News Updates

Flash: Judge Halts UC Memorial Stadium Gym Project

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday June 18, 2008
An Alameda County Superior Court judge’s ruling has forced a halt to the planned construction of a gymnasium complex next to UC Berkeley’s California Memorial Stadium. -more-

Flexibility Out, New Numbers Needed As West Berkeley ‘Project’ Continues

By Richard Brenneman
Monday June 16, 2008
Forget flexibility: It’s now the “West Berkeley Project.” -more-

Bared Breast Provokes Arrest at Marine Recruiting Station

By Judith Scherr
Monday June 16, 2008
Pam Bennett of Code Pink was arrested Friday when she bared her breasts in front of Berkeley's downtown Marine Recruiting Station. -more-

Moratorium on Panoramic Hill Development Goes to Council

By Judith Scherr
Monday June 16, 2008
Jerry Wachtal describes the Panoramic Hill area where he lives as “a rare paradise,” where you can get to downtown Berkeley in seven minutes and be at home with “trees, birds and wild animals.” -more-

MediaNews East Bay Newsrooms Go Union in Narrow Vote

By Richard Brenneman
Monday June 16, 2008
By a narrow margin, journalists at East Bay newspapers owned by the Bay Area News Group-East Bay (BANG-EB) voted to unionize Friday. -more-

Missing Rice University Student’s Car Found in West Berkeley

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday June 16, 2008
The Berkeley Police Department is helping Houston police investigate the disappearance of a 21-year-old student who has been missing since Dec. 15 from his off-campus Houston apartment, authorities said Friday. -more-

New Candidates Collecting Signatures for Berkeley Elections

By Judith Scherr
Monday June 16, 2008
Three candidates for local offices added their names on Friday to the list of those collecting signatures for Berkeleyl elections on Nov. 4: Beatriz Levya-Cutler for school board and Robert J. Evans and Eleanor Walden for Rent Stabilization Board. -more-

AC Transit Puts Off Fare Hike

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Monday June 16, 2008
Trying to strike a balance between budgetary necessities and political realities, the AC Transit Board of Directors put off consideration of a proposed across-the-board fare increase until after the November general election last week, opting instead to begin the process of putting a parcel tax increase measure on the fall ballot. -more-

Berkeley Police Exonerate Officer in Shooting Death; DA Yet to Weigh In

By Judith Scherr
Friday June 13, 2008
The February shooting death of Anita Gay, 51, by Officer Rashawn Cummings was justified, Berkeley police say. -more-

Commissioners Hear BRT Fears, Praise; Plan More Discussions

By Richard Brenneman
Friday June 13, 2008
The ongoing battle over bus rapid transit (BRT) smoldered anew when Berkeley’s planning and transportation commissions took their second joint look at the concept Wednesday night. -more-

Planning Commissioners Tackle Downtown Plan

By Richard Brennema
Friday June 13, 2008
The Berkeley Planning Commission continues its look at the Downtown Area Plan Wednesday night, with three separate chapters on the agenda for the 7 p.m. session. -more-

Berkeley Firefighters Defeat Two Blazes, Tackle a Third

By Richard Brenneman
Friday June 13, 2008
A helicopter drops water scooped from Lake Temescal onto the smouldering embers of a fire that consumed two acres of hillside Thursday near the site where the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire ignited.
Berkeley firefighters found themselves fighting flames on two fronts Thursday, one at the site of the disastrous 1991 hills fire, the other in West Berkeley. -more-

Berkeley Planning Search for New City Attorney

By Judith Scherr
Friday June 13, 2008
City Manager Phil Kamlarz has told a number of councilmembers, including Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmember Dona Spring, that he is planning a nationwide search for a permanent replacement for former City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque after the budget has been put to rest. -more-

BUSD School Board Rescinds Lay-Offs of Teachers

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday June 13, 2008
The Berkeley Unified School District announced this week that all teachers who received lay-off notices as a result of proposed education budget cuts will be able to keep their jobs. -more-

No Plea From Hoeft-Edenfield in UC Stabbing Case

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday June 13, 2008
Berkeley City College student Andrew Hoeft-Edenfield—charged with the murder of UC Berkeley nuclear engineering student Chris Wootton—did not enter a plea during an appearance Thursday at the Alameda County Superior Court. -more-


News

Point Molate Casino Gets Fast-Track Status

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday June 12, 2008
Casino developer James D. Levine listens as Navy officials describe their plans for an expedited handover of the Point Molate site where Levine and the Guidiville Band of Pomos hope to build a resort complex.
Reports of its death having been greatly exaggerated, Rich-mond’s Point Molate casino is not only alive—it’s being fast-tracked by state and federal agencies. -more-

Berkeley Juneteenth Festival Called Off for this Year

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008
It will be a Juneteenthless June for Berkeley residents this year, after what some event organizers said was a myriad of restrictions imposed by city officials just months before the big weekend of the 22-year-old tradition. -more-

B-Tech Grads Look to the Future

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008
Berkeley Technical Academy students celebrate their graduation June 5.
Berkeley Technology Academy Principal Victor Diaz summed up the school year at the 2008 graduation ceremony at UC Berkeley’s Alumni Hall on June 5: “It was a year of extreme highs and extreme lows—a crazy, crazy year.” -more-

Violent Crime Skyrockets on UC Berkeley Campus

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday June 12, 2008
UC Berkeley became a much more dangerous place last year, according to crime figures released by campus police. -more-

Pools Won’t Be on Berkeley’s November Ballot

By Judith Scherr
Thursday June 12, 2008
A ballot measure to fund a new warm pool and rehab neighborhood pools was taken off the table at the Berkeley City Council’s Tuesday night meeting. -more-

Council Postpones a Number of Decisions at June 10 Meeting

By Judith Scherr
Thursday June 12, 2008
No one showed up from the Firefighters Union to speak to the issue of putting a fire safety/disaster relief bond measure on the November ballot, so councilmembers decided to put off discussion on the measure until they could hear from the union at the June 17 meeting. They also took no action regarding a possible library bond measure. -more-

Berkeley High Hires New Soccer Coach after Parents Complain

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008

Jamon Lewis

Washington Elementary Reaches Out to Family of Drowned Boy

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008

West Campus Rehabilitation Plan Presentation Delayed

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008

November Elections for Berkeley On Deck

By Judith Scherr
Thursday June 12, 2008

Ballot Measure Would Put BRT Vote to the People

By Judith Scherr
Thursday June 12, 2008


Oakland School Board Member Avoids Runoff Vote

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday June 12, 2008

Hamill Answers Charges Over Public Safety ‘Scare Tactics’

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday June 12, 2008


Downtown Bank of America Robbed Wednesday

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008

Reader Report: No Water Shortage for UC

By Paul Glusman
Thursday June 12, 2008

Bill Gates Dumps His Stock in Berkeley Biofuel Partner

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday June 12, 2008

Two Strawberry Canyon Trees Felled for Safety Reasons

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday June 12, 2008

T-Mobile Resubmits Plan for University Ave. Cell-Phone Antennas

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008

Trina Thompson Stanely

Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson Stanley Kept on Track

By Jonathan Wafer Special to the Planet
Thursday June 12, 2008

Why Cuts?

By Margot Pepper
Thursday June 12, 2008

Clarification

Thursday June 12, 2008

Correction

Thursday June 12, 2008

UC Berkeley Police raided the Memorial Stadium grove tree-sit Tuesday morning, cutting down the lines that linked trees and removing equipment used by the activists who are protesting the planned axing of the collection of Coastal Live Oaks and other trees to make way for a four-level high tech gym and office complex. A Daily Planet reporter was shoved in the back by one officer after he had been ordered away from the stadium rim, the only place offering a clear view of the activities below. The same officer confronted Doug Buckwald, a supporter of the tree-sitters. The stadium rim, as well as the sidewalk in front of the grove on Gayley Road, had been declared crime scenes, police said. A large crowd had gathered, thanks to phone calls and emails sent by supporters of the protest. An Alameda County Superior Court judge is expected to rule Wednesday on a lawsuit that has challenged the gym and other projects planned in the southeast area of the campus.
By Richard Brenneman
UC Berkeley Police raided the Memorial Stadium grove tree-sit Tuesday morning, cutting down the lines that linked trees and removing equipment used by the activists who are protesting the planned axing of the collection of Coastal Live Oaks and other trees to make way for a four-level high tech gym and office complex. A Daily Planet reporter was shoved in the back by one officer after he had been ordered away from the stadium rim, the only place offering a clear view of the activities below. The same officer confronted Doug Buckwald, a supporter of the tree-sitters. The stadium rim, as well as the sidewalk in front of the grove on Gayley Road, had been declared crime scenes, police said. A large crowd had gathered, thanks to phone calls and emails sent by supporters of the protest. An Alameda County Superior Court judge is expected to rule Wednesday on a lawsuit that has challenged the gym and other projects planned in the southeast area of the campus.

Editorials

Learning to Take a Graceful Bow

By Becky O’Malley
Thursday June 12, 2008
June is a month of final acts: graduations, performances, recitals. We’ve gone to several recitals in the last two weeks and enjoyed every one. Nothing beats the sight of a bunch of fresh-faced kids polished until they shine and on their best behavior, enjoying themselves—albeit with a bit of tension—making music or dancing. And if the music sounds good, or if the dancing delights, that’s a plus, but it isn’t really about the product, it’s about the process. -more-

The Editor's Back Fence

Whose Party Is It Anyway?

By Becky O'Malley
Thursday June 12, 2008
Now that the election's behind us, I finally had time to sort through my mail this morning. I pulled out all of the glossy color postcards from the big pile of junk, leaving behind twelve Land's End catalogs and several offers of free trips to Las Vegas to shop for condos. -more-

Editorial Cartoons

The Dream Ticket

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday June 12, 2008

Obama's First Lesson

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday June 12, 2008

Oil Weight

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday June 12, 2008

Reader Commentaries

Letters to the Editor

Monday June 16, 2008

Letters to the Editor

Thursday June 12, 2008

Storm Drain Project Threatens Tidal Lagoons

By Mark Liolios
Tuesday June 17, 2008

Dumbed Down Democrats

By Thomas Gangale
Thursday June 12, 2008


Why Loni Hancock and Nancy Skinner Won Big

By Randy Shaw
Thursday June 12, 2008

A Tale of Two Cities

By Sharon Hudson
Thursday June 12, 2008


ENRONed Again

By James Sayre
Thursday June 12, 2008

Message to Governor: State Needs More Revenue

By Sam Frankel
Thursday June 12, 2008

Questions About the Memorial Stadium Oak Grove

By Doug Buckwald
Thursday June 12, 2008

Columnists

The Public Eye: Hillary’s Judgment

By Bob Burnett
Thursday June 12, 2008

Undercurrents: Obama’s Negotiating Skills Will Be Put an Early Test

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday June 12, 2008

A street row of maytens in San Francisco.

Green Neighbors: Mayten, a Tree Refugee

By Ron Sullivan
Thursday June 12, 2008

Arts & Entertainment

Arts Calendar

Thursday June 12, 2008

CalShakes Presents ‘Pericles’

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday June 12, 2008

Baroque & Beyond: Sheli Nan at the Giorgi Gallery

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday June 12, 2008

One-Act Opera ‘Trap Door’ at The Lab in San Francisco

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday June 12, 2008

Erik Lyngen and Nick Raymond’s shop is the latest addition to Telegraph Avenue’s string of eclectic bookstores.

Book Zoo: North Oakland’s Newest Used Bookstore

By Ralph Dranow Special to the Planet
Thursday June 12, 2008

WILDE IRISH BLOOMSDAY CELEBRATION

Thursday June 12, 2008

Home & Garden

About the House: Why Your Dryer Is Trying to Kill You

By Matt Cantor
Thursday June 12, 2008

Events Calendar

Community Calendar

Thursday June 12, 2008