Berkeley High’s Lady Jackets buzzed by Kennedy-Sacramento Saturday, 72-53, to win the CIF Northern Division I final. They’ll face Poly Long Beach Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Arco Arena, Sacramento, in the state championship game. Senior Jasmine Perkins, who will play for Washington State next year, scored 28 points against Kennedy. Airikah Warren scored 16 points and Camila Rosen scored 18. After seven years as assistant coach, Cheryl Draper is finishing her first year as head coach. Pictured are Warren, No. 25, and Charise Coberson, No. 14.
Judith Scherr
Berkeley High’s Lady Jackets buzzed by Kennedy-Sacramento Saturday, 72-53, to win the CIF Northern Division I final. They’ll face Poly Long Beach Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Arco Arena, Sacramento, in the state championship game. Senior Jasmine Perkins, who will play for Washington State next year, scored 28 points against Kennedy. Airikah Warren scored 16 points and Camila Rosen scored 18. After seven years as assistant coach, Cheryl Draper is finishing her first year as head coach. Pictured are Warren, No. 25, and Charise Coberson, No. 14.

Extra

Lowry Resigns Following Removal as Willard Vice Principal

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Posted Wed., March 12—Margaret Lowry—removed from her position as Willard Middle School vice principal last week—has resigned and will leave the district at the end of the school year. -more-



Page One

Report Disputes Need To Spray for Moth

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Adding fuel to a state agricultural department plan already under fire, spraying seven heavily populated northern California counties to eradicate the light brown apple moth (LBAM), a just-released report says the pest, present in New Zealand for 100 years, is controlled there by natural predators and that California should follow suit. -more-



Meeting Addresses BUSD Racism Complaints

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday March 11, 2008

A community meeting Saturday focused on recent allegations of racism at Cragmont Elementary School. Organized by the People’s Institute of Survival and Beyond at its Bancoft Way office, the meeting was one of a series planned to bring together local activists, parents and teachers to discuss racism in the city’s schools. -more-



Biofuel, Green Tech Boosters See Promise of Green Riches

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday March 11, 2008

For investors, biofuels and other green technology could be the Next Big Thing, Al Gore’s business partner told Berkeley faculty and students Friday. -more-



Building Reuse Is Green, Says Leading Architect

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Want to build green? The best way isn’t to build at all, but to retrofit an existing building, says architect and green building expert Sandra Mendler. -more-



Features

Council Looks at Pedestrian Plan, Military Registers

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday March 11, 2008

It could take some 20 years and $31 million for the city to fully implement the Pedestrian Master Plan, a draft of which the transportation division delivered to the City Council this week. -more-


Tree-Sitter Keeps Perch in Sproul

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday March 11, 2008

A tree-sitter in Sproul Plaza was not arrested Monday, though supporters said they were concerned about him when some eight UC Berkeley Police including the chief and assistant chief surrounded the tree. -more-


Final Hearing Set Friday in Memorial Stadium Lawsuit

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Lawyers in the battle over the UC Berkeley Memorial Stadium-area projects will have their last courtroom say on Friday. -more-


Filing for Oakland At-Large Council Seat Still Open

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday March 11, 2008

The Oakland City Council At-Large race took an unexpected turn last week when incumbent Henry Chang opted not to file for re-election, and a major challenger, Oakland Unified School District Board member Kerry Hamill, delayed filing until this week. -more-


Planners Struggle with Density Issue

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday March 11, 2008

The Berkeley Planning Commission faces a single issue on its Wednesday night agenda: the ever-controversial density bonus. -more-


District Sees Increase in Kindergarten Enrollment

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Berkeley Unified School District’s kindergarten enrollment is on the rise. -more-


Commission Landmarks Hezlett’s Silk Store

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday March 11, 2008

The Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to designate the Hezlett’s Silk Store building at 2277 Shattuck Ave. as a City of Berkeley landmark Thursday. -more-


First Person: A Two Owl Day

By Martha Dickey
Tuesday March 11, 2008

On the shortest day of the year, a sunny day sandwiched between rainy ones enticed me out of the house. In spite of the arthritis pain gnawing my left hip, I decided to go to the Berkeley Marina for a few power laps around Cesar Chavez Park. With each step the joint grated like metal on metal, but I was determined to overwhelm it with exercise. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday March 11, 2008

Commentary: Human Needs More Important Than Laws

By Jessica Schley
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Last Thursday I gave water to a young man sitting in a tree on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. I was arrested for it. It took only a moment to make the decision to throw him water, and I was told by another student that I would likely be arrested, but I acted because I doubted the existence of a law in which a person could legally be denied water, a basic human need. I was cited for PC 148a(1), which is obstructing or disobeying the orders of a police officer. -more-


Commentary: Berkeley Opts Out of Clean Water

By L A Wood
Tuesday March 11, 2008

“City of Berkeley, the water is murky” has become the latest rap on the city’s crumbling storm drain infrastructure. For nearly two decades, Berkeley’s Clean Water efforts in controlling surface water pollution have amounted to little more than a “greenwash” of meaningless phrases such as “Save the Bay.” -more-


Commentary: Why I Don’t Support the Troops

By Kenneth Thiesen
Tuesday March 11, 2008

In the recent political battle around the Marine recruiting station in Berkeley there has been much confusion around the concept or slogan of “supporting the troops,” but opposing the unjust wars of the Bush regime. Many who oppose the Bush regime wars also say they “support the troops.” Let me say it straight out—I do not support the troops and neither should you. It is objectively impossible to support the troops of the imperialist military forces of the U.S. and at the same time oppose the wars in which they fight. -more-


Commentary: UC Berkeley Students Take On City Planning Issues

Tuesday March 11, 2008

Editors, Daily Planet: -more-


Editorial

Editorial: Singing the Downtown Blues: Reprise

By Becky O'Malley
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Collecting one’s thoughts from time to time is a good idea. Thus I welcome the opportunity of being asked to speak today to a class at the University of California law school formerly known as Boalt Hall, billed as a Workshop on Development and the Environment. This semester’s focus is on downtown Berkeley. The speaker list includes several from the Downtown Area Planning and Advisory Committee (DAPAC), the mayor, developer Patrick Kennedy (twice), and jazz club proprietor Anna De Leon, one of his dissatisfied tenants. (She’s also an attorney who recently won a suit on behalf of citizen clients against the city of Berkeley for letting Kennedy play fast and loose with the conditions on his use permit.) A mixed bag, in other words, and what could I add to the mix? -more-


Columns

Wild Neighbors: Mourning Cloak Mysteries: The Butterfly that Hibernates

By Joe Eaton
Tuesday March 11, 2008
An elderly mourning cloak basks in the late winter sun.

We were out at Lafayette Reservoir a couple of weeks ago, looking for the bald eagle that wasn’t there. But there was a fair amount of butterfly action: a probable echo blue, some small hyperactive orange jobs, and three or four mourning cloaks, sparring or courting—it’s hard to tell with butterflies. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Tuesday March 11, 2008

The Theater: ‘What Do the Women Say?’ at La Peña

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Concert Marks Anniversaries for Chanticleer and Shanghai Quartet

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet
Tuesday March 11, 2008

Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Tuesday March 11, 2008

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Editorial: Singing the Downtown Blues: Reprise 03-11-2008

Editorial: Which of These Things Is Not Like the Other? 03-07-2008

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 03-11-2008

Commentary: Human Needs More Important Than Laws By Jessica Schley 03-11-2008

Commentary: Berkeley Opts Out of Clean Water By L A Wood 03-11-2008

Commentary: Why I Don’t Support the Troops By Kenneth Thiesen 03-11-2008

Commentary: UC Berkeley Students Take On City Planning Issues 03-11-2008

Letters to the Editor 03-07-2008

Commentary: Barack and Hillary Vs. King Crab By Winston Burton 03-07-2008

Commentary: An Update on Nutrition, Gardens and Compost By Beebo Turman 03-07-2008

Commentary: The Real Facts About Apple Moth Spraying By Robert Lieber 03-07-2008

News

Lowry Resigns Following Removal as Willard Vice Principal By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-11-2008

Report Disputes Need To Spray for Moth By Judith Scherr 03-11-2008

Meeting Addresses BUSD Racism Complaints By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-11-2008

Biofuel, Green Tech Boosters See Promise of Green Riches By Richard Brenneman 03-11-2008

Building Reuse Is Green, Says Leading Architect By Richard Brenneman 03-11-2008

Council Looks at Pedestrian Plan, Military Registers By Judith Scherr 03-11-2008

Tree-Sitter Keeps Perch in Sproul By Judith Scherr 03-11-2008

Final Hearing Set Friday in Memorial Stadium Lawsuit By Richard Brenneman 03-11-2008

Filing for Oakland At-Large Council Seat Still Open By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-11-2008

Planners Struggle with Density Issue By Richard Brenneman 03-11-2008

District Sees Increase in Kindergarten Enrollment By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-11-2008

Commission Landmarks Hezlett’s Silk Store By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-11-2008

First Person: A Two Owl Day By Martha Dickey 03-11-2008

Mourning Cloak Mysteries: The Butterfly that Hibernates By Joe Eaton 03-07-2008

Oakland Joins Fight to Halt State Moth Spray Plan By Judith Scherr 03-07-2008

Greenhouse Gas Session Generates Political Heat By Richard Brenneman 03-07-2008

School Board Ends Investigation of Vice Principal By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-07-2008

Three Policy Victories For Dellums in Oakland By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-07-2008

Candidates Race for Election Cash By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-07-2008

ZAB Approves Center Street Restaurant Permit, BioFuels Station By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-07-2008

Man Fatally Shot Outside Russell Street Apartments By Richard Brenneman 03-07-2008

Alta Bates Nurses Vote for Strike By Richard Brenneman 03-07-2008

SF Bay Guardian Wins Big, Heads Back to Court By Judith Scherr 03-07-2008

Local Newspaper Group Avoids Layoffs, for Now By Judith Scherr 03-07-2008

News Analysis: Guardian Editor Views Court Victory By Tim Redmond, Special to the Planet 03-07-2008

Berkeley Schools Plan to Hand Out Layoff Notices By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-07-2008

BUSD Mulls Fate of 6th Street Site By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-07-2008

‘The Songs of California: The UC Berkeley Traditon’ By Zelda Bronstein, Special to the Planet 03-07-2008

Columns

Wild Neighbors: Mourning Cloak Mysteries: The Butterfly that Hibernates By Joe Eaton 03-11-2008

Column: Undercurrents: Time to Revise Those Judgments of Dellums By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-07-2008

East Bay Then and Now: Telegraph and Durant: From Ritzy Enclave to Commercial Hub By Daniella Thompson 03-07-2008

About the House: Why My Floors Are Sloped By Matt Cantor 03-07-2008

Garden Variety: Surviving Oaks Still Shade Alden Lane Nursery By Ron Sullivan 03-07-2008

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 03-11-2008

The Theater: ‘What Do the Women Say?’ at La Peña By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 03-11-2008

Concert Marks Anniversaries for Chanticleer and Shanghai Quartet By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet 03-11-2008

Wild Neighbors: Mourning Cloak Mysteries: The Butterfly that Hibernates By Joe Eaton 03-11-2008

Berkeley This Week 03-11-2008

Arts Calendar 03-07-2008

Berlin Film Festival: From the Stones to Abu Ghraib By Lewis Dolinsky, Special to the Planet 03-07-2008

Moving Pictures: Pacific Film Archive Presents the Magic of Orson Welles By Justin DeFreitas 03-07-2008

The Theater: Cave and Gwinn’s ‘Romeo & Juliet and Other Duets’ By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 03-07-2008

The Theater: ‘Jukebox Tales’ at La Val’s By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet 03-07-2008

East Bay Then and Now: Telegraph and Durant: From Ritzy Enclave to Commercial Hub By Daniella Thompson 03-07-2008

About the House: Why My Floors Are Sloped By Matt Cantor 03-07-2008

Garden Variety: Surviving Oaks Still Shade Alden Lane Nursery By Ron Sullivan 03-07-2008

Berkeley This Week 03-07-2008