Full Text

Students created an altar at a memorial last Thursday for Berkeley High School teacher Kalpna Mistry who died in August.
By Riya Bhattacharjee
Students created an altar at a memorial last Thursday for Berkeley High School teacher Kalpna Mistry who died in August.
 

News

Downtown Plan’s Traffic, BRT, Parking Issues Face Commission

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday October 28, 2008 - 07:26:00 PM

Berkeley planning commissioners have slated yet another special meeting for Wednesday night as they rush to finish their rewrite of the new Downtown Area Plan. 

The session, which begins at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave., focuses on only one topic—the plan’s access chapter, which covers critical issues ranging form parking to BRT—AC Transit’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit system. 

Commissioners need to complete their version of the plan by early next year, which will be accompanied by the version prepared over the course of two years by a citizen committee appointed by the council which included three members of the commission. 

The chapter is available online at www.ci.berkeley.ca 

 


Berkeley School Board Candidates Face-Off in Debate

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday October 28, 2008 - 07:25:00 PM

With a week to go before the Nov. 4 elections, candidates running for the Berkeley Board of Education turned the spotlight on the achievement gap at a debate organized by the Berkeley PTA Council at Willard Middle School on Monday. 

Moderated by Margot Reed, PTA Council vice president, the 75 minute-long debate gave each candidate a minute each to answer a range of questions, including student achievement, the district’s student integration plan and special education. Another minute was allocated for rebuttals, but they were entirely absent during the course of the evening. 

About 50 parents—some accompanied by children working on their homework—sat next to teachers and administrators from the Berkeley Unified School District listening to candidates explain their position in Willard’s well-stocked library on Stuart Street. 

The candidates began by introducing themselves, going over their backgrounds, highlighting career achievements and pointing time and again to their commitment to Berkeley Unified—be it through past successes, tutoring, helping at risk youth or as community organizers. 

School board candidate Priscilla Myrick, a former chief financial officer with a record of tutoring students in classrooms, won the toss-up for the first question, which asked candidates to name the challenges they witnessed in the Berkeley public schools and what they would do to address them. 

Myrick promptly replied that as school board director, she would ensure that school resources were optimized to give the greatest benefit to “9,500 plus” students. 

“I would be looking at K-12 programs and making sure that money is spent appropriately,” she said, stressing that teacher retention was also very important. “We need to make sure that students don’t fall behind.” 

As she tackled other questions related to the achievement gap, Myrick also spoke about creating aggressive summer school programs which would bring students up to grade level by the next school year. 

School board candidate Toya Groves, who works with at risk teenagers at a Berkeley-based non-profit, pointed out that Latinos and African American students were some of the worst affected by the achievement gap. 

“We need to study the emotional and performance impact on African Americans and Latinos,” Groves said. “We need to create a comfort level for all parents from all backgrounds.” 

Responding to later questions about the achievement gap, Groves said it was crucial to implement an in-house suspension policy which would address the mental health of students. 

School Board President and incumbent John Selawsky warned that the district’s budget crisis was far from over and that the public schools faced a major challenge from a slumping state economy over the next two years or more. 

District officials have said that they are wary of possible mid-year cuts to the state budget by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger which could affect the Berkeley public schools adversely. 

“Tied to that is equity issues,” he said. “We are going to have to take account of our own funding. We are going to be squeezed by the state. Every district is going to be squeezed by the state. We have a lot of issues we have to deal with in the next few years.” 

He added that the district had tackled similar problems in the past by using parcel tax funds to ensure that music and arts programs in the district were able to survive in spite of a tight budget. 

Selawsky also made it clear by the end of the debate that he supported more electives for middle schoolers, which educators say give students a chance to cultivate interests in the creative arts instead of just becoming proficient in math, science and English, as mandated by federal and state standardized tests. 

After chanting the words “professional development” three times, Selawsky said that it was important to coach younger teachers if the district wanted to try out differentiated education in the future. 

Drawing on the 2020 Vision—a citywide effort initiated in June which aims to close the achievement gap—school board candidate Beatriz Leyva-Cutler said that it was important to understand the issues behind the achievement gap. 

“It’s not about just one problem but how we engage in all the different problems that affects our schools,” she said. “It’s affecting not just our schools but also our city.” 

Early childhood care and education are the key to solving a lot of problems behind the crisis in student achievement, Leyva-Cutler said. 

Candidates also expressed their opinion about registering out-of-district students, with the majority agreeing that awareness about legal transfers was necessary to address misconceptions about the issue. 

“It’s a Catch 22,” said Groves. “A lot of youth of color are coming from outside the district. A lot of economically disadvantaged families are being pushed out of Berkeley because they can’t afford to live here anymore but they are continuing to send students here. We need to maintain diversity, we need to maintain the transfer quota.” 

Selawsky said that contrary to common belief, the district did not have a massive number of out-of-district students. 

According to current information provided by district officials, Berkeley Unified has 550 out-of-district transfers, with 20 out-of district transfers registering this year, the majority of them children of Berkeley Unified employees and a couple who transferred through appeals to Alameda County. 

“There’s a lot of statutes that people are unaware of they can legally enroll in our schools,” Selwasky said. 

Leyva-Cutler pointed out that Berkeley Unified had issued a moratorium on out-of-district kindergarten registrations for the third year. 

District officials have said in the past that a lack of space in Berkeley’s elementary schools prevents them from relaxing this rule. 

Leyva-Cutler added that although it was important to keep a check on illegal transfers, it was important not to disrupt the continuity of an out-of-district transfer student’s education. 

“I think the issue is about illegal transfers,” Myrick said. “I think what people are asking about is people who are borrowing addresses, that’s something very difficult to detect. I think there’s an impression of it being large. People don’t know the facts and reasons behind the transfer.” 

Candidates also spoke about their plans to reach out to the LGBTQ, ethnic and racial minority families in the district in response to a question about how they would communicate district policies to these communities, something all candidates said still had a lot of room for improvement. 

“We have a parent outreach department and we have people who do outreach to different communities,” Selawsky said, adding that he had co-founded the taskforce with the district’s LGBTQ families on the district’s anti-harrasment policy. “That said, we do need more translators and more information on websites which is sometimes hard due to the lack of funding. There is a need and we will be doing more outreach.” 

Leyva-Cutler emphasized that parents needed to see for themselves what it is like to be involved in advocacy groups. 

Myrick said that although the district had taken some steps to disseminate information among minority families by hiring an outreach coordinator, she was disappointed that the school governance councils had not been consulted on the 2020 Vision. 

“I think the district is open to other suggestions to ensure that more needs to be done,” she said. 

Groves said that through her work with high risk teenagers, she had realized that the way to get parents to come to meetings was by celebrating their child’s success, however small it might be. 

“It saddens me that there are no parents representing the African American population here today,” she said, prompting the audience to look around and acknowledge the fact. 

 


Developers Continue Cash for Council Race Favorites

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday October 28, 2008 - 05:02:00 PM

Development-related contributions continue to pour into the coffers of candidates for next week’s Berkeley city council election, with Mayor Tom Bates in the lead both in total and sector-related contributions. 

MAYORAL RACE 

Tom Bates 

Mayor Tom Bates continues to corral the lion’s share of development dollars, clocking up at least $9,249 in new contributions from builders, their clients, consultants, their representatives and officials who make land use decisions. 

That total amounts to 40.9 percent of contributions reported since Oct. 1, a figure that dwarfs the comparable numbers for his competitors in a campaign rife with arguments about the future shape of the city. 

The $22,621.95 in contributions he received in cash between Oct. 1 and Oct. 18, plus $500 in non-monetary contributions and the $5,250 he had loaned himself earlier, brought the mayor’s total campaign chest to $72,718.75. 

Adding the $13,650 in earlier development-related contributions to the new figures yields a total of $22,8999-or 31.5 percent of his campaign chest.  

Current period development-related gifts include: 

• Don Medley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory director of government and community affairs, $250; 

• Would-be Richmond Point Molate casino developer James D. Levine, $250; 

• Steven oliver, oliver and Company Construction, $250; 

• Dion Aroner, AJE Partners, community relations for developers, $250; 

• Dena Belzer, Strategic Economics, development consultants, $250; 

• Yuval Bobrovitch, real estate investor, SB Pacific Group, $250; 

• Barbara Ellis, AJE Partners, community relations for developers, $150; 

• Dave Fogarty, city economic development staff, $250; 

• Igad Safraty, real estate investor, SB Pacific Group, $250; 

• Dorothy Walker, retired UC Berkeley development executive, $100; 

• Raudel Wilson, Mechanics Bank and former DAPAC member, $50; 

• Christopher Barlow, Wareham Developers partner, $250; 

• Judith Briggs Marsh, real estate appraisals, Marsh and Associates, $250; 

• Denis Clifford, trusts and estates attorney, $200; 

• Caleb Dardick, public who represents development projects, $350; 

• Richard Friedman, president Carpenter and Company, hotel developers, $250; 

• Cassandra Gaenger, Wareham Developers, $250; 

• James Goddard, Wareham Developers, partner, $250; 

• Thomas Gram, attorney, real estate law, $100; 

• Fred Harvey, real estate lawyer, $50; 

• Dan Kataoka, Berkeley Bowl general manager, $250; 

• Isaac Kos-Read, Townsend Public Affairs (clients include developers), oakland, $250; 

• Roy Nee, developer, $250; 

• Ryan Ripstein, developer; $250; 

• Nancy Robbins, Mill Valley, wife of Wareham development partner, $250;  

• Geoffrey Sears, Wareham Development partner, $250; 

• Eric Zell, lobbyist whose clients include Wareham, Chevron, and Alta Bates, $100; 

• Mark Rhoades, Berkeley city planning official turned developer, $250; 

• Don Solem, Solem and Associates, publicist with development clients, $250; 

• Walter Armer, SNK Development, $250; 

• Carolyn Herst, wife of Douglas Herst, West Berkeley developer, $250; 

• Ali Kashani, developer, partner of Mark Rhoades, $250; 

• Jonathan Kaufman, Solem and Associates, publicist with development clients, $100; 

• Donald Peterson, SNK Development, $250; 

• Toby Taylor, Emeryville developer, $99; 

• Felicia Woytak, real estate investor, $250; 

• Denny Abrams, developer of Fourth Street, $250; 

• Glenn Yasuda, owner, Berkeley Bowl, $250; 

• Jack Gardner, John Stewart Company president, $250; 

• Barclay Simpson, a building supplies manufacturer who is also the namesake and major donor for the UC Berkeley gym now under construction west of Memorial Stadium, $250; 

• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades PAC, $250; 

• Teamsters Joint Council No. 7 PAC, $250; 

• Bruce Riordan, a transportation planning consultant, $100. 

The $500 of non-monetary contributions came in the form of food. An employee of Berkeley’s largest developer, the University of California. office of the President Manager Nancy Stevenson and spouse Ronald were the donors. 

Shirley Dean 

By contrast, former Mayor Shirley Dean, in her run to recapture the seat she lost to Bates six years ago, has attracted little money related to developing or managing property. 

Her total campaign intake had reached $35,368 by Oct. 18th, including a $5,000 loan. Her total share from the land use-related sector, including $1,700 received in the latest filing period, comes to $2,748, or 7.8 percent. 

During the previous 17 days, she taken in donations of $11,514, with the land use sector including: 

• Marilyn Braiger, property manager for Howe Street Apartments, $50; 

• Michael Drew, Drew Properties manager, $250; 

• Dan Kataoka, Berkeley Bowl, $250 (matching his gift to Bates); 

• John Koenigshofer, Elmwood Realty, $250; 

• Marley Lyman, CSM Properties owner/manager, $250; 

• Grubb Company real estate broker Bebe McRae, $250; 

• Mary oram, ERI Property Management, $50; 

• James Peterson, development consultant, Villa View Properties Development, $250; 

• Mori Wei, apartment manager, $100. 

 

other candidates  

Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi, a third mayoral candidate, listed no contributions when he filed paper of organization for the Kahlil 4 Mayor campaign on the oct. 23. 

Write-in candidate Zachary Running Wolf had filed no statements, though he has posted signs.  

 

DISTRICT 4 

The other race where developer dollars may play a key role is the race for the City Council’s 4th district, representing the heart of downtown. 

Terry Doran 

By Oct. 18, current Zoning Adjustments Board and former Berkeley school board member Terry Doran had received $29,294 in contributions, $2,224 coming in the prior 17 days. 

Of that sum, only $5,100 came form the land use sector-though developer Ali Kashani told fellow developers last week that Doran had urged them to hold off with their cash to avoid bad publicity until he had changed his mind because of the publicity generated by this paper for his leading opponent, Jesse Arreguin, whom the paper has endorsed. 

While Doran denied Kashani’s account, developers came to a Sunday party for the candidate, and those donations had not been reported as of this writing. 

Before the party, only 17.5 percent of his cash had come from the land use sector, including $1,000 received five days before the party, in the form of four $250 donations from developer John DeClerq, private sector urban planner Peter Calthorpe, and matching checks from West Berkeley project developer Douglas Herst and spouse Caroline. 

Two days before the party, Doran received $100 in donations from two architects, David Trachtenberg and Rebecca Hayden, for a total of $200; 

Other sector contributions reported during the oct. 1-18 filing period include; 

• Development planning consultant David C. Early, who is also the founder of the Livable Berkeley “smart growth” lobbying group, $100; 

• Construction finance planning consultant David Cobb, of Davis Langdon LLP, $150; 

• Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 PAC, $250; 

• Chamber of Commerce CEO Ted Garrett, $250. 

In preceding periods, Doran had received contributions from: 

• )akland city planner Michael Bradley, $250; 

• Retired UC Berkeley development executive, Livable Berkeley activists and DAPAC member Dorothy Walker, $100; 

• UC Berkeley planning professor Frederick Collignon, $100; 

• Barbara Hendrickson, Red oak Realty, $250; 

• Real estate syndicator Maxim Schrogin, $100; 

• Mortgage broker Samuel Fishman, $100; 

• Albert Nahman, Nahman Plumbing and Heating, $100; 

Among the officials donating who are involved in land use decisions are: 

• Mayor Tom Bates, $250; 

• City economic development planner Dave Fogarty, $250; 

• City councilmember Gordon Wozniak, $250; 

• City councilmember Darryl Moore, $250; 

• City councilmember and real estate broker Laurie Capitelli, $250; 

• City councilmember Max Anderson, $50; 

• Planning commissioner and council candidate Susan Wengraf, $100; 

• Planning commission chair and retired architect James Samuels, $50. 

• Will Travis, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and former chair of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC), $200; 

• Planning commissioner David Stoloff, $250; 

• ZAB member and architect Bob Allen, $250. 

Jesse Arreguin 

opponent Jesse Arreguin, the leading fund-raiser among Doran’s opponents, had raised $13,424, less than half as much as the cash leader. In the most-recent 18-day filing period, Arreguin received from people identifiable as involved in land use issues:  

• Environmental planning consultant Juliet Lamont, $250; 

• Real estate attorney Maryland Cleveland, $150;  

• Donald Jelinek, an attorney who has handled real estate cases, $100; 

• Timothy Hansen, a project manager for Goldstone Management, $250; 

• Architect Kris Eggene, $100; 

• Rash Ghosh, who is currently in a legal battle with the city after his building was seized by the city in a nuisance action, with $50. 

He also received contributions from city officials making land use decisions: 

• City councilmember Kriss Worthington, $250; 

• Planning commissioner Gene Poschman, $250; 

• Zoning Adjustments Board member Sara Shumer, $250; 

• Transportation commissioner Rob Wrenn and spouse Mary each gave $75, for a total of $150;  

• Transportation commissioner Wendy Alfsen, $100; 

• Landmarks Preservation Commissioner Anne Wagley, also a Daily Planet editor, $250; 

• Landmarks Preservation Commissioner and Design Review Committee member Carrie olson, $200. 

L A Wood 

L A Wood, a community activist and videographer, has taken in $3,467.99, including a $250 loan from himself. 

one development-related contribution came from Polly Quick, a project manager for ICF International, which does some transportation planning, and a second came from Mark McDonald, a welder and mechanic for Skylight & Sun, who gave $50. 

 

DISTRICT 6 

Susan Wengraf 

Susan Wengraf reported only two development-related donations in the current filing period, accounting for only $300 of the $2,224 received between oct. 1 and 18. They are: 

• Maria Jarvis, Urban Land Institute (motto: “connecting the global real estate industry”), $50; 

• Timothy Sarre, Sema Construction engineer, $250. 

Her total contributions had reached $29,294 by oct. 18, with $4,050 coming from the land use sector, or 13.8 percent. 

Phoebe Anne Sorgen 

Wengraf’s opponent, Phoebe Anne Sorgen, received $1,499 in the same period, bringing her total to $13,370, which includes an earlier $10,350 loan from herself. 

Her only donor with involvement in land use issues is Anna De Leon, who fought a long and ultimately successful legal battle with the city and developer Patrick Kennedy over the Gaia Building, winning a ruling that the city council had wrongly voted to implement standards governing use of the city’s cultural bonus at the Gaia Building. 

De Leon’s contribution of $100 amounts to 3.3 percent of Sorgen’s total contributions, much less if her loan is included. 

 

DISTRICT 5 

Laurie Capitelli 

In a district where the incumbent is real estate broker Laurie Capitelli, it’s not surprising that he has received the heftiest hunk of property-related donations, including many from members of his own firm, Red oak Realty. 

He reports $6,030 in contributions for the current reporting period, including these from Red oaks staff: 

• Peter Campbell, $100; 

• Patrick Leaper, $250; 

• Mark Lederer, $250; 

• Schuyler oliver, $250, and 

• Marsha Quick, $100. 

other development sector contributors include: 

• Private sector planner Michael Fajans, $100; 

• Electrician Scott Bannister, $250; 

• Real estate lawyer Frederic Harvey Jr., $100; 

• David Clahan, Caledecott Construction, $250; 

• MPR Financial mortgage underwriter Tjendrawati Karwita, $100; 

• Marisita Jarvis, a consultant whose activities include teaching real estate industry figures to teach planning as volunteers in public schools, $50. 

• Capitelli also received a $5,000 loan from another real estate industry figure, himself. 

Capitelli’s total contributions thus far had reached $29,120 (including his loan), with a development-related total of $8,125-not including his loan to himself—or 27.9 percent. 

Sophie Hahn 

By contrast, of the $4,610 in contributions received for the current period by Sophie Hahn, only two have readily identifiable development connections, for a total of $500: 

• Janet Riley, spouse of San Francisco real estate investor Clint Reilly, $250; 

• Tomas Schoenberg, Swig Company commercial real estate, $250. 

Her total contributions have reached $35,270, with a land use share totaling $2,500, or 7.1 percent of the total. 

 


Bates and Dean Keep The Passion, But Turn Down The Heat

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Monday October 27, 2008 - 03:12:00 PM

When they first ran against each other in 2002, it was Berkeley’s epic political battle. Shirley Dean was the lightning-rod mayor and leader of the moderate-progressive political faction in a City Council and a city that were deeply divided along factional lines. Looking for a way to oust a political powerhouse, members of the opposing left-progressive faction recruited former state Assemblymember Tom Bates to run against Dean. 

In the factional struggles of that time, Dean represented the moderate-progressive Berkeley Democratic Club (BDC), while Bates was the choice of the left-progressive Berkeley Citizens Action (BCA), with the BDC and the BCA opposing each other along largely ideological lines over a myriad of city issues. 

The 2002 mayoral campaign was a bruising, raucous, rousing affair befitting a city known as the home of political activism. A November 2002 article by reporters from the UC Berkeley School of Journalism summed up some of the differences of those times.  

“The real differences between the two candidates went beyond the election issues, said long-time political observers,” the 2002 article went on, quoting Bruce Cain, director of the Institute of Government Studies at UC Berkeley, as saying, “What makes a difference is the networks they’re tied in to. Bates is with Loni Hancock and some of the progressive circles that were in charge of the city before Dean came. Shirley Dean is tied to the police and fire departments, and the more conservative circles. … Dean has traditionally been more balanced between business and the environment. For Bates, it may be hard to convince long-time Berkeley residents that he is more to the middle, even if it is true.” 

People have pointed to the best example of the bitterness and intensity of the 2002 campaign as the now-infamous incident when Bates stole and trashed a bundle of Daily Cal newspapers after the paper endorsed Dean. But perhaps a better example was summed up in one of the 2002 J-School article’s quotations. After Bates unexpectedly swamped Dean 55 percent to 43 percent—the race had been considered close until election day—the article quoted a crowing Bates campaign treasurer, Mal Burnstein, as saying, “it’s a blowout. It’s over. She lost. We won. Goodbye, Shirley.” 

But while the candidates in the Bates-Dean rematch of 2008 are the same, Berkeley’s political landscape has changed considerably from 2002. For one thing, once elected, Bates moved to govern from the center, angering some of the more left-progressive people who had originally solicited him to run against Dean, but gaining new allies in the moderate-progressive camp who had been the previous mayor’s supporters.  

For another, the old BCA-BDC rivalry has withered at the same time as the two organizations lost their once-considerable influence over Berkeley politics. The result is that the 2008 mayoral race is much more of a traditional city campaign than the previous ideological one, with challenger Dean attacking the incumbent Bates from either the left or the right, depending on the opening provided, while Bates attempts to occupy and defend the political center. 

Those differences were evident during an Oct. 13 breakfast debate between the two candidates sponsored by the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce. 

“Berkeley had a $21 million structural deficit when Dean left office,” Bates told the assembled business representatives. “It was painful and difficult, but we solved that. We’re in better shape than surrounding cities such as Oakland and San Jose, which are facing severe budget deficits.” 

The mayor argued that he has moved forward towards a traditionally progressive Berkeley goal—advancing a green economy—while at the same time satisfying business demands for development. 

Noting that the city has already reduced greenhouse gases by 9 percent—2 percent more than the 7 percent goal called for in the 2007 U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement—Bates said he hoped Berkeley “is going to be one of the greenest cities in the U.S.”  

But he touted his administration’s efforts to revitalize the city’s downtown business core. “We have less than a 5 percent vacancy rate downtown,” the mayor said, adding that with the addition of UC Berkeley’s proposed downtown hotel, conference center, and museum complex, “We will see the kind of downtown renaissance we’ve never seen before.” 

Predictably—given their past positions on the issue—the relationship between the City of Berkeley and UC Berkeley drew the sharpest distinctions between the two candidates. 

Arguing against the controversial 2005 agreement between the university and the city over UC Berkeley’s downtown development plans, Dean called the university “the big bear in the living room. We cherish that bear. We love that bear. But the bear tends to break the crockery and not pay for it.”  

Arguing that Berkeley could have gotten more money out of the university, Dean added, “We need to renegotiate the deal with UC.” 

That position puts Dean squarely on the side of Berkeley’s left-progressive wing, which actively opposed the UC deal. The deal also drew the opposition of many of the city’s more moderate neighborhood activists. 

But Bates defended the UC deal, saying, “We got the best deal with UC than any other city in the state. It’s folly to think we could have gotten anything more.” Bates said that Berkeley provides $14 million in services to the university, while the university “did a study that says they generate $16 million in revenue back to us” through retail revenue and hotel receipts. “So we actually owe them $2 million,” Bates said, most likely as a joke. 

For her part, Dean spoke briefly about her accomplishments during her years as mayor—she noted that one of her proudest achievements was the establishment of the city’s arts and theater district—but spent most of her time criticizing Bates for what she said were failures during his. 

Some of the criticisms were general, such as saying that “people throughout the city believe noone at City Hall is listening,” but some were more specific.  

“Downtown is dirty and unsanitary,” Dean said. “It needs a thorough cleanup.” She said that the city needs to “address the issue of street behavior and cleanliness” as well as “aggressively recruit retail for downtown. Berkeley can have more retail. I’ve done it. We need to reverse the image that Berkeley is anti-business.” 

Bates denied that the city is in as bad shape as Dean alleged, both in economic and sanitary terms, and took a shot of his own at Dean’s conduct while she was mayor.  

“When I came on the council [following his defeat of Dean in 2002], it was in chaos,” Bates said. “Civility was at an all-time low. We’ve changed that. Now we no longer have any ‘sides.’” 

Bates has certainly won the support of his fellow members of City Council. Councilmembers Linda Maio, Darryl Moore, Max Anderson, Laurie Capitelli, and Gordon Wozniak have all endorsed the mayor. Councilmember Betty Olds, who is retiring from the Council at the end of this year, has dual-endorsed both Bates and Dean.  

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who had bitter clashes with Dean during her tenure as mayor and was one of the leaders of the left-progressive group that urged Bates to run against her, has also differed with Bates during the last six years—though not quite so bitterly—and has endorsed no one in the current race. The late councilmember Dona Spring, another left-progressive, was frequently at odds with Bates during council meetings.  

But what has most changed in the six years between Dean-Bates 2002 and Bates-Dean 2008 is the tone of the campaign. Bates, the former UC Berkeley football player, has always been soft-spoken and low-key in demeanor, and the diminutive Dean (she jokes that she doesn’t have to stand up when she talks because it makes little difference in her height) remains as feisty as ever. In their public presentations during this year’s campaign, both claimed a passion for Berkeley, its traditions and its people, and a commitment to its future. 

What is missing this year so far is the angry, partisan edge between the candidates that marked their first contest, fueled by that earlier partisan divide. Though the two candidates still do not appear to like each other very much, each has refrained from the kind of personal attacks we have seen in other races, such as this year’s presidential campaign.  

 


BUSD Fears Mid-Year Cuts Could Jeopardize State Funding Further

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Saturday October 25, 2008 - 02:24:00 PM

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 45-day revision to the state budget gives the Berkeley Unified School District more revenue than what he proposed earlier this year, but leaves it with a minimal cost of living increase, district officials said Wednesday 

Under state law, the district is required to inform the public about any changes to its budget based on the governor’s final adopted budget within 45 days. 

The governor approved the 2008-2009 Fiscal Year final California budget on Sept. 23, a record 83 days later than when the state was supposed to begin its Fiscal Year on July 1. 

District Superintendent Bill Huyett said Thursday that the governor’s budget update leaves Berkeley Unified’s budget virtually unchanged from what it was in September, explaining that it eliminates a 6.5 percent cut to categorical programs and restores money to deferred maintenance. 

Money from categorical funds go toward helping early childhood education, pre-schools and nutrition programs. Deferred maintenance funds are money the district matches with the state to upgrade school buildings and facilities, Huyett said. 

Javetta Robinson, the district’s deputy superintendent, told the school board at a public meeting Wednesday that the final state budget included a Prop. 98 funding level of $58.1 billion—$1.3 billion higher than what was forecast in May—which would restore the categorical program cuts and provide a small cost of living of 0.68 percent instead of the district’s estimated 1 percent. 

Prop. 98 is a voter-approved statute that establishes a minimum level of funding for California schools. 

“No COLA [Cost of Living Adjustment] is provided to categorical programs,” she said, reading from a report presented to the board. “None of the flexibility items for school districts were included in the final state budget, such as allowing the district to transfer funds between programs for greater flexibility on spending.” 

Robinson said that although the funding for the district looked better than what had been proposed in May, a couple of factors could jeopardize it. 

The district’s revenue for the year, Robinson said, was already below the projected amount and the “questionable reliability” of some of the additional revenues included in the final state budget could result in Prop. 98 funding sinking lower. 

“This could result in schools being funded above the guarantee in early 2009, setting the stage for mid-year cuts,” Robinson’s report stated. 

The other potential concern, the report added, was the level of uncertainty in 2009-10 which had led the Alameda County Office of Education to advise the district to be conservative about its budget over the next two years. 

Berkeley Board of Education President John Selawsky and Huyett both acknowledged that the final budget could be subject to mid-year cuts. 

“On one hand we are getting revenues restored and on the other hand there’s uncertainty with the state budget,” Selawsky said. 

Robinson told the board at the meeting that under the final budget, the district’s revenues would be increasing by $596,000. 

“This is all well and good but the governor is calling the legislature back into session after the elections in November to possibly talk about mid-year cuts to deal with the state’s failing economy,” Huyett said Thursday. 

 


Maybeck High School Gets Green Light to Move Into St. John’s, Wareham Shows New Design for 740 Heinz

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Saturday October 25, 2008 - 02:23:00 PM

Students at Berkeley’s Maybeck High School can move into new classrooms in St. John’s Presbyterian Church this spring, since the school received a relocation permit from city officials at a public meeting Thursday. 

St. John’s location at 2727 College Ave.—about a mile from Maybeck’s current site at the United Methodist Church on Bancroft Way—ensures that the teacher-run private coeducational prep school is still in close proximity to the UC Berkeley campus, school officials said. 

Although some neighbors had expressed concerns about traffic and noise from the proposed move, the city’s Zoning Adjustments Board approved the use permit in less than two minutes. 

School officials said earlier that the proposed project would not adversely impact the neighborhood. 

“I was overwhelmed with joy,” said Nelly Coplan, church administrator. “It’s a project we have been working on for a while. So when Maybeck dropped in on us in February—and I don’t want to sound too religious here—it was a sign from the sky. They will create a lot of new energy for us, not just in the church and fiscal matters but also social responsibility.” 

The 100-year-old congregation has been experiencing declining enrollment since the ‘70s, Coplan said, which has become a major cause of worry for the church, especially since the building’s infrastructure is in dire need of repairs. 

St. John’s has always welcomed nonprofits to its premises, leasing rooms for $35 an hour, and at times it has allowed some community groups to host events for free. Coplan said Maybeck would be paying a monthly rate for the leased space but did not want to disclose the amount since the school has not signed a contract yet. 

Maybeck will be occupying the second floor of the church center, which was previously used by the German International School and the East Bay Girls’ School, and will be converting existing classrooms into smaller spaces to meet its needs. The German International School closed in June and the East Bay Girls School closed two years ago. 

The 36-year-old school has around 240 students from all over the Bay Area and is not looking at expanding its enrollment anytime soon, Maybeck’s principal John Muster told the Planet in an earlier interview. He could not be reached for comment Friday. 

The classrooms will be spread across 7,000 square feet, Coplan said, and the school will also have access to the sanctuary, the Fireside Room and the basketball court. 

“Pastor Max is just crazy about sports and he insists that the students use the basketball hoop,” she said.  

Although Maybeck does not have any athletic programs, students attend P.E. classes. The school has an open campus which allows students to go out during lunch and free periods. St. John’s also has a skateboard ramp which is used on Wednesdays by its youth group. 

“We are not moving anybody out of the church because the school is moving in,” Coplan said. “Earlier it was 90 percent empty; that will not be the case now. After Maybeck moves in we will be maintaining the relationship we have with the non profits here but we won’t be actively seeking to lease space. Honestly I think all our rooms have been taken up by Maybeck now.” 

Wareham Shows 740 Heinz Design to ZAB 

The zoning board’s reactions to the Wareham company’s latest design for a proposed biotech institute at the site of the landmarked Copra Warehouse at 740 Heinz Ave. bordered on optimism laced with caution. 

Wareham presented the design to the board at the public meeting Thursday and is scheduled to return with a formal application in the future. Company officials said that they have submitted a formal application to the city’s planning department a few weeks ago.  

Although board members acknowledged that they preferred the latest design for the proposed lab building—which preserves the warehouse’s original facade and reflects the neighborhood architecture—more than the previous ones, they urged Chris Barglow, a partner at Wareham, and project architect Randall Dowler of Dowler-Gruman Architects to figure out a way to get a variance for the proposed project. 

Wareham will be asking the zoning board for a variance since the building’s proposed height, 72 feet, is not allowed in the neighborhood.  

Both the zoning board and the landmarks commission have criticized the design and mass of the proposed building at previous meetings. Some members of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commissions reacted favorably to Wareham’s latest design earlier this month but advised them to work on scaling back on the height. 

Barglow pointed out that the company had reduced the mass of the building to 90,000 square feet from 100,000 square feet and had kept the height at 72 feet, a decrease of almost 20 feet. He said that the building’s exterior also had a lot more brick and less glass to reflect the old industrial warehouse look so typical to the neighborhood. 

“A life sciences institute will be an asset to the City of Berkeley and the East Bay Green Corridor, but there is room for improvement,” said board member Michael Alvarez Cohen of the proposed project. 

Board member Terry Doran asked if Wareham would look into the possibility of giving some kind of community benefits to the city in exchange of a variance. 

“Is there something we could consider in the long range?” he asked. “Maybe something that would help a biology teacher at Berkeley High? Something that would benefit the city beyond the project?” 

Board chair Rick Judd acknowledged that although the new design preserved traces of the old warehouse, Wareham still had a long way to go before they could get a variance. 

“The people who wrote the West Berkeley zoning are going to think it [the height] is inappropriate,” he said. “It’s way beyond the zoning of the area. I think you need to work on that.” 

 


"Obama is Irish" at the Starry Plough Now a Major YouTube Hit

by Becky O'Malley
Friday October 24, 2008 - 12:41:00 PM

Shay Black is an Irish musician who lives in Oakland just a few blocks from the Planet office on Shattuck. He has led an Irish music session in the nearby Starry Plough every Sunday for the last thirteen years. Recently, he's become a YouTube celebrity. Last month, a jolly video starring Shay was made at the Plough, posted on YouTube and now has 250,000 hits. It's a cover of a song originally written in Ireland which reclaims Barack Obama's Irish roots. Here's the first verse: 

"O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara  

There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama  

From the old Blarney Stone to the green Hill of Tara 

There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama."  

The Corrigan Brothers, who wrote it, hail from Limerick, Ireland, where earlier this year research into genealogical records unearthed the fact that Barack Obama had an Irish ancestor on his mother's side, Fulmuth Kearney, who emigrated from Ireland to Chicago just after the Great Famine in 1850. They put their version up on YouTube as a joke, where Shay Black discovered it. 

Black added some verses of his own, rounded up a few of the regulars at the Plough to sing along, and created an instant hit. He credited the Corrigans, but they weren't happy with the way it was done, and battling press releases have ensued, with ample coverage in the Irish press. The Corrigans asked Shay to take his video down, but he refused, issuing this statement: 

“Removing the song from YouTube now would remove all the links [to the video] that people are forwarding. For whatever reason, the song has tapped into a vein that is actually becoming a vibrant political movement amongst white Irish folks who may have found it difficult to vote for a black man. Forty six million people in the United States say they are ‘Irish’ and the song has made it easier to identify Obama as actually being Irish. Like JFK. I have been told that this song is the cause of a paradigm shift that could actually tip the balance in swing states in the election.” 

Whether it's a game-changer or not, the song, in all its iterations, is a big hit in some quarters, especially among Irish-American Obama fans. However, the Berkeley O'Malleys have asked that their name be substituted into the first verse, and that O'Reilly be deleted, since the O'Reillys, or at least Bill O'Reilly, haven't been looking too good lately. 


Developer’s Email: Give To Doran To Solidify Our Control of Council

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 03:01:00 PM

Berkeley developers are making a last-minute push to flood the coffers of Terry Doran as he battles to win the city council seat representing downtown Berkeley. 

The result, wrote one of Berkeley’s most prominent developers in an email to “friends and colleagues,” would solidify their control of the city council. 

In the digital epistle to fellow developers, Ali Kashani said Doran had “held off on receiving contributions from the development community previously because he did not want to suffer from the negative press the Daily Planet would provide. Now we are close enough to the election that Terry is ready for us to participate with him by donating.” 

Kashani emphasized his plea by hitting the “caps lock” key of his computer for the next sentence: “PLEASE CONTRIBUTE THE MAXIMUM $250 PER PERSON TO TERrY’S (sic) CAMPAIGN.” 

Once a developer for the non-profit housing sector, Kashani has joined the commercial sector, partnering with former city Land Use Planning Manager Mark Rhoades. One of their first projects is a planned five-story apartment at the corner of Ashby and San Pablo avenues. 

The developer told his colleagues that the race for the fourth district council seat is “the most important race right now, and probably in Berkeley’s last 20 years. We have an opportunity to elect Terry Doran who will solidify the very shaky majority that we currently have on the council.” 

Reached at his office Thursday afternoon, Kashani acknowledged sending the email. 

He said that while Doran had initially discouraged developer contributions, “he didn’t raise enough money to cope with your editor’s champion of the masses,” a reference to Jesse Arreguin, a rival candidate for the seat endorsed by Daily Planet Executive Editor Becky O’Malley. 

Asked about response to the email, Kashani said “I have a lot of responses from people who said they are going” to a Sunday afternoon fund-raiser for Doran, a former school board member who has been endorsed by every member of the current council except for Kriss Worthington. 

Worthington had been a close ally of Dona Spring, the Green Party activist who had held the seat until her death earlier this year. Two years ago, Spring had soundly defeated another developer-backed candidate. 

Kashani immediately surmised the reason for the call he received from a Daily Planet reporter. As soon as the journalist introduced himself, Kashani said, “You got my email. There were people on that list I knew would give it to you.” 

Kashani wrote the introductory paragraph to a longer text which he forwarded on from Doran campaign manager Merlin Edwards II. 

His statement in full: 

“We are entering the final two weeks of the election, and we have some VERY important races to consider. The most important race right now, and probably in Berkeley’s last 20 years, is District 4 (formerly held by Dona Spring). We have an opportunity to elect Terry Doran who will solidify the very shaky majority that we currently have on the Council. This is a watershed opportunity and if we miss it we will be subject to the same old Berkeley politics. Terry held off on receiving contributions from the development community previously because he did not want to suffer the negative press the Daily Planet would provide. Now we are close enough to the election that Terry is ready for us to participate with him by donating. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE THE MAXIMUM $250 PER PERSON TO TERrY’S CAMPAIGN. Terry is having a fundraising party this Sunday. Come if you can. If you can’t, send a check. His website is http://www.terrydoran4district4.com/donat.html.” 

When questioned about his claim that the pro-development majority on the council was “shaky,” Kashani laughed. 

 

Candidates respond 

“I was very surprised when I heard about it,” said Arreguin. “I think it really represents what’s at stake in this election. They really don’t want someone who’s an independent advocate for the community; they want a rubber stamp. He’s been a rubber stamp for their projects on ZAB. I will not be a rubber stamp.” 

Both Doran and Arreguin served on the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC), which drafted the initial version of a plan which the city council is scheduled to adopt in May. 

Arreguin’s positions on the committee closely tracked those of Spring, which Doran favored a minority view which called for a concentration of high rises in the city center, so-called “point towers” which Spring had criticized. 

Doran said that, contrary to Kashani’s email, he had never refused any developer contributions, nor had he discussed the issue with Kashani. 

“Maybe he is using that kind of rhetoric to encourage people who have not given me any money,” he said. 

Asked about his position on development, Kashani said, “Are you trying to suggest that the developers who have produced all this new housing in Berkeley are tainted or bad people? I have been a strong advocate of appropriate development on transit corridors.” 

Doran said “a great many environmentalists have agreed with me,” while Arreguin points to his own endorsement by the Sierra Club. 

Arreguin’s website is at www.jessearreguin.com. 


Willard Middle School on Alert after Trash Can Fire

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 03:15:00 PM

Middle School is investigating three small fires that started in a couple of trash cans in the school’s restrooms and an open garbage area in the garden during school hours Wednesday, district officials said. 

District spokesperson Mark Coplan said that no one was injured in the incident and that school authorities had started taking precautions by sending students to the restroom in groups. There was no damage to school property, Coplan said. 

“They have started to control access to the bathroom and are monitoring student safety,” he said. “No one has any clue yet as to what happened.” 

Calls to Willard Middle School Principal Robert Ithurburn were not returned. 

Coplan said the school did not have an idea yet about what could have started the fire since the matter was still under investigation.  

“I am assuming somebody lit them,” said Superintendent Bill Huyett when asked for comment about the incident. “The [ school] is restricting use of the bathrooms right now.” 

Berkeley Fire Department Chief Gil Dong said that the station had received a fire alarm activation at 2:22 p.m. on Wednesday, following which a fire engine and truck had been dispatched immediately. 

“I am waiting to get back more information,” he said, adding that the seriousness of a trash can fire depends on its impact. 

“If it burns down the building then it’s definitely serious, if it stays in the trash can then it’s a nuisance,” he said. “Somebody’s running around threatening students’ lives. I haven’t heard from the school yet but we need to get the word out that this is dangerous.” 

Coplan said that he had not come across trash can fires at middle schools in Berkeley during the last six years he had served as the district’s public information officer. 

“I have seen a couple at the high school though,” he said. In 2000, Berkeley High School reported a string of arson fires, at least one of which started in a trash can. 


Bates Leads Dean in Developer Funding

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:43:00 AM

If money is the mother’s milk of politics, as a legendary California Democrat once explained, then development is its cash cow. 

From the time of the railroads and their bankrolling of early Golden State elections down to today’s transit-oriented development schemes, the wallets of would-be builders have fueled many of the state’s most effective political campaigns. 

Add in the donations of suppliers, unions, lawyers, real estate brokers and banks which profit from their projects, and the development machine proves a formidable beast—even in a city like Berkeley. 

For proof, just look at the latest lists of donations fueling the city’s current mayoral race, where development interests have claimed a champion. 

The clear winner in the development cash sweepstakes is Mayor Tom Bates, who has collected at least $13,650 from those who stand to profit from more development. That accounts for nearly a third—31 percent—of his recorded $44,346.80 in contributions between July 1 and Sept. 30, putting him far ahead of rival Shirley Dean. 

That figure includes only those identified by a reporter as having industry ties, including: 

• Charles Adams, listed as an official of Strategic Economics, the firm which did the building height feasibility study for the pending Downtown Area Plan, $250; 

• Landlord and developer Michael Berkowitz, $250; 

• Council colleague and real estate broker Laurie Capitelli and spouse Marilyn—each gave the $250 maximum ($500 total); 

• Real estate broker Stephen Block, $100; 

• Michael Brodsky, an attorney who also owns a tile store and opposes the city’s existing Landmarks Preservation Ordinance, $250; 

• Developer Peter Buckey, $250; 

• Ed Church, who headed the aborted task force to build a large transit-oriented project at Ashby BART, $50; 

• Jim Clark, vice president of the Cornish & Casey commercial real estate brokerage, $100; 

• Former Chamber of Commerce president and developer Dennis Cohen, who gave $250; 

• UC Berkeley planning professor and founder of the Berkeley Planning Associates company Fred Collignon, who gave $100, as did spouse Joan; 

• Construction and General Laborers Local 304 PAC, who gave $250; 

• Caleb Dardick, a publicist who often represents developers and their projects, who gave $150; 

• Frank Davis Jr., president of the Black Property Owners Association, who gave $100; 

• Broker Tracy Davis, who gave $150; 

• Peter Diana, Massachusetts-based vice-president of the company developing the UC Berkeley-instigated downtown hotel project, who gave $250; 

• Electrical Workers Local 595 PAC, $250; 

• Broker/developer Dana Ellsworth, $250; 

• Transportation development planner Michael Fajans, $100; 

• Attorney and developer Bill Falik, $250; 

• SeagateProperties investor Dennis Fisco, $250; 

• Oliver and Co. construction manager Steven Friedland, $250; 

• “Smart growth” advocate and union organizer Mike Friedrich, $100; 

• Berkeley Chamber of Commerce CEO Ted Garrett, $100; 

• AC Transit administrator Jim Gleich, $250 (the agency wants to develop Bus Rapid Transit from Berkeley to San Leandro); 

• C.B. Godfrey of Curtis & Tompkins, a company which wants to change West Berkeley zoning to help it build a new facility, $250; 

• Judith Gonzalez-Massih, administrator of Kaza Massih Architects, $250; 

• Broker/developer John Gordon, $250; 

• Architect Mark Gorrell, $50; 

• Robert Hartman, general manager of Golden Gate Fields, which fought a losing battle to develop a major shopping center on its property in adjacent Albany, $250; 

• Broker Barbara Hendrickson, Red Oak Realty, $250; 

• Land use permit specialist Jennifer Hernandez of the law firm Holland and Knight, $250; 

• Real estate law specialist Robert Herr, $250; 

• Emeritus law and regional planning professor and former UC Berkeley Chancellor Michael Heyman, $250; 

• Developer Takeo Hirahara of Lamorinda Development, $250; 

• Developer Christopher Hudson, $250; 

• Elizabeth Jewel, a lobbyist for the firm headed by former Assemblymember Dion Aroner and which represented the failed shopping center development at Golden Gate Fields and which also represents the Houston Group, representatives of much of the state’s cement industry, and the Safeway Corporation, now planning 2 new stores in Berkeley, $250; 

• Developer and landlord John Line-weaver of Diablo Holdings and spouse Rose, who each gave $250 ($500 total); 

• Lobbyist Linda Muir, whose clients include Canadian-based Magna Entertainment, which owns Golden Gate Fields, $100; 

• Berkeley Hills Realty broker Nancy Mueller, $50; 

• Skylight & Sun, Inc. President Richard Nagler, $100; 

• Broker/developer John Norheim, $250; 

• John Oliver, Oliver & Co. Construction, $250; 

• Trina Ostrander, community relations manager for Bayer Healthcare, a major developer in West Berkeley, $250; 

• Real estate law specialist and Berkeley Planning Commissioner Harry Pollack, $250;  

• Wareham Development president Richard Robbins, $250; 

• Real estate broker David Ruegg, $250; • Construction and engineering consultant Andy Sabhlok, $250; 

• Planning Commission Chair and retired architect James Samuels, $250; 

• Real estate development and transit systems investor Kenneth J. Schmier of Emeryville, $250; 

• Bill Savidge, construction program director for the West Contra Costa County Unified School District, $100; 

• Marcia Smolens, a powerfully connected San Francisco lobbyist who represents real estate interests as well as Comcast, the city’s cable TV carrier, $250; 

• Rick Spickard of Oliver and Co. Construction, $250; 

• Planner and city planning commissioner David Stoloff, $250; 

• Oakland developer and California Commercial Group managing partner Phil Tagami, $250; 

• Architect David Trachtenberg, $250; 

• BCDC Executive director and Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee chair Will Travis, enthusiastic supporter of downtown “point towers,” $250; 

• Pacific Racing Association administrator Peter Tunney, operator of Golden Gates Fields, $250; 

• Architect Thomas Lee Turman, $100; 

• Architect Reza Valiyee, $250; 

• Truitt and White Lumber Co. owner Dan White, $200; 

• Architect and city landmarks preservation commissioner Steven Winkel, $250; 

• Oliver and Co. Construction administrator Marzette Woods, $250; 

• Broker/developer Donald Yost, $250. 

 

Opponent’s cash 

Dean, running against Bates for the council chair’s seat, has raised $18,704.99 in cash contributions from all sources, just 42 percent of the mayor’s total and less than $5,000 more than Bates raised from development-related sources alone. 

Dean, who was unseated as mayor by Bates six years ago, has raised only small amounts from identifiable development-related sources—$1,048, or 7.7 percent of the comparable sum raised by her rival. 

• Architect Christopher Adams, $50; 

• Barbara Allen, spouse of architect Bob Allen, gave $250; 

• Architect Henrik Bull, $50; 

• Cassandra Gaenger, executive assistant to Wareham Development president Richard K. Robbins, gave $99; 

• David Halligan, a civil engineer with Navigant Consulting (which does some construction-related energy consulting), $100; 

• Wareham president Richard Robbins, who gave Bates $250, gave Dean $99. 

• Ira Serkes of Pacific Union Real Estate gave $50; 

• Contractor David Webershapiro gave $250; 

• Mortgage consultant Robin Wright gave $100. 

 

Other financial support 

Only one council candidate has supported Dean: Sophie Hahn, who is challenging developer-backed incumbent and real estate broker Laurie Capitelli, has given her $250.  

Bates is backed by Terry Doran, the developer-friendly candidate seeking to fill the downtown City Council seat vacated by the death of Dona Spring; council colleagues Linda Maio and Gordon Wozniak; Nancy Skinner, former mayor and a shoe-in for the state assembly seat vacated by Bates’ spouse, Loni Hancock, and San Leandro councilmember Jim Prola. 

The mayor has also won the support of Nicky Gonzalez Yuen, who is running for reelection to the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees, and Assemblymember Betty Karnette, D-Long Beach. 

On the environmental front, Bates has the backing of Green Info Network Executive Director Larry Orman, housing coop organizer Jack Sawyer, and Sierra Club activist Norman La Force (who is also running for a seat on the East Bay Regional Parks District board). Dean is supported by Sylvia McLaughlin, founder of Save the Bay and perhaps the Bay Area’s most venerable living environmentalist. 

While Bates is favored by developers, Dean is backed by preservationists and neighborhood slow-growth advocates and supporters of the current city landmarks ordinance, though they can’t match the big bucks coming from developers. 

Their numbers include: 

• Susan Cerny, $75; 

• Susan Chase, $250; 

• Julie Dickinson, $150; 

• Gale Garcia, $100; 

• Kristin Leimkuhler, $50; 

• Roger Marquis, $250; 

• Dean Metzger, $250; 

• Merilee Mitchell, $250; 

• Martha Nicoloff, $100; 

• Janice Thomas, $250, and 

• Anne Wagley, city landmarks commissioner and Daily Planet arts and calendar editor, $250.  

And for both candidates, the single most common occupation reported is “retired.” 


School Board Candidates Focus on Achievement Gap

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:49:00 AM

The four Berkeley Board of Education candidates will face off at a debate hosted by the Berkeley PTA Council at Willard Middle School on Monday night. 

The 90-minute debate is the second of two debates the school board hopefuls will take part in. The first one, organized by the Berkeley Arts Magnet, was Oct. 1. 

Candidates have been vocal about a variety of issues, but the one that has often taken precedence is the role of the 2020 Vision in closing the achievement gap. 

A collaborative effort between the City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Unified School District, the 2020 Vision was launched in June to help remove barriers to educational equity for all students by 2020. 

School board President John Selawsky, who pushed for Vision 2020 and is running for reelection, said it was possibly the best plan the district had seen so far to close the achievement gap. 

“Keep in mind we don’t have a plan yet, it’s due in November,” Selawsky said. “Because we are including the city, UC Berkeley, community organizations and mental health and nutrition services, it is really comprehensive.” 

Berkeley High parent and community leader Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, a candidate for the board, said that the citywide equity task force would work only if the city and the community put their resources together to strive for change. 

Former Berkeley High parent Priscilla Myrick, also a candidate for the board, said that although the 2020 Vision had not actually presented a plan yet, she supported the creation of an integrated K-12 curriculum. 

“Creation of a plan is one listed strategy for moving forward according to 2020 Vision,” Myrick, who has coached students in reading and literacy for the last eight years, said. “I am not sure how the implementation will work. We need a comprehensive K-12 plan of articulated curriculum between school sites, grade levels, and between the regular school year and summer school.” 

Toya Groves, also a candidate, a case manager for at-risk youth at Berkeley Youth Alternatives, said that she was confident that the 2020 Vision would work. 

“I hope there will be a student representative on the advisory board as well,” Groves said. “The fact that people are changing their attitude toward low achieving students will help. I hope that once the initial sentiment is gone we will be able to push it down the line.” 

Selawsky described the federal No Child Left Behind Act as too punitive and short on funding. 

“If we took the punishment out and if we put in accountability, it might work,” he said. “However, there’s no real solution for schools once they fall behind.” 

Leyva-Cutler said she hoped that a shift in the country’s leadership would bring about a change in No Child Left Behind, which was put in place by the Bush government to address the achievement gap but has resulted in mandates some educators say are too stringent for students. 

“I agree with Barack Obama,” Myrick said. “The goal of No Child Left Behind was the right one—ensuring that all children can meet high standards—but the law has significant flaws that must be addressed. It is wrong to force teachers, principals and schools to accomplish the goals of No Child Left Behind without adequate resources.” 

Groves said she was hopeful that the law would be reevaluated and reassessed, especially with regards to hiring more teachers who could competently deal with Latinos and African-American students. 

Berkeley Unified was identified as a Program Improvement District under the No Child Left Behind Act two years ago when it was unable to meet participation targets for the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), which is based upon the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program and the California High School Exit Exam. 

The district is in its third year of Program Improvement because it did not meet performance targets for AYP in 2008.  

“In the United States there are other districts venturing into looking at different models of success; this is where the citywide equity task force will be instrumental in determining best practices and strategies to evaluate, assess and collect data on student and school performance,” Leyva-Cutler said, adding that aggressive outreach to parents on Program Improvement was necessary. 

Both Myrick and Leyva-Cutler agreed that that there was a growing recognition at the state and federal levels that sanctions requiring restructuring of schools often result in negative consequences. 

Selawsky said the district had already started dealing with Program Improvement. 

“Our two-year site plans are directly tied to student achievement,” he said. “That’s why the elementary schools have made improvements. We have to do the same thing in our middle schools.” 

Leyva-Cutler said that she believed that it was important to look outside standardized tests to measure student performance. 

“California has some of the highest standards in the country,” Myrick said. “If the STAR tests are not appropriately measuring student achievement in particular areas, then they certainly should be updated. However, this falls a little outside of the scope of responsibility of a school board director.” 

She added that although standardized test scores did not measure “the whole child,” its trends often gave an indication—however imperfect—about whether strategies to increase student academic achievement were actually working or needed to be revised. 

“Standardized tests are not an inaccurate measurement,” Selawsky said. “But the problem is the state and federal government rely too much on them. It’s a good thing that in Berkeley we see them in conjunction with other measurements, such as local assessments and grades.” 

Groves said she wanted to see more research showing that students who perform well in standardized tests at school go on to excel in college. 

“I want standardized tests to teach freedom of expression and true knowledge, not just discipline and obedience,” she said. 

The second school board candidates’ debate will be on Monday, Oct. 27, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Willard Middle School library, 2425 Stuart St. 


Students Remember Berkeley High Teacher

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:49:00 AM
Students created an altar at a memorial last Thursday for Berkeley High School teacher Kalpna Mistry who died in August.
By Riya Bhattacharjee
Students created an altar at a memorial last Thursday for Berkeley High School teacher Kalpna Mistry who died in August.

Pink and green ceramic tiles—stacks of them—lay outside Berkeley High’s Community Theater last Thursday, waiting to be used to make a table honoring one of the school’s newest but most-loved teachers, who died from a heart attack in August while she was in the Phillipines on a Fulbright Scholarship. 

Students, friends and family of Kalpna Mistry, who had joined Berkeley’s International Bacca-laureate program a year ago, gathered in the theater to share memories and celebrate her life, which although short left an indelible mark on a remarkable number of people. 

“It’s for Ms. Mistry,” said Berkeley High sophomore Maisy Bolgatz, using her Squeeze pen to draw a simple pattern of hearts and flowers on a blank tile. Bolgatz was in Mistry’s Global Studies class last year and came up with the idea of a ceramic tile table along with her classmate Vivian Ponte-Fritz. 

“We were thinking of doing a mosaic at first—a portrait of her—but we decided that since there were so many people who wanted to contribute that it will be better to do a table,” said Ponte-Fritz, who performed Bharatnatyam, a classical Indian dance, at the end of the memorial. 

The table will be placed in the school library or in the gallery in Building C where students’ artwork is displayed, she said. 

The line leading to the tiles grew longer every minute with Mistry’s family, cousins, students and colleagues pausing to write something or admire someone else’s handiwork. 

“English class is fun and I really miss you and I know you are watching always, L. Mills,” wrote sophomore Latifah Mills with a green pen. 

Kalpna’s sisters Priya and Rakhee Mistry stood nearby watching her. 

“The students have been fantastic,” Priya said. “I was sitting with the students hearing about Kalpna and it’s easy to see that even though she has been here for only a year she has made a big impression on them.” 

She later told the audience that although Mistry made her students answer some tough questions during their last finals, she always wanted them to have fun. 

“After question 22, she writes: ‘Now whisper your favorite ice cream,’” Priya said, reading aloud from one of Mistry’s tests. “After question 26, she writes: ‘Now say mmmm’ ... She loved you guys. I want you to leave here today knowing that you gave her an opportunity to do what she loved—teach.” 

Mistry’s mother Ramaben Mistry looked at an altar the school had put together to display some of Kalpna’s favorite things. Among the green and red bangles, Indian jewelry and saree, books—one of them was “Sally Goes to Sea” written by Kalpana when she was in elementary school—and the awards she had won was a travel book on the Philippines. 

“That’s because she went on that trip to the Philippines,” she said, pausing. 

Mistry’s sisters told the Planet that although no definite conclusion had been drawn about what happened on that fateful day two months back when Mistry died, autopsy results had revealed that she had been born with small arteries, a condition they said the family had been previously unaware of but had also been present in their grandfather. 

Mistry’s parents Amratlal and Ramaben immigrated to the United States from Zambia in 1976, following which her father started a photography studio in the Bay Area. When competition from digital photography forced Amratlal Mistry to close his business two years ago, he took up a job with Sears. Mistry, who graduated from Mountain View High School, pursued a bachelor’s degree in social welfare and international development studies from UC Berkeley, graduating in 2003 and went on to get her master’s degree in education from Harvard University four years later. 

Mistry’s husband Sidarth Khoshoo was also at last Thursday’s memorial. 

“From a very young age she was interested in education,” Mistry’s mother said. “She was always upfront and as she grew up she had a lot of friends. And she loved books. Actually she had so many books that she had to give them away to the library.” 

Nestled among some of Mistry’s favorite food—strawberries, cookies, Indian sweetmeats and chai—was “Kaffir Boy” by Mark Mathabane, a book about a young black boy’s coming to age in apartheid South Africa, and Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs and Steel.” 

Mistry’s wall clock, which never had the standard time but simply said “time to learn,” lay next to a deity of Ganesh. 

Students and teachers of the International Baccalaureate program spoke about Mistry’s quest for social justice and her painstaking efforts to close the achievement gap at Berkeley High. 

“When I think of Kalpna, all these images flash through my mind,” said Ross Parker, one of Mistry’s colleagues. “When I walk past her room everyday I feel I will still see her in her Cal sweatshirt, with her scarf on even if it’s 80 degrees outside, making gigantic packets for the freshmen or arranging dinner for a group of parents ... I realized that there was something very different about Kalpana because she didn’t wait for anyone to ask for her help. If there was a way to connect she would reach out to make that happen.” 

Berkeley High Principal Jim Slemp described Mistry as “an extraordinary teacher and friend,” an advocate for the underdogs. 

Mistry’s former students Lucy Sundelson and Rina Li described how Mistry worked hard to put together a trip to Sacramento earlier this year to protest Gov. Arnold Schwarzenenger’s proposed budget cuts to state education funds. 

“She would only eat a bite or two at lunch,” Sundelson said, describing Mistry’s dedication to her students. “She once told me that her lunch consisted of five almonds because her students had to talk to her.” 

Two funds have been created in Mistry’s honor: The Kalpna Mistry Memorial Fund, which will support a summer institute for entering freshmen at Berkeley High School, and the Kalpna Mistry Memorial Fellowship Fund at Harvard University, which will be directed toward teachers who wish to work with youth on behalf of increasing social justice in the world.


UCPD Arrests Two Students For Clark Kerr Armed Robbery

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:50:00 AM

UC Berkeley police arrested one current and one former member of the Cal Bears football team on Monday in connection with the Sept. 30 break-in robbery of two students in their suite at the university’s Clark Kerr residential complex. 

Authorities said that they believed the robbery had been motivated by a desire for retaliation against racial slurs made at an off-campus party on Sept. 27 by a white member of the university’s crew team, which the two suspects had learned about second-hand. 

The desire for revenge turned into a case of mistaken identity when the suspects robbed two members of the UC Berkeley crew team whom university police said the suspects had thought to be the ones making the slurs, but who apparently were not. 

R.J. Garrett and Gary Doxy, both 21-year-old African Amer-ican undergraduates at UC Berkeley who live off-campus, have been arrested and charged with robbery and attempted robbery, Lt. Doug Wing of UCPD’s Investigative Unit said Wednes-day. 

Garrett, who was a fullback in the football team, was also arrested and charged with possession of an illegal, stolen weapon, Wing said. He was suspended from the Cal Bears football team immediately after his arrest, authorities said. 

A honors student at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, Garrett is the son of Robert Garrett, the head football coach at Crenshaw. 

Doxy, a junior, was a former defensive back for the team who was dismissed this summer for violating team rules, according to the school. 

A resident of Long Beach, Doxy graduated from Long Beach Poly, according to his profile on the university’s athletic website. The two were taken into custody by UCPD without incident after a warrant was issued by an Alameda County Superior Court judge.  

In an unrelated incident in September 2005, Doxy was injured by a bullet that grazed his wrist in a shooting close to campus which killed Meleia Willis-Starbuck, 19. 

Garrett was released from custody after posting $60,000 bail Monday. Doxy—whose bail has been set at $50,000—is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. 

Both students will face student conduct charges in addition to criminal charges. 

“I know that the entire Cal Athletics community shares my profound disappointment in the wake of these incidents,” said the university’s Athletic Director Sandy Barbour in a statement. “They are contrary to everything we stand for. The suspension of the implicated student-athletes should be viewed as an initial step. It is now my responsibility to make sure that every member of our athletic program fully understands the extent to which these behaviors were, and will always be, completely unacceptable.” 

Three days before the robbery took place, Garrett and Doxy went to a party at a residential house off-campus, which the two victims also attended, Wing said. 

A white male crew member, whose name police have not released, who had been drinking at the party, made comments and racial slurs which were overheard by a black female student athlete standing close to him. 

“She believed that the comments might have been directed toward her but even if they were not, they were inappropriate anyway,” Wing said. “There was a confrontation at the party and then everybody went their own way.” 

Wing said that although both the victims, who are also crew members, were at the party, they did not take part in making the comments. 

“Neither knew about the racial slurs,” Wing said. 

On Sept. 30, Wing said two men police believe to be Garrett and Doxy entered the bedroom of the two 18-year-old students through an open kitchen window and held them at gun point. 

The two suspects then proceeded to steal a laptop, a laptop bag and computer accessories after which they fled. The residents were not injured. UCPD said that the suspects had used a BB gun during the robbery. 

“Through our investigation we managed to tie the two suspects to the racial slurs,” Wing said. “There were things that led us to believe that the two incidents were connected. The two suspects had heard about the incident at the party and were trying to even the score card.” 

Wing said a number of students had come forward to help with the investigation and to provide substantial evidence that led to the arrests. 

“We reiterate our deep sympathies for the victims of the robbery and hope this case is resolved judiciously,” the university’s Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Harry LeGrande said in a statement, “Obviously, we are greatly saddened whenever UC Berkeley students are involved in a criminal act, whether as victims or suspects.” 

UC Berkeley’s Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion Gibor Basri condemned the racial slurs in a statement. 

“The campus has made it clear through our Principles of Community that racial slurs are deplorable and unacceptable, and that is why we have mechanisms in place to deal with such incidents,” he said. 

Campus officials have suspended the student who made the racial slurs at the party shortly after the incident. He is facing student conduct charges. 

 


Hahn Tops Incumbent in Funds, but Developers Favor Capitelli

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:50:00 AM

Incumbent Laurie Capitelli represents District Five, covering central northern Berkeley, and is facing a difficult race in which his opponent, Sophie Hahn, has raised nearly twice as much campaign funding. 

But Capitelli is the candidate of choice for the donors from development-related businesses, topping Hahn’s contributions from that sector by a factor of nine-to-one. 

As of Sept. 30, Capitelli had reported $17,965 in contributions, compared to Hahn’s $30,760. 

A former high school teacher turned real estate broker, Capitelli is relying heavily on development-sector funding for the race. 

At least $6,325 of his contributions come from individuals with a financial interest in development and the sale of real estate, accounting for 35.2 percent of his donors. 

Those contributors include: 

• Jim Novosel, architect and city planning commissioner, $100; 

• Developer and broker John Norheim, $125; 

• Grubb Co. Broker Susie Schevill, $100; 

• Architect David Trachtenberg, $250; 

• Developer and broker Donald Yost, $250; 

• Architect and city zoning board member Bob Allen, $250; 

• Judy Boe, a broker with Capitelli’s own firm, $50; 

• John Gutierrez, prominent land use attorney who often handles appeals to the City Council, $250; 

• Chip Harley, contractor with Holland & Harley, $250; 

• Ken Holland, contractor and Harley’s partner, $50; 

• Red Oak Realty broker Billy Karp, $100; 

• Red Oak Realty broker Lori Kyle, $250; 

• Berkeley Hills Realty broker Nancy Mueller, $50; 

• Bayer Healthcare community relations manager Trina Ostrander, $250; 

• Planning commissioner Harry Pollack, $100; 

• Mortgage broker Jon Riccardi, MPR financial, $250; 

• Planning commission chair James Samuels, a retired architect, $50; 

• Berkeley Design Advocates secretary David Snippen, $100; 

• Real estate broker Marjorie Sperber, $250; 

• Attorney R.C. Wong, who has handled Berkeley development cases, $100; 

• Developer Christopher Hudson, $250; 

• Mortgage financier Paul Riccardi, $250; 

• Fourth Street developer/builder Denny Abrams, $250; 

• UC Berkeley development official Janet Collins, $100; 

• Transit-oriented development advocate Mike Friedrich, $100; 

• Planning commissioner and retired planner David Stoloff, $250; 

• Steve Yoshimura of Nakamura Realty $100; 

• Real estate broker Ury Beary, $250; 

• Lamorinda Development executive Tak Hirahara, $250; 

• Barbara Ellis, political strategist from Aroner, Jewel & Ellis, $50; 

• Elizabeth Jewel of the same firm, $100; 

• UC Berkeley planning professor Fred Collignon, $100; 

• Attorney and developer Bill Falik, $250; 

• Berkeley Hills Realty broker Gary Austin, $50; 

• Berkeley Hills Realty broker Peter Damm, $100; 

• AC Transit planner Tony Brussone, $150; 

• Berkeley Chamber of Commerce CEO Ted Garrett, $50; 

• Architect Edward Anisman of Interactive Resources, a construction engineering firm, $100; 

• Political strategist Caleb Dardick, who often represents developers, $150. 

 

 

Teece donation 

Capitelli’s most interesting supporter, giving the maximum $250, is David Teece, a very wealthy UC Berkeley business professor, business consultant and owner of several businesses in the U.S. and New Zealand. 

Teece was also the silent partner of Patrick Kennedy in many of the downtown apartment buildings recently sold by Kennedy’s Panoramic Interests LLC to a firm controlled by Sam Zell, who is also the new owner of the Los Angeles Times and other Tribune Co. papers. 

His partnership with Kennedy makes him one of Berkeley’s biggest developers, other than the university itself. 

Teece has also been fighting a battle with the IRS, which claims he used illegal ruses to deprive the government of millions in taxes. 

 

Elective newcomer 

A lawyer turned social activist, Hahn is mounting a formidable and well-funded challenge. 

Capitelli’s opponent has targeted her foe as a developer, and her financing relies far less on pro-development funding, which amounts to only $2,000, or 6.5 percent of her total campaign war chest as of Sept. 30. 

Identifiable development-related donors include: 

• Guerneville architect Dirck Bass, $150; 

• Paul Boyce of Architrave Carpentry, $100; 

• Aloha Bay realty broker Philippa Feldman, $50; 

• Jewish Community Housing for Elders executive Ellen Feingold of Waban, Mass., $250; 

• Architect Joanne Koch, $250; 

• Architect Caitlin Lempres Brostrom, $250; 

• Architect Donald McDonald, $250; 

• Laurie Palepu, real estate developer for Studio Salons, Inc. of Newton, Mass. $100; 

• New York real estate developer Doug Platt, $100; 

• Dewayne Sherill, R.D. Sherill, Inc., contractors, $250; 

• Realtor Patricia Swift of the Grubb Co., $250; 

Hahn, the daughter of a UC Berkeley history professor, is evidently the candidate of choice for history professors, from UC Berkeley and other universities, as well as for Steven Newhouse, who runs the internet division of a privately held print media empire that includes both the newspapers run under the family name and the Code Nast publications. 

 


Four Candidates Battle For District 4 Vacancy

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:51:00 AM

In the battle to replace the late Dona Spring in the city’s fourth council district, only one of the four candidates in the running is a strongly pro-development advocate. 

Former school board member and current zoning board member Terry Doran has raised $11,764 in contributions by Sept. 30 and won the endorsements of Mayor Tom Bates and every member of the current City Council except Kriss Worthington—who often found himself paired with Spring in dissenting votes. 

On the citizen panel that developed the first draft of Berkeley’s pending new downtown plan, Doran advocated the same policies favored by the opponent whom Spring trounced in her re-election bid two years ago. 

Raudel Wilson, a banking executive who had been backed by the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce’s political action committee, had served on the same Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee as Doran and his best-funded opponent for the vacant seat, Jesse Arreguin. 

The other two candidates, community activists LA [sic] Wood and Asa Dodsworth, have similar positions to Spring’s. 

Arreguin, who is also seeking reelection to the city’s rent stabilization board, reported nearly as much in contributions as Doran—$11,034—including one from Councilmember Worthington, who had appointed him to DAPAC and for whom he has worked as a legislative aide. 

Many of the contributions of the two fund-raising leaders parallel the patterns of support when the two were members of the citizen panel charged with drafting a new plan for the downtown Berkeley-Spring’s council district. 

That citizen panel was appointed by the City Council, with three additional members drawn from the city planning commisssion. 

With Arreguin, the majority of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC) voted for a plan favored a lower-skyline version that allowed only a few taller buildings and preserved more of the district’s historic character. 

The minority, including Doran, favored a denser, taller downtown—concentrating there most of the permissible housing growth mandated for the city by regional government in taller, denser buildings, including up to 14 “point towers”—16-story apartments—and condo-over-commercial high-rises. 

Both sides said their alternative held the best hope of revitalizing the downtown as a vibrant commercial district serving the needs of local residents as well enriching a regional entertainment center. 

The critics held that the minority’s proposal would fail to provide affordable housing for Berkeley’s blue- and white-collar employment housing while placing heavy burdens on surrounding low-rise residential neighborhoods by filling the new apartments and condos with students in the rentals and with the whitest of collars and the even-more-more affluent retirees in the condos. 

Spring’s views accorded with those of the DAPAC majority, and Arreguin has won contributions from many of the other committee members, including Berkeley Planning Commissioner Gene Poschman, Juliet Lamont and Winston Burton. 

Doran has contributions from DAPAC chair Will Travis and fellow minority members Dorothy Walker (a former UC Berkeley developer), Linda Schacht and planning commission chair James Samuels. 

DAPAC member Carole Kennerly, who typically voted with the minority members on development issues, gave money to both leading candidates, but as of Sept. 30 had given twice as much to Arreguin, $100, as to Doran. 

Raudel Wilson’s DAPAC votes had generally sided with the high density minority, though he quit the planning committee and moved out of town shortly after his resounding defeat by Spring. 

LA [sic] Wood, who operates the Berkeleycitizen.org web site, reported $1,750 in contributions. 

Dodsworth, a Food Not Bombs activist and community organized, reported $1,033 in contributions, including T-shirts he donated and a loan from his father.  


Only One Major Fund-Raiser In Three City Council Races

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:52:00 AM

Incumbents in two Berkeley council races didn’t raise a dime by the end of the Sept. 30 reporting period and only one candidate filed in opposition, leaving District Three’s Max Anderson without a foe.  

In District Two, one challenger did file against Darryl Moore, property manager Jon Crowder, but he reported no campaign contributions up to the end of the filing period. 

That left the only remaining financially contested contest in District Six, where retiring councilmember Betty Olds has endorsed her aide, planning commissioner Susan Wengraf. 

Opposing Wengraf is Phoebe Anne Sorgen, a teacher and community activist endorsed by Councilmembers Anderson and Kriss Worthington. Wengraf has won the endorsements of the rest of the council. 

With $21,095 in reported contributions, Wengraf has outraised Sorgen by nearly 11 to 1. While Sorgen lists a total of $12,300 received during the reporting, the lion’s share—$10,350—came in the form of a loan from the candidate’s own pockets. 

None of the $1,950 remainder came from development interests, while Wengraf received substantial funding from that sector. 

Among her contributors were  

• UC Berkeley facilities mitigation manager Tom Klatt, $100; 

• Planning commissioner and attorney Harry Pollack, $100; 

• Development consultant David Shiver of Bay Area Economics, $150; 

• UC Berkeley law professor and developer Bill Falik, $250; 

• Millstein & Associates real estate broken Gene Millstein, $100; 

• Grubb Co. real estate broker Susie Schevill, $100; 

• Julie Nachtway, Pacific Union Realty. $50; 

• Caleb Dardick, a consultant who often represents developments, $150; 

• Kate Funk, economist with Keyser Marston Associates, which is involved in development projects, $100; 

• UC Berkeley planning professor Fred Collignon, $100; 

• Real estate executive Richard Dishnica of the Dishnica Co., $250; 

• Land use attorney John Gutierrez, $250; 

• Architect Jeffrey Horowitz, $250; 

• Architect Christopher Adams, $50; 

• Real estate law specialist Frederic Harvey, $250; 

• Realtor Barbara Hendrickson, $250; 

• Planning commission chair and retired architect James Samuels, $50; 

• Realtor and developer Donald Yost, $100; 

• Property owner and rent control foe Robert Cabrera, $250; 

• Interior designer Nina Radisch, $100; 

• Berkeley Chamber of Commerce CEO Ted Garrett, $50; 

• Urban economist Marian Wolfe, employed by planning firm Vernazza Wolfe Associates, $50; 

• Real estate broker/developer Michael Korman, Korman & Ng, $250; 

• Contractor Alan Block, $50; 

• California Environmental Quality Act law specialist Fran Layton, $100. 

The total of $3,750 represents 21 percent of Wengraf’s total contributions. 


Berkeley Rep Raises $6,000 To Help Student Newspaper

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:52:00 AM

The Berkeley Rep announced last Thursday that it had raised $6,000 at the world premiere of Yellowjackets to help the Berkeley High School student newspaper, The Jacket, stay afloat. 

The Planet reported in August that the Jacket, an award-winning bi-weekly non-profit independent paper which has about 50 student editors, reporters, photographers, and business staff members, was in danger of folding next year due to rising print and mailing costs and a bleak economic scenario. 

Stephanie Ratcliff, the Jacket’s business manager, said the article had helped to inform the community about the Jacket’s problem, following which Berkeley residents and local businesses had stepped up to help the ailing paper. 

“I definitely want to thank the Berkeley Daily Planet,” Ratcliff said over a telephone interview. “The article helped to put the Yellowjackets in touch with our situation. We also got a lot of wonderful response from the community.” 

The Jacket, Ratcliff said, had raised $20,000 on its own over the last few months by raising subscription fees and advertising. 

During her interview with the Planet in August, Ratcliff had said that printing expenses for the paper could run up to $12,000 and $16,000 every year—with individual issues costing between $800 to $1,000 to print—and that Jacket staff were hoping to raise between $8,000 and $10,000 through community outreach. 

“It’s really wonderful that we have $6,000 from the Rep,” she said. “We have enough money for this year already but we won’t have to worry about our future generations. There won’t be a need to scramble for resources.” 

The paper, which typically prints 2,600 copies for every issue, around 200 of which are distributed to subscribers and the rest free-of-cost to students, also reported a drop in advertising and subscriptions, according to former staff members. 

Ratcliff said that the paper had raised annual subscription rates from $70 to $80. The subscription price for one semester is $55 and sponsors pay $225. 

“A lot of people are actually paying the full subscription fee now instead of just making a donation,” Ratcliff said. “We are comfortable now but still worried about the future.” 

Susan Medak, managing director of Berkeley Rep, said that she had read a news report about the Jacket’s financial problems during a Yellowjackets rehearsal which initiated an effort to save the paper. 

“We have a special interest in all things Berkeley but a particular interest in the Jacket because the play Yellowjackets highlighted the value of a student newspaper,” she said. “We are blessed in Berkeley to have an unusual student newspaper. We [the Berkeley Rep] are about words and we want to see good journalism continue in this community and other communities. We think it’s important to encourage young journalists. There are times when we have the opportunity to be a bull pulpit and this was one of those times when we had an opportunity to help another non-profit.” 

Medak said the Rep raised the money through old-fashioned civic engagement: by asking their patrons to donate money in a coffee can on their way out of the theater. 

“People have responded with tremendous generosity,” she said. “They've already contributed $6,150—enough to keep the paper alive for at least another year—and there are still five shows left in the show's run." 

Written by Berkeley native Itamar Moses, the play Yellowjackets takes a look at racial tensions which surface at Berkeley High—Moses’ alma mater—when the school paper publishes an insensitive story which leaves students and teachers perplexed. 

Moses, 31, reported for the Jacket as a teenager and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

The cast of Yellowjackets presented a check to the Jacket’s staff during a special ceremony after their final performance Sunday. 

To contact the Jacket, e-mail faculty advisor Matt Carton at mcarton@berkeley.k12.ca.us.


John Muir Helps Students By Saluting Legends

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:53:00 AM

Berkeley’s oldest surviving public school will honor its past on Sunday to preserve its future. 

John Muir Legends is an effort to re-connect John Muir Elementary School’s alumni and raise funds to sustain the school’s P.E. program and begin planning for the school’s 100th anniversary in 2015. 

Parents, teachers and students will pay a tribute to Sheila and Toby Schwartzburg, who helped to save the school in the ‘70s when the Berkeley Unified School District was considering tearing it down pursuant to the Field Act—which prohibits classes from being held in seismically unsafe buildings—instead of retrofitting it. 

“In 1976 when the school district was going to close John Muir we convinced them to save the school and retrofit it on the basis that a school with such beautiful architecture was worth saving,” Sheila said. 

With the help of a group of parents the Schwartzburgs also raised around $4,200 to save the 1921 murals on the walls. The murals were removed, cleaned and stored by a professional art conservator and reinstalled in the retrofitted school in 1980.  

Painted by Ray F. Coyle, a John Muir parent and renowned California artist who was inspired by the style of Maxfield Parrish and Andrew Wyeth, the murals portray childhood favorites such as Mother Goose, the old woman who lived in a shoe, and Robin Hood and his merry men and the school’s namesake John Muir standing in a sea of poppies with Spanish explorers. 

“It’s one of those things you look back and realize you are so glad you did,” Schwartzburg said. “We wanted to save them from the wrecking ball that would tear down the interior rooms.” 

The parents also rallied to save the original slate blackboards during the retrofit.  

Marilee Enge, a John Muir parent who helped coordinate the Legends event, said the school was inviting everyone to share memories of the school. 

The only one of the five Berkeley schools built in 1915 that exists today, John Muir’s half-timbered style was specifically picked to blend in with the old-world charm of its surroundings and create a comforting informal atmosphere for children. 

Lydia Atterbury, who studied under Maria Montessori in Italy, taught in the school’s kindergarten room when it first opened, making John Muir possibly the first public school in California to use the Montessori method, Enge said. 

According to architectural historian Anthony Bruce, John Muir’s auditorium is “one of Berkeley’s most impressive interiors,” which embodies the Craftsman ideal and the use of handcrafted materials, honestly expressed and in harmony with the landscape. 

John Muir will also honor Don Arreola-Burl, the school’s former coach who taught PE at the school for a decade for his leadership and for making every child feel special on the athletic fields. He now teaches at Washington Elementary. 

The school’s PE program is run by the Oakland non-profit Sports-4-Kids and costs $9,000 annually. 

Locke Jaeger, John Muir’s former PTA president whose two children currently attend the school, said although elementary school teachers in California are required to teach P.E. to students, it leaves them with very little time to focus on the rest of the curriculum. 

“With the state budget cuts to schools, money is scarce and the funds for P.E. had to be re-routed to other programs,” Jaeger said. “So the PTA picked up the funding.” 

Although Sports-4-Kids doesn’t charge for each child individually, Jaeger said it would roughly cost $100 for each child if the total expenses for the program were broken down. 

“It doesn’t seem a lot, but for PTAs—which have to spend money on so many things—it’s a big piece,” she said. 

Coach Don said he was delighted that the funds from Sunday’s event would go towards the school’s P.E. program 

“I think P.E. is really important,” he said. “You don’t have to be the fastest kid or the strongest kid, but it really helps if you have the confidence. I think P.E. really stresses that.” 

John Muir Legends, Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the John Muir Auditorium ($40 per person), John Muir Elementary School, 2955 Claremont Ave. RSVP to Locke Jaeger at 967-6215 or 653-676, e-mail: lockesj@comcast.net 

 

 

 


Teacher Resigns in Creationism Controversy

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:53:00 AM

A Jefferson Elementary School third-grade teacher has resigned following allegations that she might have violated the separation of church and state by teaching creationism to her third-grade class, district officials said Friday. 

District Superintendent Bill Huyett confirmed that Jefferson teacher Gwen Martin—who joined the school over summer and has been on personal leave since the last week of September—resigned but declined to comment on the outcome of the investigation regarding her alleged conduct in class, explaining that it was a personnel matter. 

“She [Martin] resigned a little bit ago,” he said. “I can’t comment on that [investigation].” 

Parents of children who attend Jefferson Elementary School told the Planet that Martin was discussing the differences between fiction and non-fiction with her students on Aug. 29 when she told them that the only thing they should believe in was God. 

They said that Martin had also told the students that she didn’t believe in evolution or the Big Bang theory either. 

A group of parents at Jefferson, worried that the teacher’s alleged actions violated their civil liberties, complained to Jefferson’s new principal, Maggie Riddle, and the issue ultimately reached the Berkeley Board of Education and the superinten-dent. 

Messages left at Jefferson Friday for Riddle and Martin by the Planet were not returned by deadline. 

The Planet reported earlier this month that school board President John Selawsky had confirmed that the district was investigating the allegations against Martin, and that if they turned out to be true, the district would likely seek some form of discipline against her. 

When reached Friday, Selawsky also refused comment on the outcome of the investigation, citing personnel issues. 

“The teacher has resigned and we have posted the position,” he said. “I don’t have any other comment. It has yet to come to the board for final approval but the superintendent has accepted her resignation.” 

Selawsky added that a substitute teacher had been assigned to fill Martin’s position until a replacement could be found for her. 

The courts have ruled that public schools may not sponsor religious worship, but they may teach about religion as an academic subject without teaching dogma.


Voter’s Guide to Berkeley Measures HH and JJ

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:54:00 AM

MEASURE HH City Expenditures 

Shall the appropriation limit under Article XIIIB of the California Constitution (or ceiling on city expenditures) be increased to allow for the expenditure of taxes previously approved by voters for parks maintenance; libraries; emergency medical services (EMS); and emergency services for severely disabled persons for fiscal years 2009 through 2012? 

Majority Approval Required 

City of Berkeley Measure HH is a product of the so-called Gann Initiative, the Constitution amendment originally passed by California voters as Proposition 4 in 1979 during the Prop 13 tax revolt era. 

Under these measures, California cities may raise property taxes for specific city projects through a two-thirds majority vote of its citizens. But, in order to maintain those raised taxes, the cities are required to have them renewed by a majority vote of city residents every four years. In separate ballot measures between 1988 and 1998, Berkeley residents voted by two-thirds majority to raise city property taxes for libraries, city parks (1997), emergency medical services (1997), and emergency services for severely disabled persons. Rather than having separate ballot measures to renew each of these tax increases, the City of Berkeley has combined the four projects into one renewal measure. That’s what Berkeley voters will be voting on in Measure HH. If approved, the raised tax revenue will continue to be in existence through 2012. 

The measure has drawn some hyperbole from proponents. 

In their ballot argument in favor of Measure HH, Mayor Tom Bates, Councilmember Darryl Moore, Berkeley Library Trustees Chair Therese Powell, Center for Independent Living Executive Director Jan Garrett, and City of Berkeley Disaster & Fire Safety Commission Chair Zachary Weiner all argue that “if Measure HH does not pass, the City will lose tens of millions of dollars in already approved tax revenue—forcing dramatic reductions in city services.” And in the companion rebuttal argument to the argument against HH, Bates, Powell, Councilmembers Laurie Capitelli and Gordon Wozniak, and North Berkeley Hills resident Barbara Allen calls the anti-HH campaign a “backdoor attempt to subvert the will of the voters,” adding that “the opponents of Measure HH do not accept the will of an overwhelming majority of Berkeley voters and are now attempting to overturn their decisions by denying the reauthorization of these voter-approved revenues.”  

Both of these arguments are a little disingenuous. 

While rejection of Measure HH would mean a reduction in some level of city services (opponents put the amount at $25 million while proponents say it amounts to “tens of millions of dollars”), it is not true that this will mean a reduction in “already approved tax revenue.” The various measures by which Berkeley voters approved the original property tax increases were done so only for a specified time period, with the understanding that voters would be able to come back when the time period expired to approve or disapprove renewal. The time period of the original measures has expired. And since that is the case, opposition to Measure HH cannot properly be called a “subversion of the will of the voters” or an attempt to “overturn” previous decisions by voters, since Berkeley voters earlier expressed their will on the property tax increases under ballot language that specifically said that such re-evaluation would later come back to them. 

Prop HH opponents (which include Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations President Marie Bowman, Council of Neighborhood Associations Laurie Bright, Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association President Dean Metzger, Le Conte Neighborhood Association President Karl Reeh, Oregon Street Neighborhood Watch member Betty Hicks, CAN Vice-President David Krasnor, former Housing Advisory Commission Chair Gregory Harper, Blake and California streets neighborhood activist Robert Baum, and Berkeley Property Owners Association President James Kilpatrick), do not argue that the city services to be supported by Measure HH (parks maintenance, libraries, emergency medical services [EMS], and emergency services for severely disabled persons) are bad services that should be eliminated. Instead, the opponents are arguing that the City of Berkeley has essentially engaged in a “bait-and-switch” operation over the years. 

“Yes, we approved these taxes in the past,” the ballot argument against Measure HH reads, “but we were deceived. We thought we could get improved streets, parks, EMT and other services. Instead, what the City did, was for every penny we added as additional taxes, the City took away City funding. So the amount of funding for these essential services has not increased. This is why, although we are paying for more taxes, we don’t receive better services. Council has used our regular tax dollars to pay for pet projects, and then asked us to pay for essential services.” 

Opponents conclude that “it’s time to tell the City to prioritize essential services.” 

It would seem that this is the heart of the battle over Measure HH, and how voters can make their decision. 

For those who believe that the Measure HH services (parks maintenance, libraries, emergency medical services) are overfunded, not important, or not as important as other city services, the decision is easy. Vote no on Measure HH, and funding for those services will be reduced. 

For those who think the Measure HH services are some of the most important in the city—and also think that Berkeley’s tax rates are within reason—the decision is also easy. Vote yes on Measure HH, and both the funding for the HH measures and Berkeley’s current property tax rate will remain the same. 

For those who support the Measure HH services, but believe the opponents’ “bait-and-switch” argument, the decision is more difficult. Those voters will have to gamble that if Measure HH is voted down, City Council will continue to support the Measure HH services at something near their present level by making cuts in other parts of the city budget, either voluntarily or under pressure from Berkeley citizens. 

MEASURE JJ Medical Marijuana 

Shall the City’s ordinances be amended to eliminate limits on medical marijuana possessed by patients or caregivers; establish a peer review group for medical marijuana collectives to police themselves; and permit medical marijuana dispensaries as a matter of right under the zoning ordinance rather than through a use permit subject to a public hearing? 

Majority Approval Required 

If Measure JJ looks awfully familiar to Berkeley voters, there’s a good reason. The issue originally appeared on the November 2004 ballot as Measure R, with Alameda County declaring the measure a loser by 191 votes out of more than 50,000 cast. Measure R proponents filed a lawsuit charging that the ballots were improperly tallied by the old Diebold electronic voting machines. But in large part because the machines were returned to Diebold and erased, thus making it impossible to verify if the count had been accurate, a Superior Court judge ordered the measure put back on the ballot for this November. 

So here we are again. 

Measure JJ adjusts the laws governing legal medical marijuana growing and dispensation in Berkeley in several ways.  

To help the city regulate existing medical marijuana dispensaries and to try to ensure that new dispensaries have a proper management and safety plan, Measure JJ proposes establishing something called a Peer Review Committee for such purposes. The Peer Review Committee will consist of appointed representatives of the marijuana dispensaries themselves, and will have no enforcement powers, only the power to make referrals back to city officials. While this would not eliminate the Berkeley Police Department from the regulation and law enforcement process, it would appear to serve to put the police in more of a criminal law enforcement mode with regard to the dispensaries, rather than the city’s first line of regulation. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to voters to decide. 

The measure would raise the amount of marijuana that a single medical marijuana user could keep or grow in the City of Berkeley, as well as limiting the amount in the possession of a dispensary itself, substituting a statutory quantity for “a reasonable quantity of dried cannabis and cannabis plants to meet the medical needs of patient members.” If Berkeley residents who use marijuana for medical purposes need more marijuana than is called for in the present Berkeley ordinance, the raised amounts in the new ordinance would serve to reduce the amount of illegal marijuana bought by legal users in Berkeley. On the other hand, if the medical marijuana need is actually less than the newly proposed amounts, the excess will probably make its way onto the illegal market. Again, voters have to decide which is the best way to go. 

Probably the most significant change proposed by Measure JJ would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to open in the City of Berkeley “as a right” with the status of a retail sales outlet in locations zoned for that purpose, rather than having to apply for a use permit under the current process. Medical marijuana advocates will say that the current ordinance allows the city—intentionally or unintentionally—to freeze the number of dispensaries in the city, eliminating a legal and medically necessary treatment for some residents. Opponents will say that eliminating the need for a use permit—which can only be granted after a public hearing—also eliminates any say residents might have in keeping medical marijuana dispensaries out of their particular neighborhood. Again, Berkeley voters will have to decide which right is the more important. 

The ballot argument in favor of Measure JJ was signed, in part, by Councilmembers Kriss Worthington and Max Anderson. 

No argument against Measure JJ was submitted.


Hillside School Sale Meeting

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:53:00 AM

The Berkeley Unified School District is scheduled to hold a meeting on Oct. 30 to update the community about the status of the sale of the Hillside School. 

The Berkeley Board of Education last month unanimously approved a plan to put the historic Hillside School at 1581 Le Roy Ave. up for sale. 

Built in 1925 after the original Hillside School on Virginia Street burned down in the 1923 Berkeley fire, the building is a split-level three-story wood-frame Tudor designed by Walter Ratcliff which straddles a trace of the Hayward Fault, which makes it unsuitable for public use, district officials said. 

Lew Jones, the district’s director of facilities, said that the property was being re-appraised and had been offered for sale to public entities first, as required by law. 

Jones said that the district had so far received a response only from the parks district expressing no interest in the property. 

“It’s far too early to say if any public entity is interested right now,” Jones said. “The responses are due by the second week of December.” 

Hillside School neighbors had expressed an interest in working with the city to preserve the school’s playground as public space, Jones said. 

 

Hillside School Public Meeting: Oct. 30, Thursday, 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. BUSD’s Oregon Street facility, 1720 Oregon St. (below MLK Jr. Way). 

 


Remembering Thomas Eddie Cooper

By Richard Giordano
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:56:00 AM

Family and friends were shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of Le Bateau Ivre restaurant owner Thomas Eddie Cooper the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 16. Even those closest to him will never fully understand the depth of depression which drove him to unexpectedly seek respite by taking his own life. It was a final moment of despair that does not define a rich and complicated life. 

Ed, Tom, or just plain Cooper, as he was most often called by his many friends, was born in Kentucky on March 27, 1941, to his loved, but troubled father Noah Cooper and his beloved mother Stella Elam Cooper. At the age of four the family moved to Ohio. To overcome a childhood bout with polio, he took up swimming. He became a high-ranked swimmer in college, and the sport remained a lifelong source of exercise and relaxation. 

After attending college in Athens, Ohio, in the early 60s, Ed embarked on what was to become an eight-year adventure traveling through Europe. He learned to speak and read German fluently, some Russian and even Bulgarian, which he acquired while spending six months in a Bulgarian prison. His crime was (unwittingly) assisting an East German friend in trying to cross the Iron Curtain. His experiences informed his later life and were the source of many stories and conversations. Despite his incarceratioin, they engendered a lifetime interest in Slavic culture and music. 

After his travels he settled in Berkeley, and for a period of time was a construction worker on the transbay BART tunnel, until an industrial accident ended his career in that profession. It also required him to have many orthopedic operations, starting with a spinal fusion in 1984, which caused him to have a long and close relationship with his doctors—so many orthopedic operations that friends lost count. 

In the early 1970s Ed met his future partner and wife Arlene Giordano. He got involved in the extensive remodeling of a charming, 1900 vintage Georgian style building at 2629 Telegraph Avenue. This would become the home of the Berkeley institution, Le Bateau Ivre, (The Drunken Boat). Eventually others involved in the project fell away leaving Ed and Arlene the sole proprietors. A tremendous amount of work was required to transform the space into a restaurant, but Le Bateau Ivre finally opened on March 5, 1972 and has been operating continuously ever since. According to Ed, the restaurant was meant to be a home of lively discourse and of comfort to love and care for the many different characters in Berkeley. 

During a 1976 lease dispute, Ed and Arlene managed to buy the entire building which thereafter became a major focus for Ed’s construction and painting skills. Whether repairing a sewer line or painting a bathroom, Ed was a perfectionist, spending hours researching and executing the never-ending projects. The company which assisted him in a reroofing project said that years later they are still using the same technique devised by Ed Cooper. 

Le Bateau Ivre became the expression of Cooper’s vision and the center of his social life. The table by the window in the bar room was reserved for Ed and Arlene and their friends and family. He could often be found there discussing topics ranging from the metaphysical to the practical intricacies of retrofitting the large brick dining room. He had a deep love of language and words, and his ability to remember and recite literature constantly amazed his friends. 

He was introduced to classical music at the age of 12. He had an incredible love and knowledge of music ranging from the bluegrass of his youth to dissonant modern to Eastern European folk--always the simple, soulful and honest. Anyone who has ever been to Le Bateau has heard the wide range of music which helped define the experience there. 

His friends at the restaurant included an eclectic mix of intellectuals, academics, workers, fellow swimmers and the indigent who were given food, coffee and a place to hang their hat. His ability to touch so many people was incredible. He cared for and helped them without realizing what an inspirational figure he had been to them. 

Ed and Arlene also had a soft-spot for four-legged strays who would find food and affection at the kitchen door, most notably Bainco the cat who had an uncanny ability to stay one room ahead of the health inspector, and Bentley, the English bull dog, who held court to his many admirers. 

The cosy cottage in the Oakland hills that Ed and Arlene have called home for almost 40 years shows the result of benign neglect due to the demands of work and putting most of their efforts into the restaurant. Most of the house is cluttered with life’s accumulations. The one exception is the library which Ed completed after years of work. It is a simple spare room, with a couple of comfortable chairs and a wall of carefully arranged books, most of which Ed had voraciously read, ranging in topics from medicine to spiritualism, metaphysics, philosophy, history, language, and culture. The range of the collection was vast, and perhaps it was in those books that Ed sought answers to the questions he had asked thoughout his life. 

In recent years a heart problem diagnosed as an atrial flutter caused him to take many medications. In January of 2008 he, and then Arlene, both were hospitalized with different strains of pneumonia. Ed spent 12 tense days mostly in intensive care and was very near death’s door. Could these illnesses and the many prescribed medications have triggered this recent bout with depression? 

In a condolence email to a friend, Cooper included his own free translation of lines from Goethe’s Egmont along with the music of Beethoven’s Egmont overture. He described it as being about the passage of life and entering into death: 

Sweet Sleep 

You come as a pure joy 

unasked for, fully asked for 

you loosen the bondage of forceful thoughts 

blend all images of joy and sorrow 

unhindered flows the circle of inner harmony 

enveloped in blissful delirium 

we sink into the earth 

and are no more. 

In addition to his wife Arlene and her immediate family, he is survived by his sister Mary Opal and many cousins back in Ohio and Kentucky. His older brother, Oscar William, passed away several years ago. Most importantly, he is survived by his large, extended family of friends, whose lives he touched so deeply. 

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at Hiller Highlands Athletic Club, Sunday, Nov. 2, at 4 p.m. All of his many friends and acquaintances are welcome to attend.


Police Blotter

By ALI WINSTON
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:57:00 AM

Car thefts 

Car thieves made away with 10 vehicles over five days last week. The thefts occurred across Berkeley, from the UC Berkeley campus to San Pablo Avenue. On Oct. 16, a Green 2001 BMW was taken from the 1700 block of San Pablo Avenue. A 2003 Honda Hybrid was stolen from the 1600 block of Tyler Street. The owner, a 61-year-old woman, said she may have left the keys in the door. 

A 1998 purple Acura Integra was stolen from the 3300 block of Claremont on the afternoon of Oct. 18. 

Last weekend, three cars were stolen on Saturday, and four were stolen on Sunday. The thefts largely occurred during the afternoon, save for a Gold Toyota Yaris Coa that was stolen from the ACME Bread parking lot around 9:50 p.m. on Sunday. 

BPD Spokesperson Andrew Frankel said last week’s thefts were not out of the ordinary, saying that auto theft occurs at a “consistent” rate in Berkeley. None of the vehicles has been recovered to date.  

“We actually have a pretty good recovery rate,” said Officer Frankel.  

Prostitution sting 

Berkeley police carried out an extensive prostitution sting in West Berkeley on Oct. 16 in the evening, arresting six women within three hours.  

The operation, unofficially called a “B” sting after the section of the state Penal Code citing prostitution (647AB), was carried out in response to repeated complaints by residents.  

Officers posing as “johns” made contact with six women, and arrested them after the subject of sex for cash was brought up. 

Each situation is different and requires a specific approach to warrant an arrest, said Officer Frankel. “Sometimes it requires more finesse, sometimes you can be more blunt.” 

Concealed weapon 

A 17-year-old Oakland boy was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon outside a College Avenue party early Sunday morning. Around 12:50 a.m. officers arrived on the 2300 block of College Avenue to deal with an argument outside the party.  

Both individuals involved were detained. A .380 semiautomatic handgun of unspecified make was found on the 17-year-old male. He was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and a probation violation. The 17-year-old was remanded to Juvenile Hall. 

Drive-by robberies 

Berkeley Police may have put an end to a series of armed drive-by robberies committed in a Silver Mitsubishi Lancer. Davon Vigay, 18, of Pinole, was arrested around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 15, after he was stopped by BPD patrol officers at Virginia and Arch streets.  

The Lancer was called in as a suspicious vehicle by a neighborhood resident, who had received a community crime alert issued in North Berkeley by the Department’s Community Services Bureau. 

“Without the collaborative efforts of our officers, detectives, and participatory members of the community this felon might still be at large,” said Frankel in a statement.  

Vigay is believed to be involved in at least 10 pedestrian robberies in September, according to BPD Spokesman Andrew Frankel. Money, credit cards, electronics, jewelry, and other items were taken during the incidents.  

Vigay, who was arrested with a loaded firearm, was booked into Berkeley City Jail on three charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle and possession of an unregistered firearm.  

Investigators believe he is one of a number of individuals involved in the robbery spree.  

 


Council Tinkers with Condo Ordinance

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:58:00 AM

The Berkeley City Council went dabbling back in the condominium conversion waters this week, but for the third time this year came up with nothing definitive. The council has now decided to wait until the new year—and the arrival of new faces on the council itself—to revisit the issue. 

At stake is an attempt at tinkering with the city’s complicated existing condominium conversion statute in a way that does not upset the balance between encouraging first-time home ownership in Berkeley, protecting tenants of rental units going condo, and, at the very least, maintaining the number of units in the city’s current stock of affordable rental housing. 

The council thought it had achieved such a balance—if not unanimous approval from all of the various stakeholders—in 2005 when, among other things, it set city fees for converting condos at 12.5 percent of the sale of the unit price. Two things have happened in the intervening three years to change that opinion, however. The city has collected no fees from conversion, leading some to believe that the fees may be too high or that city procedures may be too complicated. In addition, a 2004 California court decision—confirmed on appeal and published in 2005—banned local prohibitions of tenancies-in-common (TICs) as was done in Berkeley’s condominium conversion ordinance. 

A tenancy-in-common is a form of property ownership in which several individuals own shares in the same piece of property. In the context of the condominium conversion ordinance, TICs involve the tenants of individual apartments in a building coming together to jointly own the building. Such TICs are sometimes used as legal steppingstones in which the individual apartments are then legally separated into distinct pieces of property, to be owned separately by individual owners. 

“We didn’t want unlimited TICs,” which would have been the result if the council did nothing following the court decision, Acting City Attorney Zach Cowan explained to the public at Tuesday night’s regular council meeting. So in March, the council directed the staff to review several aspects of the existing condominium conversion ordinance in order to steer tenants away from TICs and towards conversion, including reviewing the mitigation fees. 

Staff presented a first draft of proposed condominium conversion ordinance changes last month, when the council sent it back to work on more modifications, including reducing the 12.5 percent conversion fee to 8 percent, eliminating fee reductions for conversions involving smaller units, and adjusting the definitions by which a prospective condominium owner can receive fee discounts by qualifying as a previous tenant of the unit. 

Tuesday’s council session showed continuing differences between advocates for property owners and renters on the issue, with representatives of the Rent Stabilization Board and the pro-property owner Housing Opportunities for Everyone (HOPE) making competing suggestions for further alterations. 

But while the council held a long discussion on the complicated proposals when it first took a look at the proposals in late September, it gave less attention to the issue on Tuesday, in large part because Mayor Tom Bates said he would honor a request by Councilmember Max Anderson—absent and at a friend’s funeral—that the vote be put off until he could return. Bates set the discussion for the January 27 council agenda. 

Staff representatives said at that time they will present further refinements in the ordinance, including the possible use of the mitigation fees “to assist sitting tenants who are first-time homebuyers to purchase their units from condominium converters.” 

At that point, it will be a significantly different council making the decision. Council will have at least two new members out of nine at that time, with replacements for the late Councilmember Dona Spring and retiring Councilmember Betty Olds to be decided in next month’s general election. In addition, Bates is in a re-election battle with former Berkeley mayor Shirley Dean, and himself could be gone. 

Bates alluded to that re-election fight when he announced that prior to the January meeting, he would sit down with representatives of Berkeley residential property owners and the city’s Rent Stabilization Board and try to work out any remaining differences between the two sides on the proposed ordinance changes.  

Stopping for a moment to think about it, the mayor continued that he would hold the negotiation meeting “if I’m elected” and then added—jokingly—“and if I’m not elected, to heck with it.” 


Climate Action Plan Mandates Transit Corridor-Based Growth

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:08:00 AM

Though called a climate action plan, the document presented to Berkeley planning commissioners Wednesday night looked more like a developer’s dream. 

The draft by city climate action planner Timothy Burroughs won the praise of Livable Berkeley, the city’s leading “smart growth” advocacy group, now headed by executive director Erin Rhoades, spouse of former city planning manager Mark Rhoades, who is now a developer himself. 

Livable Berkeley and allied groups had been less kind to the earlier draft, issuing a joint statement that faulted the document for its failure “to challenge the status quo,” “leaving out any real discussion or education on the importance of increasing urban density on major corridors,” and neglecting to “unequivocally state that increased density near transit provides the most significant greenhouse gas reduction.” 

But Rhoades had no such problems with the new draft, declaring the group’s support because of “changes that emphasize land use and transportation.” 

But the same changes that delighted Rhoades worried Gene Poschman, the commission’s resident policy analyst and an outspoken minority member of a commission dominated by a development-friendly majority. 

“Erin Rhoades is quite happy with this. Livable Berkeley is quite happy with this. The pro-growth people are quite happy with this,” Poschman said. 

“Its motto is build, baby, build,” said the retired academic. 

“In Berkeley, it doesn’t matter what the problem is: The solution is increasing density,” said Patti Dacey, another member of the commission minority. 

And it took audience member Merilee Mitchell to point out one flaw in Burroughs’ plan, the claim that “automobiles account for 47 percent of Berkeley’s total greenhouse gas emissions.” 

But that was true, Mitchell noted, only when diesel-gobbling buses and trucks were added to it. 

Burroughs told commissioners he considered them automobiles as well, drawing a head shake from Poschman, who noted that, in Berkeley at least, a bus is not considered a car. 

Poschman had prepared a detailed critique of the chapter presented to the commission, but Burroughs said that the papers presented represented only a policy document, and commissioners would have plenty of opportunity to shape the resulting plan when they helped craft later implementing regulations that would give the plan teeth. 

Burroughs said density wasn’t the plan’s goal. “The goal is getting people to move around without a car,” he said. 

Susan Wengraf, a commissioner running for the City Council seat held by the retiring Betty Olds, said that for people in the hills, getting out of cars requires now largely non-existent sidewalks and shuttles, given that AC Transit buses don’t serve most of her hoped-for constituency. 

Walking along sidewalk-less streets crowded with parked cars is dangerous, she said, leaving residents little choice but to drive. 

And Commissioner Roia Ferrazares said she was concerned that the plan failed to include any coordination with current and planned conservation programs run by UC Berkeley. 

During the meeting’s public comment session, David Room, who served on the city-appointed Oil Independent Oakland by 2020 Task Force, said their efforts had also been aimed at getting people out of cars. 

Jack Sawyer, a social psychologist and president of the Parker Street Foundation,which buys up property to covert into cooperative housing, asked why the plan didn’t reflect the emissions represented by the goods consumed locally but produced outside the area. 

Burroughs said calculating such embedded emissions was difficult, but added that some estimates were included in the plan. 

Dacey later asked about emissions involved in new buildings, but the calculations cited by Burroughs in response involved only building operation, and not the substantial greenhouse gases (GHGs) generated by production of building materials such as concrete and steel. Dacey has been an advocate of retrofitting existing buildings, which studies show generates far fewer GHGs than new construction. 

Jim Novosel, an architect and a commission swing voter, said he liked the plan’s proposal to concentrate density on transit corridors. He said he would also like to see a requirement for publicly accessible open space requirements for new projects, rather than the little-used but expensive rooftop spaces builders now create. 

Commission Chair James Samuels congratulated Burroughs and others on the city staff for creating a plan he said “is very well done.” 

“The goal of increasing density along transit corridors has been around a long time without ever achieving this level of clarity,” he said. 

But Ferrazares said that while the plan proposes that development follow transit routes, “we only have one fixed transit line, which is BART. It’s a bit like putting the cart before the horse.” 

Commissioner David Stoloff, a stalwart of the majority with Samuels, Harry Pollack, Larry Gurley (absent Wednesday) and Wengraf, said that he foresaw “a huge backlash” resulting from any attempt to change zoning laws to create a buffer zone between greater density transit corridors and adjacent lower-density residential neighborhoods. 

Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan—available online at www.berkeleyclimateaction.org—has thus become the latest focus in the city’s ongoing battle about the role of development in the city’s future in which every issue, from preservation of the past to protection of the future, is recast into the language of builders, planners and their critics. 

While the planners focused on their own particular charge—land use and related policies—the Climate Action Plan is much broader in scope, though many of its elements relate to planner concerns ranging from transportation to construction technologies. Burroughs is also assigned to the city’s Planning and Development Department. 

The plan’s public comment period closes Nov. 7, and the final plan, after comments have been addressed and final editing concluded, will go to the City Council for adoption in January. Wednesday night’s meeting was the last public forum on the plan before the council holds a hearing when the final draft is up for adoption. 

Comments may be made online after registering at www.berkeleyclimateaction.org/signup.php 

 

 


Opinion

Editorials

Propositions: Just Say No?

By Becky O’Malley
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:01:00 AM

Thanks to the modern magic of cell phones, I’ve done a phone survey this week of friends working around the country to elect Barack Obama. A Chicago friend, from a long line of radical leftists, has been enjoying what is probably her first opportunity for enthusiastic participation in a national election. Illinois itself, of course, is Obama country, but she made field trips to neighboring battleground states: Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. She points with pride to the news that McCain has given up on Michigan, a victory for which she personally claims credit.  

Another friend who recently moved to Virginia called while she was standing in line waiting to get into an Obama rally at a football stadium in Richmond. It was supposed to start at 10, but by noon there were still huge crowds outside trying to get in. She reported that there wasn’t a parking place left in downtown Richmond—she had to drive her car back home to park and take a taxi to the stadium. The crowd, she said, was approximately evenly mixed racially, though she thinks African-Americans are the majority in Richmond proper, and she said everyone was in high good humor despite unseasonably cold weather.  

Virginia was considered a red state until recently, but it’s looking bluer all the time. One exception to the trend: the Virginia National Guard truck parked near the stadium, prominently displaying McCain-Palin banners. Is this legal? 

The third report was from an Oakland friend, trained as a lawyer, though now by preference a working musician and teacher. She signed up with the voter protection program of the Obama campaign, and she’s spending these two weeks in Florida making sure that everyone has a chance to vote.  

The Miami polling place she’s been assigned to is overwhelmingly African-American. It is an amalgamation of several smaller precincts which opened for early voting on Monday. She called me from her post outside the door of the polling place to describe a carnival-like atmosphere of excited voters, standing in long lines even though voting had barely begun.  

She sounds like she’s having a fine time herself—it’s a great party. She’s a tiny grey-haired white woman, the only white person there much of the time, and she reports being treated like a celebrity by the hospitable locals. She did manage to get into the Obama rally on Sunday, but since she’s so small, she couldn’t see Barack himself. Finally, a great big guy standing next to her offered to lift her up like he would a child, and she got just a glimpse of the candidate in person. 

She said that at first there were not enough voting machines—there were malfunctions at two of the three voting stations at her location. The actual votes were recorded on paper ballots, with scanners to tally the marks, but there was also a different type of machine which was used to verify the identification which voters in Florida must submit before they can vote. The Obama organization has been trying to arrange to get more machines transferred from predominantly white precincts which don’t have any problems. 

These early voters have a high percentage of people with physical problems which make them want to avoid the even longer lines they expect on Election Day—AIDS, arthritis, the general infirmities of old age—but they’re patient, even exuberant, despite their ailments. My friend told me about one woman of 89 who brought her walker to the polling place and needed to sit down a lot. She said she wanted to vote early because she’d never have this chance again. Her daughter, thinking the reference was perhaps to approaching mortality, said of course she would be able to vote another time. With a touch of indignation, the mother said that she certainly planned to vote again, but this was her only chance to vote for the first African-American president. 

Everyone there, just like the people in Richmond, was having a really good time, my friend said. She described a guy with a beat-up old car with a loudspeaker on top who’s made up a song about voting for Obama which he’s playing outside the voting stations all day every day.  

As a Californian, she’s been surprised by the number of Creole-speaking Haitian-Americans who’ve come to vote. This location also has a number of Spanish-speaking voters but no Spanish interpreter, so she’s been doing that job too. Despite some glitches, she says, everything’s basically going well, and she’s sure everyone will get their votes counted in this election, thanks to the smoothly running efforts of the Obama campaign. 

Back home, our excitement for the presidential campaign has to be mostly vicarious now that California looks like a sure thing. I did get an anguished e-mail from my new-citizen friend, who was trying to plough through the state propositions and couldn’t make head or tail of them. He’d gotten 8 and 4 figured out all right, but the rest confounded him, despite the fact that he has the equivalent of a Ph.D. and an excellent command of English. Other well-educated friends—she’s trained as a lawyer, he’s an optometrist—asked if there’s any reason not to just vote no on all of them.  

Well, truthfully, I had to say that I couldn’t think of one. Several represent appealing concepts—be kind to animals, public transit, greenishness, etc.—but the implementation of them described in the ballot initiatives is dubious in all cases. 

Take the high-speed train, for example. Unanswered questions include the route (if it’s wrong, it will destroy critical wildlife habitat and migration trails) and the location of stops (in the central valley, if there are stops in the wrong places, that could induce urban sprawl).  

My lawyer friend, the daughter of one of those fabled Petaluma chicken farmers, had plenty to say about the inadequacies of the chicken-protection system contemplated by Proposition 2. And well-regarded environmental organizations have come out against both 7 and 10—those are the purportedly greenish ones. 

Then there’s the redistricting proposal, Proposition 11, the brainchild of what us old Dems used to call the Goo-Goos, the Good Government people, in this case Common Cause and the League of Women Voters. I can’t forget that Common Cause thought up the bad and much-abused idea of Political Action Committees, PACs, or that the League of Women Voters has locally endorsed the dreadful Berkeley Measure LL with no apparent input from its thoughtful opponents.  

And for the life of me, I can’t figure out why Prop. 11’s behind-the-scenes redistricting commission appointed by the two major parties would be any better than redistricting in the legislature, which at least gets a fair amount of public and press scrutiny. The commission plan does add a few members in the famous undecided category, but in my political experience undecided usually means uninformed. Some change is needed, but this isn’t it.  

With all those eager citizens lining up to get their chance to vote in other parts of the U.S., it does seem churlish to say that just turning down the whole California slate of propositions might be the prudent path out here, but it’s tempting. I wonder if anyone will be able talk me out of it. 

 


Cartoons

The Berkeley Progressive

By Justin DeFreitas
Saturday November 01, 2008 - 09:52:00 AM


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:02:00 AM

MISS CORRUPTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The proof that McCain lacks judgment is his choice of running mate—Sarah Palin. Probably the only thing worse for the nation than George Bush is Miss Corruption. 

But there’s more. To LOWER taxes on the rich (he wants to eliminate the capital gains tax), when the country is deeper in debt than ever before, is insane. The biggest cause of that debt is the Iraq War. But instead of ending it, McCain wants to keep tilting at that windmill, putting us even deeper in debt! Then he wants to give everyone $5,000 for health care. Where is that money going to come from? 

It’s perfectly clear that McCain would continue Bush’s legacy of spending money that we don’t have. And he has the gall to call Obama a “big spender”?! 

Michael J. Vandeman 

San Ramon 

 

• 

ZACHARY RUNNING WOLF 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While Zachary Running Wolf offered a thoughtful critique of the abysmal performance record of Tom Bates and the questionable motives of Shirley Dean, that does not make him qualified to be Mayor. He’s not capable of keeping UC or anyone else accountable, as he alleges. 

Running Wolf has lived in Berkeley long enough to know how to grandstand on issues that make most Berkeley citizens genuflect. Of course Tom Bates and Linda Maio do that too, but that doesn’t qualify them to hold office either. Some people have tried to make Running Wolf into a folk hero, but there is nothing heroic about him. Berkeley seriously needs new political blood. Some of the counsel candidates challenging incumbents have promise for integrity and better government. “Lesser of Evils?” You betcha. That would be Shirley Dean for now. 

In the process of working on the Council campaign for District 2 Candidate Jon Crowder, I’ve observed some disturbing elements in the endorsement process for influential groups like the Sierra Club. This is troubling because, while I do not currently hold membership, my family has been active in the Sierra Club in different parts of the country all of my life. The Sierra Club is known for being the guardian of all the important environmental issues. Why then, do they endorse Tom Bates for Mayor and most of his lackeys on the current Berkeley City Council? Their flyer attributes many great green accomplishments to Bates, some of which he initially resisted or had minimal involvement. They give him credit for “expanding the green economy.” Huh? He happened to be in office when it occurred, and did very little to prompt it. Bates deserves no more credit for this development that Reagan does for the fall of the Soviet economy. Are we now creating liberal myths to compete with conservative myths? 

More to the point, the local Sierra Club has been brutally exclusionary in inviting ONLY INCUMBENTS to its endorsement inquiries and public forums. They have not even given many worthy candidates a chance to be heard by their endorsement panels. So how can they even KNOW they’re endorsing the most qualified candidate? Unlike the USA, the Peoples’ Republic of Berkeley is NOT dominated by the two-party system. There are many new faces running for City Council who represent a badly needed change in Berkeley. None of them were even HEARD by the Sierra Club, so they endorsed the Bates slate. (District 4 has no incumbent, but they didn’t even allow candidates Asa Dodsworth or L.A. Wood to be interviewed, or participate in their televised panel.) 

Tom Bates has been a disgrace to City of Berkeley. He talks green but all his actions are brown. He’s been unwilling to rid this city of its most constant polluter, Pacific Steer Casing, or actually enforce the new “No Smoking” ordinance. He talks about bicycle safety, but does nothing about it. Bates and each of his council colleagues endorsed by the Sierra Club, have demonstrated an abysmal record of constituent communications. None of them can find their reply buttons or find time to return a phone call. They all protect a deeply corrupted system by which they benefit. Local government is about responsiveness to constituent needs and communications, not secret meetings with private development interests. Local government is about open meetings, not a cavalier and arrogant mayor manipulating the council agenda to shut out his disloyal opposition. 

The Sierra Club should rescind all of its endorsements and re-open their interview and evaluation process. Thus far, they’ve done nothing but rubber stamp a tired, stale and corrupt administration. Muir and Audubon are rolling over. Berkeley deserves better and so do the legacies of these two great men. 

H. Scott Prosterman 

 

• 

JOE THE PLUMBER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

John McCain keeps spreading the falsehood that Barack Obama wants to spread Joe-the-Plumber’s wealth to the undeserving poor. I’d be mad about that too, except it’s not true. Obama wants the undeserving rich, those who received millions for driving our economy into the ground, to pay their fair share of taxes. Currently, the Bush tax cuts give the mega-rich and their corporations a lower tax rate than the rate paid by hard-working middle-class folks like Joe.  

As long as Joe believes McCain, he’ll be supporting a system that’s got him paying more taxes, to make up for McCain and Bush’s tax breaks. Obama wants those guys to pay their fair share of the cost of maintaining our roads, schools, defense, and health care, so guys like Joe can pay less.  

Hey Joe, wake up! 

Bruce Joffe 

Piedmont 

 

• 

VOTING FRAUD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

With John McCain publicly leading, the Republican Party has blasted the accusation of voting fraud by the Democrats and the ACORN organization all over talk radio. This is ground fire to cover Republican efforts at vote suppression—to legitimize their caging enterprise and massive challenges against urban voters’ right to vote. Even if ACORN had paid hundreds of people to intentionally fill out many thousands of voter registration cards in the names of non-existent people—which is highly unlikely—that fraud could not be readily turned into votes at the polls. There would first have to be specific lists of the non-existent people kept and the lists would have to be turned over to the Democrats. And the Democrats would then have to hire not hundreds, but tens of thousands of people to commit a Federal felony on election day, No, this is not a plausible scenario. But the noise serves as justification for why thousands of Republican party activists aroused by this nonsense will be sent to polling places with lists of caged names to intimidate and challenge on election day. For the uninitiated, an example of caging is when a mass mailer is sent to targeted groups of voters (e.g. inner city poor areas or foreclosed homes) and when mailers are returned undeliverable that forms a list of voters to be challenged. The return of a mailer however is not a legitimate basis to try and prevent American citizens from voting. And the targeting  

is designed to be discriminatory against selected communities. A court has ruled against this expanding Republican effort to remove registered voters from the roles in at least one state so far, but it is ongoing in many of the battleground states.  

Marc Sapir 

 

• 

RAPID BUS LANES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I live in San Leandro two blocks from the proposed route. It will not take me from my corner to my work corner, 12 miles down one street. In order to do that, the prices for the bus will go up on a trip that is already so expensive with four bus trips and two bart trips, that it is cheaper to drive. I cannot see for the life of me how they can fit Rapid Bus lanes down East 14th in San Leandro without tearing down the only historical building remaining in the downtown. The double buses are currently running with 0-3 people much of the time. If the district runs out of money, they will undoubtedly build the route and skimp on the buses, thus adding more pollution to my home. If they remove parking on East 14th, these cars will be on my street, where we already often find parking is only available hundreds of yards away. By speeding up the traffic on East 14th we will have more cars moving through meaning more pollution as well as a slowdown on the feeder streets where I live. So, again, Mr. Bair, no thank you. Don’t do me any ‘favors’. 

Debra J Sarver 

 

• 

100 PERCENT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Let the record show: Obama is 50 percent White, 50 percent Black, 100 percent American, 100 percent Christian, 0 percent Muslim, 0 percent terrorist, and was raised 100 percent by his 100 percent White, 100 percent Mid-Western mother—these are 100 percent facts. He represents a 100 percent change from Bush, not McCain’s 10 percent, and although less than 100 percent of Republicans are racists, 100 percent of racists vote Republican—that’s the only reason Obama can lose. 

J. Andrew Smith  

Bloomfield, NJ  

 

• 

PROPOSITION 10 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Proposition 10 on the state ballot is a measure that is being promoted as an important step toward energy independence without raising taxes. The truth is that it will take nearly $10 billion of your tax dollars away from education, health care, public safety and other vital services with no long term benefit to the environment.  

Proposition 10 would authorize the sale of $5 billion in state bonds primarily to provide rebates to buyers of alternative fuel vehicles. It is heavily geared to rebates of up to $50,000 for heavy trucks and other vehicles using natural gas, a fossil fuel. The sponsor of this measure is the owner of a company that is a major supplier of natural gas for vehicles.  

Proposition 10 would cost the state nearly $10 billion in long term debt at a time when loans for debt repayment is expensive and hard to find. Repayment of the debt would come from the state General Fund, where it would compete with funding for critical state services that are already suffering cutbacks.  

Join the League of Women Voters in rejecting this special interest measure. Vote NO on Proposition 10.  

Jean Safir 

co-VP for Action,  

League of Women Voters of  

Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville 

 

• 

PROPOSITION 11 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

California voters need to approve Proposition 11 so that they can begin to hold their elected representatives responsible for what they do and do not accomplish in Sacramento. 

At present, virtually all legislators run in safe districts and are immune from being voted out of office. That is because they choose the voters who will be in their electoral districts, by defining the district boundaries. With Proposition 11, a panel of voters would define district boundaries based on non-partisan rules, including those contained in the Federal Voting Rights Act.  

Proposition 11 was created by California Common Cause, the League of Women Voters of California and AARP, and is supported by the ACLU of Southern California, a large number of local Democratic clubs and non-partisan community and business groups. 

The main opposition comes from the leaders of the State Democratic and Republican parties. They like the current system which they created and they control. Under this system, elected representatives are primarily responsible to their respective political parties, instead of being responsible to the voters. 

Unlike the current system, which is secretive and self-serving, Proposition 11 would put into place an open and transparent process. It explicitly states that “the commission must establish and implement an open hearing process for public input and deliberation that shall be subject to public notice and promoted through a thorough outreach program to solicit broad public participation … .” 

The initiative also states that new district boundaries, to be redefined after the 2010 Federal Census, must ensure that the new boundaries respect city, county and neighborhood boundaries, rather than seeking out pockets of like-minded voters wherever they can find them, as is presently done. 

In summary, Proposition 11 creates an independent commission of voters to redefine electoral districts, it provides clear criteria for how the district boundaries shall be drawn, and it requires an open and transparent process with opportunities for public input. It deserves your support. 

Jean Safir,  

co-VP for Action, League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville 

 

• 

JOIN THE CLUB 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I live in Berkeley and along with owning my home I have a rental unit. I got an appeal letter from the Berkeley Property Owners Association asking me to support BASTA!, the group spearheading the defeat of local measures FF, GG, and HH on the November ballot.  

In considering how I’m going to vote on these measures, it’s important to me to look at the whole picture. These measures, supporting libraries, parks, and emergency services are about the quality of life for all of us. The bottom line is: if we all pay a little (I understand that the library bond measure FF would amount to $27 a year), we all benefit a lot. The letter also states: “You cannot pass tax increases through to your tenants,” as if owners are not charging rent, as if they are not allowed yearly increases by the rent board, and as if they have a right to their profit no matter what. 

What is BASTA!’s argument? If renting apartments is your business (especially if you don’t live in this community) then you have no interest in the quality of life of your tenants? That monetary self-interest of a few trumps quality of life for all of us? Sorry BPOA, I guess I’m just not selfish enough to join your club.  

Russell Kilday-Hicks 

 

• 

ONE PARTY SYSTEM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Is Berkeley becoming home to a one-party system, and if so, is that democratic … of 

and for the people, believing in and practicing social equality? 

Until the nineteenth century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his, or occasionally her, dynasty, that is, to increase the territory, wealth and power of family members. A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election. Sometimes the term de facto single-party state is used to describe a dominant-party system where unfair laws or practices prevent the opposition from legally getting power. Some single party states allow subordinate allied parties to exist as part of a permanent coalition such as a popular front. 

The contention that the one party system is more efficient [than what?, one wonders], greener (!) whatever is spurious. 

Helen Rippier Wheeler 

 

• 

REPAINT HANDRAILS? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Now that Berkeley has spent a couple hundred thousand dollars to adorn the bike and pedestrian bridge with the second ugliest statue in the city, could they perhaps spend a few thousand dollars to repaint the handrails on the approach ramps before they completely rust away? 

Jef Poskanser 

 

• 

BERKELEY BIG PEOPLE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The sculpture, entitled Berkeley Big People at the pedestrian bridge over I-80 is a work of insipid banality. As Kenneth Baker, the SF Chronicle's art critic, reminds us, excellent public art by fine sculptors, such as Richard Serra, Claes Oldenburg and Berkeley's own Stephen de Staebler have been commissioned across the Bay. There is a dearth of good public sculpture in this city. At the Berkeley Campus a faculty committee managed to commission a discreet but affective work by Mark Brest van Kempen ON Sproul Plaza to commemorate the Free Speech Movement . The sculptures in downtown Berkeley, however, are hardly noteworthy. At the Marina we have the loathsome Guardian. And now there is this new retrograde piece of work which might appeal to the aesthetic sense of Sarah Palin, who agitates against elitism and should not have a place in progressive Berkeley. 

Peter Selz 

 

• 

MEASURE WW  

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While voters face many ballot issues this fall that seem to tug at their pocketbooks, Citizens for East Shore Parks (CESP) urges them to support Measure WW — the EBRPD bond measure extension and here’s why: our children and their children’s future. 

While many of us grew up ‘playing’ outside—swimming in the surf, building a tree house or a just lying in the grass watching the flight of dragonflies—Kids today don’t share those experiences. Many are afraid to go outside and others “experience” nature through the television or computers. 

As described in Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods–Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, “free play” is most beneficial to the mental development and safety of children in the modern world. 

“Natural play strengthens children’s self-confidence, and arouses their senses–their awareness of the world and all that moves in it, seen and unseen.” 

What better way to facilitate “play” for local children (of all ages) than to support and expand our wonderful regional parks and trails? 

CESP strongly supports the continuation of a modest tax that has been in place for 20 years. In the face of a growing population, determined developers, and a demand for parks and open space, Measure WW is vital to preserving the East Bay’s precious shoreline and wildlife habitat for our children. 

Patricia Vaughan Jones 

Executive Director 

Citizens for East Shore Parks  

 

• 

REQUIRED READING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The two excellent Daily Planet articles on the public safety and history of California Memorial Stadium (Oct. 16–22) should be required reading for any thinking Berkeley person who cares to grasp the stadium issue, beyond the late grove of trees. After the extensive fuss about tree-sitters, is it going out on a limb to point out that it never was primarily about the trees? Instead, it’s been about human safety: for stadium users, its neighbors, and our entire city.  

Berkeley’s ability to respond to an emergency in or near the stadium, in the most inaccessible part of town was key to the city’s lawsuit. That’s why the city and we Panoramic Hill neighbors asked that UC first address the stadium structure, before building the adjacent student-athlete training center.  

UC plans in its “SCIP” (South-east Campus Integrated Projects) building proposals call for eight related major structures, all set within the congested, difficult to access, earthquake-centric south-east campus area. In superior court, UC claimed not to be bound by the Alquist-Priolo earthquake restrictive law, and they lost. The court ruled that state building restrictions do indeed apply to the University, confirming the centrality of the safety issues related to fixing up the huge decrepit structure, by far the largest on campus, built directly atop the state’s most dangerous fault. Recently UC announced that they’ve somehow found a unique way to engineer public safety into their stadium rebuilding plan. UC, through PR flack Dan Mogulof, asserts, “Our primary goal has always been saftey”. So, with their blinders firmly in place, fool-hardy UC planners will move forward. This leaves the question of just who’s going further out on a limb this time?  

Robert Breuer 

• 

MEASURE WW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Pete Najarian writes that he doesn’t like the fenced-off meadows at the Berkeley Marina, and therefore he won’t be voting for measure WW to fund the East Bay Regional Park District. I don’t like the fencing either, but I have to point out a couple of things. First, that’s a state park, and EBRPD merely manages it and is not really responsible for the park’s design. Second, the one person most responsible for fencing off that area is Norman La Force, who as it happens is currently running for the EBRPD board of directors in Ward 1 (Berkeley and nearby cities). 

I plan to vote for anyone but Norman La Force, and I encourage Mr. Najarian to do the same. As for measure WW, I am happy to support the nation’s best urban park system. 

Jef Poskanzer 

 

• 

TROY DAVIS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The case of Troy Davis is a travesty of justice. Seven of the nine non police witnesses against him have recanted or contradicted their testimony. One of the remaining witnesses who did not identify Troy Davis as the shooter of the policeman until two years after the shooting and the other one is the alternative suspect in the murder. 

There is a remarkable history of innocent people who have spent time in custody, leaving the guilty person on the streets to prey on citizens. There is also a long history of innocent people who have been executed and 130 exonerations from death row in the United States in the past 35 years and innocent inmates who have been executed. 

The Georgia Board of prisons has refused to grant clemency, but it has discretion to revisit the case. If Troy Davis is executed, it may well turn out that another innocent man will have been killed by the State. 

Ilse Hadda 

 

• 

MEMORIAL STADIUM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

After having read Professor Curtis’ statement on the geologic conditions at the site of the Memorial Stadium project (Daily Planet, October 16th–22nd) I find my own skepticism of the project reinforced. The question remains: Though profitable or even legal to concentrate several thousands of people on a potentially active earthquake fault several times a year, is it prudent or even moral? There are alternatives to this project which may not be pleasing to all, but public safety must certainly be the prime consideration. 

Claude Stoller  

Emeritus Professor of Architecture  

 

 

• 

CONFUSION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The great mother and father of all confusions, perpetrated by the corporate dominated media through the years, has been the banal notion that the “middle way” is the best way. You know: “moderation is the best policy” or “I’m not left or right, I go right down the middle.” Or “there are always two sides to the question.” Or “the truth is always somewhere in the middle.” Or “Americans always seek the middle grounds.” And so on, ad nauseum. It tells us not to take a side. But when I’m able to listen, on rare occasions, to such people as Amy Goodman, or Howard Zinn, or Michael Parenti, etc.—people who represent the so called “radical left”—they make reasonable sense to me; plus, they’re not paid to talk. Ergo, we should cast off the false impulse to seek the “middle ground’ and listen to the truefull left. Therein wisdom lies.  

Robert Blau  

 

• 

RACIST RHETORIC 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I applaud Jesse Douglas Allen-Taylor’s column, “A Woman Fears Obama and McCain Misses a Moment,” Thursday, October 16, 2008, for agreeing with John Lewis, who recently voiced similar sentiments about the racist rhetoric the McCain camp has used. John Mc Cain had the gall to say that Barack Obama should repudiate Mr. Lewis for his remarks. Certainly, America cannot afford to forget its ugly racial past, and I’m glad Mr. Allen-Taylor had the foresight to remind us of our history. Because we, Americans, often forget or dismiss the lessons from our past, we end up repeating the same mistakes as our forebears. 

Lena Ampadu 

Baltimore, MD  

 

• 

BIKE BRIDGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Does anyone know if the old bike route across the freeway on University is still open? The one that takes you through the camp under the freeway, across the high speed off-ramp, up the steep steps to the overpass, past the end of another off-ramp and through the intersection with the frontage road? Someone has deposited a cockeyed raised platform precariously holding a faux bronze fiberglass thing at the end of our elegant pedestrian/bike bridge. I think I may have to revert to the old route just to avoid the sight of that object—especially since they seem to be preparing a place for a second one at the other end of the bridge. A big fly, maybe, to be pursued by those maniacal fly-swatter wavers? And the whole thing is done in metal-toned fiberglass. That’s plastic, folks. What we have here is heroic sculpture rendered in the stuff of Hyundai hubcaps. They should have chromed it, then it would be perfect. I’ve heard the title is “Berkeley Big People.” “Berserkely Forever,” maybe?  

Dave Coolidge 

 

• 

LOCALLY PREFERRED  

ALTERNATIVE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I agree that a ballot measure is a clumsy intrusion upon city policy. But my, what a consequence Measure KK has already had. City staff and elected officials have taken intense interest in BRT—from about the time we started gathering signatures for KK. Having waited for three prior years for the city to engage BRT on behalf of the citizens of Berkeley, I am sure that putting the flame under the city via measure KK was the right move. 

The city now claims to be choosing a “locally preferred alternative.” Wow, that sounds rational and politically cool. Trouble is, the city missed this bus. The time for “a locally preferred alternative” was BEFORE AC transit published the draft EIR. More than three years ago the Downtown Berkeley Association pleaded with mayor and city staff to temporarily hire a transit route designer to engineer route alternatives for Berkeley. But the mayor and the city were hearing different music, and took no heed. Now that the EIR is published, we are legally constrained to the “alternatives” therein. The given alternatives differ negligibly. All are fatally flawed. And hapless Telegraph Avenue is in the bomb sights of destruction in all of them. 

Perhaps a BRT can be devised which would actually benefit us, actually have environmental benefits, and actually increase overall bus ridership. But the present proposal is not it. Measure KK is Berkeley’s last chance to assert its right to choose. 

Bruce Wicinas 

 

• 

SAVING MOE’S 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

For the sake of Moe’s Books, which is one of the most important parts of Berkeley, vote yes on Measure KK.  

Pete Najarian 

 

• 

TERRY DORAN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Terry Doran, a City Council candidate for District 4 has the experience and track record to bring folks to the table, including residents, business representatives, and students to create workable solutions for this important commercial area of Berkeley. Nobody owns the table, but everybody should have a seat at the table. As an earlier eight year member of our Board of Education, he demonstrated his ability to build workable coalitions to address some of the pressing problems of our educational system. As a current member of the Zoning Appeals Board he actively supported efforts that resulted in bringing Trader Joe’s to Berkeley, and in providing for the building of 600 housing units along main transportation corridors in Berkeley, among other issues. Mr. Doran wants to progress and move forward on the important downtown issues. VOTE FOR TERRY DORAN! 

Hank Silver 

 

• 

BRT, UNLIKELY BENEFIT TO HUMANS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Oakland resident, Jonathan Bair, promotes Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in his October 16 article. He asks Berkeley residents to “consider the regional benefits of a dramatically improved transit corridor.” 

The proposed BRT route from San Leandro to Berkeley would be the same route that is now used by the 1R buses, “the most heavily used bus line in the East Bay” according to Mr. Bair. I don’t think he realizes just how underutilized the 1R buses are within Berkeley. While they may be heavily used in Oakland, we commonly see 1R buses arrive at the UC campus—entirely passenger-free. 

A 60-foot articulated 1R bus carrying no passengers, at 3.5 miles per gallon of diesel fuel, is just pollution on wheels — benefiting no one (except possibly the makers of asthma inhalers). 

There is no guarantee that any improvement would result from this illogical BRT plan. The only guarantee is that our city streets would be torn up, energy would be consumed to manufacture more concrete, and diesel exhaust would pollute the air while construction materials were hauled back and forth— increased greenhouse gas emissions during a lengthy and disruptive reconstruction process. 

Mr. Bair reminds us that there were streetcars on Telegraph Avenue. There were indeed, until about 1950. But they did not have dedicated lanes. They shared the road with all the cars, bikes and trucks, which is exactly what we want AC Transit buses to continue  

to do. 

Gale Garcia 

 

• 

SWIM HOURS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks to many letters of protest, the city has extended the lap swim hours at King pool during the weekend. It is now from 11:30 to 3:35, Saturdays and Sundays. Unfortunately, these hours will cease after Nov. 9, at which time the hours for lap swimming and for family swim will be only from noon to 1:30, a cut in hours that were in place for many years. Apparently, the city doesn’t seem to think the health of its children and adults doesn’t warrant more hours for swimming. 

Estelle Jelinek 

 

• 

OUTLANDERS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I love to read your paper because there is no place else in the United States of which I’m aware where a political pitch like that of Mr. Runningwolf would be taken seriously (assuming anybody does that there). Keep it up, my dear old town, because you represent something that is basically entirely absent in the rest of the country…a willingness to be completely outside of the standard discourse. 

Fred O’Brien 

(A.B., California 1975) 

 

• 

YES ON GG 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In 1991 I helped to fight the Berkeley-Oakland hills fire. It was a horrible time for the Berkeley community as homes were lost, people were injured, a firefighter lost his life, and a beautiful part of Berkeley was scarred. 

After a careful review of the fire and of the fire fighting operations, the Grand Jury came back with several key recommendations. One of the most important, to not only firefighters, but to police officers and other emergency responders was the recommendation to upgrade communications equipment. And while it sounds benign, in an emergency my ability to communicate with other firefighters and other first responders is often the difference between life and death. 

Measure GG will enable our department to finally close the loop on making sure emergency personnel have the ability to execute an effective operation whether it be another wildfire in the hills; an earthquake and its related fires and rescue needs; a hostage situation involving injuries; or a fire in one of the campus dormitories where hundreds of people are depending on firefighters for their passages to safety. 

I’m hoping for the community’s support for Measure GG. 

Rick Guzman 

 

• 

MEN’S SHELTER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thank you for the article on the Berkeley Men's Shelter. I wonder if Riya would consider doing a kind of follow up article (perhaps for the web page) on homeless or daytime drop in services city-wide which will be affected by funding cuts, and how/where people can give money or donate goods (like a case of toilet paper, or towels, whatever they need) for specific programs. Perhaps the contact information for a City employee who could answer such questions is all we need. 

I appreciate the quality of the Planet. It keeps getting better and better, even though the news is often worse and worse. Keep up the good work! 

Lulu Winslow 

 

• 

STATE OF THE DISTRICT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It has been my pleasure to speak with so many of you about the state of the district and the future of the city. While I have received nothing but positive feedback from you all, I have not been able to muster the financial momentum to be competitive—$25,000 is the baseline amount needed to mount an effective campaign these days. Fortunately, there is another candidate with whom I share both political ideals and future goals. A candidate who has demonstrated his commitment to this City as well as to social justice issues throughout his life. A candidate who recognizes the need for everyone in the community to have a seat at the table and to have a voice in how we shape our city in the future. A candidate with a progressive vision for downtown that is both environmentally and economically sustainable, safe and exciting. This candidate who has earned my endorsement is Terry Doran. I ask you to look at his long history of progressive politics and commitment to the youth of our community, and you will see that this husband, father, and grandfather of district 4 residents is the best prepared to help lead our city forward. 

Jay Jockin 


Advance Math and Science in Berkeley Schools

By Priscilla Myrick
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:02:00 AM

Across the country, progressive leaders are calling for a stronger academic program for K-12 students (www.Edin08. com). At the last presidential debate Senator Obama emphasized that academic achievement, particularly in science and technology, is the driver of innovation. Part of Obama’s vision to unleash innovation is to improve science, math and engineering education. 

Obama’s plan for K-12 education highlights the necessity of making math and science education a national priority (www.barackobama.com/issues/education/). The Obama-Biden ticket is committed to recruiting math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. Obama and Biden will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels. 

Given Obama’s enthusiastic and public support of more robust academic programs for our nation’s schools, I was distressed to learn recently that Berkeley High School may choose to do away with its honors math program and eliminate the math and science departments at Berkeley High entirely, dispersing math and science teachers among the various small schools and programs. The BUSD math and science curriculum deserves more attention not less, renewal not neglect. 

The honors math program in BUSD allows students to take more challenging and rigorous math coursework starting in 7th grade through high school. Interested and motivated students may take Honors classes in geometry, second year algebra, and math analysis. In addition, Berkeley High students may take Advanced Placement (AP) calculus and/or statistics. Many students use the program to complete math through calculus prior to high school graduation. As a result, Berkeley High students may take advantage of the proximity of UC Berkeley to take college-level math courses while still in high school. Instead of disbanding this program, BUSD should be aggressively preparing students in math, particularly underrepresented minorities so that more students have the math foundation to take advantage of this program and are better prepared for undergraduate college majors in math, science and technology. BUSD should be expanding rigorous programs that work and recruiting, encouraging and supporting more students to enroll in these classes. 

Berkeley High School once led the nation in its double-period science program and had excellent retention of its qualified and committed science teachers. All students at Berkeley High took science classes for two periods a day (instead of a single period). Students graduating from Berkeley High received twice as many science credits as most other high school graduates. That program was dismantled, despite much opposition in 2002 when the length of the high school instructional day was reduced to the state-mandated minimum. Academic achievement in science has plummeted since then, and the achievement gap between whites and non-whites has increased. In 2002, 64 percent of Berkeley High students scored “proficient or above” on the California Standards Test in chemistry. In 2008, only 38 percent of Berkeley High students were proficient or above in chemistry (http:// star.cde.ca.gov/). In terms of teacher re-tention, this year alone Berkeley High had ten openings for science teachers. District-wide there is a shortage of qualified science teachers.  

The National Science Foundation reports that African Americans, Latinos, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans are significantly underrepresented in the sciences. In California our most under-represented minorities in the sciences are African-Americans; Latinos are the second most under-represented group. National research universities such as UC Berkeley and Stanford are developing minority action plans to recruit more under-represented minorities to enroll in graduate programs and careers in the sciences. But recruiting excellent undergraduate and graduate science majors can only be successful if the K-12 education system is producing a pipeline of students with a strong foundation and interest in math and science. And yet Berkeley High is considering doing away with its honors math program and eliminating the school-wide math and science departments and department chairs.  

Senator Obama said in the recent debate, “…it’s going to be critically important for us to recruit a generation of new teachers, an army of new teachers, especially in math and science, giving them higher pay, giving them more professional development and support in exchange for higher standards and accountability.” This is the direction that the Berkeley Unified School District should be taking. 

As for the elementary and middle school level, Senator Obama also noted at the last presidential debate that investing in our children’s education at an early age reaps great benefits at the high school level. In Berkeley too many of our students arrive at Berkeley High two or more grade levels behind, without the fundamental skills in English language arts, math and science to be successful in completing a rigorous high school curriculum.  

Our K-12 curriculum must be integrated and strengthened throughout our school district. BUSD should be creating a Math, Science and Technology K-12 Curriculum Task Force to review and strengthen the K-12 curriculum and strengthen effective programs. We should be hiring and retaining math and science graduates to the teaching profession. We need to be supporting these teachers and math and science department chairs by providing professional development so that they are learning from professionals in the field. We certainly should not be eliminating programs like the Berkeley High honors math program. 

This is a time for renewal in Berkeley schools. We need to make sure that a high school diploma ensures readiness for college-level work in English, math and science.  

Priscilla Myrick is the parent of two Berkeley High grads and a candidate for Berkeley School Board Director.


No on Measure KK

By Steve Geller
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:03:00 AM

I voted NO on Measure KK not because it’s anti-transit, but because it’s bad government. Measure KK is another “solution” which creates more problems. It is another defective idea like the two-thirds majority requirement for taxes. Supporters of KK hope that by requiring an (expensive) election, Berkeley will be prevented from allocating a dedicated lane for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Telegraph Avenue. The measure also requires an election for a bus-only or HOV lane anywhere else in the city. One wonders why only lane decisions must be submitted to voters, and not, say, parking, zoning, staff salaries or library hours. I think some folks really want to keep buses out of the way of their cars. 

A dedicated lane enables BRT to provide the kind of reliable service we get from BART, which has tracks not shared with any other traffic. Environmentalists think the BRT will attract large numbers of car drivers, so that car traffic will be reduced. Some drivers see the dedicated lane as interfering with car traffic and thus increasing congestion; projecting their own car-first attitude on everyone else, they expect little or no reduction in car traffic as a result of people switching to BRT. 

Everyone should be aware that Telegraph already has something like a dedicated lane—or trucks. Mid-morning deliveries to businesses are often obstructed by cars parked along Telegraph, so the truck drivers simply block a traffic lane. Nobody seems to object to this practice, not even the police. 

Concerns about global warming and the high price of gasoline are now motivating a shift to transit. In TV ads, BP portrays itself as pushing alternative energy. Chevron has a poster in the bus shelters showing someone making a pledge: “I will leave the car at home more.” Presumably some of these good people will want to ride BRT, at least for commuting to and from work. 

The idea behind BRT is to provide bus service which is as fast as driving a car and, more important, service which is more frequent and reliable than present bus service. Today’s buses can’t maintain reliable schedules because of all the car traffic. The BRT bus needs to be given an advantage over cars—a dedicated bus lane. 

If Berkeley is so green and concerned about climate change, why do we have Measure KK on the ballot? I think that part of the problem is that people have long been accustomed to the convenience of a car and don’t like being told what to do. They don’t want to wait at a bus stop to ride a crowded bus. They don’t want to walk or ride a bike. They think that transit advocates would like to make driving a car so inconvenient and unpleasant that drivers will be compelled to shift to riding the bus. I think this attitude is what’s behind assertions that BRT is a waste of money and constitutes an evil power grab by AC Transit. 

It’s a matter of priorities too. While most people who are concerned about global warming and renewable energy are willing to buy CFL light bulbs or consider using solar panels, far fewer are willing to do anything effective to cut back on using their private car—not if it means riding a bus. 

When I’m riding a bus, I think about why so many people are driving alone as part of the surrounding car traffic instead of riding my bus. Looking at my fellow riders, I think I see one reason: disproportionately, my fellow bus riders are senior citizens like me, or low-income, or disabled or UC students and other young people. It might be that the car drivers think that riding a bus will lower their social class. 

Measure KK could have simply asked voters whether they want a bus-only lane on Telegraph. Do most Berkeley voters really want to torpedo the BRT? 

I would like to seriously look at what we can do to reduce the number of cars congesting the streets of Berkeley. I think BRT is a great idea; it works in cities elsewhere. And a successful BRT will do a lot to get Berkeley in compliance with AB32. 

We need some local compromises to make BRT work here. I think a dedicated bus lane is practical on Telegraph in the wide part south of Dwight, but not in the congested part between Dwight and Bancroft. 

“Rapid Bus Plus” is a proposal to forget about the dedicated lane and motivate the shift from car drivers to BRT riders by making some improvements to the existing Rapid Bus service. Improvements include having cleaner buses, using hybrid buses and implementing proof of payment (POP) to speed boarding. It’s a start on a compromise, but I don’t think it will be very close to a successful BRT. Anyone who rides the 1R on Telegraph or the 72R on San Pablo is aware that while Rapid Bus service is somewhat faster and more reliable due to traffic signal priority control and skipping stops, Rapid Bus service is still severely constrained by car traffic. In other cities, one sees POP implemented on light rail, but not on buses. The problem is that fare evasion is more difficult to police on buses, perhaps because buses are more numerous than light rail vehicles. AC Transit is very wary of POP in the East Bay. Muni has POP on the municipal railroad; I’ve seen inspectors checking for passes and tickets. 

We need some reasonable compromises to make BRT work in Berkeley. We can do a lot better than Measure KK. 

 

 

Steve Geller is longtime Berkeley resident.


LL Is for LLies

By Judith Epstein, on behalf of the Berkeley Neighborhood Preservation Organization
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:04:00 AM

There are a lot of good reasons to vote “no” on Measure LL, but perhaps the best one is that the campaign to pass it is based on lies. Measure LL would repeal our current, green Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (LPO) and put in its place a loophole-laden ordinance, designed to expedite the demolition of our historic homes and neighborhoods. The fact that proponents refer to it as a landmarks preservation ordinance may be the biggest lie of all. That’s because if a developer chooses the right options among the new and confusing bureaucratic procedures for landmarking, a historic building could be cleared for demolition before the public even knows what’s going on. In effect, Measure LL provides a means to keep historic structures from being preserved. 

Measure LL contains a controversial provision called a “Request for Determination.” Measure LL backers claimed that it was needed, based on an allegation that our current LPO didn’t allow property owners to obtain a determination if their properties were historic or not. That’s patently false, since under our current LPO, property owners can and do come before the Landmarks Preservation Commission for such determinations. There’s a good reason for them to do so; the Mills Act provides property tax rebates for the restoration of historic buildings. So there was never any doubt about what our LPO allowed, but determinations weren’t what Measure LL backers really wanted. They wanted what they call a “safe harbor” for the demolition of potentially historic structures—a period of time in which they would be unprotected by law. The RFD procedure provides this cover, by allowing property owners, developers, or their agents to obtain decisions that properties aren’t historic, using a process with confusing timelines and limited public disclosure. Measure LL is a stealth anti-landmarking ordinance.  

How did such an ordinance come to be written? It all began with a lie. The City Attorney said that our current LPO was in violation of the 1999 Permit Streamlining Act, because our ordinance didn’t provide specific timelines for environmental review. This was nonsensical, since a state law prevails over a municipal ordinance and would simply impose the required deadlines on the permitting process. Furthermore, in 2000, the State Office of Historic Preservation certified our current LPO as being in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and gave it the coveted status of a “Certified Local Government,” which qualifies Berkeley for state grants. But the lie took on a life of its own, and it became the premise for repealing our LPO and creating the developer-driven ordinance that became Measure LL. Ironically, the new ordinance is the one in violation of law. It violates both the California Environmental Quality Act and the Berkeley Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance. Measure LL will cost the City of Berkeley tens of thousands of dollars in lawsuits, but proponents never divulge this fact.  

The campaign to pass Measure LL has been a litany of lies. Proponents call Measure LL a “compromise.” Now, if our current LPO had actually been in violation of state law, as alleged, then correcting it could not truthfully be called a compromise. It would be a necessity. But people who tell lies often forget to keep their stories straight, and so the story about Measure LL being a compromise was born. This clever façade puts a reasonable-looking face on the ruthless pro-development agenda behind Measure LL. 

What city officials never disclose is that Berkeley’s stock of affordable housing lies almost completely within older neighborhoods. That’s a lie of omission, but a significant one, and it may be the key to understanding why developers want Measure LL to pass so badly. There’s virtually no room for new development in Berkeley without demolishing existing buildings, and that means affordable rental housing will be destroyed if Measure LL passes. The profitable, high-density buildings that replace small apartment buildings and single-family homes will in turn lower the property values of the remaining residences. 

Finally, Measure LL undermines the city’s green goals, because preservation is an integral component of our sustainable future. This is a betrayal of global proportions, because according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 48% of the greenhouse gases produced in the U.S. come from the demolition, construction, and operation of buildings. We waste less energy and fewer resources by preserving and retrofitting historic buildings than we do by constructing new buildings to replace them, even when those buildings are energy-efficient and made from some recycled materials. That’s because new buildings don’t last long enough to recoup the cost in embodied energy that it takes to construct them. For these reasons, and many others, the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) endorses a “no” vote on Measure L, as does the Council of Neighborhood Associations and major neighborhood associations, including CENA, ENA, Le Conte, NEBA, and Willard. The Berkeley Green Party and the Green Party of Alameda don’t just say to vote “no” on Measure LL; they say, “NO! NO! NO!” 

There would be no need for misrepresentations on the part of Measure LL backers, if there was even one good reason to pass Measure LL. But there are none. Vote “no” on Measure LL and keep our strong and green LPO! 

 

The Berkeley Neighborhood Preservation Organization collected 6000 signatures in 30 days in order to put this referendum on the ballot. The BNPO urges a “no” vote on Measure LL. For more information on the BNPO and Measure LL, go to www. savethelpo.org.


Time for a Change in Albany

By James D. Cleveland
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:05:00 AM

In its Centennial year could Albany commit both civic and financial suicide? 

How? The arrogant, incumbent Political Action Committee (PAC) endorsed Council majority, led by Berkeley born and raised, Mayor Bob Lieber, plus Wile, and Atkinson whom I label the PAC3, have seized control of Albany. They forced measure Y onto your ballot. Neither your city committees, nor 80 percent of public hearings speakers, nor nine of your 10 past mayors approve Measure Y. 

Your 2008 decision? Do we preserve the system we have used successfully since 1927? It’s a system that 84 percent of all cities Albany’s size such as Emeryville, Piedmont, Orinda, Moraga, and all Marin cities south of San Rafael use. Do you want to impose on Albany the Measure Y, PAC-funded, big-city-entrenched politics of our nearest Measure Y cities: Berkeley, Oakland, or Richmond? Why threaten the value of the modest entry-level Albany home which currently ranks first in price among its five neighbor cities? 

Check for yourself! Watch the two entire Council meetings (July 21 and August 4) with their Public Hearings on Albany’s Web page at Albany Rewind. A website—www.robert lieber.net—excerpts Lieber’s council actions. Watch just three people take control of Albany for their own ends overruling all safeguards. Watch Lieber silence our Charter Review Committee (CRC) spokesman Bart Grossman. Watch them repeal your 1996 Campaign Finance Reform Act limits so 2008 PAC-endorsed slate candidates (Toomey, Panian, and Lieber himself) can take unlimited PAC funds. 

We have only one choice. Two PAC3 members are incumbents. Only one more PAC-endorsed vote will irreversibly change politics where all future candidates will need tens of thousands of PAC dollars to compete. 

For Albany’s future we must elect the three independent candidates (former Mayor and also former School Board President Peggy Thomsen, incumbent Farid Javandel, and environmentalist Nick Pilch). All three “Albany Values” candidates reject PAC money. A local newspaper endorsed all three. Only these three voluntarily obey the Campaign Finance Reform Act limits that the PAC3 repealed. Independents can restore and update that act. Their election enables future independent candidates to run for a few hundred or a few thousand dollars and keep PACs agendas out of Albany elections. 

Albany, as we know it, is as stake. Since 1967 I’ve watched Berkeley, Oakland, and Richmond irreversibly change. We have a city that works. Don’t irreversibly change and lose Albany. 

No on Measure Y! No to PACs! Elect the three independent, “Albany Values” candidates. 

 

James D. Cleveland is an Albany  

resident.


Why I’ll Vote for Lieber, Panian, and Toomey

By Nan Wishner
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:05:00 AM

Robert Lieber has a solid list of environmental and progressive accomplishments from his four-year term, including leading both the Albany City Council and the mayors of Alameda County to take a strong stand opposing aerial pesticide spraying of the Bay Area for the light brown apple moth (LBAM).  

If not for Lieber’s courage and vocal leadership on this issue, we would already have been enduring airplanes spraying pesticides over our homes for as long as eight months. As chair of the City’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Task Force, I worked closely with Lieber on this issue and saw firsthand his ability to speak out effectively, persuade those who disagreed, communicate to the media the urgency of the threat, and get results.  

The LBAM spray is only one of Lieber’s accomplishments to improve the quality of life for residents of Albany and the region. Others include: 

• staunchly opposing a shopping mall on the Albany waterfront 

• initiating formation of the city Social and Economic Justice Commission 

• unwaveringly supporting the city’s new IPM and public art ordinances 

• supporting banning environmentally damaging Styrofoam containers in Albany 

• pushing the city to develop a climate change action plan 

• supporting a waterfront planning process that for the first time will bring Albany residents together 

• working to stop expansion of urban gambling in San Pablo and Richmond, and introducing resolutions on numerous issues of state and national importance including ending the war in Iraq, supporting universal health care for Californians, supporting the rights of gay and lesbian Californians to marry, and creating a federal Department of Peace. 

I have lived in Albany for 16 years, and I have never seen a mayor or council accomplish so much for the social good in such a short time.  

These accomplishments have earned Lieber endorsements from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Assemblymember Loni Hancock, Assembly candidate Nancy Skinner, and all the members of the Albany Board of Education.  

Some criticize Robert Lieber for his strong leadership. Launching personal attacks rather than focusing on the issues and Lieber’s positive accomplishments does a disservice not only to Lieber, who deserves respect for his outstanding record, but to all of us who are trying to understand and vote for the best policies and ideas. Many people talk about what they propose to accomplish. Robert Lieber doesn’t just talk; he gets things done, and we all benefit, in the short and long term.  

Leo Panian has served as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner for the past 4 years and has demonstrated over and over his strong analytical mind and ability to grasp the full import of an issue and vote for what is right despite pressure from special interest groups. He stood up to the wireless industry to vote and apply the provisions of the city’s cell antenna ordinance, which protects homes and schools from exposure to dangerous RF radiation on a 24-hour basis. He supported Brightstar Montessori school’s new location in the face of unreasonable but vocal opposition. He has consistently supported and inclusive, community based waterfront planning process to allow Albany residents to craft our vision for our waterfront rather than be forced to continue responding to proposals by outside developers. He understands and votes for pedestrian- and bicycle- friendly city planning.  

Along with candidate Ellen Toomey, Panian also understands the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we currently have at the Gill Tract—that the university’s desire for development at UC Village is a negotiating point to obtain commitments for the open space and organic farming that Albany residents want to see at the Gill Tract. This vision along with the new community garden at Ocean View Park will provide community food security.  

Ellen Toomey has a long record of working for the good of the community: to preserve the Gill Tract, founding SchoolCare and working to get pesticides out of our schools. As a small business owner and for many years a Girls Softball League parent, she understands the needs of businesses and sports field users. She is able to both listen and take strong stands, and her skills, varied community connections, and the values by which she lives as a yoga teacher will serve her well in facilitating consensus and problemsolving on the council.  

I have heard an objection that electing Lieber, Panian, and Toomey will create an all-progressive council. I don’t have a problem with a council committed to  

the progressive values of environmental  

stewardship and social justice that I believe most Albany residents share. And I have no illusion that these candidates will agree on everything. These candidates are independent thinkers and will disagree as thinking people do, just as Lieber and the other two current progressive councilmembers, Marge Atkinson and Joanne Wile, have disagreed on many issues, from the Pierce Street bike path to funding of the city’s IPM program to the City Hall remodel.  

All three of these candidates have been endorsed by the Sierra Club, Democratic Party, and Green Party of Alameda County. I hope you will join me in supporting their progressive policies on election day.  

Nan Wishner is a member of the Albany Arts Committee and served as Chair of the Albany Integrated Pest Management Task Force.


Oy Vay the Israel Thing

By Joanna Graham
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:06:00 AM

Whenever the topic of Israel arises, there’s always a lineup on both sides of what appears to be an “issue,” and people fire off at each other. But there is no “issue.” As Norman Finkelstein points out, there is at this time among historians, including those in Israel, unanimity on all but a few small points as to what the situation is and how it arose. Furthermore, there has been agreement since the early ‘seventies as to what any possible solution of the conflict would look like: a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza; a shared capital in Jerusalem; international control over the sensitive religious sites; and a solution to the refugee problem, probably some mix of repatriation and reparations. This is also, by the way, what international law demands. In return for compliance, the Arab states have repeatedly offered to fully normalize relations with Israel. 

Given that there is no controversy, what always interests me is the way in which the appearance of controversy can be generated. In the current mini-crisis set off by the Blue Star PR posters, I feel as if I have been watching the slow unfolding of a carefully planned and staged participatory theater piece in which all have dutifully, whether wittingly or unwittingly, played their roles. 

Act I. Blue Star PR puts up pro-Israel posters all around UC, the only place in the entire Bay Area where, due to a strong pro-Palestinian student movement on campus, defacement is 100 percent certain. Pro-Zionist students check the posters frequently (“We were watching out for the poster”) to see if the defacement has yet happened. Yes! By 11:00 p.m. on September 17, someone has actually done that star-of-David-equals-swastika thing! 

Act II. Gabe Weiner, the participating student, rushes off to Chancellor Birgeneau to tell him how upset he feels, whereupon the chancellor, to my mind astonishingly, sends out an e-mail to the “campus community.” 

Act III. Someone, presumably Blue Star PR, packages up the entire carefully crafted incident and sends it out to the local media, most (or all) of whom choose to publish it as the story of a frightful “hate crime.” 

Act IV. Sure enough, first-amendment queen Becky O’Malley, over at the Daily Planet, publishes letters suggesting that perhaps the vandalism was not a hate crime at all, but a political act aimed at the conflict in Israel/Palestine. 

Act V. Blue Star PR sends out their e-mail blast (I love the phrase), and letters from hysterical Jews start rolling in. 

This worked because the chancellor, the local media, and Becky O’Malley all played their assigned roles. But they are bit players, useful fools. The target audience for this theater piece is American Jews, who must periodically be made to feel threatened, lest their support for the state of Israel in all its magnificent intransigence flag. How the most successful, comfortable, integrated Jews in history can so easily be pushed into a state of panic completely contradicted by their actual experience is something on which I ruminate, as do other Jews who are not taken in. One provocative suggestion, from the expat Israeli (and saxophonist) Gilad Atzmon, is that Zionism can be defined not only as support for a Jewish state but as the anti-assimilationist project in toto. 

The sad thing is that my grandparents and great-grandparents came here, just like all the rest of America’s immigrants, specifically to assimilate. It was called the American dream—and if, when the meshiach comes, they rise from their graves and see in how few generations their progeny became doctors and lawyers and college professors, I think they will be glad and proud, even if most of us did marry blue-eyed, blond-haired goyim. 

There’s a joke in Israel to the effect that the founders asked G-d to let their state be Jewish, democratic, and “from the river to the sea.” G-d said (as so often), “You can have any two, but not all three.” Similarly, American Jews can enjoy the fruits of assimilation or the solidarity of the “Jewish community.” Right now they are desperately trying to have both, but G-d will not allow it because His rules are strict. 

If you really want a “Jewish community,” you need to observe the 613 mitzvot which regulate every aspect of daily life; buy two dishwashers for your two complete sets of dishes and tableware; throw out your best skillet should you, by accident, break an egg with a blood spot into it; spend one full day a week doing nothing but reading prayers in a language you don’t understand; have (and refrain from) sexual relations with your spouse on a religious schedule; stop having lunch with your goyishe friends (it’s forbidden); let your most intimate decisions be made for you by rabbis … and so on and so on. Or, alternatively, you can get “very angry and upset” (Gabe Weiner) when some kid spray-paints a poster or Becky prints an op-ed by Marc Sapir. Dear reader, which would you choose? 

 

Joanna Graham is a frequent critic of the whole megillah.


Anti-Zionism Is Not Anti-Semitism

By the Bay Area International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:07:00 AM

As the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), we would like to thank the Berkeley Daily Planet for publishing commentaries such as Marc Sapir’s that expose the violence of the Israeli occupation and challenge the notion that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. IJAN is a growing international network of Jews whose Jewish identities are not based on Zionism but on a plurality of histories and experiences. We share a commitment to participation in struggles against colonization and imperialism. As such, we struggle against Zionism and its manifestation in the State of Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people and the confiscation of their land. We strongly support efforts to end the war and occupation in Iraq. However, the war waged upon Iraqis is intimately linked to the 60-year occupation of Palestine. Within this context, we ask: 

Why is it that people of conscience can protest the occupation of Iraq, yet celebrate the 60-year occupation of Palestine? How can so many on the left criticize US aid to abusive regimes, but accept US funding to Israel as it steals land and agricultural resources and bulldozes the homes of Palestinians? It is time that people who stand for social justice stop exceptionalizing Israel and expose it as a racist state that is creating violence and instability in the region. 

For many, this defense of Israel comes from the desire to support the Jewish community and from the perception that criticism of Israel amounts to anti-Semitism. Yet the notion that anti-Zionism is the same as anti-Semitism is ahistorical. And while purporting to speak for all Jews, Zionism has been responsible for the displacement and alienation of Mizrahi Jews (Jews of African and Asian descent) from their diverse histories, languages, traditions and cultures. Zionism also obscures other (non-Zionist) Jewish visions of collective liberation and resistance to political, economic, and/or social domination. 

Conveniently, the equation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is often invoked to justify the targeting and harassment of Palestine solidarity organizations, as we are seeing with the UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine (see https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/10/18/18545326.php). While at times anti-Zionism has been used as a veil for anti-Jewish bigotry, this is not what lies at the heart of anti-Zionist politics. We stand with movements for social justice around the world that see Zionism as colonialism and racism. We stand in solidarity with organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine who support Palestinian liberation, while challenging anti-Jewish prejudice.  

Jews, like any other group, are entitled to safety and self-determination. Yet no group is entitled to its freedom at the expense of another. As anti-Zionist Jews, we seek liberation through joint struggle and solidarity with Palestinians, not through isolation. We envision a world based not upon colonization and apartheid, but upon collective liberation.


Columns

Dispatches From The Edge: Targeting Unions in Colombia

By Conn Hallinan
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:59:00 AM

There are lots of places in the world where you need to watch your step. You don’t want to be a Sunni in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad (or vice versa). It’s probably not smart to speak Tamal in southern Sri Lanka. You might want to keep being a Muslim under wraps in parts of Mindanao. But most of all you don’t want to be a trade unionist in the U.S.’s one remaining ally in South America, Colombia.  

“Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist,” says Jeremy Dear, chair of the British trade union organization, Justice For Colombia (JFC), “In fact, more trade unionists have been murdered in Colombia during [Alvaro] Uribe’s presidency than in the rest of the world over the same period.” 

In April, the Colombian Trade Union Confederation reported that the first part of 2008 saw a 77 percent increase in the murder of trade unionists. 

One of the latest victims was Luis Mayusa Prada, a union leader from Saravena. On Aug. 8, two men pumped him full of bullets—17 to be exact. Prada was the third member of his family to be assassinated by right-wing paramilitaries. His sister Carmen Mayusa, a nurse and leader of the National Association Of Hospital and Clinic Workers, is on the run from death threats.  

Prada, who left behind a wife and five children, was the 27th unionist to be murdered in 2008 and joins 3,000 others who have been assassinated in the past two decades. Only 3 percent of the cases have ever been solved. 

The fact that so many cases go unsolved is hardly surprising. The perpetrators work hand-in-glove with Colombia’s police, military and, according to recent revelations, President Alvaro Uribe and his political allies.  

According to the Washington Post, the head of Uribe’s secret police, who also served as the President’s campaign manager, was arrested for “giving a hit list of trade unionists and activists to paramilitaries, who then killed them.” Fourteen of Uribe’s supporters in congress have been jailed for aiding paramilitaries, and 62 others are under investigation. 

There is an unholy trinity between the government, the Colombian military, and multi-national organizations that has reduced the number of trade unionists from more than three million in 1993 to fewer than 800,000 today.  

Nor is there any question why trade unionists are the target.  

Starting in the 1990s, foreign owned companies began investing heavily in Colombia. From 1990 to 2006, according to a recent study by Al Jazeera, direct foreign investment increased five-fold, making up 33 percent of the national earnings. In 2007 that jumped another 30 percent. 

A major impetus for this influx of foreign capital is the push for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S., an initiative begun under the Clinton Administration that forms a centerpiece for the Bush Administration’s Latin America policy. 

Most trade unionists have resisted the influx of foreign investment because it has led to the privatization of government-owned services, such as hospitals and water systems. Unionists also fear that a FTA will wipe out Colombia’s small farmers and manufacturers, as it has done all over Latin America. 

Cesar Ferrari, an economist as Bogotá’s University of Javeriana, says a FTA will benefit consumers “because prices will decrease,” but “the producers, usually small farmers will lose out” because they cannot compete with subsidized U.S. goods. 

Democrats concerned with labor rights are currently holding up approval of the FTA. When unions and small farmers protest, the death squads appear, sometimes egged on by Colombia’s political leaders. When Colombia’s Vice-President Francisco Santos recently accused trade union members of links to “terrorists,” he essentially declared open season on unionists 

Multinational corporations are also tied to the paramilitaries. Chiquita Brands International admitted to paying over one million dollars to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, the umbrella group for right-wing paramilitary death squads. Trade unionists have filed suits against the huge multinational food giants, Nestle and Coca Cola, charging that the companies have helped to target trade unionists for murder.  

“There are tight relations between the government, the paramilitaries and corporations,” Renan Vega Cantor, a professor of history and economics at the University of Pedagojica told Al Jazeera. “The industrialists, commerce, land owners and TNCs [transnational corporations] were all behind the paramilitary groups.”  

The U.S. has supplied more than $5.5 billion in aid to Colombia, the bulk of which goes to the military. Britain also supplies and trains the Colombian military. 

Both countries are training the notorious High Mountain Battalions (HMB), an elite force that, according to Dear of JFC, has been directly linked to human rights violations. “International groups such as Amnesty [International] have denounced the killing of trade unionists at their hands, while Colombian human rights defenders have documented the gross and systematic violations carried out by the HMB, including torture, murder and the disappearance of numerous civilians.” 

The JFC recently protested a meeting between British Foreign Office minister, Kim Howells and HMB commander, General Mario Montoya. Howells responded by accusing JFC of being linked to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Howells withdrew the charge under a barrage of criticism. “Such ill-informed remarks could put at risk the lives of trade unionists, journalists and human rights defenders involved in projects supported by Justice For Colombia,” Dear points out. 

JFC also demanded that British Foreign Secretary David Miliband investigate whether Britain may have trained Colombian army troops implicated in a series of 30 assassinations. Miliband has yet to respond to the organization. 

According to a Washington Post examination of civilian deaths, the Colombian military has been killing civilians they then claim are guerrillas. Since 2005, according to the United Nations, murders of civilians have sharply escalated. The Uribe government has doubled the size of the Colombian military, making it the second largest on the continent. 

“We used to see this as isolated, as a military patrol that lost control,” Bayron Gongora, a Medellin lawyer for the families of victims told the Post, “But what we are now seeing is systematic.” 

The Colombian Inspector General’s office says most of the victims are marginal farmers, or even people kidnapped off the street. Vice Inspector Arturo Gomez told the Post that the increase in civilian deaths reflects the intense pressure Uribe has put on the military to come up with elevated body counts. A U.N. investigation found that the Army carries extra grenades and firearms to plant on victims. 

Besides trade unionists, political activists, and random farmers, indigenous groups are targeted as well. On Sept. 28, a death squad murdered Raul Mendoza, an indigenous governor, and former member of the Council of Chiefs of the Regional Indigenous Council (RIC). Two other indigenous leaders, Ever Gonzalez and Cesar Marin, were assassinated as well. 

According to RIC, Mendoza had warned local authorities that he had been threatened for criticizing the government’s lack of concern for the poor, and for his support for striking sugar cane workers. Some 18,000 sugar workers are on strike for higher pay and improved working conditions. Currently sugar workers work seven day a week, 14-hours a day.  

Mendoza was murdered the day after Uribe charged that the sugar workers were linked to FARC. 

The U.S. is currently expanding its presence in Colombia. The Colombian weekly Cambio says the U.S. is planning to move its military base from Manta, Ecuador, to Palanquero, 120 miles north of Bogotá. In 1998, U.S. mercenaries based at Palanquero rocketed a village in Eastern Colombia, killing 18 civilians. The base was also instrumental in Colombia’s March attack on a FARC camp in Ecuador that drew widespread condemnation throughout the region. 

The Palanquero base houses up to 2,000 people and can handle up to 60 planes on three airstrips. 

The move, however, has generated opposition in Colombia. “A decision of this caliber would have serious repercussions for our foreign relations,” former Colombian Defense Minister Pardo Rueda told Teo Ballve of NACLA Report. “The possible base would reinforce the opinion that the decisions of Colombia are subordinated to the north,”  

The U.S. also recently reactivated its Fourth Fleet, which according to the Navy will conduct “varying missions including a range of contingency operations, counter narco-terrorism, and theater security cooperation activities” in Latin America. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva sharply condemned the move and warned that Brazil might consider responding by putting its navy on alert.  

With the exception of Colombia, and U.S. support for the 2002 coup in Venezuela, the U.S, preoccupied with its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, went through a period of military disengagement from Latin America. But that military footprint is growing once again. Given the loss of its traditional bases in Panama, it will have to find friendly countries in Latin America, a rare commodity these days, to host its bases. Even if Washington felt inclined to criticize Colombia’s human rights record-and to date it has shown no such inclination-it is even less likely to raise the issue when it is looking for a new base. 

Hence the killings go on. 

“This climate of constant violence must end,” says Guy Ryder, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation representing 168 million workers in 155 countries. “The workers of Colombia are crying out for respect of their most basic rights, as enshrined in the fundamental ILO [International Labor Organization] conventions ratified by Colombia.” 

 

 


Undercurrents: Revelations Tell More About America Than It Does About McCain

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:00:00 AM

How much is the relationship—such as it is—between presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain affected by the fact that Mr. McCain’s Mississippi ancestors once held African people in slavery? Is the palpable annoyance—barely disguising a seething underlying anger—which the public observed in Mr. McCain’s facial expressions and mannerisms during the recent series of debates an echo of the feelings old maw’se would have felt if one of the nigger house servants had stopped serving the dinner guests one evening and, primly tucking the swallowtails of his formal coat under his ass, sat down at the table to begin carving up a bit of the main course meat for himself? 

I don’t have any special insight into the secret heart of John McCain, but, then, neither does Pat Buchanan or Rush Limbaugh have such insight into the heart of General Colin Powell. If they—Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Limbaugh—can presume to ascribe race and ancestry as the main motive of Mr. Powell’s movements simply because they involve race and ancestry and the history of the black-white tangle in America, then why am I not free to do the same with Mr. McCain? 

Such is the nature of America’s racial tarbaby. Left out in the middle of our pathway unattended, it tends to continue to stick to us all, whether we like it our not. We must either embrace it or melt it down entirely. Walking away from it, whistling, while pretending it is not there, quite frankly, has not met with much success. 

To the issue of Mr. McCain’s slaveholding ancestry. 

As far as I can tell, that history was first uncovered by Salon.com journalists Suzi Parker and Jake Tapper during the 2000 Republican presidential primaries. In an article entitled “McCain’s Ancestors Owned Slaves,” Ms. Parker and Mr. Tapper wrote, in part, that Mr. McCain appeared surprised when they offered him the evidence that Mr. McCain’s great-great grandfather William Alexander McCain, a Confederate cavalry soldier during the Civil War, kept more than 50 Africans in bondage on a Carroll County, Mississippi, plantation. 

“I knew we fought in the Civil War,” the reporters quoted Mr. McCain as saying. “But no, I had no idea. I guess thinking about it, I guess when you really think about it logically, it shouldn’t be a surprise. They had a plantation and they fought in the Civil War, so I guess that it makes sense. … Obviously, I’m going to have to do a little more research.” 

Obviously. 

Was Mr. McCain really surprised by the revelation? I have no idea. But if we take the Arizona senator at his word, it is a telling comment on the different levels of understandings about America’s racial history between African-Americans and European-Americans. There is not a single African-American I know—not one—who, being told that their family came from Mississippi, would not presume that they had been held in slavery there. Mr. McCain, knowing that his ancestors owned a Mississippi plantation, finds himself “surprised” at how such a plantation was operated. 

In any event, and interestingly, the subject seems to have died for a long time with the original Salon.com article, with no evidence that it was picked up by anyone in the mainstream media. 

Until recently, that is, until news outlets began picking up the story again, this time with the addition that Mr. McCain also has African-Americans in his family, descendants from those same plantation “relationships.” 

The South Florida Times recently published a story (“Some of McCain’s Black Relatives Support Obama”) that describes a widely acknowledged relationship between African-American and white McCain descendants of the McCain Carroll County plantation, including family reunions begun by the African-American side of the family in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s that have since expanded to include white members of the family as well. 

“Some of McCain’s black family members say they are not sure exactly where they fall on the family tree,” the South Florida Times article says, “but they do know this: They are either descendants of the McCain family slaves, or of children the McCains fathered with their slaves.” 

(Black) McCain family reunion organizers say in the article that despite the fact that he has been contacted and invited, Senator McCain himself has never attended the reunions or acknowledged the family connection. The South Florida Times article says that Mr. McCain’s brother, Joe, however, has attended. 

The McCain Connection opens up many avenues of discovery—or rediscovery—for us, if we are willing to take the opportunity to walk down them. Let us wander. 

Black-white family ties dating back before the turn of the 20th century continue to be treated as something of a shock to the nation, though the fact that we find that something shocking is more attributable to somewhat willful ignorance than anything else. Many Americans now function under the illusion that the black-white divide in the 18th and 19th centuries was a solid wall of brick. It was more of a sieve, in which the racial waters rested in separate compartments, but flowed back and forth at various times. 

To see how much it flowed, one needs to go back to the original sources. 

In his book “Pitchfork Ben Tillman,” South Carolina historian Francis Butler Simkins gives us some interesting insight. Speaking about the 1895 South Carolina Constitutional convention, the seminal event in which the Jim Crow segregation laws were codified, Mr. Simkins describes the difficulties in late 19th century South Carolina in defining just who was black and who was white.  

“The various distinctions which the constitution drew between the two races necessitated a definition of a person of color,” Mr. Simkins writes. “George Johnstone (a convention delegate), voicing rising prejudices of race, argued that any degree of Negro blood sufficed to define a Negro. But the Tillman brothers (Ben and his brother, George) were more realistic [emphasis added].” ‘There are families now,’ said Ben, ‘who are received [socially by whites] that have negro blood.’ George, after an academic discussion of the alleged scarcity of persons of pure Caucasian blood, said that if Johnstone’s definition were adopted, ‘respectable [white] families in Aiken, Barnwell, Colleton and Orangeburg would be denied the right to intermarry among the people with whom they are now associated.’ The words of the Tillman brothers carried weight, for when Johnstone’s proposal was returned from its committee, it defined a person of color as one ‘with one eighth or more negro blood.’ In this form it was adopted.” 

The exchange would tend to explode the currently held myth that any 18th or 19th century product of a black-white sexual relationship was shunned by the white community and automatically folded into the African-American community. It would seem that while it was less publicized, there was considerable movement in the opposite direction as well. In a phenomenon commonly known among African-Americans as “passing,” but which seems to have no name given it by our white brethren and sisters, African-Americans with extremely fair skin, Caucasian features, and straight hair often “passed over” into the white community during the years of slavery and segregation, forever hiding their African ancestry. The practice was so common that one of my cousins, Betty Reid Soskin, talks about an early 20th century clerk in the New Orleans courthouse selling new birth certificates to light-skinned African-American adults with the race changed to “white,” who then left Louisiana and their African heritage behind. 

White Americans once took such crossing-over as accepted fact, if not necessarily accepted. 

One of the persistent historical rumors about Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton—one of the two non-Presidents whose face appears on United States currency—was that Hamilton, a West Indian native, had African heritage. True or not, it was seen as plausible enough in 18th century America that it served as a possible barrier to Mr. Hamilton’s ascendancy to the presidency, which he coveted. The phenomenon was also included—without much fanfare—in James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans, generally considered the first American novel. 

Anyone familiar with the story knows that there are two young women in the novel, the dark-haired Cora and the fairer Alice, daughters of a British colonel named Munro. But an introduction to the 1986 Penguin edition of the novel by author and historian Richard Slotkin tells us an aspect of the novel modern readers appear to have overlooked. 

“The curiously negative suggestions [made in Cooper’s description in the novel] about Cora’s coloring (‘not brown’) prepare us for the revelation that she inherited through her West Indian Creole mother a fraction of Negro ‘blood,’” Mr. Simkins writes. “This racial ‘taint’ is imagistically linked to her superabundant vitality and sexuality, her voluptuousness and her susceptibility to sensuous appeals. She is spontaneously fascinated by Magua and later by Uncas, and the novel is enlivened by the persistent erotic tension generated among these three: the darkened beauty, a potential rapist, and a potential lover.” Alice’s mother, Mr. Simkins explains, was white. “It is Cora, never Alice,” he concludes, “who excites lust or loving desire in the hearts of Magua and Uncas, as if darkness in the blood calls to its fellows.” 

If your experience with Mr. Cooper’s novel is only through the 1992 Daniel Day-Lewis/Madeline Stowe movie, you will find yourself thoroughly confused by this. Not only has the African subtext been completely removed, but the movie now reverses the roles of the two Munro sisters for whatever reason, with the fair-haired Alice now the object of the Native Americans’ attention, not the dark-haired Cora. No wonder we sometimes find ourselves wandering in America’s racial wilderness, unable to make the simplest connections. Asses dragging in the dust, we’re busily trying to erase the pathway behind us as we believe ourselves moving forward down the road. Some of us, at least. 

In any event, let the adults amongst us try to move beyond the titillating nature of the McCain revelations—omygod! John McCain’s got black cousins and his ancestors were slaveholders!—and try to use this as an opportunity to begin a discussion and continue our studies to better understand America’s history and its hidden nature. 

Immediate media reaction does not leave us immediately hopeful. It appears to have focused on the fact that Mr. McCain’s African-American relatives are voting for Mr. McCain’s opponent—Mr. Obama—as if that should be some sort of shock and that, to the contrary, reporters expected to come up on some dirt road Mississippi country shack to find a black sharecropper lounging on the front steps picking his toes with a jackknife and proclaiming, “Do the vote for ‘dat colored fellow Obama? Naw, I reckon I’m’a go with Cu’n John. Family got to stick, you knows.” 

Mercy, as Jim French used to say. 


Wild Neighbors: Love and Death Among the Mantids

By Joe Eaton
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:23:00 AM

Lately I’ve been running into mantises, or, more properly, mantids. A friend in Vacaville has a sort of colony in the shrubbery outside her condo. On a recent visit she pointed out a mantid egg case, or ootheca, from which legions of miniature predators will emerge. On a hike near Mare Island last week there was a large brown mantid perched atop an animal dropping in the middle of the trail, not at all camouflaged. Waiting for flies? Preparing to lay eggs? Not a clue. 

These insects are classic ambush predators. Many are green and leafy in appearance, and some tropical representatives assume elaborate floral disguises. The placement of their huge compound eyes gives them superb binocular vision. Like those of dragonflies, mantid eyes have a fovea-like region for greater visual acuity. The ommatidia—the individual eye structures—automatically adapt to night vision, causing the whole compound eye to darken. 

At about this point you’re probably saying, “Fine, but when do we get to the sexual cannibalism?” All right then. 

It is true that female mantids have been known to eat their mates. It is also true that having his head bitten off does nothing to dampen a male mantid’s enthusiasm. There’s a large ganglion—a bundle of nerves—in the mantid’s neck that has an inhibitory function. Remove it and what’s left of the male becomes a veritable sex machine. 

Evolutionary theorists have had a field day with the mantids. Sexual cannibalism is so prevalent among them—and a few other groups of arthropods, notably spiders and scorpions—that it’s considered an adaptive behavior. It’s easy to see what’s in it for the female mantid. Since males, although not as large as females, can be good-sized insects, she gets a nice nutritional package that helps her produce all those eggs.  

But for the male? As with most male animals, his best strategy for leaving lots of his genes in the next generation would seem to be mating as often and with as many females as he can. Becoming his mate’s meal on the first go-round would pretty much blow that option. Yet some biologists claim the male goes willingly to his death, provisioning his future offspring in the ultimate paternal sacrifice.  

The late Stephen Jay Gould was skeptical about this. Gould was fiercely critical of what he called adaptationist just-so stories: the notion that every existing structure and behavior has been favored by natural selection because it served a purpose. Instead, he was strong on contingency—the idea that not just the origin of a trait but its persistence could be a matter of chance—and the constraining role of developmental pathways.  

Back in the 1980s, in an essay called “Only His Wings Remained,” Gould questioned the reality of sexual cannibalism in mantids and spiders: “I can find no quantitative data on the percentage of eating after mating either in nature or even in the more unsatisfactory and artificial conditions of a laboratory.” Further, for mantids at least he found “no evidence for the male’s complicity in his demise … Male mantises become headless wonders; male black widows remain on the female’s web. Both behaviors may be useful; but we have no evidence that either arose by active selection for male sacrifice.” 

This ticked off some biologists. John Alcock, best known for his natural history essays about the Sonoran Desert, weighed in somewhat belatedly (in 2000) with a scathing critique. Alcock accused Gould of using his long-running column in Natural History to attack human sociobiology and the adaptationist ideas that supported it, in the process dismissing “adaptive sexual suicide” in mantids as “utterly implausible, not worth even speculating about.” (He didn’t indicate what the mantids had to say about the biological roots of human behavior; probably just as well.) 

Despite all this, it was only a couple of years ago that Jonathan Lelito and William Brown of the State University of New York, Fredonia, brought male and female mantids together in their lab for the first time. They reported in 2006 that male mantids were not passive victims: “To the contrary, our results show that males assess risk of cannibalism and that, given this risk, they behave in a manner to reduce the likelihood of cannibalism.” 

Lelito and Brown used lab-reared Chinese mantids (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis) which had been fed on crickets. Then, just before introducing the males, they cut the cricket rations of some of the females. The males were somehow able to tell whether their potential mates were ravenously hungry or not. Confronted with a cricket-deprived female, males approach-ed more slowly, displayed more intensely (by flicking their wings and rhythmically bending their abdomens), and made the final leap onto her back from a greater distance. 

Score one, posthumously, for Gould. Spiders may be a different story. More on that later. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Open Home in Focus: Kofoid House at 2616 Etna St. for Sale

By Steven Finacom
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:19:00 AM
From the street 2616 Etna sits solid and shingled, with the second floor under a gambrel roof.
Steven Finacom
From the street 2616 Etna sits solid and shingled, with the second floor under a gambrel roof.
Beyond the living room lies Professor Kofoid’s old home study, with numerous built-ins and a grass mat ceiling.
Steven Finacom
Beyond the living room lies Professor Kofoid’s old home study, with numerous built-ins and a grass mat ceiling.

There aren’t many houses in Berkeley over a century old that have never been sold on the open market. When one comes up for sale, it’s worth taking note, especially if it’s an original Julia Morgan design, relatively unaltered, and the family home of a renowned UC scientist. 

From the outside, the gambrel-roofed, shingled, home at 2616 Etna St. isn’t the grandest house on its block. Inside, however, it’s a jewel box of good design, Arts & Crafts character, and whispering history. 

Charles Atwood Kofoid, a long time professor of zoology, built the house with his wife in 1905 and four decades later passed it on to the son of one of his former graduate students. That family, the Micheners, has owned and used the house ever since. 

Let’s visit the house first, and then learn more about the residents. 

The main entrance is centered on the long south façade. Enter the downstairs hall, paneled floor to ceiling in redwood with pocket doors to either side, and turn right. Here’s a comfortable formal dining room with fireplace and southeast facing windows. 

North of, and beyond, the dining room is the kitchen, which can also be entered from the downstairs hall. Beyond the kitchen is a little room Mrs. Kofoid used for laundry, a half bath tucked under the stairs, and what was originally a screened porch on the north side of the house. 

The kitchen is substantially unchanged from its early years. The adjacent pantry retains a pie safe in the north wall. Pat Talbert, one of the realtors representing the sellers, flings open the windows over a wide sill, facing the front garden; “doesn’t this make you just want to run into the kitchen and bake something?” she says to a visitor. 

On the other side of the entry hall is the living room running the width of the house, with built-in bookcases. A fireplace is centered in the west wall, flanked by French doors that lead to a porch on the south side, and Dr. Kofoid’s study on the north. 

The study is the historic heart of the house, with its own corner fireplace, numerous built in book cases and cabinets, and windows facing north and southwest. 

A huge wooden partner’s desk hand built by Kofoid’s father, a Danish immigrant carpenter, stood in this room until a few months ago, and books and keepsakes from decades of research and travel were arranged on the cabinets and shelves. After Kofoid died “another layer of artifacts” was added by the Michener family, current co-owner Frances Michener says. 

Although the furnishings and books are now removed, the beamed ceiling of the study is still covered with woven “Lauhalo mat,” brought by Mrs. Kofoid from Hawaii. 

A Dutch door opens from the study to the large south-facing porch with a redwood pergola. Family lore has it that the Dutch door was included so Professor Kofoid could have a dog on the porch while he worked inside; his wife, however, “refused to share her home with a dog,” researcher Joellen Arnold wrote in 1975. 

Upstairs, the large southeast bedroom was originally used by Mrs. Kofoid’s mother. The northeast has two curious smaller rooms, each with its own door to the hallway but internally connected by a large sliding door. The architectural plans describe this arrangement as “Bed Room” and “Alcove.” 

Family accounts note these small rooms were rented to Cal students over the years. But the Kofoids “had planned to have a family,” Frances Michener says. “I think it was extremely disappointing to them that they couldn’t have children.” 

The bathroom opposite the top of the stairs retains period character with traditional fixtures and wood wainscoting and built-ins. Peek in the bathroom closet at its floor to ceiling stack of built-in wooden cabinets; this space once connected through to the master bedroom. 

The two bedrooms at the back end of the house were partitioned from the original master bedroom; a bookcase wall built in front of a fireplace divides them. Beyond the master bedroom is a now enclosed porch, originally open air, which the Kofoids used for sleeping. It’s perched atop the downstairs study and, like it, entered through double French doors. 

Like the old St. John’s Presbyterian Church sanctuary nearby on College Avenue (now the Julia Morgan Theater) this room displays Julia Morgan’s virtuosity at making simple structural materials sing. The open trusses, diagonal ceiling boards, wall framing and floor, and slanted, sliding windows make the room feel like a sculptural composition. 

The house has a marvelous number of built-ins, including drawers and dressers, and cabinets beneath windows and below bookshelves, and hundreds of linear feet of bookshelves themselves. On the staircase, the panel at the bottom facing the front door is cleverly removable so furniture can be more easily carried up and down. On the landing there’s a cabinet that was equipped with a fire hose; the water spigot is still there. Nearly every window in the house has a deep sill. 

All the numerous casement windows originally opened inward. In preparation for sale most of the upstairs windows have been replaced in kind and now swing outwards, but the downstairs windows retain the original design. 

Out back, the slightly sloping yard has a towering redwood in one corner, a gnarled oak, and a bay laurel rising from a formidable buttressed base. 

Charles Atwood Kofoid who selected this site and commissioned the house, was born in Illinois in 1865. He attended Oberlin College where he met Carrie Prudence Winter, daughter of a Congregational minister from Connecticut. “They fell in love at Oberlin,” Frances Michener says, “but they thought they could not get married because he wasn’t making enough money.” 

Carrie taught, first in Connecticut, then in a missionary school in Honolulu from 1890 to 1893, all the while exchanging letters with Kofoid, who was studying at Harvard. 

In 1894 she returned to Connecticut and they married. He taught for a year at Michigan, then supervised a pioneering biological survey of the Illinois River. She earned her M.A. in history at the University of Illinois, studied Russian (to be able to translate research papers for her husband), and began a writing career. Throughout their marriage they traveled extensively in Europe, the Pacific, South Asia, Africa, and even contemplating moving to India at one point. 

In 1903 a faculty position at the University of California opened, and the Kofoids moved to Berkeley. During 1904-05, Kofoid spent six months aboard the USFS “Albatross,” sailing on a research and collecting mission through the eastern tropical Pacific. 

In 1905 the Kofoids also hired Julia Morgan to design the Etna Street house, along with the house next door to the south intended as a residence for Professor Kofoid’s father. Ultimately pere Kofoid returned to Illinois, and the second house became auxiliary storage for Kofoid’s expanding book collection, which also spilled over into the in-law unit above the garage that he built in 1926 in the back yard of 2618 Etna. 

Kofoid collected an estimated 100,000 books over more than 60 years, specializing in the biological sciences. He started early; one book of poetry I found at the estate sale earlier this year was dated 1887, when he was just 22, and labeled #353 in his collection. 

After his death most of his best books went to institutional collections—some 40,000 to UC Berkeley alone—but thousands remained in the house for decades, supplemented by the Michener's own books, often on similar topics including environmental issues and natural science. 

One fascinating piece of Kofoid memorabilia is his elaborate bookplate, drawn by Bertha Mitchell Clute, a noted illustrator who settled in Berkeley after 1915. The centerpiece is a drawing of the north wall and crowded bookshelves of Kofoid’s study at 2616 Etna with the Campanile visible out the window, as the Micheners report it could be seen before the block was fully developed. 

At the bottom, a sailing ship drags a collecting net of Kofoid’s design through the deep ocean, seining up plankton. To the sides are irises of the type he planted in the Etna Street garden, and below are drawings of microscopic creatures and sea life. 

Kofoid made important contributions to science. He was “co-founder of the oldest and largest oceanographic institution in the United States” and “inventor of important oceanographic instruments,” says Deborah Day, archivist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography which Kofoid helped established. 

His work on the Illinois River Biological Survey put him in the forefront of early environmental science and, as chair of the Department of Zoology at Berkeley from 1910 to 1936, he “taught the new generation of biologists.” He did everything from discovering new marine organisms in the field to leading research on how to best preserve pier pilings in San Francisco Bay. 

Kofoid also applied his intellectual energies to reconcile religion and science. Evolution “never threatened his religious feelings; it was never an either/or situation for him,” Frances Michener says. “That seems especially pertinent right now. He loved nature, and it had a lot of meaning for him.” 

The Kofoids were active in the Congregational Church, both locally and nationally. Kofoid reportedly donated a memorial window and a grand piano to a local church. 

Perhaps because of their extensive travels and stints living overseas, the Kofoids were also racially open-minded in an era when even Berkeley could be xenophobic. “At a time when there was a lot of racial bigotry he was very in favor of bringing in students (to UC) of various racial backgrounds,” says Frances Michener, and “he had a lot of Japanese friends.” The Micheners, Frances says, continued the Kofoid tradition, renting rooms at the house to a number of foreign students. 

The Kofoids “were both great outdoors people,” says Deborah Day. They “spent a lot of time camping and tramping the Sierras, Yosemite, and the great open spaces of the West. They were prodigious travelers.” 

“He lived in an era when biology was being defined, when there were two directions to go: to the lab or outside. He chose outside,” writes Michener family member, Kim Gazzaniga. That tradition continued with the Micheners. Frances Michener says David and Pat Michener, her parents, were both very active in the Sierra Club and its local chapters. 

Professor Kofoid met Julia Morgan, Deborah Day says, when she was a summer student at a marine laboratory run by his colleague William Ritter. The houses were a Morgan design but Kofoid’s father and brother, both skilled carpenters, worked on the construction and added their own touches and flourishes. 

Joleen Arnold, writing about the houses in 1975, noted “the house at 2618 Etna has a Mid-western air about it,” while 2616 Etna was “strikingly different,” with its English–style gambrel roof. 

2616 Etna cost about $4,500 to build; Morgan charged $200 for her architectural services. Redwood was the primary raw material, but the house also incorporated wood salvaged from a demolition project on the UC campus. 

Most of the original features remain, the interior woodwork is largely unpainted, and the few modifications (such as the partitioning of the master bedroom) are small and easily reversed. The realtors have had the battered floors refinished, rooms painted, and repairs made to damaged plaster and other worn elements, but the house still has the look and feel of its century-ago origins. 

Carrie Kofoid died of a heart attack Nov. 4, 1942. After 48 years of marriage Dr. Kofoid was alone, and turned to the Michener family. Josephine “Effie” Ridgen Michener had been one of his students and a laboratory assistant and scientific illustrator for his research projects. 

“Over the years, Effie maintained a working relationship with Kofoid and became a family friend,” says Kim Gazzaniga, her great-granddaughter. She had been married in the Kofoid living room. Her son David worked at Scripps, where he met Edna “Pat” Caney in 1939. They would have four children. 

“After Mrs. Kofoid died, my father (David Michener) had just gotten a job doing research at the USDA lab in Albany, and Dr. Kofoid asked them to move in with him,” Frances Michener recalls. Although her parents were initially skeptical they agreed and “it worked out to be wonderful.” 

The childless Kofoid became a devoted “Uncle Charley” to the Micheners, a term even family members born after his death use today. He “just loved the kids. It worked out to be a really good arrangement for everyone,” says Frances. 

When he died in 1947 his estate was largely divided between the University of California and the Pacific School of Religion. But he also provided for the Micheners to buy the two Etna Street houses at an affordable price; their family became residents and custodians for the next six decades. 

Finally, more than a century after the Kofoids built the house, the Michener descendents began to sort the memorabilia and furnishings in preparation for sale. Up in the attic they found a treasure; trunks and trunks of correspondence, photographs, and records left by Professor Kofoid, documenting not only his research career but family life. Most of these have now gone to swell the impressive Kofoid research archives at Scripps Institution. 

2616 Etna stands in an enclave I’ve written about a bit before in the Daily Planet, when the nearby Gester House on Piedmont Avenue was for sale. Although just south of a densely populated student residential district, two-block long Etna is a lushly planted, quiet, street. 

This is a house with an important pedigree and part of a coherent, tangible fabric of the past; a Berkeley treasure that should be treated well by any future owner. 

2616 Etna St. will go on the market for $1,115,000. At least one open house is planned—for date, details, and time, check the real estate website of Tarpoff and Talbert at http://www.tarpoffandtalbert.com


East Bay: Then and Now—Samuel Heywood and Sons: Lumber and Politics

By Daniella Thompson
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:21:00 AM
Emma Heywood built the flats at 1917-1919 Grove St. in 1909.
Daniella Thompson
Emma Heywood built the flats at 1917-1919 Grove St. in 1909.
The current building at 812-814 Delaware St. was moved to this location from 815 Hearst Ave.
Daniella Thompson
The current building at 812-814 Delaware St. was moved to this location from 815 Hearst Ave.
Mayor Charles D. Heywood built his home at 2932 Linden Ave. in 1913.
Daniella Thompson
Mayor Charles D. Heywood built his home at 2932 Linden Ave. in 1913.
Samuel Heywood and family pose in front of their home at 812 Delaware St.
Heywood family collection
Samuel Heywood and family pose in front of their home at 812 Delaware St.
Samuel Heywood’s home at 1929 Grove St.
Heywood family collection
Samuel Heywood’s home at 1929 Grove St.

Samuel Heywood (1833-1903) was Zimri Brewer Heywood’s fourth son, the first Heywood to have settled in Berkeley, and the one most closely associated with the family’s West Berkeley lumber yard. 

He first appeared here around 1868 to run his father’s lumber business with Captain James H. Jacobs, living with Jacobs and his large family in the wilds of Ocean View (the Oakland directory variously gave the address as “west of San Pablo Road,” “five miles north Broadway R.R. station,” and “five miles north City Hall”). Jacobs, who was born in Denmark, tended to hire Scandinavians as lumber-yard laborers, and some of them also lived with the family. 

When Jacobs retired around 1876, Sam Heywood took over as sole manager. For a number of years he lived on the east side of Second Street between Delaware and Bristol, within the lumber yard property. His 1874 marriage to Emma Frances Dingley would produce five children, and in 1880, the U.S. census recorded Emma’s mother and two teenaged sisters in the household. 

It was time to provide ampler quarters for the growing family. Samuel responded by building a large, two-story house on a double lot at 812 Delaware St. The Heywood lived here until 1897, when they moved to a turreted Queen Anne house at 1929 Grove Street (current location of KPFA). They continued to own the Delaware St. house until 1907, when it was purchased by Fritz A. Bruns, a young cigar merchant from Germany who kept a shop on the southwest corner of University and San Pablo Avenues. 

The Delaware St. house survived until 1956, when it was demolished by its owner, a physician. In the 1980s, following the designation of the 800 block of Delaware as the city’s first historic district, the street was rehabilitated. To fill the gap left by the Samuel Heywood house, a very similar two-story structure was moved onto the site from 815 Hearst Ave. 

While living on Delaware Street, Samuel Heywood had a respite from selling lumber. As long as the Heywoods’ lumber yard was leased to Henry W. Taylor, Samuel’s occupation was listed as “capitalist” in the city directories. During the 1880s, he served as director of the Berkeley Board of Education and as a member of the town’s Board of Trustees (the equivalent of today’s city council), being elected president of the latter in 1890. Four years later, he was plying the grocer’s trade with his eldest son, Frank Brewer Heywood (1875-1935), on the corner of Delaware and Fifth Street. This business was short lived; in 1896, Frank was listed as trimmer at the Berkeley Electric Lighting Co., and two years later he became one of Berkeley’s first letter carriers. 

It wasn’t until Henry W. Taylor moved his lumber yard to the foot of Folger Avenue in 1900 that Sam Heywood reentered the lumber business. He incorporated as West Berkeley Lumber Company, acting as president, with Thomas Richardson as secretary and manager. Richardson’s wife, Mary Curtis, was a well-known impressionist painter often compared to Mary Cassatt. “In portraiture, the tender feeling, the warm coloring and free handling of mother and child pictures has won a circle of enthusiastic admirers for Mary Curtis Richardson,” wrote Charles Keeler in his 1902 book, San Francisco and Thereabout. 

Sam’s younger son, Charles Dingley Heywood (1881-1957), had worked for Taylor during the latter’s final year at the West Berkeley Lumber Yard, and now he was promoted to foreman. His sister Amy (1876-1940) was the lumber company’s bookkeeper until she married Captain John Roscoe Oakley, master of the bay steamer Resolute and a widower. 

In marrying Amy Heywood, Oakley made a match that enabled him to establish the Berkeley Transportation Company, which for several years would control the freight shipping between West Berkeley and San Francisco. Working as captains in this business were Oakley’s sons Harry and Alfred. In 1909, Harry would also marry into a lumber family when he wed Hannah Niehaus, daughter of the late Otto Niehaus, proprietor of the West Berkeley Planing Mill. 

The Niehaus mill was no longer in existence by then. On Aug. 15, 1901, at 10 p.m., fire broke out in its engine room and spread quickly, wiping out three acres of buildings, lumber piles, machinery, and finished products, including 6,000 doors in the door-and-sash factory. The Niehaus mill had seven private hydrants for which it paid a regular fee to the Contra Costa Water Co., but during the fire the hydrants produced meager streams that reached no farther than ten feet. The mill’s loss amounted to $100,000, while its insurance covered a mere $16,500. Over 100 workers lost their jobs. The lawsuit of Niehaus Bros v. Contra Costa Water Co. made its lengthy voyage through the courts, and in 1911 the California Supreme Court found for the defendants, determining that the contract between Niehaus and the water company did not impose on the latter an obligation to supply water specifically for fire protection. 

The Heywood lumber yard, located a block away, suffered a relatively minor loss of $1,000. By 1903, the Heywoods had taken over the name West Berkeley Planing Mill, previously used by Niehaus Bros. 

Three years prior to Samuel’s death, the family left its 1929 Grove St. home and moved to a rented house at 1307 Shattuck Ave., current site of the Live Oak Park playground. They returned just as suddenly as they had left, for the newspapers reported that Samuel died at 1929 Grove. Charles D. Heywood succeeded his father as president and manager of the West Berkeley Lumber Company. Gertrude Heywood (1880-1927) followed her sister Amy as bookkeeper, and Frank returned to the fold as corporate secretary. 

Frank, who had married Annie Turner in 1898, was the first to leave the parental home. The 1900 directory listed him at 1842 University Ave., next door to the lot where his uncle William would build a three-story apartment building in 1909. Charles married Ethel Voss Rose in 1905. The bride was a neighbor who resided at 1909 Grove Street. Her brother, Burton J. Rose, worked as a clerk at the West Berkeley Lumber Co. and had married Samuel’s middle daughter, Henrietta Mae Heywood (1879-1910), in 1903. 

The Roses settled down at 1929 Grove with Emma and Gertrude. In 1909, Emma constructed a pair of Colonial Revival flats at 1917-19 Grove. This building, which sports an impressive arched Neoclassical canopy over the twin front doors, must have been quite elegant before it gained asbestos shingle cladding and lost its original windows for aluminum horrors. It still stands on the northeast corner of Berkeley Way and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, looking mysterious. 

Emma and Gertrude moved to the new house, leaving 1929 Grove to the Roses and the Oakleys. For their part, Charles and Ethel moved from one rented domicile to another. After uncle William erected the apartments at 1846 University Ave., they moved into one of them. Charles was active in civic affairs, serving as president of the Berkeley Manufacturers’ Association and the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce before running for mayor in the spring of 1913. He defeated fellow Republican and neighbor Charles H. Spear, who lived at 1905 Grove St. At 32, Charles Heywood was the youngest mayor Berkeley had ever elected. Brother Frank was elected to the Board of Education. 

Also in 1913, the Heywoods sold their lumber operations to the Tilden Lumber Company. Frank remained there as secretary for one year before joining the Berkeley Fire Department as an engineer, a position he kept for the rest of his life. Frank and his family lived at 1905 McGee Ave. from 1915 or so until the 1920s, when they moved north to 1703 San Lorenzo Ave. Charles built his home in 1913 at 2932 Linden Ave. 

Once his two-year mayoral stint was over, Charles became a council member. During World War I, he acted as Berkeley’s food administrator under future President Herbert Hoover. As commissioner of public health and safety in 1922, he opposed the erection of Memorial Stadium in Strawberry Canyon. In 1925, he was appointed as Berkeley’s postmaster by President Calvin Coolidge and served in this position for eight years. In 1934 he ran for Congress but was defeated. The same year, his wife, Ethel, committed suicide by hanging herself in her bedroom closet, there to be discovered by one of the couple’s two daughters. Charles remarried a year later and worked as a real estate broker until his retirement. He spent the last two years of his life in San Francisco. 

 

This is the fourth in a series of articles on the Heywood family. 

 

Daniella Thompson publishes berkeleyheritage.com for the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA). 


About the House: Women and Their Buildings

By Matt Cantor
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:22:00 AM

It’s a sad fact that women are significantly more likely to be overcharged at the auto-repair shop than their male counterparts. I remember reading these studies by consumer advocacy agencies in the 1970s. In the age of Hillary Clinton, this doesn’t seem right or fair but that’s the way it is. Men have been the initiates to the secret information of spark plugs and tire rotation for much of the last century while women have struggled to gain a place at the bull-session in which the arcane knowledge was shared. It is clear that this has extended to the building trades as anyone with eyes can tell you. Even in my profession of building inspection, a look around the room rarely reveals more than about 5 percent women. 

Though I am convinced that women are quite capable of the full range of construction skills from architecture right down to framing walls and digging out foundations, the society has not done its due diligence and provided girls and women with the same opportunities as their male counterparts to learn about the built environment and experience, hands-on, the various tasks that turn unarmed homeowners into full-armed ones. To tell the truth, this skill-set is growing increasing faint in the male as well, so perhaps its time for women to pick up and carry this mantle. 

Not that the homeowner or renter necessarily needs to do their own plumbing or electrical wiring but, having done a trade or two and knowing a bit about how houses work (or fall apart) one is far better equipped to make decisions, budget and negotiate with contractors. 

I have over the years met a number of women who for one reason or other were now finding themselves in the situation in which the men who had taken point on these issues were now gone. Some to the grave, others to infirmity (or to a husband-shaped chair and matching television) and still others to divorce or separation. 

So for those who meet any of these criteria, I offer some general advice on dealing with contractors, what you can do yourself and what to focus on (notice that I didn’t say worry about. That’s the first piece of advice. Don’t worry.) 

First, and this is for the men to hear as well, there is nothing inherently male about construction, power-tools or architecture. On the last point, I think Julia Morgan, one of our greatest architects proves the point all by herself. To the matter of tools and construction, this is clearly a cultural issue and not one of innate capacity. While it may once have been true that construction required great physical strength (and as a rule men have more of the large muscle masses and prior to power-tools they were much needed) it is far less true today and where it IS true, the boss can still be a woman and the grunts, males (as the natural order demands). 

So there is nothing women cannot do with regards to the care and feeding of the home except to study and take on the task (if you have not already done so). A good book or two on home maintenance is not a bad place to start. One reasonable volume is the Reader’s Digest New Fix-It-Yourself Manual: How to Repair, Clean, and Maintain Anything and Everything In and Around Your Home. A women’s perspective can be found in Julie Stutsman & Stephanie Glakas-tenet’s Dare To Repair books (there are at least three of these).  

For understanding the framing of houses and some fundamental architecture, there is nothing I like better than Francis D.K. Ching’s book Construction Illustrated. It shows you exactly how houses are built and Frank Ching’s drawings are so well done that you feel as though you can see right through these buildings. Wiley Publishing just released a revised paperback this year.  

For a little local color, you might check out one of the plumbing books by our own Peter Hemp (e.g. Plumbing a House Tauton Press ‘94) 

Classes on home repair and construction are available at lots of local colleges (as well as our local Building Education Center) but I would contend that the building trades remained so male dominated because the learning of this kind of information requires some sort of guildship or residency, an intimate intensive where problems are tackled together. A classroom environment may be helpful but without real-world experience, it’s very hard to transmit precisely how decisions are made in the field and actions taken. Therefore I would suggest that those who wish to learn, either work with a tradesperson on their own home, or seek some form of employment, for a time, with someone well versed in their trade. 

Contractors are all over the map on how they feel about working with client and I feel their pain. It’s hard to be a boss to the boss. It’s also hard to teach while getting the job done. This is why much of the history of guildships involved traditions of subservience (sweeping the floor before you got to handle the saw). One had to earn the valuable time of the master. This may seem a little over the top today but there is, at least, a germ of reason embedded in this behavior. 

If you are paying a contractor by the hour and they’re interested in teaching, things will probably go well. If they are on a fixed bit, teaching you (even though you may intend to be helping) may be too defocusing or distracting for the right-brained carpenter. Going from left to right for hours may be too confusing and we all know that men don’t like to ask for directions, right? 

The truth is that it’s just a matter of who you work with but if you want to learn fix-it stuff or actual full-contact construction, there’s nothing like doing with someone who knows a lot more than you do.  

Whether you choose to learn the trades or not, take no bull. Demand (this can be done without vehemence) to have details explained to you right down the smallest detail. Be clear with your hired help that you want to be as involved as possible and make as many decisions as you can, as the client, make.  

Sometime a seat is not offered at the table, but my policy (and here I will end my rant) is to step up to the table, pull one out, smile, and join in. In this way, we can all, one day at the time, change the world. 


Arts & Events

Arts Calendar

Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:16:00 AM

THURSDAY, OCT. 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Bay Area Basket Makers” An exhibition of contemporary basketry and gourd art. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at The Albany Arts Gallery, 1251 Solano Ave.  

THEATER 

Kung Pao Kosher Comedy “The 5th and Final George Bush Going Away Party” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Cost is $20-$30. 800-838-3006. 

FILM 

I Love Beijing: “For Fun” with filmmaker Ning Ying in person at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

“small film festival” through Sun. at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. Free for BAC members, $6-$8 for non-members. 644-6893. www.berkeleysrtcenter.org 

Arab Film Festival “Paloma Delight” at 9 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$12. www.aff.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Strange Harbors: Two Lines World Writing in Translation” with translators from the Center for the Art of Translation at 6 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585.  

Joshua Henkin reads from his novel “Matrimony” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Amistead Maupin reads at the Barbary Lane Open House, at 1:30 p.m. at 1800 Madison St., Oakland. Free, but RSVP required 903-3600. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Pat Nevins & Joe Balestreri at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Berkeley Symphony conducted by William Eddins at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC campus. Tickets are $20-$60. 841-2800. www.berkeleysymphony.org 

Carol Lukenback & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Lindsay Tomasic at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Form and Fate, Vir, Parker Street Cinema, post punk progressive rock at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. 

Beat Boxing with Butterscotch, Soulati, Infinite, Syzygy, Eachbox and others at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $6-$8. 849-2568.  

John Seabury at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Chris Dadzitus at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, OCT. 24 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Doctor Faustus” Fri. and Sat at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., at Berryman, through Nov. 22. Tickets are $10-$12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse “Bat Boy: The Musical” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Nov. 1. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Bay Area Performing Arts Collective "A Raisin in the Sun" Fri. at 8 p.m. and Sat. at 2 and 8 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $25. 575-7112. www.araisininthesunplay.com 

Central Works “Blessed Unrest” by Paul Hawken, Thurs, Fri, Sat at 8 p.m., Sun at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. through Nov. 23. Tickets are $14-$25. 558-1381. centralworks.org 

Fusion Theater “The Piano Lesson” with Donal Lacy Thurs.-Sat. at Laney College Theaater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland, through Nov. 1. Tickets are $5-$10. 464-3543. 

Galatean Players Ensemble Theater “Rivets” A musical based on Rosie the Riveter and Richmond’s Kaiser Shipyards, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. onboard the SS Red Oak Victory, 1337 Canal Blvd., Berth 6A, Richmond, through Oct. 26. Tickets are $20. 925-676-5705. galateanplayers.com 

Laurie Anderson “Homeland” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $28-$56. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Oakland Opera Theater “Histoire du Soldat” and “Renard” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Oakland Metro Operahouse, 630 3rd St., Oakland, through Nov. 2. Tickets are $25-$32. 763-1146. www.oaklandopera.org 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The History of the Devil” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Central Stage, 5221 Central Ave., Richmond, Through Nov. 1. Tickets are $10-$30. www.raggedwing.org 

Woman’s Will “Macbeth” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at The Retail Theater Space, 95 Washington, Jack London Square, Oakland, through Oct. 26. Tickets are $15-$25. 420-0813. www.womanswill.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Karl Kasten Retrospective” the Berkeley School 1930-50, Students, 1950-83. Closing reception at 4 p.m. at the Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber Hall, UC campus. 642-2582. 

FILM 

Arab Film Festival Fri. through Sun. at Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $10-$12. www.aff.org 

I Love Beijing: “On the Beat” with filmmaker Ning Ying in person 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 

Christian Lander describes “Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10 at the door. 

Therese Poletti describes “Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Witches Fly & Devils Dance” music from opera to Broadway at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Alameda, 2001 Santa Clara at Chestnut, Alameda. Suggested donation $13-$15, children under 13 free. 522-1477. 

Cenk Karaferya, male soprano, at 8 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Ave., Albany. Cost is $15-$20. 525-1716. 

Mal Sharpe & Big Money in Jazz! at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Swingthing at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Montclair Women’s Big Band at 5:30 p.m. at Barbary Lane, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. Cost is $19.43 for age 65 and older, $25 for others. 903-3600. 

Maya Kronfeld Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

“Treasure” with David Helpling and Jon Jenkins at 8 p.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th. Tickets are $15-$20. 486-8700.  

Dave Matthews Blues Band at 8 p.m. at The Warehouse Bar & Grill, 4th St. and Webster, Oakland. 451-3161. 

Houston Jones at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Nell Robinson & Red Level at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Dave Lionelli, Jason Gouveia at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Todd Mack, Scen Eberlein, Josh Fix in a benefit for Daniel Pearl, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Donation accepted. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

One in the Chamber, Maggot Colony, Progeria 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. 

Green Machine at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Dana Salzman at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Jerry Kennedy, acoustic soul, at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Chante Moore at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $40. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, OCT. 25 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Bonnie Lockhart in a Halloween sing-a-long at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Trickster Tales” Puppet show Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $10. 452-2259.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Double Exposure” works by Kevin Chen, Eleanor Harwood, Nicole Neditch, Narangkar Glover, Pete Glover, Carrie Lederer, Michelle Mansour, Jen Elia, Daniel Healey, and Margaret Tedesco. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Blankspace, 6608 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 547-6608. www.blankspacegallery.com 

“Urban Landscapes” Works by Mark P. Fisher, Fernando Reyes, and Scott Courtenay-Smith. Opening reception at 2 p.m. at Alta Galleria. 414-4485. www.AltaGalleria.com 

FILM 

Arab Film Festival through Sun. at Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $10-$12. For film details see www.aff.org 

“I Love Beijing” with filmmaker Ning Ying in person at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

“small film festival” through Sun. at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. Free for BAC members, $6-$8 for non-members. 644-6893. www.berkeleysrtcenter.org 

Animation Film Festival Works by Bay Area middle and high school students at 9:30 a.m. at Bay Street AMC Theaters, Emeryville. 655-4002. 

Post-WWII Japanese Films with Prof. Frederick Hsia, in Mandarin and English, from 1:45 to 4:45 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 3rd flr., 2090 Kittredge at Shattuck. 981-6107. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“A Conversation on Free Speech, New Media & Performance” with Laurie Anderson at 2 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Sponsored by Berkeley Center for New Media. 642-0635. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Civic Orchestra Free Children’s Concert at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. 238-7275. http://www.oaklandnet.com/ 

parks/programs/ca_civicorchestra.asp. 

Kensington Symphony “New Worlds” at 8 p.m. at Unitarian- Universalist Church, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Suggested donation $12-$15. Children free. 524-9912.  

Oakland Ballet Company’s Fall Program with excerpts from Ronn Guidi’s Romeo and Juliet; Michael Lowe’s Bamboo; and Ron Thiele’s How’d They Catch Me? at 2 and 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$50. 465-6400. 

Betsy Rose and Judy Fjell, “Musical Wit and Wisdom” at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Suggested donation $15-$20. 525-7082. 

Coco Lopez, The Oakland -East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus and Leslie Hassberg at 6 p.m. at Barbary Lane, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. Free, but RSVP required 903-3600. 

Lloyd Gregory Sextet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Baba Ken & West African Highlife Band at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

“A Harmony Happening” with Fran Avni in an interactive musical event co-sponsored by the JCC and The Aquarian Minyan at 8:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $15. 528-6725. 

Bang Data, Latin Alternative/ 

Hip Hop with Mezklah, The Hot Pocket, and DJ EKG at 9 p.m. at Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $7-$10. 418-6985. 

Joe Hickey, Scott Waters at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Tempest, Celtic, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Avotcja & Modupue at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kurt Ribak Jazz Trio at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

The Todd Shipley Band at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Dave Matthews Blues Band at 8:30 p.m. at Royal Oak Pub, 135 Park Place, Pt. Richmond. 232-5678. 

Dave Ridnell and Alex Calatayud, Brazilian jazz at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

The Mother Hips, Micki Bluhm and The Gamblers at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $15. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Bucky Sinister, Us Kings, Wardogs 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. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 26 

FILM 

Arab Film Festival at Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $10-$12. For film details see www.aff.org 

I Love Beijing: “Railroad of Hope” at 1:30 p.m. and “Perpetual Motion” at 4 p.m., with filmmaker Ning Ying in person, at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Randy Shaw discusses his new book “Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggles for Justice in the 21st Century” at 4:30 p.m. at Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita.  

Arvid Järnefelt’s “Sointula” (“Place of Harmony”) dramatic reading in English of the 1924 three-act historical Finnish drama, at 2 p.m. at Finnish Kaleva Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. Donation $5. 849-0125. 

Conversations on Art with Nomi Talisman on her work with the Magnes as part of META/DATA, an online project, at 2 p.m. at 2911 Russell St Cost is $6-$8. Seating is limited, RSVP to gmarkham@magnes.org  

Jan Wahl on “Food and Wine in Film” at 3:30 p.m. at Barbary Lane, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. Cost is $19.43 for age 65 and older, $25 for others. 903-3600. 

James D. Houston talks about “Snow Mountain Passage” as part of the Albany Reads program at 2 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 16. 

Egyptology Lecture “Remembering the Ancestors: New Discoveries in Hierakonpolis, Egypt” with Dr. Renee Friedman, Heagy Research Curator, British Museum, and Director of Hierakonpolis Expedition, at 2:30 p.m. at Barrows Hall, Room 126, UC campus. 415-664-4767. 

Julia Glass reads from her novel “I See You Everywhere” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Crowden Music Center Community Music Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1475 Rose St. Free. 559-6910.  

Berkeley Symphony Under Construction “Democracy in America” conducted by William Eddins at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. Tickets are $10-$20. 841-2800. www.berkeleysymphony.org 

Duo Trujillo, Rebecca & Javier Trujillo, piano and guitar, perform Bach to Bossa Nova at 6:30 pm. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Donation $12-$25. 654-4053.  

Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$80. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Richard Smith at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Kellye Gray & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Ravines at 3 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. at Alcatraz. www.spudspizza.net 

Ron Thompson at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Jeff Johnson, Judah Retterman, gospel reggae, at 5 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dave LeFebvre Group at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Angry Philosophers at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Halloween Show with Violation, Gain to Use, Throat Oyster at 4 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

MONDAY, OCT. 27 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Dispatches—Between Google and Gutenberg” A panel discussion on the ways to cover stories on global issues with Dispatches co-editors Mort Rosenblum and Gary Knight, Eric Stover, director of the Human Rights Center, and Rémy Ourdan, chief correspondent of Le Monde in Paris. Reception at 5:30 p.m., Panel at 6:30 p.m. at Graduate School of Journalism, 121 North Gate Hall, UC campus. www.rethink-dispatches.com 

Nathaniel Tarn, poet, reads at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Classical @ the Freight with Peter Lemberg at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $8.50-$9.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

George Cole, gypsy jazz, at 8 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Acoustic Mandolin Ensemble traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

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 

UC Jazz Ensembles at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TUESDAY, OCT. 28 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Gordon Chang and Mark Johnson on “Asian American Art: A History, 1850-1970” at 6 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

Lauri Lebo reads from “The Devil in Dover” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Freight Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Zydeo dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Randy Craig Trio at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Johnny Nitro’s Blues Jam at 7 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Ambrose Akinmusire at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29 

FILM 

“Frontiers of Dreams and Fears” about the friendship between two Palestinian girls at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$20, no one turned away. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

An Evening of Music and Conversation with Rob Katz at 7:30 p.m. at JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. 528-6725. 

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 

Music for the Spirit Halloween music at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555. 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with Ellen Ruth Rose, viola, Chris Froh, percussion, at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Roy Zimmerman at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Concerto Auditions at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Matt Morrish Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Balkan Folkdance at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $7. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Matt Lucas at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

La Verdad at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

The Shermer Brothers at 8 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Roy Zimmerman, satirical songs, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Martin Taylor at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, OCT. 30 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Nesta Rovina reads from her book “Tree Barking” at 7 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, 6050 El Cerrito Plaza, El Cerrito. 524-6813. 

R. J. Ruppenthal discusses “Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Acrisia, Beef Donut, and The Violet Hour at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Vanessa Lowe at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Khalil Shaheed Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Valerie Jay, folk/rock at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Eclair de Lune, gypsy jazz, at 7 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Forrest Day, Harry and the Hitmen at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

The Sacred Profanities at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Tierney Sutton at 8 and 10 at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, OCT. 31 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Doctor Faustus” Fri. and Sat at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., at Berryman, through Nov. 22. Tickets are $10-$12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse “Bat Boy: The Musical” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Nov. 1. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Central Works “Blessed Unrest” by Paul Hawken, Thurs, Fri, Sat at 8 p.m., Sun at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. through Nov. 23. Tickets are $14-$25. 558-1381. centralworks.org 

Fusion Theater “The Piano Lesson” with Donal Lacy Thurs.-Sat. at Laney College Theaater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland, through Nov. 1. Tickets are $5-$10. 464-3543. 

Oakland Opera Theater “Histoire du Soldat” and “Renard” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Oakland Metro Operahouse, 630 3rd St., Oakland, through Nov. 2. Tickets are $25-$32. 763-1146. www.oaklandopera.org 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The History of the Devil” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Central Stage, 5221 Central Ave., Richmond, Through Nov. 1. Tickets are $10-$30. www.raggedwing.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Al Young, poet, with the Susan Muscarella Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Farewell to the Thief” Celebrate the end of the Bush years with a concert by Jon Fromer, Francisco Herrera, George Mann and others at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Suggested donation $10. www.bfuu.org 

Bay Area Classical Harmonies “Dance with the Spirits” at 7:30 p.m. at Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. $12-$18. 868-0695. www.bayareabach.org 

Jesus Diaz y su QBA at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Medicine Ball Band at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Workingman’s Ed, classic rock, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Alabama Waterfall & The Cowlicks at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Reilly & Maloney, contemporary folk, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Santero Deuce Eclipse, Dos For, Mr. E at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Jeff Rolka, Tobela at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Murder Ballads Bash at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Guns of Sebastian at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Jerry Kennedy, acoustic soul, at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 1 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Octopretzel at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Owen Baker Flynn “Act in a Box” with juggling, fire-eating Sat. and Sun. 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 

The Strangefellowes Collective “Dog-Ear” A play about readers, rebel, and writing your own ending, Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 7 p.m. at the Willard Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St. Free. http://strangefellowes.com 

Stone Soup Improv Comedy at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. at Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $6-$9. www.stonesoupimprov.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Peter Matsukawa and his Muses” Photographs of rabbits. Wine and carrot reception at 5 p.m. at RabbitEars, 377 Colusa, Ave. Kensington. 535-6155. 

“Balancing Persepctives: East Asian Influences in Contemporary Art” Opening reception and Asian-themed costume party at 6 p.m. at JFK University Arts & Consciousness Gallery, 2956 San Pablo Ave., 2nd Floor. Enter at Ashby Ave. Exhibition runs through Nov. 22. 649-0499. www.jfku.edu/asian  

“Unexplored Territory” Opening reception at 7 p.m. at 4th Street Studio, 1717D 4th St. www.fourthstreetsrudio.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival with Robert Hass, Al Young, Jane Hirshfield, Brenda Hi8llman and many others, from noon to 4 p.m. at Civic Center Park. 526-9105. www.poetryflash.org 

Bay Area Poets Coalition open reading from 3 to 5 pm. at Strawberry Creek Lodge, 1320 Addison St. Park on the street. 527-9905. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra performs Berlioz, Gershwin and Beethoven at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $12-$15. 849-9776. www.ypsomusic.net 

Amy Brodo, cellist, and LaDene Otsuki, pianist, perform music of Britten, Ginastera and Franck at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com 

“Love Song Waltzes & Wild Dances” Piano, flute, and vocal octet at 8 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Road, Kensington. Tickets are $15-$20, includes a dessert reception. 525-0302. 

The Distaff Singers ”A Parody Home Companion” at 2 p.m. at Oakland Mormon Temple Auditorium. Tickets are $12-$15. 547-8083. www.distaffsingers.org  

Clifron Burton’s “Upsidedown & Backwards” at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Dia de los Muertos Celebration with Renee Asteria & 7th Street Sound at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8-$10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

The Gateswingers, traditional jazz, at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Sotaque Baiano, Brazilian, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Wake the Dead at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Tribute to Chabuca Granda at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Tammy Hall at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Annie Sampson at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Jonathan Douglas, Kevin Burdick, Kat Downs at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Blacklisted, Ceremony, Have Heart, Let Down at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $10. 525-9926. 

Bettye Lavette at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, NOV. 2 

THEATER 

The Strangefellowes Collective “Dog-Ear” A play about readers, rebel, and writing your own ending, at 7 p.m. at the Willard Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St. Free. http://strangefellowes.com 

The Cooking Show con Karimi y Comrades at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. $5 with donation of canned goods. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Citizen Josh: the quixotic adventures of an unlikely Berkeley activist” with Josh Kornbluth in a benefit for Darfuri children at 7 p.m. at Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Ave. Tickets are $36. www.netivotshalom.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Charles and Louise Keeler: A Collaboration of Literature and Art, Inspired by Love” Opening reception from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Berkeley History Center, 1931 Center St. 848-0181. 

“Loss” Group show. Reception at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 

FILM 

African Diaspora Film Society “The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow” at 2 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5. 814-2400. 

Talk Cinema Berkeley Preview of new independent films with discussion afterwards at 10 a.m. at Albany Twin Theater, 1115 Solano Ave., Albany. Cost is $20. http://talkcinema.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Full Circle” Artist talk with JoeSam in conversation with René de Guzman, Senior Curator of Art, Oakland Museum of CA at 4 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. 465-8928. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Holdstock & McLeod at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jolly GIbsons at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Don Neely’s Society Jazz Orchestra at 5 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $20. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quartet at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Holdstock & McLeod at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Dia de los Muertos with Boom Boom Kid, Eskapo, Venganza at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

 

 

 

 

 


‘Rivets’ aboard S.S. Red Oak Victory

By ken bullock
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:14:00 AM

Going below into the cargo hold of S.S. Red Oak Victory, hearing swing music after the quiet, panoramic sweep of the Bay Area from its decks at night, is to move from the contemplation of thousands of distant lights over water to the close-up ensemble movement and singing of a multiethnic cast of thirty, costumed in wartime (that’s World War II) dress, who present Rivets, an original musical by the Galatean Players Ensemble Theatre, celebrating the Rosie The Riveter legend and touching on the reality of life and work on the Home Front—on site: the Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond. Tonight through Sunday afternoon are the final performances. 

With music mostly by Mitchell Covington and book and lyrics by Galatean artistic director Kathryn G. McCarty (who also plays, with brio, a working mother), directed by Clay David, Rivets is midway between a musical and a pageant, with vignettes of the romantic and musical aspirations of different characters sketched in, along with the harsher realities of racism, sexism, uprootedness—and the international conflagration raging abroad—that threaten the ripening of these ongoing desires of ordinary life under those extraordinary circumstances. 

Unlike other staged works set during wartime at home—like Neil Simon’s canny, sometimes acerbic Lost in Yonkers—or books which reflect on that era (humorist Ludwig Bemelman’s surprisingly vivid Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and Dirty Eddie come to mind), Rivets gets its focus from a sense of the masses of people from all over a continent thrown together to turn out warships and transports at an unprecented rate and volume (the S.S. Red Oak Victory, a cargo ship commissioned on Dec. 5, 1944, after 87 days, with 40 miles of welded seams and 5,624 rivets, just one case in point)—and the comraderie and clashes that spring up between folks who had never socialized with, even never seen, the likes of each other before. 

The big cast is up to the challenge, their great group moment coming on an evening’s spree the night before some of the boys ship out to the Pacific, when a romantic vocal number by Peggy Rutledge (Leah Tandberg)—daughter to McCarty’s character, Grace—is followed by Scatter Patter (Jay Lino) hitting the stage all duded up, jiving over a tune, "Black Out Shuffle" (by Jeff Covington), while the rest deftly shuffle, twirl and hop to the sounds, only to be broken up by a real blackout. 

Rivets is underpinned by a sense of the treadmill repetition and immediacy of the work, of ersatz, urgency, a blur of faces—a little bit like WPA murals, The March of Time newsreels, Dos Passos’ USA Trilogy or Soviet film and theater, all of a decade or so before—but somewhat sentimentalized. Its more delineated characters (a blind saxophonist, hired by a radio station, with a black girlfriend who dreams of becoming a singer; a soldier shipping out, intent on marrying his grammar school crush, a nurse whose sister disapproves) are like bubbles on the surface of the tidal flow.  

The only appearance of Rosie The Riveter is two actresses (Tara Roach and Rebecca Lenk) playing the legendary role as war bond publicity models, taking off furs that slake the shipyard cold to pose for coverage, while spouting slogans that make the working women groan—one of the show’s best moments. 

The radio announcer who introduced the show as “Living History” closed it last Friday night after curtain call by introducing two surviving Rosies in the audience, one who’d worked in the Sausalito shipyards—presumably Marin Ship—where my father’s mother cooked for the workers 65 years ago.  

RIVETS 

Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. on board the S.S. Red Oak Victory, tour available before Sunday matinee  

Tickets $15-$20, complimentary to Rosie The Riveters, Kaiser Shipyard workers, WW II vets and uniformed military 

(925) 676-5705, www.galateanplayers.com 

 


Woman’s Will ‘Macbeth’ at Jack London Square

By ken bullock
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:15:00 AM

By the pricking of my thumbs, 

Something wicked this way comes. 

Open locks, 

Whoever knocks. 

Just in time for Halloween, Woman’s Will is putting on a Macbeth, fearlessly (founder Erin Merritt even uttered the dread name, not “The Scottish Play,” onstage in her welcome), in Jack London Square, across from Yoshi’s. 

The sisters of Woman’s Will have played all the parts in many Bardic plays (as well as Oscar Wilde and Brecht) as they do in Macbeth —parts weird, malign and merely unfortunate. Merritt’s adaptation, directed by Joan Scout, has a little band of five playing a panorama of Scottish warriors, their dames and bairns, and all kinds of apparitions, around a screen draped with leafy vines, which become the foliage of Birnam Wood that Malcolm’s troops bear to Dunsinane. The screen conceals the Weird Sisters, who become shape-shifters, literally, in shadowplay backed up by video. 

“We always knew the Weird Sisters were running the show,” Merritt remarks, and her conceit is to have the witches change into every shape in the cast. This vaudevillization of a very melodramatic tragedy demands trouping, provided in particular by Leontyne Mbele-Mbong as a driven, then haunted Lady Macbeth, the drunken porter at the scene of the crime (with a ghastly sense of humor), a remorseless Murderer, and more. Her scenes as Lady M. with her more suggestible husband, played by Valerie Weak, give amplitude to the old paradox of the wife’s virility, driving her hesitant mate on. 

Tracy Corrigan, Desiray McFall and Julia Mitchell take on all the other roles, with only McFall sticking to one—Malcolm, heir to the throne, returning to put down a tyrant who has gone beyond his initial chivalry, his hidden ambitions and hesitancy to kill a guest in cold blood, becoming a murderous despot, before ending as a somewhat soic, somehow tragic figure, standing alone as the uncanny prophecy comes true, overwhelmed by a forest sweeping towards his castle, dispatched by a man “not of woman born.” 

Tonight through Sunday’s matinee are the last shows at Jack London Square. Next week, Macbeth will be staged at Rossmoor (Oct. 29), before opening on Halloween proper at the Exit Theater, near the Powell Street BART in San Francisco, running through Nov. 8. 

 

 


Shaw Talks about his Book on Chavez, UFW

By Zelda Bronstein Special to the Planet
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:17:00 AM
Randy Shaw
Randy Shaw

Randy Shaw’s new book, Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century, has just been published by the University of California Press. Beyond the Fields reveals the farmworkers movement’s little-known but essential contributions to the progressive politics of the contemporary United States. In particular, Shaw traces a direct line from the UFW to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.  

Randy Shaw is the director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, the editor of the online daily newspaper BeyondChron.org and an occasional contributor to the commentary pages of the Daily Planet. Zelda Bronstein recently recently talked with Shaw about his new book. 

 

ZB: You say you wrote Beyond the Fields because you wanted to change people’s understanding of Cesar Chavez and the UFW. What’s the change you hope to see? 

 

RS: I was orginally motivated by the feeling that the legacy of Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers movement had been relegated to the history books. People know that Chavez fought for farmworkers, but they don’t really know anything more than that. If you’re a certain age, you say: Well yeah, I remember boycotting grapes, or my family wouldn’t eat lettuce. But if you talk to people under forty, all they know is the name. They don’t know how Chavez and the farmworkers succeeded or how they impact today’s social movements or the way we do grassroots politics.We have Barack Obama saying, Yes we can! Many people don’t know that’s from the farmworkers. The whole Obama electoral outreach program is based on the UFW electoral model. I argue that what the farmworkers did in the ‘60s and the ‘70s laid the basic direction for today’s progressive movements. 

 

ZB: I was wondering if this historical memory loss has to do with something you said in The Activist’s Handbook: activists don’t usually write books. 

 

RS: Yes, why was I the person to write this book? I was not in the farmworkers movement. One thing the farmworker alumni have almost universally in common is that they go out of the way not to promote themselves. The trainer of Cesar Chavez, Fred Ross, Sr., was, I think most people would agree, the most influential organizer of the twentieth century. But very people have heard of him. Everyone has heard of Sol Alinsky, who had nowhere near the impact of Fred Ross. Fred Ross, Sr., trained many of these guys and women, and his ethos was: the organizer doesn’t claim the credit. They’re busy organizing, and they’re having other people and organizations getting the credit. 

 

ZB: Let’s talk about some of the UFW’s innovations. 

 

RS: What people forget was that as late as 1972, there was one rule of national politics: it was all television advertising. Organized labor gave money to candidates. Their whole voter outreach program was calling their members or sending them a letter reminding them to vote. The farmworkers saw electoral politics as a community organizing strategy. They revived this pre-television way of doing electoral outreach. In 1968, the farmworkers got involved working for Robert Kennedy and pioneered the Latino outreach model that’s now used across the country. What they began in ’68 and then really refined and enhanced in 1972 on the statewide ballot measure [the growers’ anti-union/anti-farmworkers Prop 22] was the idea of precinct walking, door-to-door walking petitioning—all the stuff that we see now in the Obama campaign. 

The real bridge is when Miguel Contreras becomes the head of the Labor Federation in Los Angeles in 1996, and then people start wondering: gee, in Los Angeles, Latinos keep winning, union members keep winning, they elect Villaraigosa as mayor—how did that all happen? The answer is: out of the model that Miguel Contreras learned in the UFW and imposed in Los Angeles. And then, Eliseo Medina [another former key UFW organizer], who was in Los Angeles, took that model statewide in California and then in 2006 brought it to Colorado and Arizona. Now he’s brought it to eleven states. 

 

ZB: I was surprised to read about how Chavez and the farmworkers transformed the environmental movement. 

 

RS: Some people do know the UFW led the fight to get rid of DDT, but they don’t 

realize that the UFW had a major role in spawning what we now call the environmental justice movement. Labor at that time [1969] was not aligned with environmentalists. We had a double standard: environmentalists were concerned with lakes and rivers—wilderness—not the fields. When Cesar tried to get allies for the lettuce boycott—the Sierra Club in particular—he had a hard time, because even though it involved pesticides, people saw it only as a labor issue. Out of the UFW experience, came the realization that the environmental movement needed to focus on environmental justice, on discriminatory lack of protection for low-income people. 

 

ZB: You also emphasize the spiritual and moral dimension of the UFW’s work. 

RS: Cesar is viewed as a very secular figure and the hero of Latinos. In fact, he was a deeply religious man. Chavez first got national attention in 1966 through his 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento, his pilgrimage and penitence, with the Virgin of Guadalupe the whole way. And then in 1968 he did a fast, which he’s widely acclaimed for now, but at the time, a lot of the more radical members of the UFW and the secular types quit the union over that, because they were embarrassed. 

Faith-based activists saw the way Cesar was living his own life, the poverty and the way he just sacrificed, and the high religious and spiritual commitment, and they wanted to be part of that. I do think that Barack Obama’s the most spiritual candidate the Democrats have run—I can’t think of the last one. He talks in terms of values—supposedly, only Republicans do that—other Democrats talk in terms of jobs and the environment. And, like Obama, Cesar attracted a lot of secular young people who liked that this was not just a legislative campaign; it was something bigger. 

 

ZB: How did the farmworkers engage youth? 

 

RS: In the early 70s, you couldn’t go anywhere in Berkeley without seeing a UFW person at a table. In the book, I tell about how Gary Gunthman walks on to campus one day and sees this farmworker table and signs up, gets a phone call that night—how many times do you sign up at a table and get a phone call right away? They called and asked him to sit at a table. They said: why don’t you stand up and try to be the barker? He starts doing that, and he thinks, great, I’ve done my part. They called him that same night: we need you to do security for Cesar Chavez. He says, I can’t turn that down—security for Cesar Chavez! So he goes out there, and he meets Chavez—here’s guy who one week earlier had never heard anything about the farmworkers, and suddenly, he’s devoting his life to it! And he’s been an organizer the rest of his life. Today a Gary Gunthman walking through Sproul Plaza wouldn’t find something to enlist in necessarily. 

 

ZB: Why not? 

 

RS: A lot of groups don’t prioritize recruitment the way the UFW did, and I think that helps explain why you don’t see more people getting involved in some of these groups. 

 

ZB: So what does the UFW have to teach us about leadership and the future of progressive movements in this country? 

 

RS: One of the great ironies of the farmworkers was that Cesar’s charismatic leadership certainly built that movement, and his charismatic leadership also caused its decline. By 1981there were no farmworkers on the farmworkers’ executive board, and when workers tried to get some representatives, Chavez called them out of order and fired those organizing it. This is often written out of contemporary histories of Cesar. It’s almost as if people are afraid to tell the truth about why the movement declined. Instead, there is an alternative myth: Republicans in the 1980s killed the UFW, when it fact almost all the leadership and all the people who made it successful were gone by 1981. 

 

ZB: But some kind of leadership is essential. 

 

RS: Right. Look at the Obama campaign—would all those people be together if there wasn’t Barack Obama? No. The question is, where do the Obama volunteers go after the election? One of the things I want people reading my book to think about is: You look at the UFW and how it was this amazing movement, and we haven’t seen anything like this until the Obama campaign. We don’t want all these people to just go back to law school and business school. I would not be surprised if Obama found a way to keep this thing together—which has never happened before. And many people might say: Wait a minute, I don’t want to be part of an organization controlled by a politician. But think about some of the big issues like health care and the environment and how we get support to pass these things. You can’t tell those people who’ve worked on the campaign goodby and depend on existing organizations, because they don’t have the people and the resources. I would expect that the Obama campaign is going to figure something out to keep people involved. 

 

ZB: That’s certainly your hope—right? 

 

RS: Well, I think they need to. One of my main motives in writing this book is to say: here we had this organization that got all these people who would not have otherwise been involved, involved not simply for three years but for the rest of their lives. Now, again, we’ve gotten people involved: how do we sustain that? The future of progressive politics in America depends on the answer. 

 

 


Arab Film Festival Comes to East Bay

By ken bullock
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:18:00 AM

The 12th Annual Arab Film Festival, the first festival of its kind and most ambitious exhibitor of films from the Arabic-speaking world and Arab diaspora, already running in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles, starts its East Bay screenings this week in Berkeley and Oakland, featuring several films that have won awards at the Beirut International Film Festival, two weeks ago, and at the second annual Noor Awards for the Arab Film Festival’s opening night at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco last Thursday. 

Featuring independent films from over 15 different countries, including those of the Maghreb and Middle East, including Palestine, wartorn Iraq and the first film shot in Bahrain, the festival also gave a Lifetime Achievement Award to the late Egyptian producer-director and pioneer of Arabic film, Youssef Chahine. There are films by Arabic women, including an SF State alumna Mai Masri (33 Days, Lebanon). About 10 filmmakers are expected to attend, including Kasim Abid (After the Fall) and Jackie Salloum (Slingshot Hip Hop). 

Tonight (Thursday), Paloma Delight (Nadir Mokneche, Algeria; Noor Award, Best Full-Length Fiction Film), will play at 9 p.m. at the Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., near Lake Merritt in Oakland, before running Fri. Oct. 24 to Sun. Oct. 26 at Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave.  

Slingshot Hip Hop, a Sundance 2008 winner that just won both the audience award and best director (Jackie Salloum, Palestine) at Beirut, will play Friday at 7 p.m. at Shattuck Cinemas, as will The TV Is Coming (9:30 p.m.) 

On Saturday at Shattuck Cinemas, 11 films will be shown, starting at noon. On Sunday, again from noon, seven films will play. Other showings will continue through next Tuesday at venues in San Francisco, such as the Alliance Francaise, the Arab Cultural & Community Center and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, including the award-winner, Life After the Fall (Kassim Abbid, Iraq), Noor Award, Best Long Nonfiction Film.  

On Sunday, at 2 p.m. at the Shattuck Cinemas, there will be a special event co-sponsored by Sunbala (Arab Feminists for Change), a panel discussion with Yemeni filmmaker Khadija Al-Salami after a screening of her documentary, Amina.  

(415) 564-1100 or www.aff.org. Admission: $12 (Seniors/Students $10). Festival passes are available. 


Open Home in Focus: Kofoid House at 2616 Etna St. for Sale

By Steven Finacom
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:19:00 AM
From the street 2616 Etna sits solid and shingled, with the second floor under a gambrel roof.
Steven Finacom
From the street 2616 Etna sits solid and shingled, with the second floor under a gambrel roof.
Beyond the living room lies Professor Kofoid’s old home study, with numerous built-ins and a grass mat ceiling.
Steven Finacom
Beyond the living room lies Professor Kofoid’s old home study, with numerous built-ins and a grass mat ceiling.

There aren’t many houses in Berkeley over a century old that have never been sold on the open market. When one comes up for sale, it’s worth taking note, especially if it’s an original Julia Morgan design, relatively unaltered, and the family home of a renowned UC scientist. 

From the outside, the gambrel-roofed, shingled, home at 2616 Etna St. isn’t the grandest house on its block. Inside, however, it’s a jewel box of good design, Arts & Crafts character, and whispering history. 

Charles Atwood Kofoid, a long time professor of zoology, built the house with his wife in 1905 and four decades later passed it on to the son of one of his former graduate students. That family, the Micheners, has owned and used the house ever since. 

Let’s visit the house first, and then learn more about the residents. 

The main entrance is centered on the long south façade. Enter the downstairs hall, paneled floor to ceiling in redwood with pocket doors to either side, and turn right. Here’s a comfortable formal dining room with fireplace and southeast facing windows. 

North of, and beyond, the dining room is the kitchen, which can also be entered from the downstairs hall. Beyond the kitchen is a little room Mrs. Kofoid used for laundry, a half bath tucked under the stairs, and what was originally a screened porch on the north side of the house. 

The kitchen is substantially unchanged from its early years. The adjacent pantry retains a pie safe in the north wall. Pat Talbert, one of the realtors representing the sellers, flings open the windows over a wide sill, facing the front garden; “doesn’t this make you just want to run into the kitchen and bake something?” she says to a visitor. 

On the other side of the entry hall is the living room running the width of the house, with built-in bookcases. A fireplace is centered in the west wall, flanked by French doors that lead to a porch on the south side, and Dr. Kofoid’s study on the north. 

The study is the historic heart of the house, with its own corner fireplace, numerous built in book cases and cabinets, and windows facing north and southwest. 

A huge wooden partner’s desk hand built by Kofoid’s father, a Danish immigrant carpenter, stood in this room until a few months ago, and books and keepsakes from decades of research and travel were arranged on the cabinets and shelves. After Kofoid died “another layer of artifacts” was added by the Michener family, current co-owner Frances Michener says. 

Although the furnishings and books are now removed, the beamed ceiling of the study is still covered with woven “Lauhalo mat,” brought by Mrs. Kofoid from Hawaii. 

A Dutch door opens from the study to the large south-facing porch with a redwood pergola. Family lore has it that the Dutch door was included so Professor Kofoid could have a dog on the porch while he worked inside; his wife, however, “refused to share her home with a dog,” researcher Joellen Arnold wrote in 1975. 

Upstairs, the large southeast bedroom was originally used by Mrs. Kofoid’s mother. The northeast has two curious smaller rooms, each with its own door to the hallway but internally connected by a large sliding door. The architectural plans describe this arrangement as “Bed Room” and “Alcove.” 

Family accounts note these small rooms were rented to Cal students over the years. But the Kofoids “had planned to have a family,” Frances Michener says. “I think it was extremely disappointing to them that they couldn’t have children.” 

The bathroom opposite the top of the stairs retains period character with traditional fixtures and wood wainscoting and built-ins. Peek in the bathroom closet at its floor to ceiling stack of built-in wooden cabinets; this space once connected through to the master bedroom. 

The two bedrooms at the back end of the house were partitioned from the original master bedroom; a bookcase wall built in front of a fireplace divides them. Beyond the master bedroom is a now enclosed porch, originally open air, which the Kofoids used for sleeping. It’s perched atop the downstairs study and, like it, entered through double French doors. 

Like the old St. John’s Presbyterian Church sanctuary nearby on College Avenue (now the Julia Morgan Theater) this room displays Julia Morgan’s virtuosity at making simple structural materials sing. The open trusses, diagonal ceiling boards, wall framing and floor, and slanted, sliding windows make the room feel like a sculptural composition. 

The house has a marvelous number of built-ins, including drawers and dressers, and cabinets beneath windows and below bookshelves, and hundreds of linear feet of bookshelves themselves. On the staircase, the panel at the bottom facing the front door is cleverly removable so furniture can be more easily carried up and down. On the landing there’s a cabinet that was equipped with a fire hose; the water spigot is still there. Nearly every window in the house has a deep sill. 

All the numerous casement windows originally opened inward. In preparation for sale most of the upstairs windows have been replaced in kind and now swing outwards, but the downstairs windows retain the original design. 

Out back, the slightly sloping yard has a towering redwood in one corner, a gnarled oak, and a bay laurel rising from a formidable buttressed base. 

Charles Atwood Kofoid who selected this site and commissioned the house, was born in Illinois in 1865. He attended Oberlin College where he met Carrie Prudence Winter, daughter of a Congregational minister from Connecticut. “They fell in love at Oberlin,” Frances Michener says, “but they thought they could not get married because he wasn’t making enough money.” 

Carrie taught, first in Connecticut, then in a missionary school in Honolulu from 1890 to 1893, all the while exchanging letters with Kofoid, who was studying at Harvard. 

In 1894 she returned to Connecticut and they married. He taught for a year at Michigan, then supervised a pioneering biological survey of the Illinois River. She earned her M.A. in history at the University of Illinois, studied Russian (to be able to translate research papers for her husband), and began a writing career. Throughout their marriage they traveled extensively in Europe, the Pacific, South Asia, Africa, and even contemplating moving to India at one point. 

In 1903 a faculty position at the University of California opened, and the Kofoids moved to Berkeley. During 1904-05, Kofoid spent six months aboard the USFS “Albatross,” sailing on a research and collecting mission through the eastern tropical Pacific. 

In 1905 the Kofoids also hired Julia Morgan to design the Etna Street house, along with the house next door to the south intended as a residence for Professor Kofoid’s father. Ultimately pere Kofoid returned to Illinois, and the second house became auxiliary storage for Kofoid’s expanding book collection, which also spilled over into the in-law unit above the garage that he built in 1926 in the back yard of 2618 Etna. 

Kofoid collected an estimated 100,000 books over more than 60 years, specializing in the biological sciences. He started early; one book of poetry I found at the estate sale earlier this year was dated 1887, when he was just 22, and labeled #353 in his collection. 

After his death most of his best books went to institutional collections—some 40,000 to UC Berkeley alone—but thousands remained in the house for decades, supplemented by the Michener's own books, often on similar topics including environmental issues and natural science. 

One fascinating piece of Kofoid memorabilia is his elaborate bookplate, drawn by Bertha Mitchell Clute, a noted illustrator who settled in Berkeley after 1915. The centerpiece is a drawing of the north wall and crowded bookshelves of Kofoid’s study at 2616 Etna with the Campanile visible out the window, as the Micheners report it could be seen before the block was fully developed. 

At the bottom, a sailing ship drags a collecting net of Kofoid’s design through the deep ocean, seining up plankton. To the sides are irises of the type he planted in the Etna Street garden, and below are drawings of microscopic creatures and sea life. 

Kofoid made important contributions to science. He was “co-founder of the oldest and largest oceanographic institution in the United States” and “inventor of important oceanographic instruments,” says Deborah Day, archivist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography which Kofoid helped established. 

His work on the Illinois River Biological Survey put him in the forefront of early environmental science and, as chair of the Department of Zoology at Berkeley from 1910 to 1936, he “taught the new generation of biologists.” He did everything from discovering new marine organisms in the field to leading research on how to best preserve pier pilings in San Francisco Bay. 

Kofoid also applied his intellectual energies to reconcile religion and science. Evolution “never threatened his religious feelings; it was never an either/or situation for him,” Frances Michener says. “That seems especially pertinent right now. He loved nature, and it had a lot of meaning for him.” 

The Kofoids were active in the Congregational Church, both locally and nationally. Kofoid reportedly donated a memorial window and a grand piano to a local church. 

Perhaps because of their extensive travels and stints living overseas, the Kofoids were also racially open-minded in an era when even Berkeley could be xenophobic. “At a time when there was a lot of racial bigotry he was very in favor of bringing in students (to UC) of various racial backgrounds,” says Frances Michener, and “he had a lot of Japanese friends.” The Micheners, Frances says, continued the Kofoid tradition, renting rooms at the house to a number of foreign students. 

The Kofoids “were both great outdoors people,” says Deborah Day. They “spent a lot of time camping and tramping the Sierras, Yosemite, and the great open spaces of the West. They were prodigious travelers.” 

“He lived in an era when biology was being defined, when there were two directions to go: to the lab or outside. He chose outside,” writes Michener family member, Kim Gazzaniga. That tradition continued with the Micheners. Frances Michener says David and Pat Michener, her parents, were both very active in the Sierra Club and its local chapters. 

Professor Kofoid met Julia Morgan, Deborah Day says, when she was a summer student at a marine laboratory run by his colleague William Ritter. The houses were a Morgan design but Kofoid’s father and brother, both skilled carpenters, worked on the construction and added their own touches and flourishes. 

Joleen Arnold, writing about the houses in 1975, noted “the house at 2618 Etna has a Mid-western air about it,” while 2616 Etna was “strikingly different,” with its English–style gambrel roof. 

2616 Etna cost about $4,500 to build; Morgan charged $200 for her architectural services. Redwood was the primary raw material, but the house also incorporated wood salvaged from a demolition project on the UC campus. 

Most of the original features remain, the interior woodwork is largely unpainted, and the few modifications (such as the partitioning of the master bedroom) are small and easily reversed. The realtors have had the battered floors refinished, rooms painted, and repairs made to damaged plaster and other worn elements, but the house still has the look and feel of its century-ago origins. 

Carrie Kofoid died of a heart attack Nov. 4, 1942. After 48 years of marriage Dr. Kofoid was alone, and turned to the Michener family. Josephine “Effie” Ridgen Michener had been one of his students and a laboratory assistant and scientific illustrator for his research projects. 

“Over the years, Effie maintained a working relationship with Kofoid and became a family friend,” says Kim Gazzaniga, her great-granddaughter. She had been married in the Kofoid living room. Her son David worked at Scripps, where he met Edna “Pat” Caney in 1939. They would have four children. 

“After Mrs. Kofoid died, my father (David Michener) had just gotten a job doing research at the USDA lab in Albany, and Dr. Kofoid asked them to move in with him,” Frances Michener recalls. Although her parents were initially skeptical they agreed and “it worked out to be wonderful.” 

The childless Kofoid became a devoted “Uncle Charley” to the Micheners, a term even family members born after his death use today. He “just loved the kids. It worked out to be a really good arrangement for everyone,” says Frances. 

When he died in 1947 his estate was largely divided between the University of California and the Pacific School of Religion. But he also provided for the Micheners to buy the two Etna Street houses at an affordable price; their family became residents and custodians for the next six decades. 

Finally, more than a century after the Kofoids built the house, the Michener descendents began to sort the memorabilia and furnishings in preparation for sale. Up in the attic they found a treasure; trunks and trunks of correspondence, photographs, and records left by Professor Kofoid, documenting not only his research career but family life. Most of these have now gone to swell the impressive Kofoid research archives at Scripps Institution. 

2616 Etna stands in an enclave I’ve written about a bit before in the Daily Planet, when the nearby Gester House on Piedmont Avenue was for sale. Although just south of a densely populated student residential district, two-block long Etna is a lushly planted, quiet, street. 

This is a house with an important pedigree and part of a coherent, tangible fabric of the past; a Berkeley treasure that should be treated well by any future owner. 

2616 Etna St. will go on the market for $1,115,000. At least one open house is planned—for date, details, and time, check the real estate website of Tarpoff and Talbert at http://www.tarpoffandtalbert.com


East Bay: Then and Now—Samuel Heywood and Sons: Lumber and Politics

By Daniella Thompson
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:21:00 AM
Emma Heywood built the flats at 1917-1919 Grove St. in 1909.
Daniella Thompson
Emma Heywood built the flats at 1917-1919 Grove St. in 1909.
The current building at 812-814 Delaware St. was moved to this location from 815 Hearst Ave.
Daniella Thompson
The current building at 812-814 Delaware St. was moved to this location from 815 Hearst Ave.
Mayor Charles D. Heywood built his home at 2932 Linden Ave. in 1913.
Daniella Thompson
Mayor Charles D. Heywood built his home at 2932 Linden Ave. in 1913.
Samuel Heywood and family pose in front of their home at 812 Delaware St.
Heywood family collection
Samuel Heywood and family pose in front of their home at 812 Delaware St.
Samuel Heywood’s home at 1929 Grove St.
Heywood family collection
Samuel Heywood’s home at 1929 Grove St.

Samuel Heywood (1833-1903) was Zimri Brewer Heywood’s fourth son, the first Heywood to have settled in Berkeley, and the one most closely associated with the family’s West Berkeley lumber yard. 

He first appeared here around 1868 to run his father’s lumber business with Captain James H. Jacobs, living with Jacobs and his large family in the wilds of Ocean View (the Oakland directory variously gave the address as “west of San Pablo Road,” “five miles north Broadway R.R. station,” and “five miles north City Hall”). Jacobs, who was born in Denmark, tended to hire Scandinavians as lumber-yard laborers, and some of them also lived with the family. 

When Jacobs retired around 1876, Sam Heywood took over as sole manager. For a number of years he lived on the east side of Second Street between Delaware and Bristol, within the lumber yard property. His 1874 marriage to Emma Frances Dingley would produce five children, and in 1880, the U.S. census recorded Emma’s mother and two teenaged sisters in the household. 

It was time to provide ampler quarters for the growing family. Samuel responded by building a large, two-story house on a double lot at 812 Delaware St. The Heywood lived here until 1897, when they moved to a turreted Queen Anne house at 1929 Grove Street (current location of KPFA). They continued to own the Delaware St. house until 1907, when it was purchased by Fritz A. Bruns, a young cigar merchant from Germany who kept a shop on the southwest corner of University and San Pablo Avenues. 

The Delaware St. house survived until 1956, when it was demolished by its owner, a physician. In the 1980s, following the designation of the 800 block of Delaware as the city’s first historic district, the street was rehabilitated. To fill the gap left by the Samuel Heywood house, a very similar two-story structure was moved onto the site from 815 Hearst Ave. 

While living on Delaware Street, Samuel Heywood had a respite from selling lumber. As long as the Heywoods’ lumber yard was leased to Henry W. Taylor, Samuel’s occupation was listed as “capitalist” in the city directories. During the 1880s, he served as director of the Berkeley Board of Education and as a member of the town’s Board of Trustees (the equivalent of today’s city council), being elected president of the latter in 1890. Four years later, he was plying the grocer’s trade with his eldest son, Frank Brewer Heywood (1875-1935), on the corner of Delaware and Fifth Street. This business was short lived; in 1896, Frank was listed as trimmer at the Berkeley Electric Lighting Co., and two years later he became one of Berkeley’s first letter carriers. 

It wasn’t until Henry W. Taylor moved his lumber yard to the foot of Folger Avenue in 1900 that Sam Heywood reentered the lumber business. He incorporated as West Berkeley Lumber Company, acting as president, with Thomas Richardson as secretary and manager. Richardson’s wife, Mary Curtis, was a well-known impressionist painter often compared to Mary Cassatt. “In portraiture, the tender feeling, the warm coloring and free handling of mother and child pictures has won a circle of enthusiastic admirers for Mary Curtis Richardson,” wrote Charles Keeler in his 1902 book, San Francisco and Thereabout. 

Sam’s younger son, Charles Dingley Heywood (1881-1957), had worked for Taylor during the latter’s final year at the West Berkeley Lumber Yard, and now he was promoted to foreman. His sister Amy (1876-1940) was the lumber company’s bookkeeper until she married Captain John Roscoe Oakley, master of the bay steamer Resolute and a widower. 

In marrying Amy Heywood, Oakley made a match that enabled him to establish the Berkeley Transportation Company, which for several years would control the freight shipping between West Berkeley and San Francisco. Working as captains in this business were Oakley’s sons Harry and Alfred. In 1909, Harry would also marry into a lumber family when he wed Hannah Niehaus, daughter of the late Otto Niehaus, proprietor of the West Berkeley Planing Mill. 

The Niehaus mill was no longer in existence by then. On Aug. 15, 1901, at 10 p.m., fire broke out in its engine room and spread quickly, wiping out three acres of buildings, lumber piles, machinery, and finished products, including 6,000 doors in the door-and-sash factory. The Niehaus mill had seven private hydrants for which it paid a regular fee to the Contra Costa Water Co., but during the fire the hydrants produced meager streams that reached no farther than ten feet. The mill’s loss amounted to $100,000, while its insurance covered a mere $16,500. Over 100 workers lost their jobs. The lawsuit of Niehaus Bros v. Contra Costa Water Co. made its lengthy voyage through the courts, and in 1911 the California Supreme Court found for the defendants, determining that the contract between Niehaus and the water company did not impose on the latter an obligation to supply water specifically for fire protection. 

The Heywood lumber yard, located a block away, suffered a relatively minor loss of $1,000. By 1903, the Heywoods had taken over the name West Berkeley Planing Mill, previously used by Niehaus Bros. 

Three years prior to Samuel’s death, the family left its 1929 Grove St. home and moved to a rented house at 1307 Shattuck Ave., current site of the Live Oak Park playground. They returned just as suddenly as they had left, for the newspapers reported that Samuel died at 1929 Grove. Charles D. Heywood succeeded his father as president and manager of the West Berkeley Lumber Company. Gertrude Heywood (1880-1927) followed her sister Amy as bookkeeper, and Frank returned to the fold as corporate secretary. 

Frank, who had married Annie Turner in 1898, was the first to leave the parental home. The 1900 directory listed him at 1842 University Ave., next door to the lot where his uncle William would build a three-story apartment building in 1909. Charles married Ethel Voss Rose in 1905. The bride was a neighbor who resided at 1909 Grove Street. Her brother, Burton J. Rose, worked as a clerk at the West Berkeley Lumber Co. and had married Samuel’s middle daughter, Henrietta Mae Heywood (1879-1910), in 1903. 

The Roses settled down at 1929 Grove with Emma and Gertrude. In 1909, Emma constructed a pair of Colonial Revival flats at 1917-19 Grove. This building, which sports an impressive arched Neoclassical canopy over the twin front doors, must have been quite elegant before it gained asbestos shingle cladding and lost its original windows for aluminum horrors. It still stands on the northeast corner of Berkeley Way and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, looking mysterious. 

Emma and Gertrude moved to the new house, leaving 1929 Grove to the Roses and the Oakleys. For their part, Charles and Ethel moved from one rented domicile to another. After uncle William erected the apartments at 1846 University Ave., they moved into one of them. Charles was active in civic affairs, serving as president of the Berkeley Manufacturers’ Association and the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce before running for mayor in the spring of 1913. He defeated fellow Republican and neighbor Charles H. Spear, who lived at 1905 Grove St. At 32, Charles Heywood was the youngest mayor Berkeley had ever elected. Brother Frank was elected to the Board of Education. 

Also in 1913, the Heywoods sold their lumber operations to the Tilden Lumber Company. Frank remained there as secretary for one year before joining the Berkeley Fire Department as an engineer, a position he kept for the rest of his life. Frank and his family lived at 1905 McGee Ave. from 1915 or so until the 1920s, when they moved north to 1703 San Lorenzo Ave. Charles built his home in 1913 at 2932 Linden Ave. 

Once his two-year mayoral stint was over, Charles became a council member. During World War I, he acted as Berkeley’s food administrator under future President Herbert Hoover. As commissioner of public health and safety in 1922, he opposed the erection of Memorial Stadium in Strawberry Canyon. In 1925, he was appointed as Berkeley’s postmaster by President Calvin Coolidge and served in this position for eight years. In 1934 he ran for Congress but was defeated. The same year, his wife, Ethel, committed suicide by hanging herself in her bedroom closet, there to be discovered by one of the couple’s two daughters. Charles remarried a year later and worked as a real estate broker until his retirement. He spent the last two years of his life in San Francisco. 

 

This is the fourth in a series of articles on the Heywood family. 

 

Daniella Thompson publishes berkeleyheritage.com for the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA). 


About the House: Women and Their Buildings

By Matt Cantor
Thursday October 23, 2008 - 10:22:00 AM

It’s a sad fact that women are significantly more likely to be overcharged at the auto-repair shop than their male counterparts. I remember reading these studies by consumer advocacy agencies in the 1970s. In the age of Hillary Clinton, this doesn’t seem right or fair but that’s the way it is. Men have been the initiates to the secret information of spark plugs and tire rotation for much of the last century while women have struggled to gain a place at the bull-session in which the arcane knowledge was shared. It is clear that this has extended to the building trades as anyone with eyes can tell you. Even in my profession of building inspection, a look around the room rarely reveals more than about 5 percent women. 

Though I am convinced that women are quite capable of the full range of construction skills from architecture right down to framing walls and digging out foundations, the society has not done its due diligence and provided girls and women with the same opportunities as their male counterparts to learn about the built environment and experience, hands-on, the various tasks that turn unarmed homeowners into full-armed ones. To tell the truth, this skill-set is growing increasing faint in the male as well, so perhaps its time for women to pick up and carry this mantle. 

Not that the homeowner or renter necessarily needs to do their own plumbing or electrical wiring but, having done a trade or two and knowing a bit about how houses work (or fall apart) one is far better equipped to make decisions, budget and negotiate with contractors. 

I have over the years met a number of women who for one reason or other were now finding themselves in the situation in which the men who had taken point on these issues were now gone. Some to the grave, others to infirmity (or to a husband-shaped chair and matching television) and still others to divorce or separation. 

So for those who meet any of these criteria, I offer some general advice on dealing with contractors, what you can do yourself and what to focus on (notice that I didn’t say worry about. That’s the first piece of advice. Don’t worry.) 

First, and this is for the men to hear as well, there is nothing inherently male about construction, power-tools or architecture. On the last point, I think Julia Morgan, one of our greatest architects proves the point all by herself. To the matter of tools and construction, this is clearly a cultural issue and not one of innate capacity. While it may once have been true that construction required great physical strength (and as a rule men have more of the large muscle masses and prior to power-tools they were much needed) it is far less true today and where it IS true, the boss can still be a woman and the grunts, males (as the natural order demands). 

So there is nothing women cannot do with regards to the care and feeding of the home except to study and take on the task (if you have not already done so). A good book or two on home maintenance is not a bad place to start. One reasonable volume is the Reader’s Digest New Fix-It-Yourself Manual: How to Repair, Clean, and Maintain Anything and Everything In and Around Your Home. A women’s perspective can be found in Julie Stutsman & Stephanie Glakas-tenet’s Dare To Repair books (there are at least three of these).  

For understanding the framing of houses and some fundamental architecture, there is nothing I like better than Francis D.K. Ching’s book Construction Illustrated. It shows you exactly how houses are built and Frank Ching’s drawings are so well done that you feel as though you can see right through these buildings. Wiley Publishing just released a revised paperback this year.  

For a little local color, you might check out one of the plumbing books by our own Peter Hemp (e.g. Plumbing a House Tauton Press ‘94) 

Classes on home repair and construction are available at lots of local colleges (as well as our local Building Education Center) but I would contend that the building trades remained so male dominated because the learning of this kind of information requires some sort of guildship or residency, an intimate intensive where problems are tackled together. A classroom environment may be helpful but without real-world experience, it’s very hard to transmit precisely how decisions are made in the field and actions taken. Therefore I would suggest that those who wish to learn, either work with a tradesperson on their own home, or seek some form of employment, for a time, with someone well versed in their trade. 

Contractors are all over the map on how they feel about working with client and I feel their pain. It’s hard to be a boss to the boss. It’s also hard to teach while getting the job done. This is why much of the history of guildships involved traditions of subservience (sweeping the floor before you got to handle the saw). One had to earn the valuable time of the master. This may seem a little over the top today but there is, at least, a germ of reason embedded in this behavior. 

If you are paying a contractor by the hour and they’re interested in teaching, things will probably go well. If they are on a fixed bit, teaching you (even though you may intend to be helping) may be too defocusing or distracting for the right-brained carpenter. Going from left to right for hours may be too confusing and we all know that men don’t like to ask for directions, right? 

The truth is that it’s just a matter of who you work with but if you want to learn fix-it stuff or actual full-contact construction, there’s nothing like doing with someone who knows a lot more than you do.  

Whether you choose to learn the trades or not, take no bull. Demand (this can be done without vehemence) to have details explained to you right down the smallest detail. Be clear with your hired help that you want to be as involved as possible and make as many decisions as you can, as the client, make.  

Sometime a seat is not offered at the table, but my policy (and here I will end my rant) is to step up to the table, pull one out, smile, and join in. In this way, we can all, one day at the time, change the world. 


Community Calendar

Thursday October 23, 2008 - 09:58:00 AM

THURSDAY, OCT. 23 

Meet the Candidates for Mayor, City Council and School Board at 7 p.m. in the Chapel of the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda at Los Angeles. www.northeastberkeleyassociation.org 

MGO Democratic Club meets to discuss five government initiatives in a package called Real Oakland Administrative Reform with John Russo, City Attorney; Courtney Ruby, City Auditor; Ignacio De La Fuente, Council President, Dist 5, and Pat Kernighan, City Council Member, Dist. 2, at 7 p.m. at Dimond Branch Library, Oakland. 595-7402. www.mgoclub.org 

The Oakland Bird Club “Birds of Asia” A slide presentation by Jeff Robinson at 7:30 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. 444-0355. 

“Monterey Market Live” A documentary by Bill Fujimoto, owner of the produce market, at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

“California Native Plants for Your Garden” at 7 p.m. at El Sobrante Library, 4991 Appian Way, El Sobrante. Free. 374-3991. 

Easy Does It Board of Directors’ Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 1636 University Ave. 845-5513. www.easydoesitservices.org 

“Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival” at 5 p.m. at Clif Bar Headquarters, 1610 Fifth St. Tickets are $10-$15. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Workshops for Healthcare Activists, and those who want to be, Single Payer Health Care/SB840 Kuehl at 7 p.m. at Hillside Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito between Portrero and Moeser Lane. 526-0972. 

Barbary Lane Senior Community Open House with East Bay Symphony Trio and author Armistead Maupin from noon to 5 p.m. at 1800 Madison St., Oakland. Free, but RSVP required 903-3600. 

Art from the Heart Silent Auction benefitting East Meets West Foundation, a nonprofit development agency serving the poor in Vietnam at 6 p.m. at Piedmont Community Church, Clara Barton Room, 400 Highland Ave., Piedmont. www.piedmontchurch.org 

“Life for Sale” A documentary on our ailing health care system at 7:30 p.m. at Shattuck Cinemas. Tickets are $10. 1-877-7LIFE4S. www.lifeforsalemovie.com 

Auditions for “That’s Our Snow White” with East Bay Children’s Theater for 14 M/F adult actors/singers from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Kahilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave. For information call 537-9957. zaniladi@comcast.net 

Three Beats for Nothing South Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Thurs. at 10 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis at Ashby. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

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, OCT. 24 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Antonio Rossman, Land Use Attorney on “How Communities Deal Effectively with Government Entities” including the Caldecott Tunnel issue and the UC Stadium issue. Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 524-7468. www.citycommonsclub.org 

United Nations Day honoring East Bay Nobel Prize winners for work in climate change at 6 p.m. at International House at 2299 Piedmont Ave. Tickets are $15-$30. For reservations call 642-9461. www.unausaeastbay.org 

“Amazing Grace” A documentary about William Wilberforce, who fought to abolish the slave trade throughout the British Empire, at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Church, Sacramento and Cedar. Free, Discussion to follow. www.berkeleyfriendschurch.org 

Campus Greens meeting with Matt Gonzalez, Jello Biafra, Marcia Feinland and others at 8 p.m. at 2060 Valley LSB, UC campus.  

“The Phantom’s Masquerade” The East Bay Dance Center’s Fourth Annual Halloween Show and Dance, a family-friendly event featuring dance performance, party and treats at 7 p.m. at 1318 Glenfield Ave., off of Park Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $2-$5. All proceeds benefit the EBDC’s Scholarship Fund. 336-3262. 

Cinema Dreaming “Nosferatu” Screening and discussion at 7 p.m. at The Dream Institute, 1672 University at McGee. Cost is $12. 845-1767. 

Kol Hadash Humanistic Shabbat at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring finger dessert or snack to share for the Oneg, and non-perishable food for the needy. 428-1492. info@kolhadash.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. 

Three Beats for Nothing Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Fri. at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, Hearst at MLK. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

SATURDAY, OCT. 25 

“Peace in the World and Social Services at Home” A gathering with Dan and Patricia Ellsberg, Cindy Sheehan, Barbara Becnel and others at the Civic Center Peace Wall in Civic Center Park from noon to 4:30 p.m. 841-4824. 

Community Celebration for Days of the Dead with craft activities, demonstrations, music, dance and food, from noon to 5 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Infinity Walk Against Domestic Violence from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mosswood Park at Broadway and MacArthur in Oakland and will include music, performances, refreshments, youth activities and more. Benefits A Safe Place, Oakland's domestic violence program for battered women and children. 205-0855. asafeplacedvs.org 

“Down Memory Lane” 35th Anniversary of the Oakland Community School from noon to 5 p.m. at 6118 International Blvd., Oakland. 434-1824, 652-7170. www.ocs-communications.com 

Fall Gardening Seminar sponsored by the Alameda County Master Gardeners from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Merritt College, Oakland. Cost is $30. To register see http://groups.ucanr.org/ACMG/ 

New School Halloween Bazaar with face painting, children’s games, rummage sale, book and bake sales, live entertainment and more from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1606 Bonita at Cedar. 548-9165.  

Fiesta de los Angelitos Build a memorial kite, a “nicho” or other crafts from 2 to 4 p.m. at at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Dias de las Muertos procession at 6 p.m. 228-3207. 

Haunted House in Berkeley with levels of scariness for all ages from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Come in costume. Donations benefit homeless children. 845-6830. 

Skytown Preschool Fall Festival and Open House Age appropriate activities for 18 months to 5 years from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Skytown Preschool, One Lawson Road, Kensington. Come in costume. 526-8481. www.skytown.org 

Haunted House and Costume Contest for children at 5:30 p.m. at Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave. Alameda. Cost is $5-$10. Cost is $35-$50. www.rhythmix.org 

“Boo at the Zoo” Oakland Zoo Halloween Celebration Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with scavenger hunt, animal feedings, and a visit with creepy crawlies. Cost is $7-$10.50. 632-9525.  

Monster Bash aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet, with music, haunted tours of the lower deck, and children’s activities at 7:30 p.m. at 707 W. Hornet Ave. Pier 3, Alameda. Tickets are $20-$25 for adults, $10 for children. www.hornetevents.com  

Halloween Music, with Broadway and television favorites for the whole family at 6:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Alameda, 2001 Santa Clara at Chestnut, Alameda. Party follows with tours of the Haunted Parlor. Free, but donations accepted. 522-1477. 

Farm Songs and Stories, including a visit to feed the chickens from 2 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of Claremont Paths from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. For reservations and starting point call 848-0181. 

Fall Bird Walk to observe and listen to resident and migrant birds at 9 a.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. Registration required. Cost is $12-$15. 643-2755, ext. 03. 

Small Pet Adoption Day Come meet our rescued rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice, and learn how they can be a member of your family, from 1 to 5 p.m. at RabbitEars, 377 Colusa Ave., Kensington. Come in costume to have your photograph taken. 525-6155. 

Pt. Richmond Silent Art Auction from 5 to 8 p.m. at Point San Pablo Yacht Club, 700 West Cutting Blvd., Pt. Richmond. For tickets, or to donate your artwork call 235-0165. 

SEEDS Community Resolution Center Celebrates 25 Years of Service with dinner, music and dancing from 7 to 11 p.m. at Berkeley Yacht Club, 1 Seawall Drive. Tickets are $40. 548-4051. Jaimee@ebcm.org 

 

Vegetarian Cooking Class Comfort Food from Around the World Learn to make Potato Latkes, Scotch Broth, Cuban Black Bean Soup and more from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $50, plus $5 food and material fee. Advance registration required. 531-COOK.  

City Slickers Fall Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. at West Oakland Woods Street farm. Activities including a flag making station to decorate the garden, street games, talent show, street theater, unveiling of our billboard, snail hunt through the garden, and food. We encourage people to bring their favorite fall dishes and recipes to share. www.cityslickerfarms.org 

Bay Area Cohousing Tour A guided bus tour of several communities Cost is $95, includes lunch. 834-7399. www.cohousing.org/tours 

Residential Earthquake Retrofits A free seminar at 10 a.m. at the Montclair Women’s Cultural Art’s Club, 1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. 418-1676.  

“Growing Herbs” Learn the climate needs, fertilizer requirements, watering techniques, and pruning of different herbs that you can grow all winter long at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. Free. 644-2351. www.magicgardens.com 

Kennedy High School/Eagle Foundation Community Meeting to discuss the needs of the high school and the role of the community at noon in the cafeteria, Kennedy High School, 4300 Cutting Blvd., Richmond. 231-1433. www.jfkeaglefoundation.org 

Make a Box Sculpture with Emily Kuenstler,from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Cost is $45. To register call 415-505-7827. 

Animation Film Festival Works by Bay Area middle and high school students at 9:30 a.m. at Bay Street AMC Theaters, Emeryville. 655-4002. 

LBAM Spray Commemoration at 6 p.m. at downtown Berkeley BART, with music and information. www.dontspraycalifornia.org 

Sacred Art & Sacred Space Art Auction at 6 p.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way. Proceeds will benefit Himalayan HealthCare. RSVP to auction@TantricArt.net 

Free Internet Classes “Useful Web Sites” at 10 a.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton St., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

Floral Art and Design Class with Devon Gaster at 1 p.m. at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. 644-4930.  

Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, at 11 a.m. at 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 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

SUNDAY, OCT. 26 

“No on Prop. 8” A peaceful demonstration against Prop. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon in front of the Mormon (LDS) Temple at 4770 Lincoln Ave., Oakland. Anyone interested in expressing support for equal rights for gay and lesbian people is welcome to join the protest. 

Dia de los Muertos Festival with music, crafts, food and display of altars by community groups and professional artists, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at International Blvd. between Fruitvale Ave. and 39th Ave., Oakland. www.unitycouncil.org/ddlm 

Haunted Caves Halloween exploration for ages 5 and up from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $3. 525-2233. 

Ghostwalk and Graveyard Tales at 7 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Bring flashlights. 228-3207.  

Spooky Tales in the Redwood Grove with storytellers Bobbie Kinkaid and Jean Ellison at 4 p.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. Registration required. Cost is $7-$10. 643-2755, ext. 03. 

Create Your Own Halloween Event for familes and children ages 3-10, with educational hip hop, create your own costume, create your own trick or treat bag, fortune telling and healthy treats, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Glitter & Razz Dramatic Play Space, 5951 College Ave., Oakland. Free. 654-7166. www.glitterandrazz.com 

“Oakland Fusion” Community members are invited to paint ceramic tiles for a mural representing Oakland’s diverse community from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farmer’s Market, Jack London Square. www.thewowhaus.com 

Women of Color Resource Center “Sisters of Fire” Awards honoring local women and organizations at 11 a.m. at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant, 2 Broadway, Oakland. 444-2700, ext. 306. 

“Proposition 8” with Stacy Camillo, Bd member, National Center for Lesbian Rights at 10 a.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Sponsored by Kol Hadash. Suggested donation $5. 428-1492. 

Tour of the Berkeley City Club, the “little castle” designed by Julia Morgan from 1 to 4 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. 848-7800. 

“The Transcendant Supernatural” with Sarah Lewis at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Albany Reads Community reading of “Snow Mountain Passage” by James D. Houston about the Donner Party. Author talk at 2 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. For a copy of the book call 526-3720. 

“Learning to Move from Overwhelm to Possibility” with Warren Kahn at 3 p.m. at the Ginn House in Preservation Park, 660 13th St., Oakland. Reservations required. 408- 808-1330. wcmoretolife@gmail.com 

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 on “The Multidimensionality of Time” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 27 

Berkeley Mayoral Debate between Tom Bates and Shirley Dean, sponsored by The Berkeley Daily Planet, moderated by Robert Cheasty, former mayor of Albany, at 7 p.m. at the West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. The public is invited to submit questions to debate@berkeleydailyplanet.com 

Hallowe’en Stories 10:30 a.m. at Richmond Public Library, Bayview Branch, 5100 Harnett Ave., Richmond. 620-6566. 

“Mind, Brain and Consciousness” with David Presti, senior lecturer, neurobiology, at 12:15 p.m. at Room 150, University Hall, 2199 Addison St. Free for OLLI members, $5 others. 642-5254. 

“Dispatches—Between Google and Gutenberg” A panel discussion on the ways to cover stories on global issues with Dispatches co-editors Mort Rosenblum and Gary Knight, Eric Stover, director of the Human Rights Center, and Rémy Ourdan, chief correspondent of Le Monde in Paris. Reception at 5:30 p.m., Panel at 6:30 p.m. at Graduate School of Journalism, 121 North Gate Hall, UC campus. www.rethink-dispatches.com 

Kensington Library Book Club meets to discuss “Suite Francaise” by Irene Nemirovsky at 7 p.m. at 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

Better Sleep with Acupressure at 11:30 a.m. at Elephant Pahrm, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Auditions for Falsettos with the Pinole Community Players Mon. and Tues. at 7 p.m. at Community Playhouse, 601 Tennent Ave., Pinole. 223-3598. www.pinoleplayers.org 

East Bay Track Club for girls and boys ages 3-15 meets Mon. at 6 p.m. at Berkeley High School track field. Free. 776-7451. 

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.  

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

TUESDAY, OCT. 28 

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 Briones Regional Park. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Halloween/Day of the Dead Celebration with pumpkin carving, costume making, Day of the Dead alter and more from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Farmers’ Market, Derby at MLK. 548-2220. 

Bat Show with live bats, for ages 5 and up, at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. Free, but tickets required. 524-3043.  

Hallowe’en Stories 10:30 a.m. at Richmond Public Library, West Side Branch, 135 Washington Ave., Richmond. 620-6567. 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Political Geography of the Jewish State: Zionism’s Facts on the Ground” A report-back from a Middle East Children’s Alliance delgation to Israel and the Occupied Territories at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. www.bfuu.org 

Kennedy High School/Eagle Foundation Community Meeting to discuss the needs of the high school and the role of the community at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria, Kennedy High School, 4300 Cutting Blvd., Richmond. 231-1433. www.jfkeaglefoundation.org 

“Sea Kayaking the West Coast: California, Baja and the Galapagos Islands” at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Urban Bicycle Safety Class Learn how to share the road with cars on busy streets of the East Bay, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Kaiser Richmond Medical Center. Sponsored by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. Free. For information see www.ebbc.org/safety 

Caribbean Rhythms Dance Class begins at 5:30 p.m. at Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St., and meets every Tues. eve. Donations accepted for Community Rhythms Scholarship Fund. 548-9840. 

Music for Monotones An opportunity for non-singers to improve their skills at 7 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$15. 528-6725.  

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

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. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

Ceramics Class Learn hand building techniques to make decorative and functional items, Tues. at 9:30 a.m. at St. John's Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Free, materials and firing charges only. 525-5497. 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and 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. 

Yarn Wranglers Come knit and crochet at 6:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29 

Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action Candidate Forum for all of the candidates for Mayor, City Council and School Board at 6:30 p.m. at Rosa Parks School, 920 Allston Way at the corner of 8th St. 665-5821. www.berkeleyboca.org 

“The 12 State of California Propositions” A community discussion with students who have researched each of the propositions at 8 p.m. at JFK Univ. Art Annex, Studion #2, 2956 San Pablo Ave. (enter at rear parking lot). 649-0499. 

“Frontiers of Dreams and Fears” A film about the friendship between two Palestinian girls at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$20, no one turned away. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Beyond Elections” A documentary on participatory democracy in Brazil, Colombia and Canada at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.Humanist Hall.org 

Hawaiian Party for Our Parks with Hawaiian music and Malcolm Margolin on the history of the East Bay Regional Parks at 7 p.m. at the Brazil Room, Tilden Park. Sponsored by the Sierra Club. Cost is $25, reservations required. 848-0800 , ext.322. 

Pacific Boychoir Academy Auditions from 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. at 410 Alcatraz Ave. in Oakland. No musical knowledge or experience is required. To register for auditions, call 652-4722. 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. 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, OCT. 30 

Berkeley Mayoral Candidates Debate Pacific Steel Issues and solutions to the plant’s pollution and health threats at 7 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Sponsored by Global Community Monitor. www.gcmonitor.org 

BUSD Community Meeting on selling Hillside School and Playground Thursday evening, October 30, 7:00 PM in the large conference room, 1720 Oregon St. For information contact Cynthia Cowgill at 549-3435, or cacowgill@aim.com 

Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan A town hall discussion with councilmembers Laurie Capitelli (District 5) and Betty Olds (District 6) at 6:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, Parlor Room, 941 The Alameda. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from 3 to 4 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. Bring photo ID and two references. 644-8833. 

Hallowe’en Stories and creepy songs from 6 to 7 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, Children’s Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6557. 

Baby & Toddler Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

Bayswater Book Club Dinner meeting at 6:30 p.m. to discuss “Obama Nomics” by John R. Talbott. RSVP to 433-2911. 

Three Beats for Nothing South Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Thurs. at 10 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis at Ashby. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

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, OCT. 31 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Sherry Smith, League of Women Voters “State and Local Ballot Measures in the Nov. 2008 Elections” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 524-7468. www.citycommonsclub.org 

Harvest Festival at James Kenney Community Center with carnival games, arts and crafts, a spooky maze and more from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at 1720 8th St., between Virginia and Delaware. 981-6551.  

Halloween Costume Contest and Magic Show at 5 p.m. at Ray’s Pumpkin Patch, 1245 Solano Ave., Albany. Free. 527-5358. 

“Not-Too-Spooky” Halloween for ages 6 and under from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Habitot, 2065 Kittredge St. Cost is $7-$8. 647-1111. www.habitot.org 

“Farewell to the Thief” Celebrate the end of the Bush years with a concert at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Suggested donation $10. www.bfuu.org 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

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. 

Three Beats for Nothing Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Fri. at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, Hearst at MLK. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

SATURDAY, NOV. 1 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival Creek Walk Meet at 10 a.m. just inside UC campus at Oxford and Center St. Poetry Festival follows at noon at Civic Center Park. 526-9105. www.poetryflash.org 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Albany Walk Explore history, preservation, and restoration on Albany Hill, University Village, and Cerrito and Codornices Creeks Meet at 10 a.m. at Albany Peet’s on San Pablo. 848-9358. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Reptile Rendevous Learn about the reptiles that live in Tilden Park, and meet some up close, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Close the Farm Help us close the Little Farm and tuck in the animals for the night, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Tilden Little Farm, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Wine and Carrot Reception for Peter Matsukawa and the photographs of his rabbits, at 5 p.m. at RabbitEars, 377 Colusa, Ave., Kensington. 535-6155. 

Lead-Safe Painting & Remodeling A free introductory class to learn about lead safe renovations for your older home, from 10 a.m. to noon at Dimond Branch Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. Presented by Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 567-8280. www.ACLPPP.org 

“Law School Admissions Workshop for People of Color” from 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Berkeley School of Law, Booth Auditorium. Open to all traditionally underrepresented groups such as people of color, people with disabilities, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people, and those from a disadvantaged socio-economic background. Please RSVP to coalitionfordiversity@gmail.com  

“The Joy of Writing” A workshop with Lynn Hammond from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Cost is $30. Bring a bag lunch. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Free Internet Classes: Health and Medical Information from 10 to 11 El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton St., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

Math and Science Classes from the Lawrence Hall of Science for families with children in kindergarten through fifth grade from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. Free. 620-6557. 

Berkeley Property Owners Association Monthly meeting with Ted Levenson on “The Current Financial Melt-down and what it means to you and your investments” 10 a.m. at St.John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., Fireside Room. All welcome. bpoa@bpoa.org 

“The Current Situation in Afghanistan” at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. 

Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, at 11 a.m. at 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 

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 

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, NOV. 2 

Art Hike “Sketching Through the Fog” Bring paper, pen or pencil and discover winter flora and fauna in the fog from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Spinning a Yarn Storytelling Watch wool being spun and listen to a tale at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Rep Family Series “Myths Come Alive” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Nevo Education Center, 2071 Addison St. Free, but bring a book to donate to a school library. 647-2973. 

“Diwali: The Hindu Festival of Lights” with Asha Bajaj, at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Dia de los Muertos with crafts and story-telling for children ages 0-6 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. 

African Diaspora Film Society “The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow” at 2 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5. 814-2400. 

Organic Gardening: The Magic of Sheet Mulching from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in North Oakland. Cost is $30-$50. 431-9016. 

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. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Mental Health Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. 981-5213. 

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Oct. 23, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7410.  

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon., Oct. 27, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. 

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5158.  

Zero Waste Commission meets Mon., Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., at North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6357. 

City Council meets Tues., Oct. 28, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Oct. 29, at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 981-4950.