Extra

LOST DOG ON OREGON STREET! (Letter)

By John Herbert
Wednesday December 14, 2011 - 12:25:00 PM

Our dog has gone missing and we are quite distraught about it. Our dog went tagging along with some folks walking their dog, along the 1700 block of Oregon Street Berkeley last Sunday.

We do not know who they were, whether they took our dog or simply let him wander off after following. To our utter dismay and sadness, he has not returned.

John Herbert,Oregon Street ,Berkeley, 510-812-3177 -more-


Ceremony Tonight Will Mourn Closing of Berkeley's Warm Pool (Event)

By Gary Marquard
Wednesday December 14, 2011 - 09:24:00 AM

No decision was announced at last Friday's hearing on an injunction against closing the Warm Pool. The judge said only that she would issue a ruling "shortly.” Unless the injunction is granted, or some other last-minute reprieve occurs, Wednesday, December 14 will be the last day ever of public swim at the Warm Pool. -more-



Page One

Two Pedestrians Struck by a Car Near the Berkeley Bowl Market

By Steven Finacom
Tuesday December 13, 2011 - 06:53:00 PM

Two pedestrians were hit by a car on Shattuck and Oregon shortly after 7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 13. They were taken away by ambulance as Berkeley police temporarily diverted traffic from two blocks of Shattuck Avenue, adjacent to the Berkeley Bowl and the Shattuck/Adeline Walgreens. That particular intersection is often busy with commuter cars as well as pedestrians. A zebra-striped crosswalk and flashing yellow pedestrian light have been installed in recent years by the city. -more-



Updated: Port Protesters Vote to Continue Blockade--Mayor Quan Says It's "Economic Violence"

By Zack Farmer(BCN)
Monday December 12, 2011 - 06:24:00 PM

Protesters voted to extend a blockade at the Port of Oakland through the early morning at tonight's general assembly meeting. -more-



Oakland Port Blockaded by 1000 Tonight

By Zach Farmer (BCN)
Monday December 12, 2011 - 06:06:00 PM

More than 1,000 protesters are descending on the Port of Oakland this evening as part of a daylong effort to shut down the port. -more-



Death of a Berkeley Deli (and More)

By Ted Friedman
Monday December 12, 2011 - 05:46:00 PM
Dazed shoppers Friday at Telegraph Andronicos, the day before it closed. One of last of aisles with merchandise.

Telegraph Andronicos died Saturday, or was it last Saturday? Or was it last decade?

The Teley deli had been gasping for breath for years. -more-



Public Comment

Occupy Berkeley Beer Committees

from the OccupyBerkeley website: http://occupyberkeley.org/occupy-berkeley-beer-committees/
Wednesday December 14, 2011 - 11:12:00 AM

The Occupy movement, broadly speaking, is about remedying the large-scale political and economic inequality that exists in this world, about fixing a system which currently allows the most wealthy Americans to use their wealth to obtain a monopoly on political power and to use that political power to further enrich themselves at the expense of the 99%. The 99% of Americans that the system is currently rigged against, while having common grievances against the economic and political systems under which we live, also have a huge variety of different lifestyles, work schedules, preferences, etc. We understand that not everyone can camp out in the park every night, and it’s also okay if not everyone wants to. We also understand that not everyone is able to join a nightly General Assembly because of jobs, families, or other commitments. If the 99% are going to prevail in changing the nature of our society for the better, we are going to need widespread participation and this means having organizations that have flexible structures that will accommodate the wide variety of lifestyles and preferences.

Occupy Berkeley is thus calling for more widespread community participation in the form of Occupy Berkeley Beer Committees (OBBCs). These should not be confused with the formal committees or working groups that exist within Occupy Berkeley (which have regular meeting times, point people, and other requirements of regular attendance). OBBCs are built around the idea of the “affinity group”, which is a small collection of individuals (say, 5-20) that are united under a common desire to do something. You can form an OBBC with your friends, your work colleagues, your family, or people that you meet online through Occupy-related forums and websites. -more-


Oil Spill Shows that U.C. Berkeley's Disaster Plans Are Inadequate

By Linda Franklin
Monday December 12, 2011 - 05:52:00 PM

I am writing with deep concern about the inadequacy of UCB's disaster prep plans as evidenced by their handling of the diesel spill on campus this Saturday night. -more-


Republican Affect for 2012

By Jack Bragen
Monday December 12, 2011 - 05:49:00 PM

My usage of the word “affect” in this article is that of a psychological term used by clinicians to describe their emotional impression of their patients. It is the nonfactual impression that we get of a person, and it is often responsible for how well a politician connects with the public. (Notice that I am transplanting use of the term from psychology to politics.) -more-


Editorial

What's in Berkeley's Future--and Does Anyone Care?

By Becky O'Malley
Friday December 09, 2011 - 03:54:00 PM

Whither local government? In view of recent more-than-dire predictions about the burden of unfunded liabilities faced by cities like Berkeley, it’s a hard question to address, let alone answer. -more-


The Editor's Back Fence

Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You? The Berkeley City Council grapples with a 17 bedroom monstrosity that the planning staff and the city attorney think is legal.

Wednesday December 14, 2011 - 09:44:00 AM

In case you might have thought that Berkeley's zoning laws would keep mini-dorms out of your neighborhood, watch this cautionary video. Our city planning staff has allowed this seventeen-bedroom development to invade a peaceful Southside neighborhood. It's the latest outrage from a developer who has already had several run-ins with the law. Councilmembers are Shocked, Shocked, as usual, but we'll have to wait until at least January to see if neighbors have any recourse.

Get Microsoft Silverlight -more-


Swanson to Challenge Hancock for Senate in 9th District--Which Still Includes Berkeley After Redistricting

Tuesday December 13, 2011 - 06:33:00 PM

Josh Richman at the Oakland Tribune has confirmed the rampant rumor that State Representative Sandre Swanson will challenge State Senator Loni Hancock for the seat in the reconfigured 9th District, which includes Berkeley, starting in the 2012 June primary. Both are Democrats.

No one has yet confirmed the other rumor: that her spouse, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, won't run again, and will endorse the District Five moderate councilmember, realtor Laurie Capitelli, a partner in Red Oak Realty. If Bates steps down, he'd be able to spend more time in Sacramento with his wife if Hancock is re-elected.

Another yet-to-be confirmed rumor making the rounds: Councilmember Jesse Arreguin will carry the progressive banner in the Berkeley mayor's race in November. -more-


Columns

AGAINST FORGETTING: Occupy: You Can't Evict an Idea

By Ruth Rosen
Monday December 12, 2011 - 05:55:00 PM

As snowstorms and freezing rain announce the arrival of winter, it’s hard to remember that the Occupy Wall Street movement emerged just a few months ago, in September. Enraged by the government bailout of Wall Street, but not of those who had lost their jobs and homes, angry at the rise of university tuition, frightened by the precarious decline of the middle class, several generations---not only the young--- began a movement that quickly spread from Zuccotti park in New York across the nation. “We are the 99%,” they chanted, until it became the slogan of the movement. The 1%, they explained, owned as much wealth as the rest of the population. -more-


Arts & Events

Defend Your Bill of Rights: Candlelight Vigil Thursday 12-15-2011- a public response to S 1867 aka the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)(Event)

By Carol Denney
Wednesday December 14, 2011 - 09:32:00 AM

Join Occupy, Fiddlers for Peace, and the Revolutionary Poets Brigade Thursday, 12 noon, December 15th, 2011, at 101 Market Street in San Francisco (or anywhere you happen to be) to raise a candle for the tattered Bill of Rights.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which enables the government to indefinitely jail those suspected of terrorism, had only a handful of voices opposing it in Congress.

No need to march all over town for this one. Just grab a friend and light a candle, and enjoy being one of Time Magazine’s protesters of the year. -more-


New: AROUND AND ABOUT: Theater Review: 'Adoration of the Magi'--Inferno Theatre at South Berkeley Community Church

By Ken Bullock
Tuesday December 13, 2011 - 09:54:00 PM

"When I was young, I was enchanted with the night. They made me stare into a basin of water and asked me, What do you see?"

Giulio Perrone's Inferno Theatre, after offering up theatrical originals like 'Galileo's Daughters' and 'The Iliad' at the City Club, are staging one of the more original holiday shows, from material used for over a millennium. Jasper (Simone Bloch), Balthasar (Valentina Emeri) and Melchiar (Priscilla Parchia) witness the star of the Epiphany, meet one another, show their gifts, tell their stories and journey together from the East to Judea, meeting with Herod (Alison Sacha Ross) in Jerusalem: "I am so cold, and the moon warms me not"--to find the divine child of peace, heralded also by Virgil's Fourth Eclogue, encountering festivity along the way. -more-


EYE FROM THE AISLE: Theater Review: GOD’S PLOT at Shotgun Players

By John A. McMullen II
Tuesday December 13, 2011 - 09:39:00 AM
Will Hand, Juliana Lustenader, Josh Pollock (Banjo), Anthony Nemirovsky.

Mark Jackson’s latest oeuvre, GOD’S PLOT at Shotgun Players, is like boiled filet mignon. There is much good meat there, but the failure is in its preparation and lack of flavor. It is overdone a half hour past its curtain time. -more-


Get Ready for the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale

By Dorothy Snodgrass
Tuesday December 13, 2011 - 09:39:00 AM

I'm always delighted to receive the announcement of the Oakland Museum of California's White Elephant Sale, this year marking their 53rd Anniversary. Talk about "trash and treasures" -- you name it, they've got it! Because the Warehouse is located at 333 Lancaster Street, Oakland, parking is nigh unto impossible. Shoppers are therefore encouraged to take a free shuttle bus, which runs continuously from the Fruitvale Bart Station to the Warehouse. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

What's in Berkeley's Future--and Does Anyone Care? 12-09-2011

The Editor's Back Fence

Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You? The Berkeley City Council grapples with a 17 bedroom monstrosity that the planning staff and the city attorney think is legal. 12-14-2011

Swanson to Challenge Hancock for Senate in 9th District--Which Still Includes Berkeley After Redistricting 12-13-2011

A Pair of Tantalizing Tales 12-06-2011

Cartoons

Odd Bodkins: Newt By Dan O'Neill 12-09-2011

Public Comment

Occupy Berkeley Beer Committees from the OccupyBerkeley website: http://occupyberkeley.org/occupy-berkeley-beer-committees/ 12-14-2011

Oil Spill Shows that U.C. Berkeley's Disaster Plans Are Inadequate By Linda Franklin 12-12-2011

Republican Affect for 2012 By Jack Bragen 12-12-2011

December Pepper Spray Times By Grace Underpressure 12-09-2011

Tax Breaks for Millionaires in Berkeley at City Council Tonight By Paul M. Schwartz 12-06-2011

Demolition Ordinance Before Berkeley City Council Neglects Tenants By Igor Tregub, Berkeley Rent Board Commissioner 12-06-2011

News

LOST DOG ON OREGON STREET! (Letter) By John Herbert 12-14-2011

Ceremony Tonight Will Mourn Closing of Berkeley's Warm Pool (Event) By Gary Marquard 12-14-2011

Two Pedestrians Struck by a Car Near the Berkeley Bowl Market By Steven Finacom 12-13-2011

Updated: Port Protesters Vote to Continue Blockade--Mayor Quan Says It's "Economic Violence" By Zack Farmer(BCN) 12-12-2011

Oakland Port Blockaded by 1000 Tonight By Zach Farmer (BCN) 12-12-2011

Death of a Berkeley Deli (and More) By Ted Friedman 12-12-2011

New: Trucks Lined up Outside Port of Oakland as Protesters Block Entrance By JeffShuttleworth/ScottMorris (BCN) 12-12-2011

Diesel Fuel Spill on Berkeley Campus Contaminates Strawberry Creek and Bay By Bay City News 12-11-2011

New: U.C. Berkeley Oil Spill into Strawberry Creek Still Evident on Sunday Morning (Reader Report) By Linda Franklin 12-11-2011

Press Release: U.C. Berkeley Says Oil Spill Was Contained at 9 on Saturday From Janet Gilmore, UCB Public Information Officer 12-11-2011

Press Release: City of Berkeley Police Clarify Reports of Youth Prostitution From Sgt. Mary Kusmiss, BPD 12-09-2011

Occupy Movement Plans Port Shutdown--Union Leaders Not All Supportive By Scott Morris (BCN) 12-09-2011

Of Mice and Men; Micah and Me (First Person) By Ted Friedman 12-09-2011

Press Release: Telegraph and Haste Open to Traffic From Mary Kay Clunies-Ross, City of Berkeley Public Information Officer 12-07-2011

Contractor Error Completes Destruction of Most of Berkeley Building By Dave Blake 12-06-2011

Occupy Berkeley Survives—For Now!(News Analysis) By Ted Friedman 12-06-2011

Berkeley Councilman Says Growing Encampment is Creating More Issues By Jeff Shuttleworth (BCN) 12-06-2011

Columns

AGAINST FORGETTING: Occupy: You Can't Evict an Idea By Ruth Rosen 12-12-2011

Eclectic Rant: Abolish the Death Penalty, Replace With Life Without Parole By Ralph E. Stone 12-09-2011

THE PUBLIC EYE: Elizabeth Warren: Voice of the 99 Percent By Bob Burnett 12-09-2011

SENIOR POWER…It’s Called Gray divorce. By Helen Rippier Wheeler 12-09-2011

WILD NEIGHBORS: Deception on the Lek BY Joe Eaton 12-07-2011

MY COMMONPLACE BOOK: (a diary of excerpts copied from printed books, with comments added by the reader.) By Dorothy Bryant 12-06-2011

ON MENTAL ILLNESS:Conclusion By Jack Bragen 12-06-2011

Arts & Events

Defend Your Bill of Rights: Candlelight Vigil Thursday 12-15-2011- a public response to S 1867 aka the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)(Event) By Carol Denney 12-14-2011

New: AROUND AND ABOUT: Theater Review: 'Adoration of the Magi'--Inferno Theatre at South Berkeley Community Church By Ken Bullock 12-13-2011

EYE FROM THE AISLE: Theater Review: GOD’S PLOT at Shotgun Players By John A. McMullen II 12-13-2011

Get Ready for the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale By Dorothy Snodgrass 12-13-2011

Theater Review: Yussef el Guindi's 'Language Rooms' By Ken Bullock 12-09-2011

AROUND AND ABOUT THEATER: Christmas Mystery Play Adapted at st. Mark's This Saturday By Ken Bullock 12-09-2011

AROUND AND ABOUT THEATER: Inferno Theatre's 'Adoration of the Magi' at South Berkeley Community Church By Ken Bullock 12-06-2011

AROUND AND ABOUT MUSIC : Berkeley Symphony--Sarah Cahill plays Lou Harrison By Ken Bullock 12-06-2011

THE CHRISTMAS REVELS:Chase the Holiday Yuck with Yule By John A. McMullen II 12-06-2011