Flowers surround a photo of Zachary Michael Cruz in front of the UC Berkeley Campanile, one of the 5-year-old's favorite places.
Riya Bhattacharjee
Flowers surround a photo of Zachary Michael Cruz in front of the UC Berkeley Campanile, one of the 5-year-old's favorite places.

Extra

Armed Robbers Accost Oakland Tech Students On Campus

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday March 24, 2009 - 10:57:00 PM

Oakland Police have arrested two young men who robbed four students at gunpoint at Oakland Technological High School Tuesday morning. -more-


BP Chief Scientist Named Undersecretary of Energy

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday March 24, 2009 - 05:05:00 PM

Berkeley’s Washington ties grew stronger Friday with the announcement in Washington by President Barack Obama that Energy Secretary Steven Chu has picked Steve Koonin as undersecretary for science. -more-


Judge Raises UC Murder Suspect’s Bail to $2.5 Million

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday March 24, 2009 - 05:14:00 PM

An Alameda County Superior Court judge raised the bail for Andrew Hoeft-Edenfield, charged with murdering UC Berkeley nuclear engineering student Chris Wootton last May, to $2.5 million at a bail motion hearing at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse Tuesday. -more-


Fifth Home Invasion Suspect Surrenders

Bay City News
Tuesday March 24, 2009 - 05:04:00 PM

A fifth suspect in a Berkeley hills home-invasion robbery and torture case from February turned himself in to Richmond police last week, Berkeley police spokesman Andrew Frankel confirmed today. -more-


Zoning Board to Thai Temple: Keep the Noise Down

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday March 23, 2009 - 02:57:00 PM

The Zoning Adjustments Board is asking Berkeley’s Thai temple to keep the noise down. -more-


West Berkeley Zoning Back Before Planners

By Richard Brenneman
Monday March 23, 2009 - 11:44:00 AM

The push to change West Berkeley zoning rules is back before the Planning Commission Wednesday night. -more-


Vigil for Slain Officers Set for Tuesday

Bay City News
Sunday March 22, 2009 - 02:33:00 PM

The Oakland City Council and Mayor Ron Dellums will hold a vigil Tuesday night in honor of the Oakland police officers shot to death Saturday afternoon by a suspect who was also fatally wounded. -more-


Fourth Oakland Police Officer Dies

Bay City News
Sunday March 22, 2009 - 09:12:00 AM

Oakland Police Department Officer John Hege, 41, who was shot Saturday along with three police sergeants has died, the Alameda County coroner's bureau confirmed this afternoon. -more-


Three Oakland Police Officers Dead, Fourth in 'Grave Condition'

Bay City News
Saturday March 21, 2009 - 10:20:00 PM

Three Oakland police officers are dead and a fourth is in "grave condition" after being shot Saturday afternoon by a wanted Oakland parolee in two separate but related shootings. -more-


Final Curtain for Oakland's Parkway Theater

By Justin DeFreitas
Saturday March 21, 2009 - 12:24:00 PM

The Parkway Theater is going dark once again. Oakland’s beloved neighborhood movie theater will shut its doors Sunday night, possibly for good. -more-


Judge Halts Construction, Site Work at LBNL Lab Site

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 20, 2009 - 01:13:00 PM

A federal judge has ordered a halt to work on a $113 million computer lab at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), saying UC officials may have tried to evade federal environmental law. -more-


Berkeley Chamber of Commerce Dismisses CEO

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday March 20, 2009 - 05:10:00 PM

The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce has removed CEO Ted Garrett from office and is seeking a new candidate for the position, chamber officials said Friday. -more-


Planners Refine Area for Tallest Downtown Buildings

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 20, 2009 - 05:11:00 PM

The Planning Commission rejected a suggestion from one of their own that would have scaled down Shattuck Avenue development along the thoroughfare’s southern stretch in the new downtown planning area. -more-


Vandals Strike Berkeley Marine Recruiting Center

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday March 19, 2009 - 05:21:00 PM

The United States Marine Corps Officer Selection Office in downtown Berkeley came under attack once again Wednesday night when a group of vandals broke the building’s windows with sledgehammers and splashed them with red paint. -more-



Page One

School District Faces $3 Million Shortfall

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:03:00 PM

The Berkeley Board of Educa-tion unanimously approved revisions to the school district’s 2008-09 budget Wednesday, March 18, to offset this year’s $3.1 million shortfall. -more-



City Says Office Depot Overcharged on Supply Contract

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:05:00 PM

The director of finance of the City of Berkeley says the Office Depot company has overcharged the city by as much as a quarter of a million dollars during the course of a three-year, $550,000-a-year contract to provide miscellaneous office supplies and recycled copy paper to the city. -more-



Court Upholds Decision in Favor of BUSD Student Assignment Plan

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:05:00 PM

Berkeley Unified School District earned another legal victory Tuesday, March 17, for its student placement plan. -more-



Community Remembers Zachary Michael Cruz

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:05:00 PM

Just as his father promised, Zachary Michael Cruz’s memorial was more a party than a funeral. -more-



Dinner, Drinks at Shattuck Cinemas

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:08:00 PM
Shattuck Cinemas manager Nancy Klubben opens the doors in time for Tuesday’s matinee.

Coming soon to a theater near you: Kobe beef sliders, salads and chicken wings, and if you’re 21 or older, cocktails—all of which can be enjoyed while watching your favorite movie from a comfy red loveseat or a leather rocker. -more-



Features

Former Tree-Sitter Critically Hurt During West Bank Protest

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:08:00 PM

A one-time Memorial Stadium tree-sitter remained in critical condition in an Israeli hospital, Wednesday, March 18, injured in a clash between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters in the West Bank. -more-


Golden Gate Fields Auction April 3

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:09:00 PM

Albany’s Golden Gate Fields goes on the auction block April 3 as part of a court-mandated sale of properties owned by ailing Magna Entertainment. -more-


Survey: Drug and Alcohol Use Among Berkeley Teens Is Double National Average

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:09:00 PM

Drug and alcohol use among Berkeley public school students is twice the national average, according to a survey cited by Berkeley Unified School District officials at a recent Berkeley Board of Education meeting. -more-


Berkeley Teachers Protest Layoffs; District Rescinds 49 Pink Slips

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:10:00 PM

Pink balloons, pink bow-ties, pink arm bands and even pink toilet seats marked a rally organized by the Berkeley Federation of Teachers Friday, March 13. -more-


AC Transit Raises Fares; More Belt-Tightening to Come

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:10:00 PM

AC Transit District, battered by the economic downturn, raised its regular bus fares by 25 cents and youth, senior and disabled fares by 15 cents last Wednesday night. The new fares go into effect July 1, when regular fares will rise from $1.75 to $2, and youth, senior and disabled fares from 85 cent to $1. -more-


Police Chief to Retire

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:11:00 PM

Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz announced Tuesday, March 17, that Berkeley Police Department Chief Douglas Hambleton will retire from his position this summer. -more-


Berkeley Liberation Radio Faces Another FCC Action

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:11:00 PM

Berkeley Liberation Radio’s never-ending war with the Federal Communications Commission is heating up again. -more-


Chronicle Union Accepts Longer Hours, Layoffs

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:12:00 PM

San Francisco Chronicle workers voted Friday to cut their benefits and extend their working hours so that fewer of their colleagues would lose their jobs. -more-


Downtown Plan Deliberations Near Completion, Still Heated

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 07:12:00 PM

Berkeley planning commissioners are nearing the end of their rewrite of the Downtown Area Plan (DAP), meeting even as this paper goes to press. -more-


Bay Trail Backers Sue State, Chevron Over Richmond Wharf

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:25:00 PM

Bay Trail advocates have sued the State Lands Commission (SLC) and Chevron U.S.A., challenging the agency’s decision to renew the lease for Richmond’s Long Wharf Terminal. -more-


Family Saved From Monoxide Poisoning

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:22:00 PM

Firefighters saved seven members of a West Berkeley family from a Friday the 13th early morning encounter with a silent, deadly killer—carbon monoxide. -more-


BART Incident Draws Heavy Police Response

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:22:00 PM
A Berkeley police officer stands with weapon drawn at the Downtown Berkeley BART station entrance on the west side of Shattuck Avenue.

Berkeley police officers responded with guns drawn to a late-night incident at the downtown Berkeley BART station Wednesday, March 11, cordoning off sections of the station for approximately 30 minutes. -more-


Three Home Invasion Suspects Arrested, Five Remain at Large

Bay City News
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:18:00 PM

Berkeley police have arrested three suspects in connection with a brutal home invasion robbery two weeks ago but five suspects remain at large. -more-


Election Section

Police Blotter

By Ali Winston
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:23:00 PM

Second home invasion -more-


Fire Department Log

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:24:00 PM

Rug burn -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:03:00 PM

THE BERKELEY BRAWL -more-


How Easy it Is to Get Scared

By Rinna B. Flohr
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:03:00 PM

Thank you Mary Lou Van Deventer for the time you took to research and write your March 12 commentary. I too am an advertiser with the Daily Planet and received the letter from Jim Sinkinson asking me to drop my ads with the Planet, and if I didn’t that I and my business would be seen as a supporter of what Sinkinson claims are anti-Semitic views published in the paper. Of course, the reason I take out ads is to establish good rapport with the community and to encourage people to come to Expressions Gallery and support its artists and events. I do not want to be in a paper that is viewed as one-sided or biased or losing supporters. I don’t want to be involved in someone else’s problems. There was a form attached to withdraw from advertising for me to fill out. I paused … should I fill this out and send it in? -more-


The Looking Glass World of F.L.A.M.E.

By Joanna Graham
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:04:00 PM

Jim Sinkinson, who sent out the misleading packet to Daily Planet advertisers accusing the paper of anti-Semitism and suggesting that they close their accounts, is, among other things, the director of F.L.A.M.E. (“Facts and Logic about the Middle East”), an organization with an address in San Francisco. Perhaps you’ve seen F.L.A.M.E.’s monthly letters in The Nation or in other publications, but whether you have or haven’t, you should check out their website to get a take on where they’re coming from. These folks, however many of them there are (two? three?), are extreme right-wing Zionist ideologues, the pro-Israel version of all those many online crazies who can fill your surfing hours with horror and amusement. -more-


Real vs. Imagined Anti-Semitism

By Jack Bragen
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:04:00 PM

In high school, there was a kid who would call me “Jack the Jew.” I asked the fellow student how he knew I was Jewish, and he told me he could tell by my looks. -more-


If You’re Going to Boycott Israel, Do it Properly!

By Raphael Rettner
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:05:00 PM

So there have been people outside Berkeley Bowl urging people to boycott Israeli products. OK. I understand that you are ticked off at Israel and in love with the Palestinians. That’s fine with me, as long as you have truly weighed all the facts. -more-


The United States and Cuba After Fidel

By Ralph E. Stone
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:05:00 PM

Recently Raúl Casto reshuffled Cuba’s government, replacing or moving 12 cabinet members a year after assuming the presidency from his brother Fidel. Supposedly, Fidel approved the reshuffle. It would seem that Raúl is now the undisputed Cuban leader, although the shadow of Fidel will linger over Cuba long after his demise. Who will succeed the 77-year old Raúl? And will the U.S. keep its hands off? -more-


Will We Miss the San Francisco Chronicle?

By Gray Brechin
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:05:00 PM

We seldom think of oxygen unless it’s absent. You’d think about it a lot if it suddenly exited this room; you’d start gasping and writhing, your eardrums would burst, you and your neighbors would do a lot of bleeding on each other, then you’d die. But if we gradually replaced oxygen with nitrous oxide mixed with just a soupcan of cyanide gas, you might not notice that anything was missing at all; you might feel very content as your brain and body gradually turned off and you lapsed into a sleep without end. -more-


Postmaster General Earns His Compensation

By Kim R. Fernandez
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:06:00 PM

The Feb. 25 commentary by Allen Sanford, “Mr. Potter and the Postal Service,” lacks any logical cohesion. He faults the very company he dedicated so many years working for by purporting it has a “monopoly” that through his faithful work he helped support. -more-


Editorial

An Open Letter to Our Advertisers and Readers

Thursday March 19, 2009 - 06:06:00 PM

In light of recent threats by a Mr. Jim Sinkinson to Daily Planet advertisers, we feel we should clarify the policies of the paper, its overall mission, and the nature of this campaign of intimidation. -more-


Columns

Public Eye: California’s Worsening Budget Crisis: The Second Shoe Drops

By Bob Burnett
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:17:00 PM

It’s understandable that Californians breathed a sigh of relief on Feb. 19, when the state Legislature ended months of political gridlock and agreed upon a $144.5 million budget. Given America’s hard times, it’s likely that many Golden State residents turned their attention to pressing financial concerns such as holding onto their job or paying their mortgage. Nonetheless, Californians’ behavior is problematic because the issues that precipitated the fiscal battle have not been resolved and another serious problem has emerged: the possibility of an immutable spending cap. -more-


Express Stumbles When They Borrow From Chronicle

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:16:00 PM

For some time now, I’ve been commenting on the methods used by my good friend, Chris Thompson, in writing items for the Seven Days column and the 92510 blog of the East Bay Express. In case you missed it, I pointed out how Mr. Thompson didn’t actually attend the events or meetings he wrote about in these blogs and columns, but would simply take accounts of these events from other stories posted online, and then write them up as items adding his own interpretive spin. It’s a spectacularly bad form of “journalism,” if it even qualifies to be considered as journalism, even more so when Mr. Thompson made outright errors in fact, as he once in a while did. -more-


Wild Neighbors: Restoration at the Berkeley Meadow: Working Around the Hawks

By Joe Eaton
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:15:00 PM
This harrier's owl-like facial disc allows her to detect prey by sound.

Corinne Greenberg has kept an eye on the Berkeley Meadow—the unit of the Eastshore State Park just east of the Marina and north of University Avenue—for a while now, paying particular attention to the northern harriers that have nested in the meadow’s northwest corner since at least 1994. No one knows for sure whether it’s been the same pair of hawks all along, or whether the territory has changed hands. -more-


The Dying Daily

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday March 19, 2009 - 03:00:00 PM

The School Cycle

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday March 19, 2009 - 02:59:00 PM

Arts & Events

A ‘Passionate Celebration’ at Oakland’s Paramount Theater

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:12:00 PM

Oakland East Bay Symphony, conducted by musical director Michael Morgan, will perform a Passionate Celebration in concert Friday night, March 20, at Oakland’s Paramount Theater, featuring Act 1 of Verdi’s opera, Otello, with tenor Richard Crawley and soprano Talise Trevigne as The Moor and Desdemona, and the Oakland Symphony Chorus, directed by Lynne Morrow. -more-


‘Wind and Waves’ by Philharmonia Baroque

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:12:00 PM

The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, led by violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, will present Winds and Waves, featuring the “lavish wind scorings of Baroque masters” (including Bach, Telemann, Vivaldi and Rameau) that “evoke the complexities and contradictions of the natural world,” this weekend at the First Congregational Church in Berkeley. -more-


Home & Garden

East Bay Then and Now: French Couple Left Two Monuments on Dwight Way

By Daniella Thompson
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:14:00 PM
The Town and Gown Club was designed by Bernard Maybeck in 1899.

It’s hard to believe now, but there used to be a time when Berkeley’s Southside was a fashionable place to live, dotted with the residences of professors and society people. -more-


About the House: Taking a Look at California’s New Building Codes

By Matt Cantor
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:12:00 PM

I’m not a fan of the building codes but I have to admit that they do a lot for us. That may come as a surprise to those of you who know me as a building inspector. “Aren’t the codes what that’s all about?” you may ask. Well, not really. Not for me. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:10:00 PM

Wolff Stories on Stage at Julia Morgan

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:08:00 PM

Young Composers Program at Crowden

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:09:00 PM

Rene Magritte's ≤i≥Duo≤/i≥ (1928), brush and India ink on paper.

Berkeley Art Museum’s Thought-Provoking ‘Galaxy’

By Peter Selz Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:09:00 PM

The Chinese papercut is a highly perishable form of folk art.

Balinese Paintings and Chinese Papercuts at the Giorgi Gallery

By Dorothy Bryant Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:11:00 PM

Events Listings

Community Calendar

Friday March 20, 2009 - 11:57:00 AM

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

An Open Letter to Our Advertisers and Readers 03-19-2009

Cartoons

The Dying Daily By Justin DeFreitas 03-19-2009

The School Cycle By Justin DeFreitas 03-19-2009

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 03-18-2009

How Easy it Is to Get Scared By Rinna B. Flohr 03-18-2009

The Looking Glass World of F.L.A.M.E. By Joanna Graham 03-18-2009

Real vs. Imagined Anti-Semitism By Jack Bragen 03-18-2009

If You’re Going to Boycott Israel, Do it Properly! By Raphael Rettner 03-18-2009

The United States and Cuba After Fidel By Ralph E. Stone 03-18-2009

Will We Miss the San Francisco Chronicle? By Gray Brechin 03-18-2009

Postmaster General Earns His Compensation By Kim R. Fernandez 03-18-2009

News

Armed Robbers Accost Oakland Tech Students On Campus By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-24-2009

BP Chief Scientist Named Undersecretary of Energy By Richard Brenneman 03-24-2009

Judge Raises UC Murder Suspect’s Bail to $2.5 Million By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-24-2009

Fifth Home Invasion Suspect Surrenders Bay City News 03-24-2009

Zoning Board to Thai Temple: Keep the Noise Down By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-23-2009

West Berkeley Zoning Back Before Planners By Richard Brenneman 03-23-2009

Vigil for Slain Officers Set for Tuesday Bay City News 03-22-2009

Fourth Oakland Police Officer Dies Bay City News 03-22-2009

Three Oakland Police Officers Dead, Fourth in 'Grave Condition' Bay City News 03-21-2009

Final Curtain for Oakland's Parkway Theater By Justin DeFreitas 03-21-2009

Judge Halts Construction, Site Work at LBNL Lab Site By Richard Brenneman 03-20-2009

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce Dismisses CEO By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-20-2009

Planners Refine Area for Tallest Downtown Buildings By Richard Brenneman 03-20-2009

Vandals Strike Berkeley Marine Recruiting Center By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-19-2009

School District Faces $3 Million Shortfall By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

City Says Office Depot Overcharged on Supply Contract By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-18-2009

Court Upholds Decision in Favor of BUSD Student Assignment Plan By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

Community Remembers Zachary Michael Cruz By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

Dinner, Drinks at Shattuck Cinemas By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

Former Tree-Sitter Critically Hurt During West Bank Protest By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

Golden Gate Fields Auction April 3 By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

Survey: Drug and Alcohol Use Among Berkeley Teens Is Double National Average By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

Berkeley Teachers Protest Layoffs; District Rescinds 49 Pink Slips By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

AC Transit Raises Fares; More Belt-Tightening to Come By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-18-2009

Police Chief to Retire By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

Berkeley Liberation Radio Faces Another FCC Action By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

Chronicle Union Accepts Longer Hours, Layoffs By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

Downtown Plan Deliberations Near Completion, Still Heated By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

Bay Trail Backers Sue State, Chevron Over Richmond Wharf By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

Family Saved From Monoxide Poisoning By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

BART Incident Draws Heavy Police Response By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-18-2009

Three Home Invasion Suspects Arrested, Five Remain at Large Bay City News 03-18-2009

Police Blotter By Ali Winston 03-18-2009

Fire Department Log By Richard Brenneman 03-18-2009

Columns

Public Eye: California’s Worsening Budget Crisis: The Second Shoe Drops By Bob Burnett 03-18-2009

Express Stumbles When They Borrow From Chronicle By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-18-2009

Wild Neighbors: Restoration at the Berkeley Meadow: Working Around the Hawks By Joe Eaton 03-18-2009

East Bay Then and Now: French Couple Left Two Monuments on Dwight Way By Daniella Thompson 03-18-2009

About the House: Taking a Look at California’s New Building Codes By Matt Cantor 03-18-2009

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 03-18-2009

Wolff Stories on Stage at Julia Morgan By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet 03-18-2009

Young Composers Program at Crowden By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet 03-18-2009

Berkeley Art Museum’s Thought-Provoking ‘Galaxy’ By Peter Selz Special to the Planet 03-18-2009

Balinese Paintings and Chinese Papercuts at the Giorgi Gallery By Dorothy Bryant Special to the Planet 03-18-2009

A ‘Passionate Celebration’ at Oakland’s Paramount Theater By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet 03-18-2009

‘Wind and Waves’ by Philharmonia Baroque By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet 03-18-2009

East Bay Then and Now: French Couple Left Two Monuments on Dwight Way By Daniella Thompson 03-18-2009

About the House: Taking a Look at California’s New Building Codes By Matt Cantor 03-18-2009

Community Calendar 03-20-2009