News

Berkeley police announced this afternoon that another person has been charged in the October 26 shooting of Gary Ferguson, Jr. on Sacramento Street. The Alameda County District Attorney charged Coleon Lee Carroll, 20 years old, with murder and attempted murder last Friday, October 29. Carroll had been arrested in Antioch on October 27 on an unrelated warrant by Berkeley and Oakland police officers. -more-

We’re writing to let you know that District 7 Councilmember Kriss Worthington is our hero! Early last year, he helped us save our family business, Ashby Flowers, on the corner of Telegraph and Ashby, which has been serving the Berkeley area for over fifty years (we’ve owned it since 1995). -more-

One of the key issues in this election has been what kind of growth we want Downtown. As the neighborhood that includes Downtown, Council District 4 will be the most affected by that growth. -more-

A male victim in his teens suffered life-threatening injuries Saturday in a shooting that police say was not a random act of violence, a police spokeswoman said. -more-

A teenager suffered life-threatening injuries in a shooting this afternoon at an apartment complex in south Berkeley, a police spokeswoman said. -more-

The most critical East Bay election this year is Richmond’s city race where voters will decide whom to elect for city council and mayor and whether to support Measure U, the Richmond Citizen’s Advisory vote to approve a casino at Point Molate. There are few local races that will have broader implications for the future of Richmond, our East Bay shoreline and the greater bayshore environment. -more-

It seems likely that an amusing story written by a neighbor of mine on the Berkeleyside blog about who's winning the battle for District 8 lawn signs has annoyed someone. Today a sticker saying “NIMBY ROBOT SAYS” was slapped across the “Stewart Jones for District 8 Councilman” sign in front of my house on Ashby. This is possibly the same person responsible for a bit of sophomoric video humor now circulating on the internet featuring a robot with an inexplicable British accent and poor-quality text-to-speech pronunciation rules. Might also be the same thugs who are stealing all the “No on R” signs from people’s yards. -more-

This election in the City of Albany during these challenging economic times is really about effective governing. That point is obscured by what amounts to a grudge match by the pro-waterfront mall faction (candidates Papalia and O’Keefe) that lost the election last time around to the environmentalists (current incumbents Atkinson and Wile). -more-

Police are investigating a robbery that occurred early this morning at a Berkeley convenience store, a Berkeley police watch commander said. -more-

Two days after a shooting left one man dead and another seriously wounded, City of Berkeley Police Department (BPD) Homicide Detectives are announcing an arrest in the case. -more-

Measure R Will Make Pollution Worse in Berkeley -more-

The Berkeley City Council heard from the heads of all of the city's public service departments during Tuesday evening's work session on the citywide work plan. Heads of the Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront, Police, Fire, Health Services, Public works, and other departments came forward and gave brief presentations regarding their department's significance, needs, and what they are doing to increase efficiency amidst budget difficulties. This was the first in a series of work sessions to occur in the next six months in the process of coming up with a budget for Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013. In the interest of time, the council struggled to hold their questions throughout this work session, but they will have the chance to give feedback on the work plan in December. -more-

Shortly before 9 AM a rapid volley of shots rang out on Sacramento Street near Russell. Eyewitnesses report seeing two shooters appear from behind an alley, brandishing guns. A crowd scattered as the shooting took place. Witnesses described the shooters as young black males, possibly teenagers, wearing black hoodies. Police now confirm that one victim--identified by a neighbor as Gary Ferguson--has died. Late this afternoon the word on the street was that the second victim, identified only as "Larry", had also died in the hospital, but Berkeley police have not confirmed this rumor. -more-

The second filing by the Yes on Measure R campaign of California Form 460, Monetary Contributions Received, reveals that between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16, 2010, the campaign received $21,950, bringing the total contributed so far to $54,400. -more-

A man suspected of taking pictures of women in a University of California at Berkeley locker room was arrested this afternoon. -more-

As a trial balloon to increase student use of people's Park, the ASUC threw what they called a "PALOOZA" before the Arizona State vs. Cal. football game Saturday morning, but it came off as more of a bomb-a-looza. -more-

It promised to be a perfect weekend getaway, the Emeryville Senior Center overnight trip to Clear Lake this past Saturday and Sunday. Having heard so much about Clear Lake, I happily signed up for the trip and was probably the first one to board the Center's mini van, "Go Van Go." However, looking over the itinerary prepared by our host/drivers, Joe and Joanne Melancon, I must confess my heart sank when I discovered that we would be stopping at four casinos! If I had only read the announcement of the trip more thoroughly, I might have surmised that this was a tour for gamblers. "Robinson's Rancheria Casino" was surely a tip-off; did I think this was an ice cream parlor? -more-

“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone?” asks the Joni Mitchell song. In my neighborhood we did the song in reverse and unpaved a parking lot to recreate a bit of paradise in the form of Halcyon Commons. I hope my neighbors will heed the song’s message as they cast their ballots. -more-

This is a detailed analysis by a life member of the Sierra Club of the Open Letter to Victoria Peirotes by Kent Lewandowski, Chair, Northern Alameda County Group Sierra Club, S.F. Bay Chapter. (This “letter” is taken almost verbatim from an e-mail by Helen Burke to Club members dated October 13 which will also be referred to.) -more-

Measure R is a Trojan Horse that will bring many, many more enormous skyscrapers to downtown Berkeley. It is the nature of development to always push the boundaries. Every building allowed is far more valuable when it's much larger. -more-

View from a Downtown Apartment, Sierra Club Responds to Critics -more-

Below voters can find a list with links of everything that's previously appeared in our "Election Section", in reverse chronological order. -more-

As current School Board President, what distinguishes me from the other candidates is that I have proven leadership in what it takes to advance student achievement in these difficult economic times. During my tenure and leadership, through careful fiscal oversight and fostering of creative partnerships with the City and other public as well as non-profit agencies (and with the continued support of our community school taxes), the School District has maintained a balanced budget every year for the past four years, while retaining small class sizes; art and music programs; and student support services. -more-

Perhaps no one worked harder than I did to elect Atkinson and Wile in 2006. But their actions since then eroded the trust I once had. They joined with Bob Lieber to vote as a Bloc of 3 more than 90%+ percent of the time. -more-

Next week, voters in Berkeley will weigh in on two medical cannabis related measures, S and T. Measure T allows for an additional dispensary, 6 licensed cultivation sites, 200 square feet of grow space per patient in a residential area, and calls for the re-constitution of the Medical Cannabis Commission. As the Chairwoman of the Commission, I think it is helpful to understand the process by which Measure T came about. Two years ago, shortly after the formation of the Commission, it became obvious that there are far more stakeholders in this field than the dispensaries, who were the only stakeholders represented on the Commission under Measure JJ. An open discussion of cultivation standards and practices (cultivating in an appropriate area and providing safe medicine to patients, etc.) was hindered by the lack of recognition of those who are growing the medicine. Additionally, we discovered the large number of residential cultivation sites in Berkeley, some providing medicine to the resident only, and some providing medicine to several patients via a collective garden. The realization that the current policies really only addressed activities in and by dispensaries was the impetus for the Commission to begin work on legislation to recognize and regulate cultivation, ensure that the medical cannabis patient population was getting their needs met, and providing guidelines for those who wish to cultivate in their residence. -more-

it’s sign-stealing time here in Berkeley

they're tearing up signs night and day

they’ll yank up your yard sign in seconds

it’s best to have nothing to say
-more-

The BUSD could certainly use some tax money to rehabilitate facilities, but the Measure I bond initiative is yet another foray of the City of Berkeley and BUSD into excessive bond debt and overspending for every bolt,bag of cement and piece of lumber spent. It is amazingly poorly designed request for a huge sum of money with little definition of the projects. -more-

This vehicle tax never dies and can transform in amount and purpose without voter approval. -more-

I’d like to share with Berkeley Daily Planet readers information regarding George Perezvelez’s candidacy for the City of Berkeley’s Rent Stabilization Board (including why I encourage them to support George). -more-

The Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) is hosting a second City Council Candidates Forum—this time for Berkeley’s 8th district race— at Andres Castro Arms, 2310 Prospect St., on October 27 at 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public. -more-

Artist Rosalie Ann Cassell, a longtime resident of Berkeley and teacher at Berkeley City College for 25 years, died on September 27 at age 63 after a brave battle with cancer, her partner John McCord at her side. -more-