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Dona Spring declared her support for the treesitters at UC Berkeley’s Memorial stadium on June 22. She was applauded by supporters as she spoke from her wheelchair.
By Richard Brenneman
Dona Spring declared her support for the treesitters at UC Berkeley’s Memorial stadium on June 22. She was applauded by supporters as she spoke from her wheelchair.
 

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Berkeley Mourns Loss of Dona Spring, Fierce Advocate for the Environment, Justice, and Human and Animal Rights

By Judith Scherr
Monday July 14, 2008 - 10:50:00 AM
Dona Spring declared her support for the treesitters at UC Berkeley’s Memorial stadium on June 22. She was applauded by supporters as she spoke from her wheelchair.
By Richard Brenneman
Dona Spring declared her support for the treesitters at UC Berkeley’s Memorial stadium on June 22. She was applauded by supporters as she spoke from her wheelchair.

Berkeley is mourning the loss of Councilmember Dona Spring, protector of the environment, fighter for housing rights and champion for human and animal life. She died Sunday evening at Alta Bates/Summit Hospital in Berkeley, after being diagnosed with pneumonia. She was 55. 

“She was a tough and wonderful person-one wants to use the word ‘saint’,” said Gene Poschman, who was appointed to the Planning Commission by Spring.  

Most recently, even as her body was increasingly ravaged by rheumatoid arthritis, Spring turned her energies to the community’s latest battle with UC Berkeley-saving the trees in Memorial Grove and stopping university construction of a gymnasium adjacent to the earthquake fault-traversed football stadium. 

“She had energy up to the last-she came up to the trees,” said Councilmember Betty Olds, a supporter of the grove. 

Olds also worked with Spring on animal welfare issues, notably bringing the need for a new animal shelter to the public, then finding a new shelter. 

The council will consider purchase of property at 1 Bolivar Drive for the shelter on Tuesday evening. It could eventually be named after Spring, according to Mayor Tom Bates. 

Spring’s chief ally on the council was Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who was too distraught on Monday to comment on her death. 

Disabled since her 20s, Spring worked at Berkeley’s Center for Independent Living in the 1970s, according to Gerald Baptiste, CIL’s deputy director, who began work there soon after she left. 

Baptiste worked with Spring on numerous issues over the years, calling on her every time he wanted to bring a disability issue to the council’s attention. 

“Our last conversation was about the warm pool,” Baptiste said. Spring was a passionate advocate for building a new warm pool. 

Among the issues he worked on with Spring were curb cuts, which provide a means for people in wheelchairs to get from the sidewalk into the street. “She would ensure there was money in the budget for them,” he said. 

“She was in pain a lot and it did not stop her,” he added. 

Mayor Bates, who fought frequently with Spring, said she provided a balance on the council. “She had strongly held points of view,” he said. “I have been totally inspired by her and her tenacity—she fought right to the end.” 

The two had very different visions for downtown, which was part of Spring’s district. Bates supports development downtown and Spring strongly objected to plans to build 17-story buildings. “I’m going to miss her a lot, even though we had disagreements,” he said. 

Spring was the longest-serving Green Party member in office in the country, according to Lindsay Vurek, whose film “Courage in Life and Politics” documents Spring’s life. 

Rent Board Commissioner and Green Party member Pam Webster said Spring helped lead the way for Greens to enter the political arena, through encouragement, example and appointment to commissions. 

“She’s definitely a role model,” Webster said, further noting Spring’s support for low-income housing and tenants’ rights. 

Jill Posener, a member of the Humane Commission, said she worked with Spring not only on animal welfare issues, but also much more.  

“She had a steel trap of a mind,” Posener said, recalling that Spring knew details of the budget for 10 years running, so that she was able to point to funding sources for various projects. 

Posener said Spring will also be remembered for her generosity, quietly writing a personal check so that a cat at the animal shelter could get a needed operation. 

“She was a great American,” Posener said. “She never failed to put her constituents first” and served those who weren’t constituents, but whose representatives were not responsive. 

“She truly walked the walk—in a wheelchair!” Posener said. 


Berkeley Sea Scout Gets Six Years for Child Molestation

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday July 15, 2008 - 05:18:00 PM

Berkeley Sea Scouts leader Eugene Evans was convicted of two counts of child molestation Monday and is expected to spend six years in prison under a plea deal with the Alameda County district attorney’s office. 

Evans, who was in the news a few years ago for suing the City of Berkeley after it denied the Sea Scouts a free dock at the Marina because of its parent group’s ban on gays and atheists, pleaded no contest to the two charges Monday. 

According to authorities, Evans will also have to register as a sexual offender under the state’s Sex Offender Registration Act and pay up to $10,000 in compensation to the victims. 

Under the plea deal numerous other counts of child molestation and showing of pornography to minors were dropped. 

Evans, 64, remains free under a $500,000 bail until he is sentenced on Sept. 14. 

Berkeley Police arrested Evans on six counts of sexual abuse in December, including lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Andrew Frankel told the Planet. 

The Alameda County district attorney’s office added more sexual abuse counts later, charging him with ongoing acts with four youths, Frankel said. 

His victims’ ages ranged between 13 and 17, authorities said, and the crimes were reportedly carried out on the S.S.S. Farallon, the troop’s ship, after scout meetings.  

Evans was rearrested in May when additional victims surfaced and pornographic material was found on his boat. Evans was charged with molesting three minors and exposing four others to pornographic material. 

Calls to Phil Schnayerson, Evans’ attorney, were not returned by press time. 

In 2006, Evans defended the Berkeley Sea Scouts’ right to a free berth at the Marina arguing the city was punishing the group for something that wasn’t its fault. The Sea Scouts are bound to the policies of their parent body, the Boy Scouts of America, which mandates that gays and atheists be excluded from the organization. 

Although the city had allowed the Sea Scouts free berth space since the 1930s, its subsidy was revoked after the city adopted a nondiscrimination policy for marina use in 1997.  

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the case, Evans v. City of Berkeley, in October 2006, allowed Berkeley to treat the Sea Scouts differently from other non-profits because of its ban on atheists and gays. 

Evans kept denying charges of sexual abuse made against him from the first day until his court appearance Monday.  

Although a steady flow of supporters had turned up in court to defend him on previous appearances, only one supporter sat next to Evans before he pleaded guilty to the two counts Monday. 

Evans, who served as skipper of the Berkeley Boy Scouts for 35 years, was also a former teacher at Encinal High School in Alameda. 

A group of former sea scouts is continuing with the program at the marina. 

Jeri Morgado, president of the Alameda Council Boy Scouts, said the council took immediate steps to permanently remove Evans from the scouting program when they found out about the initial charges in December. 

“The safety of our youth is our highest priority,” she said. 

Erik Coker, executive officer of the Farallon’s corporate board, declined to comment on Evan’s conviction. 

Coker said Mischa Block, a Berkeley resident, had taken over as skipper when the news about Evans’ charges broke in December. 

“As soon as the allegations came out, Evans separated himself from the ship,” Block said. 

He added a group of former sea scout members had come forward to help with the ship’s operations once Evans left the ship. 

“Gene was not able to be here, so a lot of the crew got together and kept the show going,” he said. “We are not missing a beat. We are just moving forward.” 

The boy scouts recently returned from a summer cruise, Coker said, adding that despite the loss of the free berth, the group was doing fine.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Bates, Crowder, Alberti, Welford File for Offices

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday July 15, 2008 - 05:10:00 PM

With the official opening of the candidate filing period Monday, four new candidates have declared their interest in running for Berkeley offices. 

Mayor Tom Bates took out nomination papers Monday and formally announced his bid for a third term in office. (The first term was for four years and was followed by a two-year term, designed to place the mayoral election on the ballot with the presidential election.) 

“I am pleased to announce that I am running for re-election as Berkeley’s Mayor,” Bates said in a written statement and read, according to his staff, at a press conference on the steps of the civic center building. “In the last few years, working with the people of Berkeley, we have accomplished a great deal. We are recognized as one of the most sustainable and green cities in the country, we have built affordable housing, protected our neighborhoods, enhanced the arts, provided new jobs and safe places for our youth to gather while balancing our budget and receiving the highest bond rating for a city our size.”  

(In a phone interview, Bates told the Planet he was unable to delay the press conference out of respect for the death the previous day of Councilmember Dona Spring because he had already announced the event to supporters and the media.) 

Former mayor Shirley Dean, defeated by Bates in 2002, will challenge Bates for the post, as will former mayoral candidate Zachary Running Wolf. Both have taken out signature-in-lieu papers so that they can collect 150 voters’ signatures in lieu of paying a $150 filing fee. (Bates took out signature-in-lieu papers on Monday and returned them the same day.) 

 

City Council 

Jon Crowder, who ran for the District 2 seat in 2000 and for mayor in 1998, has taken out signature-in-lieu papers to run against incumbent Darryl Moore for the District 2 seat.  

No challengers have come forward for the District 3 seat where Max Anderson is the incumbent and has taken out signature-in-lieu papers, nor is there a challenger for the District 5 seat, where Laurie Capitelli is the incumbent and has taken out papers.  

Susan Wengraf, running for the District 6 seat being vacated by retiring Councilmember Betty Olds, whose aide she is, has returned her signature-in-lieu documents and has taken out nomination papers for the office. 

 

Rent Board 

Jane Welford, active in library, open government and peace issues, has joined the increasingly crowded race for Rent Stabilization Board, as has Judy Ann Alberti, a union activist and former Rent Stabilization Board member. 

Other rent board candidates include incumbents Jesse Arreguin, Eleanor Walden and Jack Harrison. Nicole Drake, Judy Shelton and Robert Evans are also running for the five seats available on the board. All rent board candidates have taken out signature-in-lieu papers. 

 

School Board 

School Board president John Selawsky and Beatriz Leyva-Cutler have taken out papers to run for the two school board seats. 

Nomination papers for all offices must be returned to the clerk by Aug. 8.


Controversy Marks Treesitter’s Arrest

By Richard Brenneman
Monday July 14, 2008 - 09:18:00 PM

Controversy over the jailing of an oak grove tree-sitter who came down after a death in the family has sparked outraged among supporters of the 17-month-old Berkeley protest. 

Jeff Muskrat, who had sneaked into the grove near UC Memorial Stadium July 6 while campus police were busy trying to prevent supporters from sending up food, came down Monday after negotiations with officers. 

Ayr, a stalwart of the ground support team for the protesters, said he and other are outraged by the decision by Capt. Guillermo Beckford to ask for incarceration rather than a release following booking at Berkeley’s city jail. 

According to Ayr, Beckford said he had “changed his mind” and asked for Berkeley police to process Muskrat for custody at the county’s Santa Rita Jail. 

But later Monday afternoon, university spokesperson Dan Mogulof said, “It’s been made clear to the people who are holding him that the university has no objection to his being cited and released,” which he said he expected to happen later in the day. 

“There has been some confusion,” Mogulof said, “but that has been cleared up” after a conversation with Assistant Police Chief Mitchell Celaya. 

Mogulof declined to comment on Beckford’s alleged statements to Ayr and others. 

 


Service Workers Strike UCs

By Judith Scherr
Monday July 14, 2008 - 09:17:00 PM

Despite what appeared to be a judge’s injunction not to strike, thousands of University of California hospital and service workers—including hundreds of UC Berkeley custodians, gardeners, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and more—put in an eight-hour shift today (Monday) walking the picket line, according to union officials. 

On Friday, a San Francisco Superior Court judge told workers not to carry out a planned five-day walkout. But American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers Local 3299 President Lekesha Harrison told the Planet that the judge’s order did not explicitly bar them from striking as long as they gave advance notice. 

“The University of California is disappointed that AFSCME has chosen to strike, despite the court’s ruling prohibiting such activity,” says a written statement from Howard Pripas, executive director for the university’s systemwide labor relations.  

The union maintains that the strike is not illegal, and that the judge did not explicitly enjoin them from striking. 

Union organizer Mariecruz Manzanares told the Planet that, at first, “people were worried. Management gave them letters saying the court said the strike was illegal and there would be disciplinary action.” 

When reluctant workers saw others on the picket line, they joined in, Manzanares said. 

University spokesperson Nicole Savickas said specific disciplinary action will differ location by location. “Every location has policies related to unexplained absences,” she told the Planet Monday. 

Teamsters working on various construction sites around campus are joining the strike, Manzanares said, adding that the university had brought in temporary workers, something she called “disrespectful.” 

University gardener Hank Chapot was picket captain at Kroeber Plaza today, maintaining a presence of 12 workers. There were 200 at Sproul Plaza and others at sites around the campus perimeter.  

“There was 100 percent turnout from my department,” Chapot told the Planet. Chapot said the union had done its homework, having studies conducted that showed the workers were 20-to-25 percent behind other workers doing similar work. Some service workers earn as little as $10 per hour. 

“We’ve given back and given back to the university,” he said. 

Savickas said the university has issued repeated requests to go back to the bargaining table, but the union has said they are offering nothing new. 

The strike will continue Tuesday at the university, then move to the Office of the President in downtown Oakland Wednesday through Friday. 


Newest Toxic Metal Discovery Poses Richmond Site Worries

By Richard Brenneman
Monday July 14, 2008 - 04:41:00 PM

The ongoing struggle over the future of two contaminated sites on the southeast Richmond shoreline has heated up again after the discovery of yet another contaminant. 

Beryllium is the newest addition to a long list of synthetic and natural contaminants found at the site where chemicals were manufactured and metals smelted for a century. 

The site formerly owned by Zeneca, a leading multinational agrochemical giant was scheduled to become a high-rise residential complex until worried activists, aided by two state legislators and the future Richmond mayor, forced a regulatory hand-off that has resulted in more complex and costly cleanup efforts. 

The handover has also resulted in intensified cleanup efforts at the UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station, adjacent to the Zeneca site and itself once the site of a munitions plant. 

The Community Advisory Group (CAG) is giving input to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the agency supervising cleanup operations at several sites in the area. CAG members said they didn’t learn of the presence of beryllium processing at the site until this year. The metal is toxic, and was processed in the same building also used for uranium experiments. 

“We keep peeling back the onion, and the information only seems to come from CAG members,” said Eric Blum, a CAG member who owns a nearby business. 

Ethel Dotson, who died of cancer last November, first discovered that uranium had been processed at the site, and it was she who began the process that lead to creation of the CAG. 

Michael Esposito, a retired UC Berkeley scientist who chairs CAG’s Toxics Committee, said beryllium’s toxicity has long been recognized, and the lightweight metal is easily spread through the air. Cases of poisoning have reported a mile or more from sites where it was used, he said. 

Esposito said employees at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were poisoned by forgotten dust remaining from previous operations. 

Sherry Padgett, who works near the site and has suffered from a variety of tumors, said beryllium and uranium were both handled in a structure plant workers called the “Be Building,” named for the abbreviation of the metal’s name used in the periodic table of elements. 

The CAG, bankrolled by the current owners and would-be developers of the Zeneca site, has hired two cleanup consultants who are conducting their own independent evaluations of the sites. 

Community activists, including Dotson and her brother Whitney, future Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Padgett, UC Berkeley professor Claudia Carr, joined by state Assemblymembers Loni Hancock and Cindy Montanez, eventually forced the state to transfer jurisdiction of the Zeneca and university sites away from the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Water Quality Control Board. 

Unlike the DTSC, which is staffed with scientists trained in toxics, the water board has no toxicologists, a sore point with the activists. 

But some CAG members have grown impatient with the DTSC, while Barbara J. Cook, the DTSC officer supervising the cleanups, said that with a site like Zeneca where chemical factories operated for a century, the record will never be complete. 

Peter Weiner, an attorney with the San Francisco firm Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, has been representing the CAG on a cost-free pro bono basis. 

Thursday night he asked Cook whether the state had “used all its awesome authority to get all the information” about the history of the plant from AstraZeneca-the last company to have owned the plant, a spinoff of long-time owner Imperial Chemical Industries of England. 

Cook fired back that members of Weiner’s own profession had successfully lobbied for a seven-year limit on mandatory retention of public records. She said the state had asked for the information, and requested the CAG to provide her “with any information I don’t have.” 

Members also asked what the DTSC planned to do with any fines collected from a June 29, 2007, letter from DTSC to UC Berkeley and Zeneca for multiple violations of state law stemming from the illegal disposal of at least 3,000 truckloads of contaminated soil, with two-thirds being transfers from the Richmond Field Station to the Campus Bay site, where they are buried on site. 

“Our request is that any fines come to the Richmond southeast shoreline area to the extent allowed by regulations,” Padgett said. 

Joe Robinson, another CAG member, said that the university’s lack of participation in the CAG process has been disturbing, adding that “we’d like to welcome UC to our meetings so we can keep communications open.” 

The future of the Campus Bay site remains an open question, with a plan for a 1,330-unit high-rise housing development off the table-at least for the moment. Also off the table are the university’s plans for a million-square-foot-plus corporate/academic research park at the university’s site. 

But Cherokee Simeon Ventures, the partnership of Bay Area developer Simeon Properties and Cherokee Investment Partners, a national firm specializing in developments on rehabilitated toxic sites, may be moving forward with a proposal. 

Tom Kambe, Cherokee Simeon’s site project manager, told CAG members he is working on a presentation on the CEQA process which should be ready for the group’s October meeting. 

The CEQA process, spelled out in the California Environmental Quality Act, is the essential first step in the development process, and provides a mechanism for assessing potential negative impacts arising from the development process. 

Information on the DTSC-supervised cleanup on the Campus Bay site may be found here: www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/profile_report.asp?global_id=07280002. For a look at information presented to the CAG, click on the link labeled “Community Involvement.” 

For similar information on the Richmond Field Station, see: www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/profile_report.asp?global_id=07730003. 

 


ZAB Approves Offices for Ed Roberts Campus

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday July 14, 2008 - 04:40:00 PM

The Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board approved a use permit modification for the Ed Roberts Campus Thursday to allow offices of several nonprofits to be located in a residential zone near the Ashby BART, but they limited the ruling to include only those organizations. 

The result of years of work by many disability organizations, the Ed Roberts Campus is a two-story, 86,057-square-foot building planned for 3075 Adeline St., straddling two different zoning districts in South Berkeley—residential and south area/commercial—which will have a community center and offices for the disability community.  

The original use permit for the campus, approved by the zoning board four years ago, allows community centers in the residential area along Adeline Street, while offices can only be located in the south area/commercial zone which encourages high density. 

ZAB declined to change the definition of a “community center” to allow future offices to go into the residential zone, as suggested by zoning staff, in order to avoid setting a precedent. 

A couple of community members said they supported the project but were concerned about the permit modification setting a precedent in the neighborhood, something that was shared by several zoning commissioners during the course of the meeting. 

“Everyone loves the project,” said Tony Hill, a neighbor. “But it seems to a few of us the project has changed in nature. It’s now going more and more towards a commercial project. Less and less Ed Roberts’ people want to rent the place, and more and more commercial people want to lease it. Is there a way to guarantee that it will be more of a disability center than commercial?” 

According to a report by the zoning staff, Through the Looking Glass, a family clinic and one of the nonprofits planning to move into the campus, would include a 2,425-square-foot child-care center located mainly in the commercial district and partially in the residential district, and a 5,020-square-foot office space, located entirely in the residential district. 

Representatives of Through the Looking Glass told the board the majority of its services were based around the East Bay community, especially in Alameda County.  

Both the City Council and the zoning board in their original condition of approval mandated that office space should be located in the commercial district, the staff report said, since an office was inconsistent with the use of a community center and thus not allowed in a residential district.  

The report states that other tenants approved for the residential district also have office and educational activities very similar to the family clinic. 

The report also adds that rising construction costs made the Ed Roberts Campus consider a broad range of tenants in order to finance the project, instead of limiting its focus to the disabled community. 

Dmitri Belser, president of the Ed Roberts Campus board, said the mission of the campus had not changed despite efforts to look at a diverse group of leaseholders. 

“We have been working on this project for 14 years,” Belser said. “We have done a lot of work to make it appropriate for the neighborhood. Initially there were nine agencies who were partnering with us, now there are seven. But all of the agencies serve people with disabilities in different ways. The mission has not changed.” 

Commissioner Jesse Arreguin asked whether there was a way to guarantee that the commercial offices allowed on the campus would benefit the disability community. 

“The goal of the Ed Roberts Campus is to provide a space for organizations serving the disabled community,” Belzar said.  

“The financial challenge is that the organization is taking on a significant amount of debt to build the building and wants the flexibility to have financial viability over time. The goal is to have organizations who serve the disabled community come in as long as they fit within the mode of a community center.” 

Guy Thomas, a board member for the Center for Accessible Technology—one of the partners of the Ed Roberts Campus—pressed the board to approve the modification so the “campus could have services without worrying about the zipcode.” 

“We are very focused on being able to serve our community,” he said. “Of course you do need to expand the idea of what is disability related. I hope we can move forward on this project after so many years.” 


Picnic Rock Fence Will Just Replace the Old One, Owners Say

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday July 14, 2008 - 04:37:00 PM

The owners of the Sutcliff Picnic Rock in North Berkeley told the Planet Friday its new fence will simply replace the old one. 

Some members of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission expressed concern last week about fencing the landmarked rock on the 500 block of Santa Rosa Avenue in North Berkeley, but the alterations do not fall under the board’s jurisdiction. 

Usually, alterations to a landmark must be approved by the landmarks commission. But city officials informed the commissioners that the proposed alteration in this case, a fence, does not require a permit.  

Katie and Eric Wilson, who have owned the property which contains Picnic Rock since 2006, said the fence will confirm to the city’s zoning requirements for height limits, including those pertaining to height on a slope. 

“Picnic Rock has been fenced for many years,” Katie Wilson told the Planet. “Front fencing was already in place when we moved to the neighborhood 22 years ago and the rear fencing is likely nearing 20 years of age. The new ornamental iron fence, with its open character, will enhance viewing of the rock, and provide needed durability and security.” 

The couple added they had argued in favor of landmarking the rock in 1990 when the commission voted to declare it a “site of merit,” and that they been motivated to purchase it 16 years later by a desire to preserve it as an open space and eliminate the recurring proposals to build a house on the site. 

“Neighborhood efforts over the years had achieved temporary preservation, but we sought a lasting resolution,” Katie said. 

The couple opened the rock to numerous local tours, especially those led by the Berkeley Historical Society, over the past two years, she said. 

“However, Picnic Rock is private property and is not open to the general public,” she said, disputing the description by some community members that it was a “popular rock climbing site for children.” 

“It is a sad fact of modern life that children no longer run through neighborhoods and back yards unencumbered by fences and property lines,” she said. 


Film Shows Dona Spring’s Public and Personal Courage

By Judith Scherr
Saturday July 12, 2008 - 01:59:00 PM

In Lindsay Vurek’s film, “Courage in Life and Politics: the Dona Spring Story,” the 15-year Berkeley councilmember’s fierce advocacy for the environment, animals, the downtrodden and the disabled shines bright. 

The 70-minute documentary, to be shown Friday, 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, at Cedar and Bonita streets, uses photographs, archival TV footage, and interviews of dozens of the councilmember’s friends and supporters, to show how Spring developed from a child who loved hiking and fishing, rode horses and even sky dived to the adult environmentalist and peace activist, who grew into an honored city leader, even as she faced the personal struggle of grappling with painful rheumatoid arthritis that increasingly debilitates her body.  

“Dona’s courage, her vision, her integrity has always been inspiring,” says Rent Board Commissioner Pam Webster, a fellow Green Party member, speaking to the camera. 

Former Chair of the Peace and Justice Commission Steve Freedkin shared a similar view, recalling an instance, early in his stint on the commission, when he found himself embroiled in a fight over Israel-Palestine issues. He said Spring called him: “There was no agenda; there was no lobbying. It was just, ‘I’m with you,’” he said. 

Active Berkeleyans who have run for office, including Jesse Townley and Zelda Bronstein, said Spring served as a mentor during tough campaigns. 

Spring, too, points to those who inspired her. One was Michael Winter, a disabled man and leader in the disability rights movement. Winter ran for City Council in 1986. 

Although he lost, the run impressed Spring who said she had not thought, before she experienced Winter’s campaign, that a disabled person would be able to carry out the kind of grassroots campaigning necessary to win in Berkeley. 

Following Winter’s example, Spring ran and won her first term in 1992 with a slim margin and has won successive races handily. 

One of Spring’s boldest moments depicted in the film was the resolution she sponsored condemning the U.S. bombing in Afghanistan and calling on national leaders to explore other means of pursuing the 9/11 attackers. 

Her action—and the action of a slim City Council majority—drew fire from the right wing and condemnation from the Wall Street Journal. 

On Oct. 10, 2001, a Wall Street Journal article by James Taranto subtitled, “Berkeley’s Useless Idiots,” stated: “The Daily Californian reports that the Berkeley City Council is likely to approve a resolution denouncing America for defending itself against terrorism. Councilwoman Dona Spring uttered what may be the most idiotic comment we’ve heard in the past month: ‘Berkeley has always been an island of sanity in terms of the war madness that has prevailed in this country. The U.S. is now a terrorist. According to the Taliban these are terrorist attacks.’” 

In the film, Spring responds to her detractors: “Don’t there need to be voices in this country that can question whether the use of mass destruction of other countries is in our best interest?” she asks. 

The councilmember’s strident stand against “frivolous” use of animals in research also gained her notoriety, with appearances on a number of national TV shows including the Ophrah Winfrey Show.  

Animal research is redundant, Spring said during one of her TV appearances. “It’s a real gravy train.” 

The film brings the audience up to date, with Spring’s work to save the oak grove next to Memorial Stadium on the UC Berkeley campus and her dedication to saving the warm pool on the Berkeley High School campus for disabled people and seniors to use. 

Berkeley author Michael Parenti, who lauds Spring in the film as someone “who does not sell out to special interests,” will introduce the film at Friday’s Unitarian church showing. 


Oakland City Council To Consider Four Finalists For Oakland Army Base Development

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Monday July 14, 2008 - 04:34:00 PM

Oakland City Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee chopped the Oakland Army Base suitors in half last week, approving a staff recommendation to pare down from eight to four the list of proposed developers for Oakland’s massive 108-acre Gateway Development project. 

Oakland is looking for several economic uses for land turned over to the city following the decommission of the Oakland Army Base, including activities related to the adjacent Port of Oakland, industrial, retail, and entertainment. A development team headed up by the Wayans Brothers of Los Angeles dropped out of an exclusive negotiating agreement with the city for the Gateway Development project last year. 

If the Oakland council approves the recommendation at its Tuesday meeting as expected, the four finalists will be invited to submit requests for proposals within the next four to six months. 

The council will make the final decision on the developer.  

The Gateway Development project will be a test of whether Oakland under the administration of Mayor Ron Dellums will continue to favor locally connected developers or will become a major magnet for national and international development firms. 

One of the four finalists—Oakland-based Phil Tagami’s AMB/California Capital Group—has built several City of Oakland-funded projects, and is now working on the restoration of uptown’s Fox Oakland Theater. 

The other three finalists include one major player in national development, Denver/San Francisco-based Prologis/Catellus, and two major international players, Washington, D.C.-based Federal Development and Chicago-based First Industrial Realty. 

Tagami has been lobbying hard with councilmembers for the Oakland Army Base job, and despite the fact that council approval is months away, on Tuesday turned in letters from 15 Bay Area local unions supporting the AMB/California Capital Group proposal. 

But at Tuesday’s CEDA Committee meeting, Tagami’s company also came under criticism from community residents for $14.5 million in new city funding and loan requests for the Fox Oakland restoration project.  

Calling the initial staff screening and paredown process “excellent,” CEDA Committee chairperson Jane Brunner said that she will be looking at three areas when making the decision as to who will develop the Army Base project. 

“I want to know how many jobs they are going to generate, I want to know how much revenue the project will generate for the city, and I want to see the project’s ‘vision,’ ” she said. “This is a gateway project for the city.” 

Brunner also said she wanted the proposal to have some flexibility built in to accommodate new economic developments in the coming years. 

“The market can change,” Brunner said. “Five years ago, we would have said that the army base development should center around housing. Today, we wouldn’t propose that.” 

Brunner suggested that the RFP contain an alternate retail component in order to meet possible changing economic conditions. 

In response to its original request for qualifications on the Oakland Army Base project sent out in January, 13 firms responded, many of them of national stature. Four of the companies that bid on developing the entire 108-acre site—Hillwood (a Ross Perot company), Oakland Bay Partners (a collection of Oakland and Bay area firms formed specifically for the Gateway project), national development firm Prism Realty, and Oakland-based Triamid Galaxies—did not make the final staff cut for the RFP round of the development proposals. 

Several community residents—many of them from West Oakland—spoke before the committee in favor of including Triamid Galaxies in the list of RFP finalists. The speakers stressed that Triamid was locally based, had talked extensively with West Oakland neighbors of the Army Base to determine what was needed in the area, and could get their project up and running faster than the other developers. 

But Councilmember Larry Reid, a CEDA committee member, said in supporting the staff decision to pare the list from eight to four that while “I know that there are two or three other developers who should be on the short list, I understand that decisions have to be made.” 

Five other firms—Oakland-based Jones Development Company, Modesto-based M&L Commodities, the Oakland Film Center, PCC Logistics (a division of Pacific Coast Container), and San Francisco-based W&E Group—all bid only on a portion of the proposed development. 

In its recommendation, Oakland city staff said that the RFP should ask developers to include the Oakland Film Center and a produce market proposed by Jones Development in their proposal. 

CEDA Committee members also asked that the PCC proposal be included in the RFP as well. PCC conducts national security-based container cargo searches, and said they need to be adjacent to Port of Oakland land in order to continue their operations. 


Judge Enjoins UC Worker Strike, University Says; Workers Say Strike is OK

By Judith Scherr
Saturday July 12, 2008 - 01:57:00 PM

Although a University of California press statement issued Friday says a San Francisco Superior Court judge has enjoined University of California service workers around the state from participating in a five-day strike scheduled for July 14-18, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union says the university misinterpreted the judge’s order, so the service workers will be out in force on strike beginning Monday. 

“We don’t think UC is telling the truth about what the judge said,” Lakesha Harrison, AFSCME president, told the Planet Friday afternoon. 

Harrison said the court wanted more specifics about strike dates and that was given to the court. 

“It’s our constitutional right to strike,” Harrison said. 

The UC statement says the university has offered wage increases of 26 percent over the next five years for patient care employees, and increases in minimum hourly rates for service workers from $10.28 to $11.50 or $12 per hour. The statement says the university has agreed to transition the employees to a step-based salary structure proposed by the union and “to continue to provide them the same high quality health and pension benefits offered to all UC employees, at the same cost as other employees.” 

Harrison said the increase to $11.50 per hour is inadequate and that the promised step increase is not funded. She said 96 percent of the service workers are eligible for federal subsidies such as food stamps or low-income housing because their pay is so low. 

UC Berkeley workers—bus drivers, gardeners, cafeteria workers, custodians—plan to start picketing on Monday at the Berkeley campus, and to move later in the week to the UC president's office in downtown Oakland.  


Planning Commission Leaps Tall Buildings

By Richard Brenneman
Saturday July 12, 2008 - 01:57:00 PM

Berkeley planning commissioners continued their march through the Downtown Area Plan Wednesday night with a side excursion through a controversial economic study. 

During its two year term the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC) struggled to decide how many buildings should be built in Berkeley's downtown area and how high they should be. 

Buildings of seven stories or higher have long been a focus of controversy in the city, pitting “smart growth” advocates against preservationists and neighborhood activists. 

While the smart growth group advocates higher and denser development as a key to halting urban sprawl, revitalizing downtown commerce and reducing automobile dependence, critics contend density brings traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and destroys the carefully nurtured character of nearby neighborhoods. 

DAPAC members worked out a compromise in their plan, allowing for more high-rise projects than most preservationists wanted but fewer than those desired by the smart growth minority. 

The plan’s Land Use Chapter passed by a divided vote, and a motion by the losing side to call for a study looking into whether it was economically feasible to build the permitted high-rises was defeated. 

But the feasibility study was resurrected by the Planning Commission, chaired by James Samuels, an architect who had been on the losing side of the DAPAC vote when he served on that committee. 

After the commission majority voted for the study, the city hired consultant Dena Belzer of Berkeley's Strategic Economics group to carry it out, assisted by Steven Hixson, an Oakland development consultant. Hixson & Associates works primary for private developers, though clients have included the University of California and school and library districts. 

Belzer’s Strategic Economics has produced reports for transit-oriented development (TOD) projects, a bete noir of the neighborhood activists because under California law a TOD designation allows denser development than would otherwise be allowed under local codes. 

Before the pair presented their report, city Planning and Development Director Dan Marks stressed that the document “is information, not policy” and was, in any case, not definitive. 

The two authors of the 41-page draft were quick to agree, especially given the current economic downtown, which has hit housing construction especially hard. 

Perhaps the most sobering news came when Belzer said that no apartment buildings over seven stories were ever likely to be built in Berkeley, and that only the tallest of the range of potential condo buildings were likely, in five to seven years at the earliest, presuming that the current recession is a typical product of the business cycle and not a symptom of a major change. 

According to the study, the 17-story, 180-foot point towers which some had advocated would only become economically feasible if the city allowed the buildings to be more massive than currently planned. 

A 140-foot condo tower would be likely to be built only if the city reduced or eliminated the DAPAC plan’s green building requirements and the city halved the in-lieu fee for developers who chose to pay into a city housing fund rather than include condos at more affordable prices for those who otherwise couldn’t afford them. 

Under any scenario, no condo buildings between 75 feet and 120 feet were likely. 

During DAPAC’s deliberations over the plan, Marks had told the committee that concentrating new housing downtown offered the city a way to meet housing requirements set by regional government without raising the ire of other neighborhoods. 

The Association of Bay Area Governments sets quotas for the number of housing units that local governments are supposed to allow if developers are willing to build them, but doesn’t require actual construction. 

The DAPAC plan offered a compromise that would concentrate growth in the city center, while not giving in to planning staff suggestions that proposed 14 "point towers" each 16-stories highin the planning area. 

The plan calls for two hotels of up to 225 feet, four buildings at 100 feet and four others at 120 feet, with only one of the taller buildings allowed for office uses. It includes no buildings of the 140 or 180 feet height cited in the Belzer/Hixson report. 

While commissioners Susan Wengraf and Harry Pollack said they’d like to see more about the feasibility of office construction, Marks effectively nixed the notion, saying that another study would be needed for that, as well as more funding from the City Council. 

Final approval of the plan must come by next May lest the city begin to lose compensatory funds from UC Berkeley specified in the settlement of a lawsuit over the impacts of the university’s plans to build 800,000 square feet of new construction downtown. 

Gene Poschman, the commission’s stickler on statutory and policy issues, said he was troubled by the premise of “a downtown plan revolving around luxury condos. That would be anathema to me.” 

Commissioners questioned a range of assumptions used in the study, ranging from land costs, feasibility of building at different heights, financing assumptions and the range of buildings used as models to determine feasibility. 

Armed with the questions raised Wednesday night, the study authors will refine the document and bring it back to the commission. The report will also be used in preparing the plan’s environmental impact. 

Commissioners also agreed that they wouldn’t create a subcommittee to review the chapters of the Downtown Area Plan they still have to cover before passing it on to the City Council, along with their own recommendations and revisions by city staff. 

The report Blelzer/Hixson report is available at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=832 

The Land Use and other chapters of the downtown plan at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=10828 

 

Commissioners will make their next run at the plan this coming Wednesday, when they are scheduled to finish their review of the plan’s chapter on historic preservation and urban design and critique the chapter on streetscapes and open space. 

That meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 


New Dellums-Brunner Police Increase Parcel Tax Measure Barely Makes It Out Of Council Committee

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Saturday July 12, 2008 - 01:56:00 PM

The roundabout road to an Oakland ballot measure to increase the city’s police strength—projected to be placed before Oakland voters in some form or other in November—took another series of twists and turns this week. 

North Oakland Councilmember Jane Brunner introduced a competing parcel tax proposal to the one already introduced by Mayor Ron Dellums, then worked out a deal with the mayor’s office in which the two measures were to be merged and then passed out of the Oakland City Council’s powerful Rules Committee for discussion by the full council next week. 

Before she could win Rules Committee passage, however, a visibly frustrated Brunner had to publicly scold Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and At-Large Councilmember Henry Chang, who threatened to withhold the votes necessary to get the proposed measure out of committee. 

If passed by the council to be placed on the ballot and approved by voters in November, the proposed parcel tax would, among other things, add 105 uniformed police officers and 75 police service technicians to the Oakland Police Department’s ranks over a three year period, bringing the total authorized uniformed police strength up to 908.  

To support the new hires, the Dellums-Brunner proposal would increase parcel taxes on single family residential units by $275 in its third year, with a $188 extra per unit charge on multiple residential dwellings. Low-income households would be exempt from the tax increase. 

Oakland’s police increase ballot measure saga began earlier this year when a group of private citizens—later joined by influential political consultant Larry Tramutola—began circulating petitions for a November Oakland ballot measure to be called the “Safe Streets And Neighborhoods Act Of 2008,” which would have raised uniformed police strength to 1,075 officers from the current authorized 803. The Safe Streets measure was widely criticized for its failure to identify a funding source for the added uniformed police, with its advocates proposing that the money be taken out of the Oakland's existing city budget. 

Late this spring, Mayor Dellums cut a deal with the Safe Streets measure advocates in which, in return for their dropping their initiative to increase police staffing by 272, the mayor would propose a parcel tax measure calling for a smaller police increase. 

At Thursday morning’s Rules Committee meeting, Safe Streets initiative proponents said they were not yet ready to sign on to the Dellums-Brunner measure, and hoped to be able to make changes before the council’s final approval next week. 

Oakland resident and developer Roy Alper said that Safe Streets initiative sponsors “haven’t had a chance to review [the Dellums-Brunner measure] in depth,” but added that he was “concerned” that the new measure “did not have enough officers” and “concerned that it has too large of a parcel tax.” 

Those were the same concerns voiced by West Oakland resident and Measure Y Oversight Committee member Marcus Johnson, another Safe Streets initiative sponsor, who said that the Dellums-Brunner measure calls for more taxes, and “we can’t burden the city with more taxes.” 

But Oakland real estate attorney Zack Wasserman of the Jobs and Housing Coalition said while the Safe Streets organizers “have a disagreement about the number of officers” in the Dellums-Brunner proposed measure, “we’re prepared to work on this even if it includes a lower number of police. It’s a first step.” 

Dellums and Brunner cannot count on the help of Council President De La Fuente, however, who said that he “will not be a supporter of the measure” shortly before voting against sending it out of the Rules Committee. 

“Crime is at an unacceptable level in Oakland,” De La Fuente said. “But we have made a lot of changes in police procedures in Oakland” in recent months, “and we’re not yet sure what the effect they will be.”  

De La Fuente noted the recent reorganization of OPD into three geographically-based commands and the drive to fully staff the 803 authorized police strength by the end of this year as two of the new police reforms he wanted to watch. Although De La Fuente did not mention political rival Dellums by name, the two police reforms he listed are the centerpiece of the police portion of the mayor’s public safety program. 

De La Fuente added that he is “not willing to go to the taxpayers and ask them for $200 or $300 a year more” in taxes, and that if the City Council deems it necessary to hire more police for Oakland, “We need to bite the bullet and find a way to pay for it” out of the existing budget. 

Chang also indicated that he would not vote for the proposal, which would have created a 2-2 tie and killed the proposed ballot measure in the Rules Committee. But after an astonished Brunner asked, “Are you guys really going to vote to keep this in committee?” and Councilmember Larry Reid added, “I think you’re making a big mistake,” referring to De La Fuente and Chang, De La Fuente asked Chang to change to a vote for passage, and the measure went out to the full council on a 3-1 vote with De La Fuente still voting no. 

 


Judge Sentences Hollis to 24 Years for Willis-Starbuck’s Death

Bay City News
Friday July 11, 2008 - 03:00:00 PM

A judge today (Friday) sentenced Christopher Hollis to 24 years in state prison, the toughest sentence possible, for fatally shooting his friend Meleia Willis-Starbuck after responding to her plea for help in a Berkeley street confrontation nearly three years ago.  

Noting that Willis-Starbuck, 19, had called Hollis, a 24-year-old Hayward man who had attended Berkeley High School with her, to help her after she and several female friends got into a confrontation with a group of Cal football players, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Vernon Nakahara said it was sadly ironic that “her protector was the one who killed her.”  

On April 29, jurors convicted Hollis of voluntary manslaughter and two other charges for the incident near the intersection of College Avenue and Dwight Way in Berkeley about 2 a.m. on July 17, 2005.  

Prosecutor Elgin Lowe had asked jurors to convict Hollis of either first-degree murder or second-degree murder, but defense attorney Greg Syren said voluntary manslaughter would be more appropriate.  

In their closing arguments in Hollis’ trial, Lowe and Syren agreed that Willis-Starbuck called Hollis for help after she and several female friends got into a confrontation with a group of seven to 10 UC Berkeley football players after the players tried to pick up the women and then insulted them after their advances were rebuffed.  

The defense attorney and the prosecutor also agreed that Hollis fired at least several shots from a .30-caliber gun toward a crowd in the incident and that one of the bullets struck Willis-Starbuck in the heart and killed her.  

Willis-Starbuck had just completed her freshman year at Dartmouth College and had returned to Berkeley to take a summer job providing social and health services to low-income women.  

But Syren and Lowe strongly disagreed about the charge for which Hollis should be convicted.  

Lowe told jurors that they should convict Hollis of either first- or second-degree murder because by firing four or five shots he acted with conscious disregard for human life and he had time to reflect on his actions before aiming again and pulling the trigger for his final shots.  

But Syren said Hollis should only be convicted of voluntary manslaughter because he “had no intent to kill anyone” and was only trying to disperse the crowd of people who were gathered on the street that morning.  

Nakahara sentenced Hollis to 11 years for his manslaughter conviction, the maximum possible, plus another 10 years for using a gun.  

He sentenced Hollis to one year for his assault with a firearm conviction for apparently causing a minor injury to UC Berkeley football player Gary Doxy, who was grazed on his right wrist after Hollis opened fire, and one year for being an ex-felon in possession of a handgun.  

Hollis was convicted of selling marijuana for sale in 2002 and wasn’t supposed to be carrying any weapons.


Telegraph Merchants Petition Against Noise from Amplified Preaching

By Judith Scherr
Friday July 11, 2008 - 12:40:00 PM

“Where will you spend eternity?” The preacher is saving souls. His voice-amplified at no more than 65 decibels according to SOS Ministries-resonates through speakers, carrying the message of salvation through Jesus Christ along the Telegraph Avenue/Haste Street corridors. 

And also, it goes into nearby offices and shops, not to mention penetrating-assaulting, some say-the ears of open-air vendors and Telegraph Avenue strollers,. 

Lawrence Rosenbaum and his ministry have been preaching for more than 20 years on the Berkeley avenue and in San Francisco. 

Some 80 people who work near Haste and Telegraph have had enough of them. A petition bearing their names was handed to the City Council June 24. It targets not only “clogging up our corner on our busiest day of the week, specifically to interfere with our business,” but also “our city government [officials], who have done nothing on our behalf over the many years we have had this issue in our face.”  

Initiated by Marc Weinstein of Amoeba Records-Weinstein was on vacation and unavailable for comment-the petition is now in the hands of the city manager’s staff. 

Deputy City Manager Christine Daniel told the Planet that staff is addressing the issue by updating an outdated noise ordinance. 

She pointed out, however, that no ordinance would address the content of speech, something the petition emphasizes. 

“We wouldn’t consider regulating speech,” she said. 

Rosenbaum, who describes himself as Jewish and an evangelical Christian, said, similarly, that the problem that “a small minority” have is with the content and not the decibel level. 

“There’s a few people who don’t like us,” he said. “It’s the message they don’t like-not everyone likes Christians in Berkeley.”  

While the petition touches on the noise level, citing, “large and loud rallies,” it focuses mostly on what the evangelicals are saying and who the messenger is. 

“We, as locals, are insulted, not only by the message coming from these folks that we, as a community, are somehow in need of ‘saving’ by way of their particularly base and dogmatic way of seeing the world,” the petition says, adding that “none of these ‘performers’ or ‘preachers’ or ‘leafleters’ are actually from our community and know very little of our community.”  

It would be improper for the city to limit noise permits by where the applicant lives, Daniel says. 

The city gets involved only when the complaint is about the noise level, Daniel said. 

Complaints go to Manuel Ramirez, environmental health manager. 

“We respond to all complaints,” Ramirez told the Planet. “We go out and monitor levels and have found no violations.” 

That’s because the preachers turn down the volume to the required 65 decibels when they see the monitors coming, said Roland Peterson, who heads the Telegraph Avenue Business Improvement District and has an office some 60 yards from the gathering point of SOS Ministries.  

“It would take someone undercover” to get an accurate meter reading, he said, noting that he can hear the preachers and their music with his office doors closed. 

Chris (who did not want to give his last name) works at Zebra Tattoo, near Haste and Telegraph. “Every Saturday they get on the microphone and say if you don’t believe you’re going to hell. They say it very loud, so loud you can hear everything inside our store,” he said. 

Peterson further pointed to the Berkeley Municipal Code, which has a clause saying, “The volume of sound shall be so controlled that it will not be unreasonably loud, raucous, jarring, disturbing or a nuisance to reasonable persons of normal sensitiveness within the area of audibility.” 

And so, apparently, a reasonable person could go through the appeals process described in Section 13.40.120 of the municipal code, which directs the aggrieved party to the Community Health Advisory Committee. 

The problem, however, is that the CHAC has not existed for “many, many years,” according to Health and Human Services Director Fred Medrano. 

Staff is currently at work on a new noise ordinance which would respond to that vacuum, Ramirez said. Daniel and Ramirez said they were not ready to speak more fully about the ordinance, which will come before the City Council Sept. 16. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, whose district includes the Telegraph Avenue area, said rewriting the ordinance will be challenging given the need to respect the free speech of diverse groups such as Code Pink and SOS Ministries. He said perhaps the new rules can incorporate having the applicant move their proselytizing to different streets in the area. 

The petition concludes on a bitter note: “Any lip service the city government pays to helping build an improved business/residential destination around Telegraph Ave. is rendered laughable as they continue to allow the ‘skid row’ preachers to make a mess of our street.” 


Community Questions Berkeley Mayor About Pacific Steel Agreement

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday July 11, 2008 - 12:39:00 PM

Almost five months after the Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with Pacific Steel Casting to cut emissions and odor within a specific timeline, community activists met with Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmember Linda Maio at the City Hall Wednesday for their first update on the process. 

The council decided at the February meeting to give Pacific Steel a chance to address the community's concerns. At that meeting several hundred angry Pacific Steel workers rallied to oppose Maio's proposal to declare the West Berkeley-based foundry a “public nuisance” and refer it to the city's Zoning Adjustments Board for odor abatement. They feared such moves might cost them their jobs. 

“It is amazing that it would take five months for the community to finally come to the table over this,” local activist LA Wood said. 

Bates informed the group that the foundry had upgraded two of its plants and said it was scheduled to release an odor management plan in fall. 

“Between Jan. 1 and June 30, complaints have dropped 50 percent compared to the same period last year,” Bates said. 

The foundry has received 126 complaints related to odor this year, down from the 243 received within the same timeframe last year, he said. 

The citizen group pressed the mayor to establish a community-based odor task force to allow citizens to monitor Pacific Steel's odors actively. 

Wood, one of the principal proponents of the idea, said the task force would be responsible for reviewing the history of the odor complaint protocols and inspection procedures of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and developing an odor monitoring plan. 

Neighbors have complained about a burnt copper-like smell from Pacific Steel for more than 20 years.  

Some, like Rosie Evans, who was at Wednesday's meeting, have filed a class action nuisance lawsuit against the foundry for negligence, trespass, public and private nuisance, intentional misrepresentation and unlawful business practices. 

“Pacific Steel is finding that when odor complaints come in, it relates to Plants 1 and 2,” Bates said. “It's trying to seal some of the fugitive air. Inspection activities are being focused on Plant 1.” 

Elizabeth Jewel of Aroner, Jewel and Ellis, the public relations firm representing Pacific Steel, said three major improvements have taken place since the council meeting in February. 

“We have installed a new hood in Plant 3, which will route the emissions into the carbon filters more efficiently,” Jewel told the Planet Thursday. 

She added that the company was waiting for a permit from the air district to carry out major upgrades in Plant 1 in order to cut down fugitive emissions, including a new hood and new ducts in various locations throughout the plant. 

“We are looking for ways to also improve the efficiency of the ventilation systems in Plant 2,” she said. “Since Plant 3 has the newest carbon system, we are spending time on upgrading plants 1 and 2.” 

Pacific Steel spent about half a million dollars for improvements on plants 1 and 3 this year, Jewel said. 

Bates said the air district has completed its review of Pacific Steel's Health Risk Assessment Report and has sent it back to the steel plant since it required several corrections. 

According to a letter from Brian Bateman, director of the air district's engineering division, the district found the report to be “comprehensive and completed in accordance with established guidelines and approved protocols,” except in certain sections which have to be revised and turned in by Aug. 4. 

“What we haven't been able to define is where the odors are coming from, specifically which plant and their chemical components,” Wood said. “We were looking for a public process to go forward with it. We want to go down and find the history and nail it down.” 

Denny Larson, director of Global Community Monitor, also requested the city to work with citizens to address neighborhood concerns.  

Larson's organization will be holding a community meeting about Pacific Steel's emissions on July 31, from 7-9 p.m., at the Berkeley Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1400 Eighth St. 

Maio said she would ask the city's health department to investigate emissions from Pacific Steel. 


Planners Approve Wireless Ordinance

By Richard Brenneman
Friday July 11, 2008 - 12:38:00 PM

Berkeley planning commissioners finally approved a new wireless ordinance for the city Wednesday, after making two minor tweaks to a revision of the 17th version prepared by city staff. 

Only commissioner Patti Dacey voted against the ordinance, while colleagues Gene Poschman and Roia Ferrazares abstained and five other colleagues voted for approval. 

The commission faced the task of trying to find an ordinance they could approve while being unable to raise the one issue that most alarmed critics of cell phone antennae-the potential health risks caused by the electromagnetic radiation they emit. 

Federal law forbids local governments from considering health impacts, so the most the law can do is encourage-but not require-the use of lower power broadcasters. 

The measure now goes to the City Council, which is considering a moratorium on new antenna placement until the city can hash out the issues. 

Commissioners also rejected creation of a subcommittee to review the Downtown Area Plan, which the City Council has to pass by May or risk losing payments from UC Berkeley mandated in the settlement of a lawsuit challenging the university’s off-campus building plans in the city center. 


Berkeley Residents Line Up Early for New iPhone

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Saturday July 12, 2008 - 02:00:00 PM

In a city that’s synonymous with protests against cell phone antennas, more than 100 people queued up outside the downtown Berkeley AT&T Wireless store as early as 7 a.m. for the launch of Apple Inc’s next generation iPhone Friday. 

The first to pitch a tent outside the nondescript Shattuck Avenue store at 3 a.m. were siblings and Berkeley High students Jeronimo Madriz and Vanessa Gonzalez. 

Sitting on her blue camp chair, Vanessa sipped on her Starbucks latte around 6:45 a.m., while her brother peered anxiously through AT&T’s glass windows to see if he could detect any activity inside. 

“We just wanted to do it for the experience and we wanted to be the first ones to be here in Berkeley,” Vanessa, 17, said excitedly, taking pictures with her digital camera. 

“It was dark when we got here,” Jeromino, 14, said. “My mom sent our brother with us, then she joined us at 6 a.m.” 

Vanessa uses a first generation iPhone—and was waiting to upgrade to the new 3G version—while Jeromino wanted to switch from his Blackberry to a new iPhone. 

“They just wanted to camp here for the experience,” said their mother Maria Gonzales, who had packed granola bars and water for their late night adventure. 

Li-Shuan Chen, a business and psychology sophomore from UC Berkeley, was third in line. 

“I didn’t want to be the first in line, but I wanted to be one of the first,” said Li-Shuan, who showed up 20 minutes after Vanessa and Jeromino. 

“I live on Bancroft Avenue, so I was checking every hour to see if there was a line. When I saw a couple of people, I decided to come down here. But I don’t know if it’s worth it, since there aren’t that many people. I thought a lot of Berkeley students would jump in, but not too many students are on campus right now.” 

Li-Shuan had brought his economics text book with him for company. 

“I got to catch up on my reading waiting in line,” he said smiling. “I also took a really quick power nap for 10 minutes.” 

The 60 or so people waiting in line since 6 a.m. increased to slighty more than 100 when the store opened two hours later. 

Some customers said the lines were bigger at this particular location last year—when the iPhone launched for the first time—with international students from the university making up a good portion of the crowd. 

“Did you hear about that guy in San Francisco who was second in line and was selling his spot for $1,500?” Li-Shuan asked. “It’s kind of like a Black Friday atmosphere everywhere. It’s fun.” 

Lines outside the Apple store in downtown San Francisco snaked all the way to O’Farrell Street around 6 a.m. Friday (today) morning, with several people camping outside from last night. 

“I think the line outside the AT&T store on Bay Street in Emeryville will be huge since it’s right opposite the Apple store,” said Berkeley resident Lolita Brewster, who was waiting to get an iPhone with her son Morgan. 

“Not too many people know of this location in Berkeley.” 

Around 7 a.m., a couple of AT&T sales reps came out to distribute water and candy to the people lined up outside. 

A few passers-by heckled at the people waiting in line. 

It’s pathetic,” said a young boy on his bicycle. 

“We love new gadgets, what’s wrong with that?” replied the owner of a brand new iPhone as he walked out of the store. 

“No more revolutionary spirit in Berkeley,” sang a homeless guy. 

“Everybody wants new technology ... Nothing here but yuppies spending their money.” 

 

 


UC Berkeley Building Projects, Lawsuits on Regents’ Agenda

By Richard Brenneman
Friday July 11, 2008 - 12:38:00 PM

The UC Regents are scheduled to make key votes Tuesday on three major Berkeley building projects. 

On the agenda for the board’s Committee on Grounds and Buildings are votes on: 

• the modern $155 million-$175 million Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive building;  

• a $90 million “infill” building for the School of Law, and 

• the $266 million Li Ka-Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Services, which replaces the demolished Earl Warren Jr. Hall. 

The first of the three votes scheduled for the 11:50 a.m. session at UC Santa Barbara is approval of the $12 million preliminary planning phase of the art museum project. 

The structure, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, would rise along the western side of Oxford Street between Center and Addison streets. The committee is scheduled to raise the $3.5 million in donor funding approved in January to $12 million for completion of the preliminary planning process. 

According to the proposed budget amendment which the committee will consider, fund-raising efforts have already collected $12.4 million in cash and $15.6 million more in pledges, leaving a balance to be raised between $127 million and $147 million. 

Action on the new health science building is needed to increase the budget of the 110,000-square-foot structure that will rise on the eastern side of Oxford Street not far from the new museum. 

In addition to covering $9.5 million in inflationary costs for construction, the funds will also cover radiation decontamination and disposal of material contaminated both by radiological equipment used in labs in the old building and of windowsill tiles that were discovered to have elevated levels of natural radioactivity. 

The funds also cover temporary relocation of the exhaust system of the facility’s underground animal testing facility. 

Unlike most new construction, which is funded mostly by public and corporate donations, $52.7 million of the structure’s budget comes from state funding, plus an additional $20.2 million from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which was supported by state voters who passed an initiative backing stem cell research. 

Action on the law school expansion building will consist of approval of an addendum to the university Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) 2020 as well as approval of the design. 

Earlier in the morning, the committee will meet in closed session to hear updates on five lawsuits challenging projects they have already approved-four of them in Berkeley. 

Two of the suits challenge projects at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a third challenges approval of the lab’s 2025 LRDP. 

The fourth action is the ongoing legal battles over the proposed gym west of Memorial Stadium and other projects in the southeast quadrant of the main campus. 

The agenda for the meeting as well as the specific proposals may be found at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/regmeet/july08.html. 

 


City Won’t Sue Over Anti-BRT Initiative

By Judith Scherr
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:27:00 AM
Dean Metzger, president of the Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association, accompanied by Martha Jones, mayoral candidate Shirley Dean and Barbara Gilbert, speaks at a press conference Tuesday on the steps of the Maudelle Shirek Building, calling on the City Council not to sue its citizens and to honor the initiative process by placing the “Voters’ Right to Approve Certain Major Transportation Changes” initiative on the ballot.
By Judith Scherr
Dean Metzger, president of the Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association, accompanied by Martha Jones, mayoral candidate Shirley Dean and Barbara Gilbert, speaks at a press conference Tuesday on the steps of the Maudelle Shirek Building, calling on the City Council not to sue its citizens and to honor the initiative process by placing the “Voters’ Right to Approve Certain Major Transportation Changes” initiative on the ballot.

The Berkeley City Council huddled behind closed doors Tuesday evening to hear Acting City Attorney Zach Cowan tell them why a citizen-initiated anti-Bus Rapid Transit measure might not pass legal muster—and to consider whether the city should file suit to keep the measure off the ballot. 

The closed-door vote not to sue, however, was unanimous, as was the vote in the regular council meeting to place the initiative before the voters. (Councilmember Dona Spring was absent.) 

“We voted to honor the initiative process and take no legal action,” announced Mayor Tom Bates, reporting out from executive session. 

The initiative, submitted by Dean Metzger, Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood As-sociation (CENA) president, and Bruce Kaplan, owner of Looking Glass Photo on  

Telegraph Avenue, and certified by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, would require public approval before the city could create any bus-only or high-occupancy-vehicle traffic lanes. 

The initiative, signed by 3,240 people, was in response to the AC Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan to create a bus-only corridor between San Leandro and Berkeley.  

Speaking at a press conference before the closed-door session, Berkeley attorney Christopher Lien said that the initiative was the only way the Telegraph Avenue neighborhoods could insert themselves into the discussion. 

“For the last several months, we tried to get the attention of our elected representatives,” Lien said. “Every time we try to talk about the BRT, they say it’s too far along, that it is unstoppable.”  

The initiative is the only means available to give the BRT discussion back to the residents, according to Lien. “We’re not against [public] transportation. We want the city to engage us, to make a better plan,” he said. 

Lien and others underscored the concerns about BRT expressed by various resident and merchant organizations, including the LeConte Neighborhood Association, CENA, the Telegraph-area merchants and others. They say BRT would not get people into buses but instead clog the streets and neighborhoods with cars. BRT would eliminate two automobile lanes on Telegraph Avenue and parts of Shattuck Avenue. 

BRT supporters say just the opposite, that the dedicated lanes would allow faster, greener public transit and get people out of their cars. 

The question the council addressed in closed session, however, did not concern the merits of BRT but whether the citizens’ initiative was legally sound. 

The public was not privy to the concerns expressed by Cowan in closed session. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington argued with Mayor Tom Bates at the public session that preceded the closed-door session, insisting that the public had a right to know what the council would be discussing, so that their comments would be relevant.  

“How can they comment on whether there’s a legal basis [to challenge the initiative] if they don’t get an explanation?” Worthington asked the mayor. 

After some equivocation, Bates responded, “The legal basis is that state law says there’s a question about whether or not by initiative you can control things that are in the streets.” 

During a break in the council session, Cowan declined further explanation to the Planet, instead pointing to the mayor’s explanation, and what Cowan had written in his analysis of the initiative. 

“It is not clear whether the voter approval requirement of the ordinance is lawful because it appears to conflict with California Vehicle Code section 21655.5 which delegates the authority to create HOV lanes on city streets to the City Council,” he wrote. 

Addressing the council, initiative supporters condemned the process by which the council would consider blocking a citizen’s initiative. 

“I come to you with a heavy heart,” Metzger said. “You want to sue the citizens who have tried to communicate with you and failed.” 

Roland Peterson, executive director of the Telegraph Avenue Business Improvement District, weighed in, calling on councilmembers not to take the initiative to court.  

“The will of the people should be expressed at the ballot box,” he said. “The place for any lawsuit is after an election.” 

Former Mayor Shirley Dean, opposing Bates in the November election, said the city attorney should have brought up the question of a legal challenge when the initiative was submitted.  

Furthermore, she said, the city attorney’s analysis should not express an opinion of the measure. “You need to be impartial on what goes on the ballot,” she said. “That’s the tradition of Berkeley.” 

Initiative opponents did not ask to keep the measure off the ballot, but expressed their concerns with the initiative itself. 

Planning should be left to professionals, said resident Hank Resnick. “Ballot box planning is bad planning,” he said. 

Len Conley of Friends of BRT said the environment was at issue. “I hope the voters of Berkeley keep Measure G [reducing greenhouse gas emissions] in mind,” he said. 

And opponents took the opportunity to address BRT directly.  

“I think it will kill Telegraph,” said Michael Diehl, an advocate for homeless people in the Telegraph area. “It will destroy the heart of Berkeley.” 

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli said he wanted to make it clear that placing the measure on the ballot did not indicate council support. 

“By placing it on the ballot, it honors the signatories,” he said. “It doesn’t indicate what we feel about the initiative itself.”


Dean Running for Mayor

Judith Scherr
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:28:00 AM

Two-term mayor, 15-year councilmember Shirley Dean took out preliminary papers to run for Berkeley mayor Tuesday.  

One of the “grandmothers” active in the campaign to save the oak grove adjacent to UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium, Dean said she’s running to fill a “leadership vacuum” in the city. 

Among the problems that need attention, she said, is the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s plan to build new labs in Strawberry Creek Canyon, which she’s vociferously opposed, and a “deepening feeling that nothing can be done” with the downtown. 

Asked if she can beat the yet-unannounced-candidate Mayor Tom Bates, Dean said, “I have absolutely no idea. He will have money, and I won’t; he will have endorsements which I won’t have.” 

Bates defeated Dean in 2002, with Bates getting 55.4 percent of the vote and Dean getting 42.9 percent. Bates handily won reelection in 2006. 

Still, Dean said, “I can elevate the debate.” 

She said she’s planning a grassroots, “door-to-door, neighbor-to-neighbor” campaign. 

Dean took out “signature-in-lieu” papers, which must be returned to the city clerk July 24. Candidates collect signatures instead of paying the $150 filing fee, with each signature worth $1. The formal date to begin filing candidacy papers is July 14. 

Former mayoral candidate and oak grove activist Zachary RunningWolf has also taken out signature-in-lieu papers to run for mayor. RunningWolf garnered 4.6 percent of the vote in 2006, when Bates won with 62.77 percent.


Committee Approves $14 Million in Loans, Grants for Renovation of Oakland’s Fox Theater

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:28:00 AM

Oakland City Council’s powerful Community and Economic Development Committee approved $14.45 million in new city loans and grants to the Fox Oakland restoration project Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total projected cost of the project to $82.7 million. 

The reasons given by the city administrator’s office for the funding requests were cost overruns since 2006, design changes and modifications, and the projected cost of tenant improvements by the theater management as well as the Oakland School for the Arts. 

The original cost of the restoration project, when it was approved by City Council in the summer of 2006 was $60.1 million, $32 million of which is being provided by the city in loans. The project includes a restaurant, a restored Fox Oakland theater, retail space, and housing for Jerry Brown’s Oakland School for the Arts charter school. 

Included in the new funding request is $7.45 million for a bridge loan to the Fox Oakland Theater nonprofit operating organization, $2 million in tenant improvement grants to GASS Entertainment (managers of the Fox theater when the project is completed), $2.7 million in loans to the Fox Theater master tenant, and $2.3 million in loans for tenant improvements to the Oakland School of the Arts. 

In a staff report recommending the new funding, Dan Lindheim, then in the position of interim director of the city’s Community and Economic Development Agency, wrote that the city now finds itself over a barrel in the Fox Oakland project.  

“At this point in the project,” Lindheim wrote, “there seem to be few choices. To keep the project on schedule, adoption of the resolutions is required. If funding is not approved, project construction will likely stop until alternative funding sources are identified. This could prevent project completion and put the agency at risk of having to meet its obligations under the guarantees it made to the tax credit investors, a loss of almost $22 million in equity for the project. In addition, costs for remobilizing the contractor following work stoppage would greatly increase remaining project costs. Finally, without the additional funds, the tenant improvements required to attract tenants will not be made and parts of the project could remain vacant.” 

Fox Oakland restoration Project Manager Phil Tagami, a well-connected Oakland developer, told CEDA committee members that the loans were needed especially because, while the project has identified 30 sources for funding, “many of those fundraising sources are on a different clock” and the city money is needed until those sources come through. 

But the request for the new funding, which now goes before the full Oakland City Council, immediately brought charges by the Oakland City Hall gadfly Sanjiv Handa, publisher of the East Bay News Service, that “I told you so,” since he had said in 2006 that the Fox restoration would cost far more than the original bid.  

Gene Hazzard of the Oakland Black Caucus told committee members that the city was allowing the Fox Oakland developers to “low-bid” the project originally and then to come back and fully fund it through cost overruns. 

While CEDA Committee chair Jane Brunner said, “I think the Fox is terrific; downtown is looking different, and it’s going to look better and better,” she added, “I am concerned about what Gene (Hazzard) said about the low bidding.” 

At Brunner’s request, city staff said they would add a provision to the loan agreements that the loans be backed with collateral.


Civil Grand Jury ‘Appalled’ By Oakland’s Credit Card Policies

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:29:00 AM

The Alameda County Civil Grand Jury took a major swipe at what it called a lax City of Oakland credit card policy, but otherwise made no blockbuster charges or recommendations in its final report for the 2007-08 session issued this week.  

Instead, the grand jury took minor shots at the City of Oakland’s police staffing issues, and gave dire warnings about the operation of the Oakland Unified School District under state administration. 

In its only investigation of activities of the City of Berkeley, the grand jury report mildly criticized city officials regarding shutdowns of illegal drug houses. 

The civil grand jury is a 22-member citizen body made up of appointees of Alameda County Superior Court judges. The grand jury serves as a “watchdog” commission overseeing the actions of Alameda County public agencies, as well as responding to any citizen complaints it chooses to investigate. The annual reports—made up of the results of those investigations—have no legal au-thority but sometimes have powerful political weight. 

Because the grand jury has wide discretion regarding issues it chooses to investigate—or ignore—its investigations and reports either can be objective or can be easily bent to serve political agendas. 

In its major findings, this year’s Civil Grand Jury reported on the following:  

 

City of Oakland use of credit cards 

Found what it called “several problems” with the City of Oakland’s purchasing card program, including failure to comply with existing city policies, “ambiguous” city policies that it called “weak, ineffectual, ambiguous or hard to locate,” and the absence of city credit card policy altogether in areas such computer or furniture purchases or approval of credit card expenses by elected officials and the city administrator. 

In perhaps its most explosive passage, the grand jury report noted that the investigation “found that a number of the City of Oakland cardholders used their credit cards for ‘business lunches,’ many of those at upscale restaurants including Max’s, Verbena, Scott’s and Bay Wolf. In most instances the documentation for those lunches failed to identify the purpose of the lunch or the names of those in attendance. One elected official had over 50 business meals at city expense during one fiscal year with total charges of over $3,000, dining mostly at the restaurants listed above. Most of the receipts lack itemization and purpose of meeting. One charge for $150 at Max’s showed $26.89 for a tip as the only detail.” 

In its report, the grand jury listed several pages of city credit card expenses, among them a $322 lunch at Kuleto’s restaurant in San Francisco for the purpose of “meeting with OPD personnel after appearance in Federal Court to discuss next steps regarding court orders.” The Grand Jury reported noted that items ordered at the luncheon included calamari, salmon steak, tiramisu and crème bruleé. 

Calling itself “appalled by the city of Oakland’s use of taxpayer funds for the questionable expenditures uncovered during this investigation,” the grand jury report made several recommendations involving tightening up its credit card policies, including suggesting that the city “revise its description of permissible work-related expenditures and authorized expenditures for credit cards, providing specific guidance to credit card users as to the categories of permissible usage; required approvals; and the dollar limits applicable to any such category.”  

The Grand Jury also recommended that monthly credit card use statements be given in more detail, including the reason for the credit card use and the persons benefiting, as well as calling for an annual audit by the city auditor or an outside agency of city credit card purchases. 

 

Oakland police staffing 

While “having more uniformed officers on the street … is not the sole solution” to reducing crime, because “adequate policing of city streets is an absolute necessity for the safety of Oakland’s residents,” the report concluded that “the City of Oakland must immediately find the money to increase uniformed police patrols.”  

The grand jury recommended that the city “increase its number of sworn officers with the Oakland Police Department to a minimum of 1,200.”  

That was a minimum staffing that had been widely advocated earlier this year in a “Safe Streets” ballot initiative circulated by political consultant Larry Tramutola and a small coalition of Oakland residents. The “Safe Streets” initiative was later abandoned after the group reached a deal with Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums for Dellums to support a police increase parcel tax initiative for the November ballot. That parcel tax initiative is currently being considered for sponsorship by the Oakland City Council.  

 

Oakland Unified School District 

The grand jury concluded that “after nearly five years of state management, OUSD’s budget remains unbalanced and the district’s future is unclear. The budgeting process must be based upon accurate projections of student enrollment. The grand jury learned that previous accounting methods overstated enrollment significantly. 

“Overstating ADA causes monies to be distributed by the state to the district, which in turn must eventually be repaid to the state. It also results in retention of excess teaching staff, which the district must retain unless pink slips are sent out by the legally mandated deadlines.”  

While not making any recommendations on how to rectify the situation, the report added that “once the school board gains full control from the state, it will be handicapped because of the actions of the current state administrator.” 

Oakland Unified has been under state control since 2003, following a state loan mandated by a massive budget shortfall. In the last year and a half, several operations of the district have gradually been returned to the control of the OUSD school board. 

 

City of Berkeley drug houses 

Defining a drug house as “a private residence where illegal drug activity takes place,” the grand jury investigated a civilian complaint that the City of Berkeley “has been derelict in its duty to safeguard public safety and has shown willful intent to not enforce local and state laws pertaining to abating public nuisance drug houses.” 

Although the particular drug house that was the subject of the civilian complaint was not mentioned by address or owner, details in the grand jury report made it clear that the complaint referred to the Oregon Street home owned by elderly Berkeley resident Lenora Moore.  

Charges by neighbors and police that the residence had been used for years as a drug-dealing center by Moore’s children and grandchildren were the subject of a series of Daily Planet articles in 2005 and 2006. Neighbors eventually won two small claims court nuisance settlements against Moore. 

In her defense, the then 75-year-old Moore had argued that there were never any allegations that she participated in any drug dealing herself and that she was powerless to stop any such activities that might have been conducted by her offspring. 

In its conclusion, the grand jury said, “In 2006, the city of Berkeley failed to take action on the owner occupied drug house when the court concluded and the property owner stipulated that the property was indeed a nuisance. … The city failed to follow through with all possible measures to eliminate this drug house problem. The property remains a chronic nuisance to the neighborhood.” 

The grand jury recommended that Berkeley “apply the same standards regarding abatement of owner-occupied drug houses as it does for tenant-occupied and commercial properties,” and adopt or modify city ordinances to abate drug house problems if current municipal codes and state legislation are insufficient. 


No Permit Required for Fencing of Sutcliff Picnic Rock

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:29:00 AM
The owners of Picnic Rock intend to fence off the popular rock climbing site.
Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
The owners of Picnic Rock intend to fence off the popular rock climbing site.

Although some members of Berkeley’s Landmarks Preservation Commission expressed concern last week about fencing the historic Sutcliff Picnic Rock in North Berkeley, there appears little they can do to prevent it. 

Usually, alterations to a landmark have to be approved by the landmarks commission. But city officials informed the commissioners that the proposed alteration in this case, a fence, does not require a permit. 

Fences located adjacent to a property line or without a required setback that are six feet or under do not require planning approval or a building permit from the city’s Zoning Adjustments Board and building code officials. 

Thus, officials said, the alterations fall outside the landmarks commission’s jurisdiction. 

Picnic Rock, owned by Berkeley residents Eric and Katie Wilson, is a popular climbing site for children.  

According to e-mail correspondence between the commissioners and the rock’s neighbors, the owners want to build the fence to keep away people who, they complained, brought litter to the area off the property. 

“This came to my attention because a couple of commissioners wanted to know if erecting a fence on a designated historic site qualified as an alteration that required a landmarks commission review,” Terry Blount, Berkeley landmarks commission secretary, told the Planet in an e-mail. 

The issue was first raised by Berkeley resident Stuart Gold, whose backyard ends at Picnic Rock, at 550 Santa Rosa Ave. 

In an e-mail to Landmarks Commissioner Carrie Olson, Gold opposed the construction of a six-foot wrought-iron fence around the perimeter of the property it is currently located in. 

“This fence will have three- by four-inch verticals with pointed spikes on top and four-inch spaces between the verticals,” he said. “Since my kitchen is 10 feet below the property line, this will effectively make the fence 16 feet high.” 

Gold added that, although the Wilsons complained that they had found several beer cans and soda bottles left behind by visitors to the rock, he never saw people there. 

“In any case, this will significantly change the character of the rock as well as the ambiance of the property,” he said. 

The city’s zoning allows a six-foot fence on the property line. 

“The height is determined by measuring the vertical distance from the lowest existing grade point within a three-foot radius of any point of the fence, to the highest point of the fence,” Blount said. “The grade point in this case could be the rock itself.” 

Olson called the decision to not include it in the landmarks commission agenda “bad judgment.” 

“Especially since these rocks are really special in North Berkeley,” she said.


Landmarks Preservation Commission Criticizes Copra Warehouse Demolition

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:30:00 AM
Above: Drawing of building proposed by San Rafael-based Wareham Development that was presented to the Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission on Thursday. The building would replace the Copra Warehouse. Only the façade of the warehouse (pictured below) would remain, as pictured on the right-hand side of the drawing. Bottom: The proposed project has changed considerably since it was presented three years ago.
Above: Drawing of building proposed by San Rafael-based Wareham Development that was presented to the Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission on Thursday. The building would replace the Copra Warehouse. Only the façade of the warehouse (pictured below) would remain, as pictured on the right-hand side of the drawing. Bottom: The proposed project has changed considerably since it was presented three years ago.

Plans to demolish the landmarked Copra Warehouse (Durkee Famous Foods) in West Berkeley to make way for the construction of a four-story, 106,795-square-foot research and laboratory building were criticized by the Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission on Thursday. 

San Raphael-based Wareham Development, the principal developers of the project at 740 Heinz St., asked the commission to review a preliminary proposal for the project, which would preserve only the northern facade of the building. 

Wareham, which leases the Heinz Street building from Garr Land Resources and Management Company, will return with an official application to the landmarks commission at a later date and is scheduled to brief the city’s Zoning Adjustment Board about the project this month. 

The proposed project would also require an environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act since the developers plan to demolish a majority of the landmarked building. 

Commissioners expressed concern about the height of the planned building—at 89 feet, is almost double what zoning currently allows in West Berkeley—and stressed that preserving a single brick facade would not help retain the building’s past glory. 

Built in 1916, the brick-and-steel-frame Copra Warehouse is one of eight structures in the Durkee Complex, which was designated a City of Berkeley landmark in 1985.  

Only three—the Copra Warehouse, Durkee Building and Spice Warehouse—of the original eight remain. The others were demolished to construct new buildings and parking. 

An example of Berkeley’s early industrial beginning, the Durkee Complex, according to its landmark designation, serves as a living reminder to the neighborhood and the city of West Berkeley’s economic and cultural growth for . 

Under the city’s Landmark Preservation Ordinance, the landmarks commission can approve demolition permits if it finds that a landmarked structure could not be preserved after considering the economic feasibility of the project’s alternatives, among other factors. 

Chris Barlow, representing Wareham on Thursday, argued before the commission that it was economically unfeasible to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse the Copra Warehouse. Wareham, which has proposed several designs for the lab space in the past six years, contends that the cost of retrofitting the warehouse will be prohibitive. 

The most recent design is a glass structure that would incorporate the existing north wall of the building, Barlow said, adding that an information kiosk on Heinz Street will contain history of the Durkee Famous Foods site along with pictures of its original structures. 

“The project was driven by market demand for a lab facility,” he said, pointing out that two major research firms had relocated to Emeryville from West Berkeley due to lack of space. “The north facade is being preserved and incorporated into the building, since it was identified as the most important façade. We have come up with a design that is stunning, world class and represents what was there before.” 

Landmarks commissioner Robert Johnson described the project as a “big glass block.” 

“It just seems to me to be some kind of a joke,” he said. “I don’t see how this thing, this spaceship, in any way relates to the old building. If you are going to be demolishing it anyway, don’t tack on something to it.” 

A few commissioners questioned the statistics used by the developer to justify its inability to preserve the building. 

“I agree with Bob,” commissioner Miriam Ng said. “Why don’t you just put it out of its misery?” 

Steve Winkel, commission chair, pointed out that the scale of the proposed building made the brick façade look tiny in comparison. 

“Looking back, I am nostalgic about one of the earlier designs,” Winkel said. “If this is what preserving the building takes, then preserving what you are proposing is pointless.” 

Carrie Olson, another commissioner, called Wareham’s efforts to save the warehouse “disingenuous.” 

“Frankly, what I see is an attempt to not preserve this building,” she said. “We are being shown something that will encourage us to demolish it. This has been the modus operandi of Wareham. Every time Wareham has brought in a design in the past, they have hit us at the end of the meeting. We see it for a few minutes, and then they disappear and we hear nothing till they come a year later with a new proposal. If the powers that be want this building then they can have this building.” 

Olson added the commission had never seen a project of this magnitude proposed in West Berkeley. 

“I am especially shocked that you are suggesting something that is almost twice the height limit of what is allowed—45 feet,” she said. “I am glad you are going to the zoning board. Let’s see what it says. Compared to that we are just small play.”


Landmarks Commission OKs Magnes Museum’s Downtown Move

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:31:00 AM

The Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the Judah L. Magnes Museum’s request for a structural alteration permit to rehabilitate the historic Armstrong University building in downtown Berkeley last week. 

The landmarked former business school at 2222 Harold Way, which until last November served as UC Berkeley Extension’s Language Studies Department, will reopen as the Jewish museum’s new headquarters in spring 2010. 

Magnes Museum is located in a historic building at 2911 Russell St., which will remain an integral part of the museum during its downtown move. 

The commission praised the museum’s restoration efforts, with the exception of its plans to construct a gate with plain black square pickets, which it said was not worthy of a Walter Ratcliff landmark. 

A subcommittee, including Landmarks Commissioner Carrie Olson, was established to help San Francisco-based Mark Cavagnero Associates—the architects hired by Magnes for the project—choose a color that would make the gates recede or come up with a better alternative. 

Magnes is scheduled to come back to the commission with a design for the gate at a later date. 

The nonprofit organization—the Bay Area’s oldest museum and archive dedicated to Jewish history—is proposing some changes to the school’s exterior, including altering two windows on either side of the Kittredge Street entrance and replacing the old wooden door with glass.  

The original wooden entry door will be replaced by a frameless glass door, which would be compatible with the museum’s architecture. 

“I lament the loss of the ornate door at the entrance but can’t think of a better way to deal with it than the frameless glass door,” said Steve Winkel, landmarks commission chair. “I do want to see a little more thought go into the gate.” 

The Berkeley Municipal Code requires the landmarks commission to review any exterior modifications to a landmark structure.  

“We worked very closely with Magnes Museum to develop the university into a museum,” said Laura Blake of Mark Cavegnero Associate. “We will be making as few changes to the exterior as possible. Most of it will be refurbishing what is already there.” 

Blake said the museum was replacing some of the original windows, since they had fallen out of the building in the past few years. 

The museum will also construct a loading area on the Kittredge Street side to unload objects brought to the museum every day. 

“We are very excited to be getting into such a historic building and becoming a part of the Berkeley Art and Renaissance culture,” said Suzy Locke Cohen, who sits on the board of the Magnes Museum. 

“The integrity of the building will be kept intact while we enhance the community with interplay.” 

Community members will get an opportunity to visit the downtown building on July 13, as part of Magnes’ celebrations for its move.  

For more information on the project visit www.magnes.org.


Drought Water Rates Hit Conservers and Wasters Alike

By Kristin McFarland
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:32:00 AM

Despite public and board member concerns, the East Bay Municipal Utility District passed updated drought rates this week that will go into effect Aug. 1. 

Dismayed citizens from all over the East Bay attended and spoke at Tuesday’s meeting of the EBMUD board of directors. Most were concerned that the Drought Management Program, which will include a 10 percent rate increase, a required decrease in consumer water use by up to 19 percent, and a $2 surcharge for each 25 gallons per day of water used above a customer’s individual allocation, is unfair to those already pursuing aggressive conservation measures.  

“We are trying to get through this so that we conserve enough water for next year,” said John A. Coleman, EBMUD director for Ward 2, the westernmost section of the East Bay, extending from Pleasant Hill down to San Ramon. “If we’re still in a drought next year and we haven’t conserved enough, it will be more severe.”  

EBMUD has a district wide water-use reduction goal of 15 percent, with varying reduction goals per consumer category. A single-family residence will be expected to reduce its water usage by 19 percent, and apartment dwellers by 11 percent. The reduced allocation is calculated using a family’s average billed consumption from 2005-2007.  

All EBMUD customers will be notified by mail of their water use allocation by Aug. 8. Bills received in September will reflect the new rates. 

Customers using less than 100 gallons per day will be exempt from the water-use reduction requirement. 

Robert Feinbaum, the director of Hydro Nova, an Oakland-based organization that urges property owners and policy-makers to rethink their use of wastewater, felt that the drought measures adopted by EMBUD were punitive and unnecessary. 

“I’m here to oppose your unfair, unjust increase on people who already do their part,” Feinbaum told the board of directors. 

Feinbaum told the board that the allocation adjustment process, which would allow consumers who believe they cannot meet their assigned allocation to appeal for a larger baseline volume of water, is complicated and “meant not to be used.”  

Consumers who wish to appeal their allotment can visit the EBMUD website to fill out a request form and complete a self-audit kit to verify that they are effectively conserving water. Exemptions are available for those who are already conserving water in addition to those who have medical needs or other extenuating circumstances. 

For Feinbaum and other users already practicing water conservation, the 19 percent reduction and the 100 gallons per day exemption requirements seem unduly harsh. 

Vicki Winston of Richmond said that she and her husband have practiced water conservation for years. They currently use 108-152 gallons per day, she said, which would fail to meet the exemption requirement. 

“A reduction for us would be 90-130 gallons per day,” Winston told the board. “We’re not even going to try to reach that, and I’m not even going to try to appeal.” 

Winston showed pictures of her parched lawn and the bucket collecting waste water in her shower to illustrate the efforts she’s been taking and show that it will simply be too difficult to further reduce their water usage. 

The drought surcharge, at $2 for each 25 gallons per day of water used above 90 percent of a customer’s prior years’ use, will not provide much incentive for families, like Winston’s, that can afford it. Instead the surcharge will serve as a punitive measure against a family already conserving. 

If customers meet their assigned conservation level, their bills will be less than in previous years, despite the volume rate increase, according to the district. The increase is necessary, EBMUD says, to prevent it from losing money as the district cuts back on water usage, and will raise approximately $17 million a year. The $2 surcharge on water usage over allotment will generate approximately $4 million annually. EBMUD itself will use up to $31 million of its reserves to pay for the Drought Management Program. 

Doug Linney, vice president of the board of directors and director for Ward 5 (Alameda to San Leandro) expressed concern for the families already conserving water. 

“What we really need to do is make sure that those who have been working hard are not going to be hurt,” he said. The directors agreed that ways of recognizing “smart water users” need to be discussed for future implementation. 

“I’m not convinced that this is the best we can do,” said Andy Katz, director of Ward 4, representing El Cerrito through Berkeley and Emeryville. 

Although the board discussed making changes to the rates and 100-gallon-per-day exemption requirement, they could not do so at the meeting because revisions would set the process back another 45 days, an impractical measure when the drought is already stretching water resources. 

“This is a drought, not water supply management,” said Director William Patterson of Ward 6, covering parts of Oakland. “You don’t have time for long-term study. You must have the ability to wisely use what you have and stretch it as far as you can.” 

Both citizens and board members emphasized the need to consider long-term drought measures in addition to the methods passed Tuesday. 

Nick C. Chiotras, a Berkeley resident since 1955, said he uses “a lot of water” on his roses. 

“My garden is my therapy, it’s my paradise that the man above gave us to grow,” Chiotras said. He told the board that the source of the water shortage is not his roses, but rather California’s continual development and population growth.  

“What innovative plans are on the table to avoid these emergencies?” he asked. “I think it’s time we looked at the whole picture and not myopically.” 

For now, this plan is the best the board can offer, board members said. 

“It’s not a perfect world and certainly it’s not a perfect solution, but it’s what we have before us,” said Board President Lesa R. McIntosh, who serves as director for Ward 1, the northernmost part of East Bay from Richmond to Crockett. “No one’s going to be 100 percent happy on this. It’ll never happen. For today, I think this is a fair methodology.”


Lawsuits Challenge BP Project Lab, LBNL Computer Lab

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:30:00 AM

Environmental activists have filed two lawsuits that seek to block construction of two major facilities at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). 

The actions, filed late last month in Alameda County Superior Court, charge that the UC Board of Regents acted illegally when it approved environmental impact reports (EIRs) for both the Helios Building and the Computational Research and Theory (CRT) facility. 

The Helios Building would house the $500 million research program funded by British oil giant BP plc, which seeks to create genetically modified plants and microbes in a quest for renewable transportation fuel sources. 

The plaintiff in the both lawsuits is Save Strawberry Canyon, a nonprofit organization whose membership includes Berkeley residents Sylvia McLaughlin, Lesley Emmington, Janice Thomas and Hank Gehman. Former Mayor Shirley Dean is listed as the group’s legal agent on its filings with the California secretary of state. 

Both cases have been assigned to Judge Frank Roesch, who is expected to issue his ruling in the next few weeks on another suit that seeks to overturn the regents’ approval of the lab’s 2006 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) (see www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-05-29/article/30122). 

Alameda attorney Michael Lozeau is representing the plaintiffs in both the LRDP lawsuit and the CRT action, while Oakland attorney Stephan Volker is representing the group in the Helios lawsuit. 

The CRT facility, located toward the western end of the 236-acre lab complex at Blackberry Gate, would house in new, larger quarters a federal Department of Energy computing center now housed in leased space in downtown Oakland. 

The Helios building, at the opposite end of the lab and across from the recently completed Molecular Foundry building, would provide a permanent home for facilities now temporarily sited on the main UC Berkeley campus in Calvin Hall. 

Calvin Hall itself is slated for demolition as part of the Southeast Campus Integrated Projects, which includes such facilities as a new joint office and meeting facility for the university’s law and business schools and an underground parking lot, as well as the gym complex planned grove occupied by tree sitters west of Memorial Stadium. 

Lozeau and Volker are also attorneys in the lawsuit challenging the EIR for those projects, on which a final decision is expected soon. 

McLaughlin, an environmental activist who co-founded the environmental group Save the Bay, said Tuesday that her concern with both of the new buildings was simply a question of location. 

“The university could put them in any of a number of other places,” she said. “We just don’t want Strawberry Canyon to become an industrial park.” 

Suggesting one possible site for the facilities, McLaughlin mentioned the university-owned Richmond Field Station, which is now undergoing a toxic-waste cleanup from its time as the site of an explosives and munitions plant and as the disposal site for contaminated debris from a neighboring chemical manufacturing complex. 

University officials argued in the EIRs that they need the facilities on the 203-acre main lab campus. 

Lozeau said many of the concerns are the same for both the Helios and the LRDP lawsuit. “It’s really a question of whether so much development should go up on that hill,” he said. “Fires, earthquakes, landslides—if there are any risks in building in California, you have them all right there.” 

He said other concerns include health hazards from diesel truck exhaust, as large numbers of trucks pass within 30 feet of homes in residential neighborhoods during construction, incremental impacts on the endangered Alameda whip snake and the question of whether the regents can legally delegate key decisions on financing and EIR approvals to its Committee on Grounds and Buildings.


Identity-Change Literature Found in Missing Texas Student’s Car

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:33:00 AM

Literature and notes on how to assume a new identity were found in the car, abandoned on a Berkeley street, of missing Rice University student Matthew Wilson, Berkeley police said last week, and a Pleasanton group is hoping to recruit local volunteers to search for him in Berkeley this weekend. 

Police found the material in Wilson’s 2004 silver Dodge Neon on the 1200 block of Allston Way in West Berkeley on June 10. The dust-covered car was locked, and there was no evidence of foul play or any other criminal activity. 

Wilson, a junior in computer science, was last seen Dec. 14 by Elliot Harwell in the room the two share at Rice University in Houston, Tex. 

Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Andrew Frankel said the items in the car included a book on how to live cheaply in San Francisco, a can of beans, rice, instant noodle soup and a couple of days’ worth of clothing. 

Frankel said fingerprints indicated the property belonged to Wilson. 

Although the car is no longer being treated as evidence, Berkeley police are still investigating Wilson’s disappearance as a missing person case to assist Rice University officials, Frankel said. 

“But it’s a Rice University missing person case,” he said. 

Frankel said, although Wilson’s car was found in Berkeley, police were not sure if he had been in the area at all. 

“We don’t know for a fact he was in the Bay Area to begin with,” he said. “There could be a million different scenarios. He could have sold his car to someone, and maybe that’s how it turned up here.” 

Frankel added that police were following local leads on Wilson’s possible whereabouts. 

“I would say finding the material constitutes progress,” he said. 

Wilson, who is from Haworth, Okla., reportedly made a $400 cash withdrawal from his bank account on Dec. 14, the day he was last seen, and purchased charcoal, matches, a car cover and window shades. 

Wilson’s family, Rice University and Crime Stoppers of Berkeley are offering $25,000 in reward money for information on Wilson’s disappearance or his whereabouts.  

Pleasanton-based Trinity Search and Recovery will assist Wilson’s friends and family to search for him this weekend. Searchers will meet on Saturday at 9 a.m. in Berkeley and will continue the next day at 2 p.m. 

Dr. Bridget Melson, co-founder of Trinity Search and Recovery, said Wilson’s family was asking community members for help. 

The organization is flying Matthew’s mother, Cathy Wilson, to Berkeley on Friday to make an on-camera plea for Wilson to call if he is safe. 

It is also offering a confidential phone number, (925) 826-2319, for Wilson to call in case he is in trouble. 

“We have evidence to believe Matt is in Berkeley, especially the car and the two different manuals on how to survive cheaply in the Bay Area and change your identity,” Melson told the Planet. “Matt also expressed a desire to his parents once to go to UC Berkeley, but he ended up at Rice.” 

The search will be focused in the downtown Berkeley area and around the university, Melson said. 

“We will do foot searches, post flyers, look in homeless shelters and talk to people,” she said. 

Mike Melson, Bridget’s husband, started the search and recovery organization almost six years ago as a response to what he called a “call from God.” 

“We do it because we are Christians and we believe God wanted us to help,” Bridget Melson said. “We believe nobody should be lost forever. We have kids of our own, and we want to reunite families with their children. Matthew’s mom is a mess and we want to bring him back home to her.” 

Berkeley and Rice University police will be at the search. Volunteers can sign up at www.trinitysearch.org.  

For more information, contact Melson at (925) 918-1090 or bridget@melson.com.


State Announces Free Meals to Help Students During Summer

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:34:00 AM

Berkeley Unified School District families in need will qualify for a free summer meal program, according to an announcement by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell on Monday. 

At least 13 Berkeley public school sites and organizations are among the 3,200 locations statewide that will offer free meals to economically disadvantaged students during the summer, including Berkeley Technology Academy, Willard Middle School, Malcolm X Elementary School, the Black Repertory Theater and the Frances Albrier Center. The meal program began this week and will continue until the school year begins. 

“I am deeply saddened to see so many families suffering through these tough economic times,” O’Connell said in a statement Monday. “The home foreclosure crisis and skyrocketing costs for food and gasoline are increasing the number of families who need assistance making ends meet. I am pleased that we can help these families stretch their food dollars with two of our summer feeding programs that provide nutritious meals for economically disadvantaged kids and some adults.” 

Children 18 years and younger in low-income areas and people over 18 who participate in a public or nonprofit private school program for the mentally or physically disabled are eligible to receive free meals through the federally funded Summer Food Service and the Seamless Summer Feeding Option programs, which operate when school is not in session for 15 days or more. 

Economically disadvantaged children are eligible to receive at least one nutritious meal a day during a normal school year.  

The California Department of Education has launched a new web page with a map of California to guide parents to summer meal sites, which include public and private schools, Indian tribal governments, units of local, municipal, or county governments, and other public or private nonprofit agencies. 

The sites must serve meals that contain milk, fruits, vegetables or juice, grain products and meat or meat alternatives.  

Parents can find more information about summer meal sites, contact names and telephone numbers at www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sh/ sn/summersites08.asp. 

Also, schools can download free parental notifications in several languages about the summer meal sites and the new interactive map from www.cde.ca.gov/ ls/pf/cm. 

Sites offering free meals in Berkeley are Berkeley Technology Academy (June 26–July 25), Black Repertory Theater (June 16–Aug. 8), Cragmont Elementary (call 644-6200), Foothill Dining Commons (June 12–July 18), Frances Albrier Center (June 16–Aug. 8), James Kenney Recreation Center (June 16–August 8), Malcolm X School (June 23–Aug. 23), Martin Luther King Jr. Center (June 16–August 8), Martin Luther King Middle School (call 644-6200), Rosa Parks Elementary School (June 23–Aug. 15), Strawberry Creek (June 23–Aug. 15), Thousand Oaks Elementary School (call 644-6200), Washington Elementary School (June 23–Aug. 15), and Willard Middle School (call  

644-6200).


Police Alarmed by Several Recent Berkeley Crimes

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:34:00 AM

Several crimes in the last three weeks have prompted the Berkeley Police Department to issue a community warning Tuesday, which asks residents to keep their doors and windows locked and remain alert. 

Authorities said the suspects in three of the cases were armed with deadly weapons, and they did not rule out the possibility that these crimes could be related, although the solo young male suspects described in the police press release varied in height from 5’6” to 6’2”. 

Detectives are currently investigating the most recent event, a sexual assault which took place in the early morning on Tuesday in the 1200 block of Milvia Street in North Berkeley.  

On June 21, a resident on the 1800 block of Milvia Street was burglarized early in the morning.  

On June 17, a woman was sexually assaulted in her home in the 2300 block of Derby Street. 

Berkeley police also issued a warning to the community last week about sex offenders posing as newspaper subscription sales representatives. 

On June 28, two men were allowed into the home of a woman on the 1900 block of Berkeley Way under the pretense of selling newspaper subscriptions for a local periodical, police said. 

After a brief discussion, one of the two men left the apartment while the other exposed his genitals to the woman before leaving. 

Persons having any information regarding these incidents should call the BPD Sex Crimes Detail at (510) 981-5735. For crimes in progress, call 911 or (510) 981-5911 from a cell phone.  

To report suspicious persons or activity, call the BPD non-emergency line at (510) 981-5900.  

 


Berkeley Firefighters Fear ‘Perfect Storm’

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:34:00 AM

California firefighters are exhausting themselves as they battle blazes from one end of the state to the other. Throughout the state, politics and housing policies are combining to create the conditions for the firefighting equivalent of a perfect storm. 

“It’s never been like this,” said Deputy Chief Gil Dong of the Berkeley Fire Department (BFD), which has been sending firefighters and equipment north and south to aid other agencies in the face of the fiery onslaught. 

“We’ve had the driest March and April on record,” he said, “and that, combined with high temperatures and low humidity down into the single digits, have made it really difficult.” 

One Berkeley crew of three, plus a wildland engineer, has been battling the Indians and Basin Complex fires, while a BFD captain heads up to Butte County Friday as the deputy leader of a strike team battling blazes there. 

“There are 20,000 people on the fire lines in California, with people coming from across the United States and some from Canada,” said Deputy Chief Dong. 

For the first time, National Guard troops are receiving crash courses in firefighting, and heading out to the fire lines, joining professionals who are exhausted from tours of duty lasting up to 14 days. 

“That means longer hours for those who stay back home, who have to keep things covered,” Dong said. “Our people are getting tired.” 

In addition to the record drought, Dong said that many trees are dying, felled by Sudden Oak Death and beetles, adding even more fuel to flames. 

“Then we get a single day when lightning strikes cause over 1,000 fires,” he said. 

North California’s fire season usually doesn’t peak in earnest until September and October, when the northeasterly Diablo Winds blow, Dong said, “but then we usually get enough rain between February and April to keep things moist until then.” 

With the state facing drought conditions and EBMUD imposing water rationing, there’s plenty to worry about locally. 

Berkeley firefighters have already fought one blaze that broke out near the site of the origin of the East Bay’s disastrous Oakland Hills fire of 1991 on the Berkeley-Oakland side of the Caldecott Tunnel, and the deputy chief formed part of the command team at another fire that broke out in Crow Canyon Monday and consumed 20 acres of wildland before it was contained. 

Another problem facing firefighters is the expansion of housing developments into areas of high fire danger. A major problem, he said, has been a decline in wildland maintenance.


Four Builders Picked for Art Museum Bids

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:35:00 AM

UC Berkeley has picked four companies to bid on the new Berkeley Art Museum, the structure that is likely to become the most striking and controversial architectural feature of the city center. 

Following a pre-qualification procedure, the university has picked the quartet of builders to submit their bids by 2 p.m. July 22. The bids will be opened two minutes later in the university’s Capital Projects office on the second floor of 1936 University Ave. 

Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the museum will house both the art museum and the exhibition facilities of the Pacific Film Archive, as well as classrooms, restaurants and a shop at the northwest corner of the intersection of Center and Oxford streets. 

After the pre-qualification process, the university selected as project bidders: 

• DPR Construction, Inc., a national builder with offices in San Francisco; 

• Hathaway Dinwiddie, a builder with headquarters in San Francisco and two other California offices; 

• Skanska, USA, a division of a Swedish firm that carries out projects across the globe; and 

• Webcor, a San Mateo-based firm with offices in Southern California as well.  

The estimated construction cost is $114 million for a building of between 120,000 and 130,000 gross square feet.


Three-Vehicle Crash Causes Major Injuries

Bay City News
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:36:00 AM

A slowed or stopped vehicle on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 near Gilman Street in Berkeley caused a three-vehicle crash early Wednesday morning that sent one person to a hospital with major injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.  

A vehicle that had either slowed or stopped on the highway and did not have its lights on was rear-ended by another vehicle apparently traveling at highway speed around 1 a.m., CHP Officer Robert Haven said.  

A third vehicle also traveling at highway speed then crashed into the two vehicles already stopped on the highway, causing major injuries to one of the third vehicle’s occupants, Haven said.


At-Risk Youth Beautify South Berkeley with Art Projects

By Kristin McFarland
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:38:00 AM
Under the guidance of local artist Rev. Alan Laird, teenagers are painting 10 street-side benches along Adeline and will help with eight mosaic street barricades and three tiled traffic turnarounds.
By Kristin McFarland
Under the guidance of local artist Rev. Alan Laird, teenagers are painting 10 street-side benches along Adeline and will help with eight mosaic street barricades and three tiled traffic turnarounds.

In the littered pavement desert of Adeline Street, above the Ashby BART, Youth Spirit Artwork’s “Healthy South Berkeley” painted benches are oases of vibrant color. 

Led by the Rev. Alan Laird, a local artist, outreach worker and former gallery owner, 10 “at-risk” teenagers are working to beautify Adeline Street and spread a message of healthy living. As part of the project, the youths are painting 10 street-side benches along Adeline from Ashby to 62nd Street and will help with eight mosaic street barricades and three tiled traffic turnarounds. 

“We’re creating a positive language in the community, a dialogue about how to stay vital and stay alive in a challenging community,” Laird said. “We’re in a neighborhood where we can help spread that message.” 

The group walks daily from Berkeley Technology Academy as part of Youth Spirit Artworks, an interfaith nonprofit that aims to help empower teenagers by teaching urban art as an instrument of individual and social change. A collaborative project of the City of Berkeley Department of Public Health and Youth Works program, Youth Spirit is funded by grants from the San Francisco Foundation’s Koshland and FAITHS Initiative programs, the Berkeley Public Education Foundation and local business sponsors. 

The theme of this year’s project is healthy living and health disparities within the community. With painted messages like, “Drink H20” and, “Violence is not the key,” the benches promote health for body, mind and community alike. 

“We’ve started building a little community of our own, where no one has a bad idea, where everyone can contribute,” Laird said. “It builds a sacred space and time in which we can create and talk and invest in the community.” 

For Laird, the program is an opportunity to help teens learn to express themselves through art. Although he was working as a prison re-entry counsel for Expressions Outreach Ministries in Miami, Laird jumped at the invitation to take part in the Youth Spirit Artworks program, leaving Miami with nothing but a one-way ticket to San Francisco. 

Laird says that he’s seen students who claim they “can’t do art” develop the power of self-expression and pride in their creativity. 

Chana Trahan, 17, likes the project because it gives him an opportunity to work creatively. 

“We paint what we want to paint,” Trahan said. “And then after we’re done working we can walk to our friends’ houses and brag.” 

“I like the designs, coming up with them,” said Fatima Rodriguez. “Alan just told us to paint something inspiring.” 

Laird hopes the project will successfully touch both the teens involved and community residents who use the benches. 

“I believe that we all have the power to empower each other,” Laird said. “It  

doesn’t cost any money, just a little time and compassion.”


Dellums Fires Edgerly’s Second in Command

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:38:00 AM

In a sign of a continuing shakeup in Oakland City Hall growing out of the Deborah Edgerly controversy, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has fired Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Thompson.  

The East Bay News Service reported that Thompson has been an Oakland city employee since 1998 and was hired by Edgerly as assistant administrator in 2003. 

Dellums’ press office confirmed the firing today. 

Dan Lindheim has been serving as acting city administrator since the firing last week of Thompson’s boss, Deborah Edgerly. Lindheim went from the position of Dellums’ budget director to interim director of the city’s Community and Economic Development Agency (CEDA) after Director Claudia Cappio’s resignation for health reasons. 

No reason was given for the Thompson firing. Because she serves in an at-will capacity, she can be fired without cause. 

Thompson’s firing comes less than a week after Dellums removed Edgerly from the city administrator’s post, growing out of a June 7 West Oakland incident in which Edgerly briefly intervened during the police towing of a vehicle that had been driven by her nephew. After it was revealed 10 days later that the vehicle towing was part of a police investigation of West Oakland’s Acorn gang, there appeared widespread allegations in the local press that Edgerly had interfered in the police investigation and possibly tipped off her nephew in advance of a June 17 police bust of the gang’s operations. 

The Oakland Police Department has never confirmed that it is investigating criminal charges against Edgerly.


Ed Roberts Campus Administrators Ask Zoning Board to Allow Offices in Residential Zone

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:40:00 AM

Almost four years after the Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board approved plans for the Ed Roberts Campus at the Ashby BART station, the nonprofit will return to the zoning board Thursday to request a use permit modification to allow offices in a residentially zoned neighborhood. 

The result of years of hard work by many disability organizations, the Ed Roberts Campus is a two-story, 86,057-square-foot building planned for 3075 Adeline St. straddling two different zoning districts in South Berkeley—residential and south area/commercial. 

The original use permit allows only community centers in the residential area along Adeline, while offices can be located in the south area/commercial zone, which en-courages high density.  

However, campus adminstrators now want the project to have several offices, including a family clinic called Through the Looking Glass. 

According to a report by the zoning staff, Through the Looking Glass would include a 2,425-square-foot child-care center located mainly in the commercial district and partially in the residential district, and 5,020-square-foot office space, located entirely in the residential district. 

Both the City Council and the zoning board in their original condition of approval mandated that office space should be located in the commercial district, the staff report said, since an office was inconsistent with the use of a community center and thus not allowed in a residential district. 

The report states that high construction costs made the Ed Roberts Campus need to lease space to a broad range of tenants in order to finance the project, instead of limiting its focus to the disabled community.  

The campus is looking for tenants to fill seven empty spots totaling about 24,000 square feet. 

ZAB meets today (Thursday) at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber.


Council Approves Placing Ballot Measures, Request for Tree-Sitters’ Food

By Judith Scherr
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:56:00 AM

Tuesday’s council meeting began with the council honoring the Berkeley Opera company.  

Code Pink members were prominent during the public forum, asking for an extension of their free Wednesday afternoon parking-space permit to continue demonstrations protesting the war and military recruiting outside the downtown Marine Recruiting Station. The question was not on the council agenda. 

With Councilmember Dona Spring absent, council decisions included: 

• Writing a letter to the university asking for the oak grove tree sitters each to receive nutritious food of 1,800 calories and five gallons of water daily to be monitored by a third party acceptable to the tree sitters. The vote, taken around 11:30 p.m., was 6-0-1, with Councilmember Gordon Wozniak abstaining and Councilmember Betty Olds having left the meeting. 

• Placing on the November ballot a fire and emergency preparedness tax to raise $3.6 million annually that would pay for firefighter overtime and avoid rotating fire station closures, pay the 12 percent differential to place a paramedic at every fire station, improve disaster preparedness and provide unified radio communications with outside agencies. This would cost the average homeowner with a 1,900-square-foot home $78 per year. The vote was 7-1, with Wozniak opposed; 

• Placing on the ballot a $26 million library bond to create more space and enhance disabled access in the branch libraries. It would finance the demolition and rebuilding of a larger South Branch, add program and meeting space to the North Branch, replace a structurally deficient 1974 addition at the West Branch and expand lobby space and the interior layout of the Claremont Branch. Homeowners with property assessed at $330,500 would be assessed at $59. The vote was 8-0. 

• Resubmitting to the voters the Patient’s Access to Medical Cannabis, formerly known as Measure R, which would eliminate limits on the amount of medical marijuana legally possessed by patients or caregivers, establish peer review for medical marijuana collectives to police themselves and allow medical marijuana dispensaries to locate where permitted without a public hearing.  

The measure was narrowly defeated in 2004. There was a recount, during which it was found that voting machines had not retained the ballots. The court ordered the measure to be resubmitted to voters. The council vote to place it on the ballot was 8-0. 

• Allowing three residential parking spaces at 3045 Shattuck Ave. and denying an appeal. The vote was 7-1, with Councilmember Kriss Worthington in opposition. 

Action on the following items was delayed until July 15: 

• Placing the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance referendum on the ballot. 

• Confirming a Zoning Adjustment Board approval of the use of 921 Parker St. for office use for Bayer Healthcare, even though it is in a location zoned as light industrial. An appeal will be considered July 15. 

• Discussing a report on the status of Berkeley’s ability to use instant runoff voting in November.


Warm Pool Bond Might Make November Ballot

By Judith Scherr
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:54:00 AM

A revamped proposal to place a $15 million bond on the November ballot for a replacement warm pool got thumbs up from warm-pool users at Tuesday’s Berkeley City Council meeting. 

The enthusiasm dwindled, however, when Mayor Tom Bates took a straw poll of the council on the draft bond plan he had hammered out with school officials and released during the meeting. The draft plan lost 5-3, with Councilmember Dona Spring absent. Spring is a strong warm-pool supporter.  

In support of the draft were Bates and councilmembers Max Anderson and Kriss Worthington. 

The proposal, which Bates could modify, will be back at next week’s meeting for a formal vote. 

A new twist in Bates’ proposal—to be considered by the school board at a special mid-July meeting—designates the Berkeley Unified School District’s West Campus as the likely location. To date, discussions of replacing the deteriorating pool used by disabled people and seniors at Berkeley High School has generally focused on building a new pool on the former tennis courts, now used for parking, east of Milvia Street. 

Several councilmembers said they feared that if they placed another bond measure on the ballot—along with a fire tax and library bond—voters would turn down all of them. (In May, consultant Shannon Alper of David Binder Research, however, told the council that multiple tax measures on the ballot are not likely to impact one another.) 

While one pool advocate congratulated the mayor for “pulling a rabbit out of a hat,” Councilmember Laurie Capitelli took the metaphor and said “I’m concerned it might be road kill … I feel people will vote ‘no’ down the ballot.” 

Councilmember Darryl Moore pointed out that the West Campus neighborhood had not been given an opportunity to weigh in on the question. “That’s missing in this document,” Moore said, adding that it might be better to wait for the 2010 election. 

But School Board President John Selawsky and representatives of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers said they strongly preferred that the city put the question before voters in November. That would speed up the process to demolish the pool and replace it with needed classrooms and a new gymnasium.  

And warm pool advocates told the council they feared that waiting until 2010 would mean there would be a period of time with no facility in which the disabled could swim.  

“We can’t countenance a planned closure of the pool,” said JoAnn Cook, who co-chairs the advocacy group One Warm Pool. 

Bates’ bond proposal leaves out the other three outdoor pools in the city, all of which need repairs and refurbishing. The outdoor pool users and One Warm Pool group had wanted to partner for a $22 million bond to get a new warm pool and other pools refurbished. 

Outdoor pool user Robert Collier of the Berkeley Pools Alliance called on the city to place the outdoor pools at the head of the list if the city gets funds from an East Bay Parks District bond measure that will be on the November ballot. 

Also included in the mayor’s draft proposal is the establishment of a city-school committee under the mayor’s auspices to develop comprehensive plans for all the pools. (All four city-operated pools are on BUSD land.)


Excursions: Livermore—Wine Tasting, Cooking, Bocce Ball and More

By Carole Terwilliger Meyers Special to the Planet
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:39:00 AM
Richard Dixon, owner of Les Chenes winery, examines Bent Creek’s vines.
By Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Richard Dixon, owner of Les Chenes winery, examines Bent Creek’s vines.

Surprisingly, out there in the Tri-Valley suburbs, just past Livermore’s tract homes, more than 40 wineries are busy making darn good wines. They’re less touted only because they aren’t in Sonoma-Napa, and many still offer free tasting. And should you be in the market for a new house, it’s still possible to buy a home surrounded by a vineyard that is maintained by a winery (no more mowing the grass).  

But you don’t have to actually move to Livermore to enjoy the area’s bounty. Just hop in your vehicle, drive for an hour, and there you are. The free wine tasting helps make up for the increased cost of gas.  

Secure a map in advance from the visitors’ bureau, so that you can find your way around the confusing maze of roads. It will also help you plan an efficient visit.  

For your itinerary, plan on visiting three or four wineries a day. And vary the program. For instance, try one big winery, one mid-sized venue (maybe just because you like the name), and someplace really small or out of the way. Carry a cooler with an ice pack to store purchases; wine is damaged by high temperatures. If kids are along, bring some plastic wine glasses and a bottle of grape juice, so they can “taste,” too.  

Many wineries have picnic areas. Plan to take a tour, taste, and then purchase a bottle of your favorite wine to drink with a picnic lunch.  

Alternatively, you can just go where the wind blows you.  

 

Smaller wineries 

The Bent Creek tasting room is set back in among vineyards, with an oak-dotted ridge as a backdrop. The winery makes reds—owner Pat Heineman describes its most popular wine, Petite Sirah, as “a monster”—and two well-liked ports. A sheltered patio provides tables for picnicking and a great view.  

Tamas Estates produces only Italian wines, including Pinot Grigio and Barbera. The Sangiovese, an easy-to-drink red table wine, is particularly tasty. All the wines are bottled with a trendy, Very Now screw cap. So you save extra money here because you don’t have to travel to Italy to taste its famous varietals.  

La Rochelle focuses on Pinot Noir. Its relaxing tasting room offers a flight with a paired food platter; reservations are not necessary. Steven Kent has an incredibly enthusiastic owner-winemaker, Steven Mirassou, who makes a delicious “Merrillie” Chardonnay and Vincere. Picnic tables shaded by several olive trees are available here. Tiny Charles R, located on an old mining trail, is definitely way out there. The winery makes both reds and whites as well as a Portuguese-style dessert wine, and it also provides a scenic picnic area.  

 

A bigger gun 

One of the larger small wineries, Garré specializes in small lots of high-quality wine and uncommon Bordeaux blends. In addition to a cafe that serves lunch daily, the winery has two bocce ball courts and occasionally schedules cooking demonstrations.  

 

The really big guns 

Established in 1883, Concannon is one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in the country, and it was among the first to make big reds. Retail sales and marketing manager Jim Ryan says, “We do environmentally friendly things because it makes a better wine.”  

Most of the wines are sold only at the winery, but the Petite Syrah is available in all 50 states and 17 foreign countries. Wines all are contained in heavier than usual bottles featuring a pressed image of the property’s front gate.  

Tasting occurs in a barn-like brick-and-redwood room. An 1896 Victorian on the property, with fish-scale siding, was bought in 1966 for $2. It is owned by John Madden, and the 2004 movie “Dead and Breakfast” was filmed within. Plans are to use it as a stage for Shakespeare performances. Picnic tables are available under an arbor of table grapes that are at their sweetest in September.  

The area’s largest winery, Wente claims to be “California’s oldest family-owned and continuously operated winery,” with fourth- and fifth-generation Wentes carrying on the business. In addition to making a killer 2004 Crane Ridge Merlot—it is smooth and gives a big buzz—Wente schedules summer concerts under the stars (in the past, Ringo Starr, Huey Lewis, and Seal have played here), offers an 18-hole public golf course designed by Greg Norman, and has an excellent restaurant with tree-shaded terraces that are heavenly in good weather. And it has a real cork tree on the property.  

As you can see, there is more to do here than can be done in one day. You’ll just have to plan another visit sometime soon—before everyone discovers this quieter, gentler wine country.  

 

Carole Terwilliger Meyers is the author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco & Northern California (www. carousel-press.com) and Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games & Activities.  


Opinion

Editorials

Dona Spring: An Appreciation

By Becky O’Malley
Monday July 14, 2008 - 12:30:00 PM

Dona Spring was the bravest person I’ve ever met. No, she wasn’t just brave, she was fierce, as fierce as a lioness defending her cubs. She loved justice as much as she despised injustice, and for Dona “Justice for All” included all species, not just all humans. 

She might have complained to someone about her gradually deteriorating physical capacity (she had a progressive and particularly pernicious form of arthritis) but if so, I never heard her do it. She turned her reliance on a wheelchair for mobility into a political plus, rolling along the sidewalk for door-to-door campaigning and calling voters on her cellphone to come out to talk.  

When she was no longer able to maneuver around Berkeley’s notoriously inaccessible City Council chamber, she telecommuted, participating in council meetings by speakerphone from her home after a legal battle over her right to do so. Last week, while she was hospitalized with the pneumonia that eventually took her life, she tried unsuccessfully to join Tuesday’s meeting from her hospital bed. 

She never gave up. She was often a lone vote, or one of two or three, for something that she believed in, but that didn’t deter her from speaking up for what she knew was right. She demanded respect from her fellow councilmembers, some of whom from time to time fell prey to the temptation to treat a disabled person in a patronizing way.  

It’s been said that Kriss Worthington has been the brains of the current Berkeley City Council, and Dona its heart. That’s true to a degree, but besides having a quick intuitive grasp of which issues were important, Dona worked hard to make sure she mastered all the ins and outs of policy matters in order to vote intelligently and speak coherently for what she believed in. 

On many occasions in the last few years, the majority of councilmembers would be ready to rubber-stamp yet another attempt to take something from the public for private benefit when Dona would ask over the speakerphone to get on the speakers’ queue —often needing to be persistent even to get recognized—and she would set them straight (not, sad to say, that they would often change their votes at her behest). 

She joined Betty Olds and Shirley Dean, formerly tagged as adversaries when the old progressive-moderate split was perceived as defining the Berkeley City Council, in actively supporting the treesitters who are opposing the destruction of UC’s Memorial Grove to build a gymnasium close to the Hayward fault. Despite her failing health (toward the end she couldn’t even sit up in her wheelchair) she went out to the grove and spoke to the press about the cause. 

But Dona Spring was no plaster saint. She could make wicked and telling comments about political opponents on occasion. And she loved pretty clothes, usually of the ethnic or tie-dyed persuasion, with sequins if possible. Over the years she sported an assortment of far-out hair colors and hairdos.  

People who lack Dona’s experience (that’s most of us, after all, thank goodness) are prone to make knowing comments about the importance of “quality of life” for physically challenged people. What such comments often miss is that your quality of life can and should be whatever you make of it.  

Dona Spring loved her life, just about every minute of it, even the many painful ones, and she fought to the end to hang on to it as long as possible. She was well aware that many Berkeley citizens relied on her to speak up for what is right—she relished the opportunity to do so and hated the idea of letting them down.  

At the end, she obeyed Dylan Thomas’s exhortation to his father: 

“Do not go gentle into that good night…” 

Friends who visited her in the hospital during her last illness report that her spirit was still full of fight even as her body betrayed her. Later lines in Thomas’s poem describe her end: 

“Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright 

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, 

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” 

Dona left her life as she had lived it, with many items on her to-do list. Those who loved and appreciated her should take to heart Joe Hill’s dying advice to his comrades: “Don't waste any time in mourning. Organize.” The best memorial to Dona Spring would be to carry on the work she so ably started. 

 

 

 


Oil, Out-Gassing and Mad Tea Parties

By Becky O'Malley
Monday July 14, 2008 - 12:22:00 PM

A recent correspondent took umbrage at my use, in an “Editor’s Back Fence” column on the Planet website, of a line from My Fair Lady to describe UC Berkeley’s main flack (or less colloquially, principal spokesperson) Dan Mogulof: “Oozing charm from every pore, he oiled his way across the floor.” Well, I listened to Mogulof at length on Monday night on KALW’s City Visions call-in program on UC’s stadium gym proposal, and I stand by my story, as we say in the trade. He’s an oily kinda guy. 

His fellow guests were the Chronicle’s Carolyn Jones, who seems to have (finally) gotten straight what the various lawsuits against the university are all about, and former Berkeley mayor Shirley Dean, who was a very model of intelligence and lucidity as she explained the controversy in depth. Both of them did their best to clarify the complicated situation for the host, who was more than a little confused by the admittedly complex legal struggle. At the same time Mogulof, on the other hand, did his best to throw fairy dust over the whole subject by repeated bathetic references to the 400 student athletes that the multi-million-dollar complex would be built to serve. He even played the gender card, saying sadly that some female athletes now had to change clothes in their cars, which he called a gender equity issue. 

Well, in the first place, if there’s really a shortage of locker rooms on the UC campus (do I believe that?), why are the girls the ones who are left out in the cold? From a privacy perspective, it’s a lot easier for boys to change into shorts sitting in a car without exposing private parts than it is for girls, who traditionally have private parts on top as well as on the bottom. Why don’t the boys just give their lockers to the girls for the time being? Nah, that’s too simple. 

Or how about this? Tuesday morning’s NPR brought news of a whole mess of travel trailers purchased by FEMA under Heckuva-job Brownie for the New Orleans hurricane refugees. Now they have had to be abandoned because they’re still out-gassing formaldehyde, not good for people who might live in them with the windows closed.  

MIT is currently having a contest for students to figure out how to re-use the trailers, which cost something more than a billion bucks. Here’s a really swell idea for some student contestant: How about turning them into dressing rooms for the poor pitiful Cal athletes?  

Someone called into the KALW program and suggested to Mogulof that portable buildings could be used for dressing rooms. He sniffed that this would cost some umpty-ump millions, way too much for temporary buildings. But UC might be able to get the FEMA rejects for a really good price. The out-gassing wouldn’t have to be an issue, because well-coordinated athletes must surely be good at quick changes, limiting their exposure, and in temperate California the windows could be left open most of the time (tastefully curtained for privacy, of course.)  

Umbrage will certainly be taken once more at these flippant suggestions by those UC alumni and alumnae who take their sports seriously. But very seriously indeed, folks, why is it part of the mission of a public university to spent untold millions of dollars on the care and feeding of 400 elite athletes? Does the Sorbonne do this? Does Oxford? The Indian Institutes of Techology, now well on their way to cleaning our clocks in high tech? Or even Harvard or Caltech or other American universities which we old-line Cal graduates would like to think are in our league? The Soviets used to throw big bucks at their national teams, but look what happened to them.  

Mogulof loves to use the 400-kid number in his attempt to tug at heart-strings, but what is the calculated cost-per-user of a multi-million dollar “Student Athlete High Performance Center”? On Monday’s program he even attempted to greenwash the whole project, using logic so tortured that I can hardly remember what it was. Oh yes, it’s planting three trees for every one destroyed in the construction. Aren’t they teaching arithmetic up there anymore? Exactly what’s the amount of carbon processed by a sapling, or any tree in its first 50 years or so, as compared to the efficiency of the mature trees which will be eliminated if UC has its way? And what’s the environmental cost of all that concrete?  

“Green building” is an oxymoron anyhow. The greenest building is the one that’s never built, followed closely by the one that’s already built. Why don’t Cal students play their games in the Oakland Coliseum, which undoubtedly has a full complement of locker rooms to serve all genders? In the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party logic of sports venues, the teams that now play there are already looking for clean cups in other places. 

Well-meaning local citizens with Cal connections have started orchestrating a “can’t we all just get along campaign” aimed at persuading the City of Berkeley to settle its lawsuit, preferably with a sweetheart deal like the one which ended its suit against the university’s long-range development plan. A few of them are even hinting that they realize that UC is looking ever worse in the public opinion sweepstakes, and are suggesting that the mighty U might give a little ground on its own side. It might be politic to toss the city a few bones, for example offer to pay for the expensive emergency services which will be needed when the Big One hits with a crowd in the desperately unsafe Memorial Stadium. 

Mayor Dean astutely articulated the real problem with the university’s current intransigent posture. There’s a better than even chance that they’ll get to build their glamour gym wrapped around Memorial Stadium, and then the Alquist-Priolo Act will make it impossible to fix the stadium itself.  

Before Judge Barbara Miller’s recent decision, university honchos were claiming that this law doesn’t apply to them, but she set them straight. Since the site is right smack on top of the Hayward fault, the stadium can’t be rebuilt in the same location. The permissible cost of retrofitting is limited to 50 percent of the value of the current building, which is not much, on an as-is basis, in its current parlous state, so most likely it can never be fixed.  

In that eventuality, the taxpayers would be stuck with a multi-million dollar white elephant, the new gym, in exactly the wrong location, next to a shaky structure sure to kill a lot of people when the quake happens. Those of us who really do care about what happens at our alma mater will have reason to be grateful to the plaintiffs and the protesters if they do manage to put the brakes on what increasingly looks like a foolish, expensive, embarrassing and even dangerous boondoggle. 

—Becky O’Malley


Cartoons

Dona Spring

By Justin DeFreitas
Tuesday July 15, 2008 - 09:07:00 AM


Falling Statues

By Justin DeFreitas
Tuesday July 15, 2008 - 09:06:00 AM


Democratic Principles

By Justin DeFreitas
Tuesday July 15, 2008 - 09:07:00 AM


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday July 15, 2008 - 05:31:00 PM

 

 

DONA SPRING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Goodbye Dona Spring. Rest in peace. You were a champion of parks and recreation and youth. We will miss you. 

Zasa and Stephen Swanson 

I wish to thank Becky O’Malley for her editorial concerning the death of our beloved Dona Spring. While Kriss Worthington has both heart and brains, Dona was a rare woman who will be missed, but never forgotten. If Kriss was the brains, and Dona the heart of the City Council, where is our wizard, and who is the cowardly lion? 

With so many issues that Dona fought for (the warm pool, the tree-sitters) it is time for all of to organize and pull together as a people united in tribute to Dona and her amazing spirit. 

Lori Kossowsky 

 

• 

ROSS BIDS FAREWELL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

On June 20 Cody’s Books closed its doors forever. People will argue the causes of Cody’s closing. But I have no doubts on this matter. Cody’s was the victim of history. 

But it is less significant how one dies than how one lived. In this respect, Cody’s acquitted itself with honor and dignity. At the end of the day, when the record is written; it will be remembered that Cody’s added immeasurably to the life of the mind; that it profoundly enriched peoples lives; that it gave back more than it took; and that it was obedient to its own ideals. 

The doors close. The lights go out. The steadfast and courageous employees move on to new lives. Other book stores will come to serve Cody’s customers. But there will always be a place in our hearts for Cody’s. And it will serve as an inspiration for those who seek a better world. 

Good bye, Cody’s and good night. You have earned your rest. 

Andy Ross 

Former owner, Cody’s Books 

 

• 

ARITHMETIC 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

“Oh yes, it’s planting three trees for every one destroyed in the construction. Aren’t they teaching arithmetic up there anymore? Exactly what’s the amount of carbon processed by a sapling, or any tree in its first 50 years or so, as compared to the efficiency of the mature trees which will be eliminated if UC has its way?” 

Slight correction to make: in very recent studies by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (basically, labs which study making energy policy more efficient in the United States and solving global warming issues, ie, very enviro-friendly), it was found that young trees, specifically those less than 50 years old, absorb far more CO2 than mature ones. 

The researchers also said there’s a natural way to sequester carbon—by planting trees. Young trees, those less than 50 years old, pull carbon dioxide from the air and put out oxygen, through photosynthesis. 

“A 50-year-old Douglas fir appears to be at its peak in terms of carbon sequestration,” O’Connor said. “On the other hand, an old-growth tree that’s growing very slowly doesn’t do a very good job of it. 

"Through photosynthesis, forests absorb carbon dioxide and store it in their trees and soil. Absorption is the greatest when trees are young and growing vigorously, and tapers off as they mature.” 

Just thought Ms. O’Malley might want to print a correction in the next issue, and perhaps re-learn some arithmetic. Thanks for doing that! 

Nathan Moss 

 

• 

SHATTUCK SAFEWAY EXPANSION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I have just returned from a short jaunt to South Lake Tahoe. As my stay was close to the South Lake Tahoe Safeway, I was in the store every morning for one thing or another. I was delighted with all it had to offer and excited that this would be how my new Safeway was going to be! I am a North Berkeley resident (also property owner and taxpayer) for the past 25 years. I find the current Shattuck Safeway unpleasing and often lacking in the products I want and need. I take the time and use the gas to drive to El Cerrito Plaza at least once a week to shop at that wonderful Lucky store, Trader Joe’s, and other offerings. I sincerely hope that the expansion and remodel will go forward as I for one would like to keep my dollars in Berkeley.  

Dorothy Snodgrass, in her July 3 letter, likened Berkeley to a one-horse hick town in her comments regarding downtown. I second that! 

Louise Brown 

 

• 

FAIR GAME 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’d like to comment on last week’s commentary from Joseph Buddenburg. 

Mr. Buddenburg, you speak of being harassed by UCPD and BPD because you are an animal rights activist. You think this is wrong and the city needs to acknowledge you’re special. Are you not the same activist who goes to the university employees’ homes and harasses the families and neighbors with your yelling and screaming? That’s the pot calling the kettle black, Mr. Buddenburg. Maybe a group ought to be started that goes to the homes of animal protesters and chant and yell and see how your families and neighbors like this. Would you consider that fair game Mr. Buddenburg? 

Let me show you a quote from SF Gate: “In the hills above the University of California’s Berkeley campus, nine protesters gathered in front of the home of a toxicology professor, their faces covered with scarves and hoods despite the warm spring weather. One scrawled “killer” in chalk on the scientist’s doorstep, while another hurled insults through a bullhorn and announced, ‘Your neighbor kills animals!’ Someone shattered a window.” 

Protest their work ethics at their places of work. You and your group of “thugs” are upset because they aren’t taking your abuse, they are doing something about it. I congratulate the UC employees and hope they continue with this. I for one am applauding UCPD for involving the federal government with these acts of terrorism by the animal rights protesters. 

A person’s home is their sanctuary. It should be kept that way. 

Jane Smith 

 

• 

OWN MEDICINE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’m dying with laughter because Joseph Buddenberg can’t see the irony. He writes a commentary on how someone using legal methods can be annoying and threatening—everything Buddenberg himself does to private citizens all the time. It is hilarious that he things a cop saying “Until next time, Joseph!” is ominous, when one of his own, Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front press office, encourages murder. In an interview with the Associated Press, he said he is not encouraging anyone to commit murder, but “if you had to hurt somebody or intimidate them or kill them, it would be morally justifiable.” If saying goodbye is ominous, what does Buddenberg think Vlasak’s comments are? 

I hope the UCPD continue any and all legal activity that will annoy, scare, and threaten Buddenberg. Welcome him to a taste of his own medicine. 

Dennis Lawlor 

Walnut Creek 

 

• 

BOONDOGGLE IN A GREEN CLOAK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Charles Siegel and other pro-BRT people insist on calling me, and other anti-BRT people, “anti-environmentalists.” 

Sorry, Charles, you are wrong. I am pro-environment, and anti-BRT. 

I, and other pro-environment and anti-BRT people would like to see regional transportation programs which help commuters get out of their cars, which BRT does not. We need to address regional transportation needs, for commuters to Berkeley from Marin and Contra Costa, not just locally from Oakland and San Leandro. Alameda County commuters already have a good network of county transportation options (BART, for example) for people who want to commute from San Leandro or Oakland to Berkeley. BRT does not add much to an already good public transportation system. 

In addition, I and other pro-environment and anti-BRT people would like to see better local public transportation for people in Berkeley who want to get out of their cars, yet still get around town. BRT will actually reduce local public transportation by lengthening the distance between stops along the BRT route. AC Transit has been cutting lines and service locally, and there are no guarantees that this process will not continue. Instead of AC Transit’s extended Van Hool buses, we need a network of mini-buses from residential areas to shopping areas. 

BRT is a boondoggle in a green cloak that will cost lots of money, will disrupt local businesses and neighborhoods, all for saving a few minutes of time on a bus route that already functions quite well without the dedicated lanes. 

We need public transportation that meets public needs, not one created just because there is the opportunity to receive federal funding. 

Anne Wagley 

 

• 

DEEP THOUGHTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Charles Siegel always makes me think. His July 10 commentary, “Berkeley’s Anti-Environmentalist Movement,” chastising those who oppose the BRT boondoggle, made me think this: How have a group of frightened, stupid, thoughtless, ignorant, selfish, non-introspective, myopic, destructive, backward, small-town nay-sayers who “have not thought much about planning” managed to become “more effective” than the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation? 

If we knew the answer to that, we might solve a lot of problems. 

Sharon Hudson 

 

• 

BRT OPPOSITION IS NOT ANTI-ENVIRONMENT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am an opponent of Bus Rapid Transit. I have a degree from UC Berkeley and 30 years of experience in engineering, specializing in efficiency analysis. I also live on Parker Street near College Avenue, and I do not agree with Charles Siegel that people in this neighborhood are a bunch of ignorant villagers who are “against everything.” 

I am opposed to BRT for several reasons. The biggest reason is just that it is unnecessary. Dedicating a lane for buses doesn’t really speed up bus traffic very much. With a traditional shared lane, buses and cars move together at the speed limit. With a dedicated bus only lane, buses still need to obey the speed limit, so they can’t go much faster than they would in a shared lane. All that a dedicated bus lane does is force the cars off the road, which is a very wasteful way to manage an expensive roadway. If a BRT bus runs every 15 minutes, the dedicated bus lane will be empty 99 percent of the time. During the 14 minutes when the bus is not driving down the BRT lane, approximately 100 cars could be using a shared lane. So the capacity of a shared lane could be 100 cars and one bus every 15 minutes, but the capacity of a BRT lane would only be one bus every 15 minutes. This is extremely wasteful, like leaving your shower running while you are at work, or leaving your oven on 24 hours a day. All the money, energy and greenhouse gases that go into building and maintaining a bus lane only go toward the one bus every 15 minutes, whereas for a shared lane, those resources are shared with car traffic. 

Another reason I oppose BRT is because it will move an additional 160 cars per hour onto College Avenue. I don’t know where on College Avenue those cars will go, because College is packed solid at rush hour. None of the BRT people have been able to tell me where those extra 160 cars will go either. I encourage them to explain it to me, if they can figure it out. 

The third reason I oppose BRT is because if it ever gets built, we will be stuck with it for decades, even after it becomes obvious to everyone what a bad idea it is. My neighbors and I will have to put up with more cars speeding down our residential streets, more noise, more pollution, more accidents. And all for nothing, because BRT won’t really fix any of the problems around here. 

Some people are so anxious to appear green that they will back any new project, no matter how foolish, just to act like they are doing something important. The residents of this neighborhood should not have to suffer the consequences of a mistake like BRT. 

Russ Tilleman 

 

• 

TIME TO TAKE A STAND 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

At this point, the “no lane removal without a vote” initiative seems to be Berkeleyans’ only hope of getting representative government on the issue of Bus Rapid Transit. This is unfortunate. On July 8 in special closed session, the Berkeley City Council decided that to pursue litigation in an attempt to remove the item from the November ballot. This is a mistake. I want to be optimistic about this, but I don’t want to be fooled either, and I suspect that the initiative may not be out of the woods at all with regard to a contentious legal challenge. 

Bear in mind that what is going on here is a struggle to give citizens and residents a say in massive land-use decisions which will affect them, not in small and regulatory decisions which would merely be jammed up by an electoral process. Opponents like to wave their arms about that other idea, but that is misdirection. This is a time when major land-use decisions are made through elite consensus of stakeholders that do not include the public. BRT is a good example because it is only through the “pulling of teeth” that this enormous issue is being guided meaningfully towards public awareness before it is actually a done deal. It is one thing to have the illusion of adequate public process, and quite something else to actually have it. In this case it is needed. 

This initiative is about voter approval on a very specific issue—removal of existing lanes on our streets from general traffic or parking use so that they may be “dedicated” only to buses and/or other high-occupancy vehicles. Such an alteration is not prohibited by the measure. What it does require is a a popular vote on a project-by-project basis. This need for a vote does not affect or apply to bus stops, bike lanes, construction zones, temporary dedications or even permanent lane restrictions as long as the lane in question ultimately remains mixed-use. But opponents would have you believe that the city couldn’t make some routine, minor and even maintenance decisions without voter approval. This is completely bogus. The initiative is well written. 

The real reason that people who are in the know want to stop this initiative is because it might actually stop BRT at the popular level if people think it is a bad idea for Berkeley. But there is an election coming up, and stomping on democracy before an election is unseemly. So it just makes sense from a strategic point of view to see if the initiative can be defeated, and if it can’t, then attack it legally after the election is over. 

People should expect a well-funded campaign to defeat this initiative, full of puffed-up rhetoric and misdirection. This will include misdirection claiming that the machinations of public process on this issue have been stellar, that the whole idea is a practical mess, and that we cannot allow ourselves to be ruled by a few unreasonable obstructionists in the way of progress. Voters should also be wary of a bogus competing initiative designed to confuse everyone and make them both fail. I sincerely hope the City Council will be above using this tactic, but we shall see. 

Joseph Stubbs 

 

• 

BRT BALLOT MEASURE AND THE MORALITY OF THE CAR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The November ballot will now include a measure to require voter approval for a bus-only lane for Bus Rapid Transit. This is very democratic; maybe we should also vote on line items in the city budget. 

This anti-BRT measure appears to be motivated by the prospect of a bus-only lane for BRT on Telegraph. If that’s the real issue, shouldn’t we simply have a vote on whether to allow bus-only lanes for BRT—or whether we should have BRT at all? Well, there may be some shame about blocking a major improvement in bus service while we are supposed to be implementing a Climate Action Plan which calls for cutting the 29 percent of Berkeley’s greenhouse gas which now comes from cars. 

Is there a moral aspect to driving a car? Should car drivers who refuse to ride the bus be demonized like cigarette smokers in offices and bars? Or does everyone have a moral right to drive a car for all purposes, regardless of the environmental and health consequences? 

I’ve heard people complain about “conversion by ordeal"—feeling compelled to ride buses because traffic is too heavy and/or parking is not to be found. Some people think BRT, with a bus-only lane on Telegraph, would cause more traffic. These people discount the idea that increased bus use might result in fewer cars on the road. If someone does not see themselves using BRT to get to work, it’s easy to believe that other drivers will take the same attitude, that the buses will run empty and just clog the roads for cars. 

We would not need bus-only lanes at all if people going to work chose to ride 60 to a big bus instead of one to a car. Actually, BRT was proposed to motivate this change of behavior by making buses run faster. If we’re going to vote to prevent the BRT from running fast enough, what are we going to do to motivate the mode-shift? 

The group behind the anti-BRT measure claims that if we implement proof-of-payment boarding and deploy hybrid buses, the riders will come, leaving their cars at home. Do any of these people want to sign a pledge to ride their BRT substitute? 

Steve Geller 

 

• 

LEASH LAWS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing to encourage people to obey the posted rules for keeping dogs on leash. 

Early this morning, I was in César Chávez Park for a run. At one point a lovely little jackrabbit ran by. Ten minutes later I saw what I presume was the same jackrabbit chased and caught by two otherwise friendly dogs. The dogs were in an area of the park where they are supposed to be on leash. The dogs’ owner and I watched the jackrabbit’s death spasms, which were doubtlessly as upsetting to the dogs’ owner as they were to me. It was a gruesome way to start the day. 

One of the reasons for the rules about dogs being on leash is to protect wildlife. I would like to remind dog owners that in general dogs need to be on leash in Berkeley unless they are within a formally designated off-leash area. 

William McCoy 

 

• 

WATER USE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

A recent issue of the Daily Planet was overflowing with forward-thinking ideas for reducing our water and energy waste to combat both the drought and global warming crises. One letter writer cleverly advocated clotheslines and another proposed bringing back the age of the horse and buggy to replace the modern automobile. Perhaps the most imaginative idea was the proposal for sufficiently long-legged males in a household to urinate directly into the bathroom sink, thus saving a precious toilet flush. This recommendation reminds one of the old acrid-smelling European public toilet pissoires, which either had no plumbing attached to them or were rarely flushed. It’s not a bad idea, even if it discriminates on its face against women, children (who can’t reach the sink), lesbian couples, short-legged Central American immigrants and the disabled in wheelchairs. The old adage, “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” may have been sage advice in the pluvial 1970s when California had about half its current population and was awash in water before the current drastic effects of global warming threaten to turn our oasis state into a barren wasteland. 

In our family, we have gone a step further in our water and energy conservation efforts than just letting the grass dry out or peeing into the sink. We have brought back the chamber pot for everyone to use! Yes, prior to the relatively recent invention of indoor plumbing, for many thousands of years people have used simple, inexpensive reusable bedpans or chamber pots as an indoor bathroom convenience. It requires some adaptation of habits (try not to knock it over in the dark) and the sometimes redolent odors in the house on warm summer nights takes getting used to (imagine a porta-potty on a 105 degree day in the Central Valley), but the water savings are incalculable! Also, we borrowed the communal sponge idea from Asia, rather than continue the use of wasteful and unsanitary toilet paper to save our precious tree and paper product resources. But what about the ultimate disposal problem once the chamber pot nears overflowing? Well, we just pour it all into one large plastic trash can into which we add all of our other pet, garden and kitchen waste to form a nitrogen-rich compost stew (yum!). After a few short weeks, this sludge is ready to refresh your garden soil as peasants have done for countless generations the world over with both human and animal waste. Berkeley should show true communal leadership by handing out city-issued green-plastic chamber pots with the Berkeley city logo to every household as part of our broader recycling, conservation and water reduction program. Remember, as the old saying goes, “waste not, want not!” 

Edna Spector 

 

• 

STILL ALIVE, STILL WRITING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Marvin Chachere begins his July 10 commentary “Absurdity at the Top” by referring to “the late Jacques Barzun” of Columbia University. I’m pleased to report that Jacques Barzun is alive and well and living in San Antonio, where he was still writing as of his 100th birthday last November. 

Edward A. Hoffman 

Los Angeles 

 

• 

BHS CLASSROOM SHORTAGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley High School desperately needs more classrooms. Ask any of the teachers or students, who number more than 3,000. Teachers have to move from room to room every 50 minutes, so they can’t personalize and enrich classroom environments. Students can’t find teachers to ask about homework assignments or request explanations about materials presented in class. So why, given this critical need, are people who want to continue swimming or maintaining a public-access studio at the Berkeley High campus able to pressure the Berkeley City Council into helping them permanently grab space at the high school? I’d like to run an equestrian camp for teens. How do I get on the city gravy train and abscond with BUSD property for myself and my small band of followers? 

The only place to build more classrooms for BHS is on the BHS campus. Swimmers can go to the Y warm pool, which is two blocks away and the same temperature. Public-access media personnel can set up camp anywhere. BHS students and teachers, however, can’t go elsewhere.  

Our high school students and their long-suffering teachers must have the BHS campus for their own purpose, which is to educate students in adequate classrooms. How can this idea even be controversial? Surely everyone, even in Berkeley, would agree that the best use of school property is to teach, not to provide space for a warm pool or public media access. Putting personal needs above the needs of a school community is the pinnacle of selfishness, and the Berkeley City Council needs to quit interfering with the Berkeley Unified School District’s use of its own property. 

Maureen Burke 

 

• 

CONFLICT IN MAYOR’S RACE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

What is mayoral candidate Zachary Running Wolf going to think when he finds out that Doug Buckwald wrote a commentary with candidate Shirley Dean? Sounds like trouble. One other item the Daily Planet readers might like to know that Becky O’Malley forgot to mention is that Cal is playing the Indian Institute of Technology I think sometime in November. Go Bears!  

Matthew Shoemaker 

 

• 

AFROPHOBIA 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I dread these presidential campaigns. The race card was played against a Greek-American not so long ago, so this year is anybody’s guess. The race card is played because it works and it works because afrophobia is so wide spread, not only in this country, but in the rest of the world as well. I’m pretty up on my history and have never ran across any mention of black folks tinkering with governments in Latin America, nor colonizing anybody, or flooding countries with opium, or sending American families to the desert or dropping atomic weapons. And yet so much fear, ill will and open hostility, even here in “liberal” Berkeley. 

Zac Morrison 

 

• 

FEINSTEIN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

For decades, I have watched the political ascent of Dianne Feinstein—California’s Joe Lieberman—after Dan White’s assassination of George Moscone made her mayor of San Francisco. She has always been a person of limited intelligence but boundless ambition and greed who cloaked her fundamental Republican sympathies in the filmiest of Democratic drag. She has been able to do so while the San Francisco Chronicle covered for her extraordinarily lucrative public-private partnership with her financier husband, Richard Blum (now chair of the UC Regents.) Despite (or because of) her consistent legislative enablement of the Cheney/Bush regime and of the military-industrial-media complex, Chronicle articles often describe her as “California’s respected centrist Democrat” and praise her “bipartisanship.” But then, the Chronicle has always represented those corporate interests who are Feinstein’s real constituents and with whose executives and campaign donors she and her husband socialize at their five lordly mansions. (See my book Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin for the dynastic history of the Chronicle before the Hearsts bought it. For the story of Feinsteins-Blum’s conflict of interest, see Peter Byrne’s investigation at www.bohemian.com/bohemian/02.21.07/byrne-0708.html.) 

Dianne Feinstein went the extra mile on Wednesday, voting against an amendment that would have stripped the already awful FISA bill of immunity for the telecom companies which illegally spied on American citizens. Two days before, she sent her would-be constituents a temporizing letter explaining why she would, once again, give the most unpopular president in history everything he wanted. As with her unconscionable explanation of why she voted to confirm Michael Mukasey as attorney general, she simply restated Bush’s talking points on why he needed legal cover for his crimes.  

In deleting the Fourth Amendment from the Constitution that she swore to defend and uphold, Dianne Feinstein (with Nancy Pelosi earlier) committed an act of bald treason. I urge everyone to vote to censure her and assure that she never holds “public” office again.  

Gray Brechin 

 

• 

BART 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I work in Berkeley and live in Walnut Creek. I take BART to work and in the morning it works OK. The problem is in the evening commute and on Saturday. Take BART from downtown Berkeley to MacArthur. The train going to Walnut Creek is waiting on the other platform. You hustle to get to the train as fast as you can. As soon as you make it on to the platform the train operator shuts the door and you are left waiting for the next train. This is not a one-time deal, it happens all the time and at different times. 

I have seen people run like they are being chased by the Berkeley cops from a peace protest, and they still don’t make it. Saturday is just horrible overall. Hey BART officials, people work on Saturdays, too. 

Serge Blandon 

 

• 

BICYCLE SAFETY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Commenting on the letter from Yolanda Huang in the July 10 issue: I’m sorry her son’s bike was wrecked, glad he wasn’t hurt. Her concerns about safety are very well founded, but I’m afraid that what she proposes as a solution—riding on the sidewalk—is definitely not the answer. I’ve been riding around town for 60 years and have yet to be hit by a car. As a child I rode on sidewalks, but as an adult I make it point not to do it. Absolutely never downtown—if I need to go along the sidewalk I dismount and walk the bike. In quiet neighborhoods I sometimes ride on the sidewalk for short distances if there are no pedestrians, but before I pass a pedestrian I dismount.  

It’s possible to ride on the streets with reasonable safety, but it takes practice and training. Ms. Huang and her son and others could find information about League of American Bicyclists-certified classes on the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC) or Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Coalition (BFBC) websites, or posted at bike shops in the area—try the Missing Link, on Shattuck near University. I was a long-time veteran street rider when I took the League course called “Road 1” in 2002, and I learned an immense amount; the course has definitely contributed to my ongoing survival.  

As a pedestrian, I’ve been hit by bikes—three times in Berkeley—and had any number of frightening near-misses. I’ve inadvertently pushed my garbage bin out of my driveway into the paths of speeding bikes so many times that I now look both ways whenever I step out of my yard, just as if I were crossing a street. I’m large, healthy and robust, it takes a good hit to knock me down, but what if I were 90 years old and frail? People need a place where they’re protected from contact with wheeled vehicles of all sorts, and the way American towns are laid out, the sidewalk is it.  

I strongly disagree with Ms. Huang, I support the law against sidewalk riding downtown. Frankly, I hope she gets that ticket she’s waiting for; it might motivate her to look for a better answer. I think people are people regardless of how they transport themselves, and just as motorists take chances with the safety of cyclists, cyclists will take chances with the safety of pedestrians, and for most of the same reasons—impatience, inattention, and a sort of failure of empathy that crowded conditions seem to bring on. Unhappily, we all need some sensible regulations to remind us to do the right thing—would it were otherwise, but it isn’t.  

David A. Coolidge 

 

• 

ENABLING PEACE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We need peace within to enable peace in the wider world. All our efforts to bring forced friendliness and democracy will not have a positive outcome. I hear how we have lost international standing because of our style of dealings with other nations. I don’t believe in forced understanding. I like to talk things over with the people, and wait patiently for good results to emerge. 

War creates fear and leads inevitably to retaliation. We should devote our attention instead to learning about other people’s thought processes. 

Let us also practice staying centered in our own lives and resolving our personal problems with patience. The influence of our peaceful way of resolving small conflicts is bound to ripple out to the wider human community. 

Romila Khanna 

Albany 

 

• 

MAD FOR IRAN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Iran sent a clear signal last week that they have achieved the possibility of mutually assured destruction (MAD). This is the same stalemate we faced with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. 

An aide to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in regards to military threats, “Our initial response would be to target Israel and set U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf ablaze.” That statement, along with their display of missile capability, makes it plain that Iran could and would destroy the oil ports, refining, and storage facilities of the neighboring gulf states. That action could immediately collapse the entire global economy. 

Defending the straits of Hormuz is irrelevant if there is no oil to ship. The complete ineffectiveness of Israel’s air power and army in stopping Hezbollah’s Iranian supplied missiles is an object lesson on our power to neutralize that threat. 

It is time for us to use the same effective strategy that eliminated the nuclear threat from other chronically belligerent, expansionist powers such as Great Britain and Russia: Establish friendly relations. 

There are no military options unless suicide is an option. It is time to talk. 

Thomas Laxar 

El Cerrito 

 

• 

COLUSA CIRCLE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

A proposal to develop the vacant lot at 401 Colusa Avenue/corner of Ocean View into a three-story building for street-level businesses and three condominiums is being presented at the Contra County Planning Commission Tuesday 22 July at 651 Pine St., Martinez. 

This lot now provides eight to 10 off-street parking spaces. Those spaces will be lost. And, instead of adding more parking for these activities, the proposal provides for 33 percent fewer parking spaces than are required under Contra Costa County guidelines. The Colusa Circle Improvement Association (CCIA) opposes the parking variance that would be needed. 

The 401 Development is not the only one to create parking impacts. Other currently scheduled projects—the Hammond Project and Narsai’s development—have already received parking variances for these projects. 

Inadequate parking proposed in The 401 Development in the Colusa Circle will directly affect North Berkeley residents. Overflow parking from the Circle—with additional noise, fumes, and traffic—could spill over to nearby Berkeley streets—eg, Colusa south of the Circle towards Solano Avenue and Visalia on either side of Colusa. 

Increased congestion from parking problems in the Circle can cause back-ups between Solano and Fairmont Avenues at any time of day and, particularly, during morning and evening rush hours. Gridlock produces fumes and diminishes air quality. 

Colusa Avenue is the main vehicle connection between Solano Avenue/Thousand Oaks neighborhood and Fairmont Avenue, El Cerrito Plaza, BART, and freeways. It is used by cars, trucks, AC Transit buses, and bicyclists. Double-parked delivery trucks already impede traffic. 

Residents of North Berkeley shop in the Circle. Without adequate short-term parking it will be difficult to stop and shop at the Market or Semi-Freddi’s. Or leave shoes for repair. With fewer parking spaces, trips to the vet and drop-offs/pick-ups at the nursery school will be more difficult. Walking and biking are not always realistic choices. 

To support the Colusa Circle Improvement Association and its efforts to provide adequate parking, contact Supervisor John Gioia at Jgioia@bos.cccounty.us or Ryan Hernandez, county planner, at RAHern@cd.cccounty.us. 

Barbara Witte 

 

• 

BLUE TOOTH FRAUD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Hello.....Watson? Can you hear me? This is what the new Blue Tooth / Hand and Brain-Free law amounts to. After grappling with this cumbersome technology, which is supposedly created to keep the roads safe from distracted drivers, I can only long for the days when yelling excitedly across a telephone line actually was worth the effort. This new “consumer convenience,” and the law that has brought it on, has got to be one of the biggest frauds that the political machine has ever foisted on the public. Let me understand: It’s OK to turn our visual attention while driving 70 miles an hour, or through rush hour lunacy, to the Lilliputian keypads of our increasingly minuscule cell phones to dial out. Yet, it’s forbidden to “hold the phone to your ear.” It’s legally permissible to diddle around with our GPS devices, and poke through the circumlocutious menus of our car stereos but, hey...hold the phone to your ear while driving? Don’t think so! The biggest irony is that the law is supposed to prevent being distracted by communicating with someone while driving. Hello! Ever heard of passengers? Getting these devices to work with any facility has got to be more dangerous than any of the aforementioned activities that pre-occupy drivers all the time. Meanwhile, politicians and corporations are happily going along for the ride. 

Marc Winokur 

Oakland 

 

• 

REIGN OF TERROR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As surely as day follows night, Monday morning newspapers will continue to report the killings that occurred in the East Bay over the weekend. In recent weeks there have been as many as five or six murders in a two-day period. Fortunately, there was just one reported shooting in today’s paper—that of a 15-year-old boy—bringing the total murder rate in Oakland this year to 72, with five months remaining. As with all shooting victims, they’re rushed to Highland Hospital where attempts to save them are mostly futile. With bullet-ridden bodies lining emergency rooms, Highland has become a veritable Chamber of Horrors. One can only imagine the high level of stress physicians and nurses experience amidst this gory scene, which is repeated week after week. 

Furthermore, what a nightmare these killings must be for all the good citizens residing in East Oakland, terrorized by senseless drive-by shootings; a mourner killed at a memorial service for his friend shot in a gun battle; a young boy shot while at piano practice, left paralyzed for life; parents losing a son for the second time to gun fire; children forbidden to play outdoors on their own street; and people afraid to step out of their houses in broad daylight. 

For this reign of terror—and how else can it be described—we need look no further than the United States Supreme Court for its shameful rejection of a ban on handguns. With this decision, the court has, in effect, declared that all Americans have a constitutional right to die from gunshot wounds! 

Dorothy Snodgrass 

 

• 

EDGERLY SCANDAL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Mr. Allen-Taylor compares Ms. Edgerly to Henry Gardner and Robert Bobb and says that officials and others were quick to pounce because she didn’t have the “natural political defenses” of these two and was unable or unwilling to craft a positive political image or an “independent theory of city governance” by which to measure her accomplishments. 

I would point out that the crucial difference between Ms. Edgerly and the other two is that they were city managers, with extensive power to run the city under the weak-mayor, city-manager form of government. They were appointed by and reported to the City Council. Oakland has a strong-mayor system now. (No, no wisecracks about Dellums as a strong mayor.) Edgerly was city administrator, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the mayor and accountable to him or her. She was not in a position to develop an independent theory of governance—what a grand notion!—and her job was, or should be, bureaucratic. She was the operations person. 

Big difference. Did Ms. Edgerly function in that capacity and did she administer the rules of city government even-handedly and fairly? We will find out eventually. 

Despite his sometimes insistence that he is not defending her, this does not ring true. Granted that the very serious charges that were bandied about have not been substantiated. But to show up (didn’t she?) during a police operation against a nephew raises at the very least questions about propriety and procedure, and gives the appearance of impropriety (doesn’t it?). In the great world beyond, that is enough for an office holder to take him or herself off the job—with pay of course—while the matter is pending, and gets to make a great speech about allowing the great work of (fill in the blank) to continue unimpeded by these egregious, outrageous, and totally false accusations etc etc. Mr. Allen-Taylor writes elsewhere that her intervention could have been nothing more than concern for a young relative. I find that to be a stretch and again, seems to be part of a defense of her actions. In addition, she’s the damn city administrator! The rules are different. 

Her willingness to thrust herself into this situation raises serious questions, whether criminality is involved or not. Personally, I think that we will find criminal activity in city government, not necessarily directly tied to Edgerly, but to employees with ties to criminal enterprises outside government.  

But coming at a time of serious and brazen crime in Oakland, an apparently somnolent mayor who has lacked either the will or skill to be a political leader in the city, and major efforts to restructure and expand the police department, the city administrator’s intervention hit a nerve with the public, and in my opinion, rightly so. It just smelled real bad and action needed to be taken fast—action based on an appearance of impropriety that would remove the issue from the political workings of the city. A responsible city administrator would have taken him/herself out immediately, in my opinion. 

Jason Mundstuk 

 

• 

NOT WORTHY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In his regular “Undercurrent” columns, J. Douglas Allen-Taylor predictably promotes such patient, painstaking, careful reservation of judgment in analysis of political matters—political matters of his choosing, that is. It seems that where black persons or organizations stand accused of behaving badly, such as Edgerly, Dellums, Your Black Muslim Bakery, black drug dealers, black gangmembers or other black juvenile criminals, you know he’ll be out there waving his banner: “Excuse me, all the facts haven’t come out yet!” At the same time, after a recent police incident where a knife-wielding civilian was fatally shot by an officer, Allen-Taylor’s rush to judgment and the slanderous, bigoted statement he issued about Berkeley police wanting to kill as many African-Americans that they could, a statement publicly condemned both by a Berkeley Black Police Officers association and by the NAACP, was such an egregious example of him not following his own statements about not making judgments until all the facts come in, that in my view Allen-Taylor has revealed himself as an utter hypocrite whose viewpoints are not worthy to take up regular space in any newspaper.  

Arthur Issac Levy 

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The quote about Berkeley police killing African-Americans did not come from J. Douglas Allen-Taylor. It came from XXXXXX, the former president of the Berkeley NAACP. The current NAACP leadership denounced the statement.  

 

• 

JUDGMENT OF HISTORY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

There are certainly reasons to consider impeachment. History will judge Bush, but also judge us for not at least starting impeachment proceedings. 

Harry Gans 

 

• 

GOP RECORD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

There ain’t no goodwill left in the GOP! People are losing their jobs, houses, health insurance, and having trouble filling up the gas tank. Yet, Republican and former Texas senator Phil Gramm says: Get over it, it’s all in your head. 

Very real suffering has descended upon tens of millions of Americans; It’s time that we face up to the hard facts. The Bush-led economy and its anti-tax ideology is not working.  

Will four more years of John McCain and war and another Republican administration fix things? Has seven years of George Bush and war and GOP deficit spending created a viable economy? 

Ron Lowe  

Nevada City


Letters to the Editor

Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:45:00 AM

TIME FOR A DECISION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Judge Barbara Miller issued a ruling on June 18 that was neither here nor there. The sitters are still in the trees. The university has not broken ground. The city has not taken advantage of the potential to win by responding to university efforts to negotiate an end to the standoff.  

After 18 months, you’d think the judge could settle this thing. But she has repeatedly taken the maximum allowable time to make a decision at each stage of the case. Now she’s asked for more information, and along with it comes another 60 days of decision-making. If her most recent ruling sends any clues, the university will ultimately prevail, leaving the city with nothing but an enormous bill from its lawyers. 

Two entities are being hurt here: the university to the tune of an estimated $11 million in construction delays and the taxpayers who pay the bills. Those bills are running close to half a million dollars in city and state expenditures on legal fees. 

It’s time for all the involved parties to act responsibly and settle among themselves. If the past is an indicator, Judge Miller won’t bring this all to an end for several more months. It’s time for some courage and responsibility from all sides. 

Linda Schacht 

John Gage 

 

• 

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT?! 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Is this really about the trees? I’m perplexed that the mayor and City Council continue to support small fringe groups like the tree-sitters and Code Pink, despite the fact that the public is obviously in opposition. I live in West Berkeley and know of no one—not one single person—who supports the tree-sitters anymore. Berkleyans for Cal, a new group set up to give people like us a voice, has gathered almost 9,000 signatures. Yet the City Council is responding to the whim of a few people to continue this madness.  

Why do I call this madness? Their actions are not giving us any alternative and they’re not raising awareness of a serious deforestation problem in this country. Even if they were to succeed their actions are only going to save the equivalent of someone’s backyard full of trees. Meanwhile, we can do things as a community and set an example for the country. On example of many: In concrete construction the West Coast happens to be the laughing stock of the United States. All of the lumber is here along with the tree huggers, yet California somehow refuses to embrace re-usable formwork and instead builds concrete forms out of raw lumber. These forms are subsequently damaged by stress and chemicals to the point where they can’t even be recycled. We have a second problem with the tons and tons of trees that are cut down every second and delivered to our mailboxes in the form of junk mail.  

By not looking at where we have the power to make a difference we’re simply barking up the wrong tree. 

Brian Webb 

 

• 

BERKELEY COMMUNITY MEDIA 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Had BUSD been allowed to transform Berkeley Community Media’s public access studio into a “dedicated classroom” from its current use as a public access facility it would no longer be possible for the space to function as a three-camera public access facility. BUSD’s initial offers to share the space with BCM after school hours were disingenuous because the code restrictions for a “dedicated classroom” are incompatible with code restrictions for a public use TV studio facility.  

Thanks to Councilmembers Dona Spring, Linda Maio, Kriss Worthington and Berkeley Daily Planet coverage of complaints from the user community, BUSD Superintendent Bill Huyett stepped in and made Lew Jones, the head of BUSD facilities, change the project designation from a “dedicated” classroom space to a “shared use” space which may or may not solve most of the incompatible code restriction issues. We will see come September if the contractor also got the message along with a “change order” from Lew Jones. (Jones had already submitted the space conversion plans to the state architect’s office for approval before BCM users were notified on May 30, to clear out their sets and props in June.) 

The superintendent has now promised that Berkeley residents will still have a fully functioning three-camera public access capability once construction work is complete at the end of summer. We will see come September.  

Though destruction of the region’s second-largest public access facility was averted at the 11th hour, BCM is not out of danger. No paid employee of the BUSD or any future BCM landlord for that matter, should ever be permitted to sit on the BCM board of directors, let alone serve as its chairperson when BCM’s public access mission is in conflict with the education mission of its landlord, the BUSD.  

Berkeley residents almost saw its public access studio negotiated away to the school district by Mark Coplan, a paid employee of the BUSD currently acting as the BCM board chair.  

The Berkeley City Council and the BCM board have got to act fast to correct this obvious conflict of interest or BCM’s nonprofit status could be put at risk while keeping public access hostage to the shifting institutional priorities of other worthy institutions like the BUSD.  

George Coates 

 

• 

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I know well of the oak grove tree-sit, because UC Berkeley has decided to contribute to the growing light pollution of this town. You can see the grove from miles away, just because of generator lights. And what are these lights doing? Keeping away evil spirits? Bedtime monsters? Other various creepy crawlies? 

Please UC Berkeley, Turn off the lights so we can all get some rest. 

John Dougherty 

 

• 

GLOBAL WARMING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Writing from a state where the effects of global warming can be seen by just looking out the window at the smoke from forest fires, it is obvious that the time to act is now. As California is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases in the world we are especially obligated to commit to positive change. Though the future of our environment often seems bleak, there are solutions.  

The governor’s A.B 32 draft plan is definitely a step in the right direction. It is ambitious and has the potential to serve as a template for other states to follow. However, the lack of specific guidelines regarding how some of the initial recommendations should be carried out is somewhat worrisome. It seems to leave the path open for large polluters to obtain free carbon emission credits and thus to continue their contribution to global warming without obstacle. It is exactly these polluters that should be targeted the most.  

By the time this plan is finalized on Jan. 1, 2009, I sincerely hope that this section has been addressed so that California can reach its goals to make huge reductions in global warming pollution and set a successful example for others to follow.  

Catherine Farrell 

 

• 

THANKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

On behalf of Butte College I’d like to thank those in the Berkeley Fire Department who responded to the Humboldt fire in Butte County. They not only saved Butte College from serious and devastating destruction, but they protected our communities we all live in. Without their great efforts many more people would not have homes to return to, and much of our campus would not be available for providing education to those in our community. We’re very grateful for all of their help…they’re the greatest! 

Diana Van Der Ploeg 

President, Butte College 

Oroville 

 

• 

THE TREE-SIT SAGA 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I love reading the Daily Planet—the hilarious coverage of the tree-sit saga has afforded countless hours of laughter at the delusional “progressives” who chose to make this whole thing into a “cause.” 

I nearly choked with mirth the other day when Martha Nicoloff called the tree-sitters “saints.” No, Martha—they are turd-tossing, urine-dumping infants. And I hear that “Millipede” is on her way to Santa Barbara on outstanding warrants for theft. We sure could use more saints like her. 

Katlin Moore’s ludicrous commentary, “City Must Continue Lawsuit Against UC,” was the topper. She claims “international” support for the tree-sit. Really? Details, please. She claims to represent “tens of thousands of Berkeley residents.” Where are all those people? Certainly not protesting—more likely they’re at Berkeley Bowl or down on Fourth Street shopping like good, upscale American consumers. There is zero evidence that the actual supporters of the tree-sit number more than 100, if that many. 

There is no “indisputable” evidence of any “sacred” burial grounds—only a single skeleton of undetermined ethnicity found in the 1920s. The only native “leader” calling UC’s actions a “hate crime” is that unemployed loudmouth (and vandal of public property) Zachary Running Wolf, who is probably the most entertaining nutcase of all, especially when he and Ayr fight over who gets in front of the TV cameras first. 

But why rely on facts and reason when lies and emotion are so much more fun? 

How far Berkeley has fallen from the Golden Era of the 1960s, if this is what passes for activism these days. 

They say we get the elected officials we deserve. I urge all Berkeley voters to replace Tom Bates with Running Wolf ASAP. Let the circus continue! 

Michael Stephens 

Richmond 

 

• 

THAI TEMPLE REDUX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Seeing the Thai Temple in the news again for violating various permit laws reminded me of the very sad fact that they are responsible for decimating the adjacent South Berkeley Community Garden of which I was a longtime member. This community garden, which is still lying fallow all these years later, was a beautiful and much needed space for gardeners and community members to enjoy. Local community gardeners worked hard to save the garden, but in the end, the money from the Thai restaurant was a more powerful force. I hope the city doesn’t allow the temple to continue to increase their illegal profits even more. 

Rachel Aronowitz 

 

• 

UNDERCURRENTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding J. Douglas Allen-Taylor’s July 3 UnderCurrents column: 

First, it’s Michael Krasny, not “Kransky.” I know, this is fussy attention to detail, but you are a newspaper and your article is about getting the facts. I think it matters.  

Chip Johnson has hardly been conducting a “vendetta” against Dellums. If you’d read his columns, he was circumspect and very slow in his escalating criticism of the mayor, running well behind the rising dissatisfaction of other Oakland residents. He held a “make-up” interview with the mayor some time ago and wrote a favorable column following it.  

While I disagree with Johnson’s idea of Perata for mayor, I hardly think that this indicates that Johnson is undercutting Dellums toward that end, which you seem to imply.  

The corruption in Oakland city government is certainly nothing new and is ongoing. And it is nothing new in city governments. The Edgerly affair has highlighted this matter in a way that ties in with the issue of crime, which has most of us very, very upset. It is a very small step from the hiring of friends and family and circumventing civil service-type controls, to possible connections to criminal enterprises outside government.  

This confluence of weak leadership, an overreaching administrator, and the appearance of deep corruption may provide the impetus for action. I certainly hope so. 

Jason Mundstuk 

Oakland 

 

• 

TEEN SMOKING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Is there any way of stopping the sale of cigarettes altogether? I know we do not want to see more and more young people die of lung cancer. Cigarettes are still advertised as props for a cool lifestyle. 

Can’t we encourage young people to discover that life is too precious to devote to self-destruction? 

Romila Khanna 

Albany 

 

• 

GILMAN, I-80 ENTRANCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

For the past two years I have inquired of the City of Berkeley staff in the city manager’s office as to why west of Gilman from San Pablo Avenue to the I-80 east entrance hasn’t been repaved yet. Gilman east of San Pablo Avenue was repaved and that didn’t haven’t the same type of damage like numerous huge potholes west of Gilman does.  

My Volvo can no longer stand being jacked around by the potholes and cracks on Gilman. The city will be getting a bill for the continuous damage my one and only car is receiving. I have no other options and shouldn’t have to waste more gas to drive to Albany to use their smooth freeway entrance. 

I saw an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the destructive Gilman Street to I-80 East entrance. 

Please do not blame this on Cal Trans. This is your problem. Fix it! 

Robyn Christian 

 

• 

DEMONSTRATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I was a bit taken aback by Kevin Moore’s letter detailing his unpleasant experience with the motorcyclists in downtown Berkeley. Apparently he mistook the gathering for a pro-war rally.  

Having passed by that day and seen all the men in studded leathers, revving up their noisy, but colorful Harleys—well, naturally I assumed it was a Gay Pride parade! And that blond lady on the stage—Melanie, you say—I’m pretty sure she was one of the famous Dykes on Bikes. She certainly looked rugged! 

It was wrong for the man to punch you, Kevin, but are you sure it wasn’t because you perhaps looked askance at his outfit? Yeah, they were wearing some pretty loud clothes—talk about rainbow colors! But that’s the Castro Street lifestyle, you know? 

It does sound like the Berkeley police need more tolerance training. They should have intervened when he hit you. Doubtless the problem lies in their archaic belief that leather boys just slap people. You learned some of those gay guys are pretty tough!  

I hope we all can learn from the experience and let folks have their little alternative lifestyle parades in peace. It’s all in fun. Leave your protest signs at home—the people who really support the war are all away fighting it.  

Chuck Heinrichs 

 

• 

SAFEWAY EXPANSION 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Regarding the July 3 article, “Neighbors Oppose Safeway Expansion”: 

Neighbors are always complaining about density or the architecture or the need for housing. Whatever. As a resident of the neighborhood and of the larger community, there is really only one question, which wasn’t addressed in the article. 

Is it going to have upscale pricing? We don’t need another Andronico’s in that neighborhood, with ever-inflated prices and overpriced “organic” produce from Mexico. People can’t afford gas and groceries. And things are only going to get worse, disastrous for many. At least Safeway has reasonable prices on the basic staples. If the massive expansion is going to massively impact the pricing at that store (regardless of the architecture or the density or the housing) then I say forget it. Now is not the time to deepen the gouging. No doubt the Safeway powers-that-be regard themselves as the smartest guys in the room, and see that Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood as ripe for picking, reaping them a very bountiful economic harvest. But at whose expense? Yikes.  

Ken Stein 

 

• 

HE LIKES SPORTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Protesting China’s long record of human rights abuses, many world leaders— i.e., Britain, France and Germany—have announced they will not attend the opening of the Olympics in Beijing. Not so with President Bush. The White House has confirmed he’ll be there; the reason offered, in his own words, “I like sports.” So much for the trivial issue of human rights. 

But let’s not be too hard on Mr. Bush. We all know he’s given up golf. When asked if this was related to Iraq, our leader replied: “Yes, it really is. I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be as—to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I thinking playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.” 

Golly gee, doesn’t this bring tears to your eyes and put a lump in your throat? 

Dorothy Snodgrass 

 

• 

NOMINATION 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

I want to make an unsolicited public nomination of Asa Dodsworth to run for the Rent Stabilization Board. 

Asa Dodsworth is a kind, outgoing, incredibly charitable person who has opened up his house to Berkeley and its citizens on numerous occasions. As a member of the Zero Waste Commission he has been a real consensus builder and worthwhile participant. He has an active mind and is grounded in the spirit of well-thought action. 

Asa Dodsworth is many things: an activist, a homeowner, an organic farmer, a wonderful chef, a friend, a son, a brother, a lifelong Berkeley resident who has great ethics and a strong mind for the common good. Although this letter is unsolicited, I urge you to join me in calling for Asa Dodsworth to run for the Rent Stabilization Board.  

John E. Parman 

 

• 

FAIR SHARE OF ABUSE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Kevin Moore’s July 3 letter is quite a call of alarm and shame on Berkeley’s cops. Mr. Moore reported getting gut punched by one of a group of bikers who were in town to protest against criticism of the Iraqi invasion and its policies at the Marine Recruitment Center. Mr. Moore reported that when he was attacked, a Berkeley cop stood 10 feet away and did nothing. Later Mr. Moore observed some cops laughing with the bikers. When Mr. Moore reported the attack to another cop, he shined him on to nowhere. The cops clearly favored the bullies and warmongers. 

The cops’ behavior brings to mind a similar pattern when Berkeley High students were pawed by cops at the pro-MRC resolution rally in the spring. Added to the above is the scandal of the long denial by police brass over drug use by a Berkeley cop in charge of seized drugs. 

At a minimum, BPD must maintain a politically neutral stance. However, there have been too many incidents to claim impartiality now. It is clear that on this core determinant, Berkeley cops aren’t “protecting nor serving” its citizens and salary payers. Perhaps patrol cars should add “when we want to” to their motto. 

Is our City Council blind to errant police behavior? Is no one on the council outraged enough at police partiality to speak out? Is the council afraid of being accused of being “soft on crime” if they assert civilian control? Is the Berkeley Police Department under civilian control? A corrective solution is required immediately.  

Maris Arnold 

 

• 

EASTSHORE PARK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

“Citizens For Eastshore State Park” will be holding their next monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. on July 16 at 520 El Cerrito Plaza. Until recently, I, like most Berkeley citizens, didn’t know such a group existed or how it was connected to the so-called park being closed to us. 

As you know I’ve written to you several times about the area, but I hope you will allow me to repeat what I said to your readers who still may not know what’s been happening there. 

Like its neighbor, the present Chavez Park, which is a true park, it was originally part of the Berkeley dump along the marina. When the landfill ceased it soon became a wilderness where I and many others enjoyed its wildness for more than 30 years. Then one day it was partially clear-cut and enclosed by a chain-link fence with a sign that said, “Keep Out, Resource Protection Area.” 

Most Berkeley citizens were not informed that this was about to happen, let alone that a “citizens group,” none of whom seem to have personally enjoyed the area, would be in charge of it. Nor has it been clear to me how it happens that such a vast land can be controlled by a such small group in the name of the public when the public doesn’t even know who they are and why they are doing what they do. I assume it is connected to the vast redevelopment projects that have been happening in the meadowlands, but how and why the part now called Eastshore Park came to be closed to the public is still a mystery to me. 

I have asked the Citizen Group to put on their agenda in the next meeting a place for me and whoever else cares to join me in order to ask that the area be opened for us to enjoy it along with the wildlife. Both the plants and the animals, including birds, which I love as much as anyone, were perfectly content with us humans, and I see no reason why we can’t live with each other in harmony again. I hope those of your readers who may be concerned will join me at the next meeting. The address seems to be difficult to find if you enter El Cerrito Plaza from San Pablo Avenue. I was told that you are to drive to Longs Drugs and make a right at the circle to the parking lot at Shoe Pavilion and there is at the back of Trader Joe’s a stairwell that goes to the offices above Trader Joe’s, then you go up to a mezzanine and there is an office marked “Citizens For Eastshore Park.” I don’t know the plaza well, but I assume that if you go in from another entrance you go straight to Trader Joe’s. I was told the meeting may start a little late since a private meeting about the meadowlands will be held first. 

Thank you for allowing me to write to you again. It’s a beautiful area and it’s been very sad that I and many others have not been allowed to enjoy it as we once did. Hopefully one of your staff writers, or Joe Eaton, who never replied to my previous open letter to him, can attend and maybe write about just what has been happening and help make it clear. 

Pete Najarian  

 

• 

CANTOR’S COLUMN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I rush to defend Matt Cantor and the Daily Planet against Andrew Johnson’s criticism. Cantor writes “About the House” in the voice of a workman who is not a journalist and doesn’t need a copy editor to revise his sentence structure or grammar, which, by the way, do not overstep the boundaries of 21st century American language. So Andrew, dude!, relax and enjoy Cantor’s injection of modern cultural references to make his subject interesting and enjoyable. Go Matt! 

Bob Marsh 

 

• 

KELLOGG’S AND GE SUGAR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets are hitting the marketplace this year and major food companies, like Kellogg’s, have chosen to not guarantee that their products are free of any GE ingredients. Consumer groups, led by the Organic Consumers Association, have launched a boycott of Kellogg’s products, including Kellogg’s subsidiary Morningstar Farms, until Kellogg’s commits to sourcing GE-free sugar. 

Genetically engineered foods are untested, unlabeled and continue a toxic model of food production. GE sugar beets are designed to withstand massive doses of Monsanto’s controversial Roundup herbicide. If given the chance, many Americans would avoid eating GE foods. Poll after poll have demonstrated that most people want mandatory labeling of all GE foods. 

Protecting the environment and providing safe food for my family is very important to me. Until Kellogg’s and other companies commit to sourcing non-GE sugar, I will be boycotting their products. 

Gerdi Lee 

San Francisco 

 

• 

THE OAK GROVE, MONEY, INHUMANE TREATMENT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As far as the oak grove situation, the whole thing has to do with money. Whenever anything is in the process or being “planned” to be built within the city, the city places a bid, the lowest bidder wins. Millions of dollars are involved with this gym project. I believe the university and the city are both working together but are “pretending” not to be because of the possibility the city will get paid if the gym is to be built.  

At this point it appears the university is using force to extract tree-sitters and arresting protesters for minor insignificant charges (anything they can get protesters for). They especially train their eyes on those who they know have been former tree-sitters and are capable of finding a way in there, like the individual that made it past security Sunday and is presently up in one of the trees. The university and city seems to care more about money and their paychecks as compared to inhumane acts, such as having a zero-tolerance “list of codes” when it comes to protesters attempting to provide food to the people in the trees who are barely being kept alive with Clif Bars and water.  

Anyone who has been up there enough (especially on Sundays) probably has seen illegal acts the UC police have been committing and getting away with. In this society we live in today there are people behind the media, lawmakers, and government entities and their power is finance. Throwing human feces and urine is nothing compared to attacking tree-sitters by ramming wrecking balls into trees, holding knives and punching tree-sitters in the face and threatening tree-sitters with running chainsaws. This makes me wonder a bit. Some people really care more about their paychecks.  

These people—the arborists, the university, the city officials, and UC police—deep on the inside I’m sure they know what they are doing is wrong. I’m sure they are suffering more then the tree-sitters who are standing up to a good cause. They (government entities and the affiliated) “hold it all in” in front of the public eye ... but it haunts them in some form or another. There must be a large sum of money involved with this project if the university officials are spending about $350,000 for extra security. A lot of the public around the United States is blinded by what I speak of because of media cover-ups, lack of criminal evidence against the university, mainly because almost all of their crimes that have been committed are from 80 feet up to eight to nine stories up in the air, making it rather difficult to catch it on film. Also, larger media corporations such as CNN cover up a lot and make it appear as if the tree-sitters are the “jokers here,” when in reality it’s the media portraying them as “Wanna-be Julia Butterfly’s.” To sum up this free written opinion ... the media and all government entities are working together because their power is finance. They will do whatever they can to build the gym (over the Hayward Fault—very smart guys) at all costs while protesters and tree-sitters are standing up for what they feel is right. 

Jonathan Orbiculus 

 

• 

BACK AWAY SLOWLY FROM THE SINK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the July 3 Planet, Mark Sapir suggests, in pursuit of water conservation, “By family agreement, men should now urinate in the bathroom sink and flush with one cup of cold water.” 

That’s it Mark, now you’re banned from my bathroom and my pool. 

Dave Blake 

 

• 

BICYCLE SAFETY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

My son was hit by a car today while riding his bicycle in downtown Berkeley. A driver turned right, in front of him, on Shattuck Avenue basically wrecking the bike. My son was lucky. He went over the handlebars, but was not seriously injured. 

I know that bicycles are “supposed” to ride on the street, but that’s dangerous. I never ride in the street in downtown Berkeley. I never ride in the street along any busy street (Ashby, Shattuck, College, Telegraph). I always ride my bicycle on the sidewalk. I’m waiting for that ticket. 

West Hollywood is acknowledging reality, by permitting bicycle riding on the sidewalk of all streets without dedicated bike lanes. 

If Berkeley is serious about encouraging people to get out of cars, then please make it safe to ride bicycles. Legalize riding on the sidewalk, for all streets without bike lanes! 

Yolanda Huang 

 

• 

TOTLAND 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I returned from a two-week vacation to discover that the toys and other equipment (plastic slides and playhouses) have been removed from Totland (at McGee and Virginia). I am very distressed about this, as I’ve been taking my grandchildren there for several years, all the way from Alameda. I’m a long-time Berkeley resident (over 40 years), and Totland has been a wonderful place for children and their parents for a very long time. 

I have read the other letters in the Planet by Beatriz Silva and Francesc Trillas, but have yet to see any response or explanation for why this has happened in your paper. I wrote to my councilmember, Laurie Capitelli and his aide, Jill Martinucci, wrote me back, explaining that the “City of Berkeley Parks staff removed over 100 pieces of temporary plastic play equipment...that was either unsafe and/or broken...large playhouses were broken and the slides did not meet California Safety Code for play structures.” I disagree that the slides and playhouses were in poor condition, although possibly a few of the smaller toys were broken. Ms. Martinucci also wrote, “We expect that Councilmember Maio’s office will conduct a public meeting at Totland sometime in the near future to reassure the folks who use the park and explain the city’s policies. We will let you know when that meeting happens.” I have heard nothing further about any meeting. 

I visited Totland on Saturday to find it almost deserted on a beautiful day, and spoke to the one father who was there, who told me that the same thing has happened at a children’s park in Oakland (toys and play structures removed suddenly, with no warning). I returned again today (Monday) to find practically no parents or children at Totland on a sunny day at 1:30 p.m., and also discovered that many of the toys and structures had been thrown behind the west side of the building, surrounded by a fence. If the toys, slides, etc. weren’t broken when they were thrown there, they certainly are now. This is so sad...a vibrant and well used park has been turned into a patch of empty grass and sand. It’s the young children who will miss out on having a wonderful place to play. I would like a response from a council person about this issue, and would appreciate seeing it in your paper, since no public meeting has occurred. 

Maria Watt 

 

• 

ANYONE FOR FLIP FLOPS? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

A recent letter suggested that Sen. McCain could be an Olympic competitor in flip-flopping. As no Olympic event can go forward uncontested, he could go against the guy who said:  

• “I could no more reject Jeremiah Wright than my own grandmother.” 

• “Jerusalem must remain undivided,” followed later by, “Jerusalem must be negotiated.” 

And:  

• “Here’s my new presidential seal.” (“Whoops, forget it. Latin would offend those bluecollar hicks whose votes I need.”) 

Indeed, the only thing that Mr. Obama seems to stand behind is the idea that punishing people who create jobs will end our deficit and allow us to compete with China, India and Japan. 

People who restrict their votes to candidates who stay true to consistent moral principles will not be voting for either senator come November. 

David Altschul 

 

• 

REQUIEM FOR HINK’S 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Dorothy Snodgrass’s letter about the absence of a department store in Berkeley called to mind the days, 30 and 40 years ago, when Hink’s was flourishing. I remember some of the things I bought there: a knit dress, turquoise and white striped—I loved it. A lightweight wool throw, to give as a wedding present. A Lady Manhattan white blouse, with narrow tucks in the front. Jeans and corduroys for growing boys... . I seem to be lapsing into rhyme. 

Hink’s is gone forever, I know that. Maybe Berkeley can attract another department store in our lifetime, maybe not. Meanwhile I’m grateful to my friend Dorothy for letting me know about the shuttle from the BART station to Broadway Plaza. In my ignorance I’ve been driving to Macy’s and Nordstrom. Now I’ll take the train. 

Virginia Foote Anderson 

 

• 

RECOUPMENT OF STATE FUNDS WASTED AT UC BERKELEY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

A Daily Planet article states that UC Berkeley is spending $22,000 daily for the police presence at the oak grove protest, amassing a $795,000 total up to now. Why? Nothing will be allowed to happen until the judge rules on the legality of the construction. By simply ignoring the protesters and allowing them their protest the cost would have been nothing. A simple patrol by regular on duty officers during the protest would have had the same effect as the overblown and expensive method utilized by the UCB police. That is to say no effect at all but to spend all the money on showing how not to respond to a challenge. UCB could have embraced the protesters and allowed the tree sitters to their idyl and shown the world that protest has a place in our society. What harm would have come from that? Instead UCB gets shown to the world to be just another police state mentality with delusions of control. Remember James Rector? Shot while watching the UCB police beat and maim legally assembled citizens attempting to exercise constitutionally protected speech. 

There is a moral and ethical question that needs answering: Who do the UCB police serve? It certainly isn’t Berkeley. It isn’t even the rule of law. It is the Regents. I call on the State to replace the money wasted on this foolhardy and ugly response to harmless citizens. We are owed this money. It isn’t the police but the controlling cabal that take personal umbrage and send the UCB police out to do their dirty work. What a waste. 

Michael Blechman 

 

• 

TOWN AND GOWN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Can someone tell me why UC can’t seem to take a hint? You’d think that four separate lawsuits, all filed against them for the same reason, would give them pause. How about a widely supported, well organized, historical16-month-long act of civil disobedience? Might that clue them as to how people really feel around here? In the face of such prolonged and determined community opposition, it would seem reasonable to believe that UC would alter their destructive plans.....perhaps, even acquire a sense of common decency and actually consider becoming a responsible and cooperative neighbor. But no. 

UC gladly accepts the City of Berkeley as a gracious and generous host for their campus. They gladly accept and take for granted our city services. Then, as an expression of their gratitude, they turn around and tell us to go to hell. Intending to destroy a vibrant, irreplaceable and sacred grove of oaks, the university defiantly flexes its muscles, wields its power, disrespects and assaults our citizens, and places itself above our laws. All in the pursuit of enhanced profits. 

At the once beautiful grove site, they have constructed a grotesque, double-barb-wired prison compound, a profoundly troubling eyesore and a blight on the landscape. Each night, the compound is ablaze with mega-watt sleep deprivation torture spotlights. This heinous display disturbs the peace of the entire neighborhood, and is a blatant demonstration of the university’s contempt for average working members of this community, the vast majority of whom are neither UC students or faculty. 

The committed young people occupying the trees continue to be treated with brutality. Recently, UC police began to also visit violence upon supporters attempting to get food to the sitters. (A basic human right.) in a just world, it would be UC officials going to jail, not idealistic young citizens engaging in peaceful civil disobedience. Sitters and supporters alike are simply carrying out their civic duty to save the trees that are rightfully protected by Berkeley city law. 

Berkeley’s lawsuit against the university was a necessary line drawn in the sand. The time has come for UC to learn that it can no longer, with such arrogance and impunity, abuse and exploit our community. The city must without hesitation file all necessary appeals to not only continue this lawsuit, but to win it. A recent article by a prominent Boalt Hall professor and land use attorney clearly explained why the city would have a good chance of winning such an appeal. 

The needs and quality of life issues of our own citizens, should come well before the selfish and destructive profit seeking desires of the university. 

Kevin Moore


Police Misconduct Along the Berkeley-Oakland Border

By Joseph Buddenberg
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:46:00 AM

I am writing to individual city council members in hopes that I can resolve this issue. I plan to go to Berkeley Police Review Commission and file a formal complaint about this unjust harassment and political persecution at the hands of the Berkeley Police Department, more specifically Officer O’ Donnell. 

First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joseph Buddenberg and I currently reside in Oakland. I am a political activist in various causes; most notably my animal rights activism seems to be a thorn in the side of the UC police department as well as BPD. I have participated in and been filmed by UCPD/BPD at various legal residential demonstrations organized by the members of Stop Cal Vivisection, who are dedicated to ending the use of live animals in research at the University of California, Berkeley.  

(You can check out their website at www.pixelexdesign.com/stopcalvivisection if you have not heard of the campaign.) 

On the afternoon of Saturday, July 5, I was on a bike ride alone down San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. 

A BPD cop apparently spotted me. She pulled a U-turn. I sat down at a bus stop and she stared at me the entire time. She got on her radio and soon after a second BPD officer arrived. I felt intimidated and they didn’t appear to want to detain me so I walked my bike across the street and went inside Walgreen’s to get a drink of water. I exited the store a few minutes later and the two officers were in the parking lot waiting for me. 

I smiled and waved at both cops in an attempt to show that I had nothing to hide and would not resist them in any fashion. They still didn’t make any effort to approach or detain me. Instead, they followed me around at 5 miles per hour through the course of my bike ride through back streets for about a half-hour. At one point I stopped and asked the female cop (I was too jarred at the moment to request her name or badge number) why I was being followed. She wouldn’t give me any reason other than “because you’re on my beat.” I asked her if there are laws governing surveillance of activists, and whether I’m a suspect in a crime, and she would not give me any information. 

I told her “Just to let you know, I’m going to Oakland now.” She said “That’s fine, we’ll follow you there, too.” 

I started walking my bike on the sidewalk south. I reached San Pablo Avenue, still walking. The two officers continued to follow me at 2 mph, all the while holding up traffic in the right lane on a very busy street and endangering lives. Because they lied to me and told me they were going to follow me into Oakland, I sat down at a bus stop at Ashby and San Pablo avenues. 

Another cop arrived soon, BPD Officer O’Donnell, who has been present and observed me at a couple demonstrations. I asked “What’s up O’Donnell? Are you all going to arrest me or what? Go ahead if you’re gonna do it.” His reply was “Nope, not here to arrest you. I’m just your biggest fan!” and he snapped a couple shots of me with his digital camera. I continued walking south. He pulled up to the curb with his lights flashing. He asked, “So you going to any houses today?” I asked “What?” and mistakenly thought I was being detained. He said “You know, going to houses and doing your UC SCUM chants or whatever you do.” I told him “I’m not gonna make your job easier, you’ll have to work for that” I asked why exactly I was being followed. He said “Because of your association with the animal rights movement and there’s been various crimes associated with that.” 

I asked him for a connection of suspicion, and he said, “Oh there’s definitely a connection. It’s the same issue.” 

He told me “Just so we’re clear, this is a consensual conversation...you’re not being detained. I don’t want to see my name up on the pixelex website like last time. You’re free to go at any time” 

I made it clear to him that nothing they were doing was consensual, but I’d talk to them because they’d told me they were going to continue to follow me, even into another city. I asked him at one point, “So are they going to continue following me into Oakland?” He said, “That’s up to them. We’re a state police agency and we can technically go anywhere in the entire state.” 

He also told me “I heard you on NPR with Carrie Kahn. I’ve done so many of these that I can pick out everyone’s voice.” I told him that I was never on NPR. He said, “Yeah I know, you gotta deny everything.” 

He said “E-mail me if you’ll be doing any protests in the future! I know you won’t, but I won’t take it personal.” And he ended with the very ominous statement, “Until next time Joseph!” 

Officer O’Donnell also made it clear he’s been watching closely the Stop Cal Vivisection website, Myspace bulletins, and made a guess on my address before even seeing my identification card. 

What I’d like to inquire from the members of City Council: 

Is this standard protocol regarding surveillance? Is the BPD’s job to use surveillance and harass activists who have dissenting or unpopular political viewpoints? If I am not a suspect in a specific crime, and the only reason they have stated for this level of harassment is “my involvement in the animal rights movement” is it legal for your city’s police department to follow me around and attempt to gain information on lawful political activity? 

I look forward to dialogue. Let me know if you have any more questions. 

 

Joseph Buddenberg is an Oakland resident and political activist.


A Failed Effort to Feed the Tree-Sitters

By Carol Gesbeck DeWitt
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:47:00 AM

I was among a group of people who tried to bring fresh food to the UC Berkeley tree-sitters. I am a licensed vocational nurse and have spent my life taking care of people. I believe that it is immoral for the UC administration to use starvation as a claimed legitimate method to end a peaceful civil disobedience dispute with the tree-sitters. For the length of this tree-sit-in, Sunday at 2 p.m. has been the time when those in the community who support the goals of these people come together to provide balanced and healthy food. I don’t show up every week as some of the faithful have, but I consider myself to be a regular participant. 

For a number of reasons I believe that UC is wrong in their decision to build on this site: The campus provides other possible locations. The oak grove was not, as UC lies, a stadium-landscaping project; it was a memorial grove planted to honor nearly 100 students, faculty and staff World War I heroes. The last surviving WWI veteran, Frank Buckles, has written, requesting that this site remain. UC promises to replant even more trees. They are known for reneging on similar promises and it would take generations for new trees to reach the mature size of this grove. The proposed site is irrationally too close to the Hayward fault. Extensive construction processes on this site will further destabilize the aging stadium. Infrastructure and parking in this area are inadequate to meet the needs of such substantial building and user needs. Respect for the native Americans who believe that this hill was a sacred burial ground is lacking. When the stadium was built, Indian remains were unearthed and desecrated and it is reasonable to believe that this stadium-adjacent site is part of the burial grounds. UC appears to have an endless building construction agenda that will not stop until all available open campus space is occupied by a multi-storied buildings. UC administrators arrogantly believe that they are immune to local and state building and environmental regulations that the private sector must adhere to. UC has often demonstrated an unwillingness to negotiate openly and fairly with the Berkeley community when contested issues arise. 

Sunday’s failed attempt to deliver fresh food to the remaining tree-sitters was a very upsetting experience. UC deploys nearly two-dozen muscular, uniformed, armed, poorly trained and unprofessional cops to thwart humane attempts by gray haired citizens and slender younger people to deliver nutritious food. Weeks ago, UC installed more fencing and a wide barricade, illegally on public sidewalks, to prevent supporters access to providing food, water and waste removal services. This was also done to prevent supporters and media from having visual access to observe vicious UC attempts to harass and extricate the tree-sitters. Since then UC has been shamed into providing minimal, substandard, low quality, health-endangering food bars and an insufficient supply of water. 

It was very apparent that at least a handful of these bored cops take great pleasure in the opportunity, on Sundays, during food drop attempts, to exert aggressive, unnecessary and brutal force against a peaceful, dedicated, loving, generous, well-intended group of supporters. These frustrated, adrenalin- and testosterone-fueled, under-supervised bullies, vindictively operate meanly and aggressively. They seem to justify horrible actions that are badly misguided and devoid of basic humanity, ethics, integrity, morals, heart and soul. The kindly food drop group formed a circle around sacks of healthy food as one treesitter made repeated attempts to lower a rope from a precarious perch on a power pole. These cops devolved into mob mentality, not the peaceful supporters. They tightened their own circle around the supporters. The cops told citizens not to touch them, but the cops exerted force to crush against supporters when the line was lowered. The cops touched, pushed and knocked much smaller and frail, unarmed supporters down as they fought to grab and cut the rope. The cops’ behavior was a shameful display of inappropriately brutal force against harmless people attempting to provide humanitarian services. I urge more people to show up on Sundays at 2 PM to get involved as providers and witnesses. I urge UC administrators to rethink their hostile, inhumane and shameful ploys to end this peaceful tree-sit. UC is a disgrace to the American tradition of free speech and public discourse. 

 

Carol Gesbeck DeWitt is a Berkeley  

resident.


Berkeley’s Anti-Environmentalist Movement

By Charles Siegel
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:47:00 AM

The current anti-BRT initiative highlights the split in Berkeley politics between environmentalists who support better public transportation and more walkable neighborhoods and anti-environmentalists who oppose these things.  

On a national level, there is general consensus among environmental groups in favor of smart growth. We know that people drive less if they live in neighborhoods with services and public transit within walking distance of their homes, and that more people will use public transportation if there is faster and more reliable service. Because transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and because gasoline is becoming increasingly scarce, environmentalists want to reduce auto-dependency by building public transportation infrastructure and building walkable neighborhoods around the transit stops. 

On a national level, the only groups opposing these environmental policies are right-wing think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute. But in Berkley, we have a local anti-environment movement that is more effective than these entities. 

There is noisy opposition whenever there is a proposal to build pedestrian-oriented housing, whether it is new housing on transit corridors or new housing in downtown whose residents will be able to walk almost everywhere, such as the housing associated with the Brower Center. The anti-BRT initiative shows us that there is equally noisy opposition to proposals for better public transportation—and it is led by the same people who led the opposition to the Brower Center.  

All these projects attract opponents from the immediate neighborhood who have not thought much about planning issues but who feel threatened by development near them. Neighborhood opponents always complain about parking problems and traffic congestion. They do not realize that they are demanding that we should make it easier to drive rather than making it easier to walk or use public transportation, and they don’t think about the impact that their way of life has on the global environment. 

But there is also a hard core of people who work on these issues throughout the city. They come up with a long list of excuses for opposing each project, but when you see the same people leading the opposition to one thing after another, it becomes clear that they are simply against everything. 

These hard-core anti-environmentalists seem to believe that they are fighting to protect Berkeley’s character against growth. They don’t realize that Berkeley’s early character as a walkable streetcar suburb was disrupted by auto-oriented development. Transit corridors were filled with drive-in uses, and they ended up being more like strip malls than like walkable Main Streets. Even in downtown, there were surface parking lots, tire stores, a strip mall, a car wash, and other drive-in uses that made it less pleasant to walk. 

The anti-environmentalists’ fears are stoked by extreme smart-growth advocates who want to fill downtown with high-rises - thinking abstractly about how many more people we can fit into downtown, but not thinking concretely about how to design human-scale neighborhoods that most people would find attractive. Naturally, they provoke opposition. 

But many smart growth advocates support traditional neighborhood design, rather than high-rises. We want to give Berkeley an old-fashioned pedestrian-friendly feel by filling in gaps in the urban fabric created by surface parking lots and drive-in uses. 

In downtown, we would like to see something like a traditional European city with a continuous streetscape of buildings up to five or six stories tall, uninterrupted by auto-oriented uses—something like Copenhagen and other European cities that have not been marred by high-rises. Replacing a surface parking lot with the Brower Center is a step in this direction. 

On transit corridors, we would like to see walkable Main Streets with housing above shopping, rather than strip malls. Most of the infill projects proposed for our transit corridors are steps in this direction. 

To make it all possible, we would like to see better public transportation, which would generate more walkable development at the transit stops. Bus Rapid Transit is a step in this direction. 

The threat of global warming should make Berkeley’s anti-environmentalists take a long look at themselves. Imagine that, 20 or 30 years from now, your grandchildren ask you: “Did you do anything about global warming at the beginning of the century, when everyone first realized how great a threat it was?” 

Do you want to answer them by saying; “I was very active politically early in the century. I tried to stop affordable housing in downtown, where residents could walk everywhere, and I circulated a petition to stop better public transportation"? 

Look at yourself in historical perspective, and you will see that it is time to stop opposing one thing after another and to start supporting positive change that makes Berkeley more livable and more sustainable. 

 

Charles Siegel is author of The Politics of Simple Living. 

 


No Sense

By Pamela Collett
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:48:00 AM

Of time or space 

Without the sky or sun 

A grey pall hangs over us 

 

Is this our future? 

No escape from pollution 

The grey is smoke 

Fires caused by lightning 

1100 fires in California 

Fire fighters from 20 states 

A powerful warning 

 

No where to go 

No escape  

We all are on one scorching burning planet 

The sky IS falling  

And it is grey with smoke 

 

Take heed California 

Spread the word 

Everyone must change 

Consume less 

Populate less 

Use less water 

No lawns 

No more freeways 

No more suburbs 

Use trains and bikes 

Walk to the future 

 

There is no escape  

For anyone anywhere 

Regardless of money and power 

The sky is grey  

Over all California 

Do something 

 

Pamela Collett 

Oakland  


Fix Memorial Stadium Before Building Athletic Center

By Doug Buckwald and Shirley Dean
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:49:00 AM

It does not take a degree in engineering to notice that California Memorial Stadium is in very bad shape—it just takes common sense. Even a casual observer cannot help but notice the cracks throughout the structure; the cavities where concrete has fallen away revealing rusted reinforcement bars; the support columns that are leaning and separating; the warped and splintered bench seats; and the weathered metal plate that covers the expanding gap in section KK caused by fault movement. The Hayward Fault that runs from goal post to goal post is slowly splitting the stadium apart and the effects are clearly visible. The geological reality is that two giant pieces of the earth’s crust, the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, are slowly sliding in opposite directions, building up a tremendous amount of strain. When the Hayward Fault next suffers a major rupture, and there is no doubt that this event is imminent, the stadium itself will be severely damaged.  

The university is well aware of the dangerous condition of Memorial Stadium. Its own seismic evaluation rates the structure as “poor,” and notes that it will experience “significant structural and non-structural damage” that would create “falling hazards” in the event of a major quake. This would present “appreciable life hazards” to the athletes, coaches, and members of the general public who use the facility. 

So, if the stadium is the big safety problem, why is the university delaying efforts to attempt to retrofit it until some unknown date in the future? Instead, the university plans to try to make the stadium safe only AFTER first building a brand-new $140 million gymnasium, classroom, and office complex directly adjacent to it. This new building would be located just below (and would wrap around) the stadium’s most dangerous section, the precarious west wall—a wall poised to fall on top of it in the next big quake. Shouldn’t the stadium safety issue be resolved first? This is a particularly important question because it is not certain whether or not this can even be done within the strict monetary limits of the Alquist-Priolo earthquake safety law. 

Unfortunately, safety concerns were disregarded from the stadium’s inception. In defiance of expert cautions against building on an earthquake fault, construction proceeded on landfill that is subject to liquefaction and was completed in 1923. By the mid-1970s, though, engineers and geologists had learned much more about fault hazards and they became increasingly persuaded that the stadium was in a highly dangerous location. Within the last 10 years, these concerns have become more urgent, as scientists have determined that a major fault rupture will occur sooner than expected, sometime within the next thirty years. The Hayward Fault has been designated the most dangerous in the State of California and warnings have been issued that a seismic event on it will result in substantial damage, injury, and loss of life. 

In spite of this alarming prognosis, the people who use the stadium have not been alerted to these dangers. There are no signs posted about the “poor” seismic rating of the structure. Dangers are not noted on the football tickets that are sold. There are no brochures handed out at football games providing earthquake safety information. It is actually a very complicated task to get people out of a huge structure like Memorial Stadium, but the university has even neglected to perform the recommended emergency and evacuation drills that were recommended many years ago by their own people.  

Paradoxically, these significant earthquake dangers are the very things that university officials are now highlighting to try to gain community support for their proposed new athletic center. They claim that the students and staff must first be moved into the proposed new building before they can try to fix the stadium. But, according to this questionable logic, that means a wait of possibly two years while the proposed athletic center is constructed—and possibly much longer if the recent court decision is appealed, which seems likely. So, if the danger is so acute, why the delay? Why not move these vulnerable athletes and coaches into temporary facilities as soon as possible, try to retrofit the stadium, and then work on adding a possible new athletic center? This is a common sense approach that does not put the cart before the horse. 

The university says that safety is their number one concern. It is our priority as well. If university officials care about the safety of the young men and women and staff who use the stadium every day, they can move them out into temporary facilities immediately. We have repeatedly asked them to do this. After all, there is a campus program that is intended for this very purpose, and it has enabled the relocation of numerous campus programs over the past ten years to facilitate the seismic retrofit of unsafe buildings.  

It is not just Cal students and coaches that are put at risk by the continued use of Memorial Stadium. Every summer, UC Berkeley runs athletic camps for schoolchildren, including boys and girls as young as eleven years old, who use the field and facilities at the stadium. If the stadium were part of a public school system, there would be no question about prohibiting children from occupying it. It would be deemed too unsafe.  

A little known fact about Memorial Stadium is that it is the largest venue for football in the entire Bay Area, with a capacity of up to 80,000 people. Under the best of circumstances, dealing with such a large crowd can be a daunting task. In an emergency situation in a compromised facility like Memorial Stadium, it is literally a disaster waiting to happen. It is long past time for university officials to engage in straight talk about the seismic hazards at the stadium so that reasonable decisions can be made now about the safest way to proceed. To put it bluntly and simply: The stadium is in a dilapidated and dangerous condition—find out if you can fix it in accordance with the law! Move people out of the stadium and get on with doing the work that is necessary to make that essential determination. That course of action has nothing to do with the trees, the lawsuits and the like, and it should have begun in earnest years ago.  

 

Doug Buckwald and former mayor Shirley Dean are both Cal graduates and longtime Berkeley residents who are active in civic and university affairs. 


Absurdity at the Top

By Marvin Chachere
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:50:00 AM

In 1955 the late Jacques Barzun put his teaching and research on hold to be dean and then provost at Columbia University. He wanted, among other things, to learn first hand just what a top university administrator had to do. Not surprisingly he did not like the job and after a decade or so he eagerly returned to his former position on the faculty.  

Professor Barzun recorded what he learned in The American University: How it Runs, Where it is Going (1968), in which he identified with a scholar’s touch the problems of university administration. One overarching difficulty, he noted, was that while other professions help entrants with a body of literature and training protocols—for example, in science, law and religion—university administrators have no such help; one day they’re teaching and doing research and the next day they’re managing colleagues who do those things. As much admired for his wit as for his scholarship Professor Barzun quipped that in western culture only two professions provide no performance standard forcing rookies to acquire their skills as best they can on the job: university administration and prostitution. 

The job of university president (or chancellor) is not among the tens of hundreds of occupations listed by the Department of Labor, perhaps because the Standard Occupation Classifications (SOC) does not extend to the stratospheric region where unfettered intellectual agility reigns supreme.  

Everyone has heard stories about the absent minded professor—mismatched socks, taking the bus home having forgotten that he parked his car on campus. The life of the mind seems prone to hiding life’s mundane demands and nowhere is this more in evidence than in administration in the ivory tower. Examples abound. 

As with top jobs in all big organizations, much of what a university president does happens behind the scenes. But at least once a year at Commencement university presidents take the stage and for this brief climax to the academic year they are the public face of their university. Accordingly, John L. Hennessy, professor of engineering and current president of Stanford University, introduced Oprah Winfrey to the graduating class at Stanford Stadium on Sunday, June 15. 

President Hennessy said he wanted Oprah because he could “think of few people who…” could better encourage graduates to use their education for the public good (San Francisco Chronicle, June 11, 2008, E1). Given that President Hennessey has at his beck and call almost two thousand faculty members, including 16 Nobel Laureates, 23 MacArthur Fellows, and a couple of hundred others holding assorted prestigious awards his position is disingenuous, at best, and absurd at worse.  

In the mid 1960s, when demonstrations against the Vietnam War were merging with the Civil Rights Movement, implacable protests broke out at the University of California, Berkeley. On Dec. 3, 1964 a prolonged sit-in of administration offices in Sproul Hall resulted in eight hundred arrests. University President Clark Kerr, away at the time, was asked about the extraordinary number of arrests and his answer put the blame on “outside agitators,” the very same ephemeral class blamed by white supremacists for the freedom rides and lunch counter sit-ins. In the event, it turned out that almost 90 percent of those taken into custody were registered students. In high office it seems you have to act as if you know what’s going on even though you don’t.  

Last winter UC Berkeley announced that future applicants would have 23 racial/ethnic categories from which to identify themselves. (The Contra Costa Times, Nov. 20). Being a vaguely non-white alumnus living on retirement benefits earned as a UCB administrator, the item naturally attracted my attention and although I anticipated nonsense—the title hinted at new accommodation of non-white applicants—I was not ready for such a potent dosage. 

Forget the idiocy of offering a mere two dozen categories to a couple of billion people residing in a region associated with the earth’s largest ocean. Forget the disingenuous assurance that an applicant’s racial/ethnic category “…will not figure into admissions decisions…” What hurt most were the words Matt Krupnick, the reporter, attributed to an unnamed brainless “special assistant”, to wit: “We don’t know what we don’t know” and with more information “…students, faculty and administrators all win.”  

It is absurd that winning should be an important objective sought by university administrators, as if they engaged in a three-way competition with students and faculty.  

Finally, a particularly egregious spurt of ivory tower absurdity pops up in the belief, as pervasive as it is unquestioned, that racial/ethnic diversity is essential to learning. A prime example involves Lee Bollinger who entered academia as a professor of law and rose to be president of the University of Michigan (1996) then of Columbia University (2002).  

While Bollinger was at the helm in Ann Arbor he approved an aggressive affirmative action policy titled “Strategic Initiative on Diversity” that provoked a sequence of judicial challenges, made front page news, and eventually, on April 1, 2003, reached the Supreme Court. Bollinger defended the policy before the court and before media journalists. He argued that diversity is “…as essential as the study of the Middle Ages, of international politics and of Shakespeare” and that the goal of the policy was to achieve a “critical mass” of minority students (Barbara Grutter vs Lee Bollinger, et al.).  

The notion that learning requires racial/ethnic diversity is doubly absurd.  

One: Since each racial/ethnic category has no well-defined boundary the influence it may exert on learning cannot be traced with any reasonable degree of certainty.  

Two: In a discussion of the Middle Ages, say, the contribution made by a person categorized as African American is not necessarily what another so classified might offer. The absurdity here is to assume that a single individual carries all the attributes of the category. Sure, a Honda Civic carries all the attributes of every other Honda Civics but a human being is inherently different from all others. Diversity of mind transcends all other kinds.  

We look to the top of the ivory tower for astuteness but too often what we get is absurdity. 

 

Marvin Chachere is a San Pablo resident. 


Commercial Sports Is Not UC’s Mission

By Anamaria Sanchez Romero
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:50:00 AM

Big-time college athletics” training facility destroying the oak grove—far from the mission of the university: teaching, research and public service—yet so close to the Hayward Fault? 

Lest we forget, the university’s mission is for teaching, research and public service. Since the founding, the tradition of students playing amateur college sports as an extracurricular activity is justified by the ideal of educating the whole person. The Save the Oaks humans perched in the trees are human sentinels committed to preserving the oak grove trees. And, like sentinel birds, they provide an early warning for the university community. Is the planned facility compatible with the university’s mission? In plowing ahead on building fancy facilities for “big-time college athletics” staffed by highly paid coaches with no academic duties, does this provide anything at all to improve the educational program?  

Or, simply stated, are the purposes of higher education led astray by boosters who generate funds in an “arms race” for commercialized athletics? 

The athletic training project has nothing to do with higher education, nor research, or does it serve the greater good of the general public. It takes out a tranquil grove of oak trees where scholars often sit. It is a commercially driven project boosted in “an arms race” by nostalgic donors who largely come from afar to expensive American football games in crumbling Memorial Stadium, bisected by the Hayward Fault. 

In removing the sentinels, then bulldozing to destroy the rooted oak tree grove’s sloping topography, civil engineers wonder what will replace the deep oak tree roots that presently hold up the hill? Where are the State of California building codes for construction workers’ safety while the athletic training facility adjacent to the stadium is underway? Now that the university’s attorneys removed the stadium reinforcing beam from the plans, what will be done to support the heavy stadium should the predicted Hayward Fault shake the ground on a day when construction workers are at work tunneling underneath? 

For the larger picture, the Save the Oaks movement is contiguous within UC Berkeley history, going back to 1961 with the faculty wives’ movement to Save the Bay from filling with toxic garbage to make soggy manmade land for developers dreams to build on, unthinkable today.  

Going forward to 2007, we see three elderly ladies who put on safety lines and climbed an oak tree at the grove to “tree-sit” on a platform in support of Save the Oaks. A lovely photograph of Berkeley’s former Mayor Shirley Dean, City Councilwoman Betty Olds and octogenarian Sylvia McLaughlin, the widowed faculty wife, of a UC Regent, was featured all over the world in the international press: a significant moment in UC Berkeley history, a photograph that has since been memorialized in encyclopedias and history books. 

In 1961 Sylvia McLaughlin with Kay Kerr, the wife of UC President Clark Kerr, and faculty wife Esther Gulich organized Save the Bay to protect and preserve the San Francisco Bay waters from toxic rubbish-fill to make cheap soggy land for construction projects. They were the sentinels, soon joined by flocks of UC families to build a movement which successfully stopped the powerful developers, leading to legislation to protect the Bay for the public good. 

Deeply rooted in the ongoing Save the Bay culture, steadfast Sylvia is backing the Save the Oaks tree sitters and supporters. And, too, Sylvia and Shirley Dean are founding members of a new movement, Save Strawberry Canyon from overdevelopment by the University and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. 

The significance of the Save the Oaks demonstration at the mouth of Strawberry Canyon is a visible protest to not only protect the oak grove, the student athletes, spectators and construction workers, but indeed, to restore our university’s mission dedicated to teaching, research and community service.. 

Commercializing college sports must never skew the mission of the university; student athletes must be respected as students first, and athletes second. Students and the management of college sports can be comfortably accommodated in modest facilities without destroying the serene park-like quality of university grounds that is essential for our thinking as we walk to classes, offices and labs conversing with other scholars and students. 

For the good of all communities including sports fans, Save the Oaks supporters and the City of Berkeley are asking that the University consider moving the construction much farther from the several active earthquake faults to flatter stable university land accessible by public transit instead of by automobiles in a densely congested town.  

Other sites include adjacent to the Edwards Track Field downtown, or even purchasing Golden Gate Horse Racing Fields in Albany for both an Athletic Training facility and a new Stadium that could be used for American football, safe large public gatherings, concerts, and perhaps, even the Soccer Americas Cup of the future. 

Let us hope the new university president considers a change of course—one that we all can celebrate. 

 

Anamaria Sanchez Romero is a Berkeley resident.


Bulldozed in Berkeley

By Kim Fogel
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:51:00 AM

I sent this letter about to the American Pain Foundation, a national pain patients’ advocacy group (www.painfoundation.org). 

 

Please tell everyone you can what is happening here in Berkeley. With all the political fracas over narcotic pain meds, now they want to take away a life-saving natural treatment. Warm Pool Therapy (exercise in pool heated to 91 degrees, not too hot for exercise and not too cold for already stiff muscles) has kept pain from crippling and killing scores of Bay Area residents for 25 years. But the school board wants to bulldoze the condemned high school gymnasium to make way for construction. 

The city just decided not to put a new pool on the November ballot, but the citizens we hear from at many public meetings think seniors and disabled people are a “small interest group,” and that we keep draining them of their tax dollars and give nothing in return. I don’t know who makes up that tiny group. Whenever I’m there I meet senior and disabled people who work part to full time, volunteer, raise children or grandchildren, keep their independence, or are too disabled to do any of that but are making the most they can out of life. 

You can’t save money by ignoring pain. We pay billions a year in lost work, joblessness (55 percent of chronic pain patients are unemployed), homelessness (people who lost successful careers and everything else to pain ask you for money every time you pass the downtown BART station), and broken families. The pool often brings multiple generations and diverse groups of families together. 

The councilmembers keep saying they plan to build a replacement pool, but can’t come up with a concrete plan. They have just voted not to include a bond measure for the city’s pools including the warm pool on the ballot. Tonight, we won’t be too proud to beg to keep our pool open until a new one opens its doors. 

My ability to raise my child and support my family depends on the pool. It took seven years to win the battle for the type and dosage of medication that would provide any relief, only to find the victory short-lived as crippling pain broke through. The UCSF Pain Management center recommended warm pool therapy for me, but there are few such pools around, and most are in expensive health clubs open only during business hours, when many of us work. 

Even more encouraging are the seniors who joined around age 50 for the exercise and companionship, and 20 years later still look and feel 50. An ounce of prevention is worth even more than effective treatment. 

Isn’t it astonishing that with all the flag waving around a new recruitment center, no one has enough consideration for the troops to consider the pain treatment alternatives they will need when they return? 

I never thought that a 46-year-old Jewish woman who has never encountered discrimination would start feeling vulnerable for having neck pain. But then came the fascist-style vandalism that included throwing wheelchairs into the pool—a random crime that just happened to occur the night of a key City Council vote. If the perpetrators were young, I can’t entirely blame them given the comments made by some teachers, politiicians, and other supposedly respectable community members. 

The temptation I find hardest to resist: Asking the ACPA newsletter to run a cover story entitled, “Why They Hate us.” 

More seriously, it’s time to confront the nationwide epidemic of chronic pain that is inexplicably accompanied by an epidemic of ignorance, and to let millions of pain patients and doctors find out about this effective but little-known treatment. 

 

Kim Fogel is a Richmond resident.


Columns

The Public Eye: Obama’s Oil Opportunity

By Bob Burnett
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:41:00 AM

It’s the price of oil, stupid! The most recent Gallup Poll shows three issues dominating the 2008 presidential election: “energy, including gas prices,” “the economy,” and “the situation in Iraq.” Oil connects these concerns and also the prospect of global climate change. To win in November, Barack Obama has to focus on America’s oil problem. 

Over the past year, gasoline prices have skyrocketed throughout the United States—in Northern California the price of a gallon of gas is close to $5, up 37 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average household now spends more than one sixth of its annual expenditures on transportation, and this percentage is rapidly increasing, forcing families to forgo items like health care in order to fill their tanks. 

The rapid increase in the cost of petroleum is a key component in America’s economic downturn. It affects the price of food—13 percent of the typical family’s annual expenditures—because most foodstuffs have to be transported long distances from the farm to the consumer. And it dramatically impacts housing expenses—33 percent of our average annual expenditures—that were already on the rise because of tightening credit markets. Where it was once convenient to live in suburban communities, because housing prices were lower than in urban centers, that’s no longer the case, since the cost of commuting has become prohibitive. Unfortunately, the influx of former long-distance commuters, forced by rising transportation costs to return to the inner city, is driving metropolitan housing prices farther up. 

The meteoric rise of gasoline prices is another indication Americans are stuck in an unsustainable lifestyle. We consume 21 million barrels of oil per day, but produce only five million. And the situation is only going to get worse, as we use 25 percent of the world’s oil supply but possess only 3 percent of the reserves. 

While most Americans understand the connection between rising oil prices and our deteriorating economy, for many the relationship between oil and Iraq has remained opaque. Nonetheless, as the war has dragged on, gasoline prices have more than doubled—in California, just before the war began, the average price for a gallon of gas was $1.72; now it is $4.46. Many observers believe the U.S. subjugation contributed to the rising cost of petroleum because it disrupted the supply of Iraqi crude and threatened supplies from neighboring oil states. Rather than the occupation paying for itself because of the availability of cheap Iraqi oil, as the Bush administration claimed in 2003, it has cost more than half a trillion dollars with no end in sight. 

For all these reasons, Senator Obama must make oil the cornerstone issue of his campaign. First, he has to get the attention of panicky voters overwhelmed by rising gasoline prices and desperate for a quick fix. He should declare unequivocally that America’s problem is an addiction: we’ve developed an unsustainable dependence on oil. His message should be: we’re all in this together, because we’re a nation of petroleum addicts. 

Second, Obama has to differentiate his solutions from John McCain’s slapdash proposals. Obama should acknowledge there is no quick fix for the problems of those who are totally dependent upon their cars or trucks. America can’t drill its way out of our oil shortage, and short-term palliatives, such as suspending the gasoline tax or strong-arming Saudis to increase production, aren’t the answer. 

Third, he must emphasize conservation. In 2001, Vice President Cheney quipped, “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy.” Obama has to repudiate this thinking— identify it as a Bush administration leadership failure—and state that kicking our oil addiction requires a national commitment to conservation and energy efficiency. He should ask all Americans to make personal sacrifices for the common good—something George Bush failed to do after 9/11. 

Fourth, Obama has to prescribe a common-sense economic plan to provide immediate relief for America’s working families. He has proposed a supplemental economic stimulus package that would provide a host of benefits for those overwhelmed by transportation costs. Now he has to make these more attractive than McCain’s “no gas tax” alternative. 

Fifth, Obama must provide a vision of a new America by showing the electorate the path to energy independence, a future without oil. He has proposed a comprehensive strategy for a clean energy future that would invest $150 billion over 10 years in alternative technology including “ the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure,” “commercialization of plug-in hybrids,” and “development of commercial-scale renewable energy.” 

Finally, Barack Obama has to infuse his “let’s kick the oil habit” sermon with galvanizing emotion, turn it into a moral crusade that all Americans can get behind. He understands our oil problems and has proposed a workable short-term plan and long-term strategy, but so far this hasn’t captured voters’ imagination. To take advantage of his oil opportunity, Obama must use his rhetorical skills to inspire Americans to work together for a sustainable future. 

 

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer. He can be reached at bobburnett@comcast.net.


Undercurrents: With Edgerly Gone, Are There More Witches Left to Be Hunted?

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:43:00 AM

No one should waste sympathy on Ms. Edgerly for her abrupt firing from her job as Oakland city administrator by Mayor Ron Dellums. City administrators serve on an “at will” basis, meaning that they can be removed at any time by the mayor without cause. That’s the nature of the position, and anyone taking the job knows the risks. Also, if you can believe the local media accounts of Ms. Edgerly’s severance package—and if you’re a regular reader of this column, you know that I faithfully believe local media accounts of Oakland government—then the ousted city administrator has made for herself a soft place to land after being thrown out of her office. 

Further, when you publicly challenge and embarrass your boss—as Ms. Edgerly did when she announced she was reneging on her deal with Mr. Dellums to retire effective July 31, and then made herself unavailable to the mayor over the crucial Thursday afternoon/Friday morning period before her Friday suspension when Mr. Dellums was trying unsuccessfully to confer with the administrator by telephone—you have the accept whatever consequences may come. 

Don’t cry for Deborah on those scores. 

On the other hand, Oakland ought to consider itself deeply embarrassed over our actions and reactions in the two weeks preceding the Edgerly firing. For a city which boasts of such a progressive and civil libertarian tradition, we did not acquit ourselves well in those days. 

Ask most Oakland residents what got Ms. Edgerly in trouble and, almost universally, they will say that it was because she was accused of tipping off members of the Acorn Gang—most specifically, her nephew—about a planned police raid that eventually netted 54 arrests. 

We see that allegation repeated again in this Wednesday’s column by Phil Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle, the pair who did as much as anyone to pour fuel on the Edgerly bonfire during the last two weeks. In their column, Mr. Matier and Mr. Ross write that Ms. Edgerly “got into hot water over allegations that she injected herself into a police investigation.” 

Once more we ask: Who, exactly, is making those allegations? 

Ask most Oakland residents who, actually, has accused Ms. Edgerly of the crime of tipping off the Acorn Gang—and it would be a crime, a serious crime, if that’s what the city administrator did—and you draw blank looks as an answer. In fact, to date, no law enforcement agency—not the Oakland Police Department, not the office of the Alameda County district attorney, not the local office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation—has come out and publicly said that it is looking into criminal charges against Ms. Edgerly stemming from the June 7 auto tow incident or allegations that she criminally impeded the Operation Nutcracker investigations against the Acorn Gang. 

Why, then, were Oakland residents—and some Oakland officeholders—so quick to believe that Ms. Edgerly is guilty of these charges? 

In part, it is because, unlike her immediate predecessors, Henry Gardner—who had the charm to be able to disarm his opponents—and Robert Bobb—who had the intimidating manner to scare them off—Ms. Edgerly has no natural political defenses. Either unwilling or unable to craft a positive political image for herself, she became largely defined as an arrogant, grumpy bureaucrat, responding snappishly when criticized, such as when Oakland Auditor Courtney Ruby issued an audit unfavorable to the city administrator’s office. In addition, unlike Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bobb, Ms. Edgerly never advanced an independent theory of city governance around which any accomplishments could be measured. When reports of nepotism and favoritism under her command surfaced, those became the working definition of the Deborah Edgerly administration. 

But nepotism and favoritism are not criminal acts, and pale in comparison to the offenses many Oaklanders believe—without any proffer of evidence—that Ms. Edgerly committed. If, indeed, she tipped off the Acorn Gang in advance of the June 17 raids and arrests, they could have ended in the death of the undercover officers or confidential informants who we know were providing Oakland Police with information on the gang, as well as a bloody ambush or shootout when police came to make the arrests. That returns us to the original question: what led so many Oaklanders to unquestionably accept Ms. Edgerly’s guilt of such criminal acts? 

In large part, of course, it was much of the local media leading the charge, immediately making the constant storyline “Why hasn’t Mayor Dellums gotten rid of Deborah Edgerly?” rather than “What are the actual charges against Ms. Edgerly, if any, and are they true?” Ms. Edgerly’s guilt or innocence, as far as the local media was concerned, was a largely unexplored and uncared about issue. 

But local officials—at least some of them—have a large share in the blame as well.  

On Wednesday the 25th, the day after the abortive press conference in which Mr. Dellums and Ms. Edgerly originally announced that the city administrator was retiring effective July 1, Chris Heredia of the Chronicle reported, “City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente said it is Dellums’ decision to let Edgerly work through July. He said he was reserving judgment about the allegations in the police report, pending the outcome of their investigation. ‘He has the authority and responsibility for making that decision,’ De La Fuente said. ‘We don’t have a vote on that. There’s no question these are serious allegations, but there’s an investigation going on. Whatever the results are on that decision, the mayor is responsible.’” 

Moderate enough. But by week’s end, Mr. De La Fuente’s emphasis was on criticism of the mayor, rather than on making sure due process or presumption of innocence was followed in the case of Ms. Edgerly. 

After Mr. Dellums announced, on Friday the 27th, that he was suspending Ms. Edgerly through her retirement date, Kelly Rayburn of the Tribune was reporting Mr. De La Fuente saying the suspension decision was “long overdue,” and Mr. Heredia added, “City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who had suggested that the mayor bar Edgerly from access to city offices, criticized Dellums for waiting too long to put her on leave.” 

These last statements of the council president seem innocent, until you examine the context in which they were given. Two days before, the Tribune was reporting that “De La Fuente, like some other councilmembers, said he hasn’t received adequate information about the situation.” And “There have been a lot of things mentioned in the newspapers and we have not been privy to some of the information that’s going around,” the Tribune reported Mr. De La Fuente as saying on Wednesday, June 25, the same day as Mr. Dellums and Ms. Edgerly held their press conference. “As a responsible City Council, I believe we should have all the information we can to represent the city and to represent the citizens.” Oakland city councilmembers did not get a closed door briefing by the city attorney on the Edgerly matter until the following Monday, presumably when the “adequate information” on the situation was provided. 

So a week before Mr. De La Fuente had received what he would characterize as “adequate information” on the Edgerly situation, the council president was already loudly and forcefully concluding that the city administrator should be suspended. But suspended for what? On this subject, Mr. De La Fuente was silent. 

An UnderCurrents column reader, identifying himself only as Carlos Gomes, writes to give some of the thinking that led to the almost universal bum-rushing of Ms. Edgerly. 

“Ms. Edgerly as the city administrator with oversight powers the police should have stayed away from the scene of her nephew’s run in with the police. Period.” Mr. Gomes writes. “She jump started her own problems. Had she not come down there she would still be in her job. ... the allegation that she was tipping of her nephew to imminent police action is harder to defend when she is willing to come running when he calls her for help with the police. again, appearances.” 

Mr. Gomes then gets to what he believes is the real heart of the city administrator’s problem. Ms. Edgerly, he writes, “has a number of family members working for the city, maybe more than a dozen? Looks bad. It’s great to help family but when you run a city? Looks real bad.” 

This brings us, again, to a crucial point in this saga. Is Deborah Edgerly under fire because of allegations her actions this summer with regard to the Acorn Gang—allegations that may or may not be under investigation by some law enforcement agency or other, we still do not know—or for past actions regarding allegations of nepotism? This is more than a minor point, and may reveal some of the political motivation behind the Edgerly attacks. If the problem with Ms. Edgerly is mainly what may or may have not occurred during the first two weeks of June of this year, then the responsibility falls mainly in the lap of Mayor Ron Dellums. But if the problem is nepotism, and allegations that she packed Oakland city jobs with friends and family, then the time frame for these transgressions stretches backwards, putting the responsibility for oversight her actions on former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, who elevated her to the position in 2004. 

And if Ms. Edgerly was practicing nepotism over the four years of her city administrator tenure—as observers like Mr. Gomes appear to be implying—then why did it not come to the attention, sooner, of City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who only began loudly complaining of the practice only after the Acorn Gang allegations? The City Council, after all, has oversight responsibility over Oakland city government. 

Over the past several weeks, we have seen a firestorm of criticism over Deborah Edgerly. Like most firestorms, it has provided a good deal of heat, but little light. Now that Ms. Edgerly is out the door, and the temperature has begun to cool, two issues remain: 

1. Is Deborah Edgerly under criminal investigation for any actions she may have taken with regard to OPD’s Operation Nutcracker? Will any law enforcement agency come forward and acknowledge such investigations, if any, as well as any results? 

2. Is Deborah Edgerly guilty of nepotism or any illegal actions in her capacity as Oakland city manager during her four year tenure? If so, who was responsible for oversight of Ms. Edgerly’s activities during that four year period, how did they exercise that oversight, what knowledge, if any, did they have of any improprieties by the city administrator during that period, and what did they do in response? 

If we are going to have a witch hunt in Oakland, my friends, let’s at least make sure we get all the witches into the circle to join the spectacle. 

 


Wild Neighbors: Three Beers for The Olive-Sided Flycatcher

By Joe Eaton
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:59:00 AM

Birding by ear is not one of my strengths. Every spring I have to learn to distinguish the songs of the American robin, black-headed grosbeak, and western tanager all over again. I have always envied people who can hear one hear one passing chirp and announce, confidently: “Pine grosbeak!” 

There’s one vocalization I have no trouble with, though: the enthusiastic “Quick, three beers!” of the olive-sided flycatcher. Others hear it as “Now see here!” It’s delivered from the tip of a tall conifer, often a leafless snag, which is also a vantage point for scanning for prey. “Bee-catcher” would be more accurate: one study found 83 percent of the olive-sided’s diet to consist of bees and wasps. 

These flycatchers are summer residents in our region, wintering in Panama and the Andes and returning in late April or May. They’re easy to detect in the East Bay hills (Tilden and Sibley Regional Parks, Strawberry Canyon), but I’ve also heard them calling for another round in Live Oak Park. Despite their preference for conifers, olive-sided flycatchers have taken advantage of eucalyptus plantings in the Bay Area to expand their local range. 

For several reasons, this flycatcher appears to be in trouble. The California Department of Fish and Game lists it as a Bird Species of Special Concern. Breeding Bird Survey data show a consistent decline of about 4 percent per year in California populations from 1968 through 2004. The California Foothills region alone experienced a 5.2 percent annual decline. Similar trends held throughout the bird’s range west of the Rockies, where the core of its population spends the summer. There was a comparable decrease in spring and fall migrants at Southeast Farallon Island over roughly the same period.  

The olive-sided and its close relatives, the wood-pewees, have the lowest reproductive rate of any North American passerine (songbird) genus. A typical female olive-sided lays only three eggs per clutch, the young take five weeks to fledge, and only about half of nesting attempts produce fledged young. So the species doesn’t have much of a demographic cushion if habitat changes begin to affect reproductive success. 

Olive-sided flycatchers prefer patchy, fragmented forest habitats: edges, openings, and clearings, including clearcuts and burned areas, with less than 40 percent canopy cover. This has to do with their foraging habits: they need unobstructed airspace around their preferred snags.  

Forest management practices have had mixed effects on this bird. Some authors have speculated that the flycatcher has historically depended on post-fire habitat. Fire suppression in coniferous forest that eliminates gaps and edges and allows canopies to close will reduce prime olive-sided habitat.  

If habitat structure is the key, you’d expect olive-sideds to respond positively to logging. Some do, some don’t. There are studies indicating they do well in logged areas only if enough snags have been retained. By the same token, post-fire salvage logging would also decrease habitat value.  

It’s even been suggested, and supported by preliminary data from Oregon, that logged-over areas function as ecological traps for these birds. They look right, so the flycatchers move in; but essential habitat elements-song perches, food sources, whatever-- are missing. Nest predators like squirrels and corvids (jays, crows, ravens) may be more abundant in logged landscapes than in burned areas. For a species operating on a narrow margin already, anything that depresses reproductive success could be critical. 

The wild card, as with many neotropical migrant birds, is what’s happening in the winter range. Are the olive-sided’s Andean wintering grounds being converted to coca plantations? It’s known that there has been extensive habitat loss, and that other species that winter in that area, like the cerulean warbler of the East, are declining. What is not clear is how nesting-ground and wintering-ground pressures interact. In other neotropical migrants, the quality of wintering habitat has been found to predict breeding success the following spring. 

It’s tempting to focus on breeding habitat for a bird like this just because of the element of control. But I can see managing for the olive-sided flycatcher, if it should come to that, as a real challenge. If a species requires disturbance to create optimum conditions (but only the right kind of disturbance), how do you provide that disturbance? How do you sell controlled burning for the sake of flycatcher habitat? How do you persuade the timber industry to leave those snags? 

The dilemma isn’t unique to the olive-sided flycatcher by any means. People working to restore riparian habitat in California have learned that some bird species do best at certain post-flood successional stages. Flood control prevents flood events from resetting the clock. If the birds need the disturbance, how do you simulate it?  

The more we learn about ecosystem dynamics, and the roles of fire and flood as renewing forces, the more complex the process of tinkering with the environment becomes.


East Bay: Then and Now—The Shrinking Legacy of Volney D. Moody and His Heirs

By Daniella Thompson
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:56:00 AM
George E. Stone’s pioneering film laboratory was converted into a charming residence in 1926.
Daniella Thompson
George E. Stone’s pioneering film laboratory was converted into a charming residence in 1926.
Weltevreden, the Moody home at 1725 Le Roy Ave, seen here in a postcard, was Berkeley’s most famous residence of the early 20th century.
courtesy of Anthony Bruce
Weltevreden, the Moody home at 1725 Le Roy Ave, seen here in a postcard, was Berkeley’s most famous residence of the early 20th century.
Michael Goodman’s 1950s addition to Weltevreden. The bridge is intact, but the oak trees are all gone.
Daniella Thompson
Michael Goodman’s 1950s addition to Weltevreden. The bridge is intact, but the oak trees are all gone.
Madge Maurer in a photo by Oscar Maurer.
San Francisco Call, July 24, 1906
Madge Maurer in a photo by Oscar Maurer.
The Moody-Maurer party on its way to the Big Game in their Pope-Hartford convertible. Oscar Maurer is at the wheel.
BAHA archives, courtesy of Marci Thomas
The Moody-Maurer party on its way to the Big Game in their Pope-Hartford convertible. Oscar Maurer is at the wheel.
Brutally remodeled into a student dormitory, Weltevreden is a shadow of its former self.
Daniella Thompson
Brutally remodeled into a student dormitory, Weltevreden is a shadow of its former self.

When pioneer banker Volney D. Moody died in March 1901, he left an estate worth over $600,000—the equivalent of many millions today. Moody’s will earmarked two-fifths of the estate to his second wife, Mary Moody, with the remaining three-fifths going to a son and two daughters from his first marriage. Displeased with their share, the three offspring contested the will. Some of the objections they cited were the unusually large portion left to the widow, the preponderance of choice properties she received, leaving them the dregs, and her two daughters being made beneficiaries of her share. 

Under a compromise agreement reached by the two parties, the estate was redivided, Mrs. Moody receiving a third and the three children two-thirds. Both sides ended up with valuable properties in downtown Oakland, which they eventually developed. 

Mary Moody continued to live at Weltevreden, her showplace house on the corner of Le Roy and Le Conte Avenues. Mary’s daughters, the widowed May Gray and the single Margaret “Madge” Robinson, lived with her. May taught music, while Madge devoted much of her time and energy to cultivating the Hillside Club, which she co-founded in October 1898 and of which she was the principal spokesperson in its early days. While the club was still in its infancy, Madge published an article on hillside building in The House Beautiful. On May 19, 1901, when the club’s membership numbered only 24 women, Madge scored a second publicity coup by securing full-page coverage for the organization in the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Call. The article “Artistic Homes in Berkeley” included photographs of eight hillside houses that embodied the club’s tenets, as well as one of the newly completed Hillside School, a brown-shingle structure with overhanging eaves designed by Bruce Price, who pronounced that “the California hills are brown, therefore the houses should be brown.” Built under the club’s auspices, the school was run by principal Clara Germain Potwin (1850-1907), a Hillside Club member. 

It was a time when new construction overtook the Berkeley Hills, until then sprouting mainly grasses and coast live oaks. Club members were determined to “protect the hills of Berkeley from unsightly grading, and the building of unsuitable and disfiguring houses, to do all in our power to beautify these hills and, above all, to create and encourage a decided public opinion on these subjects.” At their fortnightly meetings, members presented papers on a wide range of related topics, from siting and design to foundations, drainage, materials, and maintenance. They collected sketches and photographs of hillside houses, which were kept in a portfolio available to all prospective homebuilders. They also formed an advisory board, chaired by Madge Robinson, “for consultation with all who need help or suggestions.” 

In 1903, Madge married the prominent pictorialist photographer Oscar Maurer (1871-1965), who soon moved into Weltevreden. After the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed his San Francisco studio, Maurer commissioned Bernard Maybeck to build him a new studio across the street from Weltevreden, and his parents and brother settled next door in a Mission Revival house. 

Madge continued to make appearances in the press, photographed by her husband in outlandish hats. On July 24, 1906, when the San Francisco Call announced the completion of the Hillside Club building on Cedar Street, the portrait of Mrs. Oscar Maurer, chair of the committee on furnishing, was considerably larger than the drawing of the Maybeck-designed clubhouse. 

More construction was to come. On December 1, 1912, the Oakland Tribune revealed that a permit had been taken out for the erection of a seven-story reinforced concrete office building on the northeast corner of 20th Street and San Pablo Avenue, in downtown Oakland. The applicants were May V. Gray and Margaret F. Maurer, whose mother had transferred the property to them. 

To design the building, May and Madge selected William Lee Woollett (1874-1955). A native of Albany, New York, Woollett was a third-generation architect who had come to the Bay Area after the 1906 earthquake. Almost immediately, he settled in Berkeley, renting Charles Keeler’s Maybeck-designed house on the corner of Ridge Road and Highland Place. Woollett was thus a close neighbor of the Moodys and a sympathizer with their views on building. Moreover, in picking him the clients were not buying a pig in a poke: Woollett had already completed the 10-story Realty Syndicate Building at 1440 Broadway for Francis Marion “Borax” Smith and his partner, Frank Colton Havens. 

Excavation for the office building was finished in early January 1913, but in late March it was announced that the $100,000 structure would become a hotel. It was just one of a dozen hostelries going up in downtown Oakland in anticipation of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which opened on February 20, 1915. 

The hotel building was leased to the Frenchman Julien Vayssié for $39,296 over five years. Vayssié, who also ran the Hotel Shasta on Kearny and Bush Streets in San Francisco, opened his Oakland hostelry in January 1914 under the name Hotel Royal. 

No sooner was the hotel in business than the other Moody faction announced that it was building a 3-story commercial building at 564 14th St., between the Taft & Pennoyer department store and the Locke Building. This had been the site of Volney Moody’s first Oakland house, built in 1874. Moody had willed the lot to his second wife, but under the compromise settlement, it was transferred to his three children. Now Nellie E. Blood and Jessie L. Appleton (their brother, William C. Moody, had died in 1910) proposed to spend $60,000 or more for the “first store and loft building of Class A construction to be erected in Oakland other than the large department stores.” 

Known these days as the Blood-Appleton Building, it was designed by Charles W. Dickey, architect of the Claremont Hotel and Kahn’s Department Store. ”The front,” related the Tribune on July 19, 1914, “is in the colonial renaissance style of architecture, and will be executed in mat-glazed pure white terra cotta, plate glass and bronze. The foundations and steel frame are designed for an eight-story building with the idea that the other five stories will be added as soon as warranted by business.” 

Meanwhile, in Berkeley, May Gray remarried at the age of 45, after 15 years of widowhood. The bridegroom, George Eathl Stone, was a 25-year-old science student at U.C. who would soon become one of the pioneers of educational cinematography. Collaborating with Joseph A. Long, assistant professor of embryology, Stone made one of the earliest science teaching films produced in this country. The American Museum of Natural History, which possesses a rare copy of “How Life Begins,” provides a description of this 36-minute film: “Through captions, diagrams, and motion pictures, the film explains the processes involved in the development of various cells into mature life forms. Examples of cell development in microscopic yeast, plants, sea urchins, butterflies, and chickens are followed by an examination of mammalian embryo development. Detailed observations of rat development lead to explanations of human development.” 

In those days, the University of California did not have filmmaking facilities, but this presented no problem, given the Moody wherewithal. Mary Moody owned a lot adjacent to Weltevreden. There she built a one-story, three-room board and batten structure. The building permit, dated October 29, 1914, specified the use as “studio.” In one of the Sanborn fire insurance maps, this studio was labeled ‘private laboratory.’ It requires no leap of imagination to conclude that this was the studio where George E. Stone made “How Life Begins.” The film was screened in academic circles and received an admiring review from the Journal of Heredity in 1917. An ad in the same issue proclaimed, “This picture represents a new and practical method of visualizing the processes of reproduction of animal and plantlife and marks a great epoch in the teaching of biology. Endorsed by prominent scientists, teachers, ministers, welfare workers and educators all over the country.” 

In the early 1920s, the Stones and Mrs. Moody moved to Carmel, where George continued to make educational and documentary films in another private studio. The Maurers, who had established themselves in Los Angeles, divorced. Weltevreden was abandoned by the family. It escaped the great fire of 1923 but not the ravages inflicted by a mushrooming population. By the mid-’20s, it had become the Mu Zeta chapter house of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. 

By the mid-1950s, the building was condemned. It was “saved” in 1957 by Modernist architect Michael Goodman, who enlarged it to accommodate forty-four residents by removing the stepped gable ends and adding a full third story and a kitchen-and-library wing on the eastern end. The ground-floor veranda and the second-floor balcony were enclosed, and the two upper floors were clad in stucco, leaving clinker brick only on the ground floor. The superimposition of a utilitarian 1950s box onto the rustic Arts & Crafts house did nothing to preserve its beauty. 

Only a decade after the remodel, fraternity memberships were declining, and by 1973, the Mu Zeta chapter could no longer afford to maintain the house. The University of California Marching Band, having outgrown its own house at 2421 Prospect Avenue, offered Lambda Chi Alpha a trade, and Weltevreden became Tellefsen Hall. Designated a City of Berkeley Structure of Merit in August 1990, Weltevreden is a mere shadow of its former self. Not a single oak tree remains on the property, and the front garden has become a barren parking lot. 

George E. Stone’s studio at 2634 Le Conte Ave. fared better. In 1926, it was acquired by Margaret Dornin, curator of the Morrison library, who converted it into a creekside Arts & Crafts dwelling and lived in it until her death in 1938. It retains its charm and oak trees to this day. 

Business never warranted the upward expansion of the Blood-Appleton Building, which remains a 3-floor affair, now facing the 18-story Ronald Dellums Federal Building across 14th Street. Its original façade is still intact, and the structure is listed as a contributor to the Downtown Oakland Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. 

The Hotel Royal at 2000 San Pablo Ave. met a sadder fate. Neglected for years, the run-down establishment closed about a decade ago. Requiring a costly seismic and code upgrade, it was demolished in 2004 and has been replaced with a nondescript four-story building for the Alameda County Social Services Agency, financed by a bond measure. The developer, Alan Dones, also demolished the Oakland Post building next door. Oaklanders can take cold comfort from the name of Dones’ development. It’s called Thomas L. Berkley Square, after the Post’s late publisher. 

 

This was the final article in a three-part series on the Moody family. 

 

Daniella Thompson publishes berkeleyheritage.com for the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA).


Abou the House: Some Thoughts on Learning How to Surf

By Matt Cantor
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:58:00 AM

In many ways my job is quite a joy. I get paid to do what many do on a free Sunday as their idea of fun. Looking at houses is both complex and deeply satisfying. Houses, especially those built in the early part of the 20th century (if not earlier) have so many pleasing features that it often feels more like art appreciation during my work day than data gathering. Then there’s the complex part. 

Yesterday, the complex part had less to do with the house than with where it was located. While some aspects of the geology of the site were alluded to during my introduction to the house, it was not until many hours later at a computer screen that I, my client and his realtor got a close look at precisely where the property was situated with respect to a local slide-zone. 

Berkeley has a bunch of these and they dribble across the hillside as though part of a Jackson Pollack commission. An array of the smaller ones near the crest of the hillside often strike me as a cartoon of tear drops (I’m really not trying to be funny here). But more than anything, they appear, on the map as tiny pools that formed in the lowlands or gullies of these hummocky, rolling hills. That word, hummock first came to me from the estimable geotechnical engineer Alan Kropp. A local luminary in the world of rocks and dirt, Kropp explained to me and a few colleagues some years ago that hummocks were lumps or humps in the soils formed through the crunchy world of geological formation. Berkeley is a hummocky place and explains a lot about why one house will have a wet basement while a nearby neighbor will be literally “high and dry.” Are you down in the hummocks today or riding the crest of the wavy earth? 

Another feature of these hills and many communities like ours is that, over time, earth will break away, mostly from steeper terrain and slide down into the ravines below to be captured by the friction created by this lumpy landscape. Obviously, the lumpier things are, the more they hold this newly deposited turf and the higher the hummocks, the deeper some of these deposits will be.  

With all this in mind, it’s interesting to go back to Mr. Kropp’s famous slide map and look again. What becomes clear is that the slide zones he demarks in red and yellow (active or potentially active) are nothing more than pools of soil held in place by friction and the shape of the landscape. Since the ancient landscape below this newer fill (and by newer, I mean hundreds of years old) can be deeply variegated, the depth of the landslide at any given point can vary enormously.  

All this came to bear yesterday in a rather intense conversation about where my client’s house was located. Studying the map against other maps, we attempted to determine if the house was located in one of these active or potentially active zones and, if so, were we on the edge or the middle. This last portion is apparently of some special concern. When landslides move (the deposited soils across the older consolidated soils and other substrates such as rock) they take houses, streets and power poles with them. If structures are located on the edges of these pools of matter, the effect may be more dramatic, or at least more noticeable.  

If you are located in the middle of a very large landslide area, it is more likely that the relative positions of your house and adjacent houses will appear unchanged. The same house located on the edge of a landslide may seem, after a dramatic shift in this unconsolidated matter, to have moved some distance from nearby landmarks but more importantly may have moved in ways that would not happen, were it adrift, as it were, in the middle of the slide. If one side of your house is resting on ancient firm soils or rock and the other side is resting on part of a 300-year-old slide, it is possible that over time or (more dramatically) during an earthquake that one side of the house will remain stationary while the other pulls or turns resulting in damage to the house. Earthquakes are good at creating slides and probably created the ones many of us (myself included) are living in. If you’re in a slide zone near an active fault line, the likelihood of a sudden change of address is more likely still. 

Locally, we’re all near active faults and the difference between locations may not be all that significant since epicenters don’t consistently fall where we would expect them to be. Tectonic plates aren’t smooth or well mapped, they vary like the mountains and the spot that does the big slam may be deep in the earth and far from the apparent surface-identified fault. So it makes sense to not place too much focus on location and more on soils-mobility and the structure of the home. That said, having a home that is literally ON the fault is troubling and homes can be badly traumatized when they bridge or rest directly upon the fault when large quakes occur since faults can slip by up to several feet. 

Foundation type and shear resistant framing methods can make a world of difference in slide zones. Mat or “raft” foundation by their names suggest something that can tolerate sliding better than most other types and my very uneducated eye has a great preference for these types where slides are likely (in either the slow continual creep or the quick visit to your neighbor’s property). These are essentially fat slabs of concrete, often specially shaped or possessing thick edges, and can move about as a whole preventing distortions in the shape of the house above. They seem to float on the surface of the ground and will tend to maintain an erect posture as they buffer the varying soils heights and densities changing below them. Even if they do end up out of plumb, the house as a whole will be uniform in level thus preventing doors and windows from sticking along with the other features we like to refer to as Berkeley Charm. 

The pier and grade beam systems of the past (something akin to a table and its legs set into the earth) may tolerate soils subsidence (flowing away from the site) fairly well but extremely deep or powerful slides can bend or break those table legs in some cases. Engineers are all over that red and yellow map about these things and our concepts of how to live on moving earth continue to evolve. Methods I’d seen eschewed 20 years ago are more common today and, naturally, everything usually comes down to money and who can do something for a few thousand less. 

My client and his wife had some hard thinking to do last night. A truly beautiful home on a lovely street on the arcadian moors of Berkeley, vested with Himalayan food, polarity massage and the worlds best coffee; and the possibility that for well over a million bucks they might be buying a mobile home.  

Yea, I know, that joke’s getting old. 


Arts & Events

Arts Calendar

Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:52:00 AM

THURSDAY, JULY 10 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Out from Under” Oil paintings of George A. Sariot opens at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. and runs through July 31. 848-1228. giorgigallery.com 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “Let’s Go with Pancho Villa!” at 6:30 p.m. and “The Pearl” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Artist Support Group Speaker Series with Cheryl Haines, owner, Cheryl Haines Gallery, SF, at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St.Cost is $8-$10. 644-6893. 

Adam David Miller discusses “Ticket to Exile” his memoir about growing up in the Jim Crow South at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. www.revolutionbooks.org 

Toni Martin reads from “When the Personal Was Political: Five Women Doctors Look Back” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Nesta Rovina wil resd from her new book “Tree Barking” at 7 p.m. at Rebecca’s Books, 3268 Adeline St. 852-4768. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The California Honeydrops, New Orleans roots and blues, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dan Schnelle Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

The Dooors Legacy Band, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082.  

The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Freeman at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Beep! Quartet, with pianist Michael Coleman, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, JULY 11 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “Hay Fever” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 9. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “The Busy World is Hushed” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 20. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. auoratheatre.org 

Citizen Josh with Josh Kornbluth Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. Sun. 5 p.m., at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. through July 20. Tickets are $20-$25. 841-6500, ext. 303. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Kiss Me Kate” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Aug. 3. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Subterranean Shakespeare “The Merry Wives of Windsor” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at The Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $12-$17. For reservations call 276-3871.  

Westminster Summer Musicals “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” Fri. - Sun. at 8 p.m., through July 20 at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Jaoquin Miller Rod, Oakland. Tickets are $23-$38. 531-9597.  

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” at 6 p.m. and Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Fri. tickets are $25. For additional performances see www.womanswill.org 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “Paths of Glory” at 7 p.m. and “The Killing” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kirk Lumpkin and Erin Elliot read their poetry at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave. 841-6374. 

Studio One Reading Series with Jack Morgan, Trevor Calvert and Barbara Freeman at 7:30 p.m. at Studio One, 365 45th St. at Broadway, Oakland. Suggested donation $3-$15. 597-5027. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Billy Dunn and the Ladies Choice Band at 5 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022.  

Point Richmond Summer Music with Michael O’Neill, jazz, at 5:30 p.m. and Adrian Gormley, jazz, at 6:45 p.m. outdoors at Park Place in downtown Point Richmond. www.pointrichmond.com 

Caesar’s Empire at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water St., Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Carla Zilbersmith & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Park at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Blank Tapes, Ben Ross Band, Frank Dufay and The Gift Machine at 8 p.m. at Epic Art Studios, 1923 Ashby Ave., across from Ashy BART. Suggested donation $5. 

Ariel Vento/Nick Grinder Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Red Meditation, Blaak Lung, Arkaingelle, Messenger Selah, Malika Madremana at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dale Miller at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jim Bruno, Trick Kernan Combo at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Robustritron, Temple of Roots, TripKnight, reggae, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Juke, Rich White Males, Atom Age at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

The P-PL at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Foreign Legion, Psyhokinetics, hip hop, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $12. 548-1159.  

Moped at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, JULY 12 

CHILDREN  

Aesop’s Fables Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” at 2 p.m. at Mosswood Park, Oakland. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

Fiber Art & Textiles From The National Institute of Art & Disabilities at the Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St. through Aug. 28. 981-7546. 

Art of the Cotton Mill Studios Paintings, sculpture, photography and mixed media by Keiko Nelson, Bill Stoneham, Elizabeth Tennant and Susan Tuttle. Closing party at 6 p.m. at Float Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place, Unit # 116. 535-1702. www.thefloatcenter.com 

“Beverly Trieber and Rosita Pardo: A Retrospective” Opening reception at 2 p.m. at NIAD, National Institute of Art and Disabilities, 551 23rd St. Richmond. Exhibition runs to Sept. 26. 620-0290. www.niadart.org 

“The Right Kind of Girl” Works by Heidi Forssell examining female identity and experience. Opening Reception at 6 p.m. at Arts and Consciousness Gallery, John F. Kennedy University Berkeley Campus, 2956 San Pablo Ave. 2nd Floor. Exhibition runs through Aug. 2. 649-0499. www.jfku.edu/gallery/ 

“Awakenings” Paintings by Larry Melnick. Reception for the artist at 2 p.m. at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, 2301 Vine St. Exhibition runs to July 29. 845-1208. 

“Art in the Garden” featuring works by Richmond and East Bay artists, on display Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Annie’s Annuals, 740 Market Ave., Richmond. 215-1671. www.anniesannuals.com 

“Rooted in the Bay Area” Works by Makhael Banut. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. Exhibition runs to Aug. 12. 655-9019. thecompoundgallery.com 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Apartment” at 6:30 p.m. and “Goldfinger” at 8:55 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lora Jo Foo reads from “Earth Passages: Journey Through Childhood” at 3:30 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. asiabookcenter.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Bastille Day Ball with Baguette Quartet at 8 p.m. at Lake Merritt Dance Center, 200 Grand Ave., Harrison, Oakland. Dance lesson at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. www.FridayNightWaltz.com 

14th Annual Bay Area Follies, with tap, hula, jaz, and ethnic dance at 7 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $12-$15 at the door. Presented by Gil Chun. dancegil@sbcglobal.net 

Live Art for Progress Hip Hop and Graffiti art to get youth involved in political ativism, from 1-5 p.m. at Peoples Park. www.wearstrong.org 

Irina Rivkin and Rebecca Crump at 8 p.m. at Rose St. House of Music, 1839 Rose St. Cost is $5-$20. 594-4000, ext. 687. 

Bayside Jazz with Dan Hicks at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Wish Inflicted at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

John Keawe at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Summer Youth Program Concert at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Free. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kally Price Old Blues & Jazz Group at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Todd Shipley Band at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Ira Marlowe, Rachel Efron at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Bhi Bhiman, Crooked Roads, 7th Direction at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

David Gans, Kurt Huget at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

“Crust Sin Fronteras” Aghast, Caccion, All Systems Fail, Guida at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8-$10. 525-9926. 

The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Freeman at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, JULY 13 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fire & Flora” Hand-built ceramic vessels by Will Johnson and landscape paintings by Karen LeGault on display at the Community Art Gallery, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Ave. through Sept. 4. 204-1667.  

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Great Escape” at 4 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Congregational Song and the Arts: Gifts for Worship and Ministry” A conference of The Hymn Society, Sun.-Thurs. in Berkeley. Free, and open to the public. For details see www.thehymnsociety.org 

Nancy Levine reads from “The Tao of Pug” at 2 p.m. at PUGnacious Pet Provisions, 1820 Solano Ave. 524-9900. www.pugnaciouspetprovisions.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Municipal Band at 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Park Bandstand. Bring your beach chair and picnic. 339-2818.  

14th Annual Bay Area Follies, with tap, hula, jazz, and ethnic dance at 2 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $12-$15 at the door. Presented by Gil Chun. dancegil@sbcglobal.net 

Music in the Redwoods with Nefasha Ayer at 4:30 p.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. Tickets are $10-$415. 643-2755, ext. 03. 

Creative Voices “Maracaibera” at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Bryan Bowman Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged, live bluegrass, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Gift Horse at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

The Moving Violations with caller Mavis McGaugh in a Queer Contra Dance at 6 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Samora Pinderhughes Trio at 4:30 p.m. Steven Lugerner Sextet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10 for each concert. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

MONDAY, JULY 14 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Nocturnes ... in Berkeley?” A Night Photography Group Show with works by Tim Baskerville, Denise Fuson, Sherry Glassman, Mark Jaremko, Joe Reifer, Charity Vargas, and John Vias, on display at The LightRoom, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Fae Myenne Ng author of “Bone” in conversation with Ishmael Reed at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Virago Theatre Company: Visions and Voices Play Reading Series “Death in Van Nys” by Dan Pine at 7 p.m. at Julie’s Coffee and Tea Garden, 1223 Park St. Alameda. Cost is $10. www.viragotheatre.org 

Poetry Express with Steven Karavatos from the American Universtiy in the UAE at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Downtown Jam Session with Glen Pearson at 7 p.m. at Ed Kelly Hall, Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Cost is $5. www.opcmucsic.org 

Tcheka, from Cape Verde at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, JULY 15 

CHILDREN 

Storytellers Bob and Liz, stories for all ages, with lots of audience participation, at 6:30 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“humanimalstimulus” Multimedia performance by Malcolm Smith at 8:30 p.m. at Kala Art Insitute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “The Saint That Forged a Country” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Joel Schechter reads from “Messiahs of 1933” a social history of the American Yiddish theater of the 1930s, at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

An Evening with Barbara Ehrenreich “This Land is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Tickets are $10-$13. 444-8511. firstoakland.org 

Anita Amirrezvani reads from her book “The Blood of Flowers” set in seventeenth century Iran at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

John Muir Laws introduces “The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada” with a lecture and slide show at 7 p.m. at REI Berkeley, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Jeannie Ralston reads from “The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming” at 2 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tee Fee Swamp Boogie at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Son de Madera at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” at 7 p.m. at Montclair Ballfield, Montclair. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

FILM 

Latino Film Festival “El Benny” at 6:30 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, Madeline F. Whittlesey Community Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. Free. 620-6561. 

The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen “La Dolce Vita” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Sounds at Oakland City Center with Native Elements, reggae, at noon at 12th and Broadway, Oakland.  

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Baka Beyond at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Dazzling Divas at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. www.lebateauivre.net 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Sutton Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Swingthing at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $7. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Terrence Brewer Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Whiskey Brothers at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Emeline Michel, from Haiti, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JULY 17 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “Manhattan” at 6:30 p.m. and “Annie Hall” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Radialvedic” Works by Jill Gallenstein, Kristina Lewis and Kana Tanaka. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Johansson PRojects, 2300 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.johanssonprojects.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Adam David Miller reads from “Ticket to Exile” at 7:30 p.m. at Books Inc. Alameda, 1334 Park St., Alameda, npetrulakis@booksinc.net. 

Anita Amirrezvani “The Blood of Flowers” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Vukani Mawethu Choir, a cappella gospel in a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Green & Root, Andrea Prichett, Claudia Russell at 8 p.m. at Rose St. House of Music, 1839 Rose St. Cost is $5-$20. 594-4000, ext. 687. 

Ed Gerhard at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Fourtet with Tyler Blanton at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mirthkon, The Fuzzy Cousins, Brian Kenney Fresno at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Suzanna Smith Jazz Ensemble at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Dobet Gnahoré, from the Ivory Coast, at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, JULY 18 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “The Matchmaker” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Aug. 16. Tickets are $10-$12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org  

Altarena Playhouse “Hay Fever” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 9. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “The Busy World is Hushed” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 20. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. auoratheatre.org 

Citizen Josh with Josh Kornbluth Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. Sun. 5 p.m., at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. through July 20. Tickets are $20-$25. 841-6500, ext. 303. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Kiss Me Kate” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Aug. 3. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Subterranean Shakespeare “The Merry Wives of Windsor” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at The Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $12-$17. For reservations call 276-3871. 

Westminster Summer Musicals “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” Fri. - Sun. at 8 p.m., through July 20 at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Jaoquin Miller Rod, Oakland. Tickets are $23-$38. 531-9597. www.woodminster.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Present Tension” Works by Jerry Carniglia, Judith Foosaner and Ann Weber, on display through Aug. 30 at Chandra Cerrito Contemporaty, 25 Grand Ave., upper level, Oakland. www.chandracerrito.com 

“Out of the Fill” featuring the art group Sniff with works by Scott Hewitt, Scott Meadows and David Ryan. Reception at 5 p.m. at Eclectix, 7523 Fairmount Ave., El Cerrito. www.eclectixgallery.com 

FILM 

The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen “Violent Saturday” at 7 p.m. and “Point Blank” at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Ojada, Latin jazz, at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water Street, Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Yosvany Terry “Ye-dé-gbé & the Afro Caribbean Legacy” at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Brama Sukarma, trombone, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Eric Swinderman Group featuring Joyce Grant at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mawungira Enharira, Mamadou & Vanessa at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

In the Steel of the Night with Bobby Black, Joel Goldmark & David Phillips at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Fred Odell, David Gale at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Buxter Hoot’n, The Blank Tapes, Ed Masuga at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Babyland, The Prids, Swann Danger at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Spyro Gyra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, JULY 19 

CHILDREN  

“The Day We Danced in Underpants” with author Sarah Wilson at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

“Harvest at the Lake” Native American stories Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., singer/storyteller Juan L. Sánchez at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rose Park. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Free. For addtional performances see www.womanswill.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Nocturnes ... in Berkeley?” A Night Photography Group Show with works by Tim Baskerville, Denise Fuson, Sherry Glassman, Mark Jaremko, Joe Reifer, Charity Vargas, and John Vias. Reception for the artists at 2 p.m. at The LightRoom, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

“Grace and Joy: A Photo Exhibit of Cheetahs and Greyhounds” at 1 p.m. at 398 Colusa Ave., at the Circle. Kensington. Proceeds of sales benefit Greyhound Friends for Life adoption and advocacy group. 528-1210. www.greyhoundfriendsforlife.com 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “A Woman in Love” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Afternoon Delight Poetry Reading with Julia Vinograd, MK Chavez and Jan Steckel at 2 p.m. at Lakeview Branch Library, 550 El Embarcadero, in the Lakeshore district near Lake Merritt, Oakland. Free. 238-7344.  

“Legends: The Blues Photography of Samuel Ribitch” Artist talk at 2 p.m. in the community Meeting Room, 3rd flr, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Teen Playreaders “I Hate Hamlet” at 8 p.m. at the Willard Middle School Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St. at Telegraph. 981-6121.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bay Street Arts and Music Festival with local music, dance, arts, Sa. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bay St., Emeryville. 655-4002. www.baystreetemeryville.com 

The Function, hip-hop, at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Robin Gregory & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Aux Cajunals at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

The Brew with Iron & the Albatross, Katy Stephan at 8 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$15. 848-0237. 

KC Turner, The Courtney Janes at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Bitches Brew at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Rory Block at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Chris Almada, saxophone, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Roger Rocha and the Goldenhearts at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Mississippi Riders with Doug Blumer at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Gamelan X at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Calabrese, Switchblade Riot, Apathetic Youth at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Spyro Gyra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, JULY 20 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Together and Apart” Individual and collaborative works by Peggy Forman and Jan Schachter. Reception for the artists at 2 p.m. at Collector’s Gallery, Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Thief of Bagdad” at 4 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Teen Playreaders “I Hate Hamlet” at 6 p.m.in front of the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6121.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Midsummer Mozart Festival Program I at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. For ticket information call 415-627-9141. www.midsummermozart.org 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Oakland Jazz Choir at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $20-$33. 228-3218. 

Oakland Municipal Band at 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Park Bandstand. Bring your beach chair and picnic. 339-2818. 

Brazilian Flavor featuring Dandara at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Lemon Juju at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Americana Unplugged, with The Stairwell Sisters, live bluegrass, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Axis Mundi at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Oaktown Jazz Workshop at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

John Palowitch Group at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

This Time Tomorrow, Meltdown, New Lows at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THURSDAY, JULY 10 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Out from Under” Oil paintings of George A. Sariot opens at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. and runs through July 31. 848-1228. giorgigallery.com 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “Let’s Go with Pancho Villa!” at 6:30 p.m. and “The Pearl” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Artist Support Group Speaker Series with Cheryl Haines, owner, Cheryl Haines Gallery, SF, at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St.Cost is $8-$10. 644-6893. 

Adam David Miller discusses “Ticket to Exile” his memoir about growing up in the Jim Crow South at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. www.revolutionbooks.org 

Toni Martin reads from “When the Personal Was Political: Five Women Doctors Look Back” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Nesta Rovina wil resd from her new book “Tree Barking” at 7 p.m. at Rebecca’s Books, 3268 Adeline St. 852-4768. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The California Honeydrops, New Orleans roots and blues, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dan Schnelle Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

The Dooors Legacy Band, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082.  

The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Freeman at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Beep! Quartet, with pianist Michael Coleman, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, JULY 11 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “Hay Fever” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 9. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “The Busy World is Hushed” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 20. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. auoratheatre.org 

Citizen Josh with Josh Kornbluth Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. Sun. 5 p.m., at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. through July 20. Tickets are $20-$25. 841-6500, ext. 303. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Kiss Me Kate” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Aug. 3. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Subterranean Shakespeare “The Merry Wives of Windsor” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at The Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $12-$17. For reservations call 276-3871.  

Westminster Summer Musicals “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” Fri. - Sun. at 8 p.m., through July 20 at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Jaoquin Miller Rod, Oakland. Tickets are $23-$38. 531-9597.  

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” at 6 p.m. and Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Fri. tickets are $25. For additional performances see www.womanswill.org 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “Paths of Glory” at 7 p.m. and “The Killing” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kirk Lumpkin and Erin Elliot read their poetry at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave. 841-6374. 

Studio One Reading Series with Jack Morgan, Trevor Calvert and Barbara Freeman at 7:30 p.m. at Studio One, 365 45th St. at Broadway, Oakland. Suggested donation $3-$15. 597-5027. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Billy Dunn and the Ladies Choice Band at 5 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022.  

Point Richmond Summer Music with Michael O’Neill, jazz, at 5:30 p.m. and Adrian Gormley, jazz, at 6:45 p.m. outdoors at Park Place in downtown Point Richmond. www.pointrichmond.com 

Caesar’s Empire at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water St., Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Carla Zilbersmith & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Park at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Blank Tapes, Ben Ross Band, Frank Dufay and The Gift Machine at 8 p.m. at Epic Art Studios, 1923 Ashby Ave., across from Ashy BART. Suggested donation $5. 

Ariel Vento/Nick Grinder Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Red Meditation, Blaak Lung, Arkaingelle, Messenger Selah, Malika Madremana at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dale Miller at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jim Bruno, Trick Kernan Combo at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Robustritron, Temple of Roots, TripKnight, reggae, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Juke, Rich White Males, Atom Age at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

The P-PL at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Foreign Legion, Psyhokinetics, hip hop, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $12. 548-1159.  

Moped at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, JULY 12 

CHILDREN  

Aesop’s Fables Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” at 2 p.m. at Mosswood Park, Oakland. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

Fiber Art & Textiles From The National Institute of Art & Disabilities at the Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St. through Aug. 28. 981-7546. 

Art of the Cotton Mill Studios Paintings, sculpture, photography and mixed media by Keiko Nelson, Bill Stoneham, Elizabeth Tennant and Susan Tuttle. Closing party at 6 p.m. at Float Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place, Unit # 116. 535-1702. www.thefloatcenter.com 

“Beverly Trieber and Rosita Pardo: A Retrospective” Opening reception at 2 p.m. at NIAD, National Institute of Art and Disabilities, 551 23rd St. Richmond. Exhibition runs to Sept. 26. 620-0290. www.niadart.org 

“The Right Kind of Girl” Works by Heidi Forssell examining female identity and experience. Opening Reception at 6 p.m. at Arts and Consciousness Gallery, John F. Kennedy University Berkeley Campus, 2956 San Pablo Ave. 2nd Floor. Exhibition runs through Aug. 2. 649-0499. www.jfku.edu/gallery/ 

“Awakenings” Paintings by Larry Melnick. Reception for the artist at 2 p.m. at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, 2301 Vine St. Exhibition runs to July 29. 845-1208. 

“Art in the Garden” featuring works by Richmond and East Bay artists, on display Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Annie’s Annuals, 740 Market Ave., Richmond. 215-1671. www.anniesannuals.com 

“Rooted in the Bay Area” Works by Makhael Banut. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. Exhibition runs to Aug. 12. 655-9019. thecompoundgallery.com 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Apartment” at 6:30 p.m. and “Goldfinger” at 8:55 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lora Jo Foo reads from “Earth Passages: Journey Through Childhood” at 3:30 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. asiabookcenter.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Bastille Day Ball with Baguette Quartet at 8 p.m. at Lake Merritt Dance Center, 200 Grand Ave., Harrison, Oakland. Dance lesson at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. www.FridayNightWaltz.com 

14th Annual Bay Area Follies, with tap, hula, jaz, and ethnic dance at 7 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $12-$15 at the door. Presented by Gil Chun. dancegil@sbcglobal.net 

Live Art for Progress Hip Hop and Graffiti art to get youth involved in political ativism, from 1-5 p.m. at Peoples Park. www.wearstrong.org 

Irina Rivkin and Rebecca Crump at 8 p.m. at Rose St. House of Music, 1839 Rose St. Cost is $5-$20. 594-4000, ext. 687. 

Bayside Jazz with Dan Hicks at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Wish Inflicted at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

John Keawe at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Summer Youth Program Concert at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Free. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kally Price Old Blues & Jazz Group at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Todd Shipley Band at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Ira Marlowe, Rachel Efron at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Bhi Bhiman, Crooked Roads, 7th Direction at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

David Gans, Kurt Huget at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

“Crust Sin Fronteras” Aghast, Caccion, All Systems Fail, Guida at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8-$10. 525-9926. 

The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Freeman at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, JULY 13 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fire & Flora” Hand-built ceramic vessels by Will Johnson and landscape paintings by Karen LeGault on display at the Community Art Gallery, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Ave. through Sept. 4. 204-1667.  

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Great Escape” at 4 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Congregational Song and the Arts: Gifts for Worship and Ministry” A conference of The Hymn Society, Sun.-Thurs. in Berkeley. Free, and open to the public. For details see www.thehymnsociety.org 

Nancy Levine reads from “The Tao of Pug” at 2 p.m. at PUGnacious Pet Provisions, 1820 Solano Ave. 524-9900. www.pugnaciouspetprovisions.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Municipal Band at 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Park Bandstand. Bring your beach chair and picnic. 339-2818.  

14th Annual Bay Area Follies, with tap, hula, jazz, and ethnic dance at 2 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $12-$15 at the door. Presented by Gil Chun. dancegil@sbcglobal.net 

Music in the Redwoods with Nefasha Ayer at 4:30 p.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. Tickets are $10-$415. 643-2755, ext. 03. 

Creative Voices “Maracaibera” at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Bryan Bowman Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged, live bluegrass, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Gift Horse at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

The Moving Violations with caller Mavis McGaugh in a Queer Contra Dance at 6 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Samora Pinderhughes Trio at 4:30 p.m. Steven Lugerner Sextet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10 for each concert. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

MONDAY, JULY 14 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Nocturnes ... in Berkeley?” A Night Photography Group Show with works by Tim Baskerville, Denise Fuson, Sherry Glassman, Mark Jaremko, Joe Reifer, Charity Vargas, and John Vias, on display at The LightRoom, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Fae Myenne Ng author of “Bone” in conversation with Ishmael Reed at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Virago Theatre Company: Visions and Voices Play Reading Series “Death in Van Nys” by Dan Pine at 7 p.m. at Julie’s Coffee and Tea Garden, 1223 Park St. Alameda. Cost is $10. www.viragotheatre.org 

Poetry Express with Steven Karavatos from the American Universtiy in the UAE at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Downtown Jam Session with Glen Pearson at 7 p.m. at Ed Kelly Hall, Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Cost is $5. www.opcmucsic.org 

Tcheka, from Cape Verde at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, JULY 15 

CHILDREN 

Storytellers Bob and Liz, stories for all ages, with lots of audience participation, at 6:30 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“humanimalstimulus” Multimedia performance by Malcolm Smith at 8:30 p.m. at Kala Art Insitute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “The Saint That Forged a Country” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Joel Schechter reads from “Messiahs of 1933” a social history of the American Yiddish theater of the 1930s, at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

An Evening with Barbara Ehrenreich “This Land is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Tickets are $10-$13. 444-8511. firstoakland.org 

Anita Amirrezvani reads from her book “The Blood of Flowers” set in seventeenth century Iran at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

John Muir Laws introduces “The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada” with a lecture and slide show at 7 p.m. at REI Berkeley, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Jeannie Ralston reads from “The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming” at 2 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tee Fee Swamp Boogie at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Son de Madera at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” at 7 p.m. at Montclair Ballfield, Montclair. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

FILM 

Latino Film Festival “El Benny” at 6:30 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, Madeline F. Whittlesey Community Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. Free. 620-6561. 

The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen “La Dolce Vita” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Sounds at Oakland City Center with Native Elements, reggae, at noon at 12th and Broadway, Oakland.  

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Baka Beyond at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Dazzling Divas at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. www.lebateauivre.net 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Sutton Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Swingthing at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $7. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Terrence Brewer Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Whiskey Brothers at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Emeline Michel, from Haiti, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JULY 17 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “Manhattan” at 6:30 p.m. and “Annie Hall” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Radialvedic” Works by Jill Gallenstein, Kristina Lewis and Kana Tanaka. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Johansson PRojects, 2300 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.johanssonprojects.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Adam David Miller reads from “Ticket to Exile” at 7:30 p.m. at Books Inc. Alameda, 1334 Park St., Alameda, npetrulakis@booksinc.net. 

Anita Amirrezvani “The Blood of Flowers” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Vukani Mawethu Choir, a cappella gospel in a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Green & Root, Andrea Prichett, Claudia Russell at 8 p.m. at Rose St. House of Music, 1839 Rose St. Cost is $5-$20. 594-4000, ext. 687. 

Ed Gerhard at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Fourtet with Tyler Blanton at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mirthkon, The Fuzzy Cousins, Brian Kenney Fresno at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Suzanna Smith Jazz Ensemble at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Dobet Gnahoré, from the Ivory Coast, at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, JULY 18 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “The Matchmaker” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Aug. 16. Tickets are $10-$12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org  

Altarena Playhouse “Hay Fever” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 9. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “The Busy World is Hushed” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 20. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. auoratheatre.org 

Citizen Josh with Josh Kornbluth Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. Sun. 5 p.m., at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. through July 20. Tickets are $20-$25. 841-6500, ext. 303. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Kiss Me Kate” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Aug. 3. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Subterranean Shakespeare “The Merry Wives of Windsor” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at The Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $12-$17. For reservations call 276-3871. 

Westminster Summer Musicals “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” Fri. - Sun. at 8 p.m., through July 20 at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Jaoquin Miller Rod, Oakland. Tickets are $23-$38. 531-9597. www.woodminster.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Present Tension” Works by Jerry Carniglia, Judith Foosaner and Ann Weber, on display through Aug. 30 at Chandra Cerrito Contemporaty, 25 Grand Ave., upper level, Oakland. www.chandracerrito.com 

“Out of the Fill” featuring the art group Sniff with works by Scott Hewitt, Scott Meadows and David Ryan. Reception at 5 p.m. at Eclectix, 7523 Fairmount Ave., El Cerrito. www.eclectixgallery.com 

FILM 

The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen “Violent Saturday” at 7 p.m. and “Point Blank” at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Ojada, Latin jazz, at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water Street, Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Yosvany Terry “Ye-dé-gbé & the Afro Caribbean Legacy” at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Brama Sukarma, trombone, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Eric Swinderman Group featuring Joyce Grant at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mawungira Enharira, Mamadou & Vanessa at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

In the Steel of the Night with Bobby Black, Joel Goldmark & David Phillips at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Fred Odell, David Gale at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Buxter Hoot’n, The Blank Tapes, Ed Masuga at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Babyland, The Prids, Swann Danger at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Spyro Gyra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, JULY 19 

CHILDREN  

“The Day We Danced in Underpants” with author Sarah Wilson at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

“Harvest at the Lake” Native American stories Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., singer/storyteller Juan L. Sánchez at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rose Park. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Free. For addtional performances see www.womanswill.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Nocturnes ... in Berkeley?” A Night Photography Group Show with works by Tim Baskerville, Denise Fuson, Sherry Glassman, Mark Jaremko, Joe Reifer, Charity Vargas, and John Vias. Reception for the artists at 2 p.m. at The LightRoom, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

“Grace and Joy: A Photo Exhibit of Cheetahs and Greyhounds” at 1 p.m. at 398 Colusa Ave., at the Circle. Kensington. Proceeds of sales benefit Greyhound Friends for Life adoption and advocacy group. 528-1210. www.greyhoundfriendsforlife.com 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “A Woman in Love” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Afternoon Delight Poetry Reading with Julia Vinograd, MK Chavez and Jan Steckel at 2 p.m. at Lakeview Branch Library, 550 El Embarcadero, in the Lakeshore district near Lake Merritt, Oakland. Free. 238-7344.  

“Legends: The Blues Photography of Samuel Ribitch” Artist talk at 2 p.m. in the community Meeting Room, 3rd flr, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Teen Playreaders “I Hate Hamlet” at 8 p.m. at the Willard Middle School Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St. at Telegraph. 981-6121.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bay Street Arts and Music Festival with local music, dance, arts, Sa. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bay St., Emeryville. 655-4002. www.baystreetemeryville.com 

The Function, hip-hop, at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Robin Gregory & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Aux Cajunals at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

The Brew with Iron & the Albatross, Katy Stephan at 8 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$15. 848-0237. 

KC Turner, The Courtney Janes at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Bitches Brew at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Rory Block at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Chris Almada, saxophone, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Roger Rocha and the Goldenhearts at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Mississippi Riders with Doug Blumer at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Gamelan X at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Calabrese, Switchblade Riot, Apathetic Youth at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Spyro Gyra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, JULY 20 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Together and Apart” Individual and collaborative works by Peggy Forman and Jan Schachter. Reception for the artists at 2 p.m. at Collector’s Gallery, Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Thief of Bagdad” at 4 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Teen Playreaders “I Hate Hamlet” at 6 p.m.in front of the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6121.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Midsummer Mozart Festival Program I at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. For ticket information call 415-627-9141. www.midsummermozart.org 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Oakland Jazz Choir at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $20-$33. 228-3218. 

Oakland Municipal Band at 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Park Bandstand. Bring your beach chair and picnic. 339-2818. 

Brazilian Flavor featuring Dandara at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Lemon Juju at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Americana Unplugged, with The Stairwell Sisters, live bluegrass, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Axis Mundi at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Oaktown Jazz Workshop at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

John Palowitch Group at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

This Time Tomorrow, Meltdown, New Lows at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


American Bach Soloists Stage Annual Festival

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:51:00 AM

SummerFest, the American Bach Soloists’ annual midsummer evening festival, features three nights of music in each of three locations—Belvedere, San Francisco and Davis—begining this weekend. 

Each evening moves from Artist’s Spotlight at 6 p.m., with the first night at each venue dedicated to a program for children and adults (in Belvedere, children are admitted free), to the playfully named Bach’s Suppers (“like a royal feast” with live music) at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Twilight Serenade at 7:15 p.m., and then at 8 p.m., The Main Event. The first evening’s main event focuses on Baroque music; the second, early Classical period pieces, and the third, late Classical to early Romantic music. 

The family concert in Belvedere will feature flautist Sandra Miller, oboeist John Abberger, cellist Tanya Tomkins and musical director Jeffrey Thomas on harpsichord, who will take “a musical journey exploring the world of Baroque music.” In San Francisco, Thomas will read from his forthcoming book about Handel’s Messiah, and answer audience questions. In Davis, Stephen Lehning, ABS’s principal on violone, contrabass, and viola da gamba will present a “curator’s tour” of period string instruments and harpsichord.  

The Belvedere Twilight Serenade will feature a new vocal ensemble, CELIA, with Ruth Escher and friends. In San Francisco, David Daniel Bowes (viola), Adam LaMotte (violin) and Robert Howard (cello) will play 18th and 19th century salon music, and in Davis at twilight, ABS will present “The Whole Noyse,” brass and wind music from the 16th and 17th centuries. 

For the main event in Belvedere, “Baroque Gems” will feature works by Albinoni, J. S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, Corelli, Marcello, Telemann and Vivaldi, featuring an octet of the previously named players, plus Elizabeth Blumenstock on violin.  

In San Francisco, “Classical Classics” presents works by C. P. E. Bach, Haydn, and Mozart’s Oboe Quintet in C minor and Adagio in C major for English Horn, Violins and Violoncello, played by members of the previously named ensemble, with Robert Howard (cello), Sandra Miller (flute) and Carla Moore (violin).  

The main event for Davis is “The Romantics,” Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 1 in E flat major and Theme & Variations in E major Scherzo in A minor, and Schubert’s “Quartettsatz” in C minor, played by Elizabeth Blumenstock, Adam LaMotte, Carla Moore and Tanya Tomkins. 

“We love to see audiences coming to the different venues from all over the Bay Area and other places,” said ABS Musical Director Jeffrey Thomas, “to immerse themselves in a cultural experience that spans a couple of centuries of music over three nights, a very different sort of immersion than, say, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, when there’s little time to stop and grab a meal. We try to provide a socializing dinner, with music, and a program short enough—in at 6, out by about 10—so our audience can immerse themselves in an intimate venue over the course of an evening, then return.” 

Thomas also commented on the Summerfest’s difference from ABS’ usual programming.  

“During the subscription season, we tend to concentrate on Bach,” he said. “We can’t make the jumps in time in such a short space as during SummerFest. And, befitting midsummer, the music is, in a way, slightly lighter fare, some popular and some lesser-known pieces. And all the venues are beautiful, inside and out. In Davis, due to the heat, we play indoors at the studio theater, to maintain the intimate quality, and have the dinner with music within Mondavi Center—it’s without question one of the five best concert venues in the country.” 

Thomas talked about the music to be played in the settings for what the Classical Voice has called “a civilized summer pleasure.” 

“Radio listeners will recognise the oboe concertos, which are beautiful, but aren’t played live very often,” he said. “The Telemann piece is a bravura for violinist, an hysterical dance slowed down. There’re hypnotic, mantra-like variations with a repetitive bass line. The Bach is a plum work—the final movement quite familiar. We’ll be playing one of the popular London Symphonies, transcribed down to five or six players. And the Romantic pieces are all early works, though not of child prodigies. The Beethoven Quartet has such ebullience, lightness, before he started writing dark, brooding music. It’s all really joyful, energetic music.” 

AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS’ 

SUMMERFEST 

Fri.-Sun., July 11-13, St. Stephen’s Church, Belvedere, Marin County. 

July 15-18, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church on Cathedral Hill, San Francisco. 

July 18-20, Robert & Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Davis. 

$18-$37 

For more information call (415) 621-7900 or see http://americanbach.org.


SF Mime Troupe Brings ‘Red State’ to East Bay Parks

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:53:00 AM

“It’s a punishment from the Lord!” 

“I thought it was because they cut off that subsidy.” 

 

The citizens of Bluebird, Kan., a beleaguered little town in the middle of the country, suddenly find themselves the center of national attention. The Electoral College has deadlocked, and when it is revealed that Bluebird’s votes got stuck in the machine, the neglected burg is instantly a-swarm with the media and visiting officialdom, looking to repair whatever damage to Bluebirdian self-esteem—so the poor hicks will just get on with it and recast their errant votes. 

But helped along by a returning war hero, who’s been asking what he’s been fighting for, anyway, the gaggles of self-interested groups and individuals threaten to get together and demand some sort of return for their tax dollars and their suddenly precious votes. “We ain’t got nothin’—and we sure could use somethin’!” 

Meanwhile, there are some who are suspicious: “I tell you, it ain’t right. They’re fixin’ the sidewalk. I bet that’s the way Stalin started—and the next thing, all the women get hairy!” 

All this with pratfalls, much fanfare and song, as the San Francisco Mime Troupe takes to the parks for their annual summertime political free-for-all (and the admission is also free, “a price everyone can afford”), Red State, which will commence its on-and-off run in East Bay parks this weekend and continue though August. 

“Do you think Jesus broke the voting machines? Communists? Aliens?” A lot of the glib silliness isn’t so silly if you scratch the surface of the running jokes about the state of the nation.  

The Troupe displays its roots in agit-prop with routines like a funny mechanical tango and vamp around a Vot-a-tron 3000, screwdriver clamped in teeth like a technocratic gaucho and with songs and statements like: “Fightin’ makes you strong!” “No; fightin’ just makes you tired” or: “There’s nothin’ UnAmerican about fixin’ what was wrong” while the band (lyrics and music by Pat Moran, who also announces and leads the musical trio) shuffles, accompanies and walks along, playing campy soundtrack riffs, the Internationale, Nortena dances or just shit-kicker tunes, mixing it all up. 

Even so, the play’s more story-driven, a little less “bitty” than many Mime Troupe outings. Written and directed by Michael Gene Sullivan, not acting in this show, it features other Collective members as actors. Velina Brown is the government’s Miss Page, offered the post of Undersecretary of Regional Oversight and singing “I’ve been waiting all my life for an opportunity/To have an office all my own in Washington, D. C.,” only to be interrupted by her cellphone. There are also faces from outside the collective: Lizzie Calogero as reporter Cliff Windswept, Noah James Butler (familiar from TheatreFirst productions) and Robert Ernst, cofounder of the Blake St. Hawkeyes, a fine utility man for any show. 

Playing a spectrum of roles, they all build it up to the climactic moment. Will Bluebird get it together and insist on its place in the sun? Meanwhile, the Troupers keep pumping out those tunes in an election year: “The government don’t give a damn/About the working man.” 

 

RED STATE 

Presented by the San Francisco Mime Troupe. 

• 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12 at Oakland’s Mosswood Park (MacArthur and Broadway). 

• 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, at Montclair Ball Field (music at 6:30 p.m.). 

• 2 p.m. July 19-20, at Berkeley’s Cedar Rose Park (music starts at 1:30 p.m.). 

• 2 p.m. Aug. 2-3 at Willard/Ho Chi Minh Park, with an ASL interpreter present ( music starts at 1:30 p.m. ). 

• 2 p.m. Aug. 23-24 at Live Oak Park ( music starts at 1:30 p.m.). 


ISHMAEL REED, FAE MYENNE NG AT MOE’S BOOKS

By Ken Bullock
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:52:00 AM

 

Ishmael Reed, Oakland novelist and founder of the Before Columbus Foundation, will hold a conversation with Fae Myenne Ng, author of the prize-winning novel Bone, at Ng’s reading and booksigning of her newly released novel, Steer Toward Rock (Hyperion) at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave., on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Admission free.  

Ng, a San Francisco native, writes of Chinatown, illegal “paper” immigrants and—in her new book—of Chinatown in the McCarthy era and the ’60s, gangsterism and the Chinese Confession program. Reed has published Ng’s stories in periodicals and has written commentaries on her work.


Books: My Commonplace Book

By Dorothy Bryant Special to the Planet
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:42:00 AM

Back in my teaching days I required that my students keep a journal, covering at least one page a day with whatever was on their minds. Later, in Writing a Novel, written after I’d left the classroom, I insisted that aspiring writers keep a journal, and, whenever beginning writers asked me for advice, face-to-face, I said it again. And again. 

Time for confession: I stopped keeping a journal years ago. Not all at once, not as a conscious decision. What happened was that I skipped a day, three, a whole week. Soon I realized that, while I still scribbled on note cards now and then when I got an idea or overheard something interesting, my journal entries had shriveled to those bi-monthly 3 a.m. whines that come to everyone—probably out of indigestion or the residue of petty resentments. Such outpourings are, at best, therapeutic, but (for me) useless as a source of ideas, as a reference to the larger events of our times, or even as a portrait of the inside of my mind-except for one dreary, boring corner I occasionally had to clean out.  

That was when I started keeping a “commonplace book,” a term that means the opposite of the way we use the word “commonplace” today. The commonplace book dates back to Medieval days, a tebook in which students took lecture notes, public speakers copied striking quotations to use in speeches and sermons, and literate ladies, denied formal education, collected important writings for their self-education. 

As printed books became more widely available, the commonplace book was less of a necessity and more of a personal aid to thinking about part of a story, poem, essay, or lecture. It still is. Even though we can now photocopy excerpts from books, or print them out after an Internet search, the physical act of copying a passage by hand, in a notebook, is an intimate act that, I believe, plants it at a deeper level of my consciousness. (Reared with library books, I still can’t let myself write in the margins even of a book I own.) 

My model is W. H. Auden’s A Certain World, a compilation of writings from his commonplace book, published in the 1980s. Auden called it “a sort of autobiography ... a map of my planet.” He believed that a journal of events might suit “men of action,” but not us writers, who live in our minds—in thoughts about the actions of others—in words heard or read. Sometimes Auden added his own comments about the quotation he had copied. Sometimes he let the quotation stand alone, to “let others, more learned, intelligent, imaginative, and witty than I, speak for me.”  

I began to follow Auden’s example, occasionally copying a passage from my reading that struck me, crediting the writer, dating my entry, and sometimes adding my own comments. The date alone is “autobiographical” in that it reminds me of what I was thinking at the time, what moved, impressed, or infuriated me. (Unlike Auden’s, my comments on a copied passage are sometimes in opposition to it, which says something about me too.) Sometimes a passage I copied four years ago startles me by its freshness; other times I’m only puzzled about why I took the trouble to copy it. 

Sometimes I find myself copying a quotation of a quotation—an excerpt passed on through someone else who found it notable. 

One such entry comes from a posthumously published essay by Susan Sontag, quoting revolutionary socialist Victor Serge (1890-1947), who, to sum up a central theme of his life, himself quoted an unnamed French writer. In his autobiography Victor Serge traced his being welcomed into various political groups, then being rejected and hounded out of them, abused, his health and safety threatened. Sontag quoted his description of the reason for his troubles: 

“I give myself credit for having seen clearly in a number of important situations. In itself, this is not so difficult to achieve, and yet it is rather unusual. To my mind, it is less a question of an exalted or shrewd intelligence, than of good sense, goodwill, and a certain sort of courage to enable one to rise above both the pressures of one’s environment and the natural inclination to close one’s eyes to facts, a temptation that arises from our immediate interests and from the fear which problems inspire in us. A French essayist has said: ‘What is terrible when you seek the truth, is that you find it.’ You find it, and then you are no longer free to follow the biases of your personal circle, or to accept fashionable clichés.” 

I copied Serge’s words and Sontag’s comment: “The French essayist’s sentence should be pinned above every writer’s desk.” 

So, what did I write about the excerpt I copied? Here it is (slightly edited and tidied up for clarity): 

 

Sontag seems to tell us writers that when we run into trouble we’re just doing our job. But such encouragement is chilling. So is Serge’s explanation that when you find the truth “you are no longer free to follow the biases of your personal circle or to accept fashionable clichés.” He is not writing about the fashionable clichés of George Bush’s Rightwing supporters; they don’t read him or Sontag; they’re certainly not part of my own Leftish personal circle. So, the danger of “finding” the truth (if I understand Serge and Sontag) is that you might say or write something that is “politically incorrect,” or that could even be perceived as a betrayal of shared values. This is a test for all of us, not just writers. Do we fail to see the truth? Or when we see an unfashionable truth do we shut up, bowing to the pressure of the biases of our personal circle? 

 

A couple of weeks later, I reread what I’d copied and added the following:  

 

Just thought of Ernest in The Way of All Flesh. When he decides to commit himself to writing, he says, “I shall have to give up Townley,” his best, most handsome, admired friend, “because I plan to write things that Townley will not like.” I never plan to write things my friend won’t like, but sometimes, to my surprise, I do. But I refuse to “give up” any of them, I refuse any hint that I have to choose between them and “truth.” If I annoy them, they should argue with me and, if necessary, agree to disagree. 

Isn’t that what friendship is, tolerance of each other’s—  

 

Unfortunately, at that point I ran off the page. That was how I learned that I have to leave more pages between one copied passage and the next so I can write down second or third thoughts.  

I don’t know whether these copied passages, pasted-on cartoons, comments overheard, lines from someone’s poem, trace some kind of jagged, wiggly “map of my planet.” But I’m sure my commonplace book helps me to be a better reader. Try it. Next time you curl up with a book, keep a notebook handy and begin your dialogue with the writer—and with yourself. 

 

Dorothy Bryant is a Berkeley resident and author. Her most recent novel is The Berkeley Pit (Clark City Press, 2007) 


East Bay: Then and Now—The Shrinking Legacy of Volney D. Moody and His Heirs

By Daniella Thompson
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:56:00 AM
George E. Stone’s pioneering film laboratory was converted into a charming residence in 1926.
Daniella Thompson
George E. Stone’s pioneering film laboratory was converted into a charming residence in 1926.
Weltevreden, the Moody home at 1725 Le Roy Ave, seen here in a postcard, was Berkeley’s most famous residence of the early 20th century.
courtesy of Anthony Bruce
Weltevreden, the Moody home at 1725 Le Roy Ave, seen here in a postcard, was Berkeley’s most famous residence of the early 20th century.
Michael Goodman’s 1950s addition to Weltevreden. The bridge is intact, but the oak trees are all gone.
Daniella Thompson
Michael Goodman’s 1950s addition to Weltevreden. The bridge is intact, but the oak trees are all gone.
Madge Maurer in a photo by Oscar Maurer.
San Francisco Call, July 24, 1906
Madge Maurer in a photo by Oscar Maurer.
The Moody-Maurer party on its way to the Big Game in their Pope-Hartford convertible. Oscar Maurer is at the wheel.
BAHA archives, courtesy of Marci Thomas
The Moody-Maurer party on its way to the Big Game in their Pope-Hartford convertible. Oscar Maurer is at the wheel.
Brutally remodeled into a student dormitory, Weltevreden is a shadow of its former self.
Daniella Thompson
Brutally remodeled into a student dormitory, Weltevreden is a shadow of its former self.

When pioneer banker Volney D. Moody died in March 1901, he left an estate worth over $600,000—the equivalent of many millions today. Moody’s will earmarked two-fifths of the estate to his second wife, Mary Moody, with the remaining three-fifths going to a son and two daughters from his first marriage. Displeased with their share, the three offspring contested the will. Some of the objections they cited were the unusually large portion left to the widow, the preponderance of choice properties she received, leaving them the dregs, and her two daughters being made beneficiaries of her share. 

Under a compromise agreement reached by the two parties, the estate was redivided, Mrs. Moody receiving a third and the three children two-thirds. Both sides ended up with valuable properties in downtown Oakland, which they eventually developed. 

Mary Moody continued to live at Weltevreden, her showplace house on the corner of Le Roy and Le Conte Avenues. Mary’s daughters, the widowed May Gray and the single Margaret “Madge” Robinson, lived with her. May taught music, while Madge devoted much of her time and energy to cultivating the Hillside Club, which she co-founded in October 1898 and of which she was the principal spokesperson in its early days. While the club was still in its infancy, Madge published an article on hillside building in The House Beautiful. On May 19, 1901, when the club’s membership numbered only 24 women, Madge scored a second publicity coup by securing full-page coverage for the organization in the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Call. The article “Artistic Homes in Berkeley” included photographs of eight hillside houses that embodied the club’s tenets, as well as one of the newly completed Hillside School, a brown-shingle structure with overhanging eaves designed by Bruce Price, who pronounced that “the California hills are brown, therefore the houses should be brown.” Built under the club’s auspices, the school was run by principal Clara Germain Potwin (1850-1907), a Hillside Club member. 

It was a time when new construction overtook the Berkeley Hills, until then sprouting mainly grasses and coast live oaks. Club members were determined to “protect the hills of Berkeley from unsightly grading, and the building of unsuitable and disfiguring houses, to do all in our power to beautify these hills and, above all, to create and encourage a decided public opinion on these subjects.” At their fortnightly meetings, members presented papers on a wide range of related topics, from siting and design to foundations, drainage, materials, and maintenance. They collected sketches and photographs of hillside houses, which were kept in a portfolio available to all prospective homebuilders. They also formed an advisory board, chaired by Madge Robinson, “for consultation with all who need help or suggestions.” 

In 1903, Madge married the prominent pictorialist photographer Oscar Maurer (1871-1965), who soon moved into Weltevreden. After the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed his San Francisco studio, Maurer commissioned Bernard Maybeck to build him a new studio across the street from Weltevreden, and his parents and brother settled next door in a Mission Revival house. 

Madge continued to make appearances in the press, photographed by her husband in outlandish hats. On July 24, 1906, when the San Francisco Call announced the completion of the Hillside Club building on Cedar Street, the portrait of Mrs. Oscar Maurer, chair of the committee on furnishing, was considerably larger than the drawing of the Maybeck-designed clubhouse. 

More construction was to come. On December 1, 1912, the Oakland Tribune revealed that a permit had been taken out for the erection of a seven-story reinforced concrete office building on the northeast corner of 20th Street and San Pablo Avenue, in downtown Oakland. The applicants were May V. Gray and Margaret F. Maurer, whose mother had transferred the property to them. 

To design the building, May and Madge selected William Lee Woollett (1874-1955). A native of Albany, New York, Woollett was a third-generation architect who had come to the Bay Area after the 1906 earthquake. Almost immediately, he settled in Berkeley, renting Charles Keeler’s Maybeck-designed house on the corner of Ridge Road and Highland Place. Woollett was thus a close neighbor of the Moodys and a sympathizer with their views on building. Moreover, in picking him the clients were not buying a pig in a poke: Woollett had already completed the 10-story Realty Syndicate Building at 1440 Broadway for Francis Marion “Borax” Smith and his partner, Frank Colton Havens. 

Excavation for the office building was finished in early January 1913, but in late March it was announced that the $100,000 structure would become a hotel. It was just one of a dozen hostelries going up in downtown Oakland in anticipation of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which opened on February 20, 1915. 

The hotel building was leased to the Frenchman Julien Vayssié for $39,296 over five years. Vayssié, who also ran the Hotel Shasta on Kearny and Bush Streets in San Francisco, opened his Oakland hostelry in January 1914 under the name Hotel Royal. 

No sooner was the hotel in business than the other Moody faction announced that it was building a 3-story commercial building at 564 14th St., between the Taft & Pennoyer department store and the Locke Building. This had been the site of Volney Moody’s first Oakland house, built in 1874. Moody had willed the lot to his second wife, but under the compromise settlement, it was transferred to his three children. Now Nellie E. Blood and Jessie L. Appleton (their brother, William C. Moody, had died in 1910) proposed to spend $60,000 or more for the “first store and loft building of Class A construction to be erected in Oakland other than the large department stores.” 

Known these days as the Blood-Appleton Building, it was designed by Charles W. Dickey, architect of the Claremont Hotel and Kahn’s Department Store. ”The front,” related the Tribune on July 19, 1914, “is in the colonial renaissance style of architecture, and will be executed in mat-glazed pure white terra cotta, plate glass and bronze. The foundations and steel frame are designed for an eight-story building with the idea that the other five stories will be added as soon as warranted by business.” 

Meanwhile, in Berkeley, May Gray remarried at the age of 45, after 15 years of widowhood. The bridegroom, George Eathl Stone, was a 25-year-old science student at U.C. who would soon become one of the pioneers of educational cinematography. Collaborating with Joseph A. Long, assistant professor of embryology, Stone made one of the earliest science teaching films produced in this country. The American Museum of Natural History, which possesses a rare copy of “How Life Begins,” provides a description of this 36-minute film: “Through captions, diagrams, and motion pictures, the film explains the processes involved in the development of various cells into mature life forms. Examples of cell development in microscopic yeast, plants, sea urchins, butterflies, and chickens are followed by an examination of mammalian embryo development. Detailed observations of rat development lead to explanations of human development.” 

In those days, the University of California did not have filmmaking facilities, but this presented no problem, given the Moody wherewithal. Mary Moody owned a lot adjacent to Weltevreden. There she built a one-story, three-room board and batten structure. The building permit, dated October 29, 1914, specified the use as “studio.” In one of the Sanborn fire insurance maps, this studio was labeled ‘private laboratory.’ It requires no leap of imagination to conclude that this was the studio where George E. Stone made “How Life Begins.” The film was screened in academic circles and received an admiring review from the Journal of Heredity in 1917. An ad in the same issue proclaimed, “This picture represents a new and practical method of visualizing the processes of reproduction of animal and plantlife and marks a great epoch in the teaching of biology. Endorsed by prominent scientists, teachers, ministers, welfare workers and educators all over the country.” 

In the early 1920s, the Stones and Mrs. Moody moved to Carmel, where George continued to make educational and documentary films in another private studio. The Maurers, who had established themselves in Los Angeles, divorced. Weltevreden was abandoned by the family. It escaped the great fire of 1923 but not the ravages inflicted by a mushrooming population. By the mid-’20s, it had become the Mu Zeta chapter house of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. 

By the mid-1950s, the building was condemned. It was “saved” in 1957 by Modernist architect Michael Goodman, who enlarged it to accommodate forty-four residents by removing the stepped gable ends and adding a full third story and a kitchen-and-library wing on the eastern end. The ground-floor veranda and the second-floor balcony were enclosed, and the two upper floors were clad in stucco, leaving clinker brick only on the ground floor. The superimposition of a utilitarian 1950s box onto the rustic Arts & Crafts house did nothing to preserve its beauty. 

Only a decade after the remodel, fraternity memberships were declining, and by 1973, the Mu Zeta chapter could no longer afford to maintain the house. The University of California Marching Band, having outgrown its own house at 2421 Prospect Avenue, offered Lambda Chi Alpha a trade, and Weltevreden became Tellefsen Hall. Designated a City of Berkeley Structure of Merit in August 1990, Weltevreden is a mere shadow of its former self. Not a single oak tree remains on the property, and the front garden has become a barren parking lot. 

George E. Stone’s studio at 2634 Le Conte Ave. fared better. In 1926, it was acquired by Margaret Dornin, curator of the Morrison library, who converted it into a creekside Arts & Crafts dwelling and lived in it until her death in 1938. It retains its charm and oak trees to this day. 

Business never warranted the upward expansion of the Blood-Appleton Building, which remains a 3-floor affair, now facing the 18-story Ronald Dellums Federal Building across 14th Street. Its original façade is still intact, and the structure is listed as a contributor to the Downtown Oakland Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. 

The Hotel Royal at 2000 San Pablo Ave. met a sadder fate. Neglected for years, the run-down establishment closed about a decade ago. Requiring a costly seismic and code upgrade, it was demolished in 2004 and has been replaced with a nondescript four-story building for the Alameda County Social Services Agency, financed by a bond measure. The developer, Alan Dones, also demolished the Oakland Post building next door. Oaklanders can take cold comfort from the name of Dones’ development. It’s called Thomas L. Berkley Square, after the Post’s late publisher. 

 

This was the final article in a three-part series on the Moody family. 

 

Daniella Thompson publishes berkeleyheritage.com for the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA).


Abou the House: Some Thoughts on Learning How to Surf

By Matt Cantor
Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:58:00 AM

In many ways my job is quite a joy. I get paid to do what many do on a free Sunday as their idea of fun. Looking at houses is both complex and deeply satisfying. Houses, especially those built in the early part of the 20th century (if not earlier) have so many pleasing features that it often feels more like art appreciation during my work day than data gathering. Then there’s the complex part. 

Yesterday, the complex part had less to do with the house than with where it was located. While some aspects of the geology of the site were alluded to during my introduction to the house, it was not until many hours later at a computer screen that I, my client and his realtor got a close look at precisely where the property was situated with respect to a local slide-zone. 

Berkeley has a bunch of these and they dribble across the hillside as though part of a Jackson Pollack commission. An array of the smaller ones near the crest of the hillside often strike me as a cartoon of tear drops (I’m really not trying to be funny here). But more than anything, they appear, on the map as tiny pools that formed in the lowlands or gullies of these hummocky, rolling hills. That word, hummock first came to me from the estimable geotechnical engineer Alan Kropp. A local luminary in the world of rocks and dirt, Kropp explained to me and a few colleagues some years ago that hummocks were lumps or humps in the soils formed through the crunchy world of geological formation. Berkeley is a hummocky place and explains a lot about why one house will have a wet basement while a nearby neighbor will be literally “high and dry.” Are you down in the hummocks today or riding the crest of the wavy earth? 

Another feature of these hills and many communities like ours is that, over time, earth will break away, mostly from steeper terrain and slide down into the ravines below to be captured by the friction created by this lumpy landscape. Obviously, the lumpier things are, the more they hold this newly deposited turf and the higher the hummocks, the deeper some of these deposits will be.  

With all this in mind, it’s interesting to go back to Mr. Kropp’s famous slide map and look again. What becomes clear is that the slide zones he demarks in red and yellow (active or potentially active) are nothing more than pools of soil held in place by friction and the shape of the landscape. Since the ancient landscape below this newer fill (and by newer, I mean hundreds of years old) can be deeply variegated, the depth of the landslide at any given point can vary enormously.  

All this came to bear yesterday in a rather intense conversation about where my client’s house was located. Studying the map against other maps, we attempted to determine if the house was located in one of these active or potentially active zones and, if so, were we on the edge or the middle. This last portion is apparently of some special concern. When landslides move (the deposited soils across the older consolidated soils and other substrates such as rock) they take houses, streets and power poles with them. If structures are located on the edges of these pools of matter, the effect may be more dramatic, or at least more noticeable.  

If you are located in the middle of a very large landslide area, it is more likely that the relative positions of your house and adjacent houses will appear unchanged. The same house located on the edge of a landslide may seem, after a dramatic shift in this unconsolidated matter, to have moved some distance from nearby landmarks but more importantly may have moved in ways that would not happen, were it adrift, as it were, in the middle of the slide. If one side of your house is resting on ancient firm soils or rock and the other side is resting on part of a 300-year-old slide, it is possible that over time or (more dramatically) during an earthquake that one side of the house will remain stationary while the other pulls or turns resulting in damage to the house. Earthquakes are good at creating slides and probably created the ones many of us (myself included) are living in. If you’re in a slide zone near an active fault line, the likelihood of a sudden change of address is more likely still. 

Locally, we’re all near active faults and the difference between locations may not be all that significant since epicenters don’t consistently fall where we would expect them to be. Tectonic plates aren’t smooth or well mapped, they vary like the mountains and the spot that does the big slam may be deep in the earth and far from the apparent surface-identified fault. So it makes sense to not place too much focus on location and more on soils-mobility and the structure of the home. That said, having a home that is literally ON the fault is troubling and homes can be badly traumatized when they bridge or rest directly upon the fault when large quakes occur since faults can slip by up to several feet. 

Foundation type and shear resistant framing methods can make a world of difference in slide zones. Mat or “raft” foundation by their names suggest something that can tolerate sliding better than most other types and my very uneducated eye has a great preference for these types where slides are likely (in either the slow continual creep or the quick visit to your neighbor’s property). These are essentially fat slabs of concrete, often specially shaped or possessing thick edges, and can move about as a whole preventing distortions in the shape of the house above. They seem to float on the surface of the ground and will tend to maintain an erect posture as they buffer the varying soils heights and densities changing below them. Even if they do end up out of plumb, the house as a whole will be uniform in level thus preventing doors and windows from sticking along with the other features we like to refer to as Berkeley Charm. 

The pier and grade beam systems of the past (something akin to a table and its legs set into the earth) may tolerate soils subsidence (flowing away from the site) fairly well but extremely deep or powerful slides can bend or break those table legs in some cases. Engineers are all over that red and yellow map about these things and our concepts of how to live on moving earth continue to evolve. Methods I’d seen eschewed 20 years ago are more common today and, naturally, everything usually comes down to money and who can do something for a few thousand less. 

My client and his wife had some hard thinking to do last night. A truly beautiful home on a lovely street on the arcadian moors of Berkeley, vested with Himalayan food, polarity massage and the worlds best coffee; and the possibility that for well over a million bucks they might be buying a mobile home.  

Yea, I know, that joke’s getting old. 


Community Calendar

Thursday July 10, 2008 - 09:37:00 AM

THURSDAY, JULY 10 

Organizing Meeting for the 3rd annual People’s Park Peace Rally-Concert, which is happening in the middle of September. The short meeting will be at 7 p.m., in Cafe Med on the 2400 block of Telegraph.  

East Bay Mac Users Group meets to discuss REALbasic & REALSQL at 7:15 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St., Emeryville. http://ebmug.org 

“The Powerful Patient” A discussion workshop with Loolwa Khazzoom on dealing with chronic pain at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $15-$20. 843-3131. 

Temescal Street Cinema “Runners High” at 8:30 p.m. outdoors at 49th and Telegraph. Bring a chair. www.temescalstreetcolletive.org 

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Baby & Toddler Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a..m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

FRIDAY, JULY 11 

LaborFest 2008 International Working Class Film and Video Festival “The International/Beynelmilel” at 7 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Donation requested. 

Fearless Meditation I The practice of the body from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Cost is $20-$30, no one turned away. RSVP required. 1-866-732-2320. 

“Raising the Rail: Suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge” with two different kinds of survivors: David Hull & Kevin Hines at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations accepted. www.bridgerail.org 

Arts & Crafts Lover’s Sale Gala Early Bird Party at 7 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch. Cost is $20. 527-6399. www.hillsideclub.org 

Bauman College Open House “Careers in Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts” from 6 to 9 p.m. at 901 Grayson St. 800-987-7530. www.baumancollege.org 

Summer Outdoor Movie Series “Like Water for Chocolate” at 8:30 p.m. at Charles Chocolates, 6529 Hollis St, Emeryville. Free. Bring a chair or blanket. 652-4412, ext. 311. 

“What is the Jewish Bible?” at 6:15 p.m. at JGate, near El Cerrito Plaza. RSVP to 559-8140. 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

SATURDAY, JULY 12 

Botanic Art Workshop with Andie Thrams on techniques for working outdoors to capture botanical detail, pattern color, light and shadow. For ages 12 and up. From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $60-$70. Registration required. 238-2365. www.museumca.org 

Walking Tour of Temescal sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. at Genova Delicatessen, 5095 Telegraph Ave., in the shopping center, to explore the commercial district that developed around the Oakland Street Car Barn. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Brooks Island Boat Trip Join a guided boat trip across the Richmond Harbor to Brooks Island to explore the island’s natural and cultural history, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For experienced boaters who can provide their own kayak and safety gear. Cost is $20-$22. Registration required. 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

“Feast for the Beast” Bring your fresh produce and help feed the elephants, and build enrichment boxes for the lions and tigers. Breaksfast for humans at 9 a.m. For more information 632-9525, ext. 131. 

Arts & Crafts Lover’s Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch. Cost is $5. 527-6399. www.hillsideclub.org 

Live Art for Progress Hip Hop and Graffiti art to get youth involved in political ativism, from 1-5 p.m. at Peoples Park. www.wearstrong.org 

East Bay Baby Fair, with resources for new and expecting parents, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Albany Veterans Memorial Building, 1325 Portland Ave., Albany. 540-7210. 

US-Nepal Technology Development Conference Sat. and Sun. in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall, UC Campus. Detailed information is available at www.can-usa.org/description.php 

The East Bay Chapter of The Great War Society meets at 10:30 a.m. at the South Branch of the Berkeley Library, Russell at MLK. The speaker will be Robert Denison on “The Role of Topography in the Battles of the Western Front & The First World War-Birth of Modern Style Warfare.” 527-7718. 

Summer Board Game Days from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Oakland Artisans Marketplace Sat. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jack London Square. 238-4948. 

SUNDAY, JULY 13 

Introduction to Fly-Fishing Learn how to cast at Lake Anza, then learn the details of knots, fly selection, reading the water and more, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lake Anza, Tilden Regional Park. Cost is $60-$66. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. www.ebparks.org  

Creative Outdoor Fun, in conjunction with the Oakland Museum of California’ exhibit “In Our Own Backyard” for children ages 7 and up from noon to 4 p.m. in a local park. Cost is $15-$35. Registration required. 238-2365. www.museumca.org 

Walking Tour of Mountain View Cemetery sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218.  

The Ponds of Our Lives Learn about life in the ponds, then use nets to investigate this dynamic habitat, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Free Hands-on Bicycle Clinic Learn how to do a safety inspection, at 10 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Bring your bike and tools. 527-4140. 

LaborFest 2008 “19th Century Working Pepole of Berkeley” A walking tour with author Richard Schwartz, at 1 p.m. at the north east corner of Shattuck and Haste.  

“Congregational Song and the Arts: Gifts for Worship and Ministry” A conference of The Hymn Society, Sun.-Thurs. in Berkeley. Free, and open to the public. For details see www.thehymnsociety.org 

Magnes Friends and Family Day at the new future home of the Magnes Museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2222 Harold Way, across from the Berkeley Public Library. 549-6950. 

Social Action Forum with Marilyn Langlois on “Arbitration in Community Conflict Resolution” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensigton. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Sun. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Jack Petranker “Right Here, Right Now: The Heart of Who You Are” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Ecstatic Dance East Bay, freeform dance and movement every Sun. at 10:30 am. at Historic Sweets Ballroom, 1933 Broadway, Oakland. Cost is $15. www.ecstaticdanceeastbay.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Fri. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

MONDAY, JULY 14 

Introductory Workshop on Termites with termite inspector Steve Swantner on their biology and habits, and how to deal with them, at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

“Redevelopment: the Unknown Government” A discussion with the El Cerrito Green Party at 7 p.m. at 33 Revolutions Record Store and Cafe, 10086 San Pablo Ave. at Central Ave. 526-0972. 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group, for people 60 years and over, meets at 9:45 a.m. at Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave, Albany. Cost is $3.  

TUESDAY, JULY 15 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Living Graveyard and Reading the Names of Californians who have died in Iraq and the names of Iraqis who have died from noon to 1 p.m. at the Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay St. Bring a pad to lie on and a white sheet to cover yourself with. 655-1162. www.epicalc.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Markets’ Community Barbecue featuring meats and barbecued veggis, and live music, from 2 to 7 p.m. at Tuesday Berkeley Farmers’ Market, 2701 MLK, Jr. Way at Derby St. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Birds and Butterflies: Easy Garden Enchantment with Native Plants Tues. from 7 to 9 p.m. to Aug. 5 at Albany Adult School, 601 San Gabriel Ave., Albany. Sponsored by the Golden Gate Audubon Society. 559-6580. 

Educator’s Workshop “From Healthy Soil to Harvest” Learn how to design and teach from a school garden in a three-day workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tues.-Thurs. at Richmond Field Station. Cost is $79, and includes lesson plans and course reader. 665-3430. www.thewateshedproject.org 

An Evening with Barbara Ehrenreich “This Land is Their Land” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Tickets are $10. 444-8511. firstoakland.org 

“Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy” with Natan Sharansky at 5:45 p.m. at Beth Jacob Congregation, 3778 Park Boulevard, Oakland. Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council East Bay Region, the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bays Israel Center and the California Israel Chamber of Commerce. 

Exploring the Sierra: Perspectives of a Naturalist and Artist with John (Jack) Muir Laws at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

40-Hour Domestic Violence Volunteer Training Open to community members interested in volunteering at A Safe Place. Tues. and Thurs. from 6 to 9 p.m. at A Safe Place Business Center, 2864 Telegraph Ave. Oakland. Cost is $300. 986-8600, ext. 322. www.asafeplacedvs.org  

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

Yarn Wranglers Come knit and crochet at 6:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

Sing-A-Long Group from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave., Albany. 524-9122. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 

Benefit for Peruvian Children to support a feeding program, provide school supplies and more for high mountain children, with Washington Gibaja Tapia on the mythological and spiritual history of Peru including Inca beliefs at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Donation $15 and up.  

Maggidic Conference Jewish storytelling and ritual arts, from Wed. through Sun. at Chochmat HaLev, 2215 Prince St. Donation $5-$20 per event. For a complete schedule see www.maggidconference.org 

Ice Cream Day & Cone Sculpture Festival from noon to 3 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr. Cost is $6-$11. 642-5132. www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Simplicity Forum: Reduce Your Living Expenses at 6:30 p.m. at Claremont Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Jump Start Entrepreneurs Network at 8 a.m. at Cuppa Tea, 3202 College Ave. Cost is $1-$5. 899-8242 www.jumpstartten.com 

Summer Board Game Days from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. 548-9840. 

Theraputic Recreation at the Berkeley Warm Pool, Wed. at 3:30 p.m. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Warm Pool, 2245 Milvia St. Cost is $4-$5. Bring a towel. 632-9369. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www. 

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Teen Chess Club from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda at Hopkins. 981-6133. 

Morning Meditation Every Mon., Wed., and Fri. at 7:45 a.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th. 486-8700. 

Berkeley CopWatch Drop-in office hours from 6 to 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Stitch ‘n Bitch at 6:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

THURSDAY, JULY 17 

Diabetes Screening Drop in anytime between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. at Frances Albrier Center, San Pablo Park, 2800 Park St. Do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours, with the exception of water, before the test. 981-5367. 

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds. We will capture and release butterflies from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-327-2757. 

Berkeley Communicators meets at 7:30 a.m. at Au Coquelet, 2000 University Ave. Rob.Flammia@gmail.com. 

“Dancing with Pain” A movement workshop with Loolwa Khazzoom on dealing with chronic pain at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $15-$20. 843-3131. 

Temescal Street Cinema “Touching Home” at 8:30 p.m. outdoors at 49th and Telegraph. Bring a chair. www.temescalstreetcolletive.org 

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club at 6:45 at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Baby & Toddler Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a..m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

FRIDAY, JULY 18 

Eco Access for the Blind or Visually Impaired Explore the bird life in varied habitat of the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline with a naturalist guide, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration required 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

Iraq Moratorium Day and Vigil to Protest the War from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corners of University & Acton. Sponsored by Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenant’s Assoc & Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

LaborFest 2008 International Working Class Film and Video Festival “Eugene Debs & The American Movement” at 7 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Donation requested. 

Center for Nonviolence Education “Teaching Hope: The Nonviolent Classroom” Workshops and speakers for educators, activists, and students, Fri. from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sat. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bishop O’Dowd High School, 9500 Stearns Ave., Oakland. Cost is $20-$125. www.efnv.org 

Maggidic Conference Jewish storytelling and ritual arts, from Wed. through Sun. at Chochmat HaLev, 2215 Prince St. Donation $5-$20 per event. For a complete schedule see www.maggidconference.org 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

SATURDAY, JULY 19 

Fresh Tracks: A Taste of Tilden Join naturalist David Zuckermann on a 2-mile hike to enjoy magnificent bay views and learn the history of the park, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., includes lunch. Cost is $38-$44. Registration required. 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Fun at the Little Farm pet a rabbit, feed a goat, or grind some corn to feed the chickens, and play a scavenger game, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Little Farm, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Butterfly Basics We will look for, capture and release buckeyes, swallowtails, checkerspots and more, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Walking Tour of Fruitvale sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Fruitvale BART station to discovery the history of international food in this neighborhood. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Non-violent Civil Disobedience Training against the Light Brown Apple Moth Trapping & Eradication Program from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 1924 Cedar St., at Bonita. 

Vegetarian Cooking Class “Greens, Greens, Glorious Greens” Learn to prepare Kale and Califlower Salad with Orange Cashew Cream, Swiss Chard with Caramelized Onions, Greens with Sesame Miso Dressing, Borscht and Orechiette Pasta with Dark Greens, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. COst is $50 in advance, plus $5 materials fee. To register call 531-COOK. 

LaborFest 2008 “East Bay Schools, The New Deal & The Education Crisis Today” A presentation and walk. Meet at 9:30 p.m. at Berkeley High School Entrance on Milvia. 649-7395. 

“The Sandinistas and Nicaragua” A report-back from the recent delegation to Nicaragua, at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation of $5-$10 benefits projects in Nicaragua. 415-924-3227. www.mitfamericas.org 

Cottontail Cafe and Bunny Adoption from 1 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEARS, 377 Colusa Ave, Kensington. 525-6155.  

Flap in The Breeze Create your own flag, pennant or banner, from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Museum of Children’s Art, 538 9th St., Oakland. Cost is $7. 465-8770. www.mocha.org 

Oakland Zoomobile for ages 3 and up at 2 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

“Brain Boosters” Learn how to improve brain and neurological function through healthy eating at 10 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Oakland Artisans Marketplace Sat. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jack London Square. 238-4948. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, JULY 20 

Bay to Barkers Dog Walk/Run and Festival from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park in the Berkeley Marina, with dog Olypiad games, line dance, and “Do You Look LIke Your Dog” contest. Registration is $25-$30, benefits Berkeley Humane Society. www.berkeleyhumane.org 

Bruce Lee Memorial Martial Arts Show Honoring former Oakland resident Bruce Lee at 5 p.m. at Lincoln Square Gym, 10th and Harrison, Oakland. 

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. 526-7377. info@eastbaylabyrinthproject.org  

Oakland Fund for the Arts Sidewalk Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Egghouse, 229 Harrison St. at Third, Oakland. 

The Art of Solar Cooking A workshop on the design and use of solar cookers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EcoHouse, 1305 Hopkins St., enter though garden on Peralta. Cost is $15 sliding scale, plus $5 materials fee. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

El Cerrito Historical Society meets at noon at Huber Park, 7711 Sea View Dr., El Cerrito. Please bring a salad, a main dish, or a dessert. The primary business on the agenda will be to discuss a recommendation regarding the Society’s project to name the creeks in El Cerrito. 526-7507. 

Sushi Basics Learn the natural and cultural history of this ancient cuisine and you prepare and taste seven different types of sushi. Parent participation required for children 8-10 years. Cost is $25-$39. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

East Bay Atheists meets to watch the documentary “The Disappearance of Madalyn Murray O’Hair” at 1:30 p.m. at Berkeley Main Library, 3rd Floor Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. 222-7580. 

Social Action Forum with Rev. Barbara Meyers on “Forming a Mental Health Community” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensigton. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Sun. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Sandra Guimares and Roselene Costa on “Psychotherapy and the Buddhist Path” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Fri. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

ONGOING 

Summer Lunch For Kids & Teens from June 16 to August 15 Meal sites are located at various schools and community centers throughout Oakland and Alameda County. For information call 800-870-3663 for a meal site near you or visit www.summerlunch.org To make a donation see www.accfb.org  

CITY MEETINGS 

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Thurs. July 10 , at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5428.  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., July 10, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356.  

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., July 10, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6406.  

West Berkeley Project Area Commission meets Thurs., July 10, at 7 p.m., at the West Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7520.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., July 10, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7410.  

City Council meets Tues., July 15, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., July 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6601. 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., July 16, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5344. 

Commission on Labor meets Wed., July 16, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7550. 

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed., July 16, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5427.  

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., July 17, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7010.