News

This Tuesday, February 8, the Berkeley City Council will continue its public hearing on the West Berkeley Plan, carried over from the January 25^th meeting when dozens of commentators lined up to speak. Plan changes and accompanying zoning changes are supposed to be aimed at increasing the amount of economic activity in West Berkeley, especially industrial production. Backers say they are focused on the reuse of existing buildings, the development of large multi-parcel sites, and start-up of new types of industrial activities. Public commentators have expressed concern about the proposed 75-foot height limit for buildings and the preservation of the arts in the area. -more-

[Editor's Note: This press release was sent by John Lineweaver, who is referred to in the third person in the text. It is our policy to post press releases which we think are of general interest, but readers should be aware that there might be other interpretations of this story.]

After 71 years in business at Telegraph & Durant in Berkeley, Larry Blake’s Restaurant & Bar, also known as Blake’s on Telegraph, has closed its doors. Blake’s was once among the most popular hangouts for the Cal community—both students and faculty/employees—and until the late1990’s was famous for the Blake Burger, voted Best Hamburger in the East Bay numerous times, and for the delicious salad dressing developed in the 1940’s by Larry Blake, himself. -more-

A small but heartfelt demonstration engaged UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza lunch hour throngs mid-day on Thursday as Egyptian students and their supporters staged a die-in at Sather Gate to support anti-Mubarak protesters in Egypt. -more-

This week there’s a special garden feature from author Robert Kourik. He’s offering an ebook version of downloadable chapters from two of his books, Drip Irrigation and Roots Demystified, on his website. -more-

Police are continuing to investigate a fatal drive-by shooting in San Pablo that happened Tuesday evening, but so far they have no leads and only a minimal description of the shooter's vehicle, a San Pablo police lieutenant said today. -more-

Describing knife wounds to the fingertips of Austin D. White, 35, allegedly inflicted by Matt Dodt, 54, as "serious," and later "very serious," Alameda Superior Court Judge Rhonda Burgess refused to lower his $100,000 bail, declined to release him on his own recognizance, and set Feb. 17 for a pre-trial hearing on an assault with a deadly weapon charge. -more-

When Layma Murtaza touched down at Cairo International Airport in late August 2010, the first image she saw was of families sitting on the floor, yelling and having a picnic as they waited for their luggage. -more-

Human rights activists with CODEPINK, including Sharat Lin of Fremont, CA, joined Egyptian protesters this week in Cairo as perhaps the only international solidarity delegation on the ground in the country. They have been in the streets with the Egyptian people for the last five days. Several members of the group of nine activists are available by phone for interviews this week. Tomorrow the delegation plans to do a solidarity action at the US Embassy. Medea Benjamin, a leader of the delegation and co-founder of CODEPINK Women for Peace, is currently available by cell phone in Cairo at 011 20-107148431. Sharat Lin is the president of the San Jose Peace and Justice Center and first visited Gaza and the region in 1973. He will return to the Bay Area by the end of the week. Bay Area groups are planning a protest and march to stand in solidarity with the people of Egypt and Tunisia this Saturday, February 5th at 1 pm at the UN Plaza (Market and 8th in San Francisco), and a march across the Golden Gate Bridge on Sunday, February 13. -more-

In early 1994, two men violently robbed, kidnapped, and carjacked an Oakland couple. The victims were forced into their own trunk, driven around to ATMs for the purpose of withdrawing cash (which was unsuccessful), and brought to a clearing in the hills only to see the male violently beaten, tased and forced back into the trunk before the female was violently raped. With no expectation but being buried alive, the couple was released. In the short time it took for someone who lived nearby to allow the couple to call the police, the two men disappeared. -more-

Don't miss the extra stories from last week. They include city council reports, People's Park updates, and more. -more-