-29-2008

Commentary: Car, Bike and Pedestrian Citizenship By H. Scott Prosterman 02-29-2008

Letters to the Editor 02-26-2008

Commentary: Hospital Plans Cause Stress for Neighbors By Bob Schenker 02-26-2008

Commentary: The Plentitude of Substantially Diluted Media By Rizwan A. Rahmani 02-26-2008

Commentary: Hey, CARB! More Recycling, Please By Arthur Boone 02-26-2008

Commentary: Climate Action Plan is Far-Sighted, But Needs to Be Boldly Nearsighted, Too By Alan Tobey 02-26-2008

Statement from Chris Kavanagh By Chris Kavanagh 02-26-2008

News

Oakland School Disputes with State Show Rocky Road Back to Local Control By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 02-29-2008

Council Postpones Several Items, Approves Blood House Move By Judith Scherr 02-29-2008

Student Crashes SUV into Berkeley High By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-29-2008

Allegations Mount Against Willard Administrator By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-29-2008

Council May Face State in Court to Stop Moth Spray By Judith Scherr 02-29-2008

Police Review Commission to Investigate Death of Anita Gay By Judith Scherr 02-29-2008

Dellums’ Oakland Police Plan Gaining Momentum By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 02-29-2008

BUSD Reaches Settlement in Old Gym Demolition Lawsuit By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-29-2008

BUSD Fails to Meet No Child Left Behind Goals By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-29-2008

Planners Make First Move to Challenge Downtown Plan By Richard Brenneman 02-29-2008

Planners Side With Staff in Debate over Density Bonus By Richard Brenneman 02-29-2008

Kennedy/Teece Buildings Priced at $147 Million By Richard Brenneman 02-29-2008

Council Calls for Full Court Press to Stop Spray By Judith Scherr 02-26-2008

Councilmember Promises Probe Of Anita Gay Shooting By Richard Brenneman 02-26-2008

Assembly Resolutions Attack Moth Spraying Plan By Judith Scherr 02-26-2008

South Berkeley Man Killed; Police Reveal Few Details By Richard Brenneman 02-26-2008

Wozniak Wants Two Readings For Peace and Justice Items By Judith Scherr 02-26-2008

Dellums’ Police Proposal to Get Further Vetting By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 02-26-2008

Kavanagh Pleads Guilty to One Charge By Judith Scherr 02-26-2008

Child-Caused Blaze Burns Lincoln St. House By Richard Brenneman 02-26-2008

Council to Discuss Crime, Blood House By Judith Scherr 02-26-2008

Pixar Awaits Approval for West Berkeley Day Care Center By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-26-2008

Restaurant Proposed for Act 1&2 Theatre Site By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-26-2008

Reader Report: Grandmothers Provide Supplies to Tree-Sitters By Matthew Taylor 02-26-2008

BUSD Heads to Sacramento to Protest Education Cuts By Riya Bhattacharjee 02-26-2008

Hamill Announces Candidacy for Oakland City Council J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 02-26-2008

East Bay Climate Great for Cultivating Herbs By Shirley Barker, Special to the Planet 02-26-2008

Columns

Column: Dispatches From the Edge: Notes from the Southern Cone By Conn Hallinan 02-29-2008

Column: Undercurrents: The Oakland Police Department’s Mixed Message By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 02-29-2008

About the House: What to Look For When Looking Under the House By Matt Cantor 02-29-2008

Wild Neighbors: Globetrotting Rodents: The Odyssey of the Black Rat By Joe Eaton 02-26-2008

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 02-29-2008

Albany Jazz Band Plays Anna’s By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 02-29-2008

Woman’s Will Stages 10th Annual ‘24-Hour Playfest’ By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 02-29-2008

The Theater: Virago Stages Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ in Alameda By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 02-29-2008

Opera Piccola Presents ‘Mirrors of Mumbai’ By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 02-29-2008

About the House: What to Look For When Looking Under the House By Matt Cantor 02-29-2008

Berkeley This Week 02-29-2008

Arts Calendar 02-26-2008

Books: Eastwind Books Provides Literary Hub for Asian Community By Anna Mindess, Special to the Planet 02-26-2008

‘Wakefield, or Hello Sophia’ at Central Works By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 02-26-2008

La Peña Celebrates Words and Life of Paul Robeson By Deb Schneider, Special to the Planet 02-26-2008

Wilde Irish Stages Centennial Bash for Irish National Theatre By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 02-26-2008

Wild Neighbors: Globetrotting Rodents: The Odyssey of the Black Rat By Joe Eaton 02-26-2008

Berkeley This Week 02-26-2008