Parkway Theater supporters line up for a farewell gathering Sunday.
Richard Brenneman
Parkway Theater supporters line up for a farewell gathering Sunday.

Extra

Safeway to Unveil Latest Design for College Avenue Store

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday March 31, 2009 - 10:18:00 PM

Safeway will unveil the latest design for its College Avenue store April 29 at the Claremont Hotel in Oakland, even as neighbors complain that they are being left out in the cold. -more-


Another Month of Media Job Losses

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday March 31, 2009 - 05:33:00 PM

In 2008, reports Paper Cuts, a weblog that tracks U.S. newspaper closings and staff reductions cost, the country’s papers lost at least 15,859 jobs. -more-


Last Three Home Invasion Suspects in Custody

Bay City News
Tuesday March 31, 2009 - 05:32:00 PM

The last three suspects in a home-invasion robbery and torture case in the Berkeley hills last month have turned themselves in, Berkeley police spokesman Andrew Frankel said today. -more-


Berkeley Students Honor Cesar Chavez

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday March 27, 2009 - 02:43:00 PM
Malcolm X first graders dig for bugs during gardening class Monday.

“Determination” was the word-of-the-day at Malcolm X Elementary School Monday, the eve of Cesar Chavez’s 82nd birthday. -more-


Berkeley’s Adult Education Program Faces Severe Budget Cuts

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Saturday March 28, 2009 - 04:17:00 PM

State budget cuts will force Berkeley Unified School District to cut more than $1 million from its adult education program. -more-


Thursday Night Power Outage Darkens Downtown Berkeley

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 27, 2009 - 02:35:00 PM

A two-hour power outage dimmed the lights for 7,393 Berkeley residents and businesses Thursday night, starting at 10 p.m. and ending just before midnight. -more-


Spate of Accidents Prompts School District to Launch Traffic Safety Campaign

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday March 27, 2009 - 11:18:00 AM

Citing a sudden rise in accidents involving Berkeley Unified School District students, Superintendent Bill Huyett announced at the Berkeley Board of Education meeting Wednesday that the district would work with traffic safety groups to educate children about bicycle and pedestrian safety issues. -more-


Berkeley Man Raised to County Judgeship

Bay City News
Friday March 27, 2009 - 02:23:00 PM

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced the appointment of Paul D. Seeman of Berkeley to a judgeship on the Alameda County Superior Court bench. -more-


Final Downtown Plan Draft, Ferry Hearing Face Planners

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 27, 2009 - 02:24:00 PM

Planning commissioners are scheduled to complete their final revisions to the Downtown Area Plan during their meeting Wednesday night, April 1. -more-


West Berkeley Skyline Could Sprout If Planning Staff Proposal is Approved

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 27, 2009 - 07:11:00 PM

City planning staff have dropped a bombshell on anxious West Berkeley activists: a proposal that would double the height of new buildings and potentially open the area to office complexes. -more-


Golden Gate Fields Owner Nixes Annual Report

By Richard Brenneman
Friday March 27, 2009 - 11:15:00 AM

Magna means “big” in Latin, but the adjective doesn’t apply to the value of Magna Entertainment Corporation—which has dropped to pennies a share—nor to its annual financial report. -more-



Page One

Grading Controversy Roils Berkeley High School

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:50:00 PM

A letter to the editor in last month’s Jacket, Berkeley High’s bi-monthly student newspaper, questioning grading practices at the high school, has created much controversy and prompted Berkeley Unified School District officials to look into adopting a consensus for grading procedures. -more-



Council Raises Parking Fees, Puts Developer Fees on Hold

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 07:03:00 PM

With almost a complete lack of controversy or public dissent, the Berkeley City Council unanimously approved a staff recommendation Tuesday night that will raise most parking citation fines $5 across the board, but significantly higher on University of California football game days. -more-



Reimbursement From Office Depot? Get in Line

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 07:04:00 PM

Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz said Tuesday night that his office has asked for the return of more than a quarter of a million dollars Berkeley claims it is owed by office supply giant Office Depot. But to get the money, Kamlarz and the city are going to have to stand in a long line of government officials from around the country. -more-



Final Curtain for the Parkway Theater

By Justin DeFreitas
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:57:00 PM

The Parkway Theater is dark once again. Oakland’s beloved neighborhood movie theater shut its doors Sunday, March 22, possibly for good. -more-



Judge Halts Construction at National Laboratory Site

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 07:07:00 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-



Features

Planners Refine Area for Tallest Downtown Buildings

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:48:00 PM

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


BP Chief Scientist Named Undersecretary of Energy

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:49:00 PM

Berkeley’s Washington ties grew stronger with the March 20 announcement in Washington by President Barack Obama that Energy Secretary Steven Chu has picked Steve Koonin as undersecretary for science. -more-


District 5 City Council Race: Hahn Led Capitelli in Fundraising; Incumbent Led in Developer Dollars

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:49:00 PM

Challenger Sophie Hahn outspent Laurie Capitelli in the battle for the Berkeley City Council’s District 5 seat, shelling out $57,896.17 to the incumbent’s $43,023.05. -more-


Oxford Plaza Opens, Brower Center Near Completion

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:32:00 PM
The Brower Center, right, will house nonprofits, while Oxford Plaza, left, will provide affordable housing.

Workers are busy putting the finishing touches on downtown Berkeley’s two newest buildings, the David Brower Center and Oxford Plaza. -more-


Chamber of Commerce Dismisses CEO

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:46:00 PM

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


Zoning Board to Thai Temple: Keep the Noise Down

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:48:00 PM

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


Vandals Strike Berkeley Marine Recruiting Center

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:31:00 PM

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


Armed Robbers Accost Oakland Tech Students On Campus

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:30:00 PM

Oakland Police have arrested two young men who robbed four students at gunpoint at Oakland Technological High School Tuesday morning, March 24. -more-


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

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:30:00 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, March 24. -more-


NASDAQ Issues Formal Order Delisting Magna

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 07:10:00 PM

The NASDAQ stock exchange formally announced Wednesday, March 25, that it was delisting the stock of Magna Entertainment Corp. -more-


Fire Department Log

By Richard Brenneman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:29:00 PM

Jack’s cocktail -more-


A Tribute to Dorothy-Ann ‘Deede’ Sloan

By L A Wood
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:29:00 PM
Deede Sloan

Dorothy-Ann Sloan, a resident of Berkeley for more than six decades, passed away March 5. She was born in 1925 in the small town of Yale, Oklahoma, and raised there through the economic depression of the 1930s. At the height of World War II, she moved with her parents and brother to the West Coast and eventually Berkeley. Soon after, Dorothy-Ann enrolled at the University of California and went on to receive both an associate arts degree in 1945, and a bachelor of arts degree in 1953. She was also recognized as an honor student. -more-


Lise Blumenfeld, 1931-2009

By Neal Blumenfeld
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:28:00 PM

A Southern lady arrived in Berkeley via Memphis in 1961, with three children, and her first husband, Dr. Marvin Wolff. She still wore hats, donned gloves, and left calling cards when making social visits. She spent several months complaining about Berkeley before she realized that coming here was her own freedom ride. -more-


Fifth Suspect Surrenders in Home Invasion Robbery, Torture Case

Bay City News
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:28:00 PM

A fifth suspect in a Berkeley hills home-invasion robbery and torture case from February turned himself in to Richmond police, Berkeley police spokesman Andrew Frankel confirmed Tuesday, March 24. -more-


Election Section

Berkeley Historical Society Spring Walking Tours

By Steven Finacom Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:27:00 PM

Eras nearly forgotten, episodes well remembered, the highlights of neighborhoods throughout town, and the coming “green” future are all part of the panoply of history presented by the spring 2009 Berkeley Historical Society walking tour series. -more-


A Few More Local Garden Events

By Steven Finacom Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:25:00 PM

After my March 12 Daily Planet article on spring garden shows, tours, and sales in the Bay Area, readers have suggested a mention of some additional events taking place from this weekend through May. -more-


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:14:00 PM

MARCH 19 EDITORIAL -more-


Three Gentlemen from Parma Visit ‘Green’ Berkeley

By Beebo Turman
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:15:00 PM

A few days ago I had the pleasure of taking three Italian men from Parma to view some community gardens and a school garden. They were in Berkeley to see what the Bay Area does with its trash, as they are opposing their city council’s desires to build a large incinerator. As fathers of small children, they are concerned about their health, as well as the health of the planet. They were impressed to see our recycling efforts, and learned that our garden trimmings and food scraps are recycled into rich compost, which is then dug into gardens all across town. Although the United States has only 23 incinerators left still working (and none has been built in the past 15 years), Italy has 50 incinerators, and 50 more proposed! Italians have just begun to organize to fight the incinerator owners and the Mafia, who run all the trash collections in Sicily and much of the rest of Italy. -more-


Churches and Proposition 8

By Robert Brokl
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:16:00 PM

As an Oakland-based preservationist, I’ve always been amazed by the political savvy of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA), of which I’m a member. The organization even defeated the gutting of Berkeley’s landmark ordinance in the recent election. -more-


Responding to Sexual Violence

By Betty Green
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:16:00 PM

I have been thinking for days about a response to the editorial cartoon featured in the March 5-11 issue of the Berkeley Daily Planet about the Skirt Rally that took place on UC Berkeley’s campus. -more-


Does Barbara Lee Still Speak for You and Me?

By Henry Norr
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:22:00 PM

When four Oakland police officers were killed last weekend, Rep. Barbara Lee wasted no time before speaking out. The very next day—on a Sunday, no less—she issued not one but two press releases expressing condolences to the victims’ families and support for their colleagues. The following day she took to the floor of the House and for more than six minutes paid tribute to these “fallen heroes,” as she put it. The press statements promptly appeared on her official website, and a video clip of her remarks to the House was posted to her YouTube channel. -more-


Can Buses Save the Berkeley Ferry?

By Paul Kamen
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:24:00 PM

By Paul Kamen -more-


Editorial

Is Berkeley Squeezing Newspapers to Subsidize Developers?

By Becky O'Malley
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:15:00 PM

It wasn’t despair, exactly, but it was with a feeling akin to despair that I watched the clueless City Council majority on Tuesday night enthusiastically endorse a program to make loans to wannabe developers who couldn’t even come up with the standard city permit fees to get their projects started. -more-


Columns

Dispatches From the Edge: Europe’s Crisis: The Kraken Wakes

By Conn Hallinan
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:17:00 PM

Below the thunder of the upper deep; -more-


UnderCurrents: Trying to Make Sense of the MacArthur Shootings

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:16:00 PM

I am not one who believes in the phenomenon of “senseless” killings. All killings make “sense,” if, by that term, we are separating it from having “justification.” A killing makes “sense” when we understand the reasons for it, however rational or irrational those reasons might be. What we usually call “senseless” is merely something we do not have enough information about to make “sense” of. -more-


Green Neighbors: Simple Is Not Always Ideal in the Real World

By Ron Sullivan
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:18:00 PM

When I was about 10 years old, something odd began happening in my neighborhood. The houses around the corner on Brisban Street started getting seriously flooded backyards, then basements, when we had serious rains. This was unprecedented enough that many of our neighbors had finished their basements into rec rooms, guest rooms, serious workshops. -more-


About the House: Can You Light Your Water Heater?

By Matt Cantor
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:19:00 PM

In some sort of way, the society is divided up into two groups. Those that can fix things and those that have to negotiate with the first group to get the fixing done. If you’re tired of wheedling with false compliments, baking cookies and standing there while forcing an adoring expression as Harold lights the water heater after the gas has gone out, I’m here to help (and I can’t see you, so you can stick your tongue out and make a face and finish by burning this paper). -more-


Arts & Events

Two Staged Play Readings Ready to Draw Back the Curtain in Berkeley

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:22:00 PM

Two local organizations, Oakland PEN (Poets, Essayists, Novelists), a branch of PEN USA and internationally, and Berkeley’s Subterranean Shakespeare, will be presenting staged play readings in the coming week. -more-


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:32:00 PM

‘Twobird’ a Leisurely, Mesmerizing One-Man Show

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:20:00 PM

Wild Boys of the Road (1933) is a drama of juvenile hoboes wandering the country.

Pacific Film Archive Shines Light on Depression-Era Cinema

By Steven Finacom Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:20:00 PM

Gamelan Sekar Jaya Marks 30 Years with Benefit Show

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:21:00 PM

Events Listings

Community Calendar

Wednesday March 25, 2009 - 06:31:00 PM

Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

Is Berkeley Squeezing Newspapers to Subsidize Developers? 03-25-2009

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor 03-25-2009

Three Gentlemen from Parma Visit ‘Green’ Berkeley By Beebo Turman 03-25-2009

Churches and Proposition 8 By Robert Brokl 03-25-2009

Responding to Sexual Violence By Betty Green 03-25-2009

Does Barbara Lee Still Speak for You and Me? By Henry Norr 03-25-2009

Can Buses Save the Berkeley Ferry? By Paul Kamen 03-25-2009

News

Safeway to Unveil Latest Design for College Avenue Store By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-31-2009

Another Month of Media Job Losses By Richard Brenneman 03-31-2009

Last Three Home Invasion Suspects in Custody Bay City News 03-31-2009

Berkeley Students Honor Cesar Chavez By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-27-2009

Berkeley’s Adult Education Program Faces Severe Budget Cuts By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-28-2009

Thursday Night Power Outage Darkens Downtown Berkeley By Richard Brenneman 03-27-2009

Spate of Accidents Prompts School District to Launch Traffic Safety Campaign By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-27-2009

Berkeley Man Raised to County Judgeship Bay City News 03-27-2009

Final Downtown Plan Draft, Ferry Hearing Face Planners By Richard Brenneman 03-27-2009

West Berkeley Skyline Could Sprout If Planning Staff Proposal is Approved By Richard Brenneman 03-27-2009

Golden Gate Fields Owner Nixes Annual Report By Richard Brenneman 03-27-2009

Grading Controversy Roils Berkeley High School By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-25-2009

Council Raises Parking Fees, Puts Developer Fees on Hold By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-25-2009

Reimbursement From Office Depot? Get in Line By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-25-2009

Final Curtain for the Parkway Theater By Justin DeFreitas 03-25-2009

Judge Halts Construction at National Laboratory Site By Richard Brenneman 03-25-2009

Planners Refine Area for Tallest Downtown Buildings By Richard Brenneman 03-25-2009

BP Chief Scientist Named Undersecretary of Energy By Richard Brenneman 03-25-2009

District 5 City Council Race: Hahn Led Capitelli in Fundraising; Incumbent Led in Developer Dollars By Richard Brenneman 03-25-2009

Oxford Plaza Opens, Brower Center Near Completion By Richard Brenneman 03-25-2009

Chamber of Commerce Dismisses CEO By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-25-2009

Zoning Board to Thai Temple: Keep the Noise Down By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-25-2009

Vandals Strike Berkeley Marine Recruiting Center By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-25-2009

Armed Robbers Accost Oakland Tech Students On Campus By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-25-2009

Judge Hikes UC Murder Suspect’s Bail to $2.5 Million By Riya Bhattacharjee 03-25-2009

NASDAQ Issues Formal Order Delisting Magna By Richard Brenneman 03-25-2009

Fire Department Log By Richard Brenneman 03-25-2009

A Tribute to Dorothy-Ann ‘Deede’ Sloan By L A Wood 03-25-2009

Lise Blumenfeld, 1931-2009 By Neal Blumenfeld 03-25-2009

Fifth Suspect Surrenders in Home Invasion Robbery, Torture Case Bay City News 03-25-2009

Berkeley Historical Society Spring Walking Tours By Steven Finacom Special to the Planet 03-25-2009

A Few More Local Garden Events By Steven Finacom Special to the Planet 03-25-2009

Columns

Dispatches From the Edge: Europe’s Crisis: The Kraken Wakes By Conn Hallinan 03-25-2009

UnderCurrents: Trying to Make Sense of the MacArthur Shootings By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor 03-25-2009

Green Neighbors: Simple Is Not Always Ideal in the Real World By Ron Sullivan 03-25-2009

About the House: Can You Light Your Water Heater? By Matt Cantor 03-25-2009

Arts & Events

Arts Calendar 03-25-2009

‘Twobird’ a Leisurely, Mesmerizing One-Man Show By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet 03-25-2009

Pacific Film Archive Shines Light on Depression-Era Cinema By Steven Finacom Special to the Planet 03-25-2009

Gamelan Sekar Jaya Marks 30 Years with Benefit Show By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet 03-25-2009

Two Staged Play Readings Ready to Draw Back the Curtain in Berkeley By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet 03-25-2009

About the House: Can You Light Your Water Heater? By Matt Cantor 03-25-2009

Community Calendar 03-25-2009