Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Wednesday May 04, 2011 - 07:30:00 AM

Schacht is Wrong; Priorities: Open Letter to Planning Director Dan Marks; Dear Christopher Adams, Blaine Beckwith, and Planet readers; Justice; Not Dead Yet; What Happened to the Old South Branch?It Was Replaced in 1961 

Schacht is Wrong 

Linda Schacht demonstrates an insensitivity to people of color in using our struggles for her own political purposes. No, the results of the library lawsuit are not racist. I saw the Concerned Library Users alternative designs for the libraries, as printed in the Planet. They show great respect for South and West Berkeley in this beautiful work. If only the City of Berkeley had as much respect for less affluent communities. 

I think it’s terrible the way that Schacht and her companions have tried to create an issue of race when there was none. Maybe that’s what being racist really is. 

Lenny Chen 

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Priorities: Open Letter to Planning Director Dan Marks 

Berkeley's Edible Gardens Initiative is far more important to me than the servicing the needs of bankrupt, corrupt out of town developers like Sam Zell or corrupt in town would be developers and dope dealers like Mark Rhoades. 

Please see that this becomes a priority on your list before the rest of the country realizes what a fraud is Berkeley's much vaunted socially responsible reputation. Jesus, even San Francisco is more responsive to these issues than Berkeley! 

Fred Dodsworth 

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Dear Christopher Adams, Blaine Beckwith, and Planet readers: 

Perhaps I can help. I am a west Berkeley resident. I live half a block from the West Berkeley branch. And because there are lots of things about it that could be improved , I voted to improve it 

I did not vote to demolish it. 

Carol Denney 

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Justice 

Our country celebrates the "justice of finally retaliating for 9-11" by our murder of Osama Bin Laden. 

How can this event have any effect on so-called terrorism when the reasons behind Bin Laden's attack on the U.S. have not changed? We continue to invade other countries physically or threateningly, and apparently continue to convince most Americans that these are humanitarian methods to instigate a healing Democracy in these troubled regions. 

Trillions of our American dollars, have been spent, since 9-11, in pursuit of Bin Laden and other terrorists. Our continuing questionable military actions, disguised as merciful, have impoverished our own communities. In a resulting scarcity for many of us, including our returning military, I would rather celebrate our country's respect for political truth and responsibility to its own citizens. 

Gerta Farber 

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Not Dead Yet 

What a difference a day makes. Bold headlines point out that Osama bin Laden is dead. Don't breathe too easily yet; seething just beneath the surface in America is a serious problem. Fringe and splinter groups galore, not the least of which, anti-abortionists, anti-immigrationists and the anti-gay forces, who have all huddled under the big tent of the Tea Party. They espouse an ideology that is not unlike Osama bin Laden’s: hate, hypocrisy and intolerance. 

Ron Lowe 

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What Happened to the Old South Branch?  

I love the paper -- grew up in south Berkeley at the intersection of Alcatraz and Adeline streets in the Alcatraz Apartments at 3315 Adeline, Berkeley 3, California and phone number in the hallway was Piedmont 2217!! The south Berkeley branch library was pure heaven for me and served as a place to permit me to experience the wonder of reading and dreaming. I've been following the debates regarding tearing down and rebuilding and am wondering if the present library is the same one that served south Berkeley many years ago when I was there. I've tried to research this on line but haven't had any luck -- would you happen to know? Thanks for the paper -- love it and have missed the Berkeley attitude -- I'm in Texas now and moved from the Oakland area in 1961 --- was too busy raising 6 kids to participate in all the protests that give the city its personality -- I've been accused of being part of that scene with my attitudes!! Thanks for any light or history you can shed on the library.

Pat Fleming Shade Gautier 

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It Was Replaced in 1961 

The current South Berkeley Library was built around 1961, and is located at Russell and Grove (now MLK Jr. Way) across from the Grove playground...It's a "mid-century Modern" architectural design, with concrete / cinderblock walls and a sort of pyramidal wooden ceiling in the main reading room. 

The library you visited was probably the original one, a couple blocks south of Ashby? It's a Spanish style structure. I think it is now used as a community health center. 

The Ashby BART station now, of course, puts a big hole in that neighborhood especially in the triangle between Ashby / Grove / Adeline, but most of the older buildings west of Grove are still intact. 

Steve Finacom