News

After undergoing a $700,000 renovation which lasted nearly nine months, the rare 1911 Herschell-Spillman Menagerie edition merry-go-round has reopened in Tilden Park. -more-

While the battle over the North Oakland portion of AC Transit’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit line has not reached the level or volume that it has in neighboring Berkeley, a Saturday morning political forum at Peralta Elementary School showed that the battle lines are drawn around similar issues. -more-

People’s Park might not get a free clothing box any time soon, but an owl box is more than welcome, especially if it acts as a rat patrol. -more-

Meeting an hour later than usual, Berkeley’s planning commissioners will have time to watching the final presidential debate before Wednesday night’s meeting. -more-

Last week, for the second time in a year, the Berkeley Police Department and city officials sent out a letter to 400 restaurants in Berkeley warning them against holding late night parties, which have resulted in fights, gunfire and unruly crowds. -more-

It has weathered the Great Depression, World War II, the McCarthy Era and the Free Speech Movement. -more-

Controversy over a $45,000 loan from Berkeley’s most controversial developer to City Councilmember Linda Maio and her spouse has resulted in a court order compelling the councilmember’s testimony. -more-

Berkeley is feeling the pinch of the current economic slump, with the demand for new housing decreasing, real estate sales declining and developers adopting more of a “wait and watch” policy when it comes to breaking ground on new projects. -more-

A rainbow coalition of Richmond activists on Monday demanded that the city’s powerful police union rescind an electoral mailer they described as a racist hit piece. -more-

A California Appeals Court has ruled that the City of Berkeley’s Police Review Commission must continue to exclude the public from complaint hearings against Berkeley police officers, and must continue to bar public access to peace officer personnel records or other records relating to Police Review Commission investigations or findings in such complaints. -more-

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved Mills Act contracts Thursday for two historic Berkeley landmarks—the Durant Hotel and the Charles Keeler House. -more-

Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz told councilmembers Tuesday night that the city was prepared to absorb the hits that are the result of the recent adoption of the State of California’s 2008-09 budget. Possible further cuts to Berkeley’s $321 million city budget, stemming from the state’s ongoing financial crisis, may be another matter, however. -more-

Berkeley may be facing the loss of one of its two hospitals. -more-

Did animal rights activists vandalize the property of UC Berkeley researchers involved in animal experiments? -more-

Berkeley real estate developer duo Chris Hudson and Evan McDonald—known for the Fine Arts building downtown and the Trader Joe’s project on University Avenue—gave the city’s Zoning Adjustments Board a glimpse of their next big venture at a public meeting Monday. -more-

Bruce Valentine of Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland wants to cut down on sports-related injuries at high school sports games. -more-

Two candidates with strong environmental records are facing off for an open seat on the East Bay Regional Parks District. -more-

Even planning commissioners who have fought to defend the downtown plan crafted by a citizen committee are backing away from its parking provisions. -more-

The body of a 44-year-old Berkeley man lay decomposing in his studio apartment for at least two weeks, while his aging mother, who suffers from dementia, remained inside, surrounded by an ever-growing mound of garbage bags. -more-

Berkeley residents were targeted in three armed robberies that took place within 57 minutes of each other last week, police report. -more-

Arrests made in Faison murder -more-

The Berkeley Unified School District received a one-time $400,000 Program Improvement Corrective Action grant Tuesday as part of the millions of dollars in intervention funds awarded to 92 school districts by the state Department of Education. -more-