Full Text

Bungalow classroom 11 at Washington  Elementary was declared hazardous and shut down on June 25, after the school year had ended.
Darwin Greenwell
Bungalow classroom 11 at Washington Elementary was declared hazardous and shut down on June 25, after the school year had ended.
 

News

Flash: Shots Fired on Sacramento Street

By Thomas Lord
Tuesday August 31, 2010 - 03:10:00 PM
Shotgun shells remain on the pavement after Sacramento Street shooting.
Thomas Lord
Shotgun shells remain on the pavement after Sacramento Street shooting.

Shortly after 2PM on this last day of August approximately 10 shots rang
out on Sacramento St. in Berkeley between Russell and Ashby. No injuries are reported although the rear window of an occupied vehicle driven by a resident of the neighborhood was hit. The south-bound portion of Sacramento St. in that area is currently shut down while police investigate.


Press Release: Berkeley Police Report on Mountain Lion Shooting

From Sgt. Mary C. Kusmiss, City of Berkeley Police Department, Public Information Officer
Tuesday August 31, 2010 - 12:23:00 PM

On Tuesday morning 8/31/10 around 0213 hours, the City of Berkeley Police and Fire Departments got a call from a community member reporting that there was a mountain lion in the area Shattuck Avenue and Cedar Street. The first caller said that the animal was in the parking lot of the now vacant Elephant Pharmacy building.  

BPD called the Department of Fish and Game requesting their response and to obtain guidance as to the Mountain Lion behavior and potential public safety threat.  

BPD Officers went to investigate and when they arrived, the Mountain Lion ran eastbound on Cedar Street. The animal then ran southbound on Spruce Street and jumped the fence into the playground area of All Souls Episcopal Church and again jumped the fence into the rear yard of 1612 Spruce Street. BPD contacted the residents of that address sharing the situation and advising them to "Shelter in Place". Officer then set up a perimeter around the address.  

A short time later, the animal was spotted running through the western edge on the perimeter onto Oxford Street. BPD officers moved the public safety perimeter west as a result. The animal continued to move west and made its way to Walnut Street. The Mountain Lion was seen going into the rear yard 1634 Walnut Street. The residents of 1634 Walnut Street were contacted by BPD and they offered their residence and rear porch as a place in which to better locate the animal.  

The animal was found in the rear yard of 1634 Walnut Street. BPD Officers with Patrol rifle took two shots at the Mountain Lion. The Mountain Lion came towards them and continued into the driveway of the house directly north, 1630 Walnut Street, where it was dispatched by an officer with a patrol shotgun at approximately 3:26 a.m.  

A Warden from Fish & Game who arrived assessed the Mountain Lion as a 90/ 100 lbs female and removed the body for examination and disposal. BPD contacted residents adjacent to the event location and ensured there was no damage to any property.  

Despite the sensitive nature of this event, we feel confident about the actions taken by the BPD Officers considering the totality of the events, when considering the densely populated area in which the animal was in, the adjacent schools, the homeless that sleep in the area, the overnight employees who clean businesses and the like, and the northern Shattuck corridor. Both BPD and Fish and Game believe that this Mountain Lion posed a significant public safety threat. BPD officers who have to dispatch animals find it challenging, but it is part of our duty to protect the community."


New: Highly Urbane Mountain Lion Shot Dead in North Berkeley

By Daniel Turman (from Fear the Beard)
Tuesday August 31, 2010 - 11:58:00 AM

Having lived in the Tenderloin for a number of years, when I awake to the sound of large arms fire, I do what any sensible human being would. Wait until the bang bang stops and then go investigate. In the official uniform of such investigations, hoop shorts and house shoes. And so it was that I crept out into the cool night. What I found? A phalanx of Berkeley Police officers and a single, very large, and very dead mountain lion. 

Now, I do not live in what you would call nature. There are trees, but this is is an urbanized area. We’re talking one block from one of Berkeley’s most prominent thoroughfares in Shattuck Avenue. But apparently, this mountain lion had pretty evolved tastes. Roaming only two and a half blocks from Chez Panisse, he or she was apparently drawn to the area by the promise of an exalted hunt: tender, young returning students and slow-moving, California Cuisine-fed, neo-hippies. 

Jokes! It’s a blog! But seriously, that was a joke, but this was a big-ass cat. I saw it. Officers were still treating the area as a crime scene so I wasn’t allowed to fulfill my journalistic promise and break the story with photos and proper interviews. However, officers I spoke with indicated that they had first attempted to drive the animal back toward the hills. When that failed and the beast was heading for a late dinner in the Gourmet Ghetto, they said that they had no choice to put it down. I do not dispute this. 

The weapons of record were shotgun and AR-15 assault rifle. The location: Walnut Street between Cedar and Virginia, for those of you Google Mapping at home. For me, that’s directly on the other side of the building behind my bedroom window. A mountain lion. And assault-rifle fire. 

Okay, that’s about all from here. Mornings on 2 can pick up the story soon enough. I just figured that since I’d be up for a while I might as well break some news for once. To recap: police make a sensible decision to kill a mountain lion roaming a densely populated, urbanized portion of North Berkeley at approximately 3:30 Tuesday morning. 

Daniel Turman writes on the Fear the Beard blog , a source for information about basketball, the East Bay, and cultural tidbits, as well as possible continuing coverage with regard to our morning visitor.


Flash: Mountain Lion Shot in Berkeley Near Gourmet Ghetto

Tuesday August 31, 2010 - 10:42:00 AM

From Planet reader Ursula Schulz this morning: “I was woken this morning at 3:30 or 4:00 am by a shotgun being fired across the street. When I phoned 911 they told me that a mountain lion had been shot by the police. I live on Walnut between Cedar and Virginia. I just confirmed that it was a 100 lb female mountain lion that was first sighted at Rose and Shattuck and as the police were unable to herd it back up to the park they shot it.” 

Berkeley Police confirmed the reader's account for the Planet. Let us know if you hear more. 


No New Issue This Week

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:45:00 PM

Labor Day Weekend is coming up, and not much is happening around here.

Our dauntless volunteer printer Greg Tomeoni is taking time off to attend the wedding of his son, Emio Tomeoni, filmmaker extraordinaire, known to those of you who saw Power Trip, his brilliant send-up of political correctness and the culture of greenwashing in Berkeley.

It seems like a good time for us to take a little time off too. We’ve been cleaning out the office, a dreary and seemingly endless task.

If anything big happens, we’ll post it in this issue as an extra. If not, we’ll see you again in this space on September 7.


Copies of Back Issues Wanted: Can You Help?

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:42:00 PM

We're looking for copies of a few old Planets, listed below. When I posted this notice last week, I forgot to include contact information. If you can supply any of the back issues listed below, please leave a message at our usual phone number, 510-845-8433, or email news@berkeleydailyplanet.com 

We have been putting together sets of all the back issues of the Berkeley Daily Planet in chronological order to donate to libraries, and we’re putting together a bound set for ourselves and our grandchildren. One full set has gone to the Bancroft Library at UC already. These issues are missing for three more sets: 

The most complete set is missing: 

July 20-22, 2004
Oct 28-31, 2005
June 2-5, 2006
Dec 11-13, 2007

The 2nd set is missing:
July 20-22, 2004
Oct 28-31, 2005
Jan 3-5, 2006
Feb 14-16, 2006
Feb 28-March 2, 2006
May 2-4, 2006
June 2-5, 2006
Aug 15-17, 2006
Aug 22-31, 2006 (3 issues)
Dec 11-13, 2007

The 3rd set missing:
July 16-19, 2004
July 20-22, 2004
Feb 1-3, 2005
Oct 28-31, 2005
Jan 3-5, 2006
Feb 14-16, 2006
Feb 28-March 2, 2006
June 2-5, 2006
Aug 22-31, 2006
Nov 30-Dec 3, 2007
Dec 11-13, 2007 

 

Does anyone out there have any of these stashed away? Many thanks to those who have already contacted us with their copies.


Children Exposed to Asbestos at Washington Elementary School

By Raymond Barglow www.berkeleytutors.net
Monday August 23, 2010 - 03:07:00 PM
Exposed asbestos tile three feet away from sink.
Darwin Greenwell
Exposed asbestos tile three feet away from sink.
Bungalow classroom 11 at Washington  Elementary was declared hazardous and shut down on June 25, after the school year had ended.
Darwin Greenwell
Bungalow classroom 11 at Washington Elementary was declared hazardous and shut down on June 25, after the school year had ended.
Exposed floor three feet away from food utensils shelf on left and from food storage/prep tables on right
Darwin Greenwell
Exposed floor three feet away from food utensils shelf on left and from food storage/prep tables on right
Obliterated linoleum seam, exposing asbestos tile fragments near doorway.
Darwin Greenwell
Obliterated linoleum seam, exposing asbestos tile fragments near doorway.
Obliterated linoleum seam, showing shards and pulverization.
Darwin Greenwell
Obliterated linoleum seam, showing shards and pulverization.
Warning Letter. Click to Enlarge.
Warning Letter. Click to Enlarge.
Follow-up Warning Letter. Click to Enlarge.
Follow-up Warning Letter. Click to Enlarge.
The open seam runs the length of the room.  One carpet runner covers the seam near the door.
Darwin Greenwell
The open seam runs the length of the room. One carpet runner covers the seam near the door.
Parallel tape marks indicate an effort in the past to cover the open seam.
Darwin Greenwell
Parallel tape marks indicate an effort in the past to cover the open seam.
During the abatement, materials were not removed from the walls or sink area.  Dinnerware, pots, pans, and other cooking utensils remained on the shelf at the back of the room.
Darwin Greenwell
During the abatement, materials were not removed from the walls or sink area. Dinnerware, pots, pans, and other cooking utensils remained on the shelf at the back of the room.
The room’s contents and surfaces were all covered with dust when Greenwell and this reporter visited the room after the abatement was completed.
Darwin Greenwell
The room’s contents and surfaces were all covered with dust when Greenwell and this reporter visited the room after the abatement was completed.
The black material remaining on the floor is glue that held the tiles in place.
                              Glue of this kind typically contains asbestos.
Darwin Greenwell
The black material remaining on the floor is glue that held the tiles in place. Glue of this kind typically contains asbestos.
Visiting the room again on August 21, Greenwell and this reporter found that nothing had been done to clear away the abatement dust, and that additional school materials had been brought into the classroom, although the OSHA room closure notice remained posted on the door.
Darwin Greenwell
Visiting the room again on August 21, Greenwell and this reporter found that nothing had been done to clear away the abatement dust, and that additional school materials had been brought into the classroom, although the OSHA room closure notice remained posted on the door.

“I love teaching the kids, seeing their eyes light up when they learn something. But it has to be done in a safe environment.” -- Darwin Greenwell

For five months at Washington Elementary School in Berkeley, children attended cooking classes and music classes in a classroom that may have exposed them to dangerous asbestos. This hazard was verified by Cal/OSHA (California Division of Occupational Safety and Health) in late June 2010, and the room was closed down. 

However, administrators at Washington Elementary and at the district level apparently had been notified about the danger in late January. The classroom’s condition was reported at that time to administrative authorities by Darwin Greenwell, one of the teachers conducting music classes in the room. Greenwell has taught in the Berkeley Unified School District for the past five years. Like many of the district’s music teachers, he teaches at several elementary schools during a single school year, and this past year one of them was Washington Elementary, where Greenwell taught brass (trumpet and trombone) to fourth- and fifth-graders. His classes met twice a week, for 45 minute sessions. 

One morning, in late January, Greenwell entered the classroom and found that all the carpet runners, which previously had completely covered a long linoleum seam on the floor, had been removed. The linoleum seam had come apart, exposing floor tiles in a quite deteriorated state. In subsequent months, until the end of the school year, several of these runners were intermittently brought back into the room to cover a part of the exposed seam. 

Greenwell was not the only teacher in the classroom who noted the condition of the floor and the carpet runners. A cooking teacher in this classroom confirmed that carpet runners had been removed from the floor early in 2010. Another music teacher in the room told the Planet that “the rugs were very dirty and dusty. The kids sat on the floor for music and they constantly pulled the loose threads. When they danced they would raise the dust." 

Greenwell was better prepared, however, than other teachers to recognize a possible hazard. It struck Greenwell, who has many years of experience in construction and is a licensed California real estate broker as well as a teacher, that the dusty tiles, which were shredded into fragments, partially pulverized, and loose, were probably made of asbestos and therefore unsafe. “I gave it an 85 to 95% chance of being asbestos tiles,” said Greenwell, “because I have removed this exact same kind of tile in my own family’s properties, and it almost always tested positive for asbestos.” Inhalation of airborne asbestos has been proven to cause respiratory illness and cancer. 

A video of the exposed asbestos is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_IhtUWrp4A&feature=player_embedded#! 

The adjacent photographs were taken by Greenwell in late June. 

The Environmental Protection Agency defines a “friable” material as a material that “ when dry, may be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure ” and deems friable asbestos hazardous. Greenwell recognized the exposed, shredded floor tiles as friable, and thus dangerous if composed of asbestos. 

All public school districts are required by the EPA's Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, which became law in 1986, to monitor carefully all school premises to detect possible asbestos contamination. The regulations require, for example, that local education agencies “provide custodial staff with asbestos-awareness training.” The bungalow classrooms at Washington Elementary are cleaned regularly by the school’s custodial staff. Why did no one report the asbestos problem to administrative authorities? 

According to Muriel Waller, an environmental expert who has managed environmental oversight and remediation projects under contract to US military agencies, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, the Port of Oakland, and other government organizations, it is not entirely surprising that a local school district would fail to recognize an asbestos problem. "When the danger of asbestos was publicized back in the 70's, it was likened to the devil,” said Waller. “There was removal of intact asbestos—which sometimes increased the danger—and even of asbestos underground. Today the pendulum seems to have swung in the other direction, and asbestos hazards are not given the attention they call for." 

Greenwell, on the other hand, was not disposed to overlook the shredded tiles in the classroom. He told the Planet that his grandfather was a machinist who died of occupational lung cancer and that his uncle has been a professional “asbestos abater,” someone who is called in to seal off or remove exposed asbestos, for more than 25 years. “You better believe my family knows asbestos,” said Greenwell. “I learned this stuff, by osmosis from my uncle and from my own experience, over the years. When you see this kind of thing, you take a sample from an inconspicuous area and you have it tested.” 

This particular room at the school serves multiple purposes. This past year it was not only the location of Greenwell’s music classes, but also of cooking classes. The shredded floor tile was three feet way from the sink and the shelf of cooking pots, pans and utensils on one side, and three feet away from the food storage and preparation tables on the other side. 

Greenwell said that “The brass instruments that I teach require the children to bring a lot of air into their lungs, and it’s unacceptable if the air I’m asking them to breathe contains asbestos. Nor is it OK, in cooking classes, if children are eating food laced with asbestos particles.” Greenwell added that it would be easy for a child sitting on the floor to pick up a small fragment of tile, put it into his or her mouth, and swallow. 

Asbestos, which enters the body through inhalation or food ingestion, is notorious for leading to asbestosis and mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the lungs, stomach, colon, or heart. The disease is often difficult to diagnose, but once it has been detected, it is one of the most painful and fatal cancers, usually leading to death within 12 to 18 months. 

“I do not think there are any safe levels of friable asbestos exposure for children,” said Waller. “Childhood exposure to asbestos is particularly concerning because of the nature of asbestos-related diseases. Most of them have a very long latency period. Mesothelioma can take up to 60 years to develop. A middle-aged adult exposed to asbestos may never be diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos cancer simply because he does not live long enough for the disease to develop, but children have a long lifespan ahead of them. It is important therefore to avoid early asbestos exposure.” 

Greenwell said that when the carpet runners were lifted from the floor, revealing the tile fragments possibly containing asbestos, he contacted the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), speaking with officials first in Oakland and then in Sacramento. Greenwell said that he also reported this situation to his immediate BUSD supervisor, Suzanne McCulloch. She in turn recommended that he bring the matter to the attention of Washington Elementary School Principal, Rita Kimball, which Greenwell says he did. (McCulloch told the Planet that she did not remember whether she spoke with Greenwell, and added that when a teacher brings a facilities problem to her attention, she advises the teacher to contact the principal.) 

Greenwell said that he also spoke with the Superintendent’s office on one occasion and wrote two letters to the Superintendent about the possible asbestos hazard. But, Greenwell continued, no action was taken by any of these authorities. Finally, according to Greenwell, he was told by the Executive Assistant for the Superintendent on May 14, 2010 that “This situation is not the Superintendent’s responsibility. You will need to file a work order.” Greenwell found this response inadequate. It had been his experience in the school district, he said, that the processing of a work order takes a long time, whereas the shredded floor tiling called for remediation right away. 

Cal/OSHA spokeswoman Krisann Chasarik told the Planet that the case of toxic asbestos at Washington Elementary School remains open, and that her agency would not provide detailed information to the public before the case is closed. 

School district Public Information Officer Mark Coplan said that no carpets had been removed from the floor of the classroom, and that Cal/OSHA had been called in because of a report that the exposed seam in the room represented a “tripping problem,” not because of any asbestos danger. He confirmed that upon inspection, asbestos was found in the classroom flooring and that the classroom had to be closed down. He said that district administrators had acted responsibly in dealing with this situation, once it was brought to their attention. 

During five months of the school year, from February through late June, the tiles remained exposed to children taking band, general music classes, and cooking classes in the classroom. When Greenwell saw that this situation was going unaddressed month after month, he began to document the condition of the room and his own efforts to bring that condition to the attention of Cal/OSHA and school administrators. 

Finally, on June 25, 2010, after the school year had ended, the room was officially closed down by OSHA, which posted a notice on the outside of the door declaring the room “dangerous” and forbidding “all work … at this location, under this condition.” Geraldine Tolentino, the Cal/OSHA official who had closed the room, telephoned Greenwell to notify him of the closure and acknowledging that that the hazard was indeed asbestos. Greenwell then visited the classroom himself and with his iPhone took photographs and video of the damaged floor, and later, of the abatement process that took place in July to repair the floor. 

According to Greenwell, the history of the classroom’s asbestos condition is noteworthy for a number of reasons. The linoleum covering the asbestos tile was mislaid originally, with a seam running from the doorway along the most trafficked part of the room which was apt to rupture because of intense use, thereby exposing the asbestos tiling beneath. The rupture in the seam appears to be a longstanding one. Greenwell’s photographs show that in the past, tape was placed over the separated seam and that currently the exposed asbestos tiles are fragmented and partially pulverized. 

In past decades, asbestos was incorporated into flame-retardant panels and tiles commonly used in construction. Asbestos production was outlawed in the U.S. in 1978, but the ban permitted installers to use up remaining stocks. Many buildings in the Berkeley Unified School District currently contain asbestos, and as buildings age, asbestos materials are commonly exposed in these facilities. 

Notwithstanding the apparent potential hazard in the Washington Elementary School classroom, and Greenwell’s communications to Cal/OSHA, the Washington Elementary School Principal, and the Superintendent’s office about that hazard, the room continued to be used for five months, until the school year was over. 

When Greenwell notified his immediate supervisor and also the principal, he says that “I was told that I should keep on teaching in the same room. I was told there was no other facility available.” 

Greenwell said to the Planet, “I was looking out for the children in the classroom, as an advocate. In eleven years of teaching, I’ve never seen anything like this. If the district is poisoning the kids accidentally or inadvertently with asbestos and isn’t aware of it, that’s one thing. That would amount to negligence and incompetence. But when they know about it, and do not take action, I don’t know what to think of that.” 

The Principal at Washington Elementary, Rita Kimball, did not respond to repeated phone and email messages from the Daily Planet in early August requesting information about the potential asbestos danger in the school classroom. 

The Abatement Process 

After bungalow classroom 11 at Washington Elementary was declared unsafe by Cal/OSHA on June 25, 2010, the Berkeley school district contacted RGA Environmental, a company in Emeryville, and requested that an “asbestos abatement” be done in the classroom. The abatement procedure was carried out on July 9. The asbestos tiles were ripped from the floor, revealing a black layer of mastic (adhesive) attaching the tiles to the flooring beneath. This mastic is typically asbestos-laden. 

Photographs and video taken by Greenwell during the abatement process indicate that it was conducted without removing or covering white boards, posters and fabrics mounted on the walls, or ceiling hangings made by the children. Dinnerware and cooking utensils on the shelves, and cleaning materials and storage bins near the sink, also remained exposed. 

After the abatement had been completed, Greenwell and this reporter inspected the room in early August. All the materials that had been left in the room during the abatement process were covered with dust, as were the floors, walls, cabinets, and shelves. New books, games, and other school supplies had been brought back into the room and were sitting on the floor. 

In conversation with Greenwell on August 23, Geraldine Tolentino, the OSHA official who had closed the room, confirmed that the school district had been using the room during the summer, and that she had had a “Cease and Desist” order issued to the district, enjoining the district to immediately stop using the room, because it had been declared unsafe. 

Although Greenwell told Tolentino that there was good evidence that the abatement had been improperly conducted, Tolentino said that the room would be cleared within a day or two for use by students. 

Muriel Waller, who in her capacity as a consultant has managed many asbestos abatements, told the Planet that "If I were a parent and had a kid going into that room, I would be concerned, especially because there was reportedly thick dust in the room. The room should be tested again before students go back in there, to determine that the room is safe." 

RGA Environmental is the main agency that does asbestos assessment and abatement for the Berkeley school district. Waller said that she is not familiar with the work of this particular company and cannot evaluate it. She noted, however, that abatement firms are sometimes reluctant to report to their clients the full extent of environmental damage and of the remediation that a hazardous situation legally requires. Cutting corners on an abatement reduces costs and maintains cordial relations between the firm and its client--a school district for example.


ACLU Sues FBI to Reveal Surveillance of Bay Area Muslims

By Julia Cheever (BCN)
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:23:00 PM

The American Civil Liberties Union and two other groups sued the FBI in federal court in San Francisco today in a bid for information on the possible investigation and surveillance of Bay Area Muslim communities. 

The lawsuit was filed under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. It seeks a court order requiring immediate processing of the groups' request for FBI records. 

The ACLU was joined in the suit by the Asian Law Caucus, a San Francisco-based civil rights group, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian, a weekly newspaper. 

The three groups are seeking records on matters such as any investigations of mosques and Islamic centers in the Bay Area since 2005, the training of agents and the possible recruitment of Muslim school children into the FBI's Junior Agent program. 

The three groups filed an administrative Freedom of Information Act request with the FBI five months ago, but the lawsuit says they haven't received any information since then. 

The groups say the information is of great public interest because of the possible impact of surveillance on free speech and freedom of religion and the potential harm to community relationships that are important to national security. 

ACLU attorney Julia Mass said, "Clear information about the FBI's activities is necessary in order to understand the scope of their surveillance tactics to assess whether they have had a chilling effect on the right to worship freely or to exercise other forms of expression." 

FBI spokesman Bill Carter, at the FBI's headquarters in Washington, D.C., said the agency has a policy of not commenting on pending lawsuits. 

But Carter said that in general, the FBI receives several thousand Freedom of Information Act requests each year. 

Carter said, "We comply with the law, which requires the review of records in the file system.  

"We process the files as quickly as possible but it depends on the size of the files," Carter said. 

 


Chevron Tries Sacramento End-Run Around CEQA

By Mike Parker (Partisan Position) www.richmondprogressivealliance.net
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 11:09:00 AM

Chevron is trying to use Sacramento lobbying to bypass environmental protections for Richmond.

Negotiations are still going on between environmental groups, the city of Richmond and Chevron about protections for restarting the Chevron expansion project. But Chevron is now lobbying the state legislature to sneak through a special exemption which allows the giant oil company to do its project without having to file an Environmental Impact Report and reach agreement with the city about environmental protections.  

In July 2009 a court ruled that Chevron's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for its expansion project was flawed because it did not reveal its true plans for the expansion, Chevron stopped the project instead of submitting a revised EIR or negotiating with the environmental groups. Chevron then appealed and again the Courts ruled that its EIR was seriously flawed noting that Chevron told one thing to its stockholder but another to the community.  

In the last few months a Democratic assemblyman has been serving as a mediator to find a way to restart the project. The city delegation for the mediation includes Mayor McLaughlin, Vice Mayor Ritterman, Council Member Viramontes, the City Manager and City Attorney (see Chevron Loses). In previous mediation attempts the environmental groups demonstrated a willingness to try other approaches to protect the community. Chevron has refused to seriously address concerns about community health. 

Chevron asks CEQA exemption 

Apparently Chevron is trying to bypass these negotiations by asking the legislature for a special exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This act requires that projects must file and get local community approval of an Environmental Impact Report. This is the main tool which allows communities to protect their air and water and other environmental conditions. An exemption for any project should be questionable under any circumstance. But to give an exemption to the company after judges have ruled that Chevron misled the public with its report would be a scandal and is only possible because Chevron has such deep pockets for politicians.  

A number of mainstream environmental organizations like the Planning and Conservation League have drafted letters to send to the leadership of the State legislature asking them to refuse an exemption to Chevron. 

Write your legislator and ask that they too refuse to give a free pass to Chevron. Our air and water and our lives are too important to trade for Chevron campaign contributions. We don't want a further weakening of the California Environmental Quality Act. Demand that Chevron come to the negotiating table prepared to negotiate real protections of our air and water and to file a truthful and accurate Environmental Impact Report. 


 

[Editor’s Note: For more information, see an article in the LA Times PolitiCal blog. Berkeley readers: See the comparison to UC’s legislative end run around the environmental regs for its Memorial Stadium project.]


Berkeley Orders Marina Boatyard to Clean Up or Else

By Thomas Lord
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 01:28:00 PM
Dry sanding generates paint dust which is
              only partly captured using vacuum sanders.
              The paint used on some boats contains large
              quantities of copper and lead, making the
              dust a toxic hazard.   Behind these men
              sanding, a tarp which is supposed to cover
              the fence to reduce the spread of dust
              has fallen.
Thomas Lord
Dry sanding generates paint dust which is only partly captured using vacuum sanders. The paint used on some boats contains large quantities of copper and lead, making the dust a toxic hazard. Behind these men sanding, a tarp which is supposed to cover the fence to reduce the spread of dust has fallen.
As boats are hauled from the water they are pressure washed.
              Debris and spray from the wash can contain copper, lead, and other
              hazardous materials and is considered to be toxic waste.  At Berkeley
              Marine Center, the City found that soils in an adjacent parking lot had
              apparently been contaminated by the wash.
Thomas Lord
As boats are hauled from the water they are pressure washed. Debris and spray from the wash can contain copper, lead, and other hazardous materials and is considered to be toxic waste. At Berkeley Marine Center, the City found that soils in an adjacent parking lot had apparently been contaminated by the wash.
The boat was is also directly adjacent to a public walk way,
              used for recreational purposes.
Thomas Lord
The boat was is also directly adjacent to a public walk way, used for recreational purposes.

The Berkeley Marine Center, a boatyard at the Berkeley Marina, has been ordered by the City of Berkeley’s Toxics Management Division to take immediate corrective actions or else halt significant portions of its operations. At stake is an issue that pits deep environmental concerns against a popular local small business—and which involves a lease on City of Berkeley property that won’t expire until 2028. From the perspective of the city, the boatyard has dragged its feet on urgent environmental clean-ups for years. From the perspective of the boatyard, the City is overreaching and threatens to shut down a vital local business. Whichever side is closer to correct, push is coming to shove in the legal process. 

The Orders Come Down, Late Negotiations Begin 

On July 16, 2010, the Toxics Management Division of Berkeley’s Planning and Development Department issued a memo to Berkeley Marine Center titled “Notice of Violations: Corrective Actions Required”. The memo implies that there will be significant potential penalties if the orders it lists are not obeyed. This communication brings to a head a dispute between the city and the boatyard that started in 2006. 

The Berkeley Marine Center (“BMC”) operates the boatyard—a boat repair, construction, and storage facility—at the Berkeley Marina. According to its website, the company has been owned and operated by Cree Partridge and his family since 1999. It’s on a 4.5 acre property leased to the firm by the City of Berkeley. 

According to a survey of comparable rentals done for the city of Alameda in 2005, BMC’s lease runs for 50 years, starting in 1978 under a previous owner and running until 2028. In 2005, according to the survey, BMC was paying a base rent of $1,700 per month for the 4.5 acres, adjustable upward if according to the company’s gross receipts. 

The Toxics Management Division (“TMD “) issued its orders as Berkeley’s state-recognized “CUPA” authority. A CUPA (Certified Unified Program Agency) is a local governmental agency authorized by the state of California to coordinate the enforcement of a wide variety of state environmental programs. The orders to the boat yard are signed by Nabil Al-Hadithy, TMD’s Hazardous Materials Manager. 

The memo gave BMC a July 31 deadline to change practices regarded as environmentally hazardous. The date has come and gone, but BMC continues to operate. Both sides of the dispute report that this is because negotiations towards a resolution are underway. 

Because of the scope and seriousness of the TMD’s orders, and as part of a policy to encourage fair and uniform enforcement state-wide, the complaints against BMC and the resulting negotiations are now in the hands of the Alameda County District Attorney’s office. 

The Main Environmental Issues 

The idea of a boat yard seems innocent enough to the uninitiated: Boats are lifted out of the water, cleaned off, and brought ashore for repairs for sanding and repainting or even just for storage. In another part of the boat yard, perhaps an entirely new vessel is being built. What could be wrong with that? 

From an environmental perspective, the situation is not so simple. 

One significant issue is that the paint used on the bottoms(below water portions) of some boats. Sitting in the water, a boat will tend to accumulate barnacles, worms, seaweed, dirt and other threats. 

To help discourage biological pests, many boats are painted with special paints containing copper and lead compounds. The poisonous copper and lead in these paints act roughly like common pesticides to get rid of the invading species. Nasty critters and weeds might attach themselves, but the metal-rich paints help kill them. Like some pesticides, these paints present significant environmental threats: 

The coatings are designed to be “ablative” which means, roughly, that they “flake off” as needed. When unwanted life forms get started on a boat, the metals are designed to kill or weaken them before they “dig in” very far, and the paint on the affected area will flake off either spontaneously or at the next washing. 

Periodically, it is necessary to clean the hull (with high pressure water). Less frequently but still periodically necessary, the hull must be sanded down a bit and repainted. Both of these activities can t spread the copper and lead into the surrounding land environment and the nearby ocean. 

Copper can be extremely damaging towards sea life. Lead in any concentration is very dangerous for both sea life and humans, especially children and pregnant women (and the offspring they are developing). 

The washing process generates clouds of dust and the water carries off paint flakes. Additionally, it generates a kind of sludge—the paint, dirt, and life washed off the boat. Both kinds of discharges can be rich in tiny particles of copper and lead, so washing boats tends to generate toxic waste 

When a boat needs to be repainted, the first step is to sand the hull.. Sanding generates large quantities of dust particles which can contain metals as well. 

In a boatyard, it’s a significant challenge to ensure that the waste from washing, and the waste from sanding are captured rather than being released into the environment, and that these hazardous wastes are disposed of appropriately. The city of Berkeley’s view is that BMC is failing on both points. 

Workers sanding boats at BMC can be seen wearing full-body protection suits and gas masks. Nevertheless, the city contends that the dust generated by sanding spreads to the surrounding environment and into the ocean. 

Berkeley’s contention (backed up by measurements) is that the Berkeley Marine Center has failed badly to prevent leaks of copper and lead toxics into both the human and ocean environment. Samples of ambient dust and soil in and around BMC confirm high concentrations of copper and lead. There are indications that BMC’s boat washing facilities cause problems-- troublingly close to the open bay, public parking, and to the recreational public space at Cesar Chavez Park. 

 

Speaking to the Berkeley Daily Planet, Cree Partridge of BMC agreed with the city that BMC had caused some contamination, but argued that while BMC owed (and was engaged in) some clean-up, the city had been demanding an unfair level of performance, holding BMC to a higher standard than the law requires. 

The July 16th orders from the city reveal that the city is confident that it is asking for a legally mandatory level of clean-up. Public records indicate that the city began attempting to negotiate corrections beginning in 2006, and turns to final orders in 2010 only out of frustration from the failure of past attempts to work cooperatively with BMC. 

The city demands (among other things): Permanent cessation of open-air “dry sanding” at BMC, installation and permitting of suitable management equipment for hazardous waste from sanding and cleaning, enclosure and at least partial relocation of the cleaning facility, and remedial clean-up of top-soils evincing hazardous waste from BMC. 

The list of environmental concerns is long—this summary touches on only a few of them. 

 

Contrasting View Points

Cree Partridge, of BMC, expressed resentment to the Planet about the recent legal action by the city. “I’d rather be paying for clean-up, not a lawyer,” he said.. 

He argued that the city is asking him to clean up legacy waste from the underlying landfill which preceded the marina and the adjoining park, over and above the lesser cleanup of his company’s wastes which he is happy to carry out. 

The city’s complaint, however, contends that measurements during the clean-up process will be used to make sure that BMC cleans up its own mess, but is not held responsible for legacy messes. Nabil Al-Hadithy of TMD seems a bit relieved that after four years of attempted negotiations, at least now things are in the hand of the higher authority of the Alameda County District Attorney, and a legal resolution and more important, effective environmental action, may at last be in sight. 


New Muslim College Launched in Berkeley

By Jeff Shuttleworth (BCN)
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 09:11:00 PM

Classes started today at a new school in Berkeley that aims to be one of the first accredited Muslim-run liberal arts colleges in the United States. 

Zaytuna College, which is working toward accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, is initially offering two majors: Islamic law and theology and Arabic. 

School officials said the accreditation process typically takes 4 to 8 years. 

The school is starting out small with only 15 students and rented classroom space at the American Baptist Seminary of the West at Dwight Way and Hillegass Avenue, but officials said the college hopes to grow gradually and eventually have its own facility. 

"The college will in due time graduate highly-trained and culturally aware professionals to lead the growing number of Muslim institutions and communities across the country as well as contribute in a meaningful way to the diverse American tapestry," co-founder Hatem Bazian said in a statement. 

Another founder, Zaid Shakir, said the school also aims to improve relations between members of the Muslim community and other local faith groups. 

The third co-founder, Hamza Yusuf, said the school represented the realization of a long-standing goal. 

"We have long desired to establish an institution that recognizes the importance of shaping Islamic scholars and teachers that fully understand American culture," Yusuf said. "Zaytuna College is the first institution of higher learning to address that need." 

Six men and nine women are enrolled in the freshman class at Zaytuna, which has five faculty members and charges $11,000 each year for tuition. All of the students are Muslim, but the college says it welcomes students and teachers of all faiths and perspectives. 

Zaytuna is also seeking accreditation from major educational institutions in the Muslim world, such as Egypt's al-Azhar University. 

Officials said the school is not receiving any government funding and instead subsists on contributions from the Muslim community in the U.S. 

Courses offered at Zaytuna include Islamic theology, Islamic ethics, Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic business and finance law and Muslims in America.


It’s a Bird—It’s a Plane—It’s a —HELICOPTER! In Memorial Stadium

By Steven Finacom
Monday August 23, 2010 - 08:22:00 PM
To demonstrate the stability of his aircraft Stanley Hiller, Jr. sticks his
              hands out of the helicopter during one of his Memorial Stadium test flights in 1944.
(Courtesy, Hiller Aviation Museum)
To demonstrate the stability of his aircraft Stanley Hiller, Jr. sticks his hands out of the helicopter during one of his Memorial Stadium test flights in 1944.
The “Hiller-copter” rises within the Stadium in another 1944 view. The
              stadium rim, temporary bleachers, and Charter Hill are just visible at lower left.
(Courtesy, Hiller Aviation Museum)
The “Hiller-copter” rises within the Stadium in another 1944 view. The stadium rim, temporary bleachers, and Charter Hill are just visible at lower left.
Memorial Stadium, today, where at least four feats of aviation have taken
              place within the seating bowl. The 1926 Andy Smith flight went left to right across
              this setting; the 1979 hang glider came right to left.
Memorial Stadium, today, where at least four feats of aviation have taken place within the seating bowl. The 1926 Andy Smith flight went left to right across this setting; the 1979 hang glider came right to left.
The Berkeley Daily Gazette headlined the Stadium funeral arrangements
              for Coach Andy Smith in January, 1926.
The Berkeley Daily Gazette headlined the Stadium funeral arrangements for Coach Andy Smith in January, 1926.

This Thursday afternoon, August 26, 2010, there will be something out of the ordinary occurring at Memorial Stadium on the eastern edge of the UC Berkeley central campus. 

An announcement distributed to campus faculty and staff last week by the Office of Public Affairs reads, “At approximately 2:30 pm, a helicopter with a BBC film crew will be landing and taking off from Memorial Stadium. The helicopter may hover a short period of time over the stadium before departing.” 

It will be an unusual event. But not unique.  

It’s possible to identify at least four previous occasions when aircraft have entered Memorial Stadium. There may well be more, but these are the ones I know about.  

Fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, and even hang-gliders have all had their moment aloft inside the enormous bowl of the Stadium.  

These events are separate from the more numerous but much higher altitude flyovers of the Stadium by military or advertising aircraft putting on a show at football games. 

Andy Smith’s Ashes 

The first occasion was just over three years after the Stadium was completed in 1923. In that era, California football teams had scored unprecedented triumphs, including playing five years without a loss. Andrew Latham Smith was the coach of those “Wonder Teams”, and the Stadium was sometimes referred to as “the House that Andy built”.  

When the 42 year-old Smith died January 8, 1926, of pneumonia—apparently contracted at a chilly football game he attended in Philadelphia, after the California season was over—he was widely mourned and the campus planned a memorial service fit for a deceased statesman. 

Smith’s body had been cremated in the East and the ashes brought west by his brother, his only known surviving relative. He had told those at his deathbed that he wanted his ashes scattered at Memorial Stadium and the campus acceded.  

This was the only occasion I know of when the University permitted an official funeral and internment—so to speak—on the campus (as opposed to memorial services, of which there have been many). 

The scattering of the ashes would be done by airplane, over the playing field. 

A private, apparently all male, memorial gathering was held at Berkeley’s Elks Club, next to Berkeley’s main Post Office. Smith had lived just up the street in the Hotel Whitecotton (now the Shattuck). 

The public funeral took place on Friday, January 15, 1926. Fog “settled suddenly” on the campus during the 11 am procession to the Stadium, led by UC President William Campbell and accompanied by muffled drumbeats.  

“In the presence of a sorrowing throng assembled before the Memorial Arch and on the hillsides above the Stadium, the University of California today paid final tribute to Andy Smith”, the Berkeley Daily Gazette reported. 

The service took place not in, but just north of, the Stadium with the structure as backdrop. Then, “while the thousands stood silent with bared heads an army place, piloted by Lieutenant J.R. Glascock, a personal friend of the deceased, flew low over the arch and the ashes of Andrew Latham Smith were strewn over the field where he had directed so many battles, where he won so many victories and where by example and precept he made men.” 

“During the period of meditation while the army plane circled over the university grounds, the students, alumni members and faculty who had gathered for this final tribune to their friend, stood with bared heads. The sun had dispersed the heavy fog. Swiftly the plane circled once again and then, sweeping from the north over the great memorial arch, it dipped toward the earth and the ashes of Andrew Smith were wafted to their final resting place.”  

“As they settle gently to earth Dr. McCall (pastor of First Congregational Church) pronounced the commitment: ‘Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God to take unto Himself the soul of our brother and friend, where therefore commit his ashes to the air that they may settle and rest upon the ground of his own choice, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The dust returns unto the earth as it was; and the spirit has returned unto God who gave it.” 

Did the plane that scattered the ashes actually get below the rim of the Stadium as opposed to just flying low above? Who knows? “Jack” Glascock would have had to have flown fairly low so the ashes would descend within the oval, rather than scattering away onto the campus or adjacent hills.  

A big press box didn’t exist in those days, but it would still have been some feat of flying to come over from the north over the Stadium near its highest point—the memorial arch—dip down within the several hundred feet between ends of the bowl, drop the ashes, then bank up and away before hitting a flagpole on the Stadium rim or crashing dead on into precipitous Panoramic Hill. 

Still, the deed was accomplished and the ashes apparently dropped in the right place (one suspects some may have landed on the seats, but the respectful press didn’t mention that). The Stadium remained locked following the service, leaving the great bowl silent and vacant in tribune to Smith. 

“Loyal Californians of the future who throng to the Stadium will almost be compelled to pause for a moment and recall the spell of the man who placed California football in the position that necessitated that immense structure of stone (sic) and wood to play it in,” a Daily Californian staffer wrote on the day of the service. 

That’s not necessarily true today. If you ask people attending Cal football games if they know who Andy Smith was, it’s quite possible you’ll get a blank stare in response. They may know of Pappy Waldorf, Bruce Snyder, or Mike White, but the Smith era is now far, far, removed. 

However, for some decades generations of Cal fans were comforted—or perhaps simply intrigued—by the fact that particles of Smith could still be, theoretically, nourishing the Stadium turf. 

In 1981 when the grass field was replaced by artificial turf for the first time it’s quite possible that everything physical of Smith’s presence was dug out of the Stadium bowl.  

I’m told that Cal Band members removed a piece of living turf and replanted it in front of Tellefson Hall, their private residence hall on Le Roy Avenue. It eventually expired there, but perhaps there are still atoms of Smith ash in the Northside soil, if not drifting around Memorial. 

The Teenage Test Pilot 

The second occasion I know of when an aircraft flew at Memorial Stadium was a quite different experience. There were no crowds of mourners and no ceremonies. It was an experimental, not a spiritual, occasion. 

The man who flew in the Stadium was Stanley Hiller, Jr. The vehicle he piloted was not a by then familiar airplane but a most unusual craft. 

Hiller has the distinction of making the first helicopter flight on the West Coast on July 4, 1944 when he brought his own invention, the “Hiller-copter” to Memorial Stadium. 

Hiller grew up at the top of Tunnel Road in Berkeley on an estate where the Bentley School campus now stands. From an early age he experimented with mechanical devices including, in an off-repeated account, rebuilding a washing machine his mother was discarding into a vehicle he raced around Berkeley streets. 

He also recruited school friends and developed a profitable home business building and selling model racecars with working engines. It morphed into manufacturing aluminum aircraft parts during World War II. 

Hiller went to Berkeley’s A to Zed School and enrolled at Cal for one year but ended up more of an independent inventor and innovator that a conventional college student. 

As a child he had flown with his father, who himself was an aviation pioneer, having been a pilot in the early days of manned flight. As a teenager the younger Hiller became fascinated with helicopters, which he had seen in newsreels, and came up with a design that he felt would work for a stable, co-axial, craft, one with two rotors turning in opposite directions.  

The contrasting rotors would keep the body of the helicopter from itself spinning in the opposite direction, without the need for elaborate tail assembles to counteract the torque. 

Co-axial design had been a subject of much experimentation, but no helicopter of the type had been both designed and flown successfully. Hiller sent out to try, beginning an invention and manufacturing odyssey that included presentations to skeptical Army officials, tests of models dropped from a San Francisco high rise, and a trip to Washington DC to get permission from the War Production Board to buy a motor for the full scale craft. 

In May 1944, Hiller launched his helicopter—which he called the XH-44—from the driveway of the family home, now the Bentley School campus. It wasn’t a free flight; Hiller had tied the aircraft to the bumper of his car. The limited testing proved successful. He got ready for a free flight. He was just nineteen. 

“Secretly he trundled his machine into the University of California’s football stadium,” reported Popular Mechanics in the November 1944, issue. “There he climbed aboard, started the engine, and manipulated the controls.” 

The flight was on July 4, 1944. One wonders if the date was picked because the campus would be deserted for the holiday and it was a day when mysterious noises might escape notice? No matter. The test worked and the Stadium survived. 

“The Hiller-copter, unfettered, was a perfect lady”, the article continued. “It climbed, turned, and gently came to rest on its tricycle landing gear at the will of the man in the cockpit.” 

Stanley Hiller, Jr. had made history in Memorial Stadium. It was the first successful test flight of a co-axial helicopter design, and the first helicopter flight on the West Coast. 

There were additional Berkeley flights. “Since that day it has put in a good many hours soaring over the stadium and the low hills near by,” the article added. 

Hiller went on to fame as an aircraft inventor, manufacturer, and reorganizer of troubled businesses.  

Although in the 1940s he did helicopter testing in both Oakland and Berkeley’s old Armory building on Addison Street, he ultimately based himself on the San Francisco Peninsula, where he lived as an adult.  

The Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos recalls and showcases his innovations and work, including a replica of the XH-44, as part of its mission of public education about science and aviation. The original is in the Smithsonian Institution. 

Hiller’s own name is not prominently remembered today in connection to the Stadium or to the East Bay where he grew up. However, Oakland’s Hiller Highlands subdivision, above the old family property, recalls the family name; Stanley Hiller, Sr. developed it.  

Parting the Rain Sea 

The third instance of flight inside Memorial Stadium that I can identify also had a Hiller connection.  

In November 1950, Northern California experienced nine consecutive days of rain. Heavy rain and snowfall in September and October had already loaded the Sierras with snow.  

Rain runoff and premature snowmelt poured down out of the mountains on both east and west. Usually bone-dry Nevada towns were filled with rushing water and nearly 700,000 acres of California’s Central Valley were flooded, 25,000 people evacuated, and riverside communities like Marysville inundated. 

In Berkeley, the turf at Memorial Stadium was saturated by rain, and the Big Game was due. Wednesday, November 22, at the suggestion of a Cal alumnus, William Eddy, “a commercial helicopter pilot…joined forces against Mother Nature in an attempt to make the Memorial stadium at Berkeley a fit place in which to play football next Saturday…” reported the San Mateo Times

“Flying his helicopter…just six feet above the green turf at the stadium, the terrific down draft evaporated the water in short order. After making his first test, crossing on the 10-yard line, Eddy…reported that he was convinced the plane would do the job. A check by stadium custodians of the test strip found the grass almost completely dry and sod considerably drier than the rest of the field.” 

“Eddy will spend the rest of the day swinging back and forth across the field. If he does not complete the job today, it is likely that he will return tomorrow morning, a University of California spokesman said.” 

The article noted the concept of using the downdraft from a low flying helicopter in this way wasn’t new; the technique had been used to dry out orchards and blow snow and standing water off highways. The helicopter used at Memorial was a Hiller model. 

The rain also stopped November 22 and the Big Game was played at Memorial Stadium that Saturday. Perhaps discombobulated by the drier than anticipated turf, Cal and Stanford played to a rare tie, 7-7. 

Gliding In 

The fourth and final instance of an aircraft in Memorial Stadium that I can document is also the only one that occurred before a crowd in the Stadium. All the other three flights had been when the Stadium seating bowl itself was largely vacant. 

This last instance was in 1979 and it had a “front row” audience of thousands. 

It was October 27, and Memorial Stadium was packed for the biennial home match-up against the Trojans. The teams were tied near half time and USC had just punted. Cal was setting up for a first down play. 

Then an orange and yellow hang glider soared into the Stadium from the south, swooped low over the field, and came to a landing in the northeast corner.  

An Internet search turns up the information that the hang glider was one Tom Kardos.  

Two short videos of the landing can be found on YouTube (search for hang glider, Cal, USC) and following one of the videos a “tomkardos” has posted this note. “I took off from Strawberry Canyon, at the top of the ridge a mile away, about 1,000 feet elevation about the Stadium, flew directly above the game several hundred feet high then turned south for an approach, made a 180 and flew between two flagpoles at the South rim and descended over the stands to burn off height then flowed down just above ground effect along the diagonal—longest dimension—of the field…sorry but had to touch down before the end zone to safely stop.” 

I was at that game and remember the flight. From the east side of the Stadium fans had a good view of Kardos high above, turning in for his landing. If I recall correctly, he barely missed the flagpoles on the rim. The stunt was spectacular—and, today would probably draw a horde of security, criminal charges, and Homeland Security hoopla—but it didn’t help the home team. Cal’s fortunes waned after half time and USC won the game. 

That incident ended, as far as I can recall, the record of aircraft visits within Memorial Stadium. But I may be wrong. Other events and stories may be out there.  

The best that can be said at this point is that aircraft have flown low over, or in, the Stadium at least four times and that another such instance should occur this coming Thursday.


Everyone Invited to Free High Holiday Services

By Dorothy Snodgrass
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 01:52:00 PM

With Fall just around the corner, it follows that the Jewish High Holidays will be celebrated, as always, in September. I'm reminded of this fact thanks to an announcement from Rabbi Sara Shendelman, who, with Rabbi Steven Fisdel, will be leading uplifting free High Holiday Services with musical accompaniment in an extraordinary, little known church, the South Berkeley Community Church, located at 1802 Fairview Street. This church was built in 1880 as the first purposely integrated church in the country. It has a beautiful and very peaceful sanctuary. 

Rabbi Shendelman is a spiritual teacher and counselor, having conducted services for 26 years. Rabbi Fisdel, himself a counselor, is a classical Kabbalist with powerful insight into the heart and mind. He has created a journey for the soul. Using the name, Canfei Nefesh, which literally means "Soul Wings", these two people share a desire to have a transformational experience during the High Holidays. To quote Rabbi Shendelman, "we celebrate creation, eat applies and honey to celebrate the sweetness of the world, and blow the shofar to wake up the heart to find our way back to our best selves. We lead through contemplative and joyous songs, stories and personal insights. We lead in English and in Hebrew with transliteration of all texts. I feel that the services I am doing with Rabbi Fisdel will be perhaps the most powerful I have ever participated in. He and I share a vision of uplifting ourselves with compassion hand in hand with understanding of ourselves and others." She goes on to add, "It is said that from Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur every being is seen and appraised." 

Times for the free services, all held at the South Berkeley Community Church are as follows: 

 

Rosh Hashana Evening: Friday Wednesday, September 8th at 7:00 p.m. 

Rosh Hashana Day: Saturday Thursday, September 9th at 10:00 a.m. 

Kol Nidre Sunday Friday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m. 

Yom Kippur (Shachrit): Monday Saturday, September 18th at 10:00 a.m. 

 

Everyone, especially young people, is invited to attend these services. 

 

(Thanks to reader Peggy Scott for the corrections.) 


Birgenau Greets Incoming Students at Convocation

By Steven Finacom
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 01:49:00 PM
The Cal Band, sans formal uniforms, marched in and played to open the
              event.
Steven Finacom
The Cal Band, sans formal uniforms, marched in and played to open the event.
After the speeches Birgeneau was surrounded by students. He greeted, in
              this case, a new student he had previously met while visiting China.
Steven Finacom
After the speeches Birgeneau was surrounded by students. He greeted, in this case, a new student he had previously met while visiting China.

Thousands of new arrivals to Berkeley thronged Memorial Glade on the UC campus Monday, August 23, 2010 to participate in a campus convocation welcoming new students. 

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Harry LeGrande opened the simple proceedings by joking that he was glad the ceremony could occur “under this great Northern California sun.”  

The students sweltered in the hot, slanting, light of late afternoon on one of Berkeley’s warmest days. Temperatures had probably reached into the eighties by the time the Convocation began. 

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau spoke, emphasizing the elite quality and opportunity of the incoming class. 

“There are about 6,000 of you. Just think of the other 6 billion people who don’t have the privilege of being here today”. 

“We expect you to challenge yourself, be inquisitive and, most importantly, be open to change.” He noted that the faculty had 21 Nobel Laureates, but that “25 Cal students have gone on to the win the Nobel Prize.” 

As he has done in the past at similar events, he invited the students to look at those sitting next to them, then recalled his own welcome to college many years ago as an undergraduate where he found himself sitting next to a fellow student who would become his wife. 

“You may have right now just looked at your future soul mate for the rest of your life”, he said. 

“Each of your should feel that Berkeley is yours, that you belong here, but just as important, that Berkeley belongs to you.” 

Birgeneau outlined the demographics of the incoming students. About 4,300 are true freshmen, and 2,300 are transfer students. The youngest is 13 and the oldest 60. And “65 [military] veterans are part of our incoming class”, he said, to applause. 

Eight out of ten of the new arrivals are from California, 11 percent from elsewhere in the United States, and nine percent are international students.  

About one third of the new students, he said, are recipients of Federal Pell Grant financial aid, and one third are also the first from their families to attend college. 

Birgeneau referred to the broader Berkeley community at only one point in his remarks. “Enjoy the campus and the community around you”, he said. But “I must urge you also to be street smart. Endeavor to be safe and aware of your surroundings.” 

He also cautioned the students against binge drinking and alcohol and drug use in general, but concluded on an upbeat note. 

“The air is full of dreams and ambitions here.” 

Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion Gibor Basri spoke next, telling the students that Berkeley “is a community that sees you as both an individual and a scholar.” 

“I see people from all over the world” among the new students, he said. “I see the future opinion makers and leaders of California.”  

He read campus principles of community and said, “This is, after all, the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement. On the other hand, we want to respect our differences.” He called for “free speech of the productive sort.” 

Noah Stern, president of the Associated Students of the University of California, mused that he had trouble coming up with what to say to highly qualified new students. “You were all leaders in high school. You all rocked your SATs. What should my advice be to you?” 

“Going to Cal means waving the flag of change and progressive ideas,” he said. “UC Berkeley is unique because of a collective desire to do the unexpected.” He was the only one of the speakers to refer to the “painful budget cuts” the University had suffered in the past year. 

Hundreds of the student spectators sat on the wide, sloping, lawn of Memorial Glade, while hundreds of others huddled in the shade of the small clusters of trees lining the perimeter berm.  

Mother Nature had played her usual weather trick on Berkeley. False summer arrived just with the new students.  

This past weekend, as the weather turned warm after a cool summer, freshmen were busy moving into the residence halls. 

For days—possibly even weeks—those among them who have never been to Northern California before will mistakenly believe Berkeley has a balmy sub-tropical climate.  

Finally, when they lose track of where they packed their coats and closed toe shoes, the inevitable “offshore breeze” and “marine layer” will educate them about the more moderate character of Berkeley weather. 

For today, however, some astute orientation planner had produced and distributed round, stiff, paper cards with a bear head on one side and campus spirit songs on the reverse. Their wooden handles made them rather effective fans. 

Memorial Glade was a sea of sun-struck people vigorously fanning themselves, a rare sight in Berkeley. The speaker podium was in the deep shade of an awning. 

The Cal Band, quite casually attired, played, and the UC Men’s Octet, natty in white dress shirts and blue and gold ties, sang.  

As the speakers continued, many of the students drifted to the sidelines, lining up for free hot dogs, kettle corn, and cold beverages handed out from tents.


UC Campanile Open Two Evenings This Week for Sunset Viewing

By Steven Finacom
Monday August 23, 2010 - 09:48:00 PM

The Campanile on the UC Berkeley campus can be a beautiful sight at sunset. The low rays of evening light often turn the white granite shaft a gentle gold. 

The view from the Campanile observation deck at sunset can also be magnificent, but is rarely seen. Usually, entrance to the tower closes at 3:45 on weekdays and 4:45 on weekends.
 

Two evenings this week, however, the tower will be open for a special sunset viewing opportunity. This is part of Welcome Week, a program of orientations and special events for new students on the UC campus. 

On Tuesday, August 24, and Thursday, August 26, the tower will be open from 7 to 9 pm for sunset viewing. 

Admission is free during those special viewing times, and the general public is welcome. 

Admission to the top of the tower typically costs $2 general, and $1 for seniors, those 17 and under, and California Alumni Association members with ID. Children under 3, UC Berkeley students, faculty and staff with ID are admitted free. 

The Campanile is not wheelchair accessible; there are 38 steps from the top elevator landing to the observation deck. 

See this link for the full Welcome Week Calendar:

http://welcome.berkeley.edu/calendar.html

and here for information on the Campanile:

http://visitors.berkeley.edu/camp/index.shtml

or call 510 642-5215.


New: A Unique Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur Celebration in Berkeley

From Mike Godbe, Iikkun
Tuesday August 31, 2010 - 09:18:00 PM

While many other synagogues will be going through the normal set of prayers for the Jewish High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah starts the eve of Sept 8 and first day is Sept 9), one Berkeley synagogue is taking the notion of repentance seriously—and not just for Jews. 

Beyt Tikkun has invited non-Jews to attend the service as well, arguing that the entire society needs a repentance process, and “you don’t need to be Jewish to participate in the Jewish High Holy Days.” The services will be held at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. 

“Calls for repentance are often taken as directed only at individuals, but in the Jewish tradition the community is asked to atone for its collective sins,” says Rabbi Michael Lerner, the spiritual leader of Beyt Tikkun synagogue. “But at this point in our history both as Jews and Americans we need to repent for the ways that our entire community has gone astray. 

Rabbi Lerner hopes that negotiations may lead to a peace settlement for Israel and Palestine, “but” he says, at the moment the task for High Holidays is to repent for what has already happened, and that includes the ongoing pain imposed on the Palestinian people by 43 years of Occupation and by the assault on Gaza in 2008-9 and the killings and wounding of people on the Gaza Aid flotilla in late May.” One of Beyt Tikkun’s members was on the flotilla and will talk about his experience on Yom Kippur. 

The repentance and atonement will also focus on what Rabbi Lerner calls “the devastation brought to Iraq by the unjustified invasion of that country by the U.S.. and the continuing presence there of 50,000 soldiers now re-described as ‘advisors” and the escalated war in Afghanistan and the killings by drones in Pakistan.” Lerner also cites the harsh treatment of immigrants, the destruction of the environment, the use of 9/11 as a cover for growing anti-Muslim sentiments, and the continuing willingness of the Obama Administration and Congress to give higher priority to the needs of the rich and Wall Street than to the needs of those middle income and poor people who continue to suffer as a result of America’s economic crisis.” 

Beyt Tikkun has developed an alternative list of “For our Sins” prayers to be said on Yom Kippur and a manual for how Americans can take the whole process of repentance seriously. It can be found as High Holiday Supplement on the web at www.beyttikkun.org and it is printed in the September/October issue of Tikkun magazine.


Campus, City Police Form Joint Safety Patrol

By Caleb Dardick, U.C. Government and Community Relations Office
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 02:13:00 PM

A new joint police patrol by the University of California Police Department and the Berkeley Police Department will target improving public safety at night in the city's Southside neighborhoods as well as after UC Berkeley home football games. 

The patrol is unique because it teams up in each of two squad cars one city and one campus police officer who will patrol neighborhoods near campus. Starting this semester, the patrols will take place Thursday through Saturday nights between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Additional joint teams will be deployed before and after home football games. 

Like all patrols city and campuswide, the new joint patrol's main charge will be to suppress violent and other crimes and to keep the peace. 

This collaborative approach will increase coordination between the two departments as well as improve communication with students and neighbors. In the past, some near-campus residents have called both departments separately for service, but now they will get a joint response from officers regularly assigned to the area and familiar with the community. 

The idea for the Joint Southside Safety Patrol came from UC Berkeley Police Chief Mitch Celaya, Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan and the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Student-Neighbor Relations, which includes student and neighborhood leaders, as well as senior officials from the campus and the city. 

"The Joint Southside Safety Patrol is one way university and city police proactively partner to increase safety and livability in the Southside," said UC Police Chief Mitch Celaya. "Both Chief Michael Meehan and I are working closely to improve public safety on and off campus." 

"This plan responds directly to our community’s desire for a safer and more civil Southside neighborhood. I am especially pleased that the city police dispatchers will be able to route calls from Southside neighbors directly to both the UCPD and BPD officers already in the vicinity and allow them to respond more quickly to problems," said Vincent Casalaina, past-president of the Willard Neighborhood Association. 

"Student safety, especially at night, is an ASUC priority, and we're pleased that both police departments are working so closely to ensure the safety of Cal students," said Kelly McDonnell, chief of staff to Noah Stern, president of the UC Berkeley chapter of Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). 

The joint patrol also overcomes jurisdictional constraints by allowing the police to coordinate directly with the UC Center for Student Conduct and Community Standards without delay. Students cited by campus or city police will have their information transferred to the center for possible additional disciplinary action within three days. 

"Students know that the university's Code of Student Conduct applies on and off campus, and that serious violations can jeopardize their student status," said Assistant Dean Susan Trageser, who directs the center. "We expect that improved coordination between the police and our office may deter repeat violations and encourage students to be good neighbors." 

Because of the connection between alcohol consumption and students becoming victims of violent crime, the Joint Southside Safety Patrol will strictly enforce laws related to alcohol consumption, including underage drinking, use of false identification, public possession of open containers of alcohol, and public drunkenness. 

Officers also will issue citations for loud and unruly parties or gatherings of 10 or more people that cause a significant neighborhood disturbance. These citations carry fines ranging from $750 to $2500 for subsequent violations during a 120-day period. Residences that are cited for repeat violations will have their addresses posted on the PartySafe@Cal Web site. The city will notify property owners and managers of the citations, since unpaid fines for citations issued to their tenants could result in liens being placed on the owners' property. 

"Students do not realize that drinking irresponsibly all too often leads to taking ill-advised risks and ending up in dangerous situations," said Karen Hughes, director of PartySafe@Cal, a University Health Services program to reduce harm associated with drinking in the campus area. For their own safety, she advises students to carefully monitor their own drinking and to be responsible guests and hosts. 

These law and ordinances have been enforced in the past, but the new joint patrols will more efficiently and consistently address all aspects of unlawful activity and allow for closer coordination between community partners — the officers, campus leaders, students and their Berkeley neighbors. 

"Our focus is on making the Southside safer and more enjoyable for students and longtime residents, who live side by side," said UC Berkeley Associate Chancellor Linda M. Williams, who chairs the advisory council.


UC Berkeley Students Release Alternative “Disorientation Guide” for 2010 School Year

From Alex Ghenis
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 07:54:00 AM

A group of UC Berkeley students have created an alternative guide to the campus and are releasing copies this week. The packet, termed “Disorientation Guide,” features over 20 articles highlighting rarely-discussed aspects of Berkeley. It is meant to show student perspectives from the campus’s activist core. 

The introduction to the Guide explains its purpose and philosophy. It reads, “This is the 2010 Cal Disorientation Guide. It was created as an anti-orientation guide. As the guide you will never get from CalSO, your dorm, or the Daily Cal. We seek to guide you to a real college experience, not the tame, watered-down, mass-produced, and ultimately forgettable college experience some have decided to settle for.” CalSO is the student orientation session for new freshmen and transfers, and the Daily Cal is the campus’s student-run newspaper. 

A previous Disorientation Guide was published in 2008, but none was organized last year. Ricardo Gomez, External Affairs Vice President for the Associated Students of the University of California, saw a need for a student-created alternative publication. He contacted members of different campus communities over summer, including undergraduates, graduates, workers, alumni, and faculty. The group visioned the publication, wrote articles and updated old ones, formatted pages, and created the entire Guide independently. They received 3200 print copies last week. 

“We want to share the untold student perspective through the Guide,” said Alex Ghenis, author of “Disability Rights at Cal” and “Living at a Co-Op,” two Guide articles. “University officials tell students basic campus information, but we have a voice and insights that are arguably much more important.” 

Content in the Guide varies from informative to radical and is broken into three sections: Features, History, and Resources. Articles include “A People's History of People's Park,” “The Berkeley-British Petroleum Research Deal,” and "On Being A Student Of Color @ Cal." There are also several lists, including “Uncle Ivan's Words That Will Get You An A+ On Your Paper,” "Know Your Rights," and "Progressive Education at Cal.” 

Articles largely present critiques of the University or discuss non-mainstream movements. Disability Rights at Cal, for example, outlines the history of the Rolling Quads—the first group of students with physical disabilities to attend Cal, including Berkeley legend Ed Roberts—in their struggle for education and independent living in the 1960s. Most disability rights scholars credit Roberts and the Rolling Quads with beginning the modern disability rights movement. 

Matt Senate, an author and co-editor for the guide, said, “This guide seeks to make public many socially or politically discouraged discussions and information the powers that be do not want freely and widely available to students—in the name of justice and equality.” Senate wrote on the Open Education Movement, which advocates more available education through free digital academic media such as PDF textbooks and journals. 

“The Open Education Movement is concerned with changes that simply make sense,” and would increase the affordability and flow of knowledge, said Senate. “But it is up to us to organize to implement these changes in a way that reflects the needs of students.” Many other articles argue similar student necessities, demands, and methods of empowerment. 

Gomez has already received positive feedback on the publication. “From students, to workers, to faculty, to folks from other universities, the response to the Cal Disorientation Guide has been great and people are thirsty for counter-narratives,” he said. On Sunday and Monday, Gomez passed out copies of the guide at the University’s “Caltopia,” where incoming students perused tables of free goods and campus information. “People were really interested,” said Gomez, “the Guides were snatched up and students were talking. That’s exactly what we wanted.” 

Ghenis served as President of the Disabled Students’ Union last year and is currently Vice President of External Affairs of the Berkeley Student Cooperative, the focuses of both his articles. However, the Guide was not formed in any official capacity, he said. “This is its own beast,” said Ghenis, “we all took areas of expertise and wrote what students need to know, but we did it as an independent group. Articles don’t even have author’s names—well, minus UCMeP [the UC Movement for efficient Privatization] pretending to be Mark Yudof. They used an asterisk to avoid too much trouble.” Yudof is the President of the University of California system, and some students argue he is rapidly privatizing campus services. 

In the end, students claim an ultimate goal is to get others involved in important student activism. Daniel Kronovet, a Guide reader and friend of the collaborative group, feels that it will give some students direction. “Many students come to Cal looking to get involved with something meaningful,” he said. “This Guide shows them an entire dimension of opportunities that they might have never seen otherwise.” 

 

The Guide is available online at http://caldisorientation.org/ and copies will be distributed around campus in the coming weeks. 3200 copies have already been ordered and are available at Eshleman Hall in Lower Sproul Plaza. For more information, email caldisorientation2010@gmail.com

 


Celebrate! “TAKE THE PLUNGE”

By Mary Breunig
Monday August 23, 2010 - 09:34:00 PM
Janet Hartzell, left; Janice Graff, right; February 1932, BCC RECORD
Janet Hartzell, left; Janice Graff, right; February 1932, BCC RECORD

Built 80 years ago, the Berkeley City Club and the Landmark Heritage Foundation invite you to help celebrate this extraordinary building and its creation story. Sunday, September 19, from 2-5 p.m., you are invited to don an historic bathing suit (last year’s model will do too!) then “Take the Plunge” in the beautiful, Julia Morgan designed warm water pool. After your swim, take a refreshing shower (towel included), and then move on to Fish ‘n’ Chips and more. This is your opportunity to soak up the pool’s current beauty while supporting its future restoration. All proceeds support the Landmark Heritage Foundation’s pool restoration fund. Adult swim $50, children 5 to 13 years (no toddlers) $15 when accompanied by a paying adult. Space is limited, so please make reservations by September 1. Call the LHF office, 510-883-9710, or email landmarkheritagefoundation@att.net. 

In 1927, over a dozen women’s clubs in Berkeley decided to build one clubhouse to accommodate a variety of civic, philanthropic, athletic, and social activities that early 20th century women sought. In 1928, Julia Morgan was hired, property on Durant Avenue was secured, and the financing of the project began. July 1929, ground was broken with a public ceremony recorded in local papers. November 1930, 4500 women members opened the exquisite clubhouse. 

After the speeches Birgeneau was surrounded by students. He greeted, in this case, a new student he had previously met while visiting China. Today, this extraordinary building – local and state landmark – is home to the Central Works Theatre, the Berkeley Chamber Performances, the Berkeley Breakfast Club, the City Commons Club, the Outlook Club, and the Berkeley City Club. An array of Berkeley civic organizations uses the building regularly: Zonta, Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, and the Chamber of Commerce.  

Two years ago with the help of the National Trust, the Berkeley City Club Historic Hotel has been established offering over 30 individually decorated rooms for visitors to Berkeley. Accommodations include a hearty breakfast, swimming pool access, and wireless connection. You are invited to view the hotel rooms when you take one of the docent led tours offered the fourth Sunday of the month from 1-4 p.m. Hotel reservations available at www.berkeleycityclub.com. 

Upcoming events to commemorate the 80th anniversary include a talk by Victoria Kastner, author of Hearst’s San Simeon – The Gardens and the Land, Wednesday, October 20, 7: 30 p.m. Slides and book signing follow. Tickets are $10 at the door. 

Berkeley Broadway Singers will perform at the Berkeley City Club on Saturday, November 27, 7:30 p.m. This famed local community chorus has offered to do a performance as a fundraiser for the Landmark Heritage Foundation. A special themed dinner available by reservation before the performance is planned. Details available on the LHF website. 

And, in January 2011, “Bowties and Boas – Casino at the Castle”, a very special dinner dance and fundraising affair to benefit the preservation of the landmark. We’ll be celebrating Julia Morgan’s 139th birthday as well. Watch for details at www.berkeleycityclub.com and the LHF website landmarkheritagefoundation.org or call 510 883-9710.


Franz Schurmann, 1926-2010

By Sandy Close
Monday August 23, 2010 - 07:58:00 PM

Franz Schurmann, the foremost scholar of communist China during the Cold War, an early opponent of the US war in Indochina, and the co-founder of Pacific News Service, died at his home in San Francisco on Aug. 20. The cause was advanced Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. He was 84. 

Schurmann taught history and sociology at UC-Berkeley for 38 years. Nevertheless, he chafed against the confines of the academy, and preferred to describe himself as an explorer-journalist rather than as an academic. He was fluent in 12 languages. 

His first great exploration was a trip on horseback through Afghanistan in the late 1950s—a journey of two years that led Schurmann to discover what, until then, had been considered by anthropologists a mythical tribe of blue-eyed, blond-haired Mongols who descended from the military expeditions of Genghis Khan. (“The Mongols of Afghanistan”, 1962) 

In contrast to the Cold War polemics that dominated China studies in the U.S., “Organization and Ideology of Communist China” (1968) drew heavily on Schurmann’s interviews of Chinese refugees in Hong Kong—interviews that enabled him to convey to western readers how Chinese society and governance truly worked. 

Schurmann’s knowledge of the histories and cultures of the Far East gave him an expertise within the anti-war movement few other critics of American foreign policies of the time commanded. In 1966, he coauthored, with Reginald Zelnik and Peter Dale Scott, “The Politics of Escalation”, documenting a parallel chain of command operating within the US military and intelligence agencies that intended to thwart White House diplomacy.  

An inveterate reader of the world press, Schurmann often told the story of a great WWII spy whose primary sources were daily newspapers. Schurmann tracked the rise of the post-Cold War global economy in “The Logic of World Power” (1974) and went on to challenge the almost universal demonization of Richard Nixon by America’s intelligentsia with “The Foreign Politics of Richard Nixon” (1987).  

Despite the acclaim his early writings had achieved, and his reputation as a rigorous if provocative scholar and thinker, no one would publish Schurmann’s Nixon book, until Seymour Martin Lipset intervened on the book’s behalf. Even then, the book – which credited Nixon rather than Kissinger with Machiavellian brilliance in creating the architecture of the post-Cold War world— never won an audience among official Nixon watchers, let alone academics. 

Schurmann’s last book, “American Soul” (2001) was a personal narrative, a view of the world from 29th Avenue in San Francisco, at the shore of the Pacific. He described an America that was transforming the world and being transformed by the emergence of a one-world culture and economy. 

Herbert Franz Schurmann was born on June 21, 1926, in New York City and raised with his younger sister, Dorothy, in Bloomfield, Conn., just outside Hartford. He described his childhood home in “American Soul” as divided by silences that resulted from the meeting of separate cultures. His father –a migrant tool and die maker from Slovenia—had found work in Germany, Poland, Greece and Italy before immigrating to America. His mother fled starvation and the chaos of post-WWI Germany and found work as a housemaid with a German Jewish family in New York. 

Schurmann, inheriting his father’s gift for languages, absorbed the languages of the immigrant families of Hartford. He recalled fondly his Italian godmother, his French Canadian friends, and the meals served forth at his “Polish mother’s” table. 

A combative misfit at school, he papered his bedroom walls with maps of the world and kept a meticulous stamp collection. His father died when he was fifteen. He left high school early with a scholarship to Trinity College in Hartford. But he was a working-class commuter student, and he felt out of place.  

During WWII, he was drafted and assigned to language school. While waiting in line to get his papers, he switched places with a Japanese-American soldier and ended up studying Japanese instead of German. Shipping off from San Francisco, he joined the US occupation forces in Japan, where he worked as a censor in the offices of a Japanese newspaper. He would later recall this as the beginning of his fascination with newspapers. 

Thanks to the GI Bill, he entered Harvard after his discharge to pursue a doctorate in Asian studies, without ever having earned an undergraduate degree. While in the army, he formed what would be a lifelong friendship with a fellow draftee, Stefan Brecht, son of the German playwright Bertolt Brecht and the actress, Helene Weigel. During summer breaks from Harvard, where the younger Brecht was also a graduate student, the pair would hitchhike to Santa Monica to join the Brecht household. Schurmann’s intellectual life, he later would say, began at the Brechts' dining room table, in conversation with Thomas Mann and other European intellectuals who had forged an exile colony in and around Hollywood.  

For his Harvard Ph.D., Schurmann translated into English the Chinese Mongol dynastic tracts. Schurmann returned to Japan after completing his doctorate to study Chinese agricultural economics for a year at Kyoto University. A two-year fellowship allowed him to pursue his studies of the Mongol tribe in Afghanistan and later to learn Turkish and Persian in Istanbul. He lived for a time in Paris, before returning to the United States, to San Francisco, which he remembered from his Army days. 

“My life was a series of fortunate accidents,” he would later recall, describing how a visit to UC Berkeley led to an offer by the Dept. of Oriental Studies to teach Turkish and Persian, filling in for a professor who was on sabbatical. Schurmann subsequently earned a tenured appointment in both sociology and history. 

Schurmann’s work on Communist China and the accuracy of his prediction of a Sino-Soviet split prompted offers from RAND and US intelligence agencies. But the growing US involvement in Vietnam caused him to become a critic of U.S. foreign policy.  

A founding member of the Faculty Peace Committee at UC Berkeley in the fall of 1964, Schurmann immersed himself in the nascent anti-war and Free Speech movements. He gave—along with anti-war intellectuals like Noam Chomsky, Richard Barnett, Seymour Melman and Richard Falk – an intellectual backbone to the movement. In the spring of 1968, he traveled to Hanoi with Mary McCarthy for a two-week fact-finding trip at the invitation of the North Vietnamese government. Deplaning later in Phnom Penh, Schurmann’s belligerent confrontation with US Ambassador William Sullivan over America’s secret war in Laos earned him headlines at home: “UC Berkeley Professor Squares off with US Ambassador” (Time Magazine). On his return, he was debriefed by Sen. J. William Fulbright, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The government is perpetuating so many lies,” Schurmann reported. “I wish it were that simple,” Fulbright responded (according to Schurmann). “The government lies so much it no longer can tell the difference between what’s a lie and what’s the truth.” 

To promote independent research and writing, Schurmann founded the nonprofit Bay Area Institute and later, with a former student, Orville Schell, the Pacific News Service, in 1970. After President Nixon’s breakthrough diplomacy to China and the subsequent end of the Indochina War, Schurmann expanded the scope of his inquiries beyond East Asia to domestic affairs, especially the transformation of American cities with the onset of the global economy. A background session with Huey P. Newton about Newton’s upcoming trip to China led to an intellectual association. Schurmann wrote the introduction to Newton’s book, “To Die for the People.”  

Schurmann’s devotion to Pacific News Service reflected his passion for newspapers. In 1974, his partner, Sandy Close, a former Hong Kong-based journalist and founder of the Flatlands newspaper in Oakland, California, took over the news service. For more than 35 years the couple ran PNS as a shared enterprise.  

Schurmann’s columns reflected the range of his inquires – he translated the poetry scrawled by student demonstrators on the walls of Tiananmen Square; he analyzed the manifesto of the Taliban, which he translated from Pashtun long before the group had even surfaced as a political movement of interest to the US press; he warned in 1996 of the spreading of desertification of the globe: “I can taste the sand of the Gobi Desert on the streets of San Francisco.” 

A one-time director of the Center for Chinese Studies at UC-Berkeley, Schurmann bridled at any official designation of himself as a “China expert”—as if such a designation would proscribe his intellectual freedom. 

“I’ve moved on,” he would say, restless as always to resume his intellectual journey—to quantum physics, and then—in the early 1990s—to the study of written Arabic and to Islam. He mastered the script sufficiently to be able to read the Koran and the Arab language press which became his source of information for hundreds of columns, tracking the spread of militant Islam and America’s deepening engagement with the Muslim world. 

Schurmann retired from UC Berkeley in the mid-1990s, a move he believed would free him to travel and to write. Stung by the rejection of his writing on Nixon by the East Coast publishing world, he slowly cut his ties to academia and many intellectual circles. Though in the 1960s Time named him one of America’s 50 most influential thinkers, by the 1990s he returned to his roots—traveling, observing, listening. His late travels took him to Latin America, Africa, India and China. On his last trip to China, Franz was accompanied by his younger son, Peter, and his son’s friend, a fellow New York bike messenger at the time, a young man with bright red hair who towered over everyone they met.  

He mentored colleagues at PNS—from noted author and essayist Richard Rodriguez to young writers at YO! and the Beat Within, more than a dozen of whom shared, at various times, the Schurmann’s home. He served as the intellectual inspiration for the founding of New America Media by his partner, Sandy Close. “Franz was constantly shifting and expanding his lens, drawing on his readings of foreign-language media. PNS would never have made the breakthrough to NAM had it not been for his example,” said Close.  

In those same years, not a day passed when he did not walk miles through San Francisco, often walking the eight miles from his home in the Sunset to the PNS offices downtown in less than 90 minutes.  

Schurmann gradually withdrew to his study, acquiring an early facility with the computer and masking the onset of Alzheimer’s disease with a prodigious flow of ideas. His last five years were lived in seclusion, though he was visited faithfully by many students and PNS colleagues, even after he could no longer communicate. “This thinker and explorer whose gift was his ability to listen and learn from so many ordinary people all over the world finally retreated to the world of his mind, a universe by itself,” said Close. 

Schurmann is survived by his partner of 42 years, Sandy Close; two sons, Mark Anderson Schurmann of Olympia, Washington; and Peter Leon Schurmann and his wife Aruna Lee, and grandson Leon of San Francisco; a sister, Dorothy Schurmann of Oakland; and a godson, Hanif Bey of San Francisco. 

A memorial service will be held at the Alumni House in UC Berkeley (date to be determined by Monday). 


AC Transit Proposes More Cuts to Berkeley Service

Tuesday August 31, 2010 - 12:06:00 PM

Read the bad news here.


Opinion

Editorials

The Shtupids are Out in Force Again

By Becky O'Malley
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 10:43:00 AM

A friend sometimes quotes her late father, sometimes with a Middle European accent:

“The Shtupids! They’re everywhere!” 

It’s a quote I like, one I’ve taken to repeating myself on appropriate occasions, which unfortunately are coming closer and closer together in recent days. 

The latest appearance of the Shtupids is the crowd of latter-day Know-Nothings, of all races, creeds and colors, who have gathered to denounce a middle-of-the-road Sufi imam’s plan to build a Moslem version of the Y in lower Manhattan. 

Here’s an approximate description of what’s been talked about: 

“Our Mission: The _____, a _____ community center, is a vital neighborhood resource that welcomes people of all backgrounds. We provide a variety of programs with a distinctive downtown point of view, emphasizing excellence, innovation, creativity, and a questioning spirit. “
 

It just so happens that this is actually the program of the 14th Street Y (formerly the YMHA, “Young Men’s Hebrew Association”) and the second blank is filled by “Jewish”, but “Moslem” would also work if this were a description of the proposed center. 

This is not a radical or a novel idea here, but one that’s been part of the American religious scene, heretofore Christian and Jewish, for a long time. 

Some of you young folks might not remember it, but the Ys of various genders and denominations didn’t use to be nothing but health clubs. They were dedicated to all kinds of uplift, from safe housing for young women in the big city to bible study, and in some places they still are. 

In other places they have morphed along the lines of New York’s 14th Street Y or the fabled 92nd Street Y into cultural centers which serve the broader population. That’s what the good Imam and his charming wife say they have in mind for the center they envision. Yes, and they also plan to include a small room for worship services—commonly called a mosque. 

Fortunately, the Shtupids everywhere are sometimes challenged by more thoughtful citizens, but it’s an uphill battle. I was encouraged by overhearing a family sitting in front of me at Shakespeare Santa Cruz last week. 

Father (or Grandfather) with heavy New York accent: “It’s not even at Ground Zero, it’s blocks away.” Mother (or Grandmother): “There’s already a strip joint much closer. “ Teenage Daughter (or Grandaughter): “It’s only 13 stories high.” 

At least this family gets it—of course they’re part of the literati, or they wouldn’t be at a Shakespeare production. 

The Republicans, on the other hand, don’t get it, or pretend they don’t. They’re no longer genteel upper-class conservatives like William Buckley: The Republican literati have long since left the building. 

Evidently they don’t even believe in property rights the way that they used to, or they wouldn’t be challenging the right of the owners of the property in question to build whatever the zoning laws and the building codes allow on the lower Manhattan property. Their excuse is that they don’t happen to like the tenant’s religion. 

That’s an old American tradition, of course. In the early 20th century my husband’s Birthright Quaker grandfather incurred the wrath of many people in his small town in Iowa because he sold land to the Catholic newcomers who wanted to build a church—the Whore of Babylon and all that. 

But in this day and age religious institutions are even allowed by the zoning laws to build in residential neighborhoods where other institutional buildings are prohibited. Temple Beth El, on Berkeley’s north side, was strongly opposed by some neighbors on environmental grounds, but it would have been deeply shocking if anyone had said it shouldn’t be built because of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians—didn’t happen, and just wouldn’t happen here, we hope. 

Similarly, all Moslems shouldn’t be punished for the bad behavior of their co-religionists. In Berkeley, we hope we’re preaching to the choir on that topic, but you never know. The Anti-Defamation League, an organization with a long proud history, came out against the Moslem community center, as did a number of rabbis and archbishops who ought to know better. 

And while we’re on the general topic of Shtupids, consider Dan Pine, staff columnist for “J. the Jewish Weekly for Northern California.” In his column in the latest issue, in honor of the Jewish New Year, he hands out “Golden Jack awards” for his favorite stories of the last year. 

Among them: 

“Most Disheartening Interview: Rae Abileah, a smart and thoughtful South Bay woman who grew up in the Jewish community, went on to join the far-left group Code Pink, and is now radically anti-Israel. We cannot keep losing our kids like this.”  

But at least one of his readers is smarter than he is. Her riposte: 

“One more Golden Jack Award for the record: Dan, I think you missed one category in your recent online post: Most Disheartening Interview Recap of the year: JWeekly’s Dan Pine summarizes interview with human rights activist Rae Abileah by saying “We cannot keep losing our kids like this,” though his article earlier this year quoted Abileah as saying, “The principle that resonated with me was tikkun olam, putting our faith into action. It’s such an amazing legacy of Jewish activism I learned in college. I feel I’m, doing the work my ancestors have paid the pathway… [The Israeli] government is doing illegal things every day… We have a moral responsibility to speak up when that is happening.” Sounds more like a young woman embodying the values of Judaism than a loss to the faith! 

Dan, it’s time to stop labeling human rights activists as “anti-Israel…. I am beyond exhausted from hearing this phrase “anti-Israel” used to describe actions that take a stand for human rights and justice….”

 

And there’s more, all equally cogent. Worth reading, as a reminder that the Dan Pines and the ADLs of the world don’t speak for the majority of Jews, even though they make a lot of noise. 

While we’re on the subject of Shtupity, Dan Pine Division, here’s another one of his favorite stories of the year: 

Goodbye and Good Riddance: To the print edition of the flagrantly anti-Zionist Berkeley Daily Planet (the web version lives on). This rag still rags on Israel all the time, and its editor doesn’t have the cojones to admit she flat-out hates the Jewish state.”  

Guess what, Dan? Us gals have never wanted balls—yours appear to be occupying the cavity in your skull where the brains belong. Of course I don’t hate Israel, I just lament some of the policies of its current rulers, as many Israelis and Jews worldwide do. 

When you exhibit glee at the loss of the print edition of the Planet, you only make yourself look—Shtupid. You’re doing harm to your own interests. 

These days, when friends call my attention to articles in J.Weekly, it’s usually with an apology, something like “I don’t normally read it, but I picked it up at my grandmother’s house.” People like you, as your comments writer pointed out, are losing the sympathy of conscientious members of the younger generation, for all the reasons she enumerates. 

J.Weekly, like the ADL, has had a sterling reputation, but if its staff writers continue to turn a deaf ear to all the answers about Israel now blowing in the wind, it will soon be as irrelevant as Abe Foxman.


The Editor's Back Fence

Missing Girl Last Seen in People's Park

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 11:10:00 PM

The girl pictured at this site was last seen at People's Park. Her friend Andrea has written asking us to post this notice, because she's missing and her family is very worried. Her name is Hannah--she's about 5 feet tall, with black hair and brown eyes.


Cartoons

Odd Bodkins: Newt Misses a Few

Dan O'Niell
Monday August 23, 2010 - 06:43:00 PM

 

Newt Misses a Few


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 02:51:00 PM

November, November, November is the siren song so many Republicans and Tea Partiers are singing. But the road to this year's midterm elections is not a cakewalk for anyone who voted against health care for all Americans, against the stimulus bill that has turned around a faltering economy and those who voted against unemployment benefits for American workers. Republicans voted no on all of them. 

"The trouble with the Republican Party is that it has not had a new idea for thirty years" - Woodrow Wilson.  

This statement is just as true today as it was then. Many conservatives and Republicans are actually flirting with the Tea Party as an alternative to the Republican Party. Republicans are no longer the only game in town. This election season Republicans and Tea Partiers are fielding many one issue, far -Far to the right candidates.  

From a purely partisan perspective, early election victories have improved Democrats prospects for November. Democrats have chosen stronger candidates and Republicans weaker ones in the midterm elections. This bodes ill for Republicans and bodes well for Democrats. 

Ron Lowe  

*** 

Dorothy Snodgrass made an egregious error in suggesting that I at any time have blamed the Berkeley City Council for the arson which took down the old Berkeley Inn on Telegraph avenue.  

The fire was deliberately started by persons who were never charged, but who woke the residents in the wing in which the fire was set so as to at least minimize loss of life. I am happy to introduce Ms. Snodgrass or anyone interested to the tenants who were witnesses, and who escaped the flames. 

Please, Ms. Snodgrass, read more carefully. 

Carol Denney 

*** 

Corporations run the show. Primarily that’s going to come from the people who own and run our big corporations. So the G8 is this group of countries that represent the biggest multinational corporations in the world and really serve at their behest.It doesn’t really matter whether we have a Democrat or a Republican in the White House or running Congress; the empire goes on, because it’s really run by what I call the corporatocracy, which is a group of men who run our biggest corporations. 

They really are the equivalent of the emperor, because they do not serve at the wish of the people, they’re not democratically elected, they don’t serve any limited term. They essentially answer to no one, except their own boards. They are the power behind this. Today, corporations exist for the primary purpose of making large profits, making a few very rich people a lot richer. That shouldn’t be. 

Ted Rudow III,MA 

*** 

This week the last combat convoy left Iraq. By the end of the month, the remaining combat forces will also leave the country. This puts the Obama administration on track to reduce the U.S. troop level to 50,000 by August 31. 

This is an important step, but does not by itself end the occupation of Iraq. The Administration vowed to complete Iraq's occupation by December 31, 2011. That is a deadline we must meet. The last 20 years of war, sanctions, and occupation have broken Iraq. Millions of Iraqis have been killed, injured, traumatized, displaced or forced to flee and live as refugees. Breaking our promises and prolonging the occupation will not help solve any of the challenges the war-worn country is facing. In fact, our continued presence would exacerbate the Iraqis' woes. 

V. Pellizzer 

*** 

Unbelievably, 1 in 5 Americans believe President Obama is a Muslim. Guess we should never underestimate the power of ignorant people in large groups. By the way, he is a practicing Christian. Of course, Republicans know this, but they don't mind a bit of public ignorance if it advances their cause. 

Ralph E. Stone 

*** 

Several hundred people have come down with Salmonella enteritides poisoning, leading to the recall of 380 million eggs from 17 states by the Wright County Egg Company of Galt, Iowa). According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 100,000 Americans suffer from egg-borne Salmonella infections each year. Common symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. 

Salmonella infection is only the most publicized health effect of egg consumption. An average egg contains loads of fat and 213 mg of cholesterol, key factors in the incidence of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. 

Incidentally, those 380 million eggs were the product of nearly 1,500,000 birds suffering for a year in tiny wire-mesh cages that cut their feet and tore out their feathers. Their waste was dumped into a nearby stream, contributing to massive pollution of the Mississippi River, and eventually, to a “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico three times the size of the BP oil spill. 

The good news is that our local supermarket offers a number of healthful, eco-friendly, delicious egg replacers. More details are available at www.chooseveg.com/vegan-substitutes.asp

Harold Kunitz 

*** 

It's like David Duke has taken over and is directing the election year strategy of the Republican Party. What you hear coming from the GOP about the mosque controversy in New York City are Muslim hate screeds and anti-Islamic rhetoric. Aren't there two billion Muslims around the world - are they all bad? 

Each election Republicans open up 9/11 wounds to whip up fear and loathing among its base and the inattentive American public. The GOP spin machine never ceases to amaze. 

Prior elections it was marriage used as a Republican "wedge issue"; This election a proposed Islamic community center in NYC has become the GOP's political football as they sweep the real issues, economy, jobs and war under the rug.  

Ron Lowe 

*** 

Recently, White House press Secretary Robert Gibbs criticized the “professional Left” for its constant anti-Obama rhetoric. Of course, left-wing blogs were unhappy at the characterization. But the shoe fits. 

There’s a syndicate of journalists who make a living preaching that the President hasn’t created very many jobs or done enough to help the uninsured, and hasn’t delivered much relief to society’s most marginalized citizens. To which the President responds, “Well, duh.” 

Who’s claiming that he has? Obama himself certainly isn’t. How could even the most well-meaning legislation, chopped to bits by Republicans bent on sabotage, undo the damage done by the Cheney Administration? But the professional Left works from the notion that Obama is so dense he can’t grasp how limited his successes have been. 

The Left assumes that only they, with their heart-wrenching accounts of working-class misery, truly get it. They paint a portrait of Obama as an apologist for the status quo, as if he’s unaware that the legislation he sponsored was severely watered down. 

They tell us again and again that everything Obama does is too little, too late, and school him with constant object lessons in how poorly regular people are faring these days. Their goal is to draw the most radical distinction between Obama’s sad, piecemeal efforts and their own bold ideas. 

Like Republican obstructionists, these writers are professionally obligated to disparage everything emanating from the White House, and assume that every time Obama takes a hit, their ideas will appear wiser. They don’t write in order to make life better for people right now, but write with the goal to be the only voice in the wilderness. 

Like Republican obstructionists, they believe that moderate solutions are bad, because they muddy up the stark choices that voters must make. The “professional Left” would happily live in a Republicanized America locked in a nuclear stand-off with Iran, because they could position themselves as the lone warriors of truth. 

Apparently, by then, we’ll all have seen the folly of compromise, and be won over to their ideas. In such a Bush-on-Steroids world, these writers would have real enemies, genuinely nasty people to scream about, and blog themselves silly in a rush of self-importance. 

For now, however, they must be content to denigrate the best efforts of a well-meaning President, a man trying to get some good done before his curtain falls. And if the curtain falls on Obama, it will be because of the professional Left. They do him more harm than any tea-partying Friend of Sarah ever could. 

Simon Max


The Burka: A Taliban Imposed Canvas Prison

By Ralph E. Stone
Monday August 23, 2010 - 09:42:00 PM

On our Iran Air flight from Frankfurt to Tehran, each of the stewardesses wore a "hiyab." When we entered Iran's airspace, an announcement over the intercom told the women to put on their hiyab or a head scarf. My wife, as did the other women on the flight, obliged by putting scarves on their heads. My wife wore a scarf covering her hair for our entire Iran visit.  

Why do Iran and other Muslim countries require a woman to hide her hair or her entire body? Because they believe God has made it an obligation for believing women. In the Koran, God tells the believing men and women to lower their gaze and to dress modestly. He (God) specifically addresses women when He asks them not to show off their adornment, except that which is apparent, and draw their veils over their bodies. (Koran 24:30-31) Thus, God requires Muslim women to dress modestly and to cover in public or in the presence of men who are not close relatives. 

These verses of the Koran are known as the verses of hijab and many Islamic scholars believe that they make the wearing of a hijab mandatory. Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar do enforce a dress code. Women there are expected to cover their hair and wear some sort of loose fitting, full-length garment over their clothes. However, for the majority of Muslim women around the world, to cover, or not to cover, is a freely made choice. We have noted in our travels to Indonesia, Egypt, and Morocco, that very few women wore such coverings or even a hijab. 

Ostensibly, the hijab frees women from being thought of as sexual playthings or from being valued for their looks, or body shape, rather then their minds and intellect. As the argument goes, no longer slaves to consumerism, the hijab liberates women from the need to conform to unrealistic stereotypes and images dictated by the media. Wearing a hijab and dressing modestly and covering the hair, may even minimize sexual harassment in the workplace. Supposedly, the aura of privacy created by a hijab is indicative of the great value Islam places upon women.  

Afghanistan Under the Taliban 

The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist group who emerged from the koranic schools in Pakistan. The majority of the Taliban are ethnic Pashtun. The "burka" is the mandatory garment of the Pashtun tribes. After the the departure of the Soviets in Afghanistan, the Taliban came to power and made the wearing of the full burka mandatory. The burka became a canvas prison, devaluing their women. Under the Taliban, Afghanistan went from a twentieth century country to a medieval society. 

A women cannot clearly see more than a few yards away when wearing a burka. Those with glasses cannot use them. It guarantees control over a woman's body as it covers the eyes with a thick veil, which prevents the wearer from seeing normally. And because the canvas grid limits peripheral vision, women become dependent on others to effectively move around, especially in open areas. The thick veil of the burka prevents the face and eyes to be visible. The garment extends to the wearer's feet, making it difficult to walk or run. The burka weighs about 14 pounds. Imagine wearing a 14-pound garment every day. 

The Taliban prohibits women from singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, engaging in sports, employment, schooling, and even flying kites, an Afghan national pastime. Only male physicians are allowed to practice in hospitals, but they are not allowed to treat or operate on women.  

When a woman is pregnant, the Afghans say she is sick. Ninety-seven percent of Afghan women gave birth at home because they are forbidden to call male physicians. Forty percent of Afghan women died of childbirth complications. Under the burka, the child cannot see his or her mother's face or receive skin contact. During breastfeeding, the child cannot see the mother's face and the mother cannot clearly see her child's expressions through the burka, thus negating basic bonding between mother and child. 

Young guards of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice once patrolled the streets with whips, sticks, and rifles. If women were seen wearing makeup, exposing their faces or even laughing, they had to take them in without any legal defense. Women have even been beaten because they enlarged the holes in their burkas in order to see better. Some of the penalties for these violations include stoning, amputation, torture, flogging, and public executions. 

In stoning, the woman is put into a hole in the ground and covered up to her chest with dirt, then men stone her to death. The stones should not be too big so as to cause immediate death, nor too small as then they are not considered stones. 

There are thousands of widows who must beg in the streets or prostitute themselves because under the law they cannot receive their husbands' inheritance. 

Despite the new constitution of 2004, Afghan women can be purchased, sold, or be part of an inheritance. Forced marriages continue where about half involve young girls under sixteen. Many Afghan women leave their homes only twice in their lifetime, when they get married and go to live with their husbands, and when they die. Suicide by fire and domestic violence are widespread.  

Since the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan by the United States, not much has changed for Afghan women, despite the promises of the international community, not only in areas controlled by the Taliban, but also in areas controlled by the international coalition. President Hamid Karzai was once seen as a champion of women's causes and a welcome change to Taliban rule until he failed to deliver on promises to appoint women to cabinet posts. In 2009, he angered international allies by signing onto the so-called "rape" law, containing clauses making it illegal for woman to refuse to have sex with their husbands, and women could only seek work, education or visit the doctor with the permission of their husband. It was dropped under international pressure. 

The United States' war in Afghanistan is unwinnable. When the coalition forces finally leave, the Taliban will either regain control of the country or at least exert considerable influence over the country's affairs ensuring that Afghan women will continue a miserable existence. Will the plight of Afghan women have any influence over our exit? Probably not. 

When the niece of Aishah Bint Abu Bakr (the Prophet’s wife), Aisha bint Talha was asked by her husband Musab to veil her face, she answered, "Since the Almighty hath put on me the stamp of beauty, it is my wish that the public should view the beauty and thereby recognize His grace unto them. On no account, therefore, will I veil myself." 

I recommend the film "Kandahar" and "Kabuli Kid." I also recommend the following books: "The Bookseller of Kabul" by Åsne Seierstad; "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I am sure there are many other films and books on Afghanistan.  

Source: Partly based on "The Canvas Prison," a PowerPoint presentation by an unknown author. The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) has much information about the plight of women in Afghanistan. <www.rawa.org>


UCB's DNA Testing and Academic Freedom.

By M.L. Tina Stevens, Ph.D.
Friday August 20, 2010 - 01:24:00 PM

Last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) instructed UC Berkeley to modify its “Bring Your Genes to Cal” program. From the beginning, UCB’s controversial plan to test the DNA of incoming freshman for three genes, brought into bold relief many of the complex questions that engulf emerging biotechnologies, for example: how best to protect privacy rights; informed consent; the integrity of medical testing and research; and how to identify and reduce conflicts of interest? 

Mark Schlissel, UC Berkeley’s dean of biological sciences, underscored another issue likely to be the subject of ongoing consideration: academic freedom. Defending the UCB program against the CDPH’s interpretation of relevant law, Schlissel declared that, "We have taken every precaution and are committed to following the letter of the law…, but we believe this is a flawed reading of the statute that raises questions about who has control over teaching at the university…" 

How expansively we view academic freedom depends, in part, on recognizing the conflicts of interest that exist on the part of those doing the “teaching.” Deep structural conflicts of interest exist when science-entrepreneurs, who may stand to benefit downstream from emerging biotechnologies, use their positions as university academics to normalize the commercialization of those technologies. UCB’s press release describes the lead professor associated with the program, Jasper Rine, as a “genetics professor.” Yet he, like many of his academic colleagues, has strong commercial ties to the industry developing genetic technologies. Rine has served on the advisory boards of a number of biotech companies and has co-founded several California biotech companies, including his own genetics testing company. 

UCB’s implicit endorsement of genetic testing as consumerism is especially audacious given the serious criticism that this type of testing has come under. Testifying at last week’s California Assembly Committee on Higher Education oversight hearing, Council for Responsible Genetics President, Jeremy Gruber, related that federal sources had dubbed such testing “snake oil,” and “not ready for prime time.” 

From the 1940's to the 1960's, Princeton, Yale, Wellesley, and many other elite universities required incoming freshman to participate in medical anthropology/eugenic research by posing nude for photographs designed to document posture and body type, seeking correlations between physique and temperament. Since then, in the clear-sightedness of another era, many such photos have been destroyed. But many yet remain. How much humiliation and trauma could have been prevented if more disinterested authority could have prevailed? Those incoming freshmen who laid bare their DNA revealed the most intimate biological information not only of themselves but of those related to them. They chose to do so without prior opportunity to discuss the ramifications of their decision, without full disclosure of the scope of the conflicts of interest involved, and without clarity as to when or how the information would ultimately be disposed. They, and those who come after them, need protection from the overzealous interests and conflicts of interest of the institutions in which they arrive, trusting, to learn. 

 

M. L. Tina Stevens, PhD. is Director of Alliance for Humane Biotechnology, a non-profit dedicated to raising public awareness about the social implications of biotechnologies, is also a lecturer at San Francisco State University, Department of History.


Islamophobia and Politicians

By Lawrence Swaim
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 02:55:00 PM

I am part of an extended family of Jews, Christians, Hindus, atheists, Muslims, Sikhs and a beautiful Seventh Day Adventist saint. Part adoptive, part family by marriage, and part by blood, we thrive in venues from Bangladesh to the Left Coast of California. Some of the most interesting people in this family are Muslims, including one of my own children. For this reason, I am angry and frightened—mainly angry—at the spectacularly ignorant hate rhetoric against Muslims used recently by some politicians 

The current frenzy of Muslim-bashing ostensibly has to do with the “Ground Zero Mosque,” although it is neither at Ground Zero nor a Mosque. (It’s a community center.) Like the Sherrod case, this was first ginned up in the rightwing blogosphere by professional hate-mongers, then promoted by Fox News and the Murdoch newspapers. Then it was embraced by politicians such as Newt Gingrich, most of them Republicans. 

This is a departure for modern American politics, and a dangerous one. As any study of anti-Semitism in Europe will demonstrate, once religious bigotry gets into a political culture—or a political party—it is almost impossible to get it out. A hundred years ago rightwing and nationalist groups in Europe declared Jews to be the cause of everything bad, and that kind of political anti-Semitism made Hitler’s ascent possible. Like the anti-Semites of the early 20th century, today’s Islamophobes also seek war, although today it is religious war the extremist elements want. 

This is a direct and very dangerous threat to the First Amendment of our Constitution. Religious liberty is not just one Amendment in the Bill of Rights; it’s the most important. (That’s why it’s the first.) If we lose the First Amendment, America as we know it is finished. Religious liberty is, with the single exception of my children, the only thing I would die for. Secondly, it is precisely the strategy of Al Qaeda to stampede us into hate campaigns against Islam, to help the terrorists recruit Muslims abroad. How ironic that these Islamophobic, rightwing politicians are so willing to do the work of Al Qaeda. But they want the same thing Al Qaeda does—all-out religious war. 

The Islamophobes fall into four groups. First are the evangelicals that believe that religious war against Muslims will usher in the Second Coming of Christ. Then there are people who are passionate about Israel, and think they’re helping Israel by spreading religious bigotry, when actually they are harming the cause of Israel. Third, there are sadists and mentally unstable types that get off on terrorizing vulnerable minorities. Fourth, there are the ambitious politicians—and for them, the fires of hell are not hot enough, because they are out for themselves and care nothing about America. 

Do they ever stop to think that every time they say something needlessly inflammatory about Islam, it endangers our precious young men and women in uniform, who are already in harm’s way? No, they do not—despite wrapping themselves in the flag, they care only about getting elected. 

People wonder why there is such hate now, so many years after 9/11. But it isn’t about 9/11—it’s about the dangerous potential of frustrated people. The American Dream is receding, spurred by the rapacious greed of the corporate upper class. Within the swirling currents of discontent that affect the American people, the influence of the Religious Right, the neo-cons, the Tea Party and other rightwing extremists is exponentially multiplied. Their answer is simple: Americans must find meaning in a state of permanent, apocalyptic religious war. In the Middle East, Halliburton and other war profiteers will set up a new empire; domestically, Muslims are to be expelled or interned. 

Ultimately, Americans really don’t like to see a burly guy shoving a placard in the face of an eight-year-old Muslim boy and yelling “murderer!” as the child goes to Friday prayers. But for the American people to see how dangerous religious bigotry can be there must be strong, unequivocal voices making the case for religious liberty. And those voices must start now. 

For me, it’s not theoretical. It’s a family thing. 

Lawrence Swain is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Freedom Foundation, a public-interest nonprofit that advocates civil rights for religious minorities, and religious liberty for all. The Foundation is funded solely by donations. 

 


Ending Homelessness

by Ralph E. Stone
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:03:00 PM

Between 2.3 to 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness and it is estimated that the recession will force another 1.5 million more people into homelessness. The 2010 Update of "Without Housing - Decades of Federal Housing Cutbacks, Massive Homelessness and Policy Failures" by the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), an update of its 2006 report, has arrived. 

(It can be downloaded at its website <www.wraphome.org>) In "Without Housing," WRAP sets forth a timeline of modern-day homelessness, the past three decades of policy failures, provides a look at present-day realities, gives grassroot approaches on how to get involved, and possible solutions.  

WRAP concludes that ending homelessness in the United States will require a serious recommitment by the federal government to create, subsidize and maintain truly affordable housing. It notes that the root cause of homelessness in the lack of affordable housing.  

WRAP traces the cause of the present housing crisis to the Reagan administration’s elimination of affordable housing funding and the dismantling of the social safety nets created by the New Deal. As a result, in the 1980s, under Reagan’s policies, homelessness reemerged throughout the United States.  

WRAP notes that recent homeless policy has focused on a series of underfunded, patchwork efforts that tend to pit sub-populations of people experiencing homelessness, service providers and advocates against each other in battles for meager funds. Rather than addressing homelessness by providing housing options at all income levels, homeless policy in the United States has devolved into byzantine formulas to count the number of homeless people and determine whether or not someone “qualifies” for eless housing and services.  

Unless we make a massive commitment to the construction and subsidization of affordable housing, homelessness will continue to grow no matter how many case managers or outreach workers we fund. We may alter the face of homelessness or shift its demographics through preferential outreach to particular sub-populations, but we will not change the underlying cause.  

WRAP recommends that the United States government provide more new affordable housing, better maintain existing public and subsidized housing, place a moratorium on the demolition of any public housing without an enforceable guarantee of one-for-one replace- ment with a right of return, develop constructive alternatives to the criminalization of homelessness and ensure that all decisions impacting tenants in public and subsidized housing is made with full tenant participation and input.  

WRAP argues that until we recognize housing as a human right, we will not end mass homelessness in the United States. We cannot solve the systemic causes of poverty until we recognize that quality education, economic security, and health care are all essential human rights.  

The primary message of report then, is that building truly affordable housing and ensuring the human right to a home will end the contemporary crisis of mass homelessness in the United States. WRAP offers a grassroots approach to getting involved, and possible solutions to what has become the everyday crisis we know as homelessness. Change is desperately needed. Millions of people without shelter are depending on it.  

 

 

 

 


New: The Crisis at KPFA

By Matthew Hallinan
Wednesday August 25, 2010 - 11:04:00 AM

Without the intervention of the broader progressive community, KPFA as we have known it, is about to disappear. It is confronted by two serious crises. The first is ‘objective’ – that is, arises from factors outside of the station’s control. The current global economic crisis has hit the station and the whole Pacifica Network hard. While the number of listeners contributing to KPFA has remained steady (perhaps even rising slightly), the amount of individual contributions have declined significantly. Large donations and grant money, in particular, have been sharply reduced. At the same time, costs have risen. In this digital, internet-driven Age, KPFA has to continually modernize its equipment while at the same time providing the basics for its dedicated but woefully underpaid staff. 

The second crisis is self-inflicted. When Pacifica adopted elected Local Station Board elections after the ‘uprising’ of 1999, these Boards have become the focus of power struggles by groups seeking to take control of the various stations. As the members of the Pacifica National Board, the governing body of the whole network, are chosen by the Local Station Boards, the whole governance structure of the system has become a political battleground. For KPFA, the results have been devastating. 

The governing body at Pacifica has grown into a huge, costly bureaucracy that consumes an inordinate amount of money for salaries, national meetings, consultants, board elections, etc. An amount equal to one forth of listener donations now goes to pay for this governance structure. It is estimated that $2.4 million dollars have been spent on various ‘board expenses’ since elections began in 2003. None of this had to do with programming or producing radio. In 1994, 33% of Pacifica’s budget was spent on administrative and Board costs. In 2009, that figure was 52%. 

However, the problem is not just monetary. Only about 10% of KPFA’s listeners actually join the station: of these, about 10% vote in Local Station Board (LSB) elections. The fact that the great majority of listeners and subscribers do not participate, and have no way of finding out what the issues are or what’s at stake in these elections, makes it possible for small, organized groups of activists to win majorities on these Boards. These are people who are not representative of the broader progressive listening community. Narrowly based Boards currently provide a majority of the members to the Pacifica National Board – and the PNB is increasingly intervening to influence the outcome of Local Board struggles. 

A Sad Little Narrative

Last year, a new majority took control of the PNB. Its actions were critical to the ability of the present group that controls the Board of KPFA to attain its one-vote majority. The first act in this little drama was when the PNB over-rode KPFA’s Interim General Manager and allowed the formation of an Unpaid Staff Organization at the station. An UPSO, as it is called, has nothing to do with enabling the unpaid staff to form an organization to defend their rights. That is a given at KPFA. It has, instead to do with determining eligibility in staff elections for the Board. In the bylaws, eligibility of staff is determined by a certain minimum of hours an individual must work at the station. An UPSO, however, is a special category named in the bylaws that allows the criteria for eligibility to be set by the unpaid staff themselves. This makes it possible for each individual member of a large collective that works together on a show that may run for just a half hour a month to acquire equal voting rights with a full-time staff person. This move unfairly redistributed voting power within staff, undermining the representation of the paid staff. The presence of the UPSO and the ability of its director to determine eligibility, gave the present majority slate an extra staff seat on the Board. 

Two more seats were shifted as a result of PNB intervention. One involved something called ‘change of status.’ In the bylaws, anyone who runs for the Board and then, once elected, goes through a change of status that would have made them ineligible to run for that seat, must resign. For instance, one of the members of our slate decided to run for political office. Holding political office is seen as a potential conflict of interest and thus is incompatible with serving on the Board. Our member, as prescribed in the bylaws, resigned. 

A few months later, one of the members of the other slate who had been elected as a listener representative was given a job at the station. They became staff. Listener reps and staff reps are chosen in separate elections by different constituencies - and they do not share identical interests. Members of the staff are not allowed to run for the listener board and vice versa. Our slate held a majority at that stage, and we notified the member that she should resign her seat. The other side appealed to the PNB. The bylaws state that any change in status, ‘for instance, running for political office’ would result in a loss of seat. The PNB decided that ‘running for political office’ was the only change in status that would disqualify a member. We appealed. Why, we asked, would the bylaws say ‘for instance’ if they were meant to apply to only one case? The meaning and purpose of status change is crystal clear in the text. The PNB turned down our appeal, holding that the only change that could disqualify a board member was the one that specifically pertained to our member. 

The third instance involved the removal of a member from the other side who had not attended a Board meeting in a year and a half. The bylaws hold that a Board member can be removed if they miss three consecutive meetings without an excused absence. We told the other side that being absent for a year and a half was no longer acceptable and that we would no longer rubber stamp any requests for excused absences. It was time to attend a meeting or resign from the board. The third meeting after our ultimatum was held in Fresno. If the member in question did not show up, he would be removed. The other side boycotted the meeting to deprive us of a quorum, hoping to thus nullify the meeting and keep us from removing the delinquent member. On one level it worked. We did not have a quorum – much to the dismay of the many listeners from Fresno and the surrounding areas who had come to participate in a KPFA Board meeting. 

However, Roberts Rules of Order, which sets the rules governing Board meetings, specifies that if a meeting is legally set and properly announced, even if a quorum is not attained, it still has legal status: 

“In the absence of a quorum any business transacted …is null and void. But if a quorum fails to appear at a regular or properly called meeting, the inability to transact business does not detract from the fact that the society’s rules requiring the meeting to be held were complied with and the meeting was convened—even though it had to adjourn immediately.” 

The meeting may be opened, the roll taken, and the date of the next meeting set. The rules are designed to keep the absence of a quorum from paralyzing an organization. No other business may take place, but the meeting itself is legally recognized. The member who had missed three consecutive meetings without an excuse was thus no longer entitled to occupy his seat. 

Our next meeting was held after the LSB elections. Before seating the newly elected members, the current chairperson of the Board (a member of our slate) opened the meeting and called for the roll – which is the only legal way a meeting can be opened. As a result of the UPSO, the other side had gained a staff member from the election. They had also gained one listener board representative from the election. Without the participation of the delinquent member, however, our side would have still hold a majority (of one) on the Board. The other side refused to allow the roll to be taken, knowing we would not recognize the person who had missed three consecutive meetings. 

At that point they presented a letter from the Pacifica Counsel expressing the opinion that the meeting in Fresno had no legal standing and that the member still had possession of his seat. The legal basis for this opinion was drawn from the Brown Act – a legal code that pertains to governmental bodies and that has nothing to do with the body of law governing non-profit corporations. The letter was a complete sham and we refused to recognize its authority. 

At that point, the other side walked out of the meeting and went to another place to hold a separate meeting. Their meeting had not been previously announced and did not meet the conditions specified in the Pacifica bylaws for a legally constituted meeting. 

However, we did not want to see the Board split and we wanted to avoid the possibility of a legal suit that might prove costly to Pacific and KPFA. We offered to put the issue of the legality of the Fresno meeting and the eligibility of the contested member to a neutral arbiter that would be acceptable to both sides. The PNB was once again dragged into the dispute by the other side. It refused to recognize the legality of our meeting, declaring the other side’s meeting to have been legally constituted, in spite of the fact it met none of the criteria stated in the bylaws. With the PNB’s backing, the minority had become a majority and had successfully pulled off a coup. They were now calling the shots. We were told if we did not attend the meetings called and organized by the new ‘majority,’ we would begin to accumulate unexcused absences and, after three meetings, would be removed from our seats. Rather than initiate a costly law suit, we decided to bide our time until the next election. 

Where Are They Taking KPFA?

What I have recounted above is just a small portion of the kind of dishonest political maneuvering I witnessed over the past three years. It’s ugly, and unpleasant when it happens to you – but in and of itself, this kind of behavior would not threaten the survival of KPFA. While it results in a dysfunctional and unpleasant Board experience, the Board itself has largely lacked the power to directly interfere with the day-to-day functioning of the station. By gaining control of the PNB, however, the new forces taking over the Boards are in a position to break through the firewall that had separated them from the operation of the stations, and can begin to directly assert control over the management of the station. 

Let us look at what the new Board majority has done since it came to power in January. While I cannot detail certain events that happened at an executive session of the Board (which are covered by a confidentiality agreement) suffice it to say that KPFA’s General Manager was forced to resign. This was supposedly connected to the misplacing of a check from a donor for $350,000. The real facts are much more complicated, and in the end, no money was lost. However, that issue had nothing to with the resolution of the other slate to get rid of the GM. She had acted as the ‘firewall’ preventing the board from micro-managing the station and interfering with programming. It should be noted she was a valuable fundraiser, and had introduced innovative programs intended to make KPFA appeal to a wider audience (Letters From Washington, Winter Soldier Hearings, Copenhagen Conference, etc). From the very beginning, before anyone knew anything about the lost check, removal of the GM was the glue that held the opposition slate together. By accident, a member of our slate received an email from a member of the other slate, calling for them to stop squabbling among themselves and remember the need to ‘stay united’ in order to get enough seats to accomplish their ‘two primary purposes:’ getting rid of the GM and electing two of the three KPFA Board reps to the PNB.  

Once the GM was gone and they had strengthened their majority on the PNB, they could move their full agenda forward. This would be to establish a set of rules that would allow them to manage the station through the Board. 

First they established a Programming Council - whose membership would be strong on Board appointees and unpaid staff, and weak on unionized, professional staff. They then passed a resolution that gave the Board any final say if there were a conflict between the Programming Counsel and the station’s Program Director. Programming decisions had been removed from the radio professionals and placed, ultimately in the hands of the majority of an elected Board made up of people with no radio experience, lacking detailed information of how programming decisions would impact staffing issues, union contracts, budget considerations, etc. Placing such decisions in the hands of an elected Board will produce chaos and instability at the station. Every time there is a shift in the political composition of the majority of Board, programs could be dropped and adopted on the basis of whatever the political whims of that particular majority. 

However, this is not the final goal of this Board majority. They have introduced a resolution that would place any personnel matter that would involve expenditures over $15,000 to be decided by the Board. $15,000 is less than ¼ the cost of a full-time programmer. This would essentially place all personnel decisions in the hands of the Board. 

The best way I can think of to describe what’s happening at KPFA would be if School Boards took over and began to run individual schools. It’s great to have and the parents and the public involved, and ultimately they are the one’s that set the goals of the school system and evaluate the results. But they are not educators. They should not be determining the details of curricula, hiring and firing individual teachers, and telling them the best way to do their jobs. 

The ultimate goals of these folks are political. These people do not represent broadly based movements and have no practical agenda for how to bring about the changes we need in this country. Many espouse fringe conspiracy theories and hold ideas that have never garnered significant support – even in the left. There is nothing wrong with that – and they should have a place within KPFA’s eclectic mix. The problem is that these folks want the whole enchilada. They see KPFA as their vehicle to gain a voice that will make them major players on the left. The real effect of the consolidation of their control over the Board will be the destruction of a radio station that we, in the broader progressive community, need now more than ever.  

We chose the name Save KPFA for our slate. We did that in all seriousness. The future of this invaluable resource for the left is at stake. 

 

 

 


New: The Crisis at KPFA Redux

By Tracy Rosenberg
Thursday August 26, 2010 - 10:36:00 AM

This is a response to an essay by Matthew Hallinan called "The Crisis at KPFA 

I know that Save KPFA is worried about KPFA's future. So am I. The difference is how we express those concerns. Matthew is focused like a laser on certain things: the vast Pacifica bureaucracy, and the costs of elections and board meetings. I agree these things should be looked at. It may be that you don't need 8 employees to maintain 5 radio licenses and serve 110 affiliate stations. Certainly the 2% or so of the budget that goes to board election and meeting expenses shouldn't escape scrutiny. 

But what about the other 98%? Does that play no role in the problem? 

Math will tell us that a 15% decline in listener revenues cannot be addressed with a 2% solution. 

What is disheartening in Matthew's essay is the disingenous attacks on anyone trying to examine the other 98% as "out of control" and "out to threaten the professional staff". 

As an incumbent board member, I was just trying to balance the budget. 

**** 

Matthew knows this perfectly well. In 2008 and 2009, the Concerned Listeners - Save KPFA majority on the board presented and passed budgets for KPFA that called for massive staff reductions. $300,000 in 2008 and $425,000 in 2009. 

They knew, as surely as the Independents for Community Radio board minority did, that layoffs were unavoidable given the decline in listener donations. 

But the layoffs were never made. Not until the spring of 2010, after the board majority turned over and the manager changed. 

Not until one million dollars, the entire cash reserve in KPFA's bank accounts, had been spent. Leaving not one red cent for a rainy day reserve in the middle of an economic collapse. 

How wildly irresponsible can a board of directors be? 

I don't know if it was carelessness, lack of understanding of math, or a loyalty to some of the professional staff that overwhelmed Save KPFA's common sense. But it was appalling. 

For Matthew to spend any time at all detailing comparatively trivial nonsense is stunning. Where is the awareness of the catastrophe they caused? 

Does Save KPFA not understand the reason KPFA must be saved is their own actions as a board majority? 

A Sadder Little Narrative 

To indulge Matthew a bit on his pet peeves: 

KPFA's Unpaid Staff Organization is 20 years old. It predates the board election process by more than a decade. It was forged in the people of color strikes that occurred at KPFA when movement struggles demanded their place at the table of what had been a largely white, elitist, academic institution. UPSO's purpose was to send representation to programming decision-making and to institute a grievance procedure for the large unpaid workforce. 

I realize Matthew may not know this, but ICR-affiliated staff representative on the board, Renee Yang Geesler, who won the "extra" staff seat last year, is a CWA member and a paid staffer at KPFA. 

An UPSO would have been a big help when Nadra Foster was summarily banned and then beaten up by the Berkeley Police Department in an incident that shamed progressives everywhere in 2008. 

On the other two issues, I can only say Matthew is entitled to his opinion, but his opinion was over-ruled both times on firm legal grounds. 

Noelle Hanrahan, Executive Director of Prision Radio, was entitled to complete the last six months of her board term, despite the outcome of union arbitration proceedings in her favor. 

And former board members whose terms expired on December 5, 2009 were not allowed to remove a board colleague on that day. They were not legally able to take any actions on behalf of a board of directors they were no longer on. 

I agree that such behavior is ugly and unpleasant. I wish Concerned Listeners - Save KPFA would not engage in it. 

Where We Are Taking KPFA 

Leaving aside the petty little battle waged by Concerned Listeners - Save KPFA to avoid losing their majority status in December of 2009: 

Matthew expresses high dudgeon at the 2010 managerial change. But in addition to the million dollars that left the building, another problem emerged in early 2010. 

That problem was a large sum of money, $375,000, that was supposed to be in one of KPFA's bank accounts, but wasn't there according to auditor Helin Donovan LLC. 

Where was it? Why had Pacifica been told the money was in the bank when it wasn't there? 

It turned out the uncashed check had been sitting in a KPFA desk drawer since October of 2008. It was now expired. Oops! 

What was the board to do? Hold someone accountable? Not according to Matthew Hallinan. But yes, according to me and others who now held the majority on the board. That is the responsibility of a nonprofit board of directors. Money has to be where it is reported to be. Otherwise the board is asleep at the wheel. ICR does not intend for KPFA to go the way of the Vanguard Foundation. 

I realize Matthew and most of the rest of the Concerned Listeners crew were not around during the 2002 to 2006 period when KPFA had an active program council and no program director. So he's afraid of what he doesn't understand. 

But in fact, the Program Council on the whole did a great job: adding the excellent Voices of the Middle East and North Africa in 2002, when Arab-Americans were suffering terrible indignities and injustices after 9-11, Guns and Butter, which is one of KPFA's top moneymakers and has been for years, APEX Express - the Asian-Pacific Affairs Show, Pushing Limits, a disability rights program, Education Today with Kitty Kelly Epstein, Full Circle, the training program hour, Rock en Rebelion, the best rock and roll Latin liberation show around, The Women's Magazine and more. Programs that have only added to the richness of KPFA and that reflect vibrant communities here in Northern California. 

Isn't that what we want? 

Matthew is terribly concerned about the "fringes" of popular opinion. Does he forget that Lew Hill was a World War II pacifist who went to jail rather then fight in "The Good War". Now that was an opinion shared only by other "crazies" in 1945. 

He founded this place particularly and specifically to broadcast wildly unpopular perspectives that could never get on the air anywhere else. 

It was a vision so exciting and so radical that it survived for 60 years in spite of itself. 

Despite an eternal lack of money, despite relying largely on volunteers and an overworked and underpaid staff. 

Because that is what community radio is. 

So lets stop all the nonsense, get the expenses in line with the revenues, find the "crazy" voices of today that will be the luminaries of the future, and get on with doing what Pacifica Radio does. 

The world needs it. 

Tracy Rosenberg is the Executive Director of Media Alliance, blogs on media policy at the Huffington Post, and is a member of the Pacifica Foundation Board of Directors and the Media and Democracy Coalition Board of Directors. .


Columns

Dispatches From the Edge:The U.S. & Yemen: A “Lethal Blend”

By Conn Hallinan
Friday August 20, 2010 - 01:23:00 PM

How involved is the U.S. military in Yemen, and is the Obama Administration laying the groundwork for a new foreign adventure? According to several news agencies, including Agence France Presse, UPI and the Washington Post, very involved and likely to be more so in the future, 

“U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops,” says Dana Priest, the Post’s ace intelligence and military affairs reporter, including “the U.S. military’s clandestine Joint Special Operations Command, whose main mission is tracking and killing suspected terrorists.”  

The quarry of these assassination teams are supposed leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but the deepening U.S. alliance with the authoritarian government of Yemen may soon entangle it in two complex civil wars—a rising by disenfranchised Shiites in the north, and an increasingly powerful succession movement in the country’s south.  

According to UPI, the White House is quietly expanding “the footprint” of “elite forces inside Yemen.” One military official told the news agency, “The numbers are definitely going to grow.” The Obama administration increased “security” funds for Yemen from $67 million to $150 million. 

Navy Seals, Delta Force troops, and intelligence units are working closely with the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, providing weapons, training and intelligence. And sometimes more.  

On Dec. 17, 2009, a U.S. BGM-109D Tomahawk cruise missile attacked the village of al-Maajala in south Yemen, killing 55 people, the bulk of them women and children. The Tomahawk—launched from a U.S. surface ship or submarine— was armed with a cluster warhead that spread a storm of razor sharp steel and incendiary material over 500 square feet. 

Amnesty International’s Mike Lewis said his organization was “gravely concerned by evidence that cluster munitions appear to have been used in Yemen,” because “cluster munitions have indiscriminate effects and unexploded bomblets threaten lives and livelihoods for years afterwards.” 

The target was a supposed al-Qaeda training camp, but the Saleh government draws no distinction between AQAP and the Southern Movement (SM), a group advocating an independent south Yemen. The SM has a long list of grievances reflecting problems going back to 1990 when North Yemen and the southern Democratic People’s Republic of Yemen were unified.  

That merger between the conservative north and the better educated and socialist south was never a comfortable one and led to a particularly nasty civil war in 1994. The north won that war by using jihadists freshly returned from fighting the Russians in Afghanistan. Since the end of that four-month war, the SM charges that the north siphons off the south’s oil without adequate compensation, discriminates against southerners on access to jobs, and has cornered the country’s vanishing water supplies. Southern protests are met with tear gas and guns, and, according to SM leaders, some1500 “secessionists” have been imprisoned and more than a hundred killed. 

According to UPI, “The [Saleh] regime’s heavy-handed response to the southerners has only fueled the demand for independence and encouraged the disparate southern groups to come together.”  

Saleh claims the SM is closely tied to AQAP, which immediately gets Washington’s attention, and has allowed his government to tap into the resources of the American “war on terrorism.” Southern independence leaders, like Tariq al-Fadhli, deny any ties to AQAP and say the Southern Movement is non-violent. Whether it will remain so under the Saleh government’s continued assaults is an open question. The December cruise missile strike is not likely to encourage pacifism. 

The fighting in the north between the Saleh government based in the capital, Sanaa, and the Shiite Houthi, who inhabit the north’s forbidding terrain, is long-standing. While Saleh and his supporters in Saudi Arabia say Iran is stirring up the trouble, there is no evidence for ties between Iran and the Houthi. The tensions between the Saleh government and the Houthi are local and generally have to do with access to political power. But by bringing Iran into the picture, Saleh can claim he is fighting terrorism, thus making his regime eligible for arms, intelligence, and training.  

The U.S. is ratcheting up the use of Special Operations Forces (SOF) worldwide. The administration has increased the number of countries in which SOFs are deployed from 60 to 75, and upped the SOF budget 5.7% to $6.3 billion for 2011. The White House also added an additional $3.5 billion for SOFs to its 2010 budget. 

One military official told the Washington Post that the Obama administration had given the military “more access” than former President George W. Bush. “They [the Obama administration] are talking publically much less but that are acting more. They are willing to get aggressive much more quickly.” 

In a recent talk that sounded very much like the Bush administration’s doctrine of pre-emptive war, the White House’s counterterrorism expert John Q. Brennan said that U.S. strategy was not to just “respond after the fact to terrorism,” but to “take the fight to al-Qaeda and its extremist affiliates, whether they plot and train in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and beyond.” 

If the U.S. does increase its military footprint in Yemen, it will be expending hundreds of millions of dollars in the poorest country in the region, a country where 40 percent of its 22 million residents are jobless and where water is becoming a scare commodity. The U.S. shares much of the blame for the current economic crisis in Yemen. When Yemen refused to support the 1991 Gulf War against Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia expelled 850,000 Yemeni workers, and the U.S. cute $70 million in foreign aid. The effect of both actions was catastrophic, and Yemen never recovered from the one-two blow. 

U.S. support for the Saleh regime will inevitably draw it into the conflicts in the north and the south, with disastrous results for all parties. 

“In Yemen the U.S. will be intervening on one side in a country which is always in danger of sliding into a civil war,” says the Independent’s Middle East reporter Patrick Cockburn. “This has happened before. In Iraq the U.S. was the supporter of the Shia Arabs and Kurds against the Sunni Arabs. In Afghanistan it is the ally of the Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazara against the Pushtun community. Whatever the intentions of Washington, its participation in these civil conflicts destabilizes the country because one side becomes labeled as the quisling supporter of a foreign invader. Communal and nationalist antipathies combine to create a lethal blend.” 

 

 


Dispatches From The Edge: Roma: Europe’s Favorite Scapegoat

By Conn Hallinan
Monday August 23, 2010 - 08:22:00 PM

Peggy Hollinger and Chris Bryant of the Financial Times put their fingers on what’s behind the current uproar over Europe’s Roma population: the group is “an easy target for politicians seeking to distract attention from problems at home by playing on fears over security.” That strategy was stage center in early August when France’s conservative government shipped several hundred Roma back to Romania and French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged he would bulldoze 300 Roma camps over the next several weeks. 

Europe is certainly in need of distraction these days. Sarkozy’s poll numbers are dismal and his administration is plagued by scandals. The economic crisis has seen France’s debt soar, and European governments have instituted savage austerity programs that are filling the jobless rolls from Dublin to Athens. Since most politicians would rather not examine the cause of the economic crisis roiling the continent—many were complicit in dismantling the checks and balances that eventually led to the current recession—“criminal gypsies” come in very handy. 

France’s crackdown was sparked by an angry demonstration in Saint-Aignan following the death of a young “traveler” at the hands of police. Sarkozy never saw a riot he couldn’t turn to his advantage. On July 29 his office declared it would dismantle Roma camps because they are “sources of illegal trafficking, profoundly shocking living standards, exploitation of children for begging, prostitution and crime.” 

Living conditions in Roma camps are, indeed, sub-standard, but in large part because local French authorities refuse to follow a law requiring that towns with a population of over 5,000 establish electrical and water hookups for such camps. And because countries like Germany, France, Italy and Britain refuse to use any of the $22 billion that the European Commission has made available for alleviating the conditions that the Roma and other minorities exist under. 

As for the “crime” and “drug trafficking” charge, research by the European Union (EU) suggests there is no difference between crime rates among the Roma and those in “the population at large.” 

“Indeed there are Roma who are in charge of trafficking networks, but they represent less than one percent of this population, the rest are victims,” David Mark, head of the Civic Alliance of Roma in Romania, a coalition of over 20 Roma non-governmental organizations, told IPS News

Mark went on to point out that “Because that one percent commits crimes and the authorities are not able to stop them, all Roma are being criminalized.” The expulsions and demolitions, he charged, are “based on criminalization of an entire ethnic group, when criminality should be judged on a case by case basis in courts of law.” 

In some cases the level of hysteria would be almost laughable were it not resulting in the most wide spread roundup of an ethnic minority since World War II. Italy declared a “Gypsy emergency,” in spite of the fact that Italy, which has a population of 57.6 million people, has only 60,000 non-Italian Roma. 

Estimates are that there are between 10 and 12 million Roma in Europe, making the group the continent’s largest minority. 

For several weeks, the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, played hot potato with the issue. The EC insisted that it was doing everything it could to help the Roma and pointed to the $22 billion pot that remains pretty much untapped. But it also kept silent on charges by human rights organizations that countries like Germany, Italy and France were violating EU law guaranteeing freedom of movement. 

These nations—primarily France—argue that since the Roma are from Romania and Bulgaria, and both countries are newly minted EU members, the freedom of movement clause doesn’t kick in until 2014. And, in any case, French officials charge that the Roma can’t show they are gainfully employed and self-supporting. 

On this latter point, rights organizations point out that Roma are discriminated against in employment. “It’s somewhat hypocritical to complain about people not having money to subsist in France when you don’t offer access to the labor market at the same time,” says Bob Kushen, managing director of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest. 

With the exception of Spain and Finland, most EU members have the same restrictions on staying in a country more than three months without a regular job. 

France is certainly not alone in singling out the Roma. Germany is preparing to deport 12,000 to Kosovo, a destination that may well put the deportees in danger, because Kosovo Albanians accuse the Roma of siding with the Serbs during the 1999 Yugoslav War. From the Roma’s point of view Serbia had long guaranteed their communities a certain level of employment and educational opportunities, while the Albanians had always repressed them. 

Other countries singling out the Roma include Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium. The Swedes deported some 50 Roma for “begging,” even though begging is not a crime in Sweden. 

But France has instituted the most aggressive anti-Roma campaign, which also includes its own “gens du voyage,” all of whom are French citizens and theoretically guaranteed encampment facilities. France is estimated to have between 300,000 and 500,000 of these “travelers.” 

The French campaign, however, has sparked a backlash. 

Romania’s Foreign Minister, Teodor Basconschi, blasted France for “criminalizing ethnic groups” and warned of “the risks of populist provocation and creating xenophobic reactions at a time of economic crisis.” Basconschi called for a joint Romanian-French approach “devoid of artificial election fever.” 

The Vatican’s secretary of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People Commission said, “The mass expulsions of Roma are against European norms.” 

The growing chorus of protest by human rights groups, the United Nations, the Vatican, and Romania finally moved the EU to inject itself into the controversy. 

“Recent developments in several European countries, most recently eviction of Roma camps in France and expulsions of Roma from France and Germany, are certainly not the right measures to improve the situation of this vulnerable minority. On the contrary, they are likely to lead to an increase in racist and xenophobic feelings in Europe,” said Meviut Cavusogiu, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. 

Cavusogiu cited Protocol No. 4 of the European Convention of Human Rights that prohibits “the collective expulsions of aliens,” as well as the right to freedom of movement for all EU citizens. 

However, France was sticking by its guns, claiming that it was not “deporting” anyone: the Roma were leaving voluntarily for a nominal payment of $386 for adults, and $129 for children. But some members of Sarkozy’s party, the Union for a Popular Movement, were using the word “deport,” and even the more explosive term “rafles.” That was the term used to describe the rounding up of French Jews during WW II, most of whom died in the death camps. 

Roma suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Nazis. It is estimated that between 200,000 and 1.5 million Roma perished in the concentration camps. 

Scapegoating the Roma is an old European tradition, almost as old as the initial migration of the Romany people out of Rajasthan, India in the 11th century. Most of those Roma settled in Moldavia and Wallachia—today’s Romania—where they were quickly enslaved. Those Romany who did not escape enslavement by taking up the nomadic life remained slaves until 1856. 

According to Maria Ochoa-Lido of the Council of Europe, those centuries of slavery essentially sentenced the Roma to poverty-stricken lives on the margins, with life expectancy considerably lower than other populations in the EU. 

A lack of access to education, social services, education and the legal system for Romania’s 2.5 million Roma still drives many of them to take to the road. As bad as conditions for the Roma are in countries like France and Germany, they are better than those in poverty-stricken Romania. 

The attacks on the Roma could well be a prelude to similar campaigns against other European minorities: Turks in Germany, Pakistanis in England, Moroccans and Algerians in Spain and Italy, and Africans scattered throughout the continent. Xenophobia in a time of economic crisis rarely restricts itself to a single target.


The Public Eye: The 2010 Elections: What’s at Stake?

By Bob Burnett
Friday August 20, 2010 - 03:49:00 PM

With the less than three months before the November 2nd elections, the political parameters are clear. Despite the accomplishments of the 111th Congress, Democrats are on the defensive and Republicans smell victory. Regardless of the outcome, it’s likely little will change in Washington; Congress will spend the next two years avoiding America’s most pressing problems. 

US politics has entered a strange twilight zone where substantial legislative accomplishment is met with contempt and anger. The Democratically-controlled Congress passed a major economic stimulus bill, 2009’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that “helped avert a second Depression”Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to prevent another financial crisis. And of course the signature accomplishment of the 111th Congress was Health Care Reform which guaranteed all Americans access to affordable health care. Nonetheless, voters are angry at Democrats. 

Meanwhile, Republicans feign disgust and rail against the “overspending, deficits, and debt” they contend characterized this Congress but was actually the enduring legacy of the Bush Administration. The GOP has claimed the coveted political mantle of “outsider” and, at least for the moment, convinced Independent voters the US is best served by dividing power between Democrats and Republicans. 

Imagine that in November’s mid-term elections, Republicans win control of the House or Senate. What difference will that make? 

The good news is that it’s unlikely that any of the legislative accomplishments of the 111th Congress will be reversed. Republicans won’t be able to kill the Health Care initiative or the Financial Reform legislation; neither will they be able to privatize Social Security or make fundamental changes to Medicare. Even if these changes passed the House, they’d die in the Senate, as the very same cloture rules that slowed legislation to a crawl in the current session will prevent any draconian legislation from being passed. Of course, if a new Congress passed rollback legislation, President Obama would veto it. 

The most likely result of the November 2nd election is absolute gridlock. Political constipation on a scale not seen for decades. Extreme partisanship that makes it impossible to pass any significant legislation. 

Considering how difficult it has recently been for Democrats to enact commonsense legislation such as extending unemployment benefits, it’s unlikely the 112th Congress will make progress on any of the major issues that confront America. If Republicans control the House of Representatives, it will be extremely difficult to pass a reasonable budget. (For example, the GOP will try to undermine healthcare by defunding community health clinics.) Congress will battle on all but the most trivial matters and the combative environment will segue into the 2012 General Election, where voters will get to decide, all over again, whether or not they want Washington power split between the two parties. 

On November 2nd, voters who chose Republican over Democratic candidates are voting for the US to down shift into neutral for two years. A Republican controlled Congress would be dominated by negativism and accomplish nothing. 

But there’s a lot that should be done and that’s what’s at stake, progress on campaign finance reform, job creation, and global climate change. 

In June the House passed campaign finance reform legislation that alleviated the impact of the Citizens United vs. FEC Supreme Court ruling. This legislation was filibustered in the Senate. In a Republican dominated 112th Congress the legislation has no chance of survival; we’d have at two more years where right-wing ideologues spend millions of dollars on independent expenditure political ads. 

Many economists believe the US needs an additional stimulus package; we need to expend more Federal funds to create jobs and drive down unemployment. Yet the GOP is adamantly opposed to any new stimulus package that has job-creation as its central theme. (Republicans want to remedy unemployment by lowering taxes for the rich.) In a Republican dominated 112th Congress there would be no action taken to alleviate persistent unemployment. 

Meanwhile, we just experienced the second hottest July ever recorded and 2010 is on track to be the hottest year. Every day we hear news of global climate events ranging from floods to massive forest fires. Yet t he U.S. remains the only major industrialized nation not to have legislated caps on carbon emissions . On June 26, 2009, the House approved the American Clean Energy and Security Act but the GOP blocked similar legislation in the Senate. In a Republican dominated 112th Congress, no action would be taken to cap greenhouse gases; instead there would be efforts to limit the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

There’s a lot at stake in the November 2nd elections. The US is running out of time to address our most serious problems and having Republicans control one or both house of Congress would be a giant step backward. 

Get a grip America! Congress needs to solve our problems rather than play blame games. 

 

 

 

 

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


Senior Power:Senior Center Month

By Helen Rippier Wheeler
Friday August 20, 2010 - 03:35:00 PM

National Senior Center Month is coming up, in September. It is estimated that there are 10,000-16,000 senior centers in the United States. Of these, more than 6,000 receive some funding support from the Older Americans Act through service contracts awarded by state and Area Agencies on Aging for program activities. 

The National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC) is a network of senior center professionals from around the nation “helping senior centers succeed… We believe that senior centers create opportunities for successful aging in our communities.” To advance the quality of senior centers, NISC promotes the nation's only National Senior Center Accreditation Program, which provides official recognition that a senior center meets nine standards of senior center operations based on excellence in programs, mission, community collaboration, administration and human resources (including volunteers), governance, planning, financial controls, reports and records, and facility. More than 200 senior centers have been accredited. 

A senior center can serve and function in important ways that are not readily seen and understood. A senior center can uniquely foster the well-being of members of diverse groups in their quests for equality, recognition and congeniality. 

A shopping bag lady may be viewed as an eccentric. In reality, she is likely to be homeless and elderly, existing in public places and lugging her possessions in shopping bags and a shopping cart, relying on a senior center for a daily meal and a destination. A shopping bag lady acquaintance was evicted from a housing project when other tenants did not find her congenial and she neglected—as some of her neighbors also did—to pay her rent in full and on time. The senior center arranged for a unit in a different developer’s project and gave her taxi scrip. 

A senior center can be an ideal place in the community to hold a free flu immunization. Adults 65 years of age and older are among the groups hardest hit by influenza, and annual vaccination remains the best protection, particularly for this population. 

A senior center’s large meeting room is ideal for candidates’ panels during pre-election periods, involving only staff or volunteer initiative and effort. 

Berkeley senior centers are non-profit community agencies funded by the City with additional funds from the Alameda County Area Agency on Aging, Measure B, corporate and individual donations and seniors’ own fundraising activities. As the largest center, the flagship North Berkeley Senior Center (NBSC), serves residents 55 years of age and over. Weekday lunch is available for a suggested donation to persons age 60+. Following decades of accomplishments, NBSC’s founding-director retired in 2007 (See August 17, 2010 Planet). Staffing has since been further reduced; services and attendance have dropped. (See January 15, 2009 Planet.) 

The following gobbledygook, fraught with historical inaccuracies, is reprinted from an Internet posting about the City of Berkeley’s Aging Services Division (ASD), which 

…coordinates a variety of services for senior residents, including running three active senior centers, a nutrition services program, and a social services program. The age, health condition, and socio-economic status of the ASD's clients vary greatly but the services offered make a great impact. The centers and nutrition program provide opportunities for frequent interaction between service providers and clients. We are partnering with the Aging Services Division and the City's IT [Information Technology] department for our final project in order to address the lack of technical infrastructure around social service delivery in our community. Our project will assess the current situation using a variety of methods and then turn to designing, prototyping, and testing a client registration, activity tracking and reporting system for the senior centers. The system needs to be able to accommodate the regular ‘ground-truth’ interactions which can help identify additional services available to, or required by, clients. It also needs to serve a reflective capacity within the organization, allowing it to understand itself more effectively and allow for coordination between geographically dispersed workplaces. The ASD staff are constrained by their existing information infrastructure, which is unable to support these functions in the way that a networked system would be able to. Working with the IT [Information Technology] department we will conduct a full business analysis, and offer a viable implementation plan that takes into account both social and technical considerations. Our goal is to understand the complexity of social service delivery and deliver actionable designs for a system which respects the lived reality of the staff and presents them with the opportunity to participate in the design process, yielding a better end result. 

Four students studying for the Master in Information Management and Systems degree at the UC Berkeley School of Information (formerly the “library school”), have explored ways and means of “Increasing senior center participation through participant-centered activities” in a project that is part of the ASD’s “Supporting community services for aging populations” : 

We conducted a business analysis of the Division’s operations, undertook qualitative research, and engaged in participatory design activities to understand the information needs of Berkeley Aging Services along with their goals in order to identify clear, implementable plans for improvement. We identified three core functions our proposed system must facilitate to help the Aging Services Division accomplish its goals. It needs to store information about the seniors in a structure appropriate to the needs of the staff including, for example, medically relevant emergency information. It needs to allow for greater sharing among members of the staff, especially [among] different centers. Finally, it needs to offer Aging Services administration the ability to reuse information on demand for grants or other reporting. 

One thing we have learned in the course of our project is that the principal objective of the senior center directors is to increase participation at their centers. In a time when class[es] are being cut by the Berkeley Adult School, participation at some or all of the centers may be in jeopardy. One solution may be to find more volunteers or other people to teach classes and lead activities at the centers. The limitation of this approach is the difficulty in finding people to organize a class and commit to a series of classes that meets consistently. Another approach would be to open up activities to the participants themselves by allowing them to organize activities informally and schedule and coordinate times when they can meet. There is some precedent for this at the North Center [North Berkeley Senior Center]. A group of participants organized and [led] the planning of the Chinese New Celebration last year. There is also some support in academic papers about giving more responsibility to the center participants over the activities that [they] organize. 

The students’ research involves two articles. One is about the way "territories" or "cliques" can supposedly form in a senior center, and suggests that a more open participant driven center has fewer territorial qualities and is more open to newcomers. They conclude that it is important to examine the physical, organizational, and social environments of these centers to identify the patterns of spatial claims and social behaviors. 

The other article concerns the reasons that a group of seniors self-organized meetings at a fast-food restaurant for fun and socializing and why they chose this setting over a senior center. “Senior centers were seen by this group as places where old people went to get help, and were perceived as overly structured. Many were not interested in the activities offered at senior centers such as arts and craft work (e.g. crochet and watercolor painting). These older adults did not see that they needed the level of help, structure, or constraint that they felt were characteristic of senior centers. What they most wanted to do at the restaurant was to ‘‘hang out with my friends.’ ” 

xxxx 

Attention, candidates… Running for election? You are invited to email to Senior Power (pen136@dslextreme.com) a statement of your “platform” concerns regarding senior citizens. If you are running for re-election, please describe the highlights of your record on issues important to seniors. 

###


Wild Neighbors: It’s a Bird! It’s a Bee! No…

By Joe Eaton
Monday August 23, 2010 - 08:04:00 PM
Snowberry clearwing, a day-flying sphinx moth.
Cody Hough
Snowberry clearwing, a day-flying sphinx moth.

A couple of weeks ago I ran into an old acquaintance from the South: a dayflying moth variously known as the bumblebee moth or the snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis.) Unfortunately, the moth was in dire straits, having blundered into a spiderweb in some kind of exotic Asian maple. It was intact but not moving. If the web had been within reach, I would have been tempted to free the moth. Its height saved me from violating the Prime Directive. 

Diurnal moths of any kind are uncommon, and I believe Hemaris is the only dayflying genus in the huge sphinx month family. Representatives occur across North America and Europe. In general they’re big burly moths with, as one of the names implies, mostly scaleless wings. Their bodies are patterned in more or less bee-like bands of green, black, and yellow. 

I used to see them in action when I lived in Georgia, and they were striking things to watch. The first impression was as much hummingbird as bumblebee. The moths hovered over flowers in an upright hummer-like posture, deploying their extraordinarily long tongues. Their vibrating wings made appropriate humming noises. 

Entomologists have speculated for a long time that Hemaris moths were bee mimics, the logic being that if you resemble something that’s capable of delivering a wicked sting, predators are more likely to leave you alone. Bees seemed a more probable model than hummingbirds since the moths occur in hummerless Europe. The recent discovery of fossil hummingbirds in, if I recall correctly, Germany suggests the possibility of dual models. 

There are several kinds of model-mimic relationships in nature. The most widely known is called Batesian mimicry, after Henry Walter Bates, Alfred Russel Wallace’s traveling companion in Amazonia. A Batesian mimic gains protection from its resemblance to a chemically defended species. The stock example is the relationship between the monarch butterfly, which sequesters toxins from the milkweeds its larva feeds on, and the viceroy (but recent research suggests the viceroy itself is unpalatable.) The Lorquin’s admiral, a relative of the viceroy, appears to mimic the oak-eating California sister. The pipevine swallowtail, loaded with aristolochic acid, has mimics in the eastern part of its range, although not in California. 

The other type of mimicry is Muellerian, named for another 19th-century naturalist, Fritz Mueller. In this version both species are toxic or unpalatable, and their close resemblance is a way of amplifying the don’t-touch-me message—a kind of branding. Among the best known Muellerian mimics are the tropical longwing butterflies you can encounter in the California Academy of Science’s rainforest exhibit. Some widespread longwing species have local races that match counterparts with more restricted distribution. 

It appears that at least one bumblebee sphinx moth, the European H. fuciformis, is distasteful to predators, thus arguably a Meullerian rather than Batesian mimic. Its larva feeds on honeysuckle, some species of which berries that are toxic to humans. That’s also true of snowberry, the primary food source of our local clearwing diffinis. I don’t know if anyone has done palatability studies with likely predators of this insect. 

Bumblebee moth larvae don’t wear obvious warning colors: they’re just plain green caterpillars, not unlike tomato hornworms in appearance. Maybe their leaf-matching camouflage is sufficient. 

When they reach their full growth, they drop to the ground, spin a cocoon, and pupate in the leaf litter under their food plants. 

Adaptive mimicry is a wonderful phenomenon. Even plants do it—there are species that lure pollinators to their nectarless flowers which resemble nectar-rich models. But it’s no guarantee against rotten luck. Looking like a bee won’t do you much good if you don’t watch where you’re flying.


Arts & Events

Classical Music-San Francisco Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:31:00 PM

GOLDEN GATE PARK  

Golden Gate Park Band, Aug. 29, 1 p.m. The concert will celebrate Ukrainian-American Day, with Ukrainian music, singers, dancers, and costumes. Free.  

Fulton at 36th Avenue, Lincoln at 41st Avenue, San Francisco. < 

 

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.legionofhonor.org.<


Exhibits-San Francisco Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:30:00 PM

"SUN SPHERES," -- "Sun Spheres'' is a trio of mosaic sculptures by artist Laurel True at the intersection of Ocean and Granada Avenues in the OMI District of San Francisco. 

(415) 252-2551, www.sfartscommission.org/pubart.< 

 

AIA SAN FRANCISCO  

"Water for a Sustainable City," through Oct. 29. Exhibit explores the development of San Francisco's water system through the lens of architecture and design.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 130 Sutter St., # 600, San Francisco. (415) 362-7397, www.aiasf.org.

 

CONSERVATORY OF FLOWERS The Victorian landmark has 1,500 species including rare and beautiful tropical plants from 50 countries. Exhibits include Highland Tropics, the Aquatic Plants, Lowland Tropics, Potted Plants and the new Special Exhibits gallery. Opened in 1879, the wood and glass greenhouse is the oldest existing conservatory in the Western Hemisphere. 

"Chomp 2! Return of the Carnivorous Plants," through Oct. 31. Special exhibition of carnivorous plants features living plants and activities for families.  

$5 general; $3 seniors, students and youth ages 12-17; $1.50 children ages 5-11; free for ages 4 and under; free first Tuesdays. Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. John F. Kennedy Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. (415) 666-7001, www.conservatoryofflowers.org.

 

EVENING GALLERY WALKS These monthly evening gallery walks or "crawls'' are a way to learn about art for the casual viewer without the intimidation of visiting a gallery with no one else around. Generally the galleries are filled on the "walk'' evenings with people drinking wine and talking. Gallery owners are happy to answer questions about the art on view. The important thing to remember is that it is free to gaze and drink. 

"First Thursday," 5:30-8 p.m. Generally some 20 galleries participate in this monthly evening of open galleries. Many are located around Union Square. Some of the galleries that participate on a regular basis are Pasquale Iannetti Gallery, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, and Hackett-Freedman Gallery, all on Sutter Street; Meyerovich Gallery and Dolby Chadwick Gallery on Post Street; and Rena Bransten Gallery and Stephen Wirtz Gallery on Geary Street. Sponsored by the San Francisco Art Dealers Association. First Thursday of the month. Free.  

San Francisco. < 

 

GIANT ROBOT  

"Hot Pink Fuzz," through Sept. 8. Featuring works from artists Monyomonyo, Miss Muju, and Snaggs, this show is focused on all felt and sewn art pieces. Opening reception, August 14, 6:30 p.m.  

618 Schrader St., San Francisco. (415) 876-4773, www.gr-sf.com.< 

 

HOTEL DES ARTS The boutique 51-room art hotel in Union Square features an art gallery by Start SOMA. 

"Painted Rooms," An exhibit of painted rooms in the hotel by emerging artists.  

Free. Daily, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. 447 Bush St., San Francisco. (415) 956-4322, www.sfhoteldesarts.com.

 

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO  

"The Digital Liberation of G-d," A permanent interactive media installation created by New York-based artist Helene Aylon, which examines the influences of patriarchal attitudes upon Jewish traditions and sacred texts.  

Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 3200 California St., San Francisco. (415) 292-1200, Box Office: (415) 292-1233, www.jccsf.org.

 

MILTON MARKS CONFERENCE CENTER  

"Local Color," through Oct. 10. Works by 27 artists from the Peninsula Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art.  

455 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco. < 

 

RAYKO PHOTO CENTER  

"(Por)trait Revealed," through Sept. 10. Works by Hiroyo Kaneko, Mark Menjivar, Fritz Liedtke and others.  

Free. Tuesday-Thursday, noon-10 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. 428 Third St., San Francisco. (415) 495-3773, www.raykophoto.com.

 

SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE  

"Pure Consciousness at 19 Kindergartens," through Sept. 18. Works by On Kawara.  

Free unless noted otherwise. Lecture Hall, 800 Chestnut St., San Francisco. (415) 771-7020, www.sfai.edu/.< 

 

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY, BAYVIEW-ANNA E. WADEN BRANCH  

"Bayview's Historical Footprints," A permanent photographic exhibition celebrating the diverse history of Bayview Hunters Point featuring multimedia oral histories from community elders.  

Free. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday, 1 p.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday, 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; Friday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. 5075 Third St., San Francisco. (415) 355-5757, www.sfpl.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY, MAIN BRANCH  

"Digging Deep: Underneath San Francisco Public Library," Exhibition collects archaeological remains from the Gold Rush-era cemetery and the ruins of old City Hall destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.  

"Singgalot (The Ties That Bind)," through Oct. 24. The exhibit celebrates 100 years of Filipino American experience with photographs, images and historical documents drawn from the National Archives, the Library of Congress and personal collections.  

Free. Monday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 100 Larkin St., San Francisco. (415) 557-4400, www.sfpl.org.

 

USF THACHER GALLERY  

"Galleons and Globalization: California Mission Arts and the Pacific Rim," through Dec. 19. The exhibit explores the lively commerce in iconography, materials and ideas that shaped California's rich mission arts.  

2130 Fulton St., San Francisco. (415) 422-5178.< 

 

YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS The center's visual arts exhibitions feature contemporary art and popular culture by local, national and international artists. There are four rounds of exhibitions in the galleries each year. 

"PlayCRAFT: A Game of Your Design," through Oct. 3. Create your own design object as you explore the "TechnoCRAFT'' exhibition.  

"Something from Nothing: Films on Design and Architecture," through Sept. 5. Jul. 25, 2 p.m.: "Wow and Flutter.''  

Aug. 1, 2 p.m.: "The Greening of Southie.''  

Aug. 15, 2 p.m.: "Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner.''  

Aug. 22, 2 p.m.: "Rem Koolhaas: A Kind of Architect.''  

Aug. 29, 2 p.m.: "The Visual Language of Herbert Matter.''  

Sept. 5, 2 p.m.: "Handmade Nation.''  

$3-$6; free the first Tuesday of every month. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. 701 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org.<


Exhibits-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:29:00 PM

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.< 

 

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. < 

 

JOHANSSON PROJECTS  

OPENING -- "Between Currencies," through Sept. 11. Works by Erik Parra.  

OPENING -- "Some Math," through Sept. 11. Works by Jana Flynn and Jill Gallenstein.  

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.< 

 

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.

 

ORINDA LIBRARY  

OPENING -- "Its Own Nothingness," through Aug. 31. Works by Wenda Pyman.  

24 Orinda Way, Orinda. (925) 254-2184.< 

 

WOMEN'S CANCER RESOURCE CENTER  

"Benny's Garden," through Sept. 3. Works by Benny Alba, Jen Downey, Anna Edwards, Jeremy Qwan and L. Hickox Robinson.  

5471 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. <


Museums-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:26:00 PM

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

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.  

"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.  

"Hauntology," through Dec. 5. Drawn primarily from the museum's recent acquisitions of contemporary art, this exhibition explores a wide range of art through the lens of the concept of "hauntology,'' a term coined by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida in 1993 to refer to the study of social, psychological, and cultural conditions in the post-Communist period.  

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 --  

"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. 

"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. 

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  

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.  

 

"Animal Discovery Room,,' 1:30-4 p.m. Visitors of all ages can hold and touch gentle animals, learn about their behavior and habitats and play with self-guided activities and specimen models.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," This science park shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building.  

"Ingenuity in Action," Summer 2010. Enjoy the best of the Ingenuity Lab. Engage your creative brain and use a variety of materials to design, build and test your own innovations.  

"Kapla," Play with simple, versatile building blocks that can be used to build very large, high and stable structures.  

"KidsLab," This multisensory play area includes larger-than-life blocks, a crawl-through kaleidoscope, the Gravity wall, a puppet theater and a reading area.  

"NanoZone," Discover the science of nanotechnology through handson activities and games.  

"Planetarium," Explore the skies in this interactive planetarium.  

"Science on a Sphere," Catch an out-of-this-world experience with an animated globe. See hurricanes form, tsunamis sweep across the oceans and city lights glow around the planet.  

EVENTS --  

"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.  

$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. 

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.

 

MUSEUM OF THE SAN RAMON VALLEY The museum features local artifacts, pictures, flags and drawings commemorating the valley's history. It also houses a historical narrative frieze. In addition to a permanent exhibit on the valley's history, the museum sponsors revolving exhibits and several guided tours. The restored railroad depot that houses the museum was built on the San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific Railroad 108 years ago. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

Free. August: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Depot, West Prospect and Railroad avenues, Danville. (925) 837-3750, www.museumsrv.org.

 

MUSEUM ON MAIN STREET Located in a former town hall building, this museum is a piece of local history. It has a photo and document archive, collection of artifacts, local history publications for purchase, and a history library. It is supported by the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society. 

EXHIBITS --  

$2. Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; CLOSED DEC. 23-JAN. 8. 603 Main St., Pleasanton. (925) 462-2766, www.museumonmain.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.  

OPENING -- "Pixar: 25 Years of Animation," through Jan. 9. Exhibition presents an unprecedented look at the Emeryville-based animation company.  

$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.

 

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. 

"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. 

$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.<


Professional Dance-San Francisco Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:23:00 PM

PENA PACHAMAMA  

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

Georges Lammam Ensemble, 8:30 p.m. Sundays 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.<


Stage-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:22:00 PM

ASHBY STAGE  

"The Norman Conquests," by Alan Ayckbourn, through Sept. 5. Shotgun Players present the hit comic trilogy of plays, "Table Manners,'' "Living Together,'' and "Round and Round the Garden.'' Times and days vary, check website for complete details. $20-$50. www.shotgunplayers.org. 

1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. < 

 

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.

 

JULIA MORGAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS  

"Disney's Aladdin," through Sept. 5, 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sat.; noon and 5 p.m. Sun. Berkeley Playhouse presents the tale of Disney's beloved "Aladdin.'' $15-$33. www.berkeleyplayhouse.org. 

2640 College Ave., Berkeley. (510) 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.org.<


Readings-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:22:00 PM

BOOKS INC., BERKELEY  

Tom Roberts, Sept. 1, 7 p.m. The author discusses his book "Drake's Bay.''  

Rick Moody, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. The author presents his book "The Four Fingers of Death.''  

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

 

MRS. DALLOWAY'S  

Arden Bucklin-Sporer, Rachel Kathleen Pringle, Aug. 29, 4 p.m. The authors present "How To Grow A School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers.''  

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


Stage-San Francisco Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:20:00 PM

ACTORS THEATRE OF SAN FRANCISCO  

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," through Sept. 4, 8 p.m. Wed. - Sat. A wealthy Southern family deals with a shocking revelation. $26-$38.  

855 Bush St., San Francisco. (415) 345-1287, (866) 468-3399, www.actorstheatresf.org or www.ticketweb.com.

 

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," 8 p.m. Wed. - Thurs.; 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fri. - Sat.; 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sun.  

$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," 8 p.m. Fri. -Sat. Audiences gather for a 90-minute show abounding with local anecdotes and lore presented by captivating and consummate conjurers and taletellers. $30.  

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

 

CLIMATE THEATRE  

"The Clown Cabaret at the Climate," 7 and 9 p.m. First Monday of the month. 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.

 

CURRAN THEATRE  

"Dreamgirls," through Sept. 26, 8 p.m. Tue.- Sat.; 2 p.m. Wed., Sat.- Sun. The Broadway musical sensation comes to San Francisco, based on the book by Tom Eyen, with music and lyrics by Henry Krieger. $30-$99.  

445 Geary St., San Francisco. (415) 512-7770, www.shnsf.com or www.bestofbroadway-sf.com.< 

 

GOLDEN GATE THEATRE  

"Beauty and the Beast," through Aug. 29, Time and days vary; 2 p.m. matinees, 7:30 p.m. evening performances; check website or call for details. Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" comes to life on stage, based on the book by Linda Woolverton, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. $30-$99.  

1 Taylor St., San Francisco. (415) 512-7770, www.shnsf.com.

 

KIMO'S BAR  

"Fauxgirls," 10 p.m. Every third Saturday. Drag cabaret revue features San Francisco's finest female impersonators. Free. (415) 695-1239, www.fauxgirls.com. 

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

 

THE MARSH  

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

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

EXTENDED -- "The Real Americans," by Dan Hoyle, through Sept. 25, 8 p.m. Thurs. and Fri.; 5 p.m. Sat.; 3 p.m. Sun. Hoyle connects liberal city life with small-town America. $20-$50.  

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

 

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, 10 p.m. Fridays. $20. (510) 595-5597, www.bigcityimprov.com. 

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


Galleries-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:29:00 PM

"BAY AREA HEART GALLERY," -- Exhibit consists of photographs of children, youth and families, accompanied by their compelling stories. The joint exhibit opens in the Alameda County Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, Oakland and at the Eden Area Multi-Service Center, 24100 Amador Way, Hayward. 

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon. - Fri.< 

 

BEDFORD GALLERY  

"Unbound: A National Exhibition of Book Art," through Sept. 19. Works by Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, Sas Colby, Lisa Kokin, Francesca Patine, Maria Porges, Nancy Selvin, Richard Shaw and others.  

$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.

 

COMPOUND GALLERY  

"Habitual Homesteaders," through Sept. 19. Works by Gina Tuzzi and Tyler Bewley. Opening reception: August 14, 6-9 p.m.  

1167 65th St., Oakland. (510) 817-4042.< 

 

FLOAT  

"Jabberwocky," through Sept. 18. Works by Cheryl Finfrock and Liz Mamorsky. Opening reception, August 14, 6-9 p.m.  

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; by appointment. 1091 Calcot Place, Unit 116, Oakland. (510) 535-1702, www.thefloatcenter.com.

 

GALLERY CONCORD  

"Summertime Hues," through Sept. 25. Works by Irene Brydon and Susan Helmer.  

1765 Galindo St., Concord. (925) 691-6140.< 

 

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.< 

 

HEARST ART GALLERY AT SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA  

"Superbly Independent," through Sept. 19. Works by Annie Harmon, Mary DeNeale Morgan and Marion Kavanagh Wachtel.  

$3. Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1928 Saint Mary's Road, Moraga. (925) 631-4379, www.gallery.stmarys-ca.edu.< 

 

SUN GALLERY  

"High Art," through Sept. 25. Works by local high school students and high school homeschoolers.  

1015 E. St., Hayward. (510) 581-4050, www.sungallery.org.

 

TRAYWICK CONTEMPORARY  

"2-D/3-D," through Sept. 18. Works by Mari Andrews, Jessica Martin, David McDonald, Aurora Robson and Lucrecia Troncoso.  

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


Galleries-San Francisco Through August 29

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:28:00 PM

A440 GALLERY --  

"Experience Painting," through Aug. 30. Works by Peter Onstad.  

49 Geary St., San Francisco. www.AA40gallery.com.

 

ANDREA SCHWARTZ GALLERY  

"What?" through Aug. 27. Works by Daniel Anhorn, Seamus Conley, Eric Michael Corrigan and others.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 1-5 p.m. 525 2nd St., San Francisco. (415) 495-2090, www.asgallery.com.

 

ARTHAUS  

"The Back Yard," through Sept. 30. Works by Chris Schiavo.  

Free. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 411 Brannan St., San Francisco. (415) 977-0223, www.arthaus-sf.com.< 

 

ARTZONE 461 --  

Keith Gaspari, Heidi McDowell, Brian Tepper, through Aug. 22. New works by the artists.  

461 Valencia Street, San Francisco. (415) 441-8680, www.artzone461.com.

 

BRAUNSTEIN-QUAY GALLERY  

OPENING -- "Introductions: Where They Are Now," through Aug. 28.  

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 430 Clementina St., San Francisco. (415) 278-9850, www.bquayartgallery.com.

 

BRIAN GROSS FINE ART  

"Airborne," through Sept. 10. Works by Ed Moses.  

"Gesture," through Aug. 27. Group exhibition explores various uses of gesture in abstract painting.  

Free. Tuesday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 49 Geary St., San Francisco. (415) 788-1050, www.briangrossfineart.com.

 

CHINESE CULTURE CENTER GALLERY  

"Stella Zhang," through Sept. 5. Five large scale installation pieces in the artist's first major Bay Area solo exhibition.  

Free. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Hilton Hotel, Third Floor, 750 Kearny St., San Francisco. (415) 986-1822.< 

 

CITY ART GALLERY  

OPENING -- "San Francisco," through Aug. 28. 25 artists interpret the city in their own ways.  

Free. Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. 828 Valencia St., San Francisco. (415) 970-9900, www.cityartgallery.org.

 

DOLBY CHADWICK GALLERY  

"Renaissance," through Aug. 28. Works by Bill Armstrong.  

"The Long Year, New Paintings," through Aug. 28. Works by Gary Edward Blum.  

Free. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 210 Post St., Suite 205, San Francisco. (415) 956-3560, www.dolbychadwickgallery.com.

 

GEORGE KREVSKY GALLERY  

"Summer Reading," through Oct. 2. Works by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Helen Berggruen, Ken Kalman, Rockewell Kent, Clifford Odets, Man Ray, Raymond Saunders, Ben Shahn and others.  

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 77 Geary St., San Francisco. (415) 397-9748, www.georgekrevkygallery.com.

 

GREGORY LIND GALLERY  

"Cooler Heads Prevail," through Aug. 21. Works by Thomas Campbell, Jim Gaylord, Chris Gentile, Jake Longstreth and others.  

49 Geary Street, Fifth Floor, San Francisco. www.gregorylindgallery.com.

 

HAINES GALLERY  

"Wildfires," through Aug. 21. Works by Youngsuk Suh.  

49 Geary St., Suite 540, San Francisco. www.hainesgallery.com.

 

JENKINS JOHNSON GALLERY  

"Summertime," through Sept. 3. Works by Nicolas Africano, Ben Aronson, Katherine Chang Liu and many others.  

Free. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 464 Sutter St., San Francisco. (415) 677-0770, www.jenkinsjohnsongallery.com.

 

LOST ART SALON  

OPENING -- "Adine Stix: A Retrospective," through Oct. 31. An extensive survey of paintings from the 1960s.  

245 S. Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 861-1530, www.lostartsalon.com.

 

MARX & ZAVATTERO --  

"Tilt," through Aug. 21. Works by Timothy Nolan.  

Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 77 Geary Street at Grant Avenue, 2nd Floor, San Francisco. (415) 627-9111, www.marxzav.com/index.php.< 

 

MICAELA GALLERY  

"Cold and Hot 2010," through Aug. 28. Works by Peter Bremers, Kathleen Elliot, Michael Janis, Michelle Knox, Weston Lambert and others.  

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 333 Hayes St., San Francisco. (415) 551-8118, www.micaela.com.

 

MODERNISM  

"Asymmetrical Chromachords," through Aug. 28. Works by James Hayward.  

"Paradise Lost," through Aug. 28. Works by Michael Dweck.  

"Photographs," through Aug. 28. Works by Michael Dweck.  

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 685 Market St., San Francisco. (415) 541-0461, www.modernisminc.com.

 

PAUL THIEBAUD GALLERY  

"Cigar Box Paintings," through Aug. 21. Works by Ed Musante.  

"Recent Paintings," through Aug. 21. Works by Eileen David.  

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 718 Columbus Ave., San Francisco. (415) 434-3055, www.paulthiebaudgallery.com.

 

ROBERT KOCH GALLERY  

"Photographs," through Aug. 21. Works by Miroslav Tichy.  

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 49 Geary St., Fifth Floor, San Francisco. (415) 421-0122, www.kochgallery.com.

 

SANDRA LEE GALLERY  

OPENING -- "Recent Works," through Aug. 28. Works by Jeffrey Palladini.  

251 Post St., Suite 310, San Francisco. (415) 291-8000, www.sandraleegallery.com.

 

TRIANGLE GALLERY  

"49th Anniversary Show -- The Past," through Sept. 11. Works by gallery artists.  

47 Kearny St., San Francisco. (415) 392-1686, www.triangle-sf.com.<


Museums-San Francisco Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:25:00 PM

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

ONGOING EXHIBIT --  

"In a New Light," There are some 2,500 works displayed in the museum's new galleries. They cover all the major cultures of Asia and include Indian stone sculptures, intricately carved Chinese jades, Korean paintings, Tibetan thanksgas, Cambodian Buddhas, Islamic manuscripts and Japanese basketry and kimonos.  

ONGOING FAMILY PROGRAMS --  

Storytelling, Sundays and the first Saturday of every month, 1 p.m. This event is for children of all ages to enjoy a re-telling of Asian myths and folktales in the galleries. Meet at the Information Desk on the Ground Floor. Free with general admission.  

"Target Tuesday Family Program," first Tuesday of every month. Free with general admission.  

"Family Art Encounter," first Saturday of every month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Drop in to make art related to the museum's collection. Children must be accompanied by an adult. In the Education Studios. Free with admission.  

DOCENT-LED ART TOURS -- The museum's docents offer two types of tours: a general introduction to the museum's collection and a highlight tour of specific areas of the collection. Free with museum admission.  

ARCHITECTURAL GUIDES -- Tuesday through Sunday at noon and 2:30 p.m., Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Learn about the former Main Library's transformation into the Asian Art Museum on this 40-minute tour. Free with museum admission.  

RESOURCE CENTER -- Tuesday through Sunday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Watch a video, or learn more about Asian art with slide packets, activity kits and books. Free with museum admission. 

SPECIAL EVENTS -- Free with general admission unless otherwise noted.  

"Shanghai," through Sept. 5. Exhibition features more than 130 artworks including oil paintings, Shanghai Deco furniture, revolutionary posters, works of fashion and more.  

"Japan's Early Ambassadors to San Francisco, 1860-1927," through Nov. 21. Timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the ship Kanrin Maru and the first Japanese embassy to the United States, this thematic exhibit focuses on some of the first Japanese diplomats and cultural emissaries in San Francisco, and how they responded to the experience of being in America.  

$7-$12; free children under age 12; $5 Thursday after 5 p.m.; free to all first Sunday of each month. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 200 Larkin St., San Francisco. (415) 581-3500, www.asianart.org.

 

BEAT MUSEUM Formerly located on the California coast in Monterey, the Beat Museum now sits in historic North Beach. The Museum uses letters, magazines, pictures, first editions and more to explore the lives of leading beat figures such as Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and many others. A gift shop and bookstore are open to the public free of charge. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"North Beach Walking Tour,", A 90-minute walking tour of North Beach with Beat Museum curator Jerry Cimimo. See the bars, coffeehouses, homes, and other Beat-related highlights of North Beach. Call for info. $15. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

$4-$5. Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. CLOSED MONDAY. 540 Broadway, San Francisco. (800) KER-OUAC, www.kerouac.com.

 

CABLE CAR MUSEUM The museum is located in the historic Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse. Visitors can see the actual cable winding machinery, grips, track, cable and brakes, as well as three historic cable cars, photo displays and mechanical artifacts. The best way to get to this museum is by cable car; street parking is practically non-existent. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

Free. April 1-Sept. 30: daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 1-March 31, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1201 Mason St., San Francisco. (415) 474-1887, www.cablecarmuseum.org.

 

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES  

"Nightlife," 6 p.m. Thursdays. Every Thursday night, the Academy transforms into a lively venue filled with provocative science, music, mingling and cocktails, as visitors get a chance to explore the museum.  

"Where the Land Meets the Sea," Exhibition features sculpture by Maya Lin.  

BENJAMIN DEAN LECTURE SERIES --  

"Extreme Mammals," through Sept. 12. Exhibition features a far-reaching survey of members of the mammal family.  

$14.95-$24.95. Daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. (415) 379-8000, www.calacademy.org.

 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

MUSEUM -- The museum's permanent collection is made up of the Fine Arts Collection, consisting of 5,000 works of art that represent the history of California from pre-Gold Rush days to the early decade of the 20th century; and The Photography Collection, containing nearly a halfmillion images in an array of photographic formats documenting the history of California in both the 19th and 20th centuries. The Library and Research Collection contain material relating to the history of California and the West from early exploration time to the present including texts, maps, and manuscripts.  

"Landscape and Vision: Early California Painters from the Collections of the California Historical Society," open-ended. An exhibit of oil paintings including a large number of early landscapes of California, from the museum's collection.  

"Think California," through Feb. 5. Exhibition features artworks, artifacts and ephemera exploring California's colorful history.  

$1-$3; free children under age 5. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-4:30 p.m. 678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848 X229, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

 

CARTOON ART MUSEUM  

ONGOING EXHIBIT --  

"An Exploration of Cartoon Art," This exhibit explores the history of cartoon art including works from the most renowned and creative cartoonists of the last century. The exhibit traces the evolution of cartooning through its many forms including animation, comic strips, comic books, editorial cartoons and underground cartoons.  

CARTOONING CLASSES FOR KIDS -- Saturday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For children ages 6 to 14. Call for schedule. Free with admission. 

"60 Years of Beetle Bailey," through Sept. 19. Exhibition showcases the comics of Mort Walker.  

$2-$6; free children ages 5 and under; the first Tuesday of the month is paywhat-you-wish day. Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 655 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 227-8666, www.cartoonart.org.

 

CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA The CHSA Museum and Learning Center features a permanent exhibition, "The Chinese of America: Toward a More Perfect Union'' in its Main Gallery, and works by Chinese-American visual artists in its Rotating Galleries.  

ONGOING EXHIBIT --  

"Leaders of the Band," An exhibition of the history and development of the Cathay Club Marching Band, the first Chinese American band formed in 1911. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

$1-$3; free children ages 5 and under; free for all visitors first Thursday of every month. Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m. 965 Clay St., San Francisco. (415) 391-1188, www.chsa.org.

 

CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MUSEUM The museum, formerly known as the Jewish Museum San Francisco, has a new addition designed by Daniel Libeskind and is dedicated to exploring the richness and diversity of Jewish thought and culture.  

GALLERY TOURS -- Sunday and Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. Free. 

"As It Is Written: Project 304,805," through Oct. 3. Exhibition centers around a soferet (a professionally trained female scribe) who writes out the entire text of the Torah, at the Museum, over the course of a full year. She will be one of the few known women to complete an entire Torah scroll, an accomplishment traditionally exclusive to men.  

"Reinventing Ritual: Contemporary Art and Design for Jewish Life," through Oct. 3. The first major international exhibition to examine the reinvention of Jewish ritual in art and design.  

"Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World)," through Oct. 26. The first major museum survey of the award-winning illustrator, author and designer.  

$4-$5; free for children under age 12; free third Monday of every month. Sunday -Thursday, noon-6 p.m. DEC. 25, NOON TO 4 P.M.; CLOSED JAN. 1. 736 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 655-7800, www.thecjm.org.

 

DE YOUNG MUSEUM The art museum has now reopened in a new facility designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron and Fong and Chan Architects in San Francisco. It features significant collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries; modern and contemporary art; art from Central and South America, the Pacific and Africa; and an important and diverse collection of textiles. 

ARTIST STUDIO PROGRAM -- 1-5 p.m. Wed.- Sun. A monthly interactive program during which the public can meet and work with a featured artist. Demonstrations take place in the Kimball Education Gallery, which does not require paid admission. (415) 750-7634. 

CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES --  

"Children's Workshops: Doing and Viewing Art and Big Kids-Little Kids," Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3 p.m. Family tour and art activity for ages 4-12. 

LECTURES AND SYMPOSIA --  

LECTURES BY DOCENTS -- These lectures are free and are held in the Koret Auditorium unless otherwise noted.  

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Friday Nights at the de Young: Cultural Encounters," 5-8:45 p.m. The de Young stays open until 8:45 p.m. each Friday night and hosts special events including live music, dance, film, lectures and artist demonstrations.  

Aug. 22: "Cultural Encounters presents Hot Brazilian Nights.''  

Event features music by Forro for All and art-making for the entire family.  

Aug. 29: "Cultural Encounters.''  

Event features live music by the Scott Amendola Trio. Free with admission. 

"Poetry Series," 7-8:30 p.m. $8-$12. (415) 750-7634. 

"Photo/Synthesis," through Oct. 3. Exhibition highlights the dynamic trend in the field of contemporary photography, collages, assemblages, and other multi-part or composite photo-based projects.  

"Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay," through Sept. 6. Exhibition puts forth nearly 100 works by the famous masters who called France their home during the mid-19th century and from whose midst arose one of the most original and recognizable of all artistic styles, Impressionism.  

"Pat Steir: After Hokusai, after Hiroshige," through Jan. 30. Exhibition shows the continued influence of the Japanese print on Western artists into the late twentieth century.  

OPENING -- "To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color," through Jan. 9. Exhibition features over 50 textiles and costumes from the Fine Arts Museums' comprehensive collection of textiles from Africa, Asia and the Americas.  

$6-$10; free for children ages 12 and under; free for all visitors the first Tuesday of every month. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m.-8:45 p.m. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco. (415) 863-3330, www.deyoungmuseum.org.

 

EXPLORATORIUM A hands-on museum of science, art and human perception.  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Tactile Dome," ongoing installation. The dome is composed of many chambers, which are pitch black inside and full of different tactile sensations. The only way to find one's way through is by using the sense of touch. Reservations required. $12 includes museum admission.  

"Distorted Room," Watch your friends inside the room grow to twice their size by walking left to right or shrink to half their size by walking in the opposite direction. A series of geometric tricks and optical illusions in the room makes the brain think that people shrink and grow before one's eyes.  

"Play Lab," An area for children ages 4 and under, designed to help them develop their motor skills and exercise their imaginations and social skills.  

"Listen: Making Sense of Sound," This "ears-on'' exhibit helps visitors focus on subtle and profound aspects of hearing, experiment with new ways of listen deeply and carefully, and think about how others hear the world. 

"Geometry Playground," through Sept. 6. Explore giant 3d shapes, curved mirrors and more.  

$9-$14; free children ages 4 and under. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; CLOSED DEC. 25. 3601 Lyon St., San Francisco. (415) EXP-LORE, (415) 563-7337, (415) 561-0360, www.exploratorium.edu.

 

GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM The museum is a project of the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) Historical Society. 

EVENTS --  

EXHIBITS --  

$2-$4. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. 657 Mission St., Suite 300, San Francisco. (415) 777-5455, www.glbthistory.org.

 

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN  

EVENTS --  

101 Howard Street, Suite 480, San Francisco. (415) 543-4669, www.imow.org/home/index.< 

 

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. 

SPECIAL EVENTS -- In the Gould Theater unless otherwise noted. $4 after museum admission unless otherwise noted. (415) 682-2481. 

"Sunday Jazz Brunch," 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $21-$53. 

"Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine," Oct. 31. Exhibition explores the modern scientific examination of mummies providing new insights into the conditions under which the Egyptians lived, bringing us closer to understanding who they were.  

"Impressionist Paris: City of Light," through Sept. 26. Exhibition explores various aspects of life in and around the city in which artists came of age. Visitors to the exhibition are transported to Impressionist Paris as represented in over 150 prints, drawings, photographs, paintings, and illustrated books from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and several distinguished private collections.  

$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.legionofhonor.org.

 

MARKET STREET RAILWAY MUSEUM The museum will permanently display a variety of artifacts telling the story of San Francisco's transportation history, including dash signs, fare boxes, a famed Wiley "birdcage'' traffic signal and more. 

Free. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 77 Steuart St., San Francisco. (415) 956-0472, www.streetcar.org.

 

MEXICAN MUSEUM  

THE MEXICAN MUSEUM GALLERIES AT FORT MASON CENTER ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED --  

The Mexican Museum holds a unique collection of 12,000 objects representing thousands of years of Mexican history and culture within the Americas. The permanent collection, the Museum's most important asset and resource, includes five collecting areas: Pre-Conquest, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican and Latino, and Chicano Art. The Museum also has a collection of rare books and a growing collection of Latin American art. 

Fort Mason Center, Building D, Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard, San Francisco. (415) 202-9700, www.mexicanmuseum.org.

 

MUSEO ITALOAMERICANO The museum, dedicated to the exhibition of art works by Italian and Italian-American artists, has a small permanent collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper by such renowned artists as Beniamino Buffano, Sandro Chia, Giorgio de Chirico and Arnaldo Pomodoro.  

DOCENT TOURS -- Wednesdays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Free. 

$2-$3; free children under age 12; free to all first Wednesday of the month. Wednesday-Sunday, noon -4 p.m.; first Wednesday of the month, noon-7 p.m. Fort Mason Center, Building C, Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard, San Francisco. (415) 673-2200, www.museoitaloamericano.org.

 

MUSEUM OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY  

EXHIBITS --  

Free. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Humanities Building, Room 510, SFSU, Font Boulevard and Tapia Drive, San Francisco. (415) 405-0599, www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/.< 

 

MUSEUM OF PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN  

EXHIBITS --  

Free. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister, 4th Floor, San Francisco. (415) 255-4800, www.mpdsf.org.

 

MUSEUM OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA A new museum exploring and celebrating the influence of the African Diaspora on global art and culture through interactive, permanent and changing exhibits and special programs. The museum occupies the first three floors of the new St. Regis Hotel at Third and Mission streets.  

PERMANENT EXHIBITS --  

"Celebrations: Rituals and Ceremonies," "Music of the Diaspora,'' "Culinary Traditions,'' 'Adornment,'' "Slavery Passages,'' and "The Freedom Theater.'' 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Urban Kidz Film Series," Noon-3 p.m. An offshoot of the San Francisco Black Film Festival, featuring a striking assemblage of short and feature films designed to spark the imaginations of the 5-to-12-year-old set. $10 adults; children free. (415) 771-9271. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

$5-$8; free children age 12 and under. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; CLOSED MARCH 13 THROUGH MARCH 21. 685 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 358-7200, www.moadsf.org.

 

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM LIBRARY (THE J. PORTER SHAW MARITIME LIBRARY) Closed on federal holidays. The library, part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, focuses on sail and steam ships on the West Coast and the Pacific Basin from 1520 to the present. The museum library holdings include a premiere collection of maritime history: books, magazines, oral histories, ships' plans and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park's 250,000 photographs. 

Free. By appointment only, Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m., and the third Saturday of each month 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fort Mason Center, Building E, Third Floor, Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard, San Francisco. (415) 560-7080, (415) 560-7030, www.nps.gov/safr.< 

 

PACIFIC HERITAGE MUSEUM The museum presents rotating exhibits highlighting historical, artistic, cultural and economic achievements from both sides of the Pacific Rim. The museum features a permanent display documenting the history and significance of the Branch Mint and Subtreasury buildings. 

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 608 Commercial St., San Francisco. (415) 399-1124.< 

 

RANDALL MUSEUM  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Earthquake Exhibit," Learn about plate tectonics. Make a small quake by jumping on the floor to make a "floor quake'' that registers on the seismometer in the lobby. See the basement seismometer that registers quakes around the world. Walk through a full-size earthquake refugee shack that was used to house San Franciscans after the 1906 earthquake that destroyed so many homes.  

"Creativity and Discovery Hand in Hand," A photography exhibit that gives visitors a look into the wide variety of programs the Museum offers in the way of classes, workshops, school field trips, and special interest clubs.  

"Toddler Treehouse," Toddlers may comfortably climb the carpeted "treehouse'' and make a myriad of discoveries, from the roots to the limbs.  

"Live Animal Exhibit," Visit with more than 100 creatures including small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, raptors and small birds, insects, spiders and tide pool creatures.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Saturdays Are Special at the Museum," Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A series of drop-in ceramics and art and science workshops. All ages are welcome, though an adult must accompany children under age 8. $3 per child, $5 per parent-child combination.  

"Bufano Sculpture Tours," first and third Saturdays of the month, 10:15 a.m. A tour of the giant animal sculptures of Beniamino Bufano. The sculptures were carved out of stone in the 1930s and include a giant cat and a mother bear nursing her cubs.  

"Animal Room," Visit some of the animals that live at the museum, including reptiles, raptors, tide pool creatures and small mammals.  

"Meet the Animals" Saturdays, 11:15 a.m. to noon. See the Randall's animals close-up and in person.  

"Animal Feeding," Saturdays, noon. Watch the animals take their meals.  

"Golden Gate Model Railroad Exhibit," Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

DROP-IN ART AND SCIENCE WORKSHOPS -- 1-4 p.m. $3-$5.  

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Animal Feeding," Saturday, noon. 

"Third Friday Birders," 8 a.m. The hike through Corona Heights Park allows participants to enjoy the early morning views and learn more about the feathered inhabitants of the area. Children aged 10 and older if accompanied by adult. 

"Meet the Animals," Saturdays, 11:15 a.m. Learn about the animals that live at the Randall Museum. 

"Film Series for Teenagers," Fridays, 7 p.m. 

"Drop-in Family Ceramics Workshop," Saturday, 10:15-11:15 a.m. $5. 

"Meet the Animals," 11:15 a.m.-noon. 

"Drop-in Family Ceramics Workshop," Saturday, 1:15-2:15 p.m. 

"Golden Gate Model Railroad Exhibit," Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Free. All ages welcome; an adult must accompany children under age 8. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS. 199 Museum Way, San Francisco. (415) 554-9600, www.randallmuseum.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CAR MUSEUM The museum is located in the historic Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse. Visitors can see the actual cable winding machinery, grips, track, cable and brakes, as well as three historic cable cars, photo displays and mechanical artifacts. The best way to get to this museum is by cable car; street parking is practically non-existent. 

Free. October 1-March 31: Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; April 1-September 3-: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 1201 Mason St., San Francisco. (415) 474-1887, www.cablecarmuseum.com.

 

SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK One of only a few "floating'' national parks, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park includes four national landmark ships, a maritime museum, a maritime library and a World-War-II submarine named the USS Pampanito.  

HYDE STREET PIER -- Demonstrations, ship tours, programs, music and special events offered throughout the day. Check ticket booth for schedule. At the foot of Hyde Street, Hyde and Jefferson streets.  

Entering the Pier is free but there is a fee to board the ships.  

HISTORIC SHIPS AT THE HYDE STREET PIER -- The historic ships at the Pier are the 1886 square-rigger "Balclutha,'' the 1890 steam ferryboat "Eureka,'' the 1895 schooner "C.A. Thayer'' (not available at this time due to restoration), the 1891 scow schooner "Alma,'' the 1907 steam tug "Hercules,'' and the 1914 "Eppleton Hall,'' a paddlewheel tug.  

"Balclutha." This historic ship, a three-mast square-rigger, has undergone extensive repairs and preservation work. She now contains more original materials and fittings than any other historic merchant square-rigger in the United States. The Balclutha is a designated National Historic Landmark. At Hyde Street Pier.  

"Eureka." Explore this 1890 ferryboat with a 40-foot walking-beam engine. The boat once carried passengers and autos across the San Francisco Bay. At Hyde Street Pier. Daily, call for times of boat tour.  

"C.A. Thayer." A three-mast schooner used in the lumber and cod fishing trades. At Hyde Street Pier.  

"Alma." Between 1850 and the early 1900s, the best highways around the San Francisco Bay area were the waterways and the delivery trucks and tractortrailer rigs of the time were the flat-bottomed scow schooners. Able to navigate the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region's shallow creeks, sloughs and channels, the scows' sturdy hulls could rest safely and securely on the bottom providing a flat, stable platform for loading and unloading. Made of inexpensive Douglas fir, scow's designs were so simple they could be built by eye or without plans.  

"Hercules." Tugs in the early part of the 20th century towed barges, sailing ships and log rafts between Pacific ports. Because prevailing north/west winds generally made travel up the coast by sail both difficult and circuitous, tugs often towed large sailing vessels to points north of San Francisco. In 1916 Hercules towed the C.A. Thayer to Port Townsend, Wash., taking six days to make the trip. At the end of the sail era, the Hercules was acquired by the Western Pacific Railroad Company and shuttled railroad car barges back and forth across San Francisco Bay until 1962.  

"Eppleton Hall." Built in England, the steam side-wheeler plied the Wear and Tyne rivers of Northeast England. Designed to tow ocean-going colliers (coal-carrying sail vessels) the tugs saved transit time getting the sail vessels upriver to load. The side-wheelers were also used to tow newly built ships out to sea. From 1969 to 1979, the Eppleton Hall served as a private yacht. She was modified for an epic steam via the Panama Canal to San Francisco, passing through the Golden Gate in March of 1970.  

HISTORIC SHIP AT FISHERMAN'S WHARF --  

"USS Pampanito." This World-War-II-era submarine is berthed at Fisherman's Wharf. The submarine celebrated her 50th anniversary in November of 1993 and is perhaps best known for her participation in a "wolf pack'' attack on a convoy of enemy ships during World War II. The entrance fee includes a taped audio tour that describes what life on this submarine was like. At Pier 45, near foot of Taylor Street. Monday through Thursday, Sunday and holidays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. $9 general; $5 seniors, $4 active duty military, $4 youth ages 6 to 12; free children under age 6. (415) 775-1943.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Historic Ship Volunteer Work Party," Saturday, 9 a.m. Become part of an effort to preserve four of the park's nautical treasures. Work on a different ship each Saturday. Bring work clothes, work shoes and lunch. Call for meeting place. (415) 332-8409.  

Unless noted otherwise, events take place on the Hyde Street Pier, located at the foot of Hyde Street on Jefferson Street. 

EXHIBITS -- Current Exhibits at the Visitor Center:  

"What's Your Pleasure? Recreational Boats of California's Past," openended. This exhibit includes 1940s Sacramento Hydroplanes, a Russian River launch from the 19th century, classic wooden motor launches and motor boats, and other smaller crafts.  

"Hydroplanes and Racing Boats," open-ended. A small exhibit showcasing 1930s racing engines and hydroplane boats.  

"Frisco Bound," an exhibition about immigration to San Francisco, clipper ships, and the Gold Rush era.  

"Hyde Street Ship Models," an exhibit of models of the historic ships at the Hyde Street Pier.  

"Discovery Room," a preview of the Maritime Library where visitors can look up documents and photographs.  

(415) 447-5000. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Adventures at Sea: Life Aboard a 19th century Sailing Ship," Daily, 2:15 p.m.-3 p.m. Take a guided tour of the sailing ship Balclutha and learn about the hardships and awards of the sailors show fought for survival during the treacherous Cape Horn passage. Vessel admission. 

VISITOR CENTER -- 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Daily  

 

Entering the Pier is free but there is a fee to board the ships. The fee allows access to all ships and is good for seven days. $5; free children under age 16. May 28-Sept. 30: daily, 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Oct. 1-May 27: Daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Foot of Hyde Street, San Francisco. (415) 561-7100, www.nps.gov.

 

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF CRAFT AND DESIGN A museum celebrating and promoting the art of contemporary craft and design. The museum showcases diverse exhibitions from regional, national and international artists, working in mediums such as wood, clay, fiber, metal and glass. 

EVENTS --  

"FourSite: 4 Artists, 4 Materials, 4 Sites," through Sept. 18. Artists Tanya Aguiniga, Paul Hayes, Tom Hill and Christine Lee transform the museum space with four distinct, large-scale installations of fiber, paper, metal and wood.  

$2-$4; free youths under age 18. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 550 Sutter St., San Francisco. (415) 773-0303, www.sfmcd.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Matisse and Beyond: The Painting and Sculpture Collection," This newly reconceived exhibition of SFMOMA's modern art collection features paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the first 60 years of the 20th century. Featured artists include: Joseph Cornell, Ellsworth Kelly, Yves Klein, Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, Andy Warhol and Paul Klee.  

"Between Art and Life: The Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Collection," This new presentation of the SFMOMA collection features works from the past five decades by Louise Bourgeois, Robert Gober, Eva Hesse, Anish Kapoor, Sherrie Levine, Brice Marden, Gordon Matta-Clark, Barry McGee, Bruce Nauman, Robert Rauschenberg and Kara Walker.  

"The Art of Design: Selections from the Permanent Collection of Architecture and Design," The exhibit will feature 100 selections from their architecture, graphic design and industrial design collections on a rotating basis. It features classic works plus new designs by up-andcoming artists.  

"Picturing Modernity: Photographs from the Permanent Collection," Photography is possibly the quintessential modern art medium because its 160-year history corresponds almost exactly with Modernism's duration as a cultural movement. This exhibit looks at the photograph's unique pictorial ability and its ever-growing pervasiveness in modern culture, putting the medium in dialogue with paintings and other kinds of art.  

KORET VISITOR EDUCATION CENTER -- This facility includes multimedia display technology, "Pick Up and Go'' guides for adults and children, art videos, and a community art gallery created by participants in school, teen and family programs. Thursday, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

SPECIAL EVENTS --  

"Tony Labat's I Want You," The latest installment in the newly launched program series "Live Art at SFMOMA.'' The artist invites denizens of the Bay Area to make their own demands of the public which riffs on the iconic "I Want You'' army recruitment campaigns of World Wars I and II, he asks you what you would do if you had only one minute to seize the voice of authority, to be the finger-pointing Uncle Sam. 

"Calder to Warhol," through Sept. 19. Exhibition showcases the quality of the Fisher Collection, much of which has never been seen by the public.  

Jesse Hazelip, through Nov. 13. Artists Gallery showcases the work of the Oakland-based artist.  

$7-$12.50; half price on Thursdays after 6 p.m.; free for all visitors on the first Tuesday of every month. Monday, Tuesday and Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-8:45 p.m. 151 Third St., San Francisco. (415) 357-4000, www.sfmoma.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO PERFORMING ARTS LIBRARY AND MUSEUM  

ONGOING EXHIBITS --  

"Dance in California: 150 Years of Innovation," This permanent exhibit traces the history and artistic range of modern dance in California, with photographs and documents highlighting the achievements of Lola Montez, Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, Martha Graham, the Christensen brothers, the Peters Wright School, the company of Lester Horton, Anna Halprin and Lucas Hoving.  

"Maestro! Photographic Portraits by Tom Zimberoff," This permanent exhibit is a comprehensive study of a generation of national and international conductors. In Gallery 5.  

"San Francisco 1900: On Stage," In Gallery 4.  

"San Francisco in Song," In Gallery 3. 

Free. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 1-5 p.m. San Francisco War Memorial Veteran's Building, 401 Van Ness Ave., Fourth Floor, San Francisco. (415) 255-4800, www.sfpalm.org.

 

SEYMOUR PIONEER MUSEUM The museum, owned by The Society of California Pioneers, houses a permanent research library, art gallery and history museum. Exhibits include a photography collection documenting California history. 

$1-$3. Wednesday-Friday and the first Saturday of the month, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Society of California Pioneers, 300 Fourth St., San Francisco. (415) 957-1859, www.californiapioneers.org.

 

TREGANZA ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY The museum, founded in 1968, houses collections of archaeological and ethnographic specimens from Africa, Oceania, Asia, and North America as well as small collections from Central and South America. There are also collections of photographs, tapes and phonograph records from Africa and Europe. In addition, there is an archive of field notes and other materials associated with the collections. The museum also houses the Hohenthal Gallery that is used for traveling exhibits as well as exhibits mounted by students and faculty. 

Free. Museum office: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Hohenthal Gallery, SCI 388: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Science Building, SFSU, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco. (415) 338-2467, www.sfsu.edu/~treganza/.< 

 

ZEUM Zeum is a technology and arts museum for children and families featuring exhibits and workshops that cover a variety of fascinating subjects. 

EVENTS --  

$6-$8. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday. 221 Fourth St., San Francisco. (415) 820-3220, www.zeum.org.<


Popmusic-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:24:00 PM

"DOWNTOWN BERKELEY MUSICFEST," -- through Aug. 29. More than 50 performances will take place at 11 different venues across Berkeley's Downtown Arts District, with bands and artists such as The Blasters, Terence Brewer Trio, Dawn Drake, Turtle Island Quartet, Mark Hummel and more. Visit website for complete lineup and locations. 

www.downtownberkeleymusicfest.org.

 

924 GILMAN ST. -- All ages welcome. 

Everything Must Go, Fracas, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. Free.  

La Plebe, Cobra Skulls, Good Neighbor Policy, Sept. 4, 7 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.

 

ALBATROSS PUB  

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

Michael Coleman Jazz Trio, Sept. 4, 9:30 p.m. $3.  

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.

 

ASHKENAZ  

New Directions In Indian Classical Music, Aug. 29, 8 p.m. $10-$12.  

 

Youssoupha Sidibe and the Mystic Rhythms Band, Sept. 3, 9 p.m. $10-$13.  

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Sept. 4, 9 p.m. $12-$15.  

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

 

BECKETT'S IRISH PUB  

Eastbay Beastgrass, Aug. 29.  

Free. Shows at 10 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2271 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 647-1790, www.beckettsirishpub.com.

 

BLAKE'S ON TELEGRAPH  

Lindy LaFontaine, Aug. 29, 5 p.m. This is an all ages show. Free.  

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

 

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE  

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

Turtle Island Quartet, Aug. 29. $24.50-$25.50.  

Elephant Revival, Taarka, Sept. 2, 8 p.m. $18.50-$19.50.  

Dr. K's Grown Roots Revue, Sept. 3, 8 p.m. $14.50-$15.50.  

Clockwork, Leftover Dreams, Sept. 4, 8 p.m. $18.50-$19.50.  

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

 

JUPITER  

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

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

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. < 

 

OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY, GOLDEN GATE BRANCH  

Rhonda Benin and Quartet, Aug. 29. Free.  

Free. Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, noon to 5:30 p.m. 5606 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. (510) 597-5023, www.oaklandlibrary.org.

 

SHATTUCK DOWN LOW  

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

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

King of King's, Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, 9 p.m. $5-$10.  

Orquestra Evolucion, Sept. 1, 8 p.m. $10.  

Brasiu, Sotaque Baiano, Sept. 4, 9 p.m. $10.  

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.

 

YOSHI'S  

Teedra Moses, Sept. 1 and Sept. 2, 8 p.m. Wed.; 8 and 10 p.m. Thu. $22.  

Kenny Burrell Quintet, Sept. 3 through Sept. 5, 8 and 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 7 and 9 p.m. Sun. $18-$26.  

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.


Don't Miss This: Fall Showings at PFA

By Dorothy Snodgrass
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 01:40:00 PM

Have you had it up to here with the insipid, mindless movies currently showing in East Bay theatres -- films certainly not worth eight dollars, much less your valuable time? If such is the case, you'd be wise to pick up a Pacific Film Archives calendar at the Berkeley Art Museum at 2626 Bancroft Way. Whether hosting authors and artists in person, campus discussions, silent film restorations, and old-time music celebrations, the PFA theatre continues to be the place for the campus and local community to come together and access the most eclectic cinema-related live events that the Bay Area has to offer. 

PFA is proud to introduce an ongoing series that gives audiences a rare chance to hear from -- and meet -- those "behind the scenes.", the cinematographers, producers, editors, designers and others who collectively bring the "directional vision" to the screen. This September's guest is the producer Sid Ganis, former President of Motion Picture Art and Sciences. Ganis will talk about the integral role of the producer, his or her creative and financial responsibilities, and the areas in which the producer directly influences the final aesthetic outcome. On September 26th at 4:00 p.m.. Ganis will introduce his film, "Hud", made in 1963, staring Paul Newman and Patricia Neal. Other films in this series will be "In a Lonely Place," starring Humphrey Bogart, Thursday, Sept. 2nd at 7:00 p.m.; "Picnic" starring William Holden and Kim Novak, Sept. 5th at 6:45, to name just a few successful films. 

Another program presented in conjunction with the fall semester avant-garde course is Alternative Visions, with the Luis Bunuel film, L'Age d'or" and "Un Chant d'amour" written by Jean Genet from his prison cell during the war. This is a silent film, deemed obscene by the Alameda Superior Court, concurred by the Supreme Court in l967. 

William Shakespeare has provided inspiration for filmmakers around the world. PFA cooperating with California Shakespeare Company, offers up some of the most eclectic films: a German "Hamlet" made in 1920; Franco Zeffirel's "Romeo and Juliet", Lawrence Olivier's unforgettable "Henry V"; "King Lear", with Peter Sellars and Burgess Meredith, etc., etc. 

In October, PFA will offer "Days of Glory: Revisiting Italian Neorealism" --born out of the ruins of World War II. You'll recognize these familiar classics: Paisan (Roberto Rosselini); "The Bicycle Thief" (Vittorio de Sica) and, of course, "Bitter Rice" starring gorgeous Silvana Mangano. 

With such an ambitious and imaginative program of outstanding films, it should be mentioned here that BAM/PFA this past June announced the selection of the award winning architectural firm, Diller, Scofidio-Renfro to collaborate with BAM/PFA and the University on the execution of a design to repurpose an Art Deco printing plant and to integrate it with a new structure on a site along Oxford Street , between Center and Addison Streets. 

A BAM/PFA Member event will be a Fall Celebration, Tuesday, October 12, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., marking an exciting new exhibition season, namely the highly anticipated "Radical Light: Alternative Film and Video in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1945-2000. Oh, and we mustn't forget the very popular Friday night performances at L/@TE, showcasing some of the Bay's Best local music. The five-floor cement reverb chamber is a wonderful acoustic space for artists to fill with sound. Well, now, after all of the above -- if you're not a BAM/PFA member, you may be tempted to join. You can sign up at bampfa.berkeley.edu/join


Theatre Review: Beauty and the Beast-for ages 3 to 8

By John A. McMullen
Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 01:33:00 PM
Liz Shivener and Ensemble
Joan Marcus
Liz Shivener and Ensemble

I’ve watched a number of animated feature films lately, and the formula of such rich creations like “Toy Story 3,” “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and “Up” seems to be that they are enjoyable for the parents and the kids. This is not the case in SHN’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Golden Gate Theater in SF. I was not expecting Cocteau’s surrealistic filmic 1946 version, but neither was I prepared for bad children’s theatre in which everything from the acting to the set is two-dimensional. 

The singers have those perfect, dime-a-dozen, trained voices that have no character. The musical theatre thrives on voices with character from Ethel Merman to Bernadette Peters to Kristin Chenoweth, from John Raitt to Mandy Patinkin to Nathan Lane. 

There is not a real emotion expressed in the entire musical. Everything is dumbed down in the way kindergarten teachers patronizingly address the kiddies, and the slapstick isn’t even up to the level of the Three Stooges. The choreography is minimal in the closed-in space which the set provides, and except for LeFou’s impressive tumbling, movement is minimal (interesting homoerotic attraction that LeFou displays toward bully he-man Gaston, though). 

The scenery is so busy that it’s hard to focus. Three receding portals framing the stage like the drawings in a storybook might have been a great idea on paper, but they are an ornate filigree of acanthus vines and leaves that dwarfs the players. Adding to the eye-swirling effect, at the back of the stage is a multicolored tapestry of hills and dales and fields and trees. Cut-out, reversible little buildings for Belle’s home, the tavern, the bakery, etc., are wheeled out, accentuating the comic-bookishness. The very large stage of the Golden Gate Theatre is thus shrunk to a little space, forcing the 16 players to line up laterally. Did the director ever hear of diagonals and levels? At one point, Gaston stands on a little barrel to change levels. In the castle of the beast, the rococo set pieces with no depth make it even harder to, well, focus. 

Now the story is about this intelligent and beautiful woman—in a time when those two attributes did not go together so well—who is threatened from all sides. She has to care for her unbalanced inventor of a father. The local tough guy keeps manhandling her in his attempts to get her consent to marry him while it’s clear he has no intention of giving up his philandering. Then she is held captive by a half-human who might eat her at any time. She takes it all in stride: just another day in the life. 

I was not worried for one moment about her safety, and I should have been. That’s the fun of a fairy tale. I still get shaky when I watch the Witch give Snow the apple. The Beast should make us grip the arms of our seats.  

The costumes are a hodgepodge of colors as if they were pulled from costume stock by the players themselves. The clock does not look like a clock. It took me a minute to recognize who the tea pot was, but as soon as she started with the bad Cockney accent, I realized that this was a sad excuse for Angela Lansbury. 

The lighting was too low in most places until they brought out the big guns in the last two numbers of the first act to hopefully coax everyone back to their seats after the interval. 

Thirteen songs (not counting reprises) and thirteen principals, and not so lucky for those who buy a ticket. The only memorable number is the title song, and probably only because Ms. Lansbury added her character to it. 

There were a couple of moments of amazing stagecraft with scrims and puppets. The old beggar woman who turns the narcissistic, cruel young prince into The Beast is a puppet that transforms in a flash into a gigantic Enchantress. Belle’s father is attacked in the woods by white wolves which are puppets. It would have been perhaps more creative to do the whole production as a puppet show so that the characters could be of a fitting scale to the tale and the stage. 

A friend told me she took her three-year-old to preview night, and her little one sat there rapt. If you can see the world through the eyes of your very young children, you may enjoy this, particularly to see the joy in their eyes. At $30-$99 a pop, it’s asking a lot. It’s a great idea to foster the next generation of theatre-goers by starting them young. But a little meat on the bones of the dramatic moments and not throwing every color on the wheel at the stage might give them an aesthetic that would foster creativity and taste. Seeing the theatre as an alternative to the cartoon rather than a regurgitation of it, and as a place where you can get into depth and emotionally expand the story would be a good lesson, too. 

 

SHN “Best of Broadway” production of 

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Golden Gate Theater, 1 Taylor St., SF.  

Tue–Sat @ 7:30 pm, Sat & Sun @ 2 pm., Sun 8/22 @ 7:30 pm. Wed 8/25 @ 2 pm through 8/29. 

Info/Tickets: (415) 512 7770 or www.shnsf.com 

 

Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Directed by Rob Roth, Choreography by Matt West, Music Direction by Alex Lacamoir, Set Design by Stanley A. Meyer, Costume Design by Anne Hould-Ward, Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Sound Design by John Petrafesa Jr.


Film Review: The Gently Unfolding Dramas of Yasujiro Ozu

By Justin DeFreitas
Monday August 23, 2010 - 08:08:00 PM

Almost from the beginning of the medium, filmmakers were eager to transcend the limits of traditional theater by putting the camera in motion, by sending it racing, swooping and soaring; by using a variety of lenses to shape the image, to magnify, distort and exaggerate; and by using the editing process to suggest, startle and surprise. And while some of the most exciting filmmakers over the past century have been those who found ways to employ these devices with flash and panache, one of the greatest directors the medium has ever produced was one who limited himself to the simplest and most austere techniques.  

Yasujiro Ozu used his camera simply to observe his characters, to linger on their faces, their homes, their possessions—to look into the souls of everyday people under everyday circumstances. He was both a naturalist and a rigorous formalist, a director who sought to capture life as it is lived, but within a framework of rigidly defined restrictions. He limited the camera’s range of motion and the angles from which it could gaze; he limited his editing to simple, direct cuts—few dissolves or fades; and dialogue was conveyed in simple master shots followed by alternating close-ups. This artistic code focused greater attention on content over form, allowing character to reveal itself, allowing dialogue to breathe, and allowing revelatory spaces to open up between words and gestures and characters. Thus relationships and motivations and plot points would gradually take shape before the viewer’s eyes.  

Criterion has just released two rarely seen examples of Ozu’s mid-career work, The Only Son (1936) and There Was a Father (1942). The two films have many parallels, both tracking the relationship between a son and a single parent who must make great sacrifices for him.  

In The Only Son, a mother lives a life of toil in order to send her son to college and eventually Tokyo, where she hopes he will rise in the world. When she is finally able to visit him, she is surprised to find that not only has he a wife and child, but a rather lowly job as a night school teacher. And the school teacher who had served as his mentor has fared no better in the big city; he runs a shabby restaurant, serving pork cutlets in a poor part of town. Mother and son spend several days together, for the most part avoiding the issues at hand. But there are two conversations in which these issues finally come to the service, and Ozu's muted approach captures the spoken and unspoken emotions that permeate the dialogue — disappointment, pride, shame, regret, love, resignation, dignity and acceptance. 

There Was a Father stars Ozu stalwart Chishu Ryu as a man who seeks the best for his son, only to find that his decisions lead to their continual separation. This was a wartime film, and themes of duty and sacrifice were considered patriotic, lending the movie a political subtext, a rarity in Ozu's work. Far from the American form of propaganda film, in which virtuous leading men with broad shoulders committed acts of heroism on the front line while their pinup-worthy wives kept the home fires burning, Japanese propaganda featured a more quiet form of sacrifice, of fortitude and dutiful dedication to the nation's interests. There Was a Father shows that that dedication even trumps the father-son relationship, as Ryu consistently steers his son in directions that will make him most useful to Japan, even though it drives the two of them apart.  

Ozu's work is almost literary, owing more to the novel than to film; his means of expression are subtle and powerful. His method for conveying the growing gap between father and son is to show the two fishing side by side. The camera watches from behind as the pair cast their lines over and over again in perfect unison. When the boy finally stops, the meaning and impact of the gesture is startling and poignant; there is no need to show tears or an exchange of words or glances.  

Though he is often regarded as the most Japanese of Japanese directors, whose cinema captured unique and specific aspects of that nation’s life and culture, Ozu’s work easily transcends international boundaries, delving into character, relationships and commonplace issues to find the universal. His favored subjects include families and the relationships between generations; the aging process; city life versus rural life; and all the values that complement and conflict with one another in the ensuing drama: pragmatism and idealism, love and kindness, justice and forgiveness.  

“Rather than tell a superficial story,” Ozu said, “I wanted to go deeper, to show ... the ever-changing uncertainties of life. So instead of constantly pushing dramatic action to the fore, I left empty spaces, so viewers could have a pleasant aftertaste to savor.”  

Ozu's calm, gently unfolding dramas give us time to not only get to know his characters, but also deeply care about them — to enjoy their humor, to admire their strength and to forgive their transgressions — so that, when a film ends, there is often a feeling of regret that these characters are gone from our lives. “Every time I watch an Ozu film,” says actor Eijiro Tong, “I start to feel very sentimental as the end of the film nears. As I think back over the story, it’s like a flood of old memories washing over me, one after another.”  

This is the essential sadness and loneliness that resides at the core of Ozu’s work — the awareness of the inevitability of change, and that beginnings are followed all too soon by endings.  

 

The Only Son (1936) and There Was a Father (1942): Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu. 83 minutes; 87 minutes. www.criterion.com. Two-disc set includes essays by critic and historian Tony Rayns, an appreciation of Chishu Ryu by film scholar Donald Ritchie, comments by Ryu on Ozu, and video interviews with film scholars Tadao Sato, David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson. 


Wild Neighbors: It’s a Bird! It’s a Bee! No…

By Joe Eaton
Monday August 23, 2010 - 08:04:00 PM
Snowberry clearwing, a day-flying sphinx moth.
Cody Hough
Snowberry clearwing, a day-flying sphinx moth.

A couple of weeks ago I ran into an old acquaintance from the South: a dayflying moth variously known as the bumblebee moth or the snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis.) Unfortunately, the moth was in dire straits, having blundered into a spiderweb in some kind of exotic Asian maple. It was intact but not moving. If the web had been within reach, I would have been tempted to free the moth. Its height saved me from violating the Prime Directive. 

Diurnal moths of any kind are uncommon, and I believe Hemaris is the only dayflying genus in the huge sphinx month family. Representatives occur across North America and Europe. In general they’re big burly moths with, as one of the names implies, mostly scaleless wings. Their bodies are patterned in more or less bee-like bands of green, black, and yellow. 

I used to see them in action when I lived in Georgia, and they were striking things to watch. The first impression was as much hummingbird as bumblebee. The moths hovered over flowers in an upright hummer-like posture, deploying their extraordinarily long tongues. Their vibrating wings made appropriate humming noises. 

Entomologists have speculated for a long time that Hemaris moths were bee mimics, the logic being that if you resemble something that’s capable of delivering a wicked sting, predators are more likely to leave you alone. Bees seemed a more probable model than hummingbirds since the moths occur in hummerless Europe. The recent discovery of fossil hummingbirds in, if I recall correctly, Germany suggests the possibility of dual models. 

There are several kinds of model-mimic relationships in nature. The most widely known is called Batesian mimicry, after Henry Walter Bates, Alfred Russel Wallace’s traveling companion in Amazonia. A Batesian mimic gains protection from its resemblance to a chemically defended species. The stock example is the relationship between the monarch butterfly, which sequesters toxins from the milkweeds its larva feeds on, and the viceroy (but recent research suggests the viceroy itself is unpalatable.) The Lorquin’s admiral, a relative of the viceroy, appears to mimic the oak-eating California sister. The pipevine swallowtail, loaded with aristolochic acid, has mimics in the eastern part of its range, although not in California. 

The other type of mimicry is Muellerian, named for another 19th-century naturalist, Fritz Mueller. In this version both species are toxic or unpalatable, and their close resemblance is a way of amplifying the don’t-touch-me message—a kind of branding. Among the best known Muellerian mimics are the tropical longwing butterflies you can encounter in the California Academy of Science’s rainforest exhibit. Some widespread longwing species have local races that match counterparts with more restricted distribution. 

It appears that at least one bumblebee sphinx moth, the European H. fuciformis, is distasteful to predators, thus arguably a Meullerian rather than Batesian mimic. Its larva feeds on honeysuckle, some species of which berries that are toxic to humans. That’s also true of snowberry, the primary food source of our local clearwing diffinis. I don’t know if anyone has done palatability studies with likely predators of this insect. 

Bumblebee moth larvae don’t wear obvious warning colors: they’re just plain green caterpillars, not unlike tomato hornworms in appearance. Maybe their leaf-matching camouflage is sufficient. 

When they reach their full growth, they drop to the ground, spin a cocoon, and pupate in the leaf litter under their food plants. 

Adaptive mimicry is a wonderful phenomenon. Even plants do it—there are species that lure pollinators to their nectarless flowers which resemble nectar-rich models. But it’s no guarantee against rotten luck. Looking like a bee won’t do you much good if you don’t watch where you’re flying.


Highlights-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:27:00 PM

"DOWNTOWN BERKELEY MUSICFEST," -- through Aug. 29. More than 50 performances will take place at 11 different venues across Berkeley's Downtown Arts District, with bands and artists such as The Blasters, Terence Brewer Trio, Dawn Drake, Turtle Island Quartet, Mark Hummel and more. Visit website for complete lineup and locations. 

www.downtownberkeleymusicfest.org.

 

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS  

"Good Guys 24th West Coast Nationals," through Aug. 29, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun. The west's largest automotive event, featuring more than 3,500 classic cars, hot rods and customs. The event also includes hundreds of vendor exhibits, an automotive swap meet, live entertainment and more. $6-$18; $8 Parking. (925) 838-9876, www.ggwestcoastnats.com. 

4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 426-7600, www.alamedacountyfair.com.

 

ASHKENAZ  

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Sept. 4, 9 p.m. $12-$15.  

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

 

JACK LONDON SQUARE  

"Eat Real Festival," through Aug. 29, 2-9 p.m. Fri.; 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat.; 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. A festival celebrating delicious, convenient, affordable and sustainable food, along with live music, beer and wine, contests, literature events and more. Event takes place the weekend of August 27-29. www.eatrealfest.com. 

free. Foot of Broadway, Oakland. (866) 295-9853, www.jacklondonsquare.com.

 

TOMMY T'S COMEDY AND STEAKHOUSE  

Christopher Titus, through Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m. Thu.; 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fri.; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Sat.; 7 p.m. Sun. $25-$35.  

5104 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton. (925) 227-1800, www.tommyts.com.

 

YOSHI'S  

Kenny Burrell Quintet, Sept. 3 through Sept. 5, 8 and 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 7 and 9 p.m. Sun. $18-$26.  

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.


Outdoors-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:24:00 PM

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

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. 

"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. 

"Animal Feeding," Thursday-Sunday, 3 p.m. Feed the pigs, check for eggs and bring hay to the livestock. 

"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.  

"Potato Harvesting," Learn the spectacular history of this New World native as you dig with your spade and help find the spuds. 

$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.

 

BOTANIC GARDEN  

EVENTS --  

Intersection of Wildcat Canyon Road and South Park Drive, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. 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 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. 

"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 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. 

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. 

"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. 

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.

 

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.

 

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 -- 10 a.m. Saturdays. 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 -- 9:30 a.m.-noon Mon. - Thurs.; 9:30 a.m. Fri.; 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sat.; 5 p.m. Sunday. 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.


Dance-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:31:00 PM

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.< 

 

SHATTUCK DOWN LOW  

"Live Salsa," Wednesdays. An evening of dancing to the music of a live salsa band. Salsa dance lessons from 8-9:30 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.<


General-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:28:00 PM

"LASTSUNDAYSFEST," -- Aug. 29. A street fair featuring live music, crafts, artisans, mechanical bull riding, clowns, bounce houses, face painting and more. Event takes place along Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley between Dwight and Bancroft. 

Noon-7 p.m.(510) 520-2764, www.lastsundaysfest.com.

 

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS  

"Good Guys 24th West Coast Nationals," through Aug. 29, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun. The west's largest automotive event, featuring more than 3,500 classic cars, hot rods and customs. The event also includes hundreds of vendor exhibits, an automotive swap meet, live entertainment and more. $6-$18; $8 Parking. (925) 838-9876, www.ggwestcoastnats.com. 

4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 426-7600, www.alamedacountyfair.com.

 

ASHKENAZ  

"I Like My Bike Night," 9 p.m. First Fridays of the month. 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," 3 p.m. First Sundays of the month 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; includes a preview of the monthly estate auction which takes place the following day at 10am.  

Auctions by the Bay Theater-Auction House, 2700 Saratoga St., Alameda. (510) 835-6187, www.auctionsbythebay.com.

 

BARROWS HALL, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY  

 

EGYPTOLOGY LECTURE, Aug. 29, 2:30 p.m. The Northern California Chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt is sponsoring a lecture given by Dr. Teresa Moore entitled: "Oracles in Ancient Egypt.'' For more information contact Publicity Chair, Betty Winkelman, at the number below. (415) 664-4767. 

BARROW LANE AND BANCROFT WAY, ROOM 20, BERKELEY. < 

 

BAY AREA FREE BOOK EXCHANGE  

"Free Books," 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. - Sun. 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," 7:30 p.m. Fri - Sat. Enter the joyous and bewildering world of illusion 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. 

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.  

"Tales Of The Maya Skies," "Tales of the Maya Skies'' is a new full-dome planetarium show that explores the cosmology of the ancient Maya, along with their culture and their contributions to astronomy. Starts November 21. 

"Secret of the Cardboard Rocket," Take a journey through the solar system with two young adventurers who turn an old cardboard box into a rocket. Recommended for ages 5-10. 

"Immersive Space: Fly Through the Cosmos," Fridays, 8 p.m. Experience the "digital universe'' in a new full-dome system. Travel to the nearest star and beyond in seconds. 

"The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" A voyage from the ocean deep to the outer reaches of the cosmos in search of life, narrated by Harrison Ford. 

"Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity," Take a ride to the inside of a massive black hole and learn about the latest scientific evidence, which suggests that black holes are real. Narrated by Liam Neeson. Suitable for age 12 and older. Free with General Admission ticket. 

"Space NOW!", Each week, this real-time ride through constellations, stars, and planets will reflect current happenings in our sky. Space NOW! will also tie in activities going on throughout the center. This is Chabot's first daytime guided tour of the universe. 

"The Sky Tonight," Saturdays, 8 p.m. Take a live tour of the starry sky overhead on the night of your visit. The show includes a look at constellations, planets and special celestial objects. 

"Sonic Vision," Friday-Saturday, 9:15 p.m. This show uses the latest digital technology to illuminate the planetarium with colorful computer-generated imagery set to today's popular music, including Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Moby and more. 

"Sunshine," A 15-minute planetarium show for children ages 5 and under. In the show, Sunshine, a lovable animated cartoon of the Sun, urges children to sing and play along with his tricks. In the process, he introduces the colors of the day sky and the other suns of the night sky. Free with regular general admission. 

"Astronaut," What does it take to be part of the exploration of space? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. Narrated by Ewan McGregor. 25 min. 

CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER -- "Escape from the Red Planet," a cooperative venture for families and groups of up to 14 people, age 8 and up. The scenario on this one hour mission: You are the crew of a shuttle to Mars that has been severely damaged in a crash landing. Your replacement crew is gone, the worst dust storm ever recorded on Mars approaches, and air, food, and water are extremely low. The mission: get the shuttle working again and into orbit before the dust storm hits. Reservations required. Children age 8-12 must be accompanied by an adult; not appropriate for children under age 8. $12-$15; Does not include general admission to the Center. Reservations: (510) 336-7421. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

"Chabot Observatories: A View to the Stars," This new permanent exhibit honors the 123-year history of Chabot and its telescopes. The observatory is one of the oldest public observatories in the United States. The exhibit covers the three different sites of the observatory over its history as well as how its historic telescopes continue to be operated today. Included are informative graphic panels, multimedia kiosks, interactive computer programs, hands-on stations, and historic artifacts. 

TIEN MEGADOME SCIENCE THEATER -- A 70-foot dome-screen auditorium. Show times subject to change. Call for current show schedule. Price with paid general admission is $6-$7. Theater only: $7-$8. (510) 336-7373, www.ticketweb.com. 

"Cosmic Voyage," A breathtaking journey through time and space. Zoom from the surface of the Earth to the largest observable structures of the Universe and back down to the sub-nuclear realm, a guided tour across some 42 orders of magnitude. Explore some of the greatest scientific theories, many of which have never before been visualized on film. 

"The Human Body," This show explores the daily biological processes that go on in the human body without our control and often without our notice. This amazing story is revealed in detail on the giant screen. 

"The Living Sea," The film celebrates the beauty, power and importance of the ocean. Produced in association with The National Maritime Center, the Ocean Film Network and Dr. Robert Ballard. 

"Forces of Nature," This film showcases the awesome spectacle of earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe storms as scientists continue their quests to understand how these natural disasters are triggered. 

"Dinosaurs Alive," A global adventure of science and discovery, featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous, "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant screen. Audiences will journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendents of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. From the exotic, trackless expanses and sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, the film will follow American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) paleontologists as they explore some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history. 

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," 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays. 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,"' 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays 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  

"Eat Real Festival," through Aug. 29, 2-9 p.m. Fri.; 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat.; 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. A festival celebrating delicious, convenient, affordable and sustainable food, along with live music, beer and wine, contests, literature events and more. Event takes place the weekend of August 27-29. www.eatrealfest.com. 

free. Foot of Broadway, Oakland. (866) 295-9853, www.jacklondonsquare.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.  

 

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.

 

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," 12:10-12:50 p.m. First Thursdays of each month  

 

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. 

"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. 

"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. 

$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.


Kids-East Bay Through September 5

Tuesday August 24, 2010 - 03:27:00 PM

"LASTSUNDAYSFEST," -- Aug. 29. A street fair featuring live music, crafts, artisans, mechanical bull riding, clowns, bounce houses, face painting and more. Event takes place along Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley between Dwight and Bancroft. 

Noon-7 p.m.(510) 520-2764, www.lastsundaysfest.com.

"WALNUT CREEK FAMILY FEST 2010," -- Aug. 28 and Aug. 29. A weekend of live entertainment on four stages, activities and sports for children, arts, crafts, vendors and the chance to have a picture taken with Scooby-Doo. Event takes place at Heather Farm Park, located at N. San Carlos Drive at Ygnacia Valley Road, Walnut Creek. 

$5-$6.10 a.m.-6 p.m.< 

 

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 --  

"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.  

"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. 

"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. 

"Animal Feeding," Thursday-Sunday, 3 p.m. Feed the pigs, check for eggs and bring hay to the livestock. 

"Potato Harvesting," Learn the spectacular history of this New World native as you dig with your spade and help find the spuds. 

$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," 4-5 p.m. Last Friday of every month. Each month features a different themed craft.  

Riverview Middle School, 205 Pacifica Ave., Pittsburg. (925) 458-9597.< 

 

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.

 

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP An interactive place where children, and adults, can learn how a stuffed animal is made, then choose an animal pattern from the offering of bears, elephants, dogs and rabbits; stuff the chosen animal; dress it; and create a birth certificate. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

$10-$25; clothing and accessories extra. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Broadway Plaza, 1248 Broadway, Walnut Creek. (925) 946-4697, www.buildabear.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. 

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.  

"Astronaut," What does it take to be part of the exploration of space? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. Narrated by Ewan McGregor. 25 min. 

"Immersive Space: Fly Through the Cosmos," Fridays, 8 p.m. Experience the "digital universe'' in a new full-dome system. Travel to the nearest star and beyond in seconds. 

"Tales Of The Maya Skies," "Tales of the Maya Skies'' is a new full-dome planetarium show that explores the cosmology of the ancient Maya, along with their culture and their contributions to astronomy. Starts November 21. 

"Sunshine," A 15-minute planetarium show for children ages 5 and under. In the show, Sunshine, a lovable animated cartoon of the Sun, urges children to sing and play along with his tricks. In the process, he introduces the colors of the day sky and the other suns of the night sky. Free with regular general admission. 

"Secret of the Cardboard Rocket," Take a journey through the solar system with two young adventurers who turn an old cardboard box into a rocket. Recommended for ages 5-10. 

"The Sky Tonight," Saturdays, 8 p.m. Take a live tour of the starry sky overhead on the night of your visit. The show includes a look at constellations, planets and special celestial objects. 

"Space NOW!", Each week, this real-time ride through constellations, stars, and planets will reflect current happenings in our sky. Space NOW! will also tie in activities going on throughout the center. This is Chabot's first daytime guided tour of the universe. 

"Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity," Take a ride to the inside of a massive black hole and learn about the latest scientific evidence, which suggests that black holes are real. Narrated by Liam Neeson. Suitable for age 12 and older. Free with General Admission ticket. 

"Sonic Vision," Friday-Saturday, 9:15 p.m. This show uses the latest digital technology to illuminate the planetarium with colorful computer-generated imagery set to today's popular music, including Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Moby and more. 

"The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" A voyage from the ocean deep to the outer reaches of the cosmos in search of life, narrated by Harrison Ford. 

SPECIAL EXHIBITS --  

"Chabot Observatories: A View to the Stars," This new permanent exhibit honors the 123-year history of Chabot and its telescopes. The observatory is one of the oldest public observatories in the United States. The exhibit covers the three different sites of the observatory over its history as well as how its historic telescopes continue to be operated today. Included are informative graphic panels, multimedia kiosks, interactive computer programs, hands-on stations, and historic artifacts. 

TIEN MEGADOME SCIENCE THEATER -- A 70-foot dome-screen auditorium. Show times subject to change. Call for current show schedule. Price with paid general admission is $6-$7. Theater only: $7-$8. (510) 336-7373, www.ticketweb.com. 

"Cosmic Voyage," A breathtaking journey through time and space. Zoom from the surface of the Earth to the largest observable structures of the Universe and back down to the sub-nuclear realm, a guided tour across some 42 orders of magnitude. Explore some of the greatest scientific theories, many of which have never before been visualized on film. 

"Forces of Nature," This film showcases the awesome spectacle of earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe storms as scientists continue their quests to understand how these natural disasters are triggered. 

"The Living Sea," The film celebrates the beauty, power and importance of the ocean. Produced in association with The National Maritime Center, the Ocean Film Network and Dr. Robert Ballard. 

"The Human Body," This show explores the daily biological processes that go on in the human body without our control and often without our notice. This amazing story is revealed in detail on the giant screen. 

"Dinosaurs Alive," A global adventure of science and discovery, featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous, "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant screen. Audiences will journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendents of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. From the exotic, trackless expanses and sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, the film will follow American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) paleontologists as they explore some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history. 

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. 

$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.

 

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. 

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.

 

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 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. 

"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. 

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.< 

 

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.

 

PIXIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK This amusement park for children features pixie-sized rides such as a dragon roller coaster, swirling tea cups, a carousel, red baron airplanes, an antique car ride and a miniature train among other attractions sure to please the little ones. Classic carnival-style food and souvenirs round out the experience. Admission to the park is free; ride tickets are $1.25 each or 10 tickets for $10; Day wrist band for unlimited rides, $25. Specials and season passes are also available. 

March-June 2010: Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; July-August: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 2740 E. Olivera Road, Concord. (925) 689-8841, www.pixieland.com.

 

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-$11. Sunday through Friday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Aug.23-27, 30-31. 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.< 

 

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. 

$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.< 

 

WATERWORLD CALIFORNA A family water theme park with many water adventures including the Tornado, an extreme thrill ride designed for four people that begins 75 feet in the air and culminates in a waterfall splashdown. Other rides include the Kaanapali Kooler, a meandering 1,000-foot circular river; a wave pool for swimming; the "Big Kahuna Family Raft Ride,'' the Dragon's Tail slides for children; eight other water slides, including two that drop six stories; a water-themed kid's island with a number of water slides; two shotgun slides, free inner tubes and a family oriented area with cargo nets, family slides and other family friendly water sports. In addition there is the Honolulu Halfpipe, a four-and-a-half story, sidewinder inner tube slide that up three people at a time can ride. There are lawn and sand areas for sunning plus shaded eating areas, but the park does not allow food to be brought in. There is a small picnic area outside the park gates. There are height restrictions on all water slides. 

$19.95-$31.95 General Admission; Season pass: $39.99-$59.99. July-August: Open daily, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Aug. 23-27, 30-31. 1950 Waterworld Parkway,, Concord. (925) 609-1364, www.waterworldcalifornia.com.