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Monica Jensen
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Two Students Hospitalized after Three-Alarm Dorm Fire

By Dan McMenamin, BCN
Sunday June 27, 2010 - 08:14:00 PM

Two people were hospitalized after a three-alarm fire prompted the evacuation of a student dorm in Berkeley early Saturday morning, a fire battalion chief said.  

Firefighters responded at about 4:55 a.m. to reports of smoke in Ehrman Hall, a University of California at Berkeley dorm located near campus at 2650 Haste St., Battalion Chief Bill Kehoe said.  

More than 100 students in the building had to be evacuated and two were hospitalized for minor smoke inhalation, Kehoe said. The victims are expected to survive.  

Firefighters arriving to the building found heavy smoke on the fourth through eighth floors of the eight-story building, as well as lighter smoke on the lower levels, he said.  

The blaze is believed to have started from "something discarded in the trash chute that ignited debris at the bottom" of the building, Kehoe said.  

Smoke traveled through the chute to the various floors of the building before firefighters were able to get to the basement to extinguish the fire at about 5:30 a.m., according to Kehoe.  

He said he "was surprised at the minimal amount of trash in there for the amount of smoke that was generated," adding that "every fire has a distinct smell, and trash fires definitely have their own smell."  

UC Berkeley officials were working as of 10 a.m. to get most of the students back into their rooms soon, but Kehoe said some rooms may not be habitable for a while, some due to smoke damage and others because firefighters had to force entry into them.  

Campus authorities "have opened the dining commons to give them a place to hang out in the meantime," he said.  

A damage estimate for the blaze has not been determined, he said.  

Because Ehrman Hall is a university-owned building, James Feld, the campus' senior deputy fire marshal, will be heading the investigation into what exactly sparked the fire, according to Kehoe.  

 

 


Swarm of Yellowjackets Sting Four Firefighters in Aquatic Park

By Bay City News
Thursday June 24, 2010 - 01:01:00 PM

A swarm of yellowjackets stung four firefighters who were responding to a small vegetation fire in Berkeley's Aquatic Park on Wednesday night, a battalion chief said today.  

The fire was reported at about 10:20 p.m. at the park, located at 80 Bolivar Drive, Berkeley fire Battalion Chief Bill Kehoe said.  

As firefighters were responding, one apparently walked over a ground hive of yellow jackets, which stirred them out of the hive, Kehoe said.  

The water being squirted onto the fire also agitated the wasps and they began stinging. The four firefighters were treated for the stings at the scene and released, he said.  

Firefighting foam was used to knock down the bees and allow firefighters to control the blaze, which was out by about 10:35 p.m., according to Kehoe.  

The fire burned about 1,500 square feet at the park. It briefly threatened one structure but did not damage it, he said.  

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, Kehoe said. He said there is a large population of homeless people in the area, but investigators could not determine whether they were responsible for the fire.  

 


New: Arnieville's Back, Better than Ever

By Bob Patterson
Wednesday June 23, 2010 - 04:45:00 PM

Arnieville returned to Berkeley on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 with official opening ceremonies at precisely 5 p.m.  

 

Musical entertainment marked the “resurrection” of Arnieville and the renewal of disability activists’ protests against state budget cuts to senior and disability services. 

 

The encampment is named in memory of the Hoovervilles which sprang up in the Great Depression. 

 

The protesters returned to the same site at the intersection of Adeline Street and Russell, which they had used in May, for the location of their tent city.  

 

Their flyer urges people to “End the fear and Harassment!”  

 

It explains their complaint: “California’s yearly budget cycles threaten seniors and people with disabilities with homelessness and institutionalization. They threaten our caregivers with joblessness. Fingerprinting and unannounced visits harass us in our homes. Republicans block fair taxes on oil and other corporations.  

 

It adds: “Governor Arnie proposes to slash essential programs including In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), MediCal, CalWORKS, Adult Day Health Care (ADHC), Mental Health Rehabilitiation and many others. He wants to expand forced mental health treatment, and fingerprint and photograph elderly and disabled people who use IHSS.  

 

The group urges “Tell Arnie: NO WAY! Tax oil and other corporations! End the 2/3 rule for budget and taxes!”  

 

A contingent of protesters went from Arnieville to the Berkeley City Council evening meeting later that day. They were expecting the City Council to approve a motion to send a letter to the Governor objecting to the budget cuts.  

 

A press conference to bring more media attention to the group's complaints is scheduled to take place at the Arnieville location on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at noon.  

 

According to their press release, organizers demand protection for California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Medi-Cal, and other programs. They also deplore the Governor's plan to fingerprint, photograph and force unannounced home visits on elderly and disabled recipients of IHSS. “We have a right to privacy in our homes,” said Jean Stewart, 62. “This brands us as criminals without arrest or trial.” 

 

According to the organizers, “IHSS is a model program, saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars per year by maintaining disabled individuals in their homes. At $55,000 per person per year, nursing homes are five times more expensive than IHSS. At present, 385,074 IHSS caregivers provide services to 490,000 disabled and elderly Californians. The Governor’s budget proposes to eliminate up to 40% of IHSS funding. Cuts of this magnitude, and simultaneous cuts to Medi-Cal, would erase decades of progress and incur a huge economic, social, and moral cost. Thousands of Californian seniors and people with disabilities could end up in nursing homes. This is a violation of Olmstead, the Supreme Court decision holding that unnecessary segregation of individuals with disabilities in institutions constitutes discrimination on the basis of disability — the protest begins on the 11th anniversary of Olmstead.” 

 

“These programs are life-and-death matters and we live in a state of fear and anxiety,” says Dan McMullan, an ArnieVille organizer and director of the Disabled People Outside Project. “For years now, we’ve been assailed by a Governor intent on making the rich richer, while we get thrown under the Hummer. This year we’ve come together to resist.” 

 

 


Billion Dollar Baby:
The University of California invests $53 million in two diploma mills owned by a regent.

By Peter Byrne
Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 12:00:00 AM
Monica Jensen
Richard Blum
Monica Jensen
Richard Blum

A year ago, Richard C. Blum, then the chairman of the regents of the University of California, spoke at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference 2009, held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. The corporate confab was hosted by Michael Milken, the “junk bond king” who went to prison in the aftermath of the savings and loan fiasco in the 1980s. Milken, who is barred from securities trading for life by federal regulators, has since recreated himself as a proponent of investing in for-profit educational corporations, an industry which regularly comes under government and media scrutiny in response to allegations of fraud made by dis-satisfied students. 

At the conference, Blum, who is a professionalWall Street speculator, sat on a panel called “The New University and Its Role in the Economy,” alongside the presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Arizona State University. The panel focused on how universities can best serve the corporate jones for tech-savvy employees by recruiting smart freshmen with scientific talent. One panel member urged treating universities as “laboratories of business ideas and products.” 

As someone who oversees investment policy decisions for the University of California’s $63 billion portfolio, and as the largest shareholder in two for-profit corporate-run universities (in which UC invests), Blum had a unique perspective to share at the conference. He advised public universities to attract business-oriented students with clever advertisements (as vocational schools do). 

“It’s like anything else,” he said. “It’s how you market it.” 

Marketing strategy aside, Blum has taken on two seemingly disparate roles — one as an advocate for a nonprofit university, and the other as an owner of two for-profit educational corporations. However, as a regent, Blum has taken actions that (intentionally or not) have enhanced the value of his vocational schools. Are his loyalties conflicted? 

For several years, Blum’s firm, Blum Capital Partners, has been the dominant shareholder in two of the nation’s largest for-profit universities, Career Education Corporation and ITT Educational Services, Inc. The San Francisco-based firm’s combined holdings in the two chain schools is currently $923 million — nearly a billion dollars. As Blum’s ownership stake enlarged, UC investment managers shadowed him, ultimately investing $53 million of public funds into the two educational corporations. 

The regents’ conflict-of-interest policy requires them to “avoid the potential for and the appearance of conflicts of interest with respect to the selection of individual investments … public officials shall not make, participate in making, or influence a governmental decision in which the official has a conflict of interest.” And the California Political Reform Act of 1974 provides civil and criminal penalties for officials who ignore conflicts of interest — as UC makes clear in ethics training presentations specifically created for university officials. The Board of Regents, however, is self-policing and it tolerates situations that cause others concern. 

John M. Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit education and advocacy organization in Santa Monica, California, comments: “It is hugely inappropriate for the University of California to invest in for-profit colleges when it should be promoting public education. And something stinks when university investments end up in companies largely controlled by a regent. To the average fellow on the street, this would seem to be a conflict of interest. It is up to Mr. Blum and the UC treasurer to explain how it could not be a conflict of interest.” 

 

Disaster capitalism  

 

Due to serial tuition hikes by the UC regents, and their gutting of many classes and educational programs, and the imposition of a 15 percent reduction of in-state admissions to the university, the gateway to higher learning in California has seriously narrowed. As a UC regent, Blum voted in favor of all of these measures — and such actions have indirectly benefited his corporate colleges. But his schools are not the only ones profiting from the financial disaster that besets many public universities. 

On March 13, The New York Times summed up the situation, reporting that many chain schools, including ITT Educational Services and Career Education Corporation, “have exploited the recession as a lucrative recruiting device while tapping a larger pool of federal aid … selling young people on dreams of middle-class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low-wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty.” 

The Times noted that for-profit schools are directly benefiting from cuts in education, especially in California where state-funded universities and community colleges have been “forced to cut classes just when demand is greatest.” 

Indeed, ITT Educational Services recently reported to its shareholders that due in large part to “higher unemployment rates among unskilled workers,” company revenue increased by $300 million, to $1.3 billion (double its take in 2005). Responding to a recession-induced increase in demand for vocational training, ITT increased its tuition by 5 percent, (70 percent of ITT’s revenue comes from federal tuition aid programs).And ITT’s profits rocketed in tandem with new enrollments, even as UC and other public universities were turning away students for lack of programs. 

 

Chain schools get the third degree 

 

Nationwide, vocational school students are paying billions of dollars in tuition to stockholder-owned education corporations, primarily using federal grants and loans guaranteed by taxpayers. In the United States, the dominant vocational education corporations are the University of Phoenix, Corinthian Colleges, Strayer University, Kaplan (owned by The Washington Post Company), Career Education Corporation and ITT Educational Services. Collectively, these companies operate hundreds of schools and teach hundreds of thousands of students, most of them eligible for public and private financial aid. The chains offer training for such technical professions as radiological technician, beautician, automotive mechanic, medical billing clerk, Web designer and massage therapist. But they also offer degrees in engineering, computer science and business. Increasingly, they are promoting online education, which limits their operational costs, even though virtual courses are often not suitable for teaching nursing, cooking, or car repair. As a result of delivering substandard education, some for profit schools suffer from accreditation problems, according to recent news reports. 

On a fairly regular basis government regulators, including the U.S. Department of Justice, have accused many chain schools of preying upon low-income individuals and active military service members. Typically, state and federal agencies report, chain school recruiters have loaded students down with high-interest rate loan packages that, on average, amount to $30,000. As a result, fewer than 70 percent of enrollees graduate. Such a high dropout rate requires the corporations to continuously wage television, radio, Internet and print media marketing campaigns aimed at enticing students who want to better themselves — and who are, not incidentally, eligible for state-guaranteed loans. 

Unfortunately, those who do graduate with two-year associates degrees often find out that the curriculum did not prepare them for the technical requirements of the jobs they seek. And often, when they do find work, their wages do not match the inflated salaries promised by school recruiters, government reports note. And when dropouts and underpaid graduates default on their student loans, the taxpayers remain on the hook. 

Every few years, the corporate media discovers the so-called “diploma mill” scandal anew and publishes reams of investigative stories showing that despite marketing materials touting their educational and career benefits, the chain schools are primarily focused on cashing in on taxpayer-backed grants and loans. In the last six months alone, The New York Times, Washington Monthly, ProPublica, Bloomberg, Frontline and The Associated Press published exposés of the $26 billion vocational college industry. 

Blum’s schools have been prime targets of these investigations, although the reports do not mention him by name, nor do they reveal that the UC invests in his for-profit schools while cutting back on public education. 

 

Students as cash machines 

 

Blum’s investment bank entered the for-profit education business in 1987, when he purchased a large block of shares in National Education Corporation, an Irvine-based vocational school that specialized in awarding mail-order diplomas. He joined the company’s board of directors, sitting alongside former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater and David C. Jones, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Two years later, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Blum got in hot water when angry shareholders filed a lawsuit contending that “the company issued rosy financial statements while Blum and other directors were selling their shares.” The shareholders claimed in court documents that Blum sold $2.7 million worth of shares at about $24 per share after he learned, a day before the public announcement, that the company president planned to resign. When the share price bottomed out at $3.50 a share after the announcement, Blum reinvested in the troubled company, booking a profit. 

By the late ’80s and early ’90s, National Education Corporation was “battered by accusations that its vocational schools were riddled with fraud,” The New York Times reported in March 1997. A new president was hired in 1994 to reform the school and to bring it into the age of computerized learning. By 1995, Blum had gained control of 11.5 percent of National Education Corporation stock after combining his firm’s holdings with that of a nonprofit investment fund, Commonfund, for which Blum worked as an investment advisor. (Commonfund manages investments for more than 1,400 universities, including UC.) In 1997, Harcourt, the textbook publisher, boughtNational Education Corporation for about $750 million, or $21 a share. Blum and his private partners profited handsomely — there was money to be made in education. 

After he became a regent in 2002, Blum greatly increased his investment in for-profit education. In June 2005, Blum Capital Partners bought 5 percent of the stock (worth $24 million) in Lincoln Education Services Corp., a $300 million operation with 32 campuses. Blum also acquired large blocks of shares in ITT Educational Services, and Career Education Corporation. These two purchases followed dips in the companies’ stock prices brought about by allegations of corrupt practices made against them by government agencies. 

In the case of ITT Educational Services, federal and state regulators investigated the company in 2004 after shareholders and students alleged that it was falsifying student attendance, grades and job placement records in order to keep federal financial aid flowing. When the news broke, the price of ITT shares halved. 

Blum Capital Partners pounced, purchasing reams of devalued ITT stock. It soon owned the largest block of stock in the company — a 10 percent ownership stake in 2006. Not long afterwards, the investigations were closed, with no findings of wrongdoing. By May 2010, ITT’s revenue exceeded $1.3 billion, and Blum Capital Partners’ stake was valued at $415 million. 

Similarly, Blum Capital Partners bought shares of Career Education Corporation, a $1.8 billion operation that serves 90,000 students, following a corruption controversy. In 2004, Career Education Corporation was investigated by multiple federal agencies after whistleblower lawsuits alleged that the school had allowed failing students to remain enrolled in order to keep its pipeline to federal grants and loans tapped. In 2005, after “60 Minutes” televised an unfavorable story about the chain school, the value of its stock dropped by more than half. Blum Capital Partners bought in for $33 million. By May 2010, its stake had grown to $508 million, making Blum’s firm by far the largest and most powerful shareholder of the chain school. A partner with Blum Capital Partners, Greg L. Jackson, sits on the board of Career Education Corporation. 

UC is an investor in both educational corporations. 

 

The UC connection 

 

Even as Blum was buying stock in Career Education and ITT Educational Services, UC financial records show that the university’s investment managers were actively buying and selling these same stocks — to the tune of $53 million. The university was not just holding onto these stocks to accrue value over time (as a prudent manager would do), it was day trading them in large amounts, as much as $2 million a trade, thereby affecting the daily price of these stocks. And these two companies were largely owned by a regent, a Wall Street speculator who sat on the university’s investment committee, which oversaw the management of the university’s stock portfolio. Does not this situation pose at least the appearance of a conflict? 

Not to UC officials. When UC Treasurer Marie Berggren was questioned about the propriety of UC investing in Blum’s for-profit college chains her spokesman, Steve Montiel, replied by email, “The Treasurer’s Office doesn’t track Regents’ holdings in making decisions about security selections, though Regents’ holdings are disclosed as a matter of policy.”  

In other words, the treasurer does not review the regents’ financial disclosure statements, which are public records, for potential conflicts. Of course, UC’s investments are also public records available to the regents, so a regent could easily avoid conflicts, should he or she choose to do so, by not taking controlling positions in companies in which the university invests. 

Blum did not respond to repeated requests for comment. UC spokeswoman Lynn Tierney called on his behalf, saying that the university recruits its students from the intellectual elite of applicants. Only those with very high grade averages and SAT scores get in, she said. Therefore, “UC is not losing students to Blum’s vocational schools, and there is no conflict of interest,” she claimed, declining to present evidence that thwarted UC students were not attending for-profit colleges. 

Regardless, the bottom line is that UC is investing tens of millions of public dollars in two for-profit school chains largely controlled by a regent (a Wall Street arbitrager) who sit on UC’s investment committee. Noah Stern, president of Associated Students at the University of California, says, “Student trust in the regents was already shaky. In light of the Spot.us revelations of investment abuse, we need a structural overhaul of the university governance system.” 

 

Note: CalPERS, the state pension fund, also had, as of the end of 2009, $6 million invested in Career Education Corporation, and $10 million invested in ITT Educational Services through its public equities investment program. And CalPERS held more than $100 million in shares of both companies as part of a $500 million investment with Blum Capital Partners, which is an investment adviser to CalPERS. Details about CalPERS connections to Blum and other regents, and related stories, may be found in the 10-part investigative series on the regents’ conflicts of interest sponsored by Spot.us and a consortium of six Bay Area newsweeklies.


Berkeley Daily Planet Wins Three Press Club Awards

Monday June 21, 2010 - 11:26:00 PM

The Berkeley Daily Planet won three awards in the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club’s 2009 annual Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards dinner, held June 19 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City.
Riya Bhattacharjee won first place in the Breaking News category for her March 5, 2009 story about the death of a LeConte Elementary school student (“Investigation Continues into Kindergartner's Death") and second place for Continuing Coverage on the incident. The Daily Planet competed in the non-daily newspaper category. 

Justin DeFreitas won first place for Editorial Cartooning for all categories (daily papers, weeklies and magazines). DeFreitas also won second place for Editorial Cartoons for "here" magazine (published by the Marin Independent Journal). 

Bay Area print journalists, photographers, radio and television personnel and public relations professionals were presented with 167 awards of excellence in nine divisions and 36 categories for their work in 2009. 

The awards span the 11 counties of the Greater Bay Area. The winners were selected from 394 entries from media professionals by judges from the Bakersfield Press Club, Milwaukee Press Club, the Press Club of New Orleans and the Press Club of Southeast Texas.


Rally Supports Berkeley Bowl Union in Wednesday Election

By Bob Patterson
Monday June 21, 2010 - 11:10:00 PM
Bob Patterson
Bob Patterson
Bob Patterson

An election giving workers at the original Berkeley Bowl store on Oregon Street a chance to vote to de-certify their union is scheduled for this Wednesday, June 23.  

An hour-long rally of about 100 people, featuring speakers and musicians who support the union, took place on Monday at 4 p.m. in front of the store.  

Non-union employees from the Berkeley Bowl’s new West Berkeley location distributed anti-union fliers proclaiming: “Union Free works for me!” at their own table, while. union representatives from AFSCME Local 3299 and Unite Here! handed out flyers which showed sympathy and solidarity with the original Bowl union members.  

A police officer from the Berkeley Police Department monitored the demonstration, and a department supervisor also stood by.


Berkeley's Branch Library Plans:
Two Demolitions Instead of Renovation,Book Cuts and Permanent Changes to Zoning Variance Requirements

By Peter Warfield (Partisan Position)
Monday June 21, 2010 - 09:08:00 AM

The promise of Library Measure FF (2008) to “renovate and expand” Berkeley Public Library’s four branch libraries, has instead turned into plans to demolish and replace two of the branches, cut shelving for books and materials, eliminate all reference desks in favor of roving reference librarians – and on June 29 the City Council is expected to vote on zoning legislation that would permanently exempt all existing library buildings from having to obtain variances for any future changes, or demolitions combined with new library construction on the same site. 

West Branch, despite being a city “structure of merit,” and South Branch, are both to be demolished and replaced with new buildings.A library-sponsored review of these facilities found that both have qualities that could make them worthy of landmarking, but 1970s renovations at West Branch and neglect over time at South Branch have damaged or hidden many of their landmark-worthy features. 

Claremont Branch is to get a small addition of 340 square feet while losing 913 linear feet of shelving for books and materials, out of the existing 4,027 – a 23% cut in space for books.Other branches are to receive floor space expansions of 50% or more, while book space is to increase by only 4%. 

The traditional adult and children’s reference desks – separate from each other and apart from busy and noisy circulation desks – are to be eliminated.The “Building Program,” authored by Page + Moris, dated January 2010, says that for South and West branches, “One service desk will serve the whole library.”The other branch building programs say the same thing in almost identical words.The reference librarians will be roving about, we are told in the “BuildingProgram” and the same thing was said at one of the Board of Library Trustees (BOLT) meetings I attended in May and June.The “Building Program” says, “Librarians will be encouraged circulate through the public areas when they are on ‘desk duty’ for proactive interaction with library users, rather than to remain at the [single] Service Desk at all times.” 

And another change in Berkeley’s branch libraries will be “Recognition Opportunities.”That means, in exchange for donations to the Berkeley Public Library Foundation, donor names and honorees are to be posted in locations such as library rooms, on or at the “North Branch Chandelier,” on equipment such as self-check stations, in Children/Teen/Adult Areas, on book shelves.Additionally publicity from the Foundation says, “A donor wall will be prominently located in each branch,” and those giving more than $2,500 will receive “temporary recognition” in the Central Library. 

Three current designs exceed lot coverage or setback requirements, some by substantial amounts.North Branch’s blockbuster two-story addition would add 77% to existing floor space – with only a 4% increase in shelving space for books.The addition would cause lot coverage to jump from 32% to 43% in a district zoned for a maximum of 40%.The park-like area to the west of the library, along Josephine Street, would have a two-story addition jutting out from the existing building, about 55 feet wide, and coming to as close as four feet from the property line, just 16 feet from the curb.The exact width and setback distance were unavailable as of June 10 because plans on file with the Planning Department did not show them, an error acknowledged by a Planning Department employee. 

South Branch plans provide for lot coverage to balloon from 38% to 61%, where the allowable is 50%. In addition, two of South Branch’s proposed setbacks conflict with what is permitted.The West setback is to range from three feet to 37 feet, where six feet is required.And the North setback is to range from 6 feet 6 inches to 16 feet, where 15 feet is the minimum required. 

Claremont Branch lot coverage increases from 60% to 63%, with a permitted coverage of 50%.A variance for the existing lot coverage was granted circa 1974, according to the Planning Department. 

The Planning Department on May 26 voted 7-2 to recommend City Council approval of proposed zoning legislation, paving the way for City Council action expected June 29.At a “preview” of North Branch and Claremont branch plans presented to the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) meeting June 10, one of the commissioners ask whether such legislation for exemption from having to obtain variances has been provided for other agencies.The Planning Department representative said No. 

Bradley Wiedmaier, an architectural historian, said the proposed permanent zoning exemption represents “an assault on planning.”“North Branch’s new addition places an urban high-density addition, that is more suitable for a commercial district, into a residential, low-density neighborhood,” he said. 

John English, a Berkeley citizen and preservationist, said “The most outrageous thing is that the Board (of Library Trustees) plans demolitions.Measure FF does not authorize demolition – it authorized renovations.” 

 

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Poor Maintenance Affects Library Branches 

Berkeley has not been kind to all of its branch libraries.A report that includes the condition and history of Berkeley’s libraries was prepared for the library by Noll and Tam Architects in July, 2008.North Branch is a city landmark in “good to excellent” condition, and Claremont Branch “appears eligible to [be listed] to the California Register under Criterion 3 (design) with an overall condition of “good to excellent. 

The Noll and Tam report said of South Branch:“It appears the property is eligible to [be listed on] the California Register for its association with architect John Hans Ostwald and potentially for its design characteristics.”But the report says the condition of the building is “fair to bad.”The report recommended “stabilization and repair” of “exterior portions of the original building [which] are among its most deteriorated features, though they appear very easy to restore.Additionally, they recommend “reversal of incompatible alterations….” And, they wrote, “Restoration of the original lighting would measurably increase the historical integrity of the building in a way likely to be readily understood by many visitors.The same is true of the skylights.A 1975 book about the architect, John Hans Ostwald, would make assessment of the significance of the building easier, according to the report. 

At West Branch, the report says 1970s changes have spoiled its “historical integrity.”“Most of the original exterior elevations are no longer visible, the ceiling in the reading room has been lowered, (adult reading room), and the original entry steps have been floored over.The 1970s additions are so divergent from the original in character, and alter and cover it so much on both interior and exterior, that they impair the historical integrity of the property.” 

The report also includes pictures of West Branch’s coved ceiling and “wood crown molding” currently not visible because they are above the “suspended acoustic ceiling system in adult reading room’s northwest corner.” 

 

******************************************************************. 

 

Peter Warfield is Executive Director of Library Users Association. 

A previous article about library renovation plans was published in the Berkeley Daily Planet May 25, 2010, “Opposing Zoning Ordinance Changes Regarding Demolishing Libraries” . 

 

 

 


In Memory of Dona

By George Coates
Monday June 21, 2010 - 05:16:00 PM

June 22 marks the second anniversary ofDona Spring's confrontation with UC Police with officer Mitch Celaya who tries to block Dona's access to a city sidewalk only days before she died.

The attached video clip shows Donna leading an impromptu march of supporters to the barricades at the Old Oak Grove on June 22, 2008, in her attempt to resupply the tree sitters with food and water on the 228th day of the occupation to save the trees from destruction by the University of California.

I would call it Dona Spring’s finest hour but she had so many it's difficult to know.

 


Banksy in Berkeley?

By Gar Smith
Sunday June 20, 2010 - 03:09:00 PM
Is it Banksy's work?
Gar Smith
Is it Banksy's work?
Gar Smith

Anyone who enjoyed the big-screen documentary hit "Please Exit through the Gift Shop" might want to check out a parking lot wall in downtown Berkeley. 

"Please Exit" celebrates the wall art of a shadowy Britishh graffiti guerilla who goes by the nom de flume, "Banksy." 

Banksy recently visited the Bay Area. When his art started appearing on walls in North Beach, City officials initially threatened to have the "unauthorized" art removed. Until, that is, local residents pointed out that (1) Banksy is an international artist of some repute and (b) they really liked the cheeky new images on their crusty old walls. 

And now it appears that Banksy may have left his mark in Berkeley. In early June, the image of a winged soldier mysteriously appeared on the wall of a parking lot at the corner of Shattuck and Dwight Way. Is it Banksy's work? Check out the other art on his website and make your own decision.


Smelly Plant Blooms in Berkeley

By Dan McMenamin, BCN
Saturday June 19, 2010 - 04:40:00 PM

The University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley is usually a sight to behold, but it is noses that might be held there at the end of this month because of the smell from a "corpse plant" that is about to blossom.  

The Titan Arum, also known as the corpse plant due to the rotten flesh-like stench that emanates from it when it blossoms, is expected to reach its peak stink when it flowers sometime around July 1, according to garden officials.  

The plant will bloom into a bright green and deep maroon flower that combines with the stink to attract insects that pollinate it, according to garden officials.  

It is the sixth Titan Arum flower featured at the garden's Tropical House since 2005.  

The plant, part of a collection that came as seeds from Sumatra 15 years ago, is the largest flowering structure in the plant world, can grow as much as four inches a day before it blooms.  

Its underground stem needs to weigh about 30 pounds or more before blooming, a process that takes at least seven years, according to garden officials.  

Paul Licht, director of the UC Botanical Garden, said that the plants even "make nice house plants, except perhaps during the one night they bloom."  

The Botanical Garden is using its website, www.botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu, as well as Facebook and Twitter pages, to update the public on the plant's progress and to solicit suggestions for its name.  

The winner of the name contest will receive a young Titan Arum plant, also known as Amorphophallus titanum, and a family membership or a one-year extension of a current membership to the garden.  

The previous blooms in the garden included Trudy in 2005, Titania in 2007, Odora and Odorado in 2008, and Tiny in 2009.  

The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but is closed the first Tuesday of each month. When the upcoming bloom occurs, the garden will be opening after hours to members. Memberships will also be sold at the garden's front gate, located at 200 Centennial Drive in Berkeley.  

 

 


Israeli Ship Unloading Canceled after Morning Protest at Oakland Port

By David Bacon
Monday June 21, 2010 - 11:28:00 PM
David Bacon
David Bacon

OAKLAND-- Hundreds of demonstrators from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area set up early morning picket lines in front of four gates into the SSA terminal in the Port of Oakland, as a ship carrying Israeli cargo was preparing to dock. Demonstrators were protesting the Israeli attack on the flotilla that sought to break the blockade of Gaza, in which Israeli troops killed nine people. In response to the picket line, members of Local 10 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union decided not to go into the terminal and unload the cargo. In the afternoon, with picket lines again in front of the gate, the stevedoring company decided not to ask for a crew of longshore workers to unload the ship, in the expectation that the crew would again not enter the terminal.  


Press Release: Historic Treasure of Jewish Life and Culture Given to UC Berkeley

Monday June 21, 2010 - 11:41:00 AM

One of the world’s preeminent collections of Jewish life, culture and history will have a new home at the University of California, Berkeley, starting this fall, campus officials and the Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley announced today (Monday, June 21). 

The 10,000-piece collection of precious music, art, rare books and historical archives – part of the Magnes Museum since its founding in 1961 – will be transferred to UC Berkeley over the summer. The collaboration will partner a world-class collection with a world-class university, complementing the school’s academic offerings, raising the profile of the Magnes collection, and making it more accessible to scholars. 

The transfer is being made possible by gifts totaling $2.5 million over five years from philanthropists Warren Hellman, Tad Taube, and the Koret Foundation. These gifts will ensure that the acquisition is built on a solid and self-sustaining financial model. 

Support from other Magnes Museum donors will finance the renovation of a building at 2121 Allston Way, in the heart of the city of Berkeley’s arts and commerce district. The 25,000-square-foot space will have a lecture room, seminar rooms and a state-of-the art space to exhibit the Magnes’ prints, paintings, photographs, costumes and Jewish ceremonial objects. 

The new name of the Magnes Museum will be the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at The Bancroft Library. 

The Magnes’ Western Jewish History Archives, the world’s largest collection of letters, diaries, photographs and other archival documents relating to the Jewish settlement of the West, will move into The Bancroft Library. Musical manuscripts and sheet music will be located at the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library. 

“We are excited to acquire, steward and grow this precious cultural asset and ensure that it contributes to a much broader vision for our already robust Jewish studies programs at UC Berkeley,” said UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau. “We thank Warren Hellman, the Taube Family, and the Koret Foundation, who have stepped forward to help make this vision possible. We also look to build on the foundation of support created in the last five decades by the many friends of the Magnes Museum who have given generously and made this collection the treasure that it is today.” 

The Magnes Collection – considered among the world’s finest holdings of Jewish history and culture – features Hanukkah lamps, Torah ornaments, musical recordings, portraits, modern paintings and sculpture that date as far back as the 15th century. In some cases, long-separated papers of Jewish families will be reunited under one roof at The Bancroft Library. 

“The Magnes has been a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of the Bay Area for almost 50 years,” said Charles Faulhaber, the James D. Hart Director of The Bancroft Library. “There is such a close fit between the Magnes' Western Jewish Archives and library collections and The Bancroft's collections on the history of California and the American West that it seems like a match made in heaven.” 

With the upcoming renovation of the Allston Way building, the core Magnes collections of Jewish art and ceremonial objects will be more available than ever to the public, Faulhaber added. 

“I think that this is the best of both worlds – a new and revitalized Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life as an integral part of The Bancroft, and a prominent physical and programmatic presence at the heart of the Berkeley Arts District,” he said. “What's not to like?” 

That point is echoed by Frances Dinkelspiel, president of the Magnes Board of Directors. 

“Moving the Magnes Collection to a new facility in the heart of downtown means it will continue to enhance the cultural life of Berkeley,” Dinkelspiel said. “The partnership with UC will also introduce the collections to a new generation of scholars. The board of the Magnes Museum is delighted that the collection will not only be preserved, but will flourish.” 

### 

 

Online sideshow of collection 


UC Berkeley Admits Demonstration Errors

By Jeff Shuttleworth
Thursday June 17, 2010 - 05:23:00 PM

University of California at Berkeley administrators and police did a poor job of planning for a protest last November that resulted in the takeover of a building and more than 40 arrests, an investigative panel said today.  

A 128-page report by the university's Police Review Board said only five campus police officers were on duty when protesters took over Wheeler Hall at about 6 a.m. on Nov. 20 and the response by Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and his staff was "center-less," meaning that it wasn't clear who was in charge.  

The report says the administration's preparation for a three-day student strike to protest tuition increases "was far too generalized to be helpful" and there were no specific strategies for responding to the possibility that students might occupy a building.  

Wayne Brazil, a UC Berkeley law professor and former federal judge who chaired the panel that prepared the report, told reporters that, "In hindsight, it would have been better to have more officers available" when Wheeler Hall was taken over.  

Brazil also said the campus's police department "was undermanned at the command staff level" because it only had one captain at the scene even though it was supposed to have two captains for such a situation.  

And the captain who was at the scene was someone who focused on administrative duties and didn't have field training, he said.  

Joining Brazil at a news conference on campus today, UC Berkeley Police Chief Mitch Celaya said, "In hindsight, it would have been better to have more officers available that morning."  

But Celaya said the campus's police department has been hit by budget cuts and he staggered officers' shifts so that a larger group of officers would be available for larger demonstrations that were scheduled for later in the day on Nov. 20.  

Celaya also admitted that police "clearly could have done a better job communicating with the administration" about how to handle the takeover of Wheeler Hall and "fell short on communicating with the protesters."  

But he said officers did their best in responding to what he described as "a chaotic, confusing and unpredictable situation."  

Celaya said, "The last thing we want to do is arrest our students."  

Brazil said the student protesters share some of the blame for the problems that occurred, saying, "40 people deprived 4,000 people of their rights" by occupying Wheeler Hall and preventing people from going to classes and doing their jobs.  

Birgeneau, who requested the investigation, said in a prepared statement that the report's findings "should be sobering for us all."  

He said, "It portrays a situation of some confusion on the part of all parties" and "criticizes the administration and the police for not having foreseen and planned better, and for errors of implementation and failures of effective communication."  

Birgeneau said, "We accept responsibility for the assessment of the administration's shortcomings on this day; we are prepared to learn from the report and, to the extent possible, implement its recommendations."  

He added that following the Nov. 20 protest his administration has put in place "a much more robust crisis management structure" and has communicated more actively with students about rules for protesting safely.  

 

 


Opinion

Editorials

Economics, not Aesthetics, Shape Berkeley's Downtown

By Becky O'Malley
Monday June 21, 2010 - 03:18:00 PM

It’s counter-productive to whine continuously about the inadequacies of the remnant metro dailies in the Bay Area, because they’re all we’ve got, so I try not to do so too often. I appreciate that the Hearst Corporation continues to allow John King to post occasional critiques of urban planning and architecture amid the welter of real estate puff pieces which he and others generate on a regular basis.

But his piece last week, in which he damned with faint praise the new University Avenue complex which houses Trader Joe’s, was below his usual standard, falling back all too easily on Bezerkeley clichés instead of relying on reported facts. Predictably, the crowd of illiterate yahoos who monopolize the Chronicle’s online comments were all over him as usual, but they weren’t completely wrong in every case. 

First fact-checking opportunity: 

“[Architect Kirk] Peterson's unrepentant historicism drives fans of contemporary architecture crazy, but it's in line with a city where many people bridle at anything that looks as though it was designed after Julia Morgan retired.” 

Well, no. The cloying false historicism of these buildings was not in response to any popular demand from Berkeleyans. (For a Hearst paper to invoke Julia Morgan in this disparaging context is particularly sad considering how Phoebe Hearst championed Morgan.) 

For an excellent discussion of what actually happened, we point with pride to the critique which appeared in these pages way back in April, written by architect, planner and Berkeley resident Christopher Adams. Though not a journalist by profession, he did his homework in the files of the planning department and the Planet archives, where he discovered that: 

 

“Opponents focused on traffic and parking impacts, on the shadows the building would cast on the adjacent neighbors, and on the high number of apartment units it would contain. After all was said and done, there are 37 more apartments than the developers would have been permitted under regular city zoning, had they not received special approvals from the Zoning Adjustments Board and, on appeal, from the City Council.”  

No one, ever, asked for higgly-piggly glued-on brick facing or phony brown shingles—almost no one ever does. The same Berkeleyans who lobby for preservation of Morgan’s historic buildings support preservation of mid-century modern buildings and also the construction of genuinely authentic contemporary buildings like Richard Fernau and Laura Hartman’s building at Shattuck and Hearst, described in the Chronicle as “Berkeley 's model mixed-use project.” 

Kirk Peterson is a nice guy, and with the right employer is capable of doing interesting buildings. But all too often his contribution to projects is limited to what I’ve called in the past “exterior decorating.” One observer compared this role to the “staging” that canny real estate sales people now do to make properties look better than they actually are. 

The modernist idea that form should follow function, and that function should be expressed on the surface of a building, has largely vanished from contemporary vernacular architecture. It’s been replaced by buildings designed by spreadsheets instead of by architects, and then gussied up in a futile attempt to please preservationists, who are not so easily fooled.“Like lipstick on a pig” is another simile that suggests itself. 

The Gaia building on Allston Way in downtown Berkeley, the exterior of which Peterson also designed, is a good example of an early instance of the developer’s technique of cramming in as many units as possible in order to maximize profits. The architect of record for such structures typically has little control over the interior design. 

It’s not the outsides of these buildings critics should be looking at, it’s the floor plans. When Zoning Commissioner Gene Poschman looked at plans for the Gaia, he called it a “rabbit warren”—he took a lot of flak for that comment, but he got it right. There are many more rabbit warrens in Berkeley’s future. 

And again, Chris Adams got it right about the TJ complex: 

 

“148 households will encounter the daily reality of these apartments. Thirty-six of them will live in apartments that face into the light wells which bisect the southern Spanish colonial style building. The light wells are 16 feet wide, a dimension such that 24 of these apartments will not be able to see anything except the wall on the other side, a view consisting of the windows of their neighbors but without the bas reliefs that decorate the street facades. From at least 18 of these apartments the tenants will not be able to see the sky, except by sticking their heads out a window.

“No apartments in the northern Craftsman-style building will have only a light well view, but nine bedrooms divided among six apartments will look out 10 feet to blank walls; the bedrooms of four other apartments will look upon a blank wall five and a half feet away. Because of the overhanging roof it is doubtful that any occupant of these rooms will ever see the sky, even by craning out the window. At no time, even at the summer solstice, will direct sun reach these windows. It is unlikely enough daylight will enter at any time of year to permit the occupants to read or perform most routine tasks without turning on the lights.”  

King’s best observation is that the TJ building is “like too many similar efforts in too many other locales, it's a box dropped onto the landscape, rather than something that looks at home.” 

It wouldn’t have looked any more at home if it had been an unashamed unadorned box, however—take a look about a block to the west. Only the cheery window displays of the Talavera Tiles store on the first floor relieve the utilitarian ugliness of the rest of this boxy structure. 

And for a relatively more expensive and even more politically pretentious effort, consider the aesthetics of the blasphemously named David Brower Center and its accompanying public housing project. At least it’s not a box, but it still manages to be ugly, PC though it might be. Overheard comments more than once have included the architectural term of art “penitentiary”. 

But it’s the most distinguished part of a wall of breathtakingly undistinguished structures growing apace along Oxford Street just west of the UC Berkeley campus edge, anchored by the disgraceful UC office building with earthquake bracing on the outside. The grandiose plans for an expensive new UC Berkeley art museum, now off for cost reasons, might have added some entertainment to the area, but the restoration of the old Moderne printing plant instead is a better environmental choice, and could even be handsome if done well. 

It’s all too easy for critics like John King to blame the public process for architectural fiascos, but it’s inaccurate. Bad buildings don’t just land on their sites like spaceships from Mars—they have pedigrees linked primarily to economics. The just-ended, or at least just-paused, period of go-go development expansion accompanied by visions of insane profits found many would-be developers in over their heads in debt to high-rollers like Davld Teece. Chanting their mantra, “it doesn’t pencil out”, they were forced to lobby zoning boards for enormous exemptions to prudent planning regulations—most of which they actually received in Berkeley, just exactly as they did most other places. 

Citizens in general are the ones who want to play by the rules—speculators are the ones who try to get the rules changed. All of this as it applies to Berkeley has been exhaustively documented in these pages over the last 10 years. The late 20th and early 21st century quasi- religious belief in the efficacy of self-regulating markets has not proved any truer for city planning and urban architecture than it has for the energy industry. Rules, rules, rules—often derided, especially by teabaggers, but even more needed now. 

Here in Berkeley, our Mayor has recently put forward yet another version of his Faux Downtown Plan Lite which he hopes to put to a popular vote in November. Roughly, his pitch seems to be: Just Trust Me, road map to follow after you give me the keys to the car and a tank full of gas. 

Only a few pesky rules are specified in his smoothly branded Green Vision scheme, but those few are cleverly calculated to make it even easier to get entitlements to tear down old buildings, throw out the embodied energy they contain, and create many more “cash register multiples” when the construction loan market finally loosens up. There’s still more money to be made off of Berkeley in the development game, if you play it smart. 

The Daily Cal has a great story this week about the pending foreclosure on a big ugly downtown office building whose owners don’t want to make payments on a loser any more. Reporter Matt Burns does a killer job of nailing the irrationality of planning to build ever-taller buildings when the existing ones are going belly up: 

 

“Mayor Tom Bates said the foreclosure is ‘not a good sign’ for the city, but comes as no surprise given the vacancies in the building. ‘It's a sign of the downturn in the economy,’ Bates said. But, he added, the foreclosure ‘won't have long-term impacts’ on the Downtown Area Plan, an ongoing, controversial plan aimed at revitalizing the Downtown atmosphere and stimulating business… ‘(The Berkeley Tower) is not housing, it's a commercial property,’ he said. ‘The Downtown plan's mission is to bring more people Downtown. It doesn't really affect our vision at all.’ … 

At the State of the City luncheon Tuesday, Bates said the plan to improve Downtown allows for five buildings higher than 75 feet, two of which would be up to 120 feet tall and most likely be used for new office spaces.” 

 

So there. 

It’s the economics, stupid. We get buildings which are both tacky and dysfunctional because speculators (and the politicians they fund} make their profits on the building process and have little or no stake in whether the final product sells or even if it works. 

Meanwhile, some optimistic public-spirited Berkeley citizens, former members of the late lamented DAPAC (Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee) are still working on the draft of a real, enforceable downtown plan which they hope to put on the ballot eventually. Let’s hope they get it done before the next boom starts. 

 

[Corrections: David, not Donald, Teece. Laura Hartman's name added to Richard Fernau's.]


The Editor's Back Fence

New: City of Berkeley Drops News Scan Service

Thursday June 24, 2010 - 10:28:00 AM

[Editor's note: We learned today with regret via the notice below that the City of Berkeley has decided to cancel its valuable News Scan Service. It has provided an invaluable way for city employees and citizens to find out how the city is being perceived in the local and national media. The city's tightly controlled public relations office is not a substitute for the independent and diligent News Scan, nor is the Convention Bureau.And a media list which does not include online publications, in the age of the Internet, is sorely deficient, since these days most news about Berkeley can be found only online. ] 

 

News Scan
We are sorry to announce that due to this year’s budget reductions, the News Scan service will be eliminated June 24. There are a broad variety of alternate ways to collect online news and information about the City of Berkeley. Below are just a few suggestions: 

City News Page: In order to ensure residents can still get regularly updated information about the City, we have created a City of Berkeley News Page. It connects readers with information about events, programs, and important web content and web services. Similar to your News Scan subscription, you can subscribe to the News Page and be notified when the page is updated (about twice a week). Just visit www.CityofBerkeley.info/news for more information and to subscribe.

Events and Activities: Public meetings, programs and events that are sponsored by the City of Berkeley can be found on that page, or on the City’s Community Calendar. 

For a detailedguide to Berkeley, including restaurants, accommodations, outdoor activities, shopping districts and a calendar of events, please visit theBerkeley Convention and Visitors Bureau. They are the City’s partner in promoting Berkeley’s many cultural and culinary activities, and provide a wealth of information for visitors and residents alike. 

Media List: You can also check out ourmedia listto see a list of print and broadcast news outlets in the Bay Area. Web-only publications are not included on that list, but can easily be discovered via almost any search engine.


Cartoons

Odd Bodkins: Number 47

Dan O'Neill
Monday June 21, 2010 - 02:46:00 PM

In Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari, if you click on this image, it will be magnified. This no longer works in the latest Internet Explorer.


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Thursday June 17, 2010 - 05:22:00 PM

Republicans? In Berkeley?; President Obama's Speech; Oil Hell; Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill; Lackeys; Energy Policy; Hooked on War 

Republicans? In Berkeley? 

Re your June 15 editorial, "Moving On After Berkeley Turns Down Measure C," voter registration by party broken down by city is available from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters: 


Less than 4.5% of voters in Berkeley are registered Republican, 66% are Democrats, and 23% declined to state a party affiliation. 

To that latter group, I say, you are making a strategic error. In Berkeley (and Oakland), the Democratic primary is the only election in which there's sometimes a meaningful choice for partisan offices. In the general election, Republicans and third-party candidates have virtually no chance of beating the Democratic nominees. Yeah, Green Party candidate Audie Bock beat Elihu Harris in the 1999 State Assembly race, but the circumstances were unique. 

Robert Lauriston 

*** 

President Obama's Speech 

Editors, Daily Planet: In Tuesday night's speech about the BP oil spill, I was disappointed in his endorsement of theKerry-Lieberman proposed American Power Act (Act), which in my opinion should be sent back to the drawing board. 

Why? By meeting behind closed doors, the lawmakers let corporate polluters play too large a role in the Act to the detriment of the climate and consumers. The proposed legislation promotes nuclear energy, oil drilling, and coal mining with a weak carbon-pricing mechanism. 

In addition, it guts the EPA's current authority to regulate greenhouse gases as pollutants under the Clean Air Act. The proposed legislation fails to give incentives to renewable energy development and energy efficiency investments. 

For example, Section 1102 of the Act increases loan guarantees primarily for nuclear power to $54 billion, which is a bad deal for taxpayers, especially considering the high risk of default that even the government acknowledges. Section 1103 provides $6 billion in taxpayer-subsidized risk insurance for twelve nuclear reactors. 

The Act would expand offshore drilling even in light of the BP oil spill. Section 1412 establishes a carbon tax paid by ratepayers and collected by utilities to fund carbon capture and storage with no money allocated to rooftop solar or energy efficiency investments. The coal industry will eat up most of the subsidies that should go to renewable energy development. 

In sum, the nuclear and coal industries will receive a lot of taxpayer money and loan guarantees under the Act. Instead, renewable energy should be getting the investments and loan guarantees. 

Ralph E. Stone 

*** 

Oil Hell 

Who is accountable in this corporate oil monster hell and why wasn't there a backup plan - safety measures beyond failure already in place?Stop this insanity and create green energy bill and means to pass it. 

Roberta Llewellyn 

*** 

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 

An Open Letter to the President: 

Mr. President, it is time for you and British Petroleum (BP) to come clean with the American public about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which is being described as a catastrophe of biblical proportions in the making. We are hearing too much spin and not enough facts. 

The oil spill isthreatening to make vast parts of the Gulf into dead zones where animals and plant species will be so contaminated and unsafe that Gulf communities may face the total end of fishing. Based on new video images showing the unimpeded flow of black oil, it is estimated that100,000 barrels daily -- not the 20,000 barrels being reported -- are leaking,creatingvast underwater oil plumes or concentrations of oil under the sea, whose impacts will take years to understand. 

Besides the enormous damage to the Gulf, eight or more hurricanes are predicted. If one or more hit the Gulf, it means that seawater several hundred feet below the surface of the water could be churned up and then deposited over the South. This seawater, containing oils and radioactive fission products, would magnify the environmental problem hugely bypushing the oil ashore, and spreading it through torrential rains well inland, contaminating vast crops and farmland over a vast area. 

At the very least, Mr. President, there should be absolutely, positively no more off-shore drilling until your administration gets its regulatory house in order and a comprehensive energy policy -- not one developed behind closed doors -- is put in place. Regrettably, big energy now largely controls our climate's future. 

Also, all BP oil profits from its off-shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico should be considered ill-gotten gains and placed in escrow as a down payment to pay damages caused by the oil spill. Unfortunately, the U.S. does not have the legal authority to order this, but public opinion and your bully pit might embarrass BP to consider this possibility. 

The Gulf oil spill is fast becoming your Hurricane Katrina. While this is an unfair comparison, who said politics is always fair. 

As you have said, "every crisis is an opportunity." It's time to seize the opportunity. 

Ralph E. Stone
Judi Iranyi 

*** 

Lackeys 

2012 GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney joined the bandwagon along with Tea Party leader Sarah Palin, blaming President Obama, in a roundabout way, for the Gulf oil spill. Both being corporate lackeys, they would do that. 

The oil spill in the Gulf is BP's fault, corporate malfeasance, or, it could be the Republican's fault due to lax regulations on oil wells during the Bush-Cheney oil presidency. 

And come on! Look at the white people protesting for the new Arizona immigration law. White folks carrying signs "ILLEGAL IS A CRIME", "WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON"T YOU UNDERSTAND". This debate is not about immigration "THIS IS ABOUT RACISM" plain and simple. Decaying white power targeting a whole segment of society, Hispanics and Latinos. 

Ron Lowe 

*** 

Energy Policy 

If this isn't a 911 on our energy policy I don't know what is. PLEASE let's get off the oil diet and onto a more sustainable energy source. Hey here's a concept—we become the world's leader in green energy technology and at the same time we don't have to pour billions of dollars into middle east conflicts to try to keep our oil flowing this way.
THINK ABOUT A WORLD LIKE THIS! It IS possible. 

Bamboo King 

*** 

Hooked on War 

US and Afghan officials claim to have discovered more than $1 trillion in untapped copper, iron, and lithium deposits in Afghanistan, enough to significantly bolster the future development of the war ravaged country. But there remains skepticism about Afghanistan's mineral wealth, as some critics argue that the extent of un-mined deposits is being inflated to garner support for the war. 

Yes, America is hooked on war, and although some Americans might not realize that, you can be sure the rest of the world does, as it looks at Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places around the world where the U.S. has fought wars, threatened to fight wars, sent armed forces, or launched missiles in their stead. 

America spends more on its military budget than most of the rest of the nations of the world combined, and yet many Americans would tell you that the U.S. is a peace-loving nation that only goes to war to bring about peace, and that only uses its military to keep the peace. 

It's like Orwell said: "War is peace" to them. More than that, though, war is profit to many U.S. weapons makers and manufacturers, who make enormous amounts of money selling arms and material not only to the U.S. government but to many others around the world. 


Ted Rudow III,MA 

***


More Letters

Thursday June 24, 2010 - 10:40:00 PM

Obama Sacks McChrystal  

I applaud Obama's sacking of Gen. McChrystal. We don't need a cowboy with no respect for civilian control of the military running the show in Afghanistan. However, littlemention is made in the media about hisactive role in creating the impression that Cpl. Pat Tillman had died at the hands of Taliban fighters instead of beingaccidentally killed by his own troops. He signed off on a falsified recommendation for a Silver Star that suggested Tillman had been killed by enemy fire. Tillman's mother, Mary, in her book Boots on the Ground by Dusk wrote that McChrystal got away with it because he was the "golden boy" of Rumsfeld and Bush. Nine days after Tillman's death, McChrystal was promoted to major general.  

McChrystal was also involved in a scandal involving detainee abuse and torture at Camp Nama in Iraq. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, prisoners at the camp were subjected to abuse, including stress positions and being dragged naked through the mud. McChrystal was not disciplined in the scandal, even though an interrogator at the camp reported seeing him inspect the prison multiple times.  

Why did the media and Congress give him a pass during his confirmation hearings? Instead, he was sent to run the war in Afghanistan.  

 

 

Ralph E. Stone


New: Berkeley Bowl: What is to be Done?

By Harry Brill
Thursday June 24, 2010 - 09:23:00 PM

The workers at Berkeley Bowl on Oregon Street just voted by 99 to 74 to decertify the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) despite the Union's record of achieving major gains for the store's employees. The Union conducted a vigorous campaign to win employee support. In addition to union staff speaking to workers on a one-on-one basis, delegations from other unions and a very large one from the community spoke with management. In a low key non-confrontational approach we told employees that we support them and the union. We explained that food purchased in a unionized supermarket tastes a lot better. 

Those who know something about the history of labor relations at Berkeley Bowl should not be completely surprised at the outcome. When the Union attempted seven years ago to organize Berkeley Bowl, the employees voted overwhelmingly against unionization. Significantly, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) required Berkeley Bowl to accept the union. The reason is that the NLRB found that a fair election was not possible because of management's unfair labor practices. 

Those were better times, when workers who became jobless could find other work. Not so now. No question, the employees were visibly scared. The political atmosphere in the store was intimidating. Supervisors were walking around all day with big "Vote No" buttons, but "Vote Yes" buttons were nowhere to be seen.  

From a labor perspective, this was not a pretty picture. 

Okay, labor lost an important battle, which imposes additional burdens on the union. In fact, due to loss of revenue, the UFCW may have to retrench. And other stores may also try to decertify their unions. What, then, should UFCW be doing? Legally speaking, the union at Berkeley Bowl cannot have another election for a year. Meanwhile it will be doing a lot of groundwork. 

But here's the issue that the Union must pay more attention to. From what I have heard from several Berkeley Bowl employees, the union needed a more visible role on the ground. For example, one progressive and politically experienced employee complained that when Berkeley Bowl raised the health insurance premiums that employees must pay, the union only filed a grievance. For more visibility and effect, holding a protest rally would have been a good idea. More generally, these stores should have stewards who are actively in contact with the members, continually engaging them, asking what their concerns are and working with them to resolve the problems they have on their minds. In short, it would be useful for unions to move from a model in which issues are too often handled within a legal framework, and frequently by experts, such as lawyers, to a social movement model, in which union members are more vigorously encouraged to participate in shaping their day to day work lives.  

Also, allies are not just very important, but urgent. To the credit of the Union, it solicited the involvement of the East Bay community. For example, the East Bay Labor and Community Coalition, which I helped organize, brought over 30 community activists to the Berkeley Bowl to let the employees know that we support them and their union. But let us acknowledge that even when a union does all the right things, it can still lose. However, although this model of community and union cooperation doesn't guarantee victory, the absence of this alliance could make winning in the present economic climate highly improbable. 

For the employees, decertification is not the answer because it leaves them more vulnerable to their employers. Instead, they must play a greater role, not a diminished one, in union related issues. Union stewards can help facilitate this process. A more active and vigorous alliance of working people, union staff, and the community would improve the odds for labor tremendously. 


And Then They Came for Councilmember Capitelli...

By Mal Burnstein
Monday June 21, 2010 - 11:39:00 PM

There are many opinions in the Bay Area about the Israeli blockade of Gaza and its bloody interdiction of the flotilla trying to break that blockade. This piece is not about the substance of that debate. A multitude of resolutions on the subject have been introduced and debated in clubs, organizations and public bodies. And, unfortunately, but not surprisingly, out of the woodwork has appeared some insidious operatives seeking not to win the public debate but to cut it off entirely by means of, not to mince words, threats and economic and political pressure. Again, not surprisingly, some of the same characters that used those tactics against the Planet are at it again. Look at the following posts in the web site of the Jewish Weekly, the week of June 10, 2010, following that paper’s reporting of the introduction of such a resolution condemning the Israeli action in the Richmond City Council: 

 

"Posted by Dan Spitzer
 

06/11/2010 at 11:10 AM  

 

Berkeley Resolution to be Introduced 

 

"Laurie Capitelli, a Berkeley Councilman who represents a district with a large Jewish populace, is one of the co-presenters of a resolution which condemns Israel. He will introduce the measure at next week’s Berkeley City Council meeting.
 

What motivates Mr. Capitelli, who in the past was quite a moderate? He intends to run for mayor and believes that by castigating Israel, he will garner votes from Berkeley’s leftist community.
 

Mr. Capitelli is also a real estate broker with an office at Red Oak Realty on Solano Ave. “J” readers might consider contacting Capitelli at Red Oak(510-527-3387) and letting him know what you think about both his political aspirations and his future in the real estate business… 

 

"Posted by Dan Spitzer
 

06/11/2010 at 05:48 PM  

 

Keep Pressure on Capitelli  

 

"Because we don’t know for certain that Capitelli has indeed decided not place on the Berkeley City Council agenda his planned resolution to condemn Israel, those who support the Jewish State should continue to let Capitelli know that ANY unwarranted action on his part castigating Israel, now or in future, will precipitate political and professional consequences.
 

In fact, I’m pleased to announce that the eminent John Gertz—the author of that most effective website dpwatchdog.com which helped torpedo the Berkeley Daily Planet—has just constructed another most informative site, Capitelliwatchdog.com. Check it out…[Note, that site appears not yet to be open.] 

 

"Posted by Dan Spitzer
 

06/12/2010 at 09:57 AM  

 

No Capiletti [sic] Demonstration 

 

"Because Laurie Capiletti [sic] has now indeed bowed to reasonable protest and decided not to place an a resolution condemning Israel on the Berkeley City Council docket, a planned demonstration at his office has now been called off. But this doesn’t mean that those who support Israel shouldn’t demand that Capiletti [sic] remove the loony left ideologue who wrote the anti-Israel resolution, Mary Nicely (what a misnomer), from Berkeley’s so-called Peace and Justice Commission. Please contact Capitelli and DEMAND that he immediately remove his manifestly biased anti-Israel appointee from P&J…

 

The author of those posts, along with his cohorts—particularly John Gertz—is well known to Planet readers as having been engaged in a campaign to bankrupt this journal, or force it to become a mouthpiece of AIPAC. These people don't want to win arguments about Israeli policies and actions, they don't even want to have such public discussions. Rather, they want to prevent any discussion at all; or force only sycophantic admiration for all things Israeli. They use political pressure, economic pressure, social pressure, and simple name-calling as their weapons. They are a disgrace to the democratic process. 

 

The irony of such "Brown Shirt" tactics is that, insofar as it succeeds, it cheapens Israeli democracy (as well as ours), and hides Israel's good qualities (and there are many) behind the totalitarianism of their approach. By association with them, they mark Israel as a country too ashamed of its policies to allow them to be scrutinized. They deny Israel necessary oversight of its actions so as to be able to learn from its mistakes. Note the Israeli reversal of its harsh blockade of Gaza after international pressure and condemnation of its raid on the flotilla. These people think that blind loyalty is in the best interests of Israel; that is not democracy. They don't want to, indeed, they fear to debate the issues, but they instead threaten and intimidate the speakers to force them to shut up. And they do that by threatening their livelihood. Some champions of democracy these cowards. As a Jew, I'm ashamed to call them coreligionists. (That's actually a complicated story: as an atheist I can hardly be said to be a religionist; but that wouldn't have kept me out of the ovens.) Be that as it may, we simply can't let these tactics go unremarked or unchallenged. This started with the Richmond City Council as the Planet noted in its story of June 15. Pressure was put on Vice Mayor Jeff Ritterman and he pulled his resolution before it could be discussed. In Berkeley Council member Capitelli has been put under even more pressure. Will we let this go without answer? 

 

 


Human-Made Disasters Are Preventable: Repeal the GA Time Limits

By boona cheema
Monday June 21, 2010 - 04:28:00 PM

Alameda County has implemented a 3-month time limit to General Assistance (GA) that will increase homelessness, hunger, crime and suffering. Without GA, people without any other income—who have not been able to find work in the worst economy since the great depression—will have ZERO income for 9 months out of the year. 

While municipalities are engaged in a shell game of rearranging funds in the new economic reality, the old, new, and permanent reality is that people cannot survive on zero income: Time limits will throw thousands of residents into homelessness, hospitals, jails, and crises that will cost more in emergency response systems. Human needs must be the first priority for public funds! 

We’re especially horrified and in shock about the way the Deputy Sheriff is coming to GA recipients’ houses and acting like cops. Especially when they are dealing with people with mental illness, it’s a traumatic experience. We want the County to call them off. 

Today, June 22nd, 2010, at 1221 Oak Street in Oakland, there will be a Press Conference & Rally at 12:00 PM, before the Board of Supervisors' meeting at 1:00 PM 

To join the Stop the GA Cuts Coalition and get more information, call: 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS): Janny Castillo, (510) 649-1930 x 221; East Bay Community Law Center: John Engstrom, (510) 548-4040 x 356; or Homeless Action Center: Patricia Wall, (510) 540-0878 x 313 

Stop the GA Cuts Coalition Members: 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, East Bay Community Law Center, Homeless Action Center,Berkeley Food & Housing Project ~ Berkeley Community Coalition, La Familia Counseling ServicePublic Interest Law Project, St. Mary’s Center and many others… 

boona cheema is Executive Director of Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS).


Economic Bizarro World

By Sonja Fitz
Saturday June 19, 2010 - 05:08:00 PM

The economic news goes from bad, to worse, to bizarre. And poor people currently find themselves knee-deep in Bizarro world. 

When the economy crashed at the end of 2008, the Feds threw buckets of money at the banks without mandating that they pump up their lending to Main Street or cut out those ginormous executive bonuses. 

While Main Street struggled to stay above water and the White House turned its attention to health care, abandoning first universal care then the public option in order to pass a severely watered down version, defeated Nevada Republican Senate candidate advocated bartering chickens for health care. 

Meanwhile, with businesses folding in every community and nearly 10% of Americans out of work (with the usual much higher percentages for people of color), according to the Federal Reserve nonfinancial companies have socked away $1.84 trillion in cash and other liquid assets as of the end of March, up 26% from a year earlier and the largest-ever increase in records going back to 1952. 

And while U.S. household debt fell for the seventh straight quarter in early 2010, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich points out in the Huffington Post that this deceptively good news belies the fact that debt fell simply because Americans who sank waist deep into debt over the last decade as their wages dropped when adjusted for inflation have pared back their debt and are spending far less. 

And locally? As foreclosures skyrocketed, the number of Bay Area people receiving food stamps rose 53%, and nonprofit agencies saw their demand for service increase 40% and more, how did Alameda County respond to the economic crisis? It decided that saving some money by shoving poor people off the General Assistance loan program for nine months of the year and into survival freefall was an acceptable trade off. 

Huh?? Living on less is one thing, living on nothing is quite another. Most of us feel squeezed at the end of the month when money is tight before our next paycheck. Imagine the vice-like squeeze of having no check at ALL.  

The people served by the organization I work for, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (www.self-sufficiency.org), struggle to make ends meet even when receiving the whopping $250 or so they get from General Assistance. Without it, they will be in the shelter longer competing for jobs and housing against people with better skills and credit histories, nicer clothes, and more references. Or on the street. Or in jail—nailed for making a ‘public nuisance’ of themselves by having no home. 

We all know that the Bay Area is one of the most expensive places in the country to live, but some of us may not realize just how expensive it is. According to Struggling to Make Ends Meet in the Bay Area, a 2009 Financial Self-Sufficiency Report by United Way, even before the global economic crisis, “having a job was not a guarantee of adequate income as 86% of Bay Area households with incomes below the Self-Sufficiency Standard had at least one worker”. The Self-Sufficiency Standard is a ‘living wage’ measure formulated by assessing what it actually costs to pay for basic needs, as opposed to the outdated arbitrary ‘povery level’ standard used by public agencies. According to the report, many local families hold down three full-time minimum wage jobs to pay for basic necessities.  

And the inequity has some familiar faces: High school drop-outs are four times as likely to have inadequate income compared to those with at least some college education; families headed by single women are almost two times more likely than two-parent households to have income below the standard; and 43% of Latino households and 38% of African American households have insufficient income to meet their essential needs compared to 14% of white households. 

What is that definition of insanity again? Doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result? Investing in education, jobs, housing, and health care consistently reaps benefits for individuals, for the community, and for the country, while slashing cuts to human services just drains the community of the productivity and collective health and energy that would help put the economy back on track—to say nothing of the suffering it inflicts on poor people, who have experienced an “economic crisis” day after day for years, not just as a temporary blip on Wall Street’s ticker tape. 

By Sonja Fitz, Development Director for Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), an Alameda County nonprofit organization that provides housing, health, economic development, and social justice programs to help over 1,500 homeless people each year work towards stable independent living. 


Gender Apartheid Online

By Ruth Rosen
Saturday June 19, 2010 - 04:58:00 PM

Forty years ago, feminists demanded that special "women's pages," which featured fashion, society and cooking, be banished from newspapers. Instead, they insisted, newspapers should mainstream serious stories about the lives of women throughout their regular news. 

Forty years later, the new media have re-segregated women's sections. The good news is that they are no longer about society, cooking and fashion. Most are tough, smart, incisive, analytic,and focus on events, trends or stories that the mainstream online news still ignores. The bad news is that they are not on the "front page" where men might learn about women's lives. 

Does this trend signal success of failure? As an early activist in and scholar of the women's movement, I'm concerned that all we have gained after four decades are stand-alone feminist online magazines and web sites and the "right" to have separate women's sections embedded in other magazines. This is the women's pages of 1969 redux, even though these sections promote a broad array of serious subjects from a strong feminist perspective. Nor are all the editors of these online men who have cast women as "the other." Many are feminists who, for whatever reasons, have created these special women's sections. 

/Salon/ , for example,has Broadsheet, which produces excellent stories about issues or trends that affect half the population. /Slate/ has Double XX, which recruits talented and thoughtful women to write stories that offer an important feminist perspective. /PoliticsDaily.com /has a "Woman Up" section that is a collective women's blog. /OpenDemocracy,/ a British online magazine, has 50/50, a separate section that focuses on news stories about women around the world. 

The list is long. Many are web sites or magazines that have their own special women's section. Even /The New York Times/, to the surprise of many journalists, has an online series called the Female Factor. Here you find fascinating articles that belong with the regular news, about women in corporations, political news from Germany, or problems faced by the newly retired. But because they focus specifically on women, and are online, they are mostly unknown to readers of the print version of /The New York Times/. 

Some online magazines have no obvious special section. In order to access news about women on /Truthout, /for example, you have to go to "issues" and then click on "women." (When did half the population turn into "an issue?" ) /The Huffington Post / tends to place blog posts about women and "women's issues" in the Style or Living section. 

Consider the /Inter Press Service/, which describes its mission as "giving a voice to the voiceless" - acting as a communication channel that privileges the voices and the concerns of the poorest and creates a climate of understanding, accountability and participation around development, promoting a new international information order between the South and the North." 

Women, however, do not appear on the regular Inter Press Service. Instead /IPS Gender Wire,/ a separate magazine, provides outstanding news about women's lives around the world. In each issue, /IPS Gender Wire/ repeats the fact that "Women do not get half the media's attention, or an equal voice in expression - only 22 percent of the voices you hear and read in the news today are women's. In its stories IPS redresses this huge imbalance - covering emerging and frontline issues while asking an often forgotten question: What does this mean for women and girls? 

The news stories that appear on /IPS Gender Wire /have focused on political opportunities for women in Senegal, investigated whether Namibian women are being sterilized, discussed women's debates in Lebanon about whether to don the hijab or bikini, and exposed sexual assaults against detained female immigrants by guards in Texas. And it never stops reminding readers that women are "Half the world's population, but not with half the share of wealth, well being and opportunity." 

Think about it. Many of these sections are terrific and cover wonderful stories. They are not about fashion, cosmetics and wrinkle cream. But do men read them when they are clearly "marked" for women? I don't know, but the party line from writers and publisher is "of course." True, some of my male journalist friends know about some of these sites. But I can't find many ordinary men who regularly read these online magazines who even know that /IPS Gender Wire/ exists, or who regularly click on Broadsheet. And most of my female friends have never even heard of the /New York Times'/ Female Factor. 

The quality of the writing and analysis in these "separate sections" is quite high. So what's my problem? My concern is that gender equality will only emerge when men are educated about women's lives and when women stop being quarantined as "the other." Why aren't stories that explore women's responses to the Taliban or Islamism, reproductive health issues, new forms of contraception, the growing majority of women in American higher education, or the estrogenic impact of cosmetics on women's health mainstreamed on the "front page" as part of the news about foreign policy, national security, ecology, pollution, or health care? 

True, when the story is about the appointment of Elena Kagen, to the Supreme Court, the story automatically lands on the front page. But not when honor deaths kill hundreds of women in Pakistan. 

The educated online audience reads a great deal about wars and conflict and I would be the last to deny the importance of these stories, whether they are about Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka or Thailand. But it is rare that we also read about the women and children lwho suffer the "collateral damage" of these military battles or who constitute the majority of refugees or displaced persons. 

Off the record, those who write for these "special sections" freely admit to me that some of the publishers of the magazine would rather not cover these women's stories "on the front page." Since they won't speak on the record, I can only tell you that writers for these sections are happy to have an oasis in which to offer a feminist perspective on the world events, where they don't have to fight editors who still view women as "the other," and where they can expose, debate, and re-think how we would re-organize the world "if women really mattered." 

As a result, they are resigned to write for a segregated news section because it allows them to publish such stories, provides them jobs, and gives writers opportunities to publish important stories about half the world's population. 

So what would success look like? Right now, we have countless stand-alone women's news magazines and web sites such as /Women's E News/, /Feministing,/ /Jezebel, /, /Ms. Blog,/ ,/Rh Reality Check/ , /New Agenda/. Or, we have these special women's sections embedded in the new gender apartheid of online news magazines. 

Success, in my view, will come when women's news is mainstreamed. News about women is linked to the health of the planet, the education of half the world's population, the reproductive opportunities for or constraints on half the world's people, the hidden injuries of sex, the violence against girls and women, and the poverty of women and children. 

By now, most international organizations have embraced the fact that elevating women's status though education and reproductive choice results in a higher living standard for an entire population. Sadly, that widespread and obvious consensus has not yet penetrated the news media. We will know we've succeeded when every magazine asks of every news story, as I/PS Gender Wire/ does, What does this mean for women and girls? 

Ruth Rosen, a former columnist for the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle, teaches history at the University of California, Berkeley.  


The Mythologies of Militarism

By Steve Martinot
Saturday June 19, 2010 - 04:57:00 PM

I went to hear a panel on drone warfare last Saturday (6/12/2010) at the Berkeley Public Library, organized by a group called Grannies Against War (which I revere simply for their existence). The chair of the meeting expressed the hope, in her opening remarks, that the information to be discussed would arouse anger, and bring people into activism. Drone warfare is a form of mechanized killing, in which a technician in a war room, perhaps in Colorado or Iowa, or on shipboard in the Indian Ocean, flies a pilotless plane remotely, and can target people from the air, unleashing lethal force against them. It has been used in Afghanistan, Gaza, and Pakistan. Its use by the US has increased dramatically over the last two years. Its kill rate is high, and its ratio of civilians to actual "combatant targets" is around 50 – 1.  

There were three speakers on the panel. The first speaker spoke about a debate now in progress concerning whether drone warfare is legal or not (I'm leaving the names of the speakers out because I wish only to focus on the concepts at issue). The ACLU says it isn't, while various policy makers say it is, or that the issue is cloudy. Those who think it legal, however, insist on the use of careful euphemistic language, to avoid any connection to international human rights law that seeks to limit the impunity of war. Thus, they refer to "targetted killing" rather than assassination, "armed conflict" rather than war. Drone warfare is seen by policy makers as a legitimate mode of targetted killing, which is in turn legitimized by the context of armed conflict. And armed conflict is legitimized by the fact that 9-11 was a non-state attack on the US, requiring armed response to terrorists and terrorism. It is the idea that 9-11 was an attack on the US that forms both the basis and the necessity for this euphemization.  

The second speaker described the technology of drone warfare, its similarity to video games, the logistic economy of the tactic, and the advantage to the war-maker of not exposing personnel to face-to-face danger with those it seeks to kill. She provided an evaluation of drone warfare as having succeeded as a tactic, yet failed as a strategy, because the very idea of such mechanized killing, and the degree to which civilians have been the real victims of this tactic, has turned many people in the world against the US.  

The third speaker asked the question, why is the impunity of this tactic acceptable to people in the US? He focused both on 9-11 as the immediate source, and the age-old feeling among people in the US that they would be willing to die for freedom. He pointed out, however, that drone warfare does not bring freedom, democracy, equality, or justice with it. It simply kills. And this, he points out, was an ethos already contained in the immediate response to 9-11. If there were perpetrators of that act, it should have been seen as a criminal act, and dealt with judicially, rather than with a declaration of war – against an amorphous enemy (terrorism) which could only be fought terroristically by mechanized invasion, B-52 bombings, and ultimately drones.  

In short, the use of drone warfare represents a new form of military horror. Despite disclaimers, it targets civilian areas and non-military people, principally because military units would more often have the ability to shoot down the drone. Thus, it is a dehumanized (literally and figuratively) form of industrialized killing. If the official definition of terrorism is the use of arbitrary violence to change or control a political situation, then the use of drones is a form of terrorism. Conversely, when people are willing to fight using hands and minds against huge powerful war-machines, then they have to be understood as fighting for something they are willing to die for. Drone warfare then represents the US response to such people.  

Does this inversion of morality explain the acceptance of impunity? Let me summarize the logic of drone warfare. It is one mode among others of "targetted killings" (aka assassinations). Targetted killings are justified by the non-governmental nature of the enemy, requiring "armed conflict" (aka war). "Armed conflict" is legitimized as the proper response to the 9-11 attack by a non-governmental enemy.  

9-11 is at the center of the issue (which each panelist explicitly recognized). It is the government account of 9-11 that mediates between the horrendousness of killing by video game and the approximately 2 million people killed by US "armed conflicts" since 2001. If drone warfare (aka mass murder) is horrendous and should be stopped (and I think it should), then the process of rationalizing it must be unravelled, which means going to its logical source. It is as the logical source for industrialized mass murder that 9-11 takes on mythic qualities.  

Three things can be said about this.  

A- If it is true that the planning and logistics for the original assault on Afghanistan were begun in July, 2001, two months before 9-11 (as Stan Goff, a retired green beret instructor, was able to confirm), then Osama bin Laden was not the target. Ironically, he remains the target despite the idea that he was killed in 2002, as suggested by Benazir Bhutto shortly before she was assassinated. If the US was planning an assault on Afghanistan in July, 2001, then it was indeed illegal, a crime against humanity, and all that follows in its wake would be similarly illegal, the continuation of that crime. If there is judicial controversy over this, it is supported only by the myth that 9-11 was an attack on the US.  

B- 9-11 is mythic not because it never happened, but because what did happen remains unknown. Whatever investigation into the event was possible ceased to be feasible as soon as the government sequestered and destroyed as much of the evidence as it could. What evidence we have, however, clearly indicates that the twin towers and building #7 were brought down by controlled demolition (we saw that the massive central steel columns in the twin towers, 94 in number, were all cut off at ground level, as well as cut into pieces, and we now know what kind of explosive was used to do that, thanks to Steven Jones). This implies, despite the derogation and character assassination of those who ask the relevant questions, that the planes did not bring the buildings down. If the destruction of the buildings was planned by those who planted the explosives, then the planes, whose existence was subordinated to the planned destruction of those buildings, did not constitute an attack on the US. Those who put the explosives in place did not just "let something happen." But without the idea that 9-11 was an attack on the US, all the rationalizations for armed conflict and massive assassinations disappear.  

C- What is not questioned about "armed conflict," because 9-11 is not questioned, is the notion of "conflict." Conflict means there are two sides. When the US invades a sovereign nation with B-52s dropping bombs from 30,000 feet on a people whose warmaking technology is limited to rifles and pick-up trucks, there is no conflict. It is entirely one-sided. Armed conflict, then, is not a euphemism for war, but a euphemism for mass murder. And under such circumstances, the notion of "terrorist" becomes a euphemism for Afghani or Iraqi "self-defense." What the myth (of 9-11) does is hide the fact of that one-sided assault, and enable acceptance of both the notion of armed conflict and the impunity needed to carry it out.  

What follows from 9-11 then stands exposed as a complex of crimes against humanity, first against the sovereign nation of Afghanistan, then against Iraq, and finally, against us. If we address what drone warfare means (and we should), and do not question the mythology upon which it is based, we forfeit our call to justice for the victims of those crimes. 


Columns

The Public Eye: Berkeley Bowl’s New Union-Busting Campaign

By Zelda Bronstein
Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 09:55:00 AM

Six years ago federal officials forced the owners of the Berkeley Bowl to accept a union at their Oregon Street store. In 2003, 70% of the employees had voted not to unionize. After the United Food and Commercial Workers Union protested to the National Labor Relations Board, the NLRB—George Bush’s NLRB, mind you—found that the employer’s alleged unfair labor practices were so “pervasive and serious” that a fair election was impossible and ordered the Bowl to bargain with the union. The result was a contract that store employees ratified in August 2005 by a vote of 117-12. The union contract brought Bowl workers new benefits: previously workers had been fired at will; today they have a formal grievance procedure, as well as guaranteed paid vacations and health insurance for all employees. Now these gains are threatened by the Bowl owners’ new anti-union campaign. 

The current contract expires on July 31. Three months ago UFCW Local 5 asked the Bowl to start new contract bargaining sessions; to date the company has failed to respond to the union’s request. Local 5 has a grievance pending over the termination of Olimpia Moreno, accused by the owners of giving a friend a discount on a sandwich; and another grievance pending over proposed changes on the employees’ health plan.  

Meanwhile a petition to decertify the union has been signed by 30% of the 196 employees at the Oregon Street store—enough to trigger a decertification election. On Wednesday, June 23, the election will take place in three sessions conducted by the NLRB and monitored by one representative from labor and one from management. A simple majority vote will decide the outcome. 

Efforts to preserve Berkeley Bowl workers’ right to union representation are underway. A pro-union workers’ committee is marshaling support on the shop floor. The UFCW has set up a table with information outside the Oregon Street store, staffed with its own members and representatives from other unions. Last Saturday, members of the California Nurses Association, dressed in their scrubs and wearing pro-Berkeley Bowl worker buttons, went into the store to express support for the union. On Sunday, Harry Brill led thirty community members, many of them Berkeley residents and all wearing pro-worker buttons, into the store, where they engaged the workers in non-confrontational, pro-union dialogue and bought something on their way out.  

Buttonless, I went into the store myself on Sunday. I saw workers with “Vote No” buttons and others sporting UFCW insignia. When I asked an employee in the produce section who had a “Vote No” button pinned onto his apron why he was against the union, he told me that he’d been working at the Bowl for ten years, and that since the union had come in, he was making only twenty-five cents more an hour.  

Back outside, I passed that statement on to UFCW representative Julian Perez. “That,” said Perez, “would be hard to believe.” But in any case, he said, post-union increase in wages at the Bowl depend on exactly what employees were doing; some workers got raises of up to five dollars an hour; managers got less.  

Outside the store, I also spoke to the Oregon Street Bowl manager David Craib. Earlier in the morning, Craib had called the Berkeley police to complain that pro-union activists were blocking the entrance to the store, violating the Bowl’s “solicitation policy” of staying at least fifteen feet away from doorways. Berkeley cop Lyle Ledward showed up but, seeing no criminal behavior, only observed what was going on. I asked Craib if customers had complained about the pro-union activity. None today, he replied, but “this will happen throughout the day.”  

Craib has worked at the Bowl for ten years, serving as store manager over the past year. “Management,” he claimed, “had no part in filing the decertification petition.” I asked him whether he had been meeting one-on-one with Bowl employees. I assume that he knew that I knew that owners often use such meetings to initimidate workers; and that the Bowl had done so in 2003. “I talk to employees one-on-one all the time,” Craib said. About the decertification election, I asked? We talk “about current events in the store,” he said. 

To Jim Grogan, Local 5’s Organizing Director, “this is a continuation of what happened in 2004….We can’t afford to be broken in the East Bay, and, more important, to lose the union at the Bowl.” According to pro-union store employees, the Oregon Street facility has a million dollars in weekly sales. 

Results of the decertification election will be known by Wednesday evening.  

 

 


Blogbeat: Frankenfuels and Oakland Docks Protest
stuff of local interest to check out on the net

By Thomas Lord
Monday June 21, 2010 - 05:17:00 PM

This week’s items:Local blogs about a successful effort to delay the unloading of an Israeli ship at the Oakland docks;BP’s money at work – genetic engineering for alternative fuels in Berkeley. Israeli Ship Unloading Delayed by Picket Line 

Israel’s raid on a flotilla bound for Gaza, and the deaths that occurred during that raid, were prominent in the news recently. The raid provoked a local response which received only brief mention in the press but of which the blogosphere has more information. 

On June 20than “ad hoc coalition of dozens of community and labor organizations” converged at the Port of Oakland with the goal of blocking, for 24 hours, the unloading of an Israeli ship. Dockworkers approached but did not cross the picket line. Management insisted that the line should be crossed. An arbitrator was brought in and the union argued that crossing the line posed a threat to the health and safety of workers. The arbitrator agreed and the ship was prevented from unloading for 24 hours. 

Participants in the event blogged about it and provide more video than you might have seen on the news.Obviously their accounts are not from a neutral perspective but they make interesting reading: 

“For veteran Bay Area activists, today's victory echoed a historic milestone in 1984, when ILWU workers in San Francisco refused to unload a ship called the Nedlloyd Kimberley, because its cargo came from South Africa. Just 10 years later, Nelson Mandela was elected president, and apartheid - in its South African form - was dead.” wrote Henry Norr on the Mondoweiss blog (subtitled “The War of Ideas in the Middle East”). 

Of course, not everyone agrees that the action promoted a just cause.As one sample, Christopher Logan writes on the Loganswarning blog – a blog apparently dedicated to sounding alarms about Islamofascism.He offers more footage of the event and concludes “Those that are in support of the Palestinian movement, are actually aiding the worldwide jihad.”  

My own bias about the conflict between Israel and Palestine?I only wish I was so wise as to have one.Neither side seems to me to occupy a higher moral ground in the most controversial actions.And there’s an awful lot of wrestling around in the blood soaked mud. If I have a bias, it is a long standing hope for cooler heads to prevail on both sides. 

Meanwhile, you’ve got to admire the cool heads of the dockworkers union and the arbitrator and management in response to this protest. 

Genetic Engineer, Baby, Genetic Engineer 

There’s good news(!), sorta, from the BP-funded genetic engineering research at the Joint Biosciences Engineering Institute (JBEI).Here is a link to a blog post from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory about a recent advance in the science of making alternative, carbon-neutral fuels. After the link I’ll explain it a bit as best I understand it – and share some of my personal misgivings. 

The lede of the article:“Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have identified a trio of bacterial enzymes that can catalyze key steps in the conversion of plant sugars into hydrocarbon compounds for the production of green transportation fuels.” 

Well, what the heck are they talking about? 

Let’s suppose that we start with plant matter.Not corn, necessarily.Not even necessarily any plant that will displace food crops. Ideally one that can be harvested without too badly damaging soil. We want to break this down and basically convert it into fuel (e.g., suitable for running a car). 

That’s a sweet deal, if we can get it. The greenhouse gases that fuel emits are greenhouse gases that the plants drew in while growing. In other words, there is a theoretical 0 amount of increase in problematic gasses.On top of that, there’s no need for drilling and the kinds of problems it creates.On top of that, it points the way to a fuel supply we can produce domestically – no need to rely on fuel imports. That’s why BP funds research in these areas. 

To efficiently and effectively convert biomass to fuel on the massive scales needed to displace oil-based fuels is a tricky problem. Scientists look for help from microorganisms which will essentially eat the plants and (pardon me, but) poop the fuel. This is a bit like the way that yeast makes beer or wine – the microorganisms eat up the plant stuff and “poop” out alcohol and other byproducts. The difference is that to sustain anything even vaguely close to our current oil-based lifestyle, the process has to be made far more efficient, to happen on a far larger scale, and to produce chemicals quite a bit more complicated than the alcohol you find in a nice bottle of this or that. 

Harry Beller, “an environmental microbiologist who direct the Biofuels Pathways department of the JBEI’s Fuels Synthesis Division” led a study involving a particular bacterium (“micrococcus luteus”, if you care) whose metabolic processes seemed to do a key step in that conversion from plant matter to fuel. 

This is where it gets tricky: 

As we know, here in the sourdough capital of the universe, if you need a colony of yeast well, you can get a starter going just from what drifts through the air. So youmight think the answer is just mix up a plant mash with micrococcus luteus and wait. It won’t do.It’s not that simple.That’s not efficient.You’ll wind up getting either no usable fuel or else fuel that gives less energy than you spent in making it. 

To the rescue, if that’s what it is, come the synthetic biologists. What is a “synthetic biologist”?It is someone who works on the technology of inserting genes from one critter into another critter to create yet a third kind of critter. 

In the case at hand the scientists carefully studies the genes and metabolism of micrococcus luteus and identified three particular genes that were critical to the process of fuel production. 

In the next step, these genes are isolated and injected into strains of e. coli – yes, there’s unfortunately still more of a “poop” angle here. 

Injected with those genes, the new “franken”-e. Coli begin acting more like micrococcus luteus.They become little specialized critters, man-made, perhaps pointing the way to how to make critters that can very, very efficiently make fuel from plant waste. 

This is all kind of awesome, if you ask me.I dabbled around the periphery of synthetic biology for several years and while much of the biology and chemistry is lost on me, every bit that is not lost on me suggested that this is, indeed, a highly promising area of research. Perhaps, one day, a great deal of oil production will be replaced by large vats of fermenting-on-steroids (so to speak). It’s worth looking into, at any rate. 

What alarms me, though, are the safety and environmental concerns. After all, these bright folks are busy creating entirely novel life forms that nature would almost certainly never come close to producing. In this case, they are tinkering with E. Coli – a bacterium that plays a very important role in the human gut. Ought I to be worried that one day I’ll wake up and (sorry, again with the poop) be excreting fuel? 

It’s not that simple, of course. The particular E. Coli strains that they work with are selected in part because of their weakness: they are darned easy to kill (and tricky to keep alive).Spritz them with some fairly banal antibiotics and a splash of bleach and they’re goners, for sure. Well, probably. 

Inside sources have characterized the situation to me by saying that the only widely agreed upon safety protocols in the US date from the 1970s and that more recent efforts to advance the protocols consistently become mired in politics. Insiders at the Joint Biosciences Engineering Institute have shared gallows humor with me about the prospect of waking up one morning to find the San Francisco Bay covered with a sheen of fuel produced by escaped lab creations. It is not known how easily these synthetic variations on E. Coli could colonize the gut of an infant but it is a risk for which nobody seems to have a good answer. 

In recent years I visited the lab where (most likely) much of this current work took place.I was given a brief tour. I was shown the freezers where the modified E. Coli are kept. I had access to lab benches where they were being worked upon. My potential for personal exposure was uncomfortably high, for my standards. Additionally, at several points, if I were a malevolent actor – I could have trivially and without detection ensured the release of modified E. Coli through (trivial) sabotage.And in the event of an earthquake or fire, I could not see how release into the wild of these franken-critters could be at all unlikely. 

I expressed some of my concerns to some of the grad students there, later, over some beers. “So, you swish out the petri dishes and then literally just flush them down the drain?”Yes, came the reply.But, hey, you should see the kinds of chemicals they used to flush down the drain at MIT and into the Charles River a few years back. Cold comfort, that. 

They say to never look a gift horse in the mouth.That always struck me as odd: carefully studying the gift horse before bringing it inside the gates might have saved Troy. In any event, BP is funded some very promising research in alternative fuels, right here in Berkeley. It’s just the conduct of that research – the wisdom of bringing inside these gates, conducted this particular way – that gives me some concern. 

Until next time, please be in touch: lord@emf.net  

 


The Public Eye:Buy It Now! Meg Whitman’s California Campaign

By Bob Burnett
Saturday June 19, 2010 - 05:15:00 PM

While California teeters on the edge of bankruptcy, the Golden State will feature the nation’s most expensive gubernatorial race between former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and Attorney General Jerry Brown. Will desperate Californians be beguil California has a $20 billion budget shortfall and its bond rating has been downrated to below that of Kazakhstan. As usual, the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the legislature can’t agree what to do. California’s unemployment rate is 11 percent and recent budget cuts have caused sharp curtailments in state services ranging from layoffs of public safety employees to diminution of highway maintenance. 

In theory, Schwarzenegger was well positioned to deal with California’s budget woes. A self-declared centrist Republican, he appeared to occupy a halfway position between the Democrats who control the state legislature and the über-conservative Republicans who constantly fight them tooth and nail. (California is one of only three states that require a 2/3rds vote to pass a state budget.) Unfortunately, the “governator” morphed into an erratic wimp, managing to irritate both parties and, ultimately, the electorate. 

As a consequence, California has a horrendous budget crisis and no clear path to resolution. Enter Whitman and Brown. 

It’s pretty clear why Jerry Brown is running for Governor. He’s a career Democratic politician; he’d been termed out as Attorney General; he’d already been Governor from 1975-83; and no other major Democrat wanted the job. 

It’s less clear why Meg Whitman is running. As CEO of eBay, Whitman took the company public and became a billionaire. Some suggest she’s emulating former Massachusetts’ Governor Mitt Romney, another billionaire who used the state house as a route to Republican political prominence. 

Whatever Whitman’s motivation may be, it’s clear that she’s willing to spend millions to win the governor’s race. To capture the Republican primary, she expended $76 per voter, roughly $80 million. (In contrast, Jerry Brown spent 50 cents per voter to win the Democratic contest.) 

Whitman ‘s campaign emphasizes her CEO credentials. Unfortunately, the experience Whitman describes – “At eBay, Meg learned how technology and decentralization can be harnessed to deliver powerful results” –has little to do with fixing California. Instead of thoughtful proposals, she offers grandiosity. With one hand, Whitman promises to beat the legislature into shape, while with the other she proposes to balance the budget by simultaneously cutting taxes and reducing state payrolls by $15 billion. 

One of the lessons successful CEO’s immediately learn is the necessity to balance a budget. In California, that doesn’t mean cutting services, they’ve already been cut to the bone. It means sensible tax increases; for example, a severance tax on oil producers. But Whitman, as a conservative Republican, is dogmatically opposed to any tax increase no matter how fiscally responsible. 

In fact, Whitman wants to eliminate state capital gains taxes, which are primarily paid by the wealthy. In 2006, 61 percent of capital gains taxes were paid by individuals with adjusted gross income in excess of $1 million. Eliminating California’s capital gains tax would primarily benefit Whitman and her rich pals. 

Whitman’s solution to working with a Democratically controlled legislature is to reduce their effectiveness: “Meg will support a constitutional amendment that would turn California’s full-time legislature into a part-time legislature with a greatly reduced salary.” That’s a terrible idea; it would guarantee that only the wealthy could afford to be legislators. 

Managing California isn’t like running eBay. California has the eighth largest economy in the world and – considered as a nation state – has responsibilities that corporations don’t have. When times get tough, corporations can lay off their workers. But California can’t responsibly lay off public safety workers and teachers. When times get tough, corporations can gut their employee benefits. But California can’t responsibly cut life support for the elderly and infirm or for children. 

In contrast to Whitman’s pomposity, Jerry Brown comes across as stolid. Whereas Whitman touts her experience as a corporate CEO, Brown notes his experience working in state government: “insider’s knowledge, outsider’s mind.” And Brown was an effective mayor of Oakland, a deeply troubled city. 

Brown and Whitman have major points of agreement: no new taxes, downsize the state bureaucracy, and push some responsibilities to counties and cities. The difference between them is process. Whitman is confrontational, I will bend the legislature to my will. Brown is collaborative, I know how to work with the legislature to get things done

Ultimately the contest will come down to money and voter turnout. Whitman will pour more millions into her campaign, outspend Brown by at least two to one. But Brown has the advantage of running as a Democrat in a state where 44.6 percent of voters identify as Dems versus 30.8 percent who favor Republicans. 

Is Brown exciting enough to bring out Democrats and capture enough Independent votes? Will Whitman’s money overcome her deficiencies? Will either candidate be able to prevent California’s slide into bankruptcy? Will Golden Staters live happily ever after? Stay tuned. 

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer. He can be reached at bobburnett@comcast.net


The Fraud of Environmental "Protection"

By Richard Brenneman
Thursday June 17, 2010 - 09:08:00 AM

Folks with a modicum of common sense have good reason to worry about oil spills and toxic waste sites. The former can pollute vast regions of sensitive wildlife and human habitat, while the latter pose more focused threats. 

In theory, both the National Environmental Protection Act [NEPA] and the California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA] supposedly ensure that any new development which poses potential threats to the environment and the critters living therein will be thoroughly vetted for potentially harmful consequences and measures taken to prevent of contain them. 

But in the course of six years of writing extensively about both sets of regulations, huge flaws in both have become apparent. 

Perhaps the greatest single threat arises from the ability of regulators and legislators to waive environmental review or ignore the dangers raised by the review whenever they deem the projects important because of “overriding considerations,” as the California law phrases it. 

One consequence of such waivers is the mass of oil now contaminating the Gulf of Mexico and spreading slowly but inexorably into the waters of the greater Atlantic. 

As Ian Urbina writes in the New York Times

the days since President Obama announced a moratorium on permits for drilling new offshore wells and a halt to a controversial type of environmental waiver that was given to the Deepwater Horizon, at least seven new drilling permits and five waivers have been granted, according to records. 

The records also indicate that since the April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon, federal regulators have granted at least 19 environmental waivers for gulf drilling projects and at least 17 drilling permits, most of which were for types of work like that on the Deepwater Horizon shortly before it exploded, pouring a ceaseless current of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. 


Asked about the permits and waivers, officials at the Department of Interior and the Minerals Management Service, which regulates drilling, pointed to public statements by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, reiterating that the agency had no intention of stopping all new oil and gas production in the gulf. 

So, what’s shaping up as one of the worst environmental disasters of modern times got a free pass from regulators, with the “overriding consideration” being the nation’s hunger for the planet’s dwindling reserves of fossil fuel. 

Again, quoting from Urbina’s article: 

At least three lawsuits to strike down the waivers have been filed by environmental groups this month. The lawsuits argue that the waivers are overly broad and that they undermine the spirit of laws like the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, which forbid drilling projects from moving forward unless they produce detailed environmental studies about minimizing potential risks.
 

Choosing their own watchers 

But even when projects undergo reviews, there’s on huge problem. Developers, whether governmental agencies or corporations, get to pick their reviewers. 

There’s a host of companies who conduct reviews, making lots of lucre in the process. These are private corporations, staffed by university planning department graduates. 

And while the process is supposed to be conducted in an impartial, unbiased manner, the reality is somewhat different. 

One leading firm conducting reviews in California is based here in Berkeley, Design, Community & Environment. Founder David C. Early “is also the head of Livable Berkeley, a group that advocates strongly for the sort of ‘infill’ development that has proved a hot potato in the community.” 

Questions naturally arise concerning the objectivity of a company’s reviews of projects which embody concepts for which it has already declared a favorable bias. 

DCE has also worked as a subcontractor to other companies doing environmental assessments, including work on an EIR for the University of California’s newest campus at Merced under another outfit called URS. The Berkeley firm also worked on other projects at UC Berkeley where URS was the designated contractor. 

A conflict of interests 

URS also did environmental monitoring at UC Berkeley’s Richmond Field Station, where the university is planning a massive corporate industrial park on a site with a long, highly complex history of toxic pollution. Why URS could work on UC projects at the time remains an open question, given that the company was controlled at the time by Richard C. Blum, a member of the UC Board of Regents and spouse of Sen. Diane Feinstein, the powerful California Democrat. 

Blum’s company was also awarded the contract to build the $750 million UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center while Blum was serving on the board. 

[For an excellent overview of some of Blum’s other conflicts see this article by Peter Byrne.] 

Only in 2005 after students and a handful of journalists pointed to the conflicts of interest inherent in Blum serving as developer on projects he approved as regents did the wealthy builder sell off the interest in the firm he had controlled for three decades. 

Also serving with Blum on the URS board was retired General Joseph Ralston, the former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and current Vice Chairman of the Cohen Group (former Defense Secretary William Cohen's firm) as Sourcewatch reports. Cohen, by the way, is also partner of another San Francisco Bay Area project undergoing environmental review, a billion-dollar-plus resort casino project planned for one of the region’s poorest cities, Richmond. 

The Sacramento-based company conducting that review has a long history of making favorable findings on tribal casino projects in the Golden State. 

Back to the oil spill 

So what happened with Deepwater Horizon and the other offshore drilling projects still being rushed through the approval process? 

Corruption with the approving agency, the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service, clearly paid a significant role, as the BBC reported last month. 

A 2008 interior department investigation found some MMS employees took drugs and had sex with energy company representatives. 


Some staff had also accepted gifts and free holidays, amid “a culture of ethical failure,” according to the investigation.

 

Federal and journalistic investigations are still underway, and Interior Secretary Salazar has promised a major regulatory overhaul. 

But when it came to getting to the bottom of the BP disaster, more questions remain that answers, as Ryan Knutson and Marian Wang discovered when they took a look for ProPublica, the non-profit foundation created by a pair of banksters who got out when getting was good—and highly lucrative. 

As you may have heard, before the big BP disaster the government’s chief oil drilling regulator let most drilling go forward in the Gulf of Mexico with very little environmental review. Somehow, the Minerals Management Service decided that there was little chance of disaster and thus gave the entire central and western Gulf an exclusion from a requirement for comprehensive environmental reviews. 


Yes, you heard that right. Drilling projects in the entire central and western Gulf of Mexico have what the government calls a “categorical exclusion” from detailed environmental studies. The Gulf, by the way, is where most of the nation’s offshore drilling takes place. (Here’s a handy flow chart from the government showing the approval process.) 


How such a broad exclusion was established is an enduring mystery. 


On its website, the MMS says categorical exclusions are established “based on experience,” and only after “hundreds” of studies have been completed without showing significant impacts. 


That raises the question: When did the MMS do so many studies in the Gulf that it decided they were no longer necessary? And who approved that decision and why? 


We’ve spent the better part of a month trying to unravel it, and the answer we have so far: The exclusion was created a long time ago, but not even the government knows exactly when or where it came from.

 

A modest proposal 

The highly flawed legal process for conducting environmental reviews demands reform. The two major system failures result from two quirks in the existing federal and state laws. 

Being of a suspicious mindset, one might conclude that the legislative flaws were the fruits of prodigious lobbying rather than ineptitude on the part of lawmakers. 

The first problem is the matter of picking the specialty firm of experts hired to conduct a review. As the laws now stands, the developer—the party with the most to gain—makes the choice, while the public—those with the most to lose—have no say. 

So it’s no wonder that companies pick reviewers with track records for favorable findings. After all, a corporate officer has fiduciary obligations to shareholders, right? 

Two alternatives offer better hopes for the community interest. First would be to continue the process of private reviews, but make the choice a matter of a blind draw, eliminating a choice based on reviewer favoritism towards specific types of projects. 

The second alternative would be the creation of public reviewing bodies, perhaps drawn from academic faculty, with a fixed percentage of fees going towards the general funds of cash-strapped public universities. Of the two options, this would serve the public interest best—provided the academic reviewers were barred from taking jobs with companies they’d reviewed. 

The other problem concerns the matter of the findings of overriding considerations that allow projects to move forward when there are judged to be public needs that transcend the project’s harm to the environment. 

Keeping America’s SUV’s on the road and the reduction of dependence on foreign oil in an age of political turmoil will always trump environmental damage when politicians and their appointees look at drilling projects, especially when contributions from oil companies and their fronts play a major role in elections for national office—as well as those of defense/military contractors who profit so richly from the turmoil. 

On the local level, especially here in California, cities and counties are more dependent than ever on the fees paid by developers and the property taxes paid by the project’s new owners. Rejecting a project may also mean killing a much-needed social program or laying off valuable employees. Revenue’s certainly an overriding consideration for city government, and there’s sure to be a big temptation to rubber stamp projects that’ll feed the anemic city revenue stream. 

Now add the political factor. Even in a self-styled “progressive” city like Berkeley, contributions from the development community reign supreme [see here]. 

So it’s no surprise that, as a general rule, in Berkeley developer-favored candidates win. 

Some variant of the same mechanism proposed above for environmental reviews—creation of a public body, possibly through the university to review the findings of overriding consideration, subject to appeal through an administrative law review or a trial by jury in a state superior court. 

On the federal level, similar controls could be implemented, including a law that mandates all future drilling projects must be subjected to a review by a panel of experts. 

The process of environmental review, as it currently stands, doesn’t serve the public interest. It’s time for a change.


Dispatches From The Edge: Turkey, the U.S, and Empire’s Twilight

By Conn Hallinan
Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 01:45:00 PM

When U.S. forces found themselves beset by a growing insurgency in Iraq following their lighting overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the most obvious parallel that came to mind was Vietnam: an occupying army, far from home, besieged by a shadowy foe. But Patrick Cockburn, the Independent’s (UK) ace Middle East reporter, suggested that the escalating chaos was more like the Boer War than the conflict in Southeast Asia. It was a parallel that went past most Americans, very few of whom know anything about the short, savage turn of the century war between Dutch settlers and the British Empire in South Africa. But the analogy explains a great deal about the growing influence of a country like Turkey, and why Washington, despite its military power and economic clout, can no longer dominate regional and global politics.  

Take the current tension in U.S. –Turkish relations around Iran and Israel.  

The most common U.S. interpretation of the joint Turkish-Brazilian peace plan for Iran, as well as Ankara’s falling out with Israel over the latter’s assault on the Gaza flotilla, is that Turkey is “looking East.” Rationales run the gamut from rising Islamicism, to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ explanation that the West alienated Turkey when it blocked Ankara from joining the European Union (EU). 

While Turkey’s rise does indeed reflect internal developments in that country, its growing influence mirrors the ebb of American power, a consequence of the catastrophic policies Washington has followed in the Middle East and Central Asia.  

From Ankara’s point of view, it is picking up the tab for the chaos in Iraq, the aggressive policies of the Israeli government, and the growing tensions around the Iranian nuclear program. As Sedat Laciner, director of the International Strategic Resource Center in Ankara, told the New York Times, “The Western countries do things and Turkey pays the bill.”  

While the Cold War is over, argues Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, “a new global” order has yet to emerge.Until those “mechanisms” are in place, “It will therefore fall largely to nation-states to meet and create solutions for the global political, cultural, and economic turmoil.” 

Davutoglu’s observation about “a new global” order is an implicit critique of a United Nations’ Security Council dominated by the veto power of the “Big Five”: the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China. Increasingly countries like Turkey, Brazil and India are unhappy with the current setup, and either want a place at the table or a reduction of the Council’s power. The latest Iran sanctions passed 12 to 2 to 1 in the Council. They would have failed in the General Assembly.  

Internally, Turkey is putting its house in order. It has returned the once all-powerful army—four coups in as many decades— to the barracks, shifted power away from Istanbul elites to central and eastern Turkey, eased up on domestic repression, and even begun coming to terms with its large Kurdish minority. Legislation before the parliament would allow Kurdish language television stations and establish a commission to fight discrimination. 

Externally, Turkey is following what Davutoglu calls a “zero problem foreign policy.” It has buried the hatchet with Syria, and reached out to Iraq’s Kurds. Of the 1200 companies working in Iraq’s Kurdistan, half are Turkish, and cross border trade is projected to reach $20 billion this year. And the Kurds have something Ankara wants: 45 billion barrels in oil reserves and plentiful natural gas.  

Turkey has expanded ties with Iran and worked closely with Russia on energy and trade.It has even tried to thaw relations with Armenia. It has mediated between Damascus and Tel Aviv, brokered peace talks between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, and Serbians and Bosnians in the Balkans, and tried to reduce tension in the Caucasus. It has also opened 15 embassies in Africa and two in Latin America. 

Its foreign policy is “multi-dimensional ” says Davutoglu, which “means that good relations with Russia are not an alternative to relations with the EU,” an explicit repudiation of the zero-sum game diplomacy that characterized the Cold War. 

Turkey’s ascendancy is partly a reflection of a political vacuum in the Middle East. The U.S.’s traditional allies in the region, like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, are increasingly isolated, distracted by economic troubles, paranoid about internal opposition, and nervous about Iran. 

This growing influence has not been well received by the U.S., particularly the recent deal to enrich Iran’s nuclear fuel. But from the Turks’ point of view, the nuclear compromise was an effort to ratchet down tensions in a volatile neighborhood. Turkey is no more in favor of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons than is the U.S., but as Laciner says, it also doesn’t “want another Iraq.” 

Of course there is an element of self-interest here. Turkey gets 20 percent of its gas and oil from Iran, and Tehran is increasingly a valuable trading partner. Indeed, Turkey, Iran and Syria are considering forming a trade group that would also include Iraq.  

Ankara’s falling out with Israel is attributed to the growth of Islam, but while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party does have a streak of Islamicism, Turkey’s anger at Israel is over policy not religion. The current Israeli government has no interest in resolving its dispute with the Palestinians, and leading members of the Netanyahu coalition have threatened war with Iran, Syria and Lebanon.  

A war with any of those countries might go regional, and could even turn nuclear if the Israelis find their conventional weapons are not up to the job of knocking out their opponents. 

Ankara has much to lose from war and everything to gain from nurturing regional trade agreements and building political stability. Turkey has the 16th largest economy in the world and seventh largest in Europe. 

Turkey has begun working closely with other nations who would also benefit from a reduction in international tension. Ankara’s partnership with Brasilia is no accident. Like Turkey, Brazil’s economy is humming, and Brazil has been key in knitting together Mercosur, the third largest trade organization in the world. It has also played no small part in helping South America to become one of the most peaceful regions in the world. 

The U.S., on the other hand, has drawn widespread anger for its support of the Honduran government, expanding its military bases in Colombia, and its increasingly unpopular war on drugs. If much of the world concludes that regional powers like Turkey and Brazil are centers of stability, while the U.S. seems increasingly ham fisted or ineffectual, one can hardly blame them. 

The British eventually triumphed in the 1899-1902 Boar War, but what was predicted to be a cakewalk for the most powerful military in the world turned into the longest and most expensive of Britain’s colonial wars. In the end the British won only by herding Boar women and children into concentration camps, where 28,000 of them died of starvation and disease. 

All over the colonial world people took notice: a ragtag guerrilla force had fought the mighty British army to a stalemate.The Boar War exposed the underlying weakness of the British Empire, just as Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated that the era when powerful countries could use force to dominate a region or the globe is over. 

“The world is not going to take the diktats of the powers that have run it for the past two or three hundred years,” political scientist Soli Ozel of Bilgi University in Istanbul told the Financial Times.


Dispatches From The Edge: Crazy Talk in the Middle East

By Conn Hallinan
Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:06:00 AM

Trying to track—let alone make sense—of recent developments around Iran is enough to make one reach for that stuff they just found lots of in Afghanistan: lithium. While the element is essential for a host of electronics, it is also a standard treatment for bipolar behavior.  

Take the issue of Iran’s missile force. The conservative International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London concluded that the threat the missiles pose to Israel, the U.S. or its allies has been vastly overstated. “While such attacks might trigger fear, the expected casualties would be low—probably less than a few hundred,” the study found. Iran’s Shehab-1 and 2 cannot even reach Israel, and it will be at least three years before the longer range Shahab-3B and Sejjil-2 are deployed. In any case, according to the study, the missiles are inaccurate. 

But while the IISS was pooh-poohing the danger, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Europe was threatened by “hundreds” of Iranian missiles, although Iran doesn’t have a missile that can come close to hitting Europe. Gates was on Capitol Hill pumping the Obama administration’s new sea and land-based “ phased adaptive approach” to missile defense.  

In the meantime, the U.S. was sending an aircraft carrier and almost a dozen support ships into the Red Sea. Rumor has it that the fleet will try to intercept Gaza aid ships organized by the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Several Israeli submarines are current deployed in the Gulf of Iran as well, along with a newly arrived surface warship. While it seems extremely unlikely that the U.S. would actually try to halt the Iranian ships, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said, “ I don’t think that Iran’s intentions vis-à-vis Gaza are benign.”  

The London Times reported that the Israelis and the Americans had come to an agreement with Saudi Arabia to allow Israeli warplanes to cross the desert kingdom without being challenged on their way to bomb nuclear sites in Iran. While Riyadh called the story “slanderous, the Times was holding to its sources in the Israeli and U.S. militaries. And Tzahi Hanegbi, chair of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee said that “time was running out” for Iran. 

As I said, people are talking very crazy these days in the Middle East. 

If Israeli planes did decide to bomb targets in Iran, conventional thinking is they would hit enrichment facilities at Natanz and Qom, a gas storage unit at Isfahan and the heavy-water reactor at Arak. Planes might also target the light-water reactor at Bushehr.To do so, of course, would require crossing Jordanian and Saudi airspace, but there is very little either country could do about it. Challenging the Israelis in the air is a very bad idea. 

Even with mid-flight refueling, it would be a stretch, but it would be hard to knock out Iranian targets using just their missile firing submarines. Unless, of course, the Israelis are willing to cross the Hiroshima-Nagasaki line and use nuclear warheads. It seems like madness, but then some people are talking pretty crazy these days. 

In a recent Christian Science Monitor article, “Does Israel suffer from ‘Iranophobia’?”, reporter Scott Peterson examines the Israeli mindset and found some pretty scary things. “There’s something utterly irrational and exceedingly disproportionate in Israeli understandings of the Iranian threat,” says Haggai Ram, a professor at Ben Gurion University and author of “Iranophobia: The Logic of an Israeli Obsession.”  

“Iran is perhaps the most central issue [in Israel], yet there is really no critical debate about this,” says Ram, and for those Israelis who do challenge the idea that Iran is an “existential threat” to Israel, “they are immediately rendered into these bizarre self-defeating, self-hating Jews, and seen as a fifth column.” 

According to Ram, “For Israelis, anti-Iran is a consensus. You don’t have to be a neoconservative to wish for the destruction of Iran.” Polls show that Prime Minister Netanyahu is growing in popularity, and that Israelis are circling the wagons on everything from the attack on the Gaza flotilla to the embargo of Gaza Strip. 

Iranian President Ahmadinejad has also said that one day “Israel will vanish,” but much of his bombast is for internal consumption and the need to divert people from the economic crisis at home. Netanyahu’s comparison of Ahmadinejad to Hitler, and of the current situation to 1939, serves much the same purpose. Focusing on Iran keeps the world’s eyes away from the ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands and the strangulation of Gaza. 

How much of this is real is hard to sort out. The U.S. talks about Iran as a “threat,” even though Iran has neither the military nor the economic capabilities to inflict serious damage on Americans. Iran can also talk about Israel vanishing, but can do nothing to actually facilitate that. Even if Iran acquired a nuclear weapon, to use it would be national suicide, and the Iranians have never exhibited a desire for self-destruction. 

The danger is that rhetoric and bombast can create its own reality and lead to a mistake. The Israeli attack on the Turkish ship was just that. When people with nuclear weapons talk in apocalyptic language, it’s something to pay attention to. 

--30--  


“What’s this ‘Senior Power’ business?” & Fun in Spanish: Columna de alimentación de Senior

By Helen Rippier Wheeler
Saturday June 19, 2010 - 06:03:00 PM

“Seriously,” I’m asked, “what’s this ‘Senior Power’ business? You don’t really believe it, do you?Basically, the real senior thing is like uh senior bowl and senior class in senior high school, and senior chief petty officer and such. Actually. Duh.” 

And I must acknowledge that senior center, citizen, discount, housing, moment, rally, etc. each in some way reflects less power and the powerlessness of many people as they age. I’m with Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC-43BC), who declared that “Old age will only be respected if it fights for itself, maintains its rights, avoids dependence on anyone and asserts control over its own to its last breath.” 

xxxx 

Senior Power, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation in Vancouver, Washington. Its website declares “Seniors can control the direction of America if we unite.”Some of the things “we” need to change sound great, some impractical. It opposes national healthcare. 

And I quote: Require Congress to pay back the 2.3 trillion borrowed from the Social Security Fund. Stop taxing Social Security payments for all seniors. Give seniors a flat tax, no tax on the first 50K (single), a maximum 10%. Make identity theft against a senior punishable at 1 day in prison for every dollar taken. Have the Congress have term limitation of 2 terms, same as President. Stop all pay and pension benefits for Congress they should become public servants convert their pension to Social Security benefits like the rest of us. Require each state to have one senator that is a senior and 50% of their representatives to be seniors. Make lobbyists illegal and punishable for 20 years in prison for all parties involved, including the politician. Require the federal government and every state government to have a balanced budget. Limit of 15 years to serve on the Supreme Court or age 80 whichever comes first. 

 

Several centuries after Cicero, Marguerite de Valois (1553-1615), declared “A woman of honor should not expect of others things she would not do herself.” Estelle VanRiper Johnson was a woman of honor who made it through widowhood despite insolvency, perfunctory treatment by the power structure, and loss of friends.  

Stella and Judge Johnson resided in a large home, almost a mansion. She was fat and foolish, well reputed as a nice lady who played the church organ and who loved to shop. He was a lush who left sixtyish, childless, pampered and naïve Stella penniless when he died “early” in the midst of the Depression. The mortgaged house was her bequest. It had been taken over by the Home Owners Loan Corporation –- a government agency that attempted to recoup defaulted properties. The local H O L C office was run by a well-to-do local gent who permitted her to live and give piano lessons in what had been the front parlor and to share the first floor bathroom. Running water and a hot plate had been installed in each of the other rooms, which were being rented out. Stella dressed in black and transitioned into rooming house manager. 

School principals referred new teachers to Stella. Miss C -- the junior-senior high school, multi-purpose faculty member/dean of girls/trigonometry teacher/junior high school principal -- and her friend rented two of the second floor rooms. Former missionaries to India, where the friend contracted an incurable eye disease, they had been returned to the United States. 

Over the years, gullible Stella enthused about screw-ball projects she saw advertised as guaranteed at-home income producers: growing mushrooms in the basement, holding embroideries sales, selling Christmas cards to her students’ parents. As the judge's wife, Stella had been a society matron, but her life had changed radically.  

Arthritis was compounded by her weight and lack of exercise. She latched on to an orthopedist. Ever optimistic, she was certain he was going to make everything right, but knee surgery accomplished just the opposite. Destitute, immobile, with no family and unable to care for herself, she was incarcerated in Pilgrim State Hospital. A huge facility out in the pine barrens of Long Island, it was generally regarded as an insane asylum and dumping ground for old people and eccentric adults without families.Stella wrote that she was able to return to the community and implored someone to be her sponsor.Much later I wrote the Hospital administration inquiring about Stella: she had, of course, never succeeded in getting out of Pilgrim State. But she tried.  

xxxx 

--Columna de alimentación de Senior--
 

Este grupo diverso de sobre todo California la gente representa muchos campos y realizaciones, a menudo hecho mientras que eran considerados ¡viejos!  

1. Este autor de “Las alegrías del envejecimiento y cómo evitarlos” es un concierte al pianista y a residente de Los Ángeles que hizo muchos viajes a Vietnam para entretener a las tropas. 

2. “Soy 77 años –residente de Berkeley nombrado Rosita Dolores Alverio, aunque usted puede conocerme como Anita, Maria Callas, o, más recientemente, Amanda Wingfield. ¡Era el primer agente y ¡el primer hispanico para ganar un premio Emmy, un Grammy, un Oscar, y un Tony! En 2000 me presentaron con una concesión de la fundación nacional del Osteoporosis para mi trabajo que levantaba conocimiento.” 

3.Aunque es mirado por alguno como oficinista, ella comenzó a sonar las campanas UC, de Berkeley Sather de la torre en 1923 y continuó hasta el retiro 50 años más adelante. 

4.“Nací en Praga.Era 60 años de viejo cuando hice la primera hembra U. S. Secretaria del estado.” 

5.El libro, “ Silencios ,” era un análisis de los períodos silenciosos del autores, incluyendo los problemas clase obrera los escritores tienen en encontrar hora de concentrarse en su arte. Fue investigado y escrito en Biblioteca pública de San Francisco . Varios críticos señalaron al pasado comunista de los autores, pero una vez que los libros fueran publicados, se convirtieron un profesor y una escritor-en-residencia en las universidades numerosas, incluyendo la Universidad de Stanford mientras que residía en Oakland. 

[Llave 1. Phyllis Diller (1917-) / 2. Rita Moreno (1931-) / 3. Margaret Murdock (1894-1985) / 4. Madeleine Korbel Albright ( 1937 - ) / 5. Tillie Lerner Olsen (1912-2007)] 

### 

Helen Rippier Wheeler can be reached at pen136@dslextreme.com No email attachments; use “Senior Power” for subject.


Wild Neighbors: Local Spider Makes Good

By Joe Eaton
Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:09:00 AM

A couple of weeks ago, Ron and I went to the Bone Room to hear UC-Berkeley entomologist Rosemary Gillespie discuss her research on the spiders of the Hawai’ian Islands. (Check out The Bone Room Presentsfor future events.)  

Gillespie and her students get to spend a lot of field time in Polynesia. At least one, a weevil specialist if I recall correctly, decided to stay there. 

Gillespie has worked with several groups of Hawai’ian spiders, including the spectacular evolutionary radiation of long-jawed orbweavers. Her marquee species, though, is Theridion grallator, better known as the happy-face spider. It’s a small, furtive, nocturnal creature, found in primary forest on all the major islands except Kaua’i. (The only spiders we encountered during our visit there were exotics, including a sizable huntsman that shared the kitchen of our vacation rental.) In one color morph of the happy-face, the arachnid’s abdomen has two black dots above a curved red smile. 

Not all happy-face spiders sport happy faces, though; see Gillespie’s web site for variations. On all the islands where she’s studied them, two-thirds of the happy-faces have plain unmarked yellow abdomens. The others are patterned with spots and blotches of red, black, and white. Each of the 20 or more morphs is genetically determined, although the mechanism in Maui spiders is different from that in Big Island spiders. One of her graduate students is teasing out the details. 

Although Maui and Big Island individuals can interbreed, there’s normally no movement between islands. The whole array of color morphs has evolved independently on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. For a lucid explanation, with diagrams, go to UC’s Understanding Evolution site  

What’s the point of all this polymorphism? Gillespie and Geoff Oxford of the University of York hypothesize that it has to do with predator avoidance. These spiders co-evolved with birds that feed on small arthropods, like the famous Hawai’ian honeycreepers and the ‘elepaio flycatcher. Happy-face spiders hide under leaves; against that background, the all-yellow forms are the most cryptic. 

But rather than rely on that, the spider has hedged its bets—diversified its portfolio of colors and patterns. The variation keeps avian predators from developing a consistent search image; as shown in experiments with blue jays, visual multitasking makes for less efficient foraging. So more spiders go uneaten, and the genetic variety is preserved. 

Yes, there is a California connection here. During her Bone Room talk, Gillespie said that a similar case of defensive polymorphism had been documented close to home—in Tilden Park, among other places. This involves another spider called Theridion californicum (no common name.) First described from Mill Valley in 1904, T. californicum occurs in coastal habitats from British Columbia to southern California. Like grallator, it lives under leaves, frequently those of poison oak. 

As he reported last year in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Oxford collected californicum specimens from several sites in Tilden and from parks in San Mateo and Santa Barbara counties. He catalogued their pattern variations, analyzed how the patterns were formed, and attempted to rear the spiders in the lab. 

Although it does not have a happy-face morph in its repertoire, Oxford found that californicum was similar to grallator in several interesting respects. 

As in grallator, plain yellow was the most common morph in californicum. The others were patterned with overlays of red, black, and white. Oxford had limited success with captive breeding, but did rear 30 broods collected in the wild. Of these, at least some offspring inherited their mother’s pattern. None of the morphs appeared to be limited to a single sex, as is the case for happy-face spiders on the Big Island (as opposed to Maui.) 

Oxford concluded that the same process that created the happy-face variations had been at work in the California species: “..over a certain frequency Yellow becomes disadvantageous in comparison with patterned, and possibly less cryptic, morphs. In this way, polymorphisms may be maintained as a result of shifts in search images by predators with respect to differently coloured prey.” 

What makes this more interesting is that, according to Oxford, grallator and californicum are not closely related; grallator is probably closer to the Central and South American genus Exalbidion. That means that the two polymorphic spiders didn’t inherit that set of traits from a common ancestor: they were evolved independently. In one case, Hawai’ian honeycreepers were the shaping force; in the other, North American insect-eaters like warblers and vireos. 

It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to go to Polynesia, or the Galapagos or other exotic locales to see evolution in action. It’s happening right next door. 


Restoration Comedy:Nail Salon

By Jane Powell
Monday June 21, 2010 - 11:13:00 PM

Today I decided it would be easier to strip the remaining trim in my kitchen if I pried it off first, since paint insisted on remaining in the cracks between the various pieces, and responded neither to sanding, scraping, heat gunning, or paint remover. 

In normal houses this would not be a big deal- break the paint seal, slide in a stiff putty knife, lever it a bit until there’s space to get in a flat bar, pry off, remove nails, repeat. It works like that because the average piece of trim is three quarters of an inch thick or less. 

But not in my house. Have I mentioned that the guy who built my house also owned a lumber yard? My door and window trim is two by sixes. You know, like the stuff they use for decking. And being from 1905, it’s really two inches by six inches, not the one and a half by five and a half of the modern two by six. Ponder for a moment what size finishing nail would be required to hold something two inches thick to the wall, and you will begin to see my dilemma- you need a nail about four inches long. 

Let me digress briefly into the lore of nails. The round, chisel pointed wire nail with which we are familiar dates to around the 1850s, when wire nail-making machinery was invented in France, making it possible to turn out zillions of nails in a short time for a low price. Nails used for attaching wood to other pieces of wood are classified using the term “penny” along with a number representing the length; for instance, a nail 3-1/2 inches long is known as a sixteen-penny nail. A 2-1/2 inch nail is known as a six-penny nail. Why? Supposedly in medieval England, you could buy a hundred 3-1/2 inch nails for 16 pence (pennies), whereas you could get a hundred 2-1/2 inch nails for only 6 pence. Thus, the shorter the nail, the smaller the number. Why then, one might ask, does it says 16d on the box and not 16p? Well, because they used the name of a Roman coin, the denarius. No, I don’t know why. 

To confuse things further, nails not necessarily used for attaching wood to more wood (like roofing or siding nails) are referred to in inches rather than penny sizes. 

Finishing nails are nails that are essentially “headless”, having merely a sort of bulge at the top- they are meant to be driven below the surface of the wood, and the hole filled with putty. They are thinner than regular nails as well. Finishing nails for normal trim would be 6d or 8d. 

A four inch finishing nail is 20d- in common nails, that is a size used for framing. Normally, when you pry off trim, the nails, having not much by way of a head, will actually pull through the trim and stay in the wall. Let’s just say this is unlikely to happen when the trim is two inches thick. Instead, after managing to lever a piece out about a quarter inch, I reached for every remodeler’s friend, the Sawzall™. Now I realize that Sawzall™ is a brand name of the Milwaukee Corporation, and that this tool is properly called a reciprocating saw, but I’m here to tell you, whether your reciprocating saw is made by DeWalt, Makita, Ryobi, or whoever, you will still call it a sawzall. Like kleenex and xerox, it’s just the way it is. So I stuck a metal cutting blade in the sawzall and cut through the nails. Trim should pop right off, right? Well, no. Because those old-time finish carpenters were thorough if nothing else- the damn thing was toe-nailed to the floor. The lefthand trim, which was in a corner, was toe-nailed to the adjacent wall. (Toe-nailing, for the uninitiated, means nails driven in at an angle.) When you’re trying to take it apart carefully, good carpentry can be annoying. 

So that’s one door down, only four more to go. Followed of course by the previously mentioned five coats of shellac on all this trim. No wonder the kitchen has taken four years so far…. 

 

Jane Powell is the author of Bungalow Kitchens and writes for the Planet whenever she feels like it. She can be reached at hsedressng@aol.com. 


Arts & Events

Readings-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:05:00 AM

A GREAT GOOD PLACE FOR BOOKS  

Susan Shea, June 25, 7 p.m. The author talks about "Murder in Abstract.''  

Carolyn Parkhurst, June 28, 7 p.m. The author talks about "The Nobodies Album.''  

6120 LaSalle Ave., Oakland. (510) 339-8210, www.greatgoodplace.indiebound.com.

 

BOOKS INC., BERKELEY  

"Penguin Books 75th Anniversary," June 28, 7 p.m. Hosted by Michael Pollan.  

James M. Tabor, June 29, 7:30 p.m. The author talks about "Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth.''  

Bruce Wrisely, June 30, 7 p.m. The author talks about "Stay or Move,''  

1760 4th Street, Berkeley. (510) 525-7777, www.booksinc.net.

 

DIESEL, A BOOKSTORE  

Aimee Bender, June 27, 3 p.m. The author talks about "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.''  

5433 College Avenue, Oakland. (510) 653-9965.< 

 

MOE'S BOOKS  

"The Fighter Still Remains: a Celebration of Boxing in Poetry and Song," June 29, 7:30 p.m. Featuring Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Leonard Gardner, George Kimball, Taj Mahal, David Meltzer, Ishmael Reed, Michael Rothenberg, John Schulian and Holly St. John Bergon.  

Stephen Ratcliffe and Robert Grenier, June 30, 7:30 p.m. The poets read their latest work.  

10 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. 2476 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2087, www.moesbooks.com.

 

MRS. DALLOWAY'S  

Peter Schrag, June 25, 7:30 p.m. The author talks about "Not Fit for Our Society.''  

Tyche Hendricks, June 25, 7:30 p.m. The author talks about "The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport.''  

Susan Moon, June 27, 4 p.m. The author talks about "This Is Getting Old.''  

Maggie Pouncey, July 1, 7:30 p.m. The author talks about "Perfect Reader.''  

2904 College Avenue, Berkeley. (510) 704-8222.<


Classical Music-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 12:27:00 AM

LIVE OAK PARK  

"Opera Favorites," June 27, 3 p.m. Professional opera singers perform classics and favorites. Free. (510) 547-2471. 

1300 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. < 

 

ST. JOHN'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH  

Piano Quartet, June 27, 3 p.m. Works by Mozart, Saint Saens and Faure. $20-$25. (415) 753-2792. 

2727 College Ave., Berkeley. (510) 845-6830, www.stjohns.presbychurch.net.<


Stage-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:06:00 AM

ASHBY STAGE  

OPENING -- "Left of Oz," by Stephanie Reif, July 2 through July 18, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. Follow Dorothy as she comes out to Aunt Emma and goes to San Francisco to seek out womanly love. $25. www.leftofoz.com. 

1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. < 

 

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE  

"Speech and Debate," by Stephen Karam, through July 18, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m.; Jun. 22 and 29, 7 p.m.; Jun. 23, 30 and Jul. 7, 8 p.m. Sex. Secrets. Videoblogs and blackmail. Just another day in the life of a teenager in Salem, Oregon. $15-$55.  

2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949, (888) 4BR-Ttix, www.berkeleyrep.org.

 

CALIFORNIA SHAKESPEARE THEATER  

CLOSING -- "The Pastures of Heaven," by Octavio Solis, through June 27, Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. Jonatahn Moscone directs this adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel about the search for happiness in the author's own Salinas Valley.  

$112-$220 for series. Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. (510) 548-9666, www.calshakes.org.

 

CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY OF WALNUT CREEK  

CLOSING -- "A Marvelous Party: A Noel Coward Celebration," through June 26, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. This exhilarating evening of song and sparkling repartee features Coward's witty lyrics and contagious melodies. $18-$45.  

Lesher Theatre, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. (925) 943-SHOW, www.centerrep.org.

 

DOUGLAS MORRISSON THEATRE  

"I Love a Piano," through July 11, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. The works of American composer Irving Berlin are the subject of this musical which follows the journey of a piano from 1910 through the 1950s. $20-$28. (510) 881-6777. 

22311 N. Third St., Hayward. (510) 881-6777, www.dmtonline.org.

 

EAST BAY IMPROV  

"Tired of the Same Old Song and Dance?" 8 p.m. East Bay Improv actors perform spontaneous, impulsive and hilarious comedy on the first Saturday of every month. $8.  

Pinole Community Playhouse, 601 Tennent Ave., Pinole. (510) 964-0571, www.eastbayimprov.com.

 

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER  

"Mrs. Pats's House," June 27, 7 p.m. This safe haven known as "a brothel'' brings life and magic to the neighborhood and its occupants. Jovelyn Richards performs with a live band. $12-$15.  

3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568, www.lapena.org.

 

MASQUERS PLAYHOUSE  

"Fuddy Meers," by David Lindsay-Abaire, through July 10, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Claire, a sweet amnesiac, wakes up each morning remembering nothing. Her family must teach her who she is, each day. When she is kidnapped, the adventures really begin. $18.  

105 Park Place, Point Richmond. (510) 232-4031, www.masquers.org.

 

THEATREFIRST  

CLOSING -- "The Drawer Boy," by Michael Healey, through July 4, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. An actor visits two aging farmers and uncovers their long-buried family secret. $10-$30.  

Old Oakland Theatre, 461 Ninth St., Oakland. (510) 436-5085, www.theatrefirst.com.

 

TOWN HALL THEATRE  

CLOSING -- "Proof," by David Auburn, through July 3, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Jun. 13 and 20, 2 p.m.; Jun. 27, 7 p.m. Catherine lives in the shadow of her father's legacy -- a legacy of brilliance and insanity. The question is: How much of this brilliance and insanity did she inherit? $22.50-$29.50.  

3535 School St., Lafayette. (925) 283-1557, www.thtc.org.

 

WILLOWS THEATRE COMPANY  

"Avenue Q," through Aug. 1, Wednesday, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m. This "adult Sesame Street'' romp features puppets and live actors in high-energy, naughty fun. $25-$30.  

Willows Theatre, Willows Shopping Center, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. (925) 798-1300, www.willowstheatre.org.<


Professional Dance-San Francisco Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:04:00 AM

COUNTERPULSE  

Oni Dance, June 25 through June 26, 8 p.m. Maria Gillespie's company makes its Bay Area debut. $16-$20.  

1310 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 626-2060, www.counterpulse.org.

 

PALACE OF FINE ARTS THEATRE  

"San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival," through June 27, Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; Benefit gala June 11, 6 p.m. From the powerful dance and music of Haiti to a special Mexican Bicentennial Tribute, event presents an unparalleled cultural feat, including four new works representing the cultures of the Congo, Afghanistan, China and Mexico, and the debut of 26 world premieres. $22-$44. www.worldartswest.org. 

3301 Lyon St., San Francisco. (415) 567-6642, www.palaceoffinearts.org.

 

PENA PACHAMAMA  

"Carnaval Del Sur," Saturdays, 8:30 p.m. Sukay, Eddy Navia and the Pachamama Dancers present a program of Latin music and dance. $13.50.  

"Cuban Nights," Fridays, 8:30 p.m. Fito Reinoso, Sukay and Eddy Navia present Latin dancing Buena Vista style. $13.50.  

"Flamenco Thursdays" with Carola Zertuche, Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. Music and dance with performers of traditional flamenco. $10.  

Georges Lammam Ensemble, Sundays, 8:30 p.m. Event features music and dancing from the Middle East. $10.  

For ages 21 and older. 1630 Powell St., San Francisco. (415) 646-0018, www.penapachamama.com.<


Popmusic-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:03:00 AM

924 GILMAN ST. -- All ages welcome. 

Warscythe, Nails, Fell to Low, Lockstep, Ordstro, June 25, 7:30 p.m. $8.  

Roberto Miguel, Chicken Little, Slow Moving Lion, Jehova's Fitness, July 1, 7 p.m. $5-$10.  

Lewd Acts, Mammoth Grinder, Wolves and Thieves, Street Walker, Since Always, July 2, 7:30 p.m. Free.  

$5 unless otherwise noted. Shows start Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. (510) 525-9926, www.924gilman.org.

 

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIR  

Tower of Power, June 26, 6 and 8 p.m. $8-$10.  

$4-$10; free children under 6. Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 426-7600, www.alamedacountyfair.com.

 

ALBATROSS PUB  

Whiskey Brothers, First and third Wednesdays, 9 p.m. Free.  

Kurt Ribak Jazz Trio, June 26, 9:30 p.m. $3.  

Blind Duck Irish Band, June 30, 9-11 p.m. Free.  

Free unless otherwise noted. Shows begin Wednesday, 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 1822 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-2473, www.albatrosspub.com.

 

ARMANDO'S  

West of Next, June 25, 8 p.m. $10.  

Redwing, June 26, 8 p.m. $10.  

California Honeydrops, June 27, 3 p.m. $10.  

Blues Jam, June 28, 7-10 p.m. $3.  

Quinn Deveaux and the Blue Beat Review, July 2, 8 p.m. $10.  

VW Brothers, July 3, 8 p.m.  

707 Marina Vista Ave., Martinez. (925) 228-6985, www.armandosmartinez.com.

 

ASHKENAZ  

Prezident Brown, June 25, 9:30 p.m. $12-$15.  

Symphony of Koras, June 26, 9 p.m. $10-$12.  

Yaelisa and Caminos Flamencos, June 27, 7:30 p.m. $10.  

Midnite Ramblers, Agi Ban, June 29, 8:30 p.m. $10.  

Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors with Rusty Zinn, June 30, 9 p.m. $10-$12.  

Thirstbusters, July 1.  

Zongo Junction, July 2.  

Inner Visions, July 3, 9:30 p.m. $12.  

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.

 

BLAKE'S ON TELEGRAPH  

Mister Loveless, Holy Rolling Empire, Manatee, June 25, 9 p.m. $10.  

Bicasso, Understudies, Young Gully, DJ RMC, July 2, 9 p.m. $10-$12.  

For ages 18 and older. Music begins at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2367 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-0886, www.blakesontelegraph.com.

 

BRETT DENNEN June 27. Event takes place in a private Julia Morgan home in Piedmont, CA. See website for details. 

3:30 p.m.www.mosaicproject.org/brettconcert2010.< 

 

CHOUINARD VINEYARDS AND WINERY The winery features an exhibit of stone craft and baskets honoring the rich culture of the Ohlone Indians. Palomares Canyon was a summer home to the Ohlone Indians. The exhibit also includes historical photos and artifacts that document more recent colorful inhabitants to the canyon. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Music at Chouinard," 4:30-8:30 p.m. on select Sundays June-August. The rest of the year features live music in the tasting room on the second Sunday of each month. Enjoy the best of Bay Area artists at Chouinard. Bring your own gourmet picnic (no outside alcoholic beverages). Wines are available for tasting and sales. $40 per car. 

Free. Tasting Room: Saturdays-Sundays, noon-5 p.m. 33853 Palomares Road, Castro Valley. (510) 582-9900, www.chouinard.com.

 

FOX THEATER  

Goldfrapp, June 26, 8 p.m. $32.50.  

1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 452-0438.< 

 

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE  

"Freight Open Mic," Tuesdays. $4.50-$5.50.  

Fiddlekids, June 25, 6:30 p.m.  

Bill Kirchen, June 26. $20.50-$21.50.  

Gerry Tenney and the Hard Times Orchestra, July 1. $18.50-$19.50.  

Laura Cortese and Jefferson Hamer, July 2. $18.50-$19.50.  

George Brooks Summit, July 3. $22.50-$23.50.  

Music starts at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 548-1761, www.freightandsalvage.org.

 

GREEK THEATRE  

Pavement, Quasi, June 25, 8 p.m. $39.50.  

Hearst Avenue and Gayley Road, Berkeley. (510) 548-3010, www.apeconcerts.com.

 

JAZZSCHOOL  

Angharad Jones, June 26, 8 p.m. $15.  

Audrey Martin, June 27, 4:30 p.m. $15.  

"Summer Youth Program," July 2, 6:30 p.m.  

Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2087 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com.

 

JUPITER  

"Americana Unplugged," Sundays, 5 p.m. A weekly bluegrass and Americana series.  

"Jazzschool Tuesdays," Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Featuring the ensembles from the Berkeley Jazzschool. www.jazzschool.com. 

Kat 010, June 25, 5 p.m.  

Sonando Project, June 25, 8 p.m.  

Lagtime, June 26, 8 p.m.  

Jimbo Trout and the Fish People, June 27, 5 p.m.  

Wish Inflicted, June 30, 8 p.m.  

8 p.m. 2181 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-8277, www.jupiterbeer.com.

 

KIMBALL'S CARNIVAL  

"Monday Blues Legends Night," 8 p.m.-midnight. Enjoy live blues music every Monday night. Presented by the Bay Area Blues Society and Lothario Lotho Company. $5 donation. (510) 836-2227, www.bayareabluessociety.net. 

522 2nd St., Jack London Square, Oakland. < 

 

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER  

Mucho Axe, Terro Ritmo, June 26, 9 p.m. $10-$13.  

Women Drummers International, July 1, 7:30 p.m. $22-$25.  

3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568, www.lapena.org.

 

MEMORIAL PARK, HAYWARD  

Hayward Municipal Band, through July 25, Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Free.  

24176 Mission Blvd., Hayward. < 

 

ORACLE ARENA  

A.R. Rahman, June 26, 7:30 p.m. $50-$150.  

Hegenberger Road and Interstate 880, Oakland. (510) 625-8497, (925) 685-8497, (415) 421-8497, www.ticketmaster.com or www.theoaklandarena.com.

 

PLEASANTON PUBLIC LIBRARY  

Le Jazz Hot, July 1, 7 p.m. Free.  

Free. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. 400 Old Bernal Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 931-4300, www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/library.html.< 

 

ROUND TABLE PIZZA  

East Bay Banjo Club, Tuesdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Free.  

1938 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill. (925) 930-9004.< 

 

SATYA YUGA  

Kitka, through June 27, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. $25-$28.  

954 60th St., Oakland. < 

 

SHATTUCK DOWN LOW  

"It's the Joint," Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. Featuring DJs Headnodic, Raashan Ahmad and Friends. $5.  

"King of Kings," Doors 10 p.m. $6-$8.  

"Live Salsa," Wednesdays. An evening of dancing to the music of a live salsa band. Salsa dance lesson from 8:30-9:30 p.m. $5-$10.  

"Thirsty Thursdays," Thursday, 9 p.m. Featuring DJ Vickity Slick and Franky Fresh. Free.  

For ages 21 and older. 2284 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-1159, www.shattuckdownlow.com.

 

STARRY PLOUGH PUB  

The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, Sundays, 8 p.m. Sliding scale.  

For ages 21 and over unless otherwise noted. Sunday and Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com.

 

UPTOWN NIGHTCLUB  

Bang Data, Oona, La Gente, June 25, 9 p.m. $10.  

Prima Donna, Mystic Knights of the Cobra, Boats, Groggs, June 26, 9 p.m.  

$8.  

Sodium Fox, Yonger Dryas, June 30, 9 p.m. Free.  

HeeBeeGeeBees, July 1, 8:30 p.m. $5.  

Judgement Day, Ferocious Few, Distance From Shelter, Weston Elementary, July 2, 9 p.m. Free.  

Hubba Hubba Revue, July 3, 9 p.m. $10.  

1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 451-8100, www.uptownnightclub.com.

 

YOSHI'S  

Keiko Matsui, June 25 through June 27, Friday and Saturday, 8 and 10 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m. $22-$28.  

Jeremy Cohen, June 28, 8 p.m. $14.  

Joyce Moreno, June 29 through June 30, Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 and 10 p.m.  

$10-$18.  

"Yoshi's Fourth of July weekend Blues Festival," July 1 through July 3, 8 and 10 p.m. With Chris Thomas King on Jul. 1 and James Cotton Superharp Band Jul. 2 and 3. $16-$24.  

"Louis Armstrong Birthday Celebration with Mal Sharpe's Big Money in Gumbo, Lady Mem'fis," July 4, 7 p.m. $10.  

Shows are Monday through Saturday, 8 and 10 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. (510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.com.<


Galleries-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:57:00 AM

ALBASTUDIOS AND GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "The Language of Clay," through July 1. Selected works from the members of Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild.  

4219 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. < 

 

AMES GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "New Show," through June 30. Drawings by Deborah Barrett, Ted Gordon, Dwight Mackintosh, Inez Nathaniel Walker, AG Rizzoli, Barry Simons and others.  

2661 Cedar St., Berkeley. (510) 845-4949, www.amesgallery.com.

 

ANNA EDWARDS GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "Poverty, Protest and Resistance," through June 30. Photographs of political struggle and global poverty by Francisco Dominguez and Robert Terrell.  

237 E. 14th St., San Leandro. (510) 636-1721, www.annaedwards.com.

 

BEDFORD GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "Dutch Impressionism and Beyond," through June 27. Selections from the Beekhuis Collection.  

$3 general; $2 youth ages 12 through 17; free children ages 12 and under; free Tuesdays. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. (925) 295-1417, www.bedfordgallery.org.

 

CHANDRA CERRITO CONTEMPORARY  

"Stillness," through July 24. Works by Keira Kotler.  

480 23rd St., Oakland. (415) 577-7537, www.chandracerrito.com.

 

CRAFT AND CULTURAL ARTS GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "Vanishing Birds of the Bay and Beyond," through June 25. Works by Rita Sklar.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. State of California Office Building, 1515 Clay St., Oakland. (510) 622-8190, www.oaklandculturalarts.org.

 

EXPRESSIONS GALLERY  

"Labor and Art," through Aug. 6. Group art show features paintings, photography, sculpture, mixed media, digital art, monotypes and more.  

Free. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-3 p.m. 2035 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. (510) 644-4930, www.expressionsgallery.org/.< 

 

GALLERY 555 --  

Nemo Gould, through July 30. Presented by the Oakland Museum of California.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; third Thursdays, 7 a.m-8 p.m. Oakland City Center, 555 12th St., Oakland. < 

 

HALL OF PIONEERS GALLERY  

"Oakland Chinatown Pioneers," Twelve showcases, each focusing on historic leaders and personalities of the community.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Chinese Garden Building, 275 Seventh St., Oakland. (510) 530-4590.< 

 

JOYCE GORDON GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "Cross Roads," through June 28. Works by Chukes and Ruth Tunstall Grant.  

Free. Wednesday-Friday, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Monday by appointment. 406 14th St., Oakland. www.joycegordongallery.com.

 

K GALLERY  

"The Locals II," through July 31. Works by Jon Kerpel, Ginny Parsons, K.C. Rosenberg, Peter Tonningsen and Danielle Wallis.  

Free. Thursday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. 2515 Blanding Ave., Alameda. (510) 865-5062, www.rhythmix.org.

 

LAFAYETTE GALLERY  

"Summer Daze," through Aug. 7. Works by Nancy Hartley and Jill Landau.  

50 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette. www.lafayettegallery.net.

 

PHOTOLAB  

"Between Borders," through July 31. Works by Patricia Monaco.  

2235 5th St., Berkeley. (510) 644-1400, www.photolabratory.com.

 

PUEBLO NUEVO GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "Catastro de Colores y Esperanzas/Registry of Colors and Hopes," through July 4. Works by Osvaldo Torres.  

1828 San Pablo Ave. #1, Berkeley. (510) 452-7363.< 

 

ROYAL NONESUCH GALLERY  

CLOSING -- "I-Object," through June 29. Works by Laura Boles Faw, Justin Hoover, David Pena Lopera and Kathryn Williamson.  

4231 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (415) 690-3041, www.royalnonesuchgallery.com.

 

TRAYWICK CONTEMPORARY  

CLOSING -- "The Oblivion Before the Beginning," through June 26. Works by Diana Guerrero-Macia.  

895 Colusa Ave., Berkeley. (510) 527-1214.<


Classical Music-San Francisco Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:55:00 AM

DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL  

San Francisco Symphony, through June 26, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Thursday, 2 p.m.; Program features Berlioz's classic "Romeo and Juliet.'' Michael Tilson Thomas conducts. $15-$130.  

201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org.

 

LEGION OF HONOR MUSEUM DOCENT TOUR PROGRAMS -- Tours of the permanent collections and special exhibitions are offered Tuesday through Sunday. Non-English language tours (Italian, French, Spanish and Russian) are available on different Saturdays of the month at 11:30 a.m. Free with regular museum admission. (415) 750-3638.  

ONGOING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM --  

"Doing and Viewing Art," For ages 7 to 12. Docent-led tours of current exhibitions are followed by studio workshops taught by professional artists/teachers. Students learn about art by seeing and making it. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to noon; call to confirm class. Free with museum admission. (415) 750-3658. 

ORGAN CONCERTS -- 4 p.m. A weekly concert of organ music on the Legion's restored 1924 Skinner organ. Saturday and Sunday in the Rodin Gallery. Free with museum admission. (415) 750-3624. 

$6-$10; free for children ages 12 and under; free for all visitors on Tuesdays. Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Lincoln Park, 34th Avenue and Clement Street, San Francisco. (415) 750-3600, (415) 750-3636, www.thinker.org.

 

OLD FIRST CHURCH  

"Robert Schumann's 200th Birthday Celebration," June 25, 8 p.m. Program features "Piano Quartet in E flat, Op. 47'' and other works by Schumann. $14-$17.  

1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco. (415) 474-1608.< 

 

OLD ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL  

Midsummer Mozart Festival Ensemble, June 29, 12:30 p.m. Works by Mozart.  

$5 donation requested. 660 California St., San Francisco. www.oldsaintmarys.org/.< 

 

SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC  

"Master Class With Patricia Racette," June 28, 7 p.m. Soprano Racette guides opera students through live coachings, providing insight into advanced techniques. $15-$25. (415) 533-7376. 

$15 to $20 unless otherwise noted. Hellman Hall, 50 Oak St., San Francisco. (415) 864-7326, www.sfcm.edu.

 

ST. MATTHEWS LUTHERAN CHURCH  

Daniela Mack and Allen Perriello, July 3, 7:30 p.m. Works by Rossini, Ravel and Ginastera. $15-$20.  

3281 16th St., San Francisco. (415) 863-6371, www.stmatthews-sf.org.< 

 

STERN GROVE FESTIVAL The annual summer performing arts festival takes place in the outdoor amphitheater of Sigmund Stern Grove and features popular and classical music by Bay Area, national and international performers. 

San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Opera Chorus and Orchestra, July 4, 2 p.m. Works by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, John Philip Sousa and many more. Free. www.sterngrove.org. 

Free. Sundays, 2 p.m. Sigmund Stern Grove, 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, San Francisco. (415) 252-6252, www.sterngrove.org.

 

WAR MEMORIAL OPERA HOUSE  

San Francisco Opera, through July 1, Jun. 5, 8 and 11, 7:30 p.m.; Jun. 16, 23 and Jul. 1, 7 p.m.; Jun. 20, 26, 1:30 p.m. Francois Gounod's "Faust'' stars tenor Stefano Secco in the title role alongside soprano Patricia Racette and Marguerite. $15-$360. www.sfopera.com. 

San Francisco Opera, through July 2, Jun. 9, 24, 29, 7:30 p.m.; Jun. 15, 18, Jul. 2, 8 p.m.; Jun. 27, 2 p.m. "The Girl of the Golden West'' featuring conductor Nicola Luisotti, soprano Deborah Voigt and tenor Salvatore Licitra. $15-$360. (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com. 

San Francisco Opera, through June 30, Jun. 10, 19, 22, 25, 30, 7 p.m. "Die Walkure'' features stunning soprano performances by Nina Stemme and Eva-Maria Westbroek and Mark Delavan as Wotan in this second installment of Wagner's "Ring'' cycle. $15-$360. (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com. 

301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 865-2000.<


Stage-San Francisco Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:06:00 AM

AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER  

CLOSING -- "The Tosca Project," by Carey Perloff and Val Caniparoli, through June 27. Loosely structured around the themes of Puccini's "Tosca,'' this imaginative new work is gorgeously choreographed, achingly moving and scored with some of the best music ever made, from Hendrix to Stravinsky.  

Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., San Francisco. (415) 749-2228, www.actsf. org.< 

 

BEACH BLANKET BABYLON This long-running musical follows Snow White as she sings and dances her way around the world in search of her prince. Along the way she encounters many of the personalities in today's headlines, including Nancy Pelosi, Condoleezza Rice, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harry Potter, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, George and Laura Bush, Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise, Angelina, characters from Brokeback Mountain and Paris Hilton. Persons under 21 are not admitted to evening performances, but are welcome to Sunday matinees. 

"Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon," Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.  

$25-$78. Club Fugazi, 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. (formerly Green Street), San Francisco. (415) 421-4222, www.beachblanketbabylon.com.

 

CHANCELLOR HOTEL UNION SQUARE  

"Eccentrics of San Francisco's Barbary Coast," Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. Audiences gather for a 90-minute show abounding with local anecdotes and lore presented by captivating and consummate conjurers and tale-tellers. $30.  

433 Powell St., San Francisco. (877) 784-6835, www.chancellorhotel.com.

 

CLIMATE THEATRE  

"The Clown Cabaret at the Climate," First Monday of the month, 7 and 9 p.m. Hailed as San Francisco's hottest ticket in clowning, this show blends rising stars with seasoned professionals on the Climate Theater's intimate stage. $10-$15.  

285 Ninth St., Second Floor, San Francisco. www.climatetheater.com.

 

THE CUSTOM MADE THEATRE CO.  

"Durang Me," by Christopher Durang, through July 10, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; No show Jul. 4. Featuring two of Durang's scripts, "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You'' and "The Actor's Nightmare.'' $18-$28.  

965 Mission St., San Francisco. < 

 

DOLORES PARK  

"Posibilidad," July 3 through July 5, 2 p.m. San Francisco Mime Troupe presentsthis modern song and tango about politics in the workplace featuring a live band. Free. (415) 285-1717, www.sfmt.org. 

18th and Dolores streets, San Francisco. < 

 

EXIT THEATRE  

"Obscura -- A Magic Show," through Aug. 14, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m. Featuring illusionist Christian Cagigal. $15-$25.  

156 Eddy St., San Francisco. (415) 673-3847, www.theexit.org.

 

KIMO'S BAR  

"Fauxgirls," Every third Saturday Drag cabaret revue features San Francisco's finest female impersonators.  

1351 Polk St., San Francisco. (415) 885-4535, www.denkitiger. com/.< 

 

MAMA CALIZO'S VOICE FACTORY  

"The Golden Girls: The Pride Episodes," through June 25, Monday-Wednesday, 7 and 9 p.m. The "girls'' are back with two new episodes in time from Pride Month, starring Heklina, Cookie Dough, Matthew Martin and Pollo Del Mar. $20-$25.  

"Blackbird: Honoring a Century of Pansy Divas," by Seth Eisen, through July 10, 8 p.m. Show blends puppetry and a hybrid of live performance, movement, music, video, song and storytelling. $20-$25.  

1519 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 368-1244, www.voicefactorysf.org.

 

THE MARSH  

"The Mock Cafe," Stand-up comedy performances. Saturday, 10 p.m. $7.  

"The Monday Night Marsh," An ongoing series of works-in-progress. Monday, 8 p.m. $7.  

OPENING -- "Reading My Dad's Porn and French Kissing the Dog," by Cherry Zonkowski, through July 17. Zonkowski takes you on a tour of the suburban living rooms, crowded dungeons and ultra-hip warehouses of San Francisco's sex and artist party scenes.  

1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. (415) 826-5750, www.themarsh.org.

 

NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER  

CLOSING -- "Proud and Bothered," through June 26, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Gomez, a professional Gay Pride MC takes the walk of shame in this comedic tell-all. $22-$34.  

25 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org.

 

OFF-MARKET THEATER  

CLOSING -- "ShortLived 3.0," through June 26, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. The largest audience-judged playwrighting competetion in the nation returns with experienced playwrights, unknown up-and-comers and local, independent theater companies. $20. www.pianofight.com. 

"SummHER Lovin," through June 28, Monday, 8 p.m. PianoFight's "Monday Night ForePlays'' series returns with the fifth all-new installment of their female-drive variety show. $20.  

965 Mission St., San Francisco. < 

 

ORPHEUM THEATRE  

CLOSING -- "Wicked," Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.; Oct. 11 and Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 27, 2 p.m.; Dec. 21 and 28, 8 p.m. "Wicked'' is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. "Wicked'' tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. $30-$99.  

1192 Market St., San Francisco. (415) 512-7770, www.shnsf.com.

 

PIER 39 -- A pier filled with shops, restaurants, theaters and entertainment of all sorts from sea lions to street performers.  

"SAN FRANCISCO CAROUSEL" -- The Pier's two-tiered, San Francisco-themed carousel with hand-crafted ponies that rock and move up and down and tubs that spin. In addition, carousel has hand-painted pictures of San Francisco scenes like the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown and Coit Tower. $3 per ride. "FREQUENT FLYERS'' -- A bungee trampoline where people can safely jump and flip over 20 feet in the air thanks to the help of bungee cords and a harness. Jumpers must weigh at least 30 pounds and not more than 230 pounds. $10 per session. (415) 981-6300.  

"RIPTIDE ARCADE" -- A 6,000-square-foot, surfer-themed arcade offering the Bay area's only 10-gun, Old West-style shooting gallery and 100 cuttingedge video games, virtual reality units and popular novelty games. Included are the "Dance Dance Revolution'' game, driving and roller coaster simulators, the "Global VR Vortex'' virtual reality machine, "Star Wars Trilogy,'' "Jurassic Park,'' "Rush 2049,'' and classics such as "Pac Man'' and "Galaga.'' Games are operated by 25-cent tokens and range in price from 25 cents to $1.50. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; through Feb. 26: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (415) 981-6300.  

"TURBO RIDE" -- Three simulated rides where the hydraulic seats move in synchronization with events on a giant screen are available at the Turbo Ride complex. The 12-minute-long rides in 3-D and 4-D are: "Dino Island II''; "Haunted Mine Ride,'' and "Extreme Log Ride.'' $12 general for one ride; $8 seniors and children ages 3 to 12 for one ride; $15 general for two rides; $11 seniors and children ages 3 to 12 for two rides; $18 general for multi-rides; $14 seniors and children ages 3 to 12 for multi-rides. (415) 392-8872.  

STUDIO 39 MAGIC CARPET RIDES -- A comedy action adventure utilizing special effects to created a personalized movie with visitors as the "stars'' flying above San Francisco. The Magic Carpet Ride is free. No reservations required. Ride is approximately five minutes. Personalized videos will be available for $30 for one: $10 for each additional tape. (415) 397-3939. SEA LIONS -- California sea lions, nicknamed "Sea Lebrities,'' "hauled out'' on Pier 39's K-Dock shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and by January of 1990 had taken over the docks. Due to a plentiful supply of herring and a protected environment, the population has grown and now reaches as many as 900 during the winter months. Weather permitting, free educational talks are provided by Marine Mammal Center volunteers on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Free. (415) 705-5500. 

"Tony n' Tina's Wedding," The original interactive comedy hit where audience members play the roles of "invited guests'' at a fun-filled wedding ceremony. The popular dinner comedy performs at Swiss Louis Italian Restaurant. Thursday-Saturday, 7 p.m.; Matinees: Thursday and Saturday, noon. $88.50-$115.50. (888) 775-6777, www.pier39shows.com. 

"Insignificant Others," by L. Jay Kuo, A musical comedy about the romantic foibles of two gay men and three straight women who move to San Francisco from the Midwest seeking love and adventure. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. $39-$46. www.isomusical.com. 

Free. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; certain attractions and shops have differing hours. The Embarcadero and Beach Street, San Francisco. (415) 623-5300, (800) SEADIVE, www.pier39.com.

 

RICKSHAW STOP  

Rockshop, June 29, 7:30 p.m. This collaboration between playwrights and bands features plays by Daniel heath, Ignacio Zuleta, Adam Chanzit, Katie Rubin and more, with music by Invisible Cities, Foma, Seventeen Evergreen and more. $10.  

155 Fell St., San Francisco. (415) 861-2011, www.rickshawstop.com.

 

SAN FRANCISCO COMEDY COLLEGE CLUBHOUSE (800) 838-3006, www.clubhousecomedy.com.  

"Hump Day Comedy," Host Rich Stimbra and a variety of stand-up comics will get you over the Wednesday work hump. BYOB for 21 and over. Wednesday, 8 p.m. $5. 

"Naked Comedy," A comedy showcase featuring some of the best comedians in San Francisco. BYOB for 21 and over. Saturdays, 9 p.m. $10. 

414 Mason St., Suite 705, San Francisco. (415) 921-2051, www.sfcomedycollege.com.

 

SHELTON THEATER  

"Shopping! The Musical," by Morris Bobrow, A quick-paced musical about those obsessed with buying things. Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m. $27-$29. www.shoppingthemusical.com. 

Big City Improv, Friday, 10 p.m. $20. (510) 595-5597, www.bigcityimprov.com. 

533 Sutter St., San Francisco. (415) 433-1227, www.sheltontheater.com or www.sheltontheater.com.

 

THICK HOUSE  

"Beijing, California," by Paul Heller, July 1 through July 17, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. An unflinching study of one nation's invasion by another - but this time, the victim is not Iraq or Afghanistan; rather, it is America, and the invader is China $15-$25.  

1695 18th St., San Francisco. www.thickhouse.org.<


Museums-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:02:00 AM

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. 

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-5:30 p.m. 659 14th St., Oakland. (510) 637-0200, www.oaklandlibrary.org.

 

ALAMEDA MUSEUM The museum offers permanent displays of Alameda history, the only rotating gallery showcasing local Alameda artists and student artwork, as well as souvenirs, books and videos about the rich history of the Island City. 

Free. Wednesday-Friday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 2324 Alameda Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-1233, www.alamedamuseum.org.

 

BADE MUSEUM AT THE PACIFIC SCHOOL OF RELIGION The museum's collections include the Tell en-Nasbeh Collection, consisting of artifacts excavated from Tell en-Nasbeh in Palestine in 1926 and 1935 by William Badh, and the Howell Bible Collection, featuring approximately 300 rare books (primarily Bibles) dating from the 15th through the 18th centuries. 

"Tell en-Nasbeh," This exhibit is the "heart and soul" of the Bade Museum. It displays a wealth of finds from the excavations at Tell en-Nasbeh, Palestine whose objects span from the Early Bronze Age (3100-2200 BC) through the Iron Age (1200-586 BC) and into the Roman and Hellenistic periods. Highlights of the exhibit include "Tools of the Trade" featuring real archaeological tools used by Badh and his team, an oil lamp typology, a Second Temple period (586 BC-70 AD) limestone ossuary, and a selection of painted Greek pottery.  

"William Frederic Bade: Theologian, Naturalist, and Archaeologist," This exhibit highlights one of PSR's premier educators and innovative scholars. The collection of material on display was chosen with the hopes of representing the truly dynamic and multifaceted character of William F. Badh. He was a family man, a dedicated teacher, a loving friend, and an innovative and passionate archaeologist.  

Free. Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Holbrook Hall, Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-0528, www.bade.psr.edu/bade.< 

 

BERKELEY ART MUSEUM AND PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE  

"Thom Faulders: BAMscape," through Nov. 30. This commissioned work, a hybrid of sculpture, furniture, and stage, is the new centerpiece of Gallery B, BAM's expansive central atrium. It is part of a new vision of the gallery as a space for interaction, performance, and improvised experiences.  

CLOSING -- "Nature into Action: Hans Hofmann," through June 30. This installation drawn from BAM's extensive Hans Hofmann collection reveals the relationship between nature as source and action as method in the great abstract painter's work.  

"What's It All Mean: William T. Wiley in Retrospect," through July 18. This retrospective surveys the witty, idiosyncratic, and introspective work of William T. Wiley, a beloved Bay Area artist and "a national treasure'' (Wall Street Journal). Layered with ambiguous ideas and allusions, autobiographical narrative and sociopolitical commentary, Wiley's art is rich in self-deprecating humor and absurdist insight.  

"Perpetual and furious refrain / MATRIX 232," through Sept. 12. Exhibition features works by Brent Green.  

"Marisa Olson: Double Bind," through Aug. 31. With a pair of provocative YouTube videos, Olson unravels the promise and pitfalls of online participatory culture.  

"Himalayan Pilgrimage," through Dec. 19. Exhibition features sculpture and painting dating from the ninth to the eighteenth centuries and drawn from a private collection on long-term loan to the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.  

2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. < 

 

BLACKHAWK MUSEUM  

AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM -- The museum's permanent exhibition of internationally renowned automobiles dated from 1897 to the 1980s. The cars are displayed as works of art with room to walk completely around each car to admire the workmanship. On long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution is a Long Steam Tricycle; an 1893-94 Duryea, the first Duryea built by the Duryea brothers; and a 1948 Tucker, number 39 of the 51 Tuckers built, which is a Model 48 "Torpedo'' four-door sedan.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"International Automotive Treasures," An ever-changing exhibit featuring over 90 automobiles.  

"A Journey on Common Ground," An exhibit of moving photographs, video and art objects from around the world exploring the causes of disability and the efforts of the Wheelchair Foundation to provide a wheelchair for every person in need who cannot afford one.  

ONGOING EVENT --  

Free Public Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Docent-led guided tours of the museum's exhibitions. 

$5-$8; free for children ages 6 and under. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville. (925) 736-2280, (925) 736-2277, www.blackhawkmuseum.org.

 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

HISTORY WALKABOUTS -- A series of walking tours that explore the history, lore and architecture of California with veteran tour guide Gary Holloway. Walks are given on specific weekends. There is a different meeting place for each weekend and walks take place rain or shine so dress for the weather. Reservations and prepayment required. Meeting place will be given with confirmation of tour reservation. Call for details.  

678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

 

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films. 

"Beyond Blastoff: Surviving in Space," An interactive exhibit that allows you to immerse yourself into the life of an astronaut to experience the mixture of exhilaration, adventure and confinement that is living and working in space.  

"Chabot Observatories: A View to the Stars," Explore the history of the Chabot observatories and how its historic telescopes are used today. Daytime visitors can virtually operate a telescope, experiment with mirrors and lenses to understand how telescopes create images of distant objects and travel through more than a century of Chabot's history via multimedia kiosks, historical images and artifact displays.  

EVENTS --  

"Live Daytime Planetarium Show," Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Ride through real-time constellations, stars and planets with Chabot's full-dome digital projection system. 

"Daytime Telescope Viewing," Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. View the sun, the moon and the planets through the telescopes during the day. Free with general admission. 

"Galaxy Explorers Hands-On Fun," Saturday, noon-4 p.m. The Galaxy Explorers lead a variety of fun, hands-on activities, such as examining real spacesuits, creating galaxy flipbooks, learning about telescopes, minerals and skulls and making your own comet. Free with general admission. 

Center Admission: $14.95; $10.95 children 3-12; free children under 3; $3 discount for seniors and students. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Also open on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. after June 29. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.

 

HABITOT CHILDREN'S MUSEUM A museum especially for children ages 7 and under. Highlights include "WaterWorks,'' an area with some unusual water toys, an Infant Tree for babies, a garden especially for toddlers, a child-scale grocery store and cafe, and a costume shop and stage for junior thespians. The museum also features a toy lending library.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Waterworks." A water play gallery with rivers, a pumping station and a water table, designed to teach about water.  

"Little Town Grocery and Cafe." Designed to create the ambience of shopping in a grocery store and eating in a restaurant.  

"Infant-Toddler Garden." A picket fence gated indoor area, which includes a carrot patch with wooden carrots to be harvested, a pretend pond and a butterfly mobile to introduce youngsters to the concept of food, gardening and agriculture.  

"Dramatic Arts Stage." Settings, backdrops and costumes coincide with seasonal events and holidays. Children can exercise their dramatic flair here.  

"Wiggle Wall." The floor-to-ceiling "underground'' tunnels give children a worm's eye view of the world. The tunnels are laced with net covered openings and giant optic lenses. 

"Architects at Play," This hands-on, construction-based miniexhibit provides children with the opportunity to create free-form structures, from skyscrapers to bridges, using KEVA planks.  

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

$6-$7. Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Closed Sunday-Tuesday. 2065 Kittredge St., Berkeley. (510) 647-1111, www.habitot.org.

 

HALL OF HEALTH A community health-education museum and science center promoting wellness and individual responsibility for health. There are hands-on exhibits that teach about the workings of the human body, the value of a healthy diet and exercise, and the destructive effects of smoking and drug abuse. "Kids on the Block'' puppet shows, which use puppets from diverse cultures to teach about and promote acceptance of conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, leukemia, blindness, arthritis and spina bifida, are available by request for community events and groups visiting the Hall on Saturdays.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"This Is Your Heart!" An interactive exhibit on heart health.  

"Good Nutrition," This exhibit includes models for making balanced meals and an Exercycle for calculating how calories are burned.  

"Draw Your Own Insides," Human-shaped chalkboards and models with removable organs allow visitors to explore the inside of their bodies.  

"Your Cellular Self and Cancer Prevention," An exhibit on understanding how cells become cancerous and how to detect and prevent cancer. 

Suggested $3 donation; free for children under age 3. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 2230 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 549-1564, www.hallofhealth.org.

 

HAYWARD AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM The museum is located in a former post office and displays memorabilia of early Hayward and southern Alameda County. Some of the features include a restored 1923 Seagrave fire engine and a hand pumper from the Hayward Fire Department, founded in 1865; a Hayward Police Department exhibit; information on city founder William Hayward; and pictures of the old Hayward Hotel. The museum also alternates three exhibits per year, including a Christmas Toys exhibit and a 1950s lifestyle exhibit. 

EVENTS --  

50 cents-$1. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 22701 Main St., Hayward. (510) 581-0223, www.haywardareahistory.org.

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM The museum's permanent collection includes objects of Jewish importance including ceremonial art, film and video, folk art and fine art, paintings, sculptures and prints by contemporary and historical artists. 

"Projections," Multimedia works from the museum's extensive collections of archival, documentary and experimental films. Located at 2911 Russell Street.  

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

$4-$6; free for children under age 12. Sunday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. CLOSED APRIL 3-4 AND 9-10; MAY 23-24 AND 28; JULY 4; SEPT. 3, 13 AND 27; OCT. 4; NOV. 22; DEC. 24-25 AND 31. 2911 Russell St., Berkeley. (510) 549-6950, www.magnes.org.

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE  

"Scream Machines -- The Science of Roller Coasters, through Jan. 2. This head-spinning, stomach-churning exhibition for thrill-seekers features interactive exhibits, artifacts and images to explore.  

"Summer Fun Days," through Aug. 18. Become a raptor expert, learn the science of the trapeze, engineer the perfect boat or test the ice cream that you yourself make.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital. 

EXHIBITS --  

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

MEYERS HOUSE AND GARDEN MUSEUM The Meyers House, erected in 1897, is an example of Colonial Revival, an architectural style popular around the turn of the century. Designed by Henry H. Meyers,the house was built by his father, Jacob Meyers, at a cost of $4000.00. 

EXHIBITS --  

$3. Fourth Saturday of every month. 2021 Alameda Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-1247, www.alamedamuseum.org/meyers.html.< 

 

MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE VILLAGE A science museum with an African-American focus promoting science education and awareness for the underrepresented. The science village chronicles the technical achievements of people of African descent from ancient ties to present. There are computer classes at the Internet Cafi, science education activities and seminars. There is also a resource library with a collection of books, periodicals and videotapes. 

$4-$6. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. 630 20th St., Oakland. (510) 893-6426, www.ncalifblackengineers.org.

 

MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART A museum of art for and by children, with activities for children to participate in making their own art.  

ART CAMPS -- Hands-on activities and engaging curriculum for children of different ages, led by professional artists and staff. $60 per day.  

CLASSES -- A Sunday series of classes for children ages 8 to 12, led by Mocha artists. Sundays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

OPEN STUDIOS -- Drop-in art play activities with new themes each week.  

"Big Studio." Guided art projects for children age 6 and older with a Mocha artist. Tuesday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. $5.  

"Little Studio." A hands-on experience that lets young artists age 18 months to 5 years see, touch and manipulate a variety of media. Children can get messy. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5.  

"Family Weekend Studios." Drop-in art activities for the whole family. All ages welcome. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. $5 per child.  

FAMILY EXTRAVAGANZAS -- Special weekend workshops for the entire family.  

"Sunday Workshops with Illustrators," Sundays, 1 p.m. See the artwork and meet the artists who create children's book illustrations. Free. 

EVENTS --  

"Saturday Stories," 1 p.m. For children ages 2-5. Free. 

"What the World Needs Now." through July 15. Exhibition features artwork by Bay Area children in grades K-12 on themes of social justice, community awareness and world peace, selected by a jury of artists, professionals and community leaders.  

Free gallery admission. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 538 Ninth St., Oakland. (510) 465-8770, www.mocha.org.

 

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Art a la Carte," Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. Art docents offer a variety of specialized tours focusing on one aspect of the museum's permanent collection. Free with museum admission.  

"Online Museum," Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Explore the museum's collection on videodisks in the History Department Library.  

Docent Gallery Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. 

"Explore our New Gallery," through Dec. 2. The new Gallery of California Art showcases more than 800 works from OMCA's collection-one of the largest and most comprehensive holdings of California art in the world.  

"Gallery of California History," through Dec. 2. This new gallery is based on the theme of Coming to California.  

"Mini Okubo: Citizen 13660," through Aug. 1. Curated by Senior Curator of Art Karen Tsujimoto, this small exhibition of Okubo's poignant works on paper from the Museum's collection charts Okubo's odyssey.  

$5-$8; free for children ages 5 and under; free to all on the second Sunday of the month. Special events are free with museum admission unless noted otherwise. Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 238-2200, www.museumca.org.

 

PACIFIC PINBALL MUSEUM  

CLOSING -- "Pinball Fantasies," through June 30. Exhibition features works by Shane Pickerill.  

OPENING -- "Pinball Style: Drama and Design," July 2 through Aug. 1. Exhibition comments on pinball art from the 1940s through the 2000s.  

1510 Webster St., Alameda. www.pacificpinball.org.

 

PARDEE HOME MUSEUM The historic Pardee Mansion, a three-story Italianate villa built in 1868, was home to three generations of the Pardee family who were instrumental in the civic and cultural development of California and Oakland. The home includes the house, grounds, water tower and barn. Reservations recommended. 

EVENTS --  

$5; free children ages 12 and under. House Tours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays by appointment. 672 11th St., Oakland. (510) 444-2187, www.pardeehome.org.

 

SAN LEANDRO HISTORY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY The museum showcases local and regional history and serves as a centerpiece for community cultural activity. There are exhibits on Ohlone settlements, farms of early settlers, and contributions of Portuguese and other immigrants. There will also be exhibits of the city's agricultural past and the industrial development of the 19th century.  

ONGOING EXHIBIT --  

"Yema/Po Archeological Site at Lake Chabot," An exhibit highlighting artifacts uncovered from a work camp of Chinese laborers, featuring photomurals, cutouts and historical photographs. 

Free. Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 320 West Estudillo Ave., San Leandro. (510) 577-3990, www.ci.sanleandro. ca.us/sllibrarymuseum.html.< 

 

SHADELANDS RANCH HISTORICAL MUSEUM Built by Walnut Creek pioneer Hiram Penniman, this 1903 redwood-framed house is a showcase for numerous historical artifacts, many of which belonged to the Pennimans. It also houses a rich archive of Contra Costa and Walnut Creek history in its collections of old newspapers, photographs and government records. 

EXHIBITS --  

$1-$3; free-children under age 6. Wednesday and Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Closed in January. 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. (925) 935-7871, www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us.< 

 

SMITH MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, HAYWARD The museum houses significant collections of archaeological and ethnographic specimens from Africa, Asia and North America and small collections from Central and South America. The museum offers opportunities and materials for student research and internships in archaeology and ethnology. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

Free. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Meiklejohn Hall, Fourth Floor, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward. (510) 885-3104, (510) 885-7414, www.isis.csuhayward.edu/cesmith/acesmith.html.< 

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Native California Cultures," This is an exhibit of some 500 artifacts from the museum's California collections, the largest and most comprehensive collections in the world devoted to California Indian cultures. The exhibit includes a section about Ishi, the famous Indian who lived and worked with the museum, Yana tribal baskets and a 17-foot Yurok canoe carved from a single redwood.  

"Recent Acquisitions," The collection includes Yoruba masks and carvings from Africa, early-20th-century Taiwanese hand puppets, textiles from the Americas and 19th- and 20th-century Tibetan artifacts.  

"From the Maker's Hand: Selections from the Permanent Collection," This exhibit explores human ingenuity in the living and historical cultures of China, Africa, Egypt, Peru, North America and the Meditteranean. 

$1-$4; free for children ages 12 and under; free to all on Thursdays. Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4:30 p.m. 103 Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College Avenue, Berkeley. (510) 643-7648, www.hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu.

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Tyrannosaurus Rex," A 20-foot-tall, 40-foot-long replica of the fearsome dinosaur. The replica is made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing.  

"Pteranodon," A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22 to 23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.  

"California Fossils Exhibit," An exhibit of some of the fossils that have been excavated in California. 

Free. During semester sessions, hours generally are: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-10 p.m. Hours vary during summer and holidays. Lobby, 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building, #4780, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 642-1821, www.ucmp.berkeley.edu.

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Limited Access Day," Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m. 

SPECIAL EVENTS -- Day. 

"Family Day," Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member. 

"Living Ship Day," Experience an aircraft carrier in action, with simulated flight operations as aircraft are lifted to the flight deck and placed in launch position. Some former crewmembers will be on hand. 

"Flashlight Tour," Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day. 

"Fourth of July Party," July 4, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy live music on the flight deck, tour the historic ship, play interactive games, sip beer and wine, and of course, watch fireworks over San Francisco Bay. $10-$25; children under 5 are free. 

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.<


Theatre Around and About

By Ken Bullock
Monday June 21, 2010 - 06:13:00 PM

TheatreFirst closes their first season in the Marion Greene Theater, around the corner on 18th Street from the Fox movie palace on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland, with Michael Healey's internationally successful Canadian play, THE DRAWER BOY, starring two excellent actors—Warren David Keith and Howard Swain, with good support from ACT Masters Program candidate Max Rosenak, directed by Domenique Lozzano.  

Miles, a young actor from a peripatetic, collective troupe, seeks work on an Ontario farm, so he can study what it is to be a farmer—or for that matter, a cow—all for the glory of the stage. Mercilessly put on, and prodded, by Morgan (Swain), the kid gradually becomes acquainted with Morg's old friend and farming partner Angus (Keith), who has an idiot savant's genius for accounts and statistics, but no memory of who he just met or what was said. Morgan endlessly rehearses their own tale for Angus's temporary edification, touching on tragedy. But what happens when Miles stages it? And is what Morg repeats really how it was, the true story of what kept'em down on the farm? A hint of Lenny and George from OF MICE AND MEN, but merely a passing thought, as the play rocks back and forth between comedy and drama, always choosing comedy. Keith's portrayal of Angus is the centerpiece, with Swain as the knowing straight man-as-comedian, finally caught up short in his act. An enjoyable and peculiarly interesting show, which in this production only misses the sense of Canadian timing, a matter of approach, a little like the difference between English and American comedy: the accents tend to fall on the beat, here, sometimes making the story, with its meandering quality, seem more unfinished than it may actually be. Thursdays through Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 2, t through July 4. $15-$130. 436-5085; www.theatrefirst.com 

Berkeley Rep's production of IN THE WAKE ... has been reviewed and discussed a great deal around the Bay Area, seemingly only in white or black. Some have been impressed with the writing and the criticism of self-absorbed progressives, others can't identify, or feel its beating—and, at two hours and 45 minutes, beating, and beating— a long-dead nag. What struck me, opening night and ever since, was the facileness of the play, a veritable set-up, with glib, cute-enough-to-make-you-scream, yet sometimes smarmy dialogue from sitcoms like 'Friends' (a common enough condition, alas, in contemporary Regional Rep theater), cut with exposition by the main character, related directly to the audience, to keep us in a rather flaccid loop.  

Self-criticism by progressives—or by the left—has been an apparent need, screaming out since at least the start of the Gulf War, or even after Carter's election, when a Democratic administration took up what, scrutinized, looked like Rockefeller Republican, or more conservative, policies.  

But it's not progressive self-criticism to throw darts at a straw (wo)man, a character hoisted onstage apparently to give those in the audience of like mind the chance to applaud, then say to themselves while leaving, "Well! I'm not like that!" Nor is it good dramaturgy to frame progressive issues in the reactionary framework of sitcom-ish boilerplate, unless an exploration of its passive-aggressive dialogue and situational assumptions is being initiated, as was the case with THE FIRST GRADE recently at Aurora. 

The one bright spot in this dreary, overly primpted-up milieu, is Deirdre O'Connell's characterization of Judy, the half-shunned roommate and college chum, of blue collar background, but divorced from Middle America and a freak in progressive Middle Class America, forever running off to work in refugee camps—or, on return, to smoke alone on the fire escape. Even her salutary diffidence is finally sacrificed to exposition, a hapless outsider explaining at last to the haplessly privileged "protagonist" what's been beating on the drum all night, in case the audience missed the point. Mort Sahl wryly commented on this kind of post-game quarterbacking, by the quarterback herself: The characters are only related through their real, sole parent, the playwright, who gives birth to them only to fulfill a simple function—to fill us in on what just happened. 

(And isn't that the dilemma, and endlessly-repeated wail, of those IN THE WAKE ... pretends to criticize, What Happened?) 

Playwright-Performer John O'Keefe, cofounder of Berkeley's Blake Street Hawkeyes—and more recently author of the brilliant libretto for CRYSALIS, with Clark Suprynowicz's music, commissioned by Berkeley Opera, as well as THE BRONTE CYCLE, featured by Subterranean Shakespeare here in December—has a new work, directed by Yuriko Doi, founder of Theatre of Yugen: MYSTICAL ABYSS, from themes in Japanese theater and myth. One night only, Tuesday, June 22, at Noh Space, Project Artaud, Mariposa Street, San Francisco. (415) 621-0507; www.theatreofyugen.org —it's Free.


Theatre Review: TOSCA PROJECT at ACT--a Good Reason for a Night Out in the City

By John A. McMullen II
Sunday June 20, 2010 - 03:04:00 PM
The Bartender (Jack Willis) finally dances with the memory of his long-lost love (Sabina Alleman).
Kevin Berne
The Bartender (Jack Willis) finally dances with the memory of his long-lost love (Sabina Alleman).

The first surprise for this operaphile was that THE TOSCA PROJECT at ACT was only peripherally about the diva throwing herself from the parapet.The second surprise was that it was a ballet.But it made me smile that this co-creation of ACT’s Carey Perloff and SF Ballet’s Val Caniparoli was about my favorite legendary bar where I take all my visitors. 

There are few art forms that have the emotional power of the narrative dance. Telling a story with dance has something haunting about it, and if they were going to summon up the spirits of the legends who drank at this landmark bar, then they chose the right art form.I went to bed thinking about what I’d seen, dreamed about it, and woke up with it on my mind. 

The dancers take us down the decades as we view it through the private longings of the three owners.In a dramatic first moment right out of Godfather II (which was edited a couple of blocks away at Zoetrope), a couple of Italian immigrants who will be the owners of Tosca clutch their valises and hold a memory dear while they sing Puccini with untrained voices. A woman in a red dress dances to the end of the bar and does a Tosca swan-dive into darkness. Then we are treated to an extended reminiscence in dance featuring Prohibition, WW2 Soldiers, Sailors, and the Girls They Left Behind, the Beatnik and Hipsters from North Beach, Hippies, Disco and Gay Revolutionaries, Business Class meeting Artistes, down to the current frenetic Laptop-Wielding Multi-Taskers. 

Caniparoli’s flawless choregraphy reflects how dance changes with the zeitgeist: the Mack Sennett-like Commedia hijinks with the waiters, jerky-action Charlestons, a Depression era apache dance that doesn’t shy away from racism, first-class jitterbugging, romantic duets with endless pirouetting to “What Will I Do” and “It’s Been a Long, Long Time,” jazz dancing to Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “I Am Waiting,” Hippies hopeful and naive frugging to “Red Rubber Ball” (“And I think it's gonna be all right / Yeah, the worst is over now….”), and solos by the ghosts of Nureyev and Fonteyn who both frequented Tosca. Two of many emotional highpoints are two pas de deux with a wounded sailor and soldier of WW2 and Viet Nam. 

There seemed to be a natural stopping place when the keys are passed to the new woman owner, but it occurred only an hour into the piece; the last half hour about the last couple of decades seemed to be an extended epilogue. 

As the Puccini-loving grandson of an Italian immigrant who started the first Italian bar and restaurant in the important cross-road county seat of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, I responded emotionally. When I first arrived here, I worked for the Magic Theatre and spent a lot of time in North Beach; I watched Sam Shepard shoot pool at Tosca. Likewise, if you are an older San Franciscan steeped in the legends of the City, THE TOSCA PROJECT will mean a lot to you.The creators knew their audience.I’m not sure if this would mean as much if it were played in Jefferson City, Missouri, but the artistry would still entrance them. 

As you can imagine, when ACT and SF Ballet team up, the production values are extraordinary. Robert Wierzel’s lighting is masterful, lyrical, moving and fun to watch unfold (he’s just lit Fela on Broadway!).Robert de La Rose’s costumes are accurate and delightful (he’s costumed at the Met!).If you have been to Tosca on Columbus near Broadway, you will be impressed with how closely Tony Award–nominated scenic designer Douglas W. Schmidt’s set resembles the famous meeting bar.If you’ve not been to Tosca (the bar) , since the show lets out at an early 9:30, it’s the natural move to go up to 242 Columbus across from City Lights Bookstore for an après-theatre cocktail and some basking in the history and the after-images of what you’ve just enjoyed. 

But hurry because it’s extended only through July 3. 

(For a visual treat, click on this link to see TOSCA PROJECT production photos http://www.act-sf.org/press/tosca.html 

John A. McMullen II is a member of the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and the American Theatre Critics Association.He can be contacted at EyeFromTheAisle@gmail.com 

THE TOSCA PROJECT 

at the American Conservatory Theatre, 415 Geary St near Mason, SF 

Tickets/Info (415) 749-2ACT or www.act-sf.org 

Created and staged by Carey Perloff and Val Caniparoli, Scenery by Douglas W. Schmidt, Costumes by Robert de La Rose, Lighting by Robert Wierzel, Sound by Darron L West, and Nancy Dickson, Dance Répétiteuse.Stage Management by Karen Szpaller. 

ENSEMBLE: Sabina Allemann, Peter Anderson, Lorena Feijoo, Sara Hogrefe, Pascal Molat, Kyle Schaefer, Nol Simonse, Rachel Ticotin, Gregory Wallace, Jack Willis.


Film Review:The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom

By Topden Tsering
Thursday June 17, 2010 - 05:05:00 PM

Very rarely has it happened that the shooting for a documentary has begun and its subject has taken on a story of its own, both expanding and deepening its sense of urgency and poignancy, complexity and hope, more than would have been possible if it were just a hindsight appraisal. The documentary “The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom,” opening in the Bay Area on June 18, benefits from that singular fortuity. The involvement here is similar to witnessing childbirth under the most adversarial conditions, the threshold equally open to life and death. 

In March 2008, over a hundred Tibetans set out on a Return March to Tibet from Dharamsala in northern India, the Tibetan world’s exile capital and the headquarters of the Dalai Lama. The campaign, just months ahead of the Beijing Olympics and just a year short of five decades of Chinese occupation, marked the culmination of exiled Tibetans’ frustration over China’s intransigence to the Tibetan leader’s “Middle Way” approach. Repeatedly, Beijing had thwarted the Buddhist leader’s reconciliatory policy, envisioning cultural autonomy for Tibet, including provinces incorporated into the Chinese mainland, as a disguised bid for independence. The boldest gesture yet, the march which the Nobel Peace Laureate opposed, was fraught with danger. A crackdown from the Indian police was likely; and should the march make its way into Tibet, a lethal confrontation with Chinese soldiers was imminent. 

Simultaneously, an independence protest broke out in Lhasa, which spread to far flung areas of Amdo and Kham. Chinese paramilitary troops swiftly brought the country under lockdown and cut off all media access. But the revolt was far from subdued. The roof of the world was a stage to the biggest turbulence since the uprising of 1959, which China had violently put down, effectively sealing its military occupation of Tibet. 

The documentary, by the husband-wife team of Tenzin Sonam and Ritu Sarin, expertly traces the parallel movements. The footages of the exile march are as breathtaking as the undercover ones of the Tibet unrest are harrowing. On both sides of the Himalayas, the eye-grabbing yellow, red and blue Tibetan flags dominate the frames. The banners that flutter over the exile procession, along winding paths, across bridges and over deep valleys, are of luxuriant printed fabrics. Inside the restive nation, their hand-drawn banned versions appear variously in monk protestors’ nervous clutches and on a pole outside a besieged police station, hoisted by a defiant horde of nomadic horsemen. 

While physically removed, the Dalai Lama finds himself at the center of the twin revolutions. Be it in debates among the displaced activists about why, like Gandhi, the Tibetan leader couldn’t himself front the march, or in the slogans of oppressed monk protestors in Tibet who, ambushing state-orchestrated media tours, express wish for his quick return, the Dalai Lama is interchangeable with the struggle he symbolizes. Depending on your perspective, he’s equally the means and the end. 

Unlike other documentaries on Tibet, which typically extract from the Buddhist leader stock quotes bordering on clichés, The Sun Behind the Clouds achieves deeper inquiry. The filmmakers relentlessly mine the intimate access allowed them, bringing into focus the inner conflicts of the Dalai Lama rarely before captured on film. Torn between his position as the defender of his people’s freedom and the global beacon of peaceful living, the Tibetan leader cuts an achingly solitary figure, alone in his indefatigable compassion, alienated in a sea of insurmountable odds. 

The film also examines the growing disenchantment among exiled Tibetans with the Dalai Lama’s “Middle Way” proposal. As voiced by a poet-leader in the march, his reincarnate lama companion, and a host of other intellectuals and activists, the Buddhist icon’s policy falls short of political realism as manifest in China’s continued brutalization of his people. To them, the Tibetan leader’s relinquishing his demand for independence some two decades ago was a costly blunder. 

A larger cross-section of his followers, on the other hand, still supports the Dalai Lama’s political vision. To them, their leader’s co-existence overtures with China, drawing upon Buddhist tenets of interdependence and moderation, carry the only hope for a solution to the protracted Tibet problem. His is a plan that cannot fail—it is only a matter of time before the Chinese leadership puts aside their foolishness and resolves the crisis, leaving the Tibetans, as the Dalai Lama hopes, to benefit from China’s unstoppable economic growth. 

A journalistic coup of sort is achieved in a rare interview with Tibet’s famous writer and poet, Woeser, whose writings on Tibet had led to her being ousted from her publishing job and, later, the country itself. Currently based in Beijing, her chronicles of events in Tibet, like the 2008 uprising and this year’s earthquake, have provided precious validation, besides putting her at further risk with Chinese authorities. In one of her most illuminating remarks, referring to Beijing’s constant accusation that the Tibetan leader lies about his independence agenda, the outspoken blogger says: “It could well be that they know he’s not lying, but that they just don’t want to talk to him.” 

This observation cuts through a tendency among exiled China believers to locate rational responses in Beijing’s Tibet recalcitrance, overlooking the regime’s inherently tyrannical stakes in the occupied country. A Tibetan writer recently lambasted a young student’s comment to a reporter that the Dalai Lama didn’t represent the lives of all the Tibetans. Discounting sound-bite contrivances possibility, he suggested (while calling her a “fantastic” activist) her statement provided ammunition to China’s attacks on the Tibetan leader. 

One aspect of the documentary’s effectiveness lies in lifting the curtain on the intellectual ambiguity and moral didacticism that pervade the Tibetan world, where the interchange of the Dalai Lama with the Tibetan freedom movement stops being an asset and starts becoming a liability. Toward that end, the film opens a debate the Tibetan world ought to engage in before it becomes too late. 

The film’s Tibetan-centric theme is beautifully offset by Gustavo Santolalla’s soulful Latin-inspired score. The Oscar winner music composer of such films as “Brokeback Mountain” and “Babel” brings to the Tibetan story the right notes of ominous and hope. 

One of the most penetrating and comprehensive documentaries on the Tibetan freedom movement, the film’s title comes from a line in a song composed and sung by Tibetan nun political prisoners; the “Sun” is a reference to the Dalai Lama and the “Clouds” to China’s occupation of Tibet. As rendered by one of the interviewees, herself a former political prisoner, the song celebrates the hope, as cherished by Tibetans across all divides, that soon China’s occupation of Tibet will end and the exiled Tibetan leader will return. 

BAY AREA OPENING JUNE 18, 2010, with Q&A with filmmakers (for details, check thesunbehindtheclouds.com) 

Opera Plaza, San Francisco 

Shattuck Cinemas, Berkeley


Wild Neighbors: Local Spider Makes Good

By Joe Eaton
Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:09:00 AM

A couple of weeks ago, Ron and I went to the Bone Room to hear UC-Berkeley entomologist Rosemary Gillespie discuss her research on the spiders of the Hawai’ian Islands. (Check out The Bone Room Presentsfor future events.)  

Gillespie and her students get to spend a lot of field time in Polynesia. At least one, a weevil specialist if I recall correctly, decided to stay there. 

Gillespie has worked with several groups of Hawai’ian spiders, including the spectacular evolutionary radiation of long-jawed orbweavers. Her marquee species, though, is Theridion grallator, better known as the happy-face spider. It’s a small, furtive, nocturnal creature, found in primary forest on all the major islands except Kaua’i. (The only spiders we encountered during our visit there were exotics, including a sizable huntsman that shared the kitchen of our vacation rental.) In one color morph of the happy-face, the arachnid’s abdomen has two black dots above a curved red smile. 

Not all happy-face spiders sport happy faces, though; see Gillespie’s web site for variations. On all the islands where she’s studied them, two-thirds of the happy-faces have plain unmarked yellow abdomens. The others are patterned with spots and blotches of red, black, and white. Each of the 20 or more morphs is genetically determined, although the mechanism in Maui spiders is different from that in Big Island spiders. One of her graduate students is teasing out the details. 

Although Maui and Big Island individuals can interbreed, there’s normally no movement between islands. The whole array of color morphs has evolved independently on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. For a lucid explanation, with diagrams, go to UC’s Understanding Evolution site  

What’s the point of all this polymorphism? Gillespie and Geoff Oxford of the University of York hypothesize that it has to do with predator avoidance. These spiders co-evolved with birds that feed on small arthropods, like the famous Hawai’ian honeycreepers and the ‘elepaio flycatcher. Happy-face spiders hide under leaves; against that background, the all-yellow forms are the most cryptic. 

But rather than rely on that, the spider has hedged its bets—diversified its portfolio of colors and patterns. The variation keeps avian predators from developing a consistent search image; as shown in experiments with blue jays, visual multitasking makes for less efficient foraging. So more spiders go uneaten, and the genetic variety is preserved. 

Yes, there is a California connection here. During her Bone Room talk, Gillespie said that a similar case of defensive polymorphism had been documented close to home—in Tilden Park, among other places. This involves another spider called Theridion californicum (no common name.) First described from Mill Valley in 1904, T. californicum occurs in coastal habitats from British Columbia to southern California. Like grallator, it lives under leaves, frequently those of poison oak. 

As he reported last year in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Oxford collected californicum specimens from several sites in Tilden and from parks in San Mateo and Santa Barbara counties. He catalogued their pattern variations, analyzed how the patterns were formed, and attempted to rear the spiders in the lab. 

Although it does not have a happy-face morph in its repertoire, Oxford found that californicum was similar to grallator in several interesting respects. 

As in grallator, plain yellow was the most common morph in californicum. The others were patterned with overlays of red, black, and white. Oxford had limited success with captive breeding, but did rear 30 broods collected in the wild. Of these, at least some offspring inherited their mother’s pattern. None of the morphs appeared to be limited to a single sex, as is the case for happy-face spiders on the Big Island (as opposed to Maui.) 

Oxford concluded that the same process that created the happy-face variations had been at work in the California species: “..over a certain frequency Yellow becomes disadvantageous in comparison with patterned, and possibly less cryptic, morphs. In this way, polymorphisms may be maintained as a result of shifts in search images by predators with respect to differently coloured prey.” 

What makes this more interesting is that, according to Oxford, grallator and californicum are not closely related; grallator is probably closer to the Central and South American genus Exalbidion. That means that the two polymorphic spiders didn’t inherit that set of traits from a common ancestor: they were evolved independently. In one case, Hawai’ian honeycreepers were the shaping force; in the other, North American insect-eaters like warblers and vireos. 

It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to go to Polynesia, or the Galapagos or other exotic locales to see evolution in action. It’s happening right next door. 


Restoration Comedy:Nail Salon

By Jane Powell
Monday June 21, 2010 - 11:13:00 PM

Today I decided it would be easier to strip the remaining trim in my kitchen if I pried it off first, since paint insisted on remaining in the cracks between the various pieces, and responded neither to sanding, scraping, heat gunning, or paint remover. 

In normal houses this would not be a big deal- break the paint seal, slide in a stiff putty knife, lever it a bit until there’s space to get in a flat bar, pry off, remove nails, repeat. It works like that because the average piece of trim is three quarters of an inch thick or less. 

But not in my house. Have I mentioned that the guy who built my house also owned a lumber yard? My door and window trim is two by sixes. You know, like the stuff they use for decking. And being from 1905, it’s really two inches by six inches, not the one and a half by five and a half of the modern two by six. Ponder for a moment what size finishing nail would be required to hold something two inches thick to the wall, and you will begin to see my dilemma- you need a nail about four inches long. 

Let me digress briefly into the lore of nails. The round, chisel pointed wire nail with which we are familiar dates to around the 1850s, when wire nail-making machinery was invented in France, making it possible to turn out zillions of nails in a short time for a low price. Nails used for attaching wood to other pieces of wood are classified using the term “penny” along with a number representing the length; for instance, a nail 3-1/2 inches long is known as a sixteen-penny nail. A 2-1/2 inch nail is known as a six-penny nail. Why? Supposedly in medieval England, you could buy a hundred 3-1/2 inch nails for 16 pence (pennies), whereas you could get a hundred 2-1/2 inch nails for only 6 pence. Thus, the shorter the nail, the smaller the number. Why then, one might ask, does it says 16d on the box and not 16p? Well, because they used the name of a Roman coin, the denarius. No, I don’t know why. 

To confuse things further, nails not necessarily used for attaching wood to more wood (like roofing or siding nails) are referred to in inches rather than penny sizes. 

Finishing nails are nails that are essentially “headless”, having merely a sort of bulge at the top- they are meant to be driven below the surface of the wood, and the hole filled with putty. They are thinner than regular nails as well. Finishing nails for normal trim would be 6d or 8d. 

A four inch finishing nail is 20d- in common nails, that is a size used for framing. Normally, when you pry off trim, the nails, having not much by way of a head, will actually pull through the trim and stay in the wall. Let’s just say this is unlikely to happen when the trim is two inches thick. Instead, after managing to lever a piece out about a quarter inch, I reached for every remodeler’s friend, the Sawzall™. Now I realize that Sawzall™ is a brand name of the Milwaukee Corporation, and that this tool is properly called a reciprocating saw, but I’m here to tell you, whether your reciprocating saw is made by DeWalt, Makita, Ryobi, or whoever, you will still call it a sawzall. Like kleenex and xerox, it’s just the way it is. So I stuck a metal cutting blade in the sawzall and cut through the nails. Trim should pop right off, right? Well, no. Because those old-time finish carpenters were thorough if nothing else- the damn thing was toe-nailed to the floor. The lefthand trim, which was in a corner, was toe-nailed to the adjacent wall. (Toe-nailing, for the uninitiated, means nails driven in at an angle.) When you’re trying to take it apart carefully, good carpentry can be annoying. 

So that’s one door down, only four more to go. Followed of course by the previously mentioned five coats of shellac on all this trim. No wonder the kitchen has taken four years so far…. 

 

Jane Powell is the author of Bungalow Kitchens and writes for the Planet whenever she feels like it. She can be reached at hsedressng@aol.com. 


Exhibits-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:08:00 AM

BERKELEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, CENTRAL BRANCH  

CLOSING -- "Bay Area Nature," through July 1. Photography by Satoko Myodo-Garcia.  

Free. Monday-Tuesday, noon-8 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. 2090 Kittredge St., Berkeley. (510) 981-6100, www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/.< 

 

CARMEN FLORES RECREATION CENTER  

"El Corazon de la Communidad: The Heart of the Community", Painted by Joaquin Alejandro Newman, this mural installation consists of four 11-foot panels that mix ancient Meso-American and contemporary imagery to pay homage to local activists Carmen Flores and Josie de la Cruz.  

Free unless otherwise noted. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 1637 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. (510) 535-5631.< 

 

CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER  

"Straight to the Bone," through July 23. Works by Regis-R, Prince of Plastic and Creative Growth artists.  

Free. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 355 24th St., Oakland. (510) 836-2340 X15, www.creativegrowth.org.

 

DAVID BROWER CENTER  

"Water, Rivers and People/ Agua, Rios y Pueblos," through Aug. 31. Exhibition depicts those who are fighting to defend rivers and the people who depend on them.  

2150 Allston Way, Berkeley. < 

 

FLOAT  

"Surrender," through July 31. Digital paintings by Android Jones and light sculptures by Michael Clarke.  

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; by appointment. 1091 Calcot Place, Unit 116, Oakland. (510) 535-1702, www.thefloatcenter.com.

 

JOHANSSON PROJECTS  

"If Only ," through July 17. Works by Rune Olsen.  

Free. Thursday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. 2300 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 444-9140, www.johanssonprojects.com.

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"NanoZone," Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.  

"Real Astronomy Experience," A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.  

"Biology Lab," In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

"The Idea Lab," Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.  

"Math Around the World," Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.  

"Math Rules," Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.  

"Kapla," The hands-on exhibit features thousands of versatile building blocks that can be used to build very large, high and stable structures and models of bridges, buildings, animals or anything else your mind can conceive.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital. 

EXHIBITS --  

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ART AND DISABILITIES  

"Word Play," through Aug. 20. NIAD artists manipulate and repeat letters to create their own language, transform words into hybrid forms, utilize captions to tell a story, or their autograph can become a focal point of their work.  

551 23rd St., Richmond. (510) 620-0290, www.niadart.org.

 

OAKLAND ASIAN CULTURAL CENTER  

"Oakland's 19th-Century San Pablo Avenue Chinatown," A permanent exhibit of new findings about the rediscovered Chinatown on San Pablo Avenue. The exhibit aims to inform visitors about the upcoming archaeological work planned to explore the lives of early Chinese pioneers in the 1860s.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Pacific Renaissance Plaza, 388 Ninth St., Suite 290, Oakland. (510) 637-0455, www.oacc.cc.

 

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT  

"Going Away, Coming Home," A 160-foot public art installation by Mills College art professor Hung Liu. Liu hand painted 80 red-crowned cranes onto 65 panels of glass that were then fired, tempered and paired with background panes that depict views of a satellite photograph, ranging from the western United States to the Asia Pacific Area. Terminal 2.  

Free. Daily, 24 hours, unless otherwise noted. Oakland International Airport, 1 Airport Drive, Oakland. (510) 563-3300, www.flyoakland.com.

 

OAKLAND MARRIOTT CITY CENTER  

"Spirits Known and Unknown," through July 31. Photographs of Kamau Amen-Ra.  

1001 Broadway, Oakland. (510) 451-4000.< 

 

REGAN NURSERY  

"Artists in the Garden," June 26 through June 27, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 22 artists display, sell and demonstrate a wide variety of artistic expressions, including original oil and watercolor paintings, photography, pottery, mosaics, fibert art, fused glass and jewelry making. (510) 797-3222, www.fremontartassociation.com. 

4268 Decoto Rd., Fremont. (510) 797-3222.< 

 

SCULPTURE COURT AT OAKLAND CITY CENTER  

Shawn E. HibmaCronan, through July 30. Presented by the Oakland Museum of California.  

Free. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; third Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oakland City Center, 1111 Broadway, Oakland. < 

 

WOMEN'S CANCER RESOURCE CENTER  

CLOSING -- "Edible East Bay," through June 25. Works by Zina Deretsky, Kieren Dutcher, Rosalie Z. Fanshel and more.  

5471 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. <


Highlights-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:00:00 AM

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIR  

Tower of Power, June 26, 6 and 8 p.m. $8-$10.  

$4-$10; free children under 6. Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 426-7600, www.alamedacountyfair.com.

 

FOX THEATER  

Goldfrapp, June 26, 8 p.m. $32.50.  

1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 452-0438.< 

 

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE  

Bill Kirchen, June 26. $20.50-$21.50.  

Music starts at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 548-1761, www.freightandsalvage.org.

 

GREEK THEATRE  

Pavement, Quasi, June 25, 8 p.m. $39.50.  

Hearst Avenue and Gayley Road, Berkeley. (510) 548-3010, www.apeconcerts.com.

 

LIVE OAK PARK  

"Opera Favorites," June 27, 3 p.m. Professional opera singers perform classics and favorites. Free. (510) 547-2471. 

1300 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. < 

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Limited Access Day," Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m. 

"Independence Day 2010," July 4, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Featuring live music on the flight deck, interactive games for all ages and a bounce house for kids. Tours of the aircraft carrier are available until 8 p.m. In the evening, visitors can watch Bay Area fireworks from the flight deck. $10-$25.  

 

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.< 

 

YOSHI'S  

"Yoshi's Fourth of July weekend Blues Festival," July 1 through July 3, 8 and 10 p.m. With Chris Thomas King on Jul. 1 and James Cotton Superharp Band Jul. 2 and 3. $16-$24.  

"Louis Armstrong Birthday Celebration with Mal Sharpe's Big Money in Gumbo, Lady Mem'fis," July 4, 7 p.m. $10.  

Shows are Monday through Saturday, 8 and 10 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. (510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.com.<


Tours And Activities-East Bay Through July 31

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:07:00 AM

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.  

ONGOING PROGRAMS --  

"Blacksmithing," Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watch a blacksmith turn iron into useful tools.  

"Horse-Drawn Train," Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A 20-minute ride departs from Ardenwood Station and Deer Park.  

"Animal Feeding," Thursday-Sunday, 3-4 p.m. Help slop the hogs, check the henhouse for eggs and bring hay to the livestock.  

"Victorian Flower Arranging," Thursday, 10:15-11:30 a.m. Watch as Ardenwood docents create floral works of art for display in the Patterson House.  

$1-$5; free children under age 4. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont. (510) 796-0199, (510) 796-0663, www.ebparks.org.

 

BAY AREA RAIL TRAILS A network of trails converted from unused railway corridors and developed by the Rails to Trails Conservancy.  

BLACK DIAMOND MINES REGIONAL PRESERVE RAILROAD BED TRAIL -- This easy one mile long rail trail on Mount Diablo leads to many historic sites within the preserve. Suitable for walking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Accessible year round but may be muddy during the rainy season. Enter from the Park Entrance Station parking lot on the East side of Somersville Road, Antioch.  

IRON HORSE REGIONAL TRAIL -- The paved trail has grown into a 23 mile path between Concord and San Ramon with a link into Dublin. The trail runs from the north end of Monument Boulevard at Mohr Lane, east to Interstate 680, in Concord through Walnut Creek to just south of Village Green Park in San Ramon. It will eventually extend from Suisun Bay to Pleasanton and has been nominated as a Community Millennium Trail under the U.S. Millennium Trails program. A smooth shaded trail suitable for walkers, cyclists, skaters and strollers. It is also wheelchair accessible. Difficulty: easy to moderate in small chunks; hard if taken as a whole.  

LAFAYETTE/MORAGA REGIONAL TRAIL -- A 7.65 mile paved trail converted from the Sacramento Northern Rail line. This 20-year old trail goes along Las Trampas Creek and parallels St. Mary's Road. Suitable for walkers, equestrians, and cyclists. Runs from Olympic Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road in Lafayette to Moraga. The trail can be used year round.  

OHLONE GREENWAY -- A 3.75-mile paved trail converted from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway. Suitable for walkers, strollers and skaters. It is also wheelchair accessible. The trail runs under elevated BART tracks from Conlon and Key Streets in El Cerrito to Virginia and Acton Streets in Berkeley.  

SHEPHERD CANYON TRAIL -- An easy 3-mile paved trail converted from the Sacramento Northern Rail Line. The tree-lined trail is gently sloping and generally follows Shepherd Canyon Road. Suitable for walkers and cyclists. It is also wheelchair accessible. Begins in Montclair Village behind McCaulou's Department Store on Medau Place and ends at Paso Robles Drive, Oakland. Useable year round. 

Free. (415) 397-2220, www.traillink.com.

 

BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL The Bay Area Ridge Trail, when completed, will be a 400-mile regional trail system that will form a loop around the entire San Francisco Bay region, linking 75 public parks and open spaces to thousands of people and hundreds of communities. Hikes on portions of the trail are available through the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. Call for meeting sites.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

ALAMEDA COUNTY -- "Lake Chabot Bike Rides." These rides are for strong beginners and intermediates to build skill, strength and endurance at a non hammerhead pace. No one will be dropped. Reservations required. Distance: 14 miles. Elevation gain: 1,000 feet. Difficulty: beginner to intermediate. Pace: moderate. Meeting place: Lake Chabot Road at the main entrance to the park. Thursday, 6:15 a.m. (510) 468-3582.  

ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA COUNTY -- "Tilden and Wildcat Bike Rides." A vigorous ride through Tilden and Wildcat Canyon regional parks. Reservations required. Distance: 15 miles. Elevation gain: 2,000 feet. Difficulty: intermediate. Pace: fast. Meeting place: in front of the North Berkeley BART Station. Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. (510) 849-9650. 

Free. (415) 561-2595, www.ridgetrail.org.

 

BERKELEY CITY CLUB TOURS Guided tours through Berkeley's City Club, a landmark building designed by architect Julia Morgan, designer of Hearst Castle. 

Free. The last Sunday of the month on the hour between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-7800, www.berkeleycityclub.com.

 

BLACK PANTHER LEGACY TOUR A bus tour of 18 sites significant in the history of the Black Panther Party, conducted by the Huey P. Newton Foundation. By reservation only. 

$25. West Oakland Branch Library, 1801 Adeline St., Oakland. (510) 884-4860, www.blackpanthertours.com.

 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

HISTORY WALKABOUTS -- A series of walking tours that explore the history, lore and architecture of California with veteran tour guide Gary Holloway. Walks are given on specific weekends. There is a different meeting place for each weekend and walks take place rain or shine so dress for the weather. Reservations and prepayment required. Meeting place will be given with confirmation of tour reservation. Call for details.  

678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

 

CAMRON-STANFORD HOUSE The Camron-Stanford House, an 1876 Italianate-style home that was at one time the Oakland Public Museum, has been restored and furnished with appropriate period furnishings by the Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association. It is the last Victorian house on Lake Merritt's shore. Call ahead to confirm tours and hours. 

$3-$5; free children ages 11 and under when accompanied by a paying adult; free the first Sunday of the month. Third Wednesday of the month, 1-5 p.m. 1418 Lakeside Drive at 14th Street, Oakland. (510) 444-1876, www.cshouse.org.

 

CASA PERALTA Once the home of descendants of the 19th-century Spanish soldier and Alameda County landowner Don Luis Maria Peralta, the 1821 adobe was remodeled in 1926 as a grand Spanish villa, using some of the original bricks. The casa features a beautiful Moorish exterior design and hand painted tiles imported from Spain, some of which tell the story of Don Quixote. The interior is furnished in 1920s decor. The house will be decorated for the holidays during the month of December. Call ahead to confirm hours. 

Free but donations accepted. Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 384 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro. (510) 577-3474, (510) 577-3491, www.ci.sanleandro. ca.us/sllibrarycasaperalta.html.< 

 

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films. 

Center Admission: $14.95; $10.95 children 3-12; free children under 3; $3 discount for seniors and students. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Also open on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. after June 29. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.

 

CLOSE TO HOME: EXPLORING NATURE'S TREASURES IN THE EAST BAY -- -- A yearlong program of monthly talks and Saturday outings about the natural history of the East Bay. In this hands-on program learn about the plants, wildlife and watershed of the East Bay's incredibly rich and dynamic bioregion. The 11 Saturday outings will take place in either Alameda or Contra Costa counties. The 10 talks at the Montclair Presbyterian Church will be on the Monday prior to the Saturday outing. A notebook of relevant readings and resources for each outing is available to all participants for an additional $30 per person. The program is cosponsored by the Oakland Museum of California, BayNature Magazine and Earthlight Magazine. Fee for the year covers all outings, talks, site fees, orientation and a party. 

"Turkey Vultures," July 5. Find out why these under appreciated birds are so important with naturalist Mike Moran. 

$375 per person for yearlong participation; $30 additional for binder with written materials. Montclair Presbyterian Church, 5701 Thornhill Drive, Oakland. (510) 655-6658, (510) 601-5715, www.close-to-home.org.< 

 

DEAN LESHER REGIONAL CENTER FOR THE ARTS TOUR A behind-the-scenes tour of this multi-million dollar arts facility. Tours last for one hour and include walks on both the Hofmann and Lesher stages, a look at the Hofmann fly-loft, the dressing rooms, the Green Room and an amble down the Center's opulent spiral staircase. Reservations required. Call for tour dates and times. 

$5 per person. 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. (925) 295-1400, www.dlrca.org.

 

DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.  

ESTATE GROUNDS -- Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.  

GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free. 

Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.

 

EAST BAY FARMERS MARKETS  

BERKELEY CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKETS -- A chance to buy local organic produce, baked goods and flowers. The three markets operate rain or shine.  

Tuesday Market: April-October: Tuesdays, 2-7 p.m.; November-March: Tuesdays, 2-6 p.m. At Derby Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.  

Thursday Organic Market: Thursdays, 3-7 p.m. At Shattuck Avenue and Cedar Street.  

Saturday Market: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. At Center Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Shattuck Avenue & Rose Street, Berkeley. (510) 548-3333. 

OAKLAND CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKETS -- A chance to buy local organic produce and baked goods.  

East Oakland Market: May-November: Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. At 73rd Avenue and International Boulevard. (510) 638-1742.  

East Oakland Senior Center Market: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. At 9255 Edes Avenue. (510) 562-8989.  

Sunday Fruitvale Market: Sundays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. At 34th Avenue and 12th Street. (510) 535-6929.  

Thursday Fruitvale Market: June-November: Thursday, 2-7 p.m. At 34th Avenue and 12th Street. (510) 535-6929.  

Grand Lake Market: Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. At Splash Pad Park, Grand Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. (800) 897-FARM.  

Jack London Square Market: May-October: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. At Broadway and Embarcadero. (800) 949-FARM or www.jacklondonsquare.com.  

Kaiser Market: Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. At Howe Street between MacArthur Boulevard and 40th Street. (800) 949-FARM.  

Mandela Market: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. At Fifth Street and Mandela Parkway. (510) 776-4178.  

Millsmont Market: May-October: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. At MacArthur Boulevard at Seminary Avenue. (510) 238-9306.  

Montclair Market: Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. At La Salle and Moraga avenues. (510) 745-7100.  

Old Oakland Market: Fridays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. At Ninth Street and Broadway. (510) 745-7100.  

Temescal Market: Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. At DMV Parking Lot, 5300 Claremont Ave. (510) 745-7100. Oakland.  

RICHMOND CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET -- A chance to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, baked goods and more. Fridays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Civic Center Plaza Drive and McDonald Avenue, Richmond. (510) 758-2336. 

EL CERRITO CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET -- A chance to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, baked goods and more.  

Tuesday Market: Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

Saturday Market: Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. El Cerrito Plaza, San Pablo and Fairmont Avenues., El Cerrito. (925) 279-1760. 

Free. www.cafarmersmarkets.com.

 

EUGENE O'NEILL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE Closed on New Year's Day. Visit Eugene O'Neill's famous Tao House and its tranquil grounds. Phone reservations required for a ranger-led, twoand-a-half-hour tour. Tours are given Wednesday through Sunday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Please note: The National Park Service provides a free shuttle van for transportation to Tao House. Access via private vehicle is not available. 

Free but reservations required. Wednesday-Sunday. 1000 Kuss Road, Danville. (925) 838-0249, www.nps.gov/euon.< 

 

FENTONS CREAMERY Fenton's Creamery, founded in 1894, offers "backstage" tours that show how ice cream is made, how flavors are created, and all that goes into their famous sundaes. The history of Fenton's is also covered. Tours last 20-30 minutes (including samples). Children must be 6 years and accompanied by an adult. 

4226 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. (510) 658-7000, www.fentonscreamery.com.

 

FIFTY-PLUS ADVENTURE WALKS AND RUNS The walks and runs are 3-mile round-trips, lasting about one hour on the trail. All levels of ability are welcome. The walks are brisk, however, and may include some uphill terrain. Events are held rain or shine and on all holidays except Christmas and the Fifty-Plus Annual Fitness Weekend. Call for dates, times and details. 

Free. (650) 323-6160, www.50plus.org.

 

FOREST HOME FARMS The 16-acre former farm of the Boone family is now a municipal historic park in San Ramon. It is located at the base of the East Bay Hills and is divided into two parts by Oak Creek. The Boone House is a 22-room Dutch colonial that has been remodeled several times since it was built in 1900. Also on the property are a barn built in the period from 1850 to 1860; the Victorian-style David Glass House, dating from the late 1860s to early 1870s; a storage structure for farm equipment and automobiles; and a walnut processing plant. 

Free unless otherwise noted. Public tours available by appointment. 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon. (925) 973-3281, www.ci.sanramon. ca.us/parks/boone.htm.< 

 

GOLDEN GATE LIVE STEAMERS Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size, run along a half mile of track in Tilden Regional Park. The small trains are owned and maintained by a non-profit group of railroad buffs that offer rides. Come out for the monthly family run and barbeque at the track, offered on the fourth Sunday of the month.  

"Small Scale Meet," July 23 and July 24. Watch as small scale live steam enthusiasts run their trains at this weekend long event. 

Free. Trains run Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Rides: Sunday, noon-3 p.m., weather permitting. Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. (510) 486-0623, www.ggls.org.

 

GOLDEN STATE MODEL RAILROAD MUSEUM -- The museum, which is handicapped accessible, features extensive displays of operating model railroads constructed and operated by the East Bay Model Engineers Society. Covering some 10,000 square feet, steam and modern diesel-powered freight and passenger trains operate in O, HO and N scales on separate layouts as well as narrow gauge and trolley lines. Of special interest is the Tehachapi Pass and Loop on the N-scale layout showing how the multiple engine trains traverse the gorges and tunnels, passing over themselves to gain altitude to cross Tehachapi Summit just east of Bakersfield. The layouts include such famous railroad landmarks as Niles Canyon, Donner Pass and the Oakland Mole where transcontinental passengers were ferried across San Francisco Bay from their arriving trains. VIEW THE LAYOUTS ONLY ON WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS; WATCH TRAINS RUN ON THE LAYOUTS ON SUNDAYS. 

$2-$4 Sunday, $9 family ticket; free on Wednesday and Saturday. April-November: Saturday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. December: layouts are operational on weekends. Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline, 900-A Dornan Dr., Point Richmond. (510) 234-4884, www.gsmrm.org.

GONDOLA SERVIZIO -- "Gondola Servizio." Weather permitting. Take a ride around Lake Merritt in a real Venetian gondola rowed by a Venetian-style gondolier. The boats of Gondola Servizio were built by hand in Venice. Each gondola seats up to six people and reservations are required.  

September-May: Wednesday-Sunday, 5 p.m.-midnight; June-August: Daily, by appointment. Lake Merritt Sailboat House, 568 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. (866) 737-8494, (866) 737-8494, www.gondolaservizio.com.

 

GREENBELT ALLIANCE OUTINGS A series of hikes, bike rides and events sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance, the Bay Area's non-profit land conservation and urban planning organization. Call for meeting places. Reservations required for all trips.  

ALAMEDA COUNTY --  

"Self-Guided Urban Outing: Berkeley," This interactive smart growth walking tour of central Berkeley examines some of the exciting projects that help alleviate the housing shortage in the city as well as amenities important to making a livable community. The walk, which includes the GAIA Cultural Center, Allston Oak Court, The Berkeley Bike Station, University Terrace and Strawberry Creek Park, takes between an hour-and-ahalf to two hours at a leisurely pace. Download the itinerary which gives specific directions by entering www.greeenbelt.org and clicking on "get involved'' and then "urban outings.'' Drop down and click on Berkeley. Free. 

Free unless otherwise noted. (415) 255-3233, www.greenbelt.org.

 

JOHN MUIR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE The site preserves the 1882 Muir House, a 17-room Victorian mansion where naturalist John Muir lived from 1890 to his death in 1914. It was here that Muir wrote about preserving America's wilderness and helped create the national parks idea for the United States. The house is situated on a hill overlooking the City of Martinez and surrounded by nine acres of vineyards and orchards. Take a self-guided tour of this well-known Scottish naturalist's home. Also part of the site is the historic Martinez Adobe and Mount Wanda.  

ONGOING EVENT --  

Public Tours of the John Muir House, Begin with an eight-minute park film and then take the tour. The film runs every 15 minutes throughout the day. Wednesday through Friday, 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.  

MOUNT WANDA -- The mountain consists of 325 acres of grass and oak woodland historically owned by the Muir family. It offers a nature trail and several fire trails for hiking. Open daily, sunrise to sunset. 

JOHN MUIR HOUSE, Tours of this well-known Scottish naturalist's home are available. The house, built in 1882, is a 14-room Victorian home situated on a hill overlooking the city of Martinez and surrounded by nine acres of vineyards and orchards. It was here that Muir wrote about preserving America's wilderness and helped create the national parks idea for the United States. The park also includes the historic Vicente Martinez Adobe, built in 1849. An eight-minute film about Muir and the site is shown every 15 minutes throughout the day at the Visitor Center. Self guided tours of the Muir home, the surrounding orchards, and the Martinez Adobe: Wednesday-Sunday, 1 a.m.-5 p.m. Public tours or the first floor of the Muir home: Wednesday-Friday, 2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Reservations not required except for large groups.  

$3 general; free children ages 16 and under. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez. (925) 228-8860, www.nps.gov/jomu.< 

 

LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY Scientists and engineers guide visitors through the research areas of the laboratory, demonstrating emerging technology and discussing the research's current and potential applications. A Berkeley lab tour usually lasts two and a half hours and includes visits to several research areas. Popular tour sites include the Advanced Light Source, The National Center for Electron Microscopy, the 88-Inch Cyclotron, The Advanced Lighting Laboratory and The Human Genome Laboratory. Reservations required at least two weeks in advance of tour. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Photography is permitted. Due to heightened security after Sept. 11, 2001, tour participants will be asked for photo identification and citizenship information. Tours are periodically available by special request. Contact the Community Relations Office, (510) 486-7292, for additional information. To add your name to a list of potential public tour participants, email community@lbl.gov. 

Free. 10 a.m. University of California, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley. (510) 486-7292, www.lbl.gov.

 

LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory offer two different tours of its facilities.  

Livermore Main Site Tours are scheduled on most Tuesdays, 8:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Highlights of the three hour tour are visits to the National Ignition Facility, National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center, and Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. All tours begin at the Lab's Discovery Center, located at the intersection of Greeneville Road and Eastgate Drive in Livermore. Visitors must be U.S. citizens and 18 years or older. Twoweek advance reservations required. Tours are available for non-U.S. citizens with 60 to 90 days advance reservation.  

Site 300 is the Laboratory's 7,000 acre non-nuclear explosive test facility in the Altamont Hills southwest of Tracy. Tours may include Western vantage points for observation of the site, an external view of the Contained Firing Facility, and environmental remediation facilities and wetlands. Tours are conducted on an as-requested basis. Visitors must be U.S. citizens and 18 years or older. Two-week advance reservations required. Tours are available for non-U.S. citizens with 60 to 90 days advance reservation. 

NATIONAL LABORATORY DISCOVERY CENTER -- Tuesdays-Fridays, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Center is a window into the Laboratory where visitors can experience a broad-based display of the scientific technology developed at the Laboratory as well as highlights of the Lab's research and history in such areas as defense, homeland security, the environment, cancer and new energy sources.  

There is no citizenship limitation or age limit for visiting the Discovery Center. Call ahead to confirm the Center is open. Located off Greenville Road on Eastgate Drive, just outside the Laboratory's East Gate. Free. (925) 423-3272. 

Free. 7000 East Ave., Livermore. (925) 424-4175, www.llnl.gov.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

MOUNT DIABLO SUMMIT MUSEUM The museum is located in a historic stone building atop Mt. Diablo's highest peak and features ongoing exhibits that chronicle the history of the mountain. An instructional video examines the geological forces that created the mountain and panel displays describe the Native American history of the region. A diorama provides an overview of the mountain's ecosystems. Telescopes are mounted on the Observation Deck so visitors can enjoy one of the finest views in the world. 

Museum: free; Park entrance fee: $5-$6 per vehicle. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Park hours: daily, 8 a.m.-sunset. Oak Grove Road or North Gate Road, Walnut Creek. (925) 837-6119, (925) 837-6119, www.mdia.org/museum.htm.< 

 

MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY WALKING TOURS Take a three-hour, docent-led walking tour of this cemetery, designed by renowned architect Fredrich Law Olmsted, where many historical figures, both local and national, are buried. 

Special Events,  

"Oakland Heritage Alliance Annual Walking Tour," July 10, 10 a.m. Join Barbara Smith, a former Oakland Museum history docent, and Michael Crowe, an architectural historian, for a tour exploring the stories and monuments of the cemetery. 

Free. Second Saturday of the month, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 5000 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. (510) 658-2588, www.mountainviewcemetery.org.

 

NIMITZ WALK A level, paved walk originally constructed when the army was considering putting a missile site in the hills above Berkeley. Near Inspiration Point; from San Pablo Dam Road turn west onto Wildcat Canyon Road in Orinda. The entrance to the walk, and a parking lot, is at the top of the ridge. This is an easy hike for people of all ages and especially ideal for the very old, the very young, and the disabled. Bicycles and roller blades are allowed. 

Free. Daily, sunrise-sunset. Tilden Park, near Inspiration Point, Berkeley Hills. (510) 525-2233, www.ebparks.org.

 

OAKLAND ARTISAN MARKETPLACE www.oaklandartisanmarketplace.org/. A weekly market featuring the fine arts and crafts created by local artists. Included will be handmade jewelry, sculptures, ceramics, paintings and drawings, photography, dolls, floral arrangements, clothing, soaps, and greeting cards. The three weekly markets are at different sites in Oakland. 

Free. (510) 238-4948.< 

 

OAKLAND CASTING CLUB MEETINGS The Oakland Casting Club and Department of Parks and Recreation present free fly-casting clinics in this monthly meeting. Experts of the club will be on hand to offer tips and training techniques for youths and adults. Everything from basic casting to advanced techniques will be taught. Beginners or experienced anglers welcome. No registration or appointment necessary, but please e-mail ahead (and include relative skill level) to give notice of your participation, if possible.  

Meetings are held at McCrea Park, located at Carson Street and Aliso Avenue (just off Hwy. 13), Oakland. 

Third Saturday of the month March-July. Oakland. www.oaklandcastingclub.org.

 

OAKLAND ZOO The zoo includes a Children's Petting Zoo, the Skyride, a miniature train, a carousel, picnic grounds and a gift shop as well as the animals in site specific exhibits, which allow them to roam freely. Included are "The African Savanna,'' with its two huge mixed-animal aviaries and 11 African Savanna exhibits; the Mahali Pa Tembo (Place of the Elephant), with giraffes, chimpanzees and more than 330 other animals from around the world; "Simba Pori,'' Swahili for "Lion Country,'' a spacious 1.5-acre habitat offering both a savanna and woodland setting for African lions; "Footprints from the Past,'' an anthropology exhibit showcasing four million years of human evolution and an actual "footpath'' of the first hominids to emerge from the African savanna; "Sun Bear Exhibit,'' a stateof-the-art space the zoo has developed for its two sun bears; and Siamang Island, a state-of-the-art, barrier-free area that emulates the gibbons' native tropical rain forest habitat. Also see the Malayan Fruit Bats from the Lubee Bat Conservancy in Florida that are now roosting in trees at the zoo. In addition there are special exhibits and events monthly.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Valley Children's Zoo," The three-acre attraction offers a completely interactive experience for both children and adults. The exhibits include lemurs, giant fruit bats, otters, reptiles, insects and more. Daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

"Endangered Species," An exhibit of photographs about the most endangered animals on the Earth and what can be done to save them. At the Education Center. Open daily during zoo hours. ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Valley Children's Zoo," Daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The three-acre attraction will offer a completely interactive experience for both children and adults. The exhibits include lemurs, giant fruit bats, otters, reptiles, insects and more. Free with regular Zoo admission.  

"Wildlife Theater," Saturday, 11:45 a.m.; Sunday, 1:45 p.m. On Saturday mornings listen to a story and meet a live animal. On Sunday afternoon meet live animals and learn cool facts about them. Meet in the Lobby of the Zoo's Maddie's Center for Science and Environmental Education. Free with regular Zoo admission. (510) 632-9525, ext. 142. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Grand Opening of Wild Australia Exhibit," July 3, 10 a.m. Honorary guest Liam Mayclem from CBS5's "Eye on the Bay'' will be on hand for a special ribbon cutting ceremony at this family friendly event celebrating a new exhibit that explores the wonders of Australia. 

"Mountain Gorillas and the One Health Program," July 7, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Join Prosper Uwingeli, Chief Warden of Volcanoes National Park, and Kirsten Gilardi, Director of Mountain Gorilla One Health at UC Davis for a talk about the innovative new strategy linking the health of humans, animals, and the environment, and the success with Mountain Gorillas. Event takes place in the Marian Zimmer Auditorium. $10-$20. 

$7.50-11; free children under age 2; $6 parking fee. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Knowland Park, 9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland. (510) 632-9525, www.oaklandzoo.org.

 

OLD MISSION SAN JOSE Take a self-guided tour of the Mission, a replica of the original mission church that was one of a chain of California missions begun by Father Junipero Serra in 1769. Mission San Jose was founded in 1797. The mission chain stretches from San Diego to San Rafael. The tour includes the church, grounds, an adobe building and historic memorabilia. 

$2-$3. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Closed New Years, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 43300 Mission Blvd., Fremont. (510) 657-1797, www.missionsanjose.org.

 

PARAMOUNT THEATRE TOUR The historic Paramount Theatre is a restored art deco masterpiece from the movie palace era. The two-hour tour covers areas not usually accessible to the public. Cameras are allowed. Children must be at least 10 years old and accompanied by adult chaperones. 

$5. First and third Saturday of the month, 10 a.m. Meet at the 21st Street Box Office Entrance, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. (510) 465-6400, (510) 893-2300, www.paramounttheatre.com.

 

PARDEE HOME MUSEUM The historic Pardee Mansion, a three-story Italianate villa built in 1868, was home to three generations of the Pardee family who were instrumental in the civic and cultural development of California and Oakland. The home includes the house, grounds, water tower and barn. Reservations recommended. 

EVENTS --  

$5; free children ages 12 and under. House Tours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays by appointment. 672 11th St., Oakland. (510) 444-2187, www.pardeehome.org.

 

RUTH BANCROFT GARDEN One of America's finest private gardens, the Ruth Bancroft Garden displays 2,000 specimens from around the world that thrive in an arid climate. Included are African and Mexican succulents, New World cacti, Australian and Chilean trees, and shrubs from California. 

DOCENT TOUR SCHEDULE -- Saturdays, 10 a.m. Docent-led tours last approximately an hour and a half. Plant sales follow the tour. By reservation only. $7; free children under age 12.  

SELF-GUIDED TOURS -- Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-noon; Friday, 9:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. Self-guided tours last two hours. No reservations required for weekday tours; reservations required for Friday and Saturday tours. Plant sales follow the tours. $7; free children under age 12.  

Gardens open only for tours and special events listed on the garden's telephone information line. 1500 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek. (925) 210-9663, www.ruthbancroftgarden.org.

 

SHADELANDS RANCH HISTORICAL MUSEUM Built by Walnut Creek pioneer Hiram Penniman, this 1903 redwoodframed house is a showcase for numerous historical artifacts, many of which belonged to the Pennimans. It also houses a rich archive of Contra Costa and Walnut Creek history in its collections of old newspapers, photographs and government records. 

$1-$3; free-children under age 6. Wednesday and Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Closed in January. 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. (925) 935-7871, www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us.< 

 

SULPHUR CREEK NATURE CENTER A wildlife rehabilitation and education facility where injured and orphaned local wild creatures are rehabilitated and released when possible. There is also a lending library of animals such as guinea pigs, rats, mice and more. The lending fee is $8 per week.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Toddler Time," Learn about animals by listening to stories and exploring. Themes vary by month. Call for schedule. $7 per family.  

"Day on the Green Animal Presentations," Meet an assortment of wild and domestic animals. Wildlife volunteers will present a different animal each day from possums to snakes, tortoises to hawks. Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. 

CHILDREN'S EVENTS --  

Free. Park: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Discovery Center: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Animal Lending Library: Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: daily, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1801 D St., Hayward. (510) 881-6747, www.haywardrec.org/sulphur_creek.html.< 

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Limited Access Day," Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m. 

SPECIAL EVENTS -- Closed on New Year's Day.  

"Family Day," Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member. 

"Living Ship Day," Experience an aircraft carrier in action, with simulated flight operations as aircraft are lifted to the flight deck and placed in launch position. Some former crewmembers will be on hand. 

"Flashlight Tour," Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day. 

"Fourth of July Party," July 4, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy live music on the flight deck, tour the historic ship, play interactive games, sip beer and wine, and of course, watch fireworks over San Francisco Bay. $10-$25; children under 5 are free. 

"The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra," July 17, 8 p.m. Keeping the sound and spirit of the legendary World War II era big band leader alive, this swingin' concert will be in the perfect location, the historic aircraft carrier USS Hornet. $45-$98. 

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.<


General-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:59:00 AM

ASHKENAZ  

"I Like My Bike Night," First Friday of the month, 9 p.m. This monthly series brings bicycle innovators, enthusiasts, artists and organizations together under one roof, as well as encourages regular Ashkenaz show-goers to leave their cars in the driveway and arrive at the venue by bicycle instead. $8-$25.  

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.

 

AUCTIONS BY THE BAY  

"ArtiFacts: A Lecture Series for Collectors," Guest curators, scholars and conservation experts from throughout the Bay Area discuss the art of collecting. First Sunday of every month, 3 p.m. $7.  

Auctions by the Bay Theater-Auction House, 2700 Saratoga St., Alameda. (510) 835-6187, www.auctionsbythebay.com.

 

AUTOBODY FINE ART  

"Sniff the Dog Movie," July 3, 7-10 p.m. Kick off Petapalooza, which culimates in a "Dog Days Event'' on Jul. 24, with this film screening. $35.  

1517 Park Street, Alameda. (510) 865-2608.< 

 

BAY AREA FREE BOOK EXCHANGE  

"Free Books," Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Donate your unwanted books and receive new titles for free.  

10520 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. (510) 526-1941, www.bayareafreebookexchange.com.

 

CALIFORNIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY AND LIBRARY  

"California Genealogical Society and Library Free First Saturday," 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Event takes place on the first Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Trace and compile your family history at this month's open house event. Free. www.calgensoc.org. 

2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland. (510) 663-1358.< 

 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

HISTORY WALKABOUTS -- A series of walking tours that explore the history, lore and architecture of California with veteran tour guide Gary Holloway. Walks are given on specific weekends. There is a different meeting place for each weekend and walks take place rain or shine so dress for the weather. Reservations and prepayment required. Meeting place will be given with confirmation of tour reservation. Call for details.  

678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

 

CALIFORNIA MAGIC THEATER  

"Dinner Theater Magic Show," Friday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Enter the joyous and bewildering world of illusions and magic while chowing down on a home cooked meal. Each weekend features different professional magicians. Recommended for ages 13 and older. $54-$64 includes meal.  

729 Castro St., Martinez. (925) 374-0056, www.calmagic.com.

 

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films. 

Center Admission: $14.95; $10.95 children 3-12; free children under 3; $3 discount for seniors and students. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Also open on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. after June 29. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.

 

DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.  

ESTATE GROUNDS -- Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.  

GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free. 

Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.

 

FRANK OGAWA PLAZA  

"Oakland Artisan Marketplace," Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The City of Oakland and Cultural Arts & Marketing Department presents a weekly market featuring fine arts and crafts of local artists. Free. (510) 238-4948, www.oaklandartisanmarketplace.org. 

14th Street and Broadway, Oakland. < 

 

JACK LONDON AQUATIC CENTER  

"Oakland Artisan Marketplace,"' Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The City of Oakland and Cultural Arts & Marketing Department presents a weekly market featuring fine arts and crafts of local artists. Free. (510) 238-4948, www.oaklandartisanmarketplace.org. 

115 Embarcadero, Oakland. < 

 

JACK LONDON SQUARE  

"Dancing Under the Stars," June 25 and July 2, 8:30-10 p.m. The Linden Street Dance Studio provides free dance lessons to all at the foot of Broadway.  

"Fresh," June 26, 7-11 p.m. The producers of the Oakland Underground Film Festival present one of their favorite movies.  

"Dog Days of Summer," June 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Take your dog for a walk and join the Oakland SPCA in getting a photographic portrait of your pet.  

"Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Cooking Demonstration," June 27, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Chef Greg Mann demonstrates utilizing fresh seasonal ingredients.  

"Tracy Snelling," July 2, 7-11 p.m. Oakland Underground Film Festival presents one of their favorite movies.  

"Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Cooking Demonstration," July 4, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Chef Sim Peyron offers a cooking demonstration that utilizes fresh seasonal ingredients.  

Foot of Broadway, Oakland. (866) 295-9853, www.jacklondonsquare.com.

 

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER  

"Domingo de Rumba," July 4, 3:30-6 p.m. Free.  

3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568, www.lapena.org.

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"NanoZone," Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.  

"Real Astronomy Experience," A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.  

"Biology Lab," In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

"The Idea Lab," Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.  

"Math Around the World," Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.  

"Math Rules," Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.  

 

HOLT PLANETARIUM Shows on Saturdays and Sundays. Programs recommended for ages 6 and up unless otherwise noted. $2.50-$3 in addition to general admission.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

RABBITEARS  

"Kensington First Friday Art Walk," July 2, 6-9 p.m. Featuring original art works, music and crafts at Colusa Circle.  

377 Colusa Ave., Kensington. (510) 525-6155.< 

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE Exploring cinema from the Bay Area and cultures around the world, the Pacific Film Archive offers daily film screenings, including rare and rediscovered prints of movie classics; new and historic works by world famous directors; restored silent films with live musical accompaniment; retrospectives; and new and experimental works. Check Web site for a full schedule of films.  

"First Impressions: Free First Thursdays," first Thursday of every month. Special tours and movie presentations. Admission is free. 

Single feature: $5-$8; Double feature: $9-$12 general. PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-5249, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, MORRISON LIBRARY  

"Lunch Poems," First Thursday of the month, 12:10-12:50 p.m.  

2600 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-3671.< 

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Limited Access Day," Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m. 

SPECIAL EVENTS -- Closed on New Year's Day.  

"Flashlight Tour," Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day. 

"Living Ship Day," Experience an aircraft carrier in action, with simulated flight operations as aircraft are lifted to the flight deck and placed in launch position. Some former crewmembers will be on hand. 

"Family Day," Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member. 

"Fourth of July Party," July 4, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy live music on the flight deck, tour the historic ship, play interactive games, sip beer and wine, and of course, watch fireworks over San Francisco Bay. $10-$25; children under 5 are free. 

"Independence Day 2010," July 4, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Featuring live music on the flight deck, interactive games for all ages and a bounce house for kids. Tours of the aircraft carrier are available until 8 p.m. In the evening, visitors can watch Bay Area fireworks from the flight deck. $10-$25.  

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.<


Outdoors-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:03:00 AM

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.  

$1-$5; free children under age 4. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont. (510) 796-0199, (510) 796-0663, www.ebparks.org.

 

BAY AREA RAIL TRAILS A network of trails converted from unused railway corridors and developed by the Rails to Trails Conservancy.  

BLACK DIAMOND MINES REGIONAL PRESERVE RAILROAD BED TRAIL -- This easy one mile long rail trail on Mount Diablo leads to many historic sites within the preserve. Suitable for walking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Accessible year round but may be muddy during the rainy season. Enter from the Park Entrance Station parking lot on the East side of Somersville Road, Antioch.  

IRON HORSE REGIONAL TRAIL -- The paved trail has grown into a 23 mile path between Concord and San Ramon with a link into Dublin. The trail runs from the north end of Monument Boulevard at Mohr Lane, east to Interstate 680, in Concord through Walnut Creek to just south of Village Green Park in San Ramon. It will eventually extend from Suisun Bay to Pleasanton and has been nominated as a Community Millennium Trail under the U.S. Millennium Trails program. A smooth shaded trail suitable for walkers, cyclists, skaters and strollers. It is also wheelchair accessible. Difficulty: easy to moderate in small chunks; hard if taken as a whole.  

LAFAYETTE/MORAGA REGIONAL TRAIL -- A 7.65 mile paved trail converted from the Sacramento Northern Rail line. This 20-year old trail goes along Las Trampas Creek and parallels St. Mary's Road. Suitable for walkers, equestrians, and cyclists. Runs from Olympic Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road in Lafayette to Moraga. The trail can be used year round.  

OHLONE GREENWAY -- A 3.75-mile paved trail converted from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway. Suitable for walkers, strollers and skaters. It is also wheelchair accessible. The trail runs under elevated BART tracks from Conlon and Key Streets in El Cerrito to Virginia and Acton Streets in Berkeley.  

SHEPHERD CANYON TRAIL -- An easy 3-mile paved trail converted from the Sacramento Northern Rail Line. The tree-lined trail is gently sloping and generally follows Shepherd Canyon Road. Suitable for walkers and cyclists. It is also wheelchair accessible. Begins in Montclair Village behind McCaulou's Department Store on Medau Place and ends at Paso Robles Drive, Oakland. Useable year round. 

Free. (415) 397-2220, www.traillink.com.

 

BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL The Bay Area Ridge Trail, when completed, will be a 400-mile regional trail system that will form a loop around the entire San Francisco Bay region, linking 75 public parks and open spaces to thousands of people and hundreds of communities. Hikes on portions of the trail are available through the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. Call for meeting sites.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

ALAMEDA COUNTY -- "Lake Chabot Bike Rides." These rides are for strong beginners and intermediates to build skill, strength and endurance at a non hammerhead pace. No one will be dropped. Reservations required. Distance: 14 miles. Elevation gain: 1,000 feet. Difficulty: beginner to intermediate. Pace: moderate. Meeting place: Lake Chabot Road at the main entrance to the park. Thursday, 6:15 a.m. (510) 468-3582.  

ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA COUNTY -- "Tilden and Wildcat Bike Rides." A vigorous ride through Tilden and Wildcat Canyon regional parks. Reservations required. Distance: 15 miles. Elevation gain: 2,000 feet. Difficulty: intermediate. Pace: fast. Meeting place: in front of the North Berkeley BART Station. Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. (510) 849-9650. 

Free. (415) 561-2595, www.ridgetrail.org.

 

BICYCLE TRAILS COUNCIL OF THE EAST BAY The Council sponsors trail work days, Youth Bike Adventure Rides, and Group Rides as well as Mountain Bike Basics classes which cover training and handling skills.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Weekly Wednesday Ride at Lake Chabot," Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. A 13- to 20-mile ride exploring the trails around Lake Chabot, with 1,500 to 2,000 feet of climbing. Meet at 6:15 p.m. in the parking lot across from the public safety offices at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley. Reservations requested. (510) 727-0613.  

"Weekly Wednesday 'Outer' East Bay Ride," Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. Ride some of the outer East Bay parks each week, such as Wild Cat Canyon, Briones, Mount Diablo, Tilden and Joaquin Miller-Redwood. Meeting place and ride location vary. Reservations required. (510) 888-9757. 

Free. (510) 466-5123, www.btceb.org.

 

BLACK DIAMOND MINES REGIONAL PRESERVE Originally the home of several Native American tribes, white men began coal mining in the area in the 1860s. The preserve today features old mines and displays of the history of the area. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Sunset in the Hills," June 26, 7:30-10 p.m. Discover this landscape on a three-mile hike. 

Free unless otherwise noted; $5 seasonal parking fee on weekends. Daily, 8 a.m. to dusk Somersville Road, about five miles south of state Highway 4, Antioch. Information: (925) 757-2620, Tickets: (925) 555-1212, www.ebparks.org.

 

BOTANIC GARDEN  

EVENTS --  

Intersection of Wildcat Canyon Road and South Park Drive, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. www.ebparks.org.

 

COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK The park is located on the shoreline of Fremont Bay and features rich wetland areas as well as Ohlone Indian shellmound sites. Hiking in the park allows scenic views of San Francisco Bay and southern Alameda County. The 12-mile Alameda Creek Trail runs from the Bay east to the mouth of Niles Canyon and features an equestrian trail as well as a bicycle trail; hikers are welcome on both. The park conducts naturalist programs and has a visitor center with a nature store and Ohlone, natural history and wildlife exhibits.  

SPECIAL EVENTS -- Free unless otherwise noted.  

"Learn to Construct a Tule Boat," June 6 and June 27, Jun. 6, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Jun. 27, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. On June 6, help gather tule, then see a slideshow on California tule boats. On June 27, build a three person tule boat and launch it for a paddle around the lake. 

"Recycled T-Shirt Yarn," June 26, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Learn how to turn old clothing into new accessories. 

Free unless otherwise noted; A parking fee may be charged. Registration required for events. April through October: daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; October through April, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., unless otherwise posted. 8000 Patterson Pass Road, Fremont. (510) 636-1684, (510) 795-9385, www.ebparks.org.

 

CRAB COVE VISITOR CENTER At Crab Cove, you can see live underwater creatures and go into the San Francisco Bay from land. You can also travel back in time to Alameda's part. The goal is to increase understanding of the environmental importance of San Francisco Bay and the ocean ecosystem. Crab Cove's Indoor Aquarium and Exhibit Lab is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the East Bay. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Sea Squirts," 10-11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Discover the wonders of nature with your little one. Registration is required. $6-$8. 

"Catch of the Day," Sundays, 2-3 p.m. Drop by to find out more about the Bay and its wildlife through guided exploration and hands-on fun. 

"Sea Siblings," Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Explore the natural world and take part in a theme related craft. Designed for the 3-5 year old learner. Registration is required. $4. (888) 327-2757. 

"Turtle Talk," June 20 and June 27, 1:30-2 p.m. Meet Esmeralda the threetoed box turtle. 

Free unless otherwise noted; parking fee may be charged. 1252 McKay Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-6887, www.ebparks.org.

 

DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.  

ESTATE GROUNDS -- Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.  

GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free. 

Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.

 

FIFTY-PLUS ADVENTURE WALKS AND RUNS The walks and runs are 3-mile round-trips, lasting about one hour on the trail. All levels of ability are welcome. The walks are brisk, however, and may include some uphill terrain. Events are held rain or shine and on all holidays except Christmas and the Fifty-Plus Annual Fitness Weekend. Call for dates, times and details. 

Free. (650) 323-6160, www.50plus.org.

 

FOREST HOME FARMS The 16-acre former farm of the Boone family is now a municipal historic park in San Ramon. It is located at the base of the East Bay Hills and is divided into two parts by Oak Creek. The Boone House is a 22-room Dutch colonial that has been remodeled several times since it was built in 1900. Also on the property are a barn built in the period from 1850 to 1860; the Victorian-style David Glass House, dating from the late 1860s to early 1870s; a storage structure for farm equipment and automobiles; and a walnut processing plant. 

Free unless otherwise noted. Public tours available by appointment. 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon. (925) 973-3281, www.ci.sanramon. ca.us/parks/boone.htm.< 

 

GARIN AND DRY CREEK PIONEER REGIONAL PARKS Independent nature study is encouraged here, and guided interpretive programs are available through the Coyote Hills Regional Park Visitor Center in Fremont. The Garin Barn Visitor Center is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In late summer, the Garin Apple Festival celebrates Garin's apple orchards. The parks also allow picnicking, hiking, horseback riding and fishing. 

Free; $5 parking fee per vehicle; $2 per dog. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 1320 Garin Ave., Hayward. (510) 562-PARK, (510) 795-9385, www.ebparks.org/parks/garin.htm.< 

 

GREENBELT ALLIANCE OUTINGS A series of hikes, bike rides and events sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance, the Bay Area's non-profit land conservation and urban planning organization. Call for meeting places. Reservations required for all trips.  

ALAMEDA COUNTY --  

"Self-Guided Urban Outing: Berkeley," This interactive smart growth walking tour of central Berkeley examines some of the exciting projects that help alleviate the housing shortage in the city as well as amenities important to making a livable community. The walk, which includes the GAIA Cultural Center, Allston Oak Court, The Berkeley Bike Station, University Terrace and Strawberry Creek Park, takes between an hour-and-ahalf to two hours at a leisurely pace. Download the itinerary which gives specific directions by entering www.greeenbelt.org and clicking on "get involved'' and then "urban outings.'' Drop down and click on Berkeley. Free. 

Free unless otherwise noted. (415) 255-3233, www.greenbelt.org.

 

HAYWARD REGIONAL SHORELINE With 1,682 acres of salt, fresh and brackish water marshes, seasonal wetlands and the approximately three-mile San Lorenzo Trail, the Hayward Shoreline restoration project is one of the largest of its kind on the West Coast, comprising 400 acres of marshland. Part of the East Bay Regional Park District. 

EVENTS --  

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 3010 W. Winton Ave., Hayward. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org/parks/hayward.htm.< 

 

HAYWARD SHORELINE INTERPRETIVE CENTER Perched on stilts above a salt marsh, the Center offers an introduction to the San Francisco Bay-Estuary. It features exhibits, programs and activities designed to inspire a sense of appreciation, respect and stewardship for the Bay, its inhabitants and the services they provide. The Habitat Room offers a preview of what may be seen outside. The 80-gallon Bay Tank contains some of the fish that live in the Bay's open waters, and the Channel Tank represents habitats formed by the maze of sloughs and creeks that snake through the marsh. The main room of the Center features rotating exhibits about area history, plants and wildlife. Part of the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District.  

ONGOING EXHIBIT --  

"Exploring Nature," An exhibit of Shawn Gould's illustrations featuring images of the natural world. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Nature Detectives," 11 a.m.-noon. An introduction and exploration of the world of Black-Crowned Night-Herons. Ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Registration required. 

"Waterfowl of the Freshwater Marsh," 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Join an expert birder to go "behind the gates'' to areas of the marsh that are not open to the public. 

"Weekend Weed Warriors," 1-4 p.m. Help the shoreline to eliminate the non-native plants that threaten its diversity. Ages 12 and older. Registration required. 

"Crab Cove Bird Walk," June 26, 9-11 a.m. Search for the small, endangered Least Tern. Free.  

"Leopard Shark Feeding Frenzy," June 27, 3 p.m. Assist the staff during the aquarium feeding and learn about animals that inhabit the tanks.  

"July Laws," July 3, 11 a.m.-noon. Learn about how sharks are different from fish and how they live.  

Free. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward. (510) 670-7270, www.hard.dst.ca.us/hayshore.html.< 

 

JOHN MUIR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE The site preserves the 1882 Muir House, a 17-room Victorian mansion where naturalist John Muir lived from 1890 to his death in 1914. It was here that Muir wrote about preserving America's wilderness and helped create the national parks idea for the United States. The house is situated on a hill overlooking the City of Martinez and surrounded by nine acres of vineyards and orchards. Take a self-guided tour of this well-known Scottish naturalist's home. Also part of the site is the historic Martinez Adobe and Mount Wanda.  

ONGOING EVENT --  

Public Tours of the John Muir House, Begin with an eight-minute park film and then take the tour. The film runs every 15 minutes throughout the day. Wednesday through Friday, 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.  

MOUNT WANDA -- The mountain consists of 325 acres of grass and oak woodland historically owned by the Muir family. It offers a nature trail and several fire trails for hiking. Open daily, sunrise to sunset. 

JOHN MUIR HOUSE, Tours of this well-known Scottish naturalist's home are available. The house, built in 1882, is a 14-room Victorian home situated on a hill overlooking the city of Martinez and surrounded by nine acres of vineyards and orchards. It was here that Muir wrote about preserving America's wilderness and helped create the national parks idea for the United States. The park also includes the historic Vicente Martinez Adobe, built in 1849. An eight-minute film about Muir and the site is shown every 15 minutes throughout the day at the Visitor Center. Self guided tours of the Muir home, the surrounding orchards, and the Martinez Adobe: Wednesday-Sunday, 1 a.m.-5 p.m. Public tours or the first floor of the Muir home: Wednesday-Friday, 2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Reservations not required except for large groups.  

$3 general; free children ages 16 and under. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez. (925) 228-8860, www.nps.gov/jomu.< 

 

KENNEDY GROVE REGIONAL RECREATION AREA The 95-acre park contains picnic areas, horseshoe pits and volleyball courts among its grove of aromatic eucalyptus trees.  

$5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs Through September: daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante. (510) 223-7840, www.ebparks.org.

 

LAKE CHABOT REGIONAL PARK The 315-acre lake offers year-round recreation. Services include canoe and boat rental, horseshoe pits, hiking, bicycling, picnicking and seasonal tours aboard the Chabot Queen. For boat rentals, call (510) 247-2526. 

Free unless noted otherwise; $5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs. Daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 17930 Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital. 

EXHIBITS --  

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

LIVERMORE AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT  

4444 East Ave., Livermore. (925) 373-5700, www.larpd.dst.ca.us/.< 

 

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SHORELINE This 1,200-acre park situated near Oakland International Airport offers picnic areas with barbecues and a boat launch ramp. Swimming is not allowed. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Grove, a group of trees surrounding a grassy glade, is at the intersection of Doolittle Drive and Swan Way. The area also includes the 50-acre Arrowhead Marsh (part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network) and a Roger Berry sculpture titled "Duplex Cone,'' which traces the summer and winter solstice paths of the sun through the sky. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted Doolittle Drive and Swan Way, Oakland. (510) 562-PARK, Picnic reservations: (510) 636-1684, www.ebayparks.org.

 

MILLER-KNOX REGIONAL SHORELINE A 295-acre shoreline picnic area with a secluded cove and swimming beach, and a hilltop offering panoramic views of the north Bay Area. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted. 900 Dornan Dr., Richmond. (510) 562-PARK, Picnic Reservations: (510) 636-1684, www.ebparks.org.

 

MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK The 3,849-foot summit of Mount Diablo offers great views of the Bay Area and an extensive trail system. Visitors to the park can hike, bike, ride on horseback and camp. Notable park attractions include: The Fire Interpretive Trail, Rock City, Boy Scout Rocks and Sentinel Rock, Fossil Ridge, Deer Flat, Mitchell Canyon Staging Area, Diablo Valley Overlook, the Summit Visitor Center (open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the Art Gallery, the Observation Deck and the Mitchell Canyon Interpretive Center. 

Free. $6 per vehicle park-entrance fee; $5 for seniors. Daily, 8 a.m. to sunset. Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard, from the Diablo Road exit off Interstate Highway 680, Danville. (925) 837-2525, www.mdia.org or www.parks.ca.gov.

 

OAKLAND ZOO The zoo includes a Children's Petting Zoo, the Skyride, a miniature train, a carousel, picnic grounds and a gift shop as well as the animals in site specific exhibits, which allow them to roam freely. Included are "The African Savanna,'' with its two huge mixed-animal aviaries and 11 African Savanna exhibits; the Mahali Pa Tembo (Place of the Elephant), with giraffes, chimpanzees and more than 330 other animals from around the world; "Simba Pori,'' Swahili for "Lion Country,'' a spacious 1.5-acre habitat offering both a savanna and woodland setting for African lions; "Footprints from the Past,'' an anthropology exhibit showcasing four million years of human evolution and an actual "footpath'' of the first hominids to emerge from the African savanna; "Sun Bear Exhibit,'' a stateof-the-art space the zoo has developed for its two sun bears; and Siamang Island, a state-of-the-art, barrier-free area that emulates the gibbons' native tropical rain forest habitat. Also see the Malayan Fruit Bats from the Lubee Bat Conservancy in Florida that are now roosting in trees at the zoo. In addition there are special exhibits and events monthly.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Valley Children's Zoo," The three-acre attraction offers a completely interactive experience for both children and adults. The exhibits include lemurs, giant fruit bats, otters, reptiles, insects and more. Daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

"Endangered Species," An exhibit of photographs about the most endangered animals on the Earth and what can be done to save them. At the Education Center. Open daily during zoo hours. ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Valley Children's Zoo," Daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The three-acre attraction will offer a completely interactive experience for both children and adults. The exhibits include lemurs, giant fruit bats, otters, reptiles, insects and more. Free with regular Zoo admission.  

"Wildlife Theater," Saturday, 11:45 a.m.; Sunday, 1:45 p.m. On Saturday mornings listen to a story and meet a live animal. On Sunday afternoon meet live animals and learn cool facts about them. Meet in the Lobby of the Zoo's Maddie's Center for Science and Environmental Education. Free with regular Zoo admission. (510) 632-9525, ext. 142. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Grand Opening of Wild Australia Exhibit," July 3, 10 a.m. Honorary guest Liam Mayclem from CBS5's "Eye on the Bay'' will be on hand for a special ribbon cutting ceremony at this family friendly event celebrating a new exhibit that explores the wonders of Australia. 

$7.50-11; free children under age 2; $6 parking fee. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Knowland Park, 9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland. (510) 632-9525, www.oaklandzoo.org.

 

PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK This 3,163-acre parkland is on the oak-covered ridge overlooking Pleasanton and the Livermore Valley from the west. A multi-purpose trail system accommodates hikers, equestrians and bicyclists. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Foothill Road, Pleasanton. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

POINT PINOLE REGIONAL SHORELINE The 2,315-acre parkland bordering Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo offers views of Mount Tamalpais, the Marin shoreline and San Pablo Bay. There are trails through meadows and woods, and along the bluffs and beaches of San Pablo Bay. Visitors can hike, ride bikes or take the park's shuttle bus to reach the 1,250-foot fishing pier at Point Pinole. 

$5 per vehicle; $4 per trailered vehicle; $2 per dog (guide/service dogs free). Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted. Giant Highway, Richmond. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

QUARRY LAKES REGIONAL RECREATION AREA The park includes three lakes sculpted from former quarry ponds. The largest, Horseshoe Lake, offers boating and fishing, with a swim beach that will open in the spring. Rainbow Lake is for fishing only, and the third lake, Lago Los Osos, is set aside for wildlife habitat. In addition, there are hiking and bicycling trails that connect to the Alameda Creek Regional Trail. The park includes three lakes sculpted from former quarry ponds. The largest, Horseshoe Lake, offers boating and fishing, with a swim beach that will open in the spring. Rainbow Lake is for fishing only, and the third lake, Lago Los Osos, is set aside for wildlife habitat. In addition there are hiking and bicycling trails that connect to the Alameda Creek Regional Trail. 

$5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs; boat launch fees; Park District fishing access permit fee of $3. Through Labor Day: daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sept. 6 through Sept. 30, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 2100 Isherwood Way,, between Paseo Padre Parkway and Osprey Drive,, Fremont. (510) 795-4883, Picnic reservations:: (510) 562-2267, www.ebparks.org.

 

REI BERKELEY A series of lectures on hikes and outdoor equipment. 

"Free Hands-on Bicycle Classes," June 13 and June 27, 11 a.m.-noon. Join an REI bike technician to learn how to keep your bike in top condition.  

"Finding Connection in Nature: Exploring the Sierra with Naturalist John Muir Laws," June 29, 7 p.m. Laws presents an illustrated lecture on the remarkable relationshipss between plants and animals.  

Events are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 1338 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 527-4140.< 

 

ROBERT SIBLEY VOLCANIC REGIONAL PRESERVE East Bay residents have several volcanoes in their backyard. This park contains Round Top, one of the highest peaks in the Oakland Hills. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 6800 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

RUTH BANCROFT GARDEN One of America's finest private gardens, the Ruth Bancroft Garden displays 2,000 specimens from around the world that thrive in an arid climate. Included are African and Mexican succulents, New World cacti, Australian and Chilean trees, and shrubs from California. 

DOCENT TOUR SCHEDULE -- Saturdays, 10 a.m. Docent-led tours last approximately an hour and a half. Plant sales follow the tour. By reservation only. $7; free children under age 12.  

SELF-GUIDED TOURS -- Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-noon; Friday, 9:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. Self-guided tours last two hours. No reservations required for weekday tours; reservations required for Friday and Saturday tours. Plant sales follow the tours. $7; free children under age 12.  

Gardens open only for tours and special events listed on the garden's telephone information line. 1500 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek. (925) 210-9663, www.ruthbancroftgarden.org.

 

SHADOW CLIFFS REGIONAL RECREATION AREA The 296-acre park includes an 80-acre lake and a four-flume waterslide, with picnic grounds and a swimming beach. Water slide fees and hours: (925) 829-6230. 

$6 per vehicle; $2 per dog except guide and service dogs. May 1 through Labor Day: daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; shortened hours for fall and winter. Stanley Boulevard, one mile from downtown, Pleasanton. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

SULPHUR CREEK NATURE CENTER A wildlife rehabilitation and education facility where injured and orphaned local wild creatures are rehabilitated and released when possible. There is also a lending library of animals such as guinea pigs, rats, mice and more. The lending fee is $8 per week.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Toddler Time," Learn about animals by listening to stories and exploring. Themes vary by month. Call for schedule. $7 per family.  

"Day on the Green Animal Presentations," Meet an assortment of wild and domestic animals. Wildlife volunteers will present a different animal each day from possums to snakes, tortoises to hawks. Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. 

CHILDREN'S EVENTS --  

Free. Park: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Discovery Center: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Animal Lending Library: Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: daily, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1801 D St., Hayward. (510) 881-6747, www.haywardrec.org/sulphur_creek.html.< 

 

SUNOL REGIONAL WILDERNESS This park is full of scenic and natural wonders. You can hike the Ohlone Wilderness trail or Little Yosemite. There are bedrock mortars that were used by Native Americans, who were Sunol's first inhabitants. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Sunol Sunday Hike," Sundays, 1:30-3 p.m. A natural history walk in Sunol Regional Wilderness. 

"Sunol Sunday Hike," Sundays, 1:30-3 p.m. A natural history walk in the wilderness. 

Free unless otherwise noted; $5 parking; $2 dog fee. Geary Road off Calaveras Road, six miles south of Interstate Highway 680, Sunol. (510) 652-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

TILDEN REGIONAL PARK This park is large and contains hiking trails, a golf course, a miniature scaled train to ride, The Brazilian Building and picnic areas. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Rock 'n' Roll at Wildcat Creek," June 27, 10-11:30 a.m. Learn about rocks and explore a riverbed. 

"Quarry Trail, Tilden Regional Park," July 2, 10 a.m. Join East Bay moms on a moderate 3-mile loo. (510) 882-5097. 

Free unless otherwise noted. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entrances off Wildcat Canyon Road and Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Berkeley. (510) 525-2233, www.ebparks.org.<


Kids-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 11:01:00 AM

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.  

ONGOING PROGRAMS --  

"Blacksmithing," Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watch a blacksmith turn iron into useful tools.  

"Horse-Drawn Train," Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A 20-minute ride departs from Ardenwood Station and Deer Park.  

"Animal Feeding," Thursday-Sunday, 3-4 p.m. Help slop the hogs, check the henhouse for eggs and bring hay to the livestock.  

"Victorian Flower Arranging," Thursday, 10:15-11:30 a.m. Watch as Ardenwood docents create floral works of art for display in the Patterson House.  

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Horse-Drawn Train Rides," Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Meet Jigs or Tucker the Belgian Draft horses that pull Ardenwood's train. Check the daily schedule and meet the train at Ardenwood Station or Deer Park. 

"Toddler Time," Tuesdays, 11-11:30 a.m. Bring the tiny tots out for an exciting morning at the farm. Meet and learn all about a new animal friend through stories, chores and fun.  

"Animal Feeding," Thursday-Sunday, 3 p.m. Feed the pigs, check for eggs and bring hay to the livestock. 

"Country Kitchen Cookin'," Sundays, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy the flavor of the past with treats cooked on Ardenwood's wood burning stove. Sample food grown on the farm and discover the history of your favorite oldtime snacks. 

"Potato Harvesting," Learn the spectacular history of this New World native as you dig with your spade and help find the spuds. 

"Rope and Rhymes," June 27, 2-3 p.m. Learn to make rope and practice the double dutch. 

$1-$5; free children under age 4. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont. (510) 796-0199, (510) 796-0663, www.ebparks.org.

 

BAY POINT LIBRARY  

"Monthly Craft Night," Last Friday of every month, 4-5 p.m. Each month features a different themed craft.  

Riverview Middle School, 205 Pacifica Ave., Pittsburg. (925) 458-9597.< 

 

BLACK DIAMOND MINES REGIONAL PRESERVE Originally the home of several Native American tribes, white men began coal mining in the area in the 1860s. The preserve today features old mines and displays of the history of the area. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Sunset in the Hills," June 26, 7:30-10 p.m. Discover this landscape on a three-mile hike. 

Free unless otherwise noted; $5 seasonal parking fee on weekends. Daily, 8 a.m. to dusk Somersville Road, about five miles south of state Highway 4, Antioch. Information: (925) 757-2620, Tickets: (925) 555-1212, www.ebparks.org.

 

BLACKHAWK MUSEUM  

AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM -- The museum's permanent exhibition of internationally renowned automobiles dated from 1897 to the 1980s. The cars are displayed as works of art with room to walk completely around each car to admire the workmanship. On long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution is a Long Steam Tricycle; an 1893-94 Duryea, the first Duryea built by the Duryea brothers; and a 1948 Tucker, number 39 of the 51 Tuckers built, which is a Model 48 "Torpedo'' four-door sedan.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"International Automotive Treasures," An ever-changing exhibit featuring over 90 automobiles.  

"A Journey on Common Ground," An exhibit of moving photographs, video and art objects from around the world exploring the causes of disability and the efforts of the Wheelchair Foundation to provide a wheelchair for every person in need who cannot afford one.  

ONGOING EVENT --  

Free Public Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Docent-led guided tours of the museum's exhibitions. 

$5-$8; free for children ages 6 and under. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville. (925) 736-2280, (925) 736-2277, www.blackhawkmuseum.org.

 

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films. 

ASK JEEVES PLANETARIUM -- The planetarium features one of the most advanced star projectors in the world. A daily planetarium show is included with general admission. Call for current show schedule.  

Center Admission: $14.95; $10.95 children 3-12; free children under 3; $3 discount for seniors and students. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Also open on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. after June 29. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.

 

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND A fairy tale theme park featuring more than 30 colorful fantasy sets. Designed especially for children ages 10 and under, there are gentle rides, a train, the "Peter Rabbit Village,'' puppet shows, story-telling and lots of slides and animals. Admission price includes unlimited rides, special shows, guest entertainers and puppet shows.  

OLD WEST JUNCTION -- Children's Fairyland's newest attraction is a Wild West-themed town sized just for children, with a livery stable, bank, jail and a water tower slide.  

PUPPET SHOWS -- Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. All shows are at the Open Storybook Theatre. Free with regular Fairyland admission.  

ARTS AND CRAFTS CENTER -- Activities on Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3 p.m.  

ANIMAL OF THE DAY -- Saturday and Sunday, 1-1:20 p.m. at the Humpty Dumpty Wall. Learn about one of Fairyland's animal friends. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Animal of the Day!" Saturdays and Sundays, 1-1:20 p.m. Come up close and learn about Fairyland's creatures. 

"Arts and Crafts," Noon-3 p.m. Event features arts and crafts projects for children and their families. $6. 

"The Wind In The Willows," through June 20 and June 26 through June 20, 11 a.m. and 2 and 4 p.m. The story by Kenneth Graham of Mr. Toad, Badger, Mole and Ratty comes to life at Fairyland. It's up to Mr. Toad's friends to save the day when he gets into trouble. Will it work out in the end? Come to Fairyland and see. Puppets and script by Randal Metz, with scenery by Lewis Mahlmann.  

"The Fairyland Musicians," June 26 through June 27, 12:30 and 3 p.m. In this retelling of the brothers Grimm's classic story of the Bremen Town Musicians, a group of farm animals sets out to become a musical act.  

John Weaver, June 26 through June 27, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. The award-winning storyteller entertains with his lively, humor-filled stories for children of all ages.  

$6; free for children under age 1; $2 for a Magic Key. No adult admitted without a child and no child admitted without an adult. Summer (June through Labor Day): Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fall and Spring: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Winter: Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CLOSED DEC. 25-JAN. 4. 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. (510) 452-2259, www.fairyland.org.

 

COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK The park is located on the shoreline of Fremont Bay and features rich wetland areas as well as Ohlone Indian shellmound sites. Hiking in the park allows scenic views of San Francisco Bay and southern Alameda County. The 12-mile Alameda Creek Trail runs from the Bay east to the mouth of Niles Canyon and features an equestrian trail as well as a bicycle trail; hikers are welcome on both. The park conducts naturalist programs and has a visitor center with a nature store and Ohlone, natural history and wildlife exhibits.  

SPECIAL EVENTS -- Free unless otherwise noted.  

"Learn to Construct a Tule Boat," June 6 and June 27, Jun. 6, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Jun. 27, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. On June 6, help gather tule, then see a slideshow on California tule boats. On June 27, build a three person tule boat and launch it for a paddle around the lake. 

"Recycled T-Shirt Yarn," June 26, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Learn how to turn old clothing into new accessories. 

Free unless otherwise noted; A parking fee may be charged. Registration required for events. April through October: daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; October through April, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., unless otherwise posted. 8000 Patterson Pass Road, Fremont. (510) 636-1684, (510) 795-9385, www.ebparks.org.

 

CRAB COVE VISITOR CENTER At Crab Cove, you can see live underwater creatures and go into the San Francisco Bay from land. You can also travel back in time to Alameda's part. The goal is to increase understanding of the environmental importance of San Francisco Bay and the ocean ecosystem. Crab Cove's Indoor Aquarium and Exhibit Lab is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the East Bay. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Sea Squirts," 10-11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Discover the wonders of nature with your little one. Registration is required. $6-$8. 

"Catch of the Day," Sundays, 2-3 p.m. Drop by to find out more about the Bay and its wildlife through guided exploration and hands-on fun. 

"Sea Siblings," Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Explore the natural world and take part in a theme related craft. Designed for the 3-5 year old learner. Registration is required. $4. (888) 327-2757. 

"Turtle Talk," June 20 and June 27, 1:30-2 p.m. Meet Esmeralda the threetoed box turtle. 

Free unless otherwise noted; parking fee may be charged. 1252 McKay Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-6887, www.ebparks.org.

 

DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.  

ESTATE GROUNDS -- Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.  

GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free. 

Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.

 

FOREST HOME FARMS The 16-acre former farm of the Boone family is now a municipal historic park in San Ramon. It is located at the base of the East Bay Hills and is divided into two parts by Oak Creek. The Boone House is a 22-room Dutch colonial that has been remodeled several times since it was built in 1900. Also on the property are a barn built in the period from 1850 to 1860; the Victorian-style David Glass House, dating from the late 1860s to early 1870s; a storage structure for farm equipment and automobiles; and a walnut processing plant. 

Free unless otherwise noted. Public tours available by appointment. 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon. (925) 973-3281, www.ci.sanramon. ca.us/parks/boone.htm.< 

 

HABITOT CHILDREN'S MUSEUM A museum especially for children ages 7 and under. Highlights include "WaterWorks,'' an area with some unusual water toys, an Infant Tree for babies, a garden especially for toddlers, a child-scale grocery store and cafe, and a costume shop and stage for junior thespians. The museum also features a toy lending library.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Waterworks." A water play gallery with rivers, a pumping station and a water table, designed to teach about water.  

"Little Town Grocery and Cafe." Designed to create the ambience of shopping in a grocery store and eating in a restaurant.  

"Infant-Toddler Garden." A picket fence gated indoor area, which includes a carrot patch with wooden carrots to be harvested, a pretend pond and a butterfly mobile to introduce youngsters to the concept of food, gardening and agriculture.  

"Dramatic Arts Stage." Settings, backdrops and costumes coincide with seasonal events and holidays. Children can exercise their dramatic flair here.  

"Wiggle Wall." The floor-to-ceiling "underground'' tunnels give children a worm's eye view of the world. The tunnels are laced with net covered openings and giant optic lenses. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

$6-$7. Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Closed Sunday-Tuesday. 2065 Kittredge St., Berkeley. (510) 647-1111, www.habitot.org.

 

HAYWARD SHORELINE INTERPRETIVE CENTER Perched on stilts above a salt marsh, the Center offers an introduction to the San Francisco Bay-Estuary. It features exhibits, programs and activities designed to inspire a sense of appreciation, respect and stewardship for the Bay, its inhabitants and the services they provide. The Habitat Room offers a preview of what may be seen outside. The 80-gallon Bay Tank contains some of the fish that live in the Bay's open waters, and the Channel Tank represents habitats formed by the maze of sloughs and creeks that snake through the marsh. The main room of the Center features rotating exhibits about area history, plants and wildlife. Part of the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District.  

ONGOING EXHIBIT --  

"Exploring Nature," An exhibit of Shawn Gould's illustrations featuring images of the natural world. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Weekend Weed Warriors," 1-4 p.m. Help the shoreline to eliminate the non-native plants that threaten its diversity. Ages 12 and older. Registration required. 

"Waterfowl of the Freshwater Marsh," 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Join an expert birder to go "behind the gates'' to areas of the marsh that are not open to the public. 

"Nature Detectives," 11 a.m.-noon. An introduction and exploration of the world of Black-Crowned Night-Herons. Ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Registration required. 

Free. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward. (510) 670-7270, www.hard.dst.ca.us/hayshore.html.< 

 

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE EAST BAY  

"Shabbat Celebration for Young Children," Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Join other families with young children to sharethis weekly Jewish holiday of joy and renewal.  

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. (510) 848-0237, www.jcceastbay.org/.< 

 

JUNIOR CENTER OF ART AND SCIENCE A center dedicated to encouraging children's active wonder and creative response through artistic and scientific exploration of their natural urban environment. The center's classes, workshops, exhibits and events integrate art and science.  

EXHIBITS -- Three educational exhibits are mounted in the "Children's Gallery'' each year. A docent-led tour, demonstrations, hands-on activities and art projects are available to school groups throughout the year.  

"Jake's Discovery Garden," Jake's Discovery Garden is a new interactive studio exhibit designed for preschool-aged children and their adult caregivers that teaches young visitors about the natural environments found in their backyards, playgrounds and neighborhoods. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

Free; programs and special exhibits have a fee. September through May: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June through August: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 558 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. (510) 839-5777, www.juniorcenter.org.

 

LAKE CHABOT REGIONAL PARK The 315-acre lake offers year-round recreation. Services include canoe and boat rental, horseshoe pits, hiking, bicycling, picnicking and seasonal tours aboard the Chabot Queen. For boat rentals, call (510) 247-2526. 

Free unless noted otherwise; $5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs. Daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 17930 Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"NanoZone," Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.  

"Real Astronomy Experience," A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.  

"Biology Lab," In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

"The Idea Lab," Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.  

"Math Around the World," Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.  

"Math Rules," Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.  

HOLT PLANETARIUM -- Shows on Saturdays and Sundays. Programs recommended for ages 6 and up unless otherwise noted. $2.50-$3 in addition to general admission.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

THE MARSH BERKELEY  

"The World's Funniest Bubble Show," through June 27, Sunday, 11 a.m. Bubble Man Louis Pearl presents his fun and family-friendly antics. $7-$50.  

The Gaia Building, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. Info: (415) 826-5750, Tickets: (800) 838-3006, www.themarsh.org.

 

MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART A museum of art for and by children, with activities for children to participate in making their own art.  

ART CAMPS -- Hands-on activities and engaging curriculum for children of different ages, led by professional artists and staff. $60 per day.  

CLASSES -- A Sunday series of classes for children ages 8 to 12, led by Mocha artists. Sundays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

OPEN STUDIOS -- Drop-in art play activities with new themes each week.  

"Big Studio." Guided art projects for children age 6 and older with a Mocha artist. Tuesday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. $5.  

"Little Studio." A hands-on experience that lets young artists age 18 months to 5 years see, touch and manipulate a variety of media. Children can get messy. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5.  

"Family Weekend Studios." Drop-in art activities for the whole family. All ages welcome. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. $5 per child.  

FAMILY EXTRAVAGANZAS -- Special weekend workshops for the entire family.  

"Sunday Workshops with Illustrators," Sundays, 1 p.m. See the artwork and meet the artists who create children's book illustrations. Free. 

EVENTS --  

"Saturday Stories," 1 p.m. For children ages 2-5. Free. 

SPECIAL EVENT --  

"Saturday Stories," 1 p.m. For ages 2-5. Free. 

Free gallery admission. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 538 Ninth St., Oakland. (510) 465-8770, www.mocha.org.

 

OAKLAND ZOO The zoo includes a Children's Petting Zoo, the Skyride, a miniature train, a carousel, picnic grounds and a gift shop as well as the animals in site specific exhibits, which allow them to roam freely. Included are "The African Savanna,'' with its two huge mixed-animal aviaries and 11 African Savanna exhibits; the Mahali Pa Tembo (Place of the Elephant), with giraffes, chimpanzees and more than 330 other animals from around the world; "Simba Pori,'' Swahili for "Lion Country,'' a spacious 1.5-acre habitat offering both a savanna and woodland setting for African lions; "Footprints from the Past,'' an anthropology exhibit showcasing four million years of human evolution and an actual "footpath'' of the first hominids to emerge from the African savanna; "Sun Bear Exhibit,'' a stateof-the-art space the zoo has developed for its two sun bears; and Siamang Island, a state-of-the-art, barrier-free area that emulates the gibbons' native tropical rain forest habitat. Also see the Malayan Fruit Bats from the Lubee Bat Conservancy in Florida that are now roosting in trees at the zoo. In addition there are special exhibits and events monthly.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Valley Children's Zoo," The three-acre attraction offers a completely interactive experience for both children and adults. The exhibits include lemurs, giant fruit bats, otters, reptiles, insects and more. Daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

"Endangered Species," An exhibit of photographs about the most endangered animals on the Earth and what can be done to save them. At the Education Center. Open daily during zoo hours. ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Valley Children's Zoo," Daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The three-acre attraction will offer a completely interactive experience for both children and adults. The exhibits include lemurs, giant fruit bats, otters, reptiles, insects and more. Free with regular Zoo admission.  

"Wildlife Theater," Saturday, 11:45 a.m.; Sunday, 1:45 p.m. On Saturday mornings listen to a story and meet a live animal. On Sunday afternoon meet live animals and learn cool facts about them. Meet in the Lobby of the Zoo's Maddie's Center for Science and Environmental Education. Free with regular Zoo admission. (510) 632-9525, ext. 142. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Grand Opening of Wild Australia Exhibit," July 3, 10 a.m. Honorary guest Liam Mayclem from CBS5's "Eye on the Bay'' will be on hand for a special ribbon cutting ceremony at this family friendly event celebrating a new exhibit that explores the wonders of Australia. 

$7.50-11; free children under age 2; $6 parking fee. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Knowland Park, 9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland. (510) 632-9525, www.oaklandzoo.org.

 

OHLONE COLLEGE  

"Ohlone for Kids and Teens," June 28 through Aug. 12. Learn about biology, try lego robotics, journey into outer space and more. www.ohloneforkids.com. 

43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont. (510) 659-6285, www.ohlone.edu.

 

POINT PINOLE REGIONAL SHORELINE The 2,315-acre parkland bordering Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo offers views of Mount Tamalpais, the Marin shoreline and San Pablo Bay. There are trails through meadows and woods, and along the bluffs and beaches of San Pablo Bay. Visitors can hike, ride bikes or take the park's shuttle bus to reach the 1,250-foot fishing pier at Point Pinole. 

$5 per vehicle; $4 per trailered vehicle; $2 per dog (guide/service dogs free). Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted. Giant Highway, Richmond. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

PREWETT FAMILY WATERPARK There are pools and water slides for all ages, from the Tad Pool for toddlers to Boulder cove for older swimmers. In addition to fun pools and slides there are fitness pools for lessons and exercise, lawns for relaxing, locker rooms, community room and kitchen. Lap lanes are open year round. Food and beverages are not permitted in the park. Picnic tables are available outside the park. 

$4-$10. Sunday through Friday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch. (925) 776-3070, www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CitySvcs/Prewett.< 

 

ROBERT SIBLEY VOLCANIC REGIONAL PRESERVE East Bay residents have several volcanoes in their backyard. This park contains Round Top, one of the highest peaks in the Oakland Hills. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 6800 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

SHADOW CLIFFS REGIONAL RECREATION AREA The 296-acre park includes an 80-acre lake and a four-flume waterslide, with picnic grounds and a swimming beach. Water slide fees and hours: (925) 829-6230. 

$6 per vehicle; $2 per dog except guide and service dogs. May 1 through Labor Day: daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; shortened hours for fall and winter. Stanley Boulevard, one mile from downtown, Pleasanton. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

SULPHUR CREEK NATURE CENTER A wildlife rehabilitation and education facility where injured and orphaned local wild creatures are rehabilitated and released when possible. There is also a lending library of animals such as guinea pigs, rats, mice and more. The lending fee is $8 per week.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Toddler Time," Learn about animals by listening to stories and exploring. Themes vary by month. Call for schedule. $7 per family.  

"Day on the Green Animal Presentations," Meet an assortment of wild and domestic animals. Wildlife volunteers will present a different animal each day from possums to snakes, tortoises to hawks. Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. 

CHILDREN'S EVENTS --  

Free. Park: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Discovery Center: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Animal Lending Library: Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: daily, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1801 D St., Hayward. (510) 881-6747, www.haywardrec.org/sulphur_creek.html.< 

 

TILDEN REGIONAL PARK This park is large and contains hiking trails, a golf course, a miniature scaled train to ride, The Brazilian Building and picnic areas. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Rock 'n' Roll at Wildcat Creek," June 27, 10-11:30 a.m. Learn about rocks and explore a riverbed. 

Free unless otherwise noted. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entrances off Wildcat Canyon Road and Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Berkeley. (510) 525-2233, www.ebparks.org.

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Limited Access Day," Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m. 

SPECIAL EVENTS -- Closed on New Year's Day. 

"Living Ship Day," Experience an aircraft carrier in action, with simulated flight operations as aircraft are lifted to the flight deck and placed in launch position. Some former crewmembers will be on hand. 

"Family Day," Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member. 

"Flashlight Tour," Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day. 

"Fourth of July Party," July 4, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy live music on the flight deck, tour the historic ship, play interactive games, sip beer and wine, and of course, watch fireworks over San Francisco Bay. $10-$25; children under 5 are free. 

"Independence Day 2010," July 4, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Featuring live music on the flight deck, interactive games for all ages and a bounce house for kids. Tours of the aircraft carrier are available until 8 p.m. In the evening, visitors can watch Bay Area fireworks from the flight deck. $10-$25.  

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.<


Dance-East Bay Through July 4

Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:56:00 AM

ELKS LODGE, ALAMEDA  

"All You Can Dance Sunday Socials," Sunday, 4-6 p.m. Marilyn Bowe and Robert Henneg presents monthly socials with ballroom, swing, Latin and rock & roll themes. www.dancewithme.info. 

2255 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. (510) 864-2256.< 

 

JACK LONDON SQUARE  

"Dancing Under the Stars," June 25 and July 2, 8:30-10 p.m. The Linden Street Dance Studio provides free dance lessons to all at the foot of Broadway.  

Foot of Broadway, Oakland. (866) 295-9853, www.jacklondonsquare.com.

 

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER  

"Burn This Disco Out," June 25, 8 p.m. Celebrate the life and music of Michael Jackson. $5-$10.  

3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568, www.lapena.org.

 

SHATTUCK DOWN LOW  

"Live Salsa," Wednesdays. An evening of dancing to the music of a live salsa band. Salsa dance lesson from 8:30-9:30 p.m. $5-$10.  

For ages 21 and older. 2284 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-1159, www.shattuckdownlow.com.

 

SOLAD DANCE CENTER  

"Persian Dance," Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 and 10 p.m. Rosa Rojas offers traditional dance classes. $10.  

Citrus Marketplace, 2260 Oak Grove Rd., Walnut Creek. (925) 938-3300.< 

 

STARRY PLOUGH PUB  

"Ceili and Dance," Traditional Irish music and dance. The evening begins with a dance lesson at 7 p.m. followed by music at 9 p.m. Mondays, 7 p.m. Free.  

For ages 21 and over unless otherwise noted. Sunday and Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com.<


Don't Miss This: July 4th

By Dorothy Snodgrass
Sunday July 04, 2010 - 02:32:00 PM

When reflecting on the 4th of July, for many of us this means picnics, barbecues, cold beer and hunting for a good spot to watch the fireworks. Yes, Independence Day is a great holiday for all Americans, stirring patriotic sentiment and pride in our wonderful nation. And the weekend offers a welcome chance to relax and unwind from the daily grind. For some, stretched out on the grass, eating hot dogs and potato salad and watching the fireworks is a perfect celebration of the day. On the other hand, those eager for a little action, may look for activities and events tied in with the 4th. So, listed below, in no particular order of importance, are some events of possible interest. 

Without question, Jack London Square is the place to be on July 4th --from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. when three stages will offer lively entertainment: The Main Stage, the Blues Pavilion and Electronica Stage, followed by dazzling fireworks when night falls. 

The Alameda 4th of July Parade, with over 170 entries, begins a 3.2 mile route this Sunday, July 4th at 10 a.m.
www.myalamedaparade.com

The Aircraft Carrier, USS Hornet offers an exciting program of live music and tours from 11:00 to 4:00. 707 West Hornet Avenue, Pier 3, Alameda. Tickets are $10 to $25. 

The Alameda County Fair, running through July 11, offers two nightly shows, 6:00 and 8:00, plus fireworks.
www.alamedacountyfair.com

For lovers of jazz, Yoshi's at the Oakland Embarcadero in Jack London Square has scheduled an exciting show this Sunday, July 4th -- Louis Armstrong Birthday Celebration with Mel Sharp, Big Money. 7 p.m. Also, at Yoshi's Richard Bona (former musical director for Harry Belafonte) will perform samba and Latin music, Tuesday 6th at 8 p.m.
www.yoshis.com 

The Oakland Metro Opera House, 630 Third Street, Oakland, presents a Beat Circus and Vaudeville the first Thursday of each month. OaklandMetro.Org. 

For a really, really different theatre experience, broadminded audiences are urged to see the Ashby Stage production of "Left of Oz." In this spin-off of the old Judy Garland movie, Dorothy is a Lesbian, recently arrived from Kansas to visit the Castro district in search of love. 8 p.m. Friday- Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday, through July 18, Ashby
Stage, 1901 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley. $25 to $50. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Finally, should you be content to have a leisurely, unhurried 4th of July, you may want to settle for a delicious Sunday Brunch at Cafe Aquarius, 1298 65th Street in Emeryville, a charming, easy-to-miss restaurant in an industrial area. Their lemon-ricotta pancakes are to die for! Not open evenings. 655-2782 or CafeAquarius.net. 

Whatever you do, have a great 4th of July!


Don't Miss This!

By Dorothy Snodgrass
Tuesday June 22, 2010 - 10:41:00 AM

"Summer time and the living is easy...." Ah, yes, that familiar George Gershwin song from "Porgy and Bess" aptly reflects our own East Bay summer -- relaxed and easy going. Oh, but that's not to say there hasn't been a lot going on, and will go on, in the next few weeks. Shown below are some of the many activities that may be of interest. 

For music lovers, the Oakland Symphony Chorus Summer Sing-Ins 2010, celebrating their 18th season, offers these splendid concerts: July 6 - Mozart: Requiem & Faure Requiem; July 13, Brahms Requiem; July 20, Bach b minor Mass; July 27, Haydn Lord Nelson Mass; August 3, Mozart c minor Mass & Bach Magnificat; August 10, Verdi Requiem. These concerts are given at the First Covenant Church, 4000 Redwood Rd., Oakland, 7:00 - 9:30. $10 per concert, or $50 series pass. (510) 207-4093. 

Kitka, the well known Women's Vocal Ensemble, will perform "Singing Through the Darkness" June 24-27. 954 60th Street, Oakland (wwwkitka,org) or (800) 838-3006. 

Of a lighter nature, there's the Thursday Night Free Concert Series in downtown Oakland, 5:30 - 9:00 p.m., 9th and Broadway.  

For movie and book lovers, our wonderful Berkeley Public Library is sponsoring a new program, "Book into Film." Read the book at home, then watch the movie together and discuss the book and film as a group. On Sunday, July 25th, 1:30- p.m. "The Namesake" will be discussed in the Community Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge at Shattuck. To register, call (510) 981-623. 

Ever wanted to visit Alcatraz Island? The Emeryville Senior Center at 4321 Salem Street., will put you on a ferry and head over to "The Rock" on Wednesday, July 28, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The Cost is $30. For reservations, call (510) 596-3730. They're also taking a group to the Hearst Castle on Tuesday - Thursday, July 20-22. Cost: $399 double, $479 for a single. 

For tours of historical and Architectural Gems around the Bay Area, you might consider joining the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, visiting the Shinn Historical Park and Arboreteum in Fremont, on July 9th, 11:00 a.m. Tickets are $15.00. For information, call 841-2242. 

If live stock and horse racing is your thing, get yourself over to Pleasanton for the Alameda County Fair, opening Wednesday, June 23 through July 11. There you'll find horse racing and a number of concerts. 

For health minded folks, there's the Beehive Market in Berkeley every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Local organic farm produce, delicious food and live local bands. Berkeley Adult School, 1701 San Pablo Avenue. 

Like to walk? If so, the Health Matters Walking Group gathers every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:10 - 12:50 at the Campanile (Sather Gate) for 30-40 minutes of walking for stress relief and renewed energy. 

For another walk, and this for a worthy cause, sign up today for the Aids Walk in San Francisco, July 18, a 6.2 walkathon beginning at Golden Gate Park at 9 a.m. To register, call (415) 615-9255. 

Let's not forget that really big event, the San Francisco Pride 2010 40th Celebration this Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27. The Parade starts at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Beale Streets, with activities going on all day in and around Civic Center. 

The U.C. Retirees' Association at Berkeley will feature a tour aboard the USS Potomac, The Floating Warehouse, on Thursday, July 15, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Formerly President Roosevelt's Presidential Yacht dating back to 1936, it's now docked at Jack London Square and moored at the foot of Clay Street in Oakland. This two-hour cruise is priced at $35.00. To register, call the U.C. Retirement Center, (510) 642.546l. 

No doubt we've missed many, many events occurring this summer, but this list is a good start! Enjoy!