News Updates

Police Charge Suspect In Derby Street Murders

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday November 18, 2008
Berkeley police Tuesday arrested an already-jailed South Berkeley man for the two Sept. 18 murders in the 1400 block of Derby Street. -more-

Intervention Sought for Willard Student Involved in Trash Can Fires

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday November 18, 2008
A student at Willard Middle School in Berkeley has admitted to starting some of the trash can fires at the school more than three weeks ago and will take part in intervention services. -more-

AC Transit To Hold Wednesday BRT Update, Purchases More Van Hools

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday November 18, 2008
The AC Transit Board of Directors moved quickly on its two most controversial projects following this month’s electoral victories, scheduling a special board workshop on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for Wednesday afternoon and approving a new round of Van Hool bus purchases. -more-

Cell Phones, Condos, Downtown, West Berkeley All Face Planners

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday November 18, 2008
Cell phone antenna regulations, West Berkeley zoning issues, two condo conversion proposals and the land use chapter of the Downtown Area Plan have all been crammed into Wednesday night’s agenda for the Berkeley Planning Commission. -more-

UCPD Investigates Israeli-Palestinian Altercation On Campus

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday November 17, 2008
The UC Police Department is investigating a fight that erupted Thursday evening between a group of current and former UC Berkeley students after a Palestinian flag was hung over a balcony overlooking a pro-Israel concert on campus. -more-

BP Lab Building Put on Hold, Computer Lab Funds Revised

By Richard Brenneman
Monday November 17, 2008
Plans for a $159 million biofuel and alternative energy lab in the Berkeley Hills have been put on hold by UC President Mark Yudoff while the project is sent back to the drawing board. -more-

News Analysis: Why the Prop 8 Protests Matter

By Paul Hogarth
Monday November 17, 2008
I didn’t join the street protests against Proposition 8 right after it passed. My gut reaction was: “Where were all these people when we had the chance to defeat it?” But “No on 8” ran a terrible campaign that would not have effectively used more volunteers, and it’s possible that many had tried to get involved. Now the state Supreme Court will decide what to do about Prop 8, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera has put on a strong case to have it overruled. But that doesn’t mean the Court will do the right thing; even the best legal arguments can lose. A mass movement of peaceful protest is crucial at building the political momentum to attain marriage equality – which can convince the Court it’s okay to overturn the “will of the voters.” Social movements rely too much on lawyers and politicians to make progress—without effectively using the masses of people who want to help. Now people are angry, and this weekend we saw mass protests across the country. It’s now time for everyday people to get involved. -more-

Double Stabbings, Burned Cars Mark Night in Berkeley

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 14, 2008
An argument over alcohol at the Marina Liquor store on 1265 University Ave. late Thursday night resulted in two Berkeley residents being stabbed, authorities said. -more-

UC Berkeley Students Call On Obama to Enact the Dream Act

by Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday November 14, 2008
UC Berkeley students joined the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights, and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) Thursday to launch a national campaign urging President-elect Barack Obama to enact the federal Dream Act, which would legalize federal financial aid and open a path of citizenship for undocumented immigrant college students across the nation, who are otherwise entrapped in complicated paperwork. -more-

Massive Operation Targets Notorious Richmond Gang

Bay City News
Thursday November 13, 2008
Authorities served dozens of warrants in the Bay Area this morning as part of a massive California Department of Justice operation targeting a violent Richmond gang known as "Deep C," state officials said. -more-


News

Paper Trail Reveals Kennedy and Maio Financial Dealings

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday November 13, 2008
A battle over the installation of a cluster of cell phone antennas atop a building owned by Patrick Kennedy has revealed a paper trail and testimony focusing on his financial dealings with City Councilmember Linda Maio. -more-

Angry Neighbors Protest Cell Phone Towers

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday November 13, 2008
Neighbors worried about cell phone antenna radiation and angry at city officials who have allowed it in their neighborhoods poured out their frustrations at the Berkeley Planning Commis-sion meeting last week. -more-

City Calls Gaia Center a Nuisance After Rowdy Party

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday November 13, 2008
An out-of-control party at the Gaia Arts Center in downtown Berkeley two weeks ago prompted Berkeley Police to label the venue a public nuisance, leaving its owners susceptible to a fine from the city if a similar incident occurs there in the next four months, authorities said Thursday. -more-

Long Haul Gets Computers Back, Wants UC to Delete Seized Info

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday November 13, 2008
Berkeley’s Long Haul Infoshop finally has its computers back, but its legal battle with UC Berkeley is far from settled. -more-

Citizens’ Draft Sunshine Law Heads to Council

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday November 13, 2008
Berkeley Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who for the last seven years has been advocating for a strong sunshine ordinance to give citizens access to government records and meetings, will put the Berkeley Sunshine Committee’s draft ordinance—crafted as an alternative to one written by the city attorney—on the agenda for the Dec. 8 City Council meeting. -more-

Hahn Vetoes Recount in Close Berkeley Council Race

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday November 13, 2008

Kaplan Credits Volunteers in Oakland Council Race Victory

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday November 13, 2008

Victorious AC Transit President Surveys the Road Ahead

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday November 13, 2008

School District Threatened By Mid-Year Budget Cuts

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday November 13, 2008

Public Workshops Called to Discuss City’s Aquatic Future

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday November 13, 2008

More Jobs Lost At BANG’s East Bay Papers

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday November 13, 2008

City Encourages Greening Historic Buildings

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday November 13, 2008

Police Blotter

By Ali Winston
Thursday November 13, 2008

Fire Dept. Log

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday November 13, 2008

Climate Action Plan Comment Period Extended

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday November 13, 2008

Robert Burnett shows computers that campus police returned to Berkeley’s Long Haul Infoshop after they were seized in an Aug. 27 raid by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Richard Brenneman
Robert Burnett shows computers that campus police returned to Berkeley’s Long Haul Infoshop after they were seized in an Aug. 27 raid by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Editorials

East Bay Voters Speak Up for Local Change

By Becky O’Malley
Thursday November 13, 2008
It’s time for the post-election post-mortems in California races, now that a significant number of the votes in all categories have been counted. First, the one that shocked everyone around here. -more-

Editorial Cartoons

I Voted...

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday November 13, 2008

We, Not You, Shall Overcome

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday November 13, 2008

Proposition 8

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday November 13, 2008

The Threat of Gay Marriage

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday November 13, 2008

Reader Commentaries

Letters to the Editor

Thursday November 13, 2008

Letters to the Editor

Monday November 17, 2008

Hope in the Wake of Proposition 8

By Darren Main
Thursday November 13, 2008

In Support of the Addison Street Windows Gallery Criteria

By Stephanie Anne Johnson
Monday November 17, 2008

Berkeley High Reforms: Money Well Spent?

By Priscilla Myrick
Tuesday November 18, 2008

How Van Hool Co. Benefits From Measure VV

By Joyce Roy
Thursday November 13, 2008

Bates’ Charade Regarding Pacific Steel

By Reva Aimes
Thursday November 13, 2008

Mayor Bates: Berkeley At Its Worst

By Zachary RunningWolf
Thursday November 13, 2008

What I Learned From Measure KK

By Russ Tilleman
Thursday November 13, 2008

Backwards Sensitivity To Pacific Steel Neighbors

By Pear Michaels
Thursday November 13, 2008

Wife’s Response to Recent Assault

By Myra Paci
Thursday November 13, 2008

Contradictions Within the United Farm Workers Union

By Marc Sapir
Thursday November 13, 2008

The Importance of Protecting Civil Rights in Berkeley

By Earl V. Levels, Sr.
Thursday November 13, 2008

Poem

By Zac Morrison
Thursday November 13, 2008

Columnists

Undercurrents: The Only Regret in the Obama Victory—I Wish My Parents Were Here

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Thursday November 13, 2008

The Public Eye: Beware of City of Berkeley Staff Bearing Chain Saws

By Zelda Bronstein
Thursday November 13, 2008

The Public Eye: The Obama Moment

By Bob Burnett
Thursday November 13, 2008

Eileen, a former Berkeley citizen who “moved to Marin for love—nothing else could have dragged me out of my town,” spreads mulch around the mugwort and cow parsnip she’s just planted at Volunteer Canyon, Audubon Canyon Ranch.

Volunteer Canyon Still Lives Up To its Name

By Ron Sullivan
Thursday November 13, 2008

Wild Neighbors: The Raccoon Brain Revisited

By Joe Eaton
Thursday November 13, 2008

Arts & Entertainment

Arts Calendar

Thursday November 13, 2008

Cabaret Opera Stages an ‘Opera Apocalypse’

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday November 13, 2008

Philharmonia Baroque At First Congregational

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday November 13, 2008

Oakland Symphony Premieres Unusual Work

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday November 13, 2008

Virago’s Theatre’s ‘Dream of a Common Language’

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday November 13, 2008

Carl Dreyer’s Passion of Joan Arc uses dramatic close-ups and sparse backgrounds to dramatize the confrontations of her trial, juxtaposing her youth and sincerity against the corruption and hostility of her persecutors.

Moving Pictures: Chorus Performs Dramatic Oratorio for Classic Film

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday November 13, 2008

Annual Italian Film Fest Returns to San Francisco

By Michael Howerton
Thursday November 13, 2008

Home & Garden

The Smyth House

East Bay: Then and Now—The Inventor, His House and the Neglected Bequest

By Daniella Thompson
Thursday November 13, 2008

About the House: How Good a Deal is a Fixer?

By Matt Cantor
Thursday November 13, 2008

Events Calendar

Community Calendar

Thursday November 13, 2008