The Week

Michael O'Malley
 

News

East Bay Activists in Flotilla Clash Coming Home to Bay Area

By Dan McMenamin, BCN
Friday June 04, 2010 - 01:28:00 PM

Two Oakland residents who were part of a flotilla that was raided by Israeli troops as it approached Gaza with a shipment of aid Monday are expected to arrive back in the Bay Area tonight. -more-


New: Injunction Issued Against Gang on Oakland-Berkeley Border

By Jeff Shuttleworth, BCN
Thursday June 03, 2010 - 10:38:00 PM

A judge has issued an injunction that makes it illegal for 15 named members of the North Side Oakland gang to associate within a 100-block area in Oakland. -more-


Updated: Man Charged With Attacking Berkeley Bicyclists in Strawberry Canyon

By Dan McMenamin, BCN and BDP
Thursday June 03, 2010 - 10:36:00 PM

A man suspected of attacking bicyclists with a handsaw in the hills above the University of California at Berkeley campus pleaded not guilty to assault and vandalism charges in Alameda County Superior Court today. -more-


Updated: Homicide in South Berkeley

By Dan McMenamin, BCN
Thursday June 03, 2010 - 10:28:00 PM

A 30-year-old man was fatally shot in Berkeley on Thursday evening, and police are seeking possible witnesses. -more-


Press Release: More Gaza Flotilla Detainees Released; Larudee Badly Beaten But Now Headed to Greece

From Henry Norr, Free Palestine Movement
Wednesday June 02, 2010 - 10:01:00 PM

Dr. Paul Larudee, a passenger on the Freedom Flotilla that was attacked by Israel before it could deliver its cargo of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, was badly beaten and tasered during the Memorial Day commando raid, but according to latest reports he was released from detention late Wednesday night and is now in flight to Greece. -more-


News Analysis: Measure C Supporters Dispel Myths; Leave Questions Hanging

By Thomas Lord
Wednesday June 02, 2010 - 08:51:00 PM
Assorted civic leaders pose for the camera at the press conference held by supporters of Measure C.

Supporters of Measure C, including elected officials, representatives of the Berkeley Pools Campaign, the One Warm Pool Campaign, and warm pool users, gathered at the warm pool on Tuesday to dispel myths they believe are harming Measure C’s chances of passing. Measure C is Berkeley’s only measure on the upcoming June 8thballot. Its purpose as stated on the ballot is “to replace the multiuse indoor Warm Pool, renovate Willard and West Campus pools, construct a multipurpose pool at King [and] levy a special tax,” to increase funding for pool operating costs. -more-


Press Release: Richmond Mayor condemns Israeli assault on humanitarian flotilla to Gaza

From the Office of the Mayor, Richmond
Wednesday June 02, 2010 - 05:01:00 PM

Two Richmond residents, Paul Larudee and Kathy Sheetz, were among the hundreds of unarmed civilians on the Freedom Flotilla that attempted to bring 10,000 tons of medical supplies and building materials to Gaza by sea, when their boats were forcefully seized three days ago by Israeli commandos in international waters. Varying reports have stated that between 9 and 18 flotilla participants were killed and dozens were injured by Israeli forces. The names and nationalities of those who were killed are still unknown. -more-


Report Says That El Cerrito Resident Was Beaten By Israelis

By Jane Stillwater (Partisan Position)
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 03:47:00 PM

San Francisco Bay Area resident Paul Larudee, who is instrumental in Berkeley's Free Palestine Movement, was taken and detained by Israeli commando forces on Monday. Official Israeli sources are stating that their peaceful boarding parties were met with violent resistance by passengers on the ships they were boarding and that the boarding parties only used force when necessary to protect themselves. -more-


East Bay Citizens Condemn Israel Attack on Gaza Aid Flotilla

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 02:17:00 PM

A group of East Bay citizens have joined the growing international protest against the Israeli Navy’s raid on the Gaza aid flotilla, sending out e-mails condemning the action and planning protests scheduled to start as early as 4 p.m. today. -more-


Mayan Refugee Given Two More Weeks Before Deportation

By Janna Brancolini (BCN)
Friday May 28, 2010 - 09:34:00 AM

Immigration officials have declined to reopen the case of a 22-year-old Mayan refugee who is scheduled to be deported in two weeks based upon what his Bay Area lawyers call a miscommunication from 2002. Mario Mendoza's lawyers say he deserves to be granted political asylum in the U.S. because he crossed the border as a young teen and could be attacked if he returns to Guatemala.East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, a Berkeley-based group, has been helping Mendoza with his case. -more-


Endangered Species Act: Noah’s Ark or Titanic? (News Analysis)

Craig Collins, Ph.D.
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 11:49:00 AM

The Endangered Species Act is the equivalent of a tiny bandage on a gaping wound. Congress passed the ESA in 1973 under intense public pressure to save a growing number of species from extinction. Groups like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund fostered sympathy for the plight of cute or charismatic creatures like pandas and blue whales to raise awareness about the extinction crisis. These campaigns were so effective that the media still portrays the struggle to preserve biodiversity as an altruistic endeavor pressed upon society by tree-hugger environmentalists seeking to rescue creatures on the verge of extinction. -more-


Press Release: PRESS CONFERENCE, TUESDAY, JUNE 1, Berkeley Warm Pool

From Robert Collier
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 12:28:00 PM

What: Condemning the Big Lies against Measure C: Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates,former Mayor Shirley Dean, and other City Council and School Board members will hold a press conference denouncing the Karl Rove-style disinformation tactics of the opponents of Measure C in Berkeley's June 8 election. -more-


Press Release: Jewish Voice for Peace urges Jewish leaders to denounce Israel's increasing violations of human rights and dignity.

From Jewish Voice for Peace
Friday May 28, 2010 - 10:59:00 AM

In just 24 hours, over 3,000 sign open letter to Abe Foxman, David Harris and Marvin Hier -more-


Judge Says He Will Issue Injunction Against Gang

By Jeff Shuttleworth (BCN)
Thursday May 27, 2010 - 08:58:00 PM

The city of Oakland won a legal victory today when a judge said he will grant its bid for a preliminary injunction against a gang that it alleges is notorious for violence. -more-


Press Release: Berkeley Hillside Preservation Group Files Suit to Require Environmental Study of 10,000 Square Foot Structure

From Attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley
Friday May 28, 2010 - 02:04:00 PM

Newly-formed unincorporated association Berkeley Hillside Preservation filed suit today in the Alameda Superior Court against the City of Berkeley, because it exempted its recent approval of a 10,000 square foot residence and 10-car garage at 2707 Rose Street from mandated environmental review under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). -more-


Press Release: Orange County Superior Court Rules that County Mapping Database is Exempt from the California Public Records Act

From Dean Wallraff, Vice Chair of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter's Legal Committee
Thursday May 27, 2010 - 09:45:00 AM

Santa Ana, CA - May 21, 2010 - An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled today that mapping data maintained by Orange County is exempt from the California Public Records Act (PRA). The PRA says that state and local agencies must provide copies of public records in their possession to members of the public requesting them, and they must not charge more than the direct cost of making the copy. Ruling on a suit brought against Orange County by the Sierra Club, Judge James J. DiCesare held that mapping database maintained by the County, which details the location and boundaries of land parcels within the county, is a "computer mapping system" and exempted under the software exemption of the PRA. The PRA law provides that software is not a public record, and the Court decided that parcel mapping data stored in a GIS database is included in that exemption. -more-


Harry Dov Weininger
September 28, 1933 – May 31, 2010

Sunday June 06, 2010 - 10:38:00 PM

SeeJune 8 issue. -more-


Opinion

Editorials

New: Can Measure C Be Saved from Its Friends?

By Becky O'Malley
Friday June 04, 2010 - 12:45:00 PM

Well, Tuesday is election day, and like many Berkeleyans I still haven’t made up my mind whether or not to vote for Measure C. I’ve never, in my 35 or more years as a Berkeley voter, turned down a request for more funds from our various civic beneficiaries, and I suspect the vast majority of my fellow voters are on the same page. At our house, we’re fortunate that we can afford to pay extra taxes for the benefit of today’s children and tomorrow’s, since we’re past the time of having to support our own. But I have to say that the tone of this particular election campaign has made me rethink the whole concept. It’s hard to vote for a cause whose proponents seem compelled to characterize their opponents as fools, knaves or worse. It doesn’t have to be that way. -more-


Ironies Abound This Memorial Day as the Planet Office is Vandalized

By Becky O'Malley
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 01:27:00 PM

Memorial Day weekend, as it has for many years now, marks the official beginning of summer.In the Midwest, it’s when it becomes prudent to put your tomato plants in the ground, but here in California, they’ve been set out for weeks, and have even set fruit in some Bay Area banana belt hot spots.Around here, it’s the first opportunity to plan neighborhood barbecues with some confidence that they won’t be rained out (though perhaps not this year). With all the opportunities for Fun in the Sun, it’s easy enough to forget why we celebrate this holiday. And though it’s traditionally a mellow, reflective time, some stressful controversies have been in the air this year. -more-


The Editor's Back Fence

New: Department of Further Clarification

Saturday June 05, 2010 - 05:50:00 PM

City Manager Kamlarz put out a new memo about Measure C on Friday: -more-


New: Stuart Skorman Is Trying to Save Reel.com

Wednesday June 02, 2010 - 09:19:00 PM

Stuart Skorman is at it again, trying to save the world through commerce.His enterprises have been very popular in Berkeley.He started the video mecca Reel.com and opened the store on Shattuck after successful negotiation with neighbors, and sold it at the peak of its success.His Elephant Pharmacy was a big hit too. Now he’s trying to take back Reel.com so it can stay open.. -more-


Bezerkeley Stories

Monday May 31, 2010 - 08:30:00 AM

These are the stories the metro papers love to write: Funny Stuff Going on in Quirky East Bay Town. Here at the Planet we're pleased that they're doing this so we don't need to bother. Think of these as our soft features. -more-


What Are Those "Press Releases" Doing Here?

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 12:32:00 PM

By now many readers are wondering what’s up with the “Press Release” label. It’s simple: we’re trying a radical experiment. Much of what you read in the press these days is nothing more than re-written press releases with little original reporting involved. We’re just eliminating the disingenuous middle-person and posting the releases cold turkey. In no way do we vouch for the truthfulness of the information contained, we’re just the messenger passing through the statement of the authors. -more-


Berkeley News On Tap

Wednesday May 26, 2010 - 10:30:00 AM

For a quick look at what they're saying about Berkeley in the media, consult the City of Berkeley News Scan, assembled by a local consultant who checks everything out and posts the best stuff from various sources. Her job is to make sure that those in city government know what's being said about them, but the rest of us want to know too. -more-


Cartoons

Odd Bodkins: Domino Theory

Dan O'Neill
Monday May 31, 2010 - 09:05:00 PM

Pepper Spray Times

By Carol Denney
Monday May 31, 2010 - 09:02:00 PM

Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Saturday May 29, 2010 - 10:16:00 AM

Save Our Pools—Vote No on Measure C; No on C; Measure C: No; Charity; City Employee Pay and Pools; Election Stolen; Loving the Berkeley Rep; No More War! Tea; Afghan Women; Republican Fearmongering; Thanks; Democracy and Education -more-


Updated: More Letters

Friday June 04, 2010 - 01:11:00 PM

Measure C Video; Pools and 3-Card Monte; Measure C is Ill-Timed; Measure C-Berkeley voters have Stockholm Syndrome. -more-


New: Save the Warm Pool and Build on the Football Field Instead

By Terry Cochrell
Saturday June 05, 2010 - 02:47:00 PM

Seven hundred, 700 swimmers use the warm-pool at BHS, not just a few dozen as detractors insist in print and in whispered anti-warm-pool propaganda. My figure includes hard data: the ‘captured’ names of articulate and literate users over a 17 month period, plus a conservative, rational estimate of ‘uncaptured’ names. -more-


BOND ISSUES: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Barbara & Henrik Bull
Monday May 31, 2010 - 10:37:00 PM

When you are looking at your June ballot pamphlet, it might be a good idea to look into the future as well as the past. -more-


New: Measure C is Necessary Because of Political Blackmail

By H. Scott Prosterman
Friday June 04, 2010 - 01:16:00 PM

It is unusual for politicians in Berkeley to be unified on any single issue. The campaign for “YES” on Measure C is a necessary bond measure to ensure the ongoing health and viability of Berkeley’s aging aquatic system. -more-


Remembering Rachel Corrie

Ralph E. Stone
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 11:36:00 AM

The MV Rachel Corrie is one of the ships in the international aid Gaza Freedom Flotilla that was attacked by Israeli naval forces on May 31, 2010. Remember Rachel Corrie, the 22-year old peace activist from Washington State, who attempted to stop a bulldozer operated by the Israeli military from demolishing homes and other buildings in Gaza. Rachel was struck and killed. Some witnesses claimed she was struck deliberately, but an Israeli inquiry found her death to be an accident. -more-


Measure C: Fact vs. Fiction

By Robert Collier
Sunday May 30, 2010 - 03:28:00 PM


In recent weeks, the Measure C campaign has found widespread support for saving Berkeley’s pools. From the hills to the flats, from young parents to the elderly and disabled, enthusiasm is high. But our opponents have made a never-ending series of false allegations about Measure C’s financing and other details. No matter how often we rebut the false claims, they keep popping up with wilder embellishments and ever-more bogus numbers. Here is a voter guide with the straight facts: -more-


Measure C, the Warm Pool, and Wedge-Issue Politics

By JoAnn Cook, Elizabeth Gutfeldt, Odette Larde, Anne Marx, Summer Raven and Mertis Shekeloff
Thursday May 27, 2010 - 04:44:00 PM

In the June 8 election, Berkeley has the choice of deciding whether to embrace all our city’s residents – old as well as young, disabled as well as able-bodied – or whether to succumb to conservative wedge-issue tactics that seek to divide us. -more-


JUNE BALLOT MEASURE ON POOLS (Adapted from Spring NEBA Newsletter Article)

By Barbara Gilbert
Wednesday May 26, 2010 - 10:38:00 AM

After months of discussion, two voter surveys, and intense lobbying by pool advocates, the City Council voted to place a $22,500,000 (plus built-in inflator) Community Facilities bond on the June 8, 2010 ballot.This measure requires a 2/3 majority to pass.It would:provide for a replacement indoor warm pool of about 2250sf and associated facilities constructed at West Campus, to replace the warm pool at the BHS gym scheduled for demolition by BUSD;construct a new all-purpose 25 meter pool and associated facilities at King;and renovate the existing pool and associated facilities at Willard.Over the life of the bond, the average annual tax cost for a 1900 sf residence is estimated at $70, and at $297 for a 10,000 sf commercial space.Since the measure includes an unusual levy for ongoing maintenance (ordinarily paid out of the General Fund), after the bond is repaid in 2040 there would remain an annual maintenance tax of $24 for the average homeowner.And as the measure is based on property square footage, these forgoing taxes would be proportionately higher for larger properties. -more-


Measure C Cartoon

Justin Lee
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 03:02:00 PM

Below the Radar: HUD Is Trying to Privatize and Mortgage Off All of America's Public Housing

By George Lakoff
Wednesday May 26, 2010 - 08:38:00 AM

The Obama administration's move to the right is about to give conservatives a victory they could not have anticipated, even under Bush. HUD, under Obama, submitted legislation, called PETRA, to Congress that would result in the privatization of all public housing in America. -more-


Time for Immediate Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Military Policy

By Ralph E. Stone
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 11:47:00 AM

I applaud the recent U.S. House of Representative vote to repeal of the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" policy that allows homosexuals to serve in the military only if they don't disclose their sexual orientation. The House vote came after a similar vote in the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. I object, however, that the repeal, if passed, will not be immediate. Rather repeal will go into effect only after the $5 million Pentagon study is received on December 1 and after the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that the repeal. I only wish President Obama had fulfilled his campaign pledge by repealing the policy by executive order after becoming president. -more-


Can California Afford a $11.1 Million Water Bond?

By Ralph Stone
Thursday May 27, 2010 - 05:26:00 PM

The $11.1 Water Bond Proposition now on the November ballot would pay for the overhaul of California's aging and overburdened water system. If passed by the voters, the bond will ultimately cost taxpayers $22 billion when interest is included. Putting aside the merits or demerits of the bond measure, can California, now in a budget crisis, afford it. -more-


Dancing on a Listing Deck

By Gray Brechin
Thursday May 27, 2010 - 11:17:00 AM

I watched the news today, oh boy! Channel 7 at 11 flashed back to Air Force One as it touched down at SFO in a light drizzle. From there, a caravan of stretch limos black as polished coffins carried the lucky man who made the grade through barricaded streets to a Nob Hill fundraiser for Senator Boxer. Hundreds of fans paid dearly to see and hear the lucky man press flesh and crack jokes in the Fairmont Hotel’s Edwardian opulence. The limos soon departed for an even more sybaritic reception at the Getty mansions on Pacific Heights’ Gold Coast. Yes, that’s Getty, as in Getty Oil. -more-


New: What's a Warm Pool Worth?

By Gary Marquard
Monday June 07, 2010 - 12:37:00 PM

Skeptics about and opponents of Measure C commonly claim that the Warm Pool is beneficial to or used by a relatively few people.Let's see. -more-


Troubling Autism News

Nathan Pitts, Autism Spectrum Liberation Front
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 04:16:00 PM

There were three troubling news items this past two weeks relating to Autism. Two relate to police violence, and the third sadly involves Hershey's Foods Corporation. -more-


Wetlands Versus Human Ignorance

By Jack Bragen
Sunday May 30, 2010 - 03:35:00 PM

My wife and I used to ride Amtrak between Martinez and Klamath Falls a couple of times a year to visit relatives. Amtrak dubbed this train route, “The Coast Starlight.” I would recommend this train to my worst enemy. -more-


Columns

Funny Business: Snatched from the Jaws of Victory

by Richard Hylton
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 02:36:00 PM

Financial reform is on the way.And Wall Street is breathing a sigh of relief.Puzzled?You’re not alone.Many of us who watched in horror as the casino spirit that pervades our mega-banks and hedge funds nearly destroyed the world’s financial system and crippled the U.S. economy have been waiting for the Hanging Judge to come out of his chambers to dispense rough justice.But instead, the bills that have emerged from the House and the Senate and that will now be reconciled into a single piece of legislation mete out a few ankle bracelets, some fines, and a stern warning that the sheriff will be watching carefully once the felons go back to work. -more-


Dispatches From The Edge: Of Drone Wars & Buffalo Urine

By Conn Hallinan
Thursday May 27, 2010 - 09:22:00 AM

Has the drone war in Pakistan’s rugged frontier finally come home? Was Faisal Shahzad, the bumbling Times Square bomb maker a blowback from the Obama Administration’s increased use of killer robots? David Sanger of the New York Times asks the question, and the New York Post says an “anonymous law enforcement” source claims Shahzad was driven to his act after witnessing drone attacks in Pakistan. -more-


Blogbeat: Midnight Swimming in Berkeley

By Thomas Lord
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 02:49:00 PM

News from the web-o-rama blogosphere... Summary of today's items: -more-


Iran, Brazil, Turkey & the Ghost of Lord Palmerston

By Conn Hallinan
Thursday May 27, 2010 - 09:24:00 AM

Lord Palmerston—twice England’s prime minister during the middle 1800s—once commented, “England has no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.” Watching the fallout over Brazil’s and Turkey’s recent diplomatic breakthrough on Iran brings Palmerston’s observation to mind: while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was hailing our “friends” support for tough sanctions aimed at Teheran, much of her supporting cast were busy hedging their bets and deciding that their interests just might lay elsewhere. -more-


The Public Eye: Forecasting the 2010 Midterm Elections

By Bob Burnett
Sunday May 30, 2010 - 02:56:00 PM

Less than six months out from the November 2nd US midterm elections, pundits continue to predict that Republicans will reduce Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, perhaps take control of the House. Seven factors will determine the final outcome. -more-


Senior Power: “Old age is not a disease”

By Helen Rippier Wheeler
Sunday May 30, 2010 - 03:03:00 PM

“Old age is not a disease -- it is strength and survivorship, triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trials and illnesses.” Margaret Eliza Kuhn (1905-1995) -more-


First Person: Politics--Why Bother?

by Harry Brill
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 11:43:00 AM

I love music. I play the saxophone, and recently I have been teaching myself how to play the clarinet. Despite some similarities, I find learning the clarinet somewhat difficult. Among my problems is making a smooth transition from lower to higher notes. This has taken a considerable amount of time, concentration, and very repetitive practice Leaping from below middle C to high C without screeching is a challenge. But it is very important to me to play gracefully and musically. -more-


Wild Neighbors: The Wild Turkey: Threat or Menace?

Joe Eaton
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 03:04:00 PM

I’ve avoided wild turkeys as a subject since that unpleasant business with the Sierra Club a couple of years ago, when I caught hell for writing that the environmental impact of these introduced birds had not yet been documented. Now, finally, there’s a study, published last year in the journal Western Birds, entitled “Food Habits of the Wild Turkeys in National Forests of Northern California and Central Oregon.”Does it shed badly needed light on the controversy? Well, sort of. -more-


Berkeley Butterfly Walk

by Steven Finacom
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:52:00 PM
The hike led to the crest of Panoramic Hill.

About a dozen people joined eminent UC entomologist Jerry Powell on Saturday, May 29, 2010 for a leisurely butterfly-watching walk along trails at the top of Berkeley’s Panoramic Hill. -more-


Restoration Comedy:Trial by Modification

By Jane Powell
Sunday May 30, 2010 - 02:54:00 PM

I'm ba-aack! And I've finally come up with an actual title for my column, which pretty much describes my life as well. I'll still mostly be writing about stuff related to old houses, though it may cross into real estate, land use, historic preservation, and whatever else the editor allows me to rant about. But I consider the comedy part of the title to be as important as the restoration part. -more-


Arts & Events

Popmusic-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 10:32:00 AM

"BERKELEY WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL," -- June 5. Event features free continuous performances by some of the finest world music artists. Venues include performances in various Telegraph Ave. cafes and shops, near UC campus and a featured concert in People's Park, 1-6 p.m., sponsored by Amoeba Music. -more-


Classical Music-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 10:29:00 AM

ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL LITTLE THEATER -more-


Stage-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:21:00 PM

ALTARENA PLAYHOUSE -more-


Readings-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:16:00 PM

A GREAT GOOD PLACE FOR BOOKS Joshua Braff, June 9, 7 p.m. The author talks about "Peep Show.'' Katherine A. Briccetti, June 10, 7 p.m. The author talks about "Blood Strangers.'' Kristin Craven, June 11, 7 p.m. The author talks about "Perfectly Revolting: My Glamorous Cartooning Career.'' Kristen Chandler, June 12, 4 p.m. The author talks about "Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me.'' 6120 LaSalle Ave., Oakland. (510) 339-8210, www.greatgoodplace.indiebound.com.< -more-


Professional Dance- Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:13:00 PM

DESTINY ARTS CENTER -more-


Classical Music-San Francisco Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 10:31:00 AM

AFRICAN AMERICAN ART AND CULTURE COMPLEX -more-


Stage-San Francisco Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:24:00 PM

AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER -more-


Galleries-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:18:00 PM

ALBASTUDIOS AND GALLERY -more-


Berkeley High Alumnus Julian Pollack at Yoshi's on Monday

By Ken Bullock
Friday June 04, 2010 - 01:49:00 PM

Pianist-songwriter Julian Waterfall Pollack will appear with his fellow Berkeley High alums, bassist Noah Garabdeian and drummer Evan Hughes, to celebrate his new CD INFINITE PLAYGROUND (Junebeat Records), on Monday, June 7, 8 p. m. at Yoshi's Jazz Club, Jack London Square in Oakland. Tickets: $14. 238-9200; www.yoshis.com -more-


Theatre Review:“I love criticism just so long as it's unqualified praise.” –Noël Coward

By John A. McMullen II
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 12:20:00 PM
Molly Bell & Carl J. Danielsen hoof their hearts out at The Marvelous Party playing thru June 26 at Center Rep.

This past Sunday, I opted to spend my 1,492nd sunny weekend afternoon in a darkened theatre, so I drove from Oakland through the Cold-to-Hot tunnel to the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek to see The Marvelous Party at Center Rep. Bay Area Critic Circle awarded this company best musical last year, so I wanted to see what was up out there.I found I could joyously give the late Sir Noël Coward the criticism he so loved! -more-


Wild Neighbors: The Wild Turkey: Threat or Menace?

Joe Eaton
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 03:04:00 PM

I’ve avoided wild turkeys as a subject since that unpleasant business with the Sierra Club a couple of years ago, when I caught hell for writing that the environmental impact of these introduced birds had not yet been documented. Now, finally, there’s a study, published last year in the journal Western Birds, entitled “Food Habits of the Wild Turkeys in National Forests of Northern California and Central Oregon.”Does it shed badly needed light on the controversy? Well, sort of. -more-


Berkeley Butterfly Walk

by Steven Finacom
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:52:00 PM
The hike led to the crest of Panoramic Hill.

About a dozen people joined eminent UC entomologist Jerry Powell on Saturday, May 29, 2010 for a leisurely butterfly-watching walk along trails at the top of Berkeley’s Panoramic Hill. -more-


Restoration Comedy:Trial by Modification

By Jane Powell
Sunday May 30, 2010 - 02:54:00 PM

I'm ba-aack! And I've finally come up with an actual title for my column, which pretty much describes my life as well. I'll still mostly be writing about stuff related to old houses, though it may cross into real estate, land use, historic preservation, and whatever else the editor allows me to rant about. But I consider the comedy part of the title to be as important as the restoration part. -more-


Museums-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:25:00 PM

AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND The Oakland Public Library's museum is designed to discover, preserve, interpret and share the cultural and historical experiences of African Americans in California and the West. In addition, a three-panel mural is on permanent display. -more-


Highlights-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:29:00 PM

"CHOCOLATE AND CHALK ART FESTIVAL," -- June 5. The sidewalks along North Shattuck Ave. in the Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood in Berkeley will host artists young and old, professional and greenhorn at this annual event, including a chalk art contest judged at 4 p.m. with prizes up to $250, chocolate sampling and more. -more-


Museums-San Francisco Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:27:00 PM

ASIAN ART MUSEUM OF SAN FRANCISCO The Asian Art Museum-Chon-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture recently unveiled its new building in San Francisco's Civic Center. The building, the former San Francisco Public Library, has been completely retrofitted and rebuilt to house San Francisco's significant collection of Asian treasures. The museum offers complimentary audio tours of the museum's collection galleries. -more-


Exhibits-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:31:00 PM

BERKELEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, CENTRAL BRANCH -more-


Kids-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:28:00 PM

ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM Ardenwood farm is a working farm that dates back to the time of the Patterson Ranch, a 19th-century estate with a mansion and Victorian Gardens. Today, the farm still practices farming techniques from the 1870s. Unless otherwise noted, programs are free with regular admission. -more-


Outdoors-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:27:00 PM

ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM Ardenwood farm is a working farm that dates back to the time of the Patterson Ranch, a 19th-century estate with a mansion and Victorian Gardens. Today, the farm still practices farming techniques from the 1870s. Unless otherwise noted, programs are free with regular admission. -more-


Dance-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 10:33:00 AM

ASHKENAZ Balkan Folkdance, June 9, 8 p.m. $7. 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.< -more-


General-East Bay Through June 13

Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 06:30:00 PM

"CHOCOLATE AND CHALK ART FESTIVAL," -- June 5. The sidewalks along North Shattuck Ave. in the Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood in Berkeley will host artists young and old, professional and greenhorn at this annual event, including a chalk art contest judged at 4 p.m. with prizes up to $250, chocolate sampling and more. -more-


Film Review: “Living in Emergency” — On the Ground with “Doctors without Borders”

by Gar Smith
Tuesday June 01, 2010 - 03:25:00 PM

The film on Doctors without Borders will be playing at the Rialto Elmwood in Berkeley and the Opera Plaza in San Francisco, opening on June 4. -more-


Don't Miss This

By Dorothy Snodgrass
Sunday May 30, 2010 - 03:14:00 PM

Readers of this week's Online Planet will find a brand new, and we hope stimulating, feature "Don't Miss This," a list of especially interesting cultural, political and community events in the Bay Area. Given that "June is Busting Out All Over", listing announcements for the coming month is a daunting task. Herewith are just a few of the attractions available in June: -more-