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News

Attorney arrested for drugs to enter plea

By Juliet Leyba Berkeley Daily Planet Corresponden
Wednesday November 01, 2000

A Berkeley resident and criminal attorney who was booked on suspicion of nine felony drug and weapons charges waived his right to arraignment Monday afternoon and is scheduled to enter a plea today in Superior Court in Oakland. 

Michael Moore was arrested early Friday morning at his home in the 1100 block of Glen Avenue in the Berkeley hills as part of a two month investigation conducted by the narcotics division of the Oakland Police Department. 

“We had information which led us to believe Moore had drugs and guns in his house . . . and just followed the trail to Berkeley,” narcotics officer Jim Beere said. 

Police found more than 15 pounds of packaged marijuana, 171 budding marijuana plants that were hung up to dry and several dozen potted plants in Moore’s basement and garage. In addition police said they seized 15 grams of cocaine, 12 grams of hashish and an arsenal of assault weapons including submachine guns and assault pistols. 

“Moore had a elevator lift covered with a throw rug in the kitchen which led us to the basement where most of the drugs were found,” Beere said. “After that he temporarily waived his Miranda rights and showed us where the guns were hidden stating that he didn’t want us to feel ‘uncomfortable’ or get hurt because they were all loaded.” 

According to Beere, this isn’t the first time Moore has been arrested. He has a prior record and has been arrested for transportation of drugs, possession of drugs and two convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol. 

According to Beere, both drug related charges were reduced and he was assigned to a diversion program, rather than being sentenced to jail time. This allowed Moore to continue practicing law. His driver’s license was suspended at the time of arrest for driving under the influence. 

Moore’s attorney, Robert J. Beles, strongly argued his case in the hopes of getting his bail reduced, stating that Moore has Lou Gherigs disease, a disorder that results in muscle deterioration, paralysis and eventually death, and that Moore has a valid prescription for medical marijuana. 

“Michael Moore is a respected citizen and attorney. He is not a drug dealer and was growing marijuana for personal use. He is not a flight risk,” Beles said. 

However, the amount of marijuana found in his home far exceeded the amount Berkeley permits for medical marijuana users, which is 60 budding plants, police said. 

State attorney, Blair Thomas, argued successfully, however, that Moore’s bail be raised from $290,000 to $325,000, the amount the court deemed equal to the crimes he’s suspected of committing. 

Neighbors on the street where Moore has lived for more than 30 years said they were dismayed and horrified when more than 30 drug enforcement agents descended on their neighborhood Friday morning and uncovered the arsenal of weapons and drugs. 

Christine Kenton, who runs Kinderfarm Preschool out of her home two doors down from Moore said she always knew he was an offbeat criminal attorney who represented members of Hell’s Angels, but was shocked to learn that he had weapons in his house. 

“We run a preschool here. Parents were dropping their kids off when the bust went down. Drug enforcement agents were carrying out all these weapons and nobody wants drugs and guns two doors down from where their children are being cared for.” 

As for the marijuana plants found in the house Kenton added that she is a believer in the use of medical marijuana and said she thought Moore suffered from several illnesses. 

Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said that she was upset to learn that there were so many weapons in the house and that Moore may have been conducting drug deals there. 

“It was really unsettling to know he may have been bringing unsavory people into the neighborhood. Other neighbors have told me that people were always coming and going at his house.” 

Moore faces a minimum of 12 years in prison if convicted under state law and more than 30 years if the case is tried in Federal court.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Wednesday November 01, 2000


Wednesday, Nov. 1

 

Kathak Dancing with Pandit Chitresh Das 

7:30 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 

2640 College Ave.  

The Graduate Theological Union presents a free lecture-demonstration with Pandit Chitresh Das, a master of India’s Kathak dance form. Free. 649-2440 

 

Mountain Adventure Seminar 

In-store, registration required 

6 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Learn about equipment, fundamental climbing techniques and safety procedures. 

$100 REI members, $110 for non members 

To register (209) 753-6556 

 

 

Wen Ho Lee: Victim  

of Racial Profiling? 

7 - 9 p.m.  

USF 

252 McLaren Hall 

Fulton St. (at Clayton St.) 

Speakers will include Victor Hwang, managing attorney of the Asian Law Caucus, Kalina Wong, a Lawrence Livermore Lab employee who filed a discrimination suit against the University of California, and Ling-chi Wang, Chair of Asian-American Studies at UC Berkeley. 

Call Patricia Lin, (415) 422-5765  

 

Task Force on  

Telecommunications 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Dia de los Muertos Ceremony 

6:30 p.m.  

Gathering Tribes 

1573 Solano Ave.  

Pennie holds a simple ceremony to honor those who have passed on out of this world. Remember loved ones with offerings of food and beverages which they enjoyed while on earth.  

 

“Attic Conversions” 

7 - 10 p.m . 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by architect/builder Andus Brandt.  

$35 

 

Citizen’s Budget Review  

Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

 

Instructional Technology in Higher Education 

4 - 5:30 p.m.  

Geballe Room, Stephens Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Kenneth C. Green, Founder/Director of the Campus Computing Project speaks on “Compelling, Competing, and Complementary Visions for Instructional Technology in Higher Education.” Free 

Call 642-5040 

 

Community Action Team 

7 p.m. 

Over 60 Health Center 

3260 Sacramento 

Meet to plan actions to take to reduce the health disparities in the city. 

 

Board of Education 

7:30 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

 

Commission on the Status  

of Women 

7:45 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Among topics to be discussed will be the Mayor’s special study group’s report on domestic violence and a transitional housing zoning proposal by the planning commission.  


Thursday, Nov. 2

 

PASTForward Panel Discussion 

2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

Bancroft Way (below College) 

In conjunction with the White Oak Dance Project’s performances, a panel discussion with Judson era dance choreographers Yvonne Rainer and Deborah Hay. Free. 

 

From Morgan to Modern 

7:30 p.m. 

“Saddling the Site: The Environmental Designs of Wurster, Church and Others” 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic  

Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

 

Poetry of Goh Poh Seng 

12:10 - 1 p.m.  

Doe Library, Morrison Room  

UC Berkeley  

Part of UC Berkeley’s Lunch Poem Reading Series 

Exploring the Galapagos Islands 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Amateur photographer John Kokoska presents a slide-show of his recent trip into this unique volcanic landscape of giant tortoises and marine iguanas. Free  

Call Polly Bolling, 527-7377  

 

Spirit of the Road 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Don Patton, general editor and Vice President of Publishing for the California State Automobile Association presents a slide show celebrating the first one hundred years of the automobile and the CSA. Free. 

Call 843-3533 for more info.  

 

BOSS Graduation 

6 - 8 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th & Harrison 

Oakland 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency’s graduation gala for poor, disabled, and homeless folks who have worked hard to achieve jobs, housing, education, training, and other milestones. There will be special guests, music, and a buffet. The community are invited. 

Call 649-1930 

 

Spirit Matters 

4:30 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave.  

Rabbi Michael Lerner speaks about his new book. 

Call 849-8244 

 

Housing Advisory Commission  

7:30 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

On the agenda is discussion and comments on Berkeley design advocates’ report on housing.  

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

 

 

Public Works Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Discussions will include a Capital Improvement Subcommittee report report on possible solutions and recommendations to info/infiltration sewer system.  

 

Community Environmental Advisory Meeting 

7 p.m. 

2118 Milvia St.  

Second Floor Conference Room  

Discussion of storm water violations.  

 

American Yoga Winter Teacher Training 

John F. Kennedy University 

Orinda  

Scheduled for Nov. 17 - 19, this three-day seminar features classes that meet the national accreditation standards for yoga teachers. Early Bird deadline for discounted registration is Nov. 3.  

Call Jean Marie Hays, 415-884-0816 or www.americanyogacollege.org 

 


Friday, Nov. 3

 

Taize Worship Service 

7:30-8:30 p.m. 

An hour of quiet reflection and song. First Friday of the month. 

Loper Chapel on Dana Street between Durant and Channing Way. 

848-3696 

 

“Want to Transform your Dreams Into Reality?” 

7:30 p.m. 

Lecture by Leonard Orr, world known for creating the Rebirthing and Conscious Breathwork Movement. 

The Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St. 

$25, 843-6514 

 

Circle Dancing 

7:45 - 10 p.m. 

Finnish Brotherhoos Hall 

1970 Chestnut St. 

Simple folkdancing in a circle. Beginners welcome and no partners are required.  

Call John Bear, 528-4253 

 

Who Owns America? 

An Anti-Racism/Oppression Gathering 

2 - 10 p.m.  

UC Berkeley Labor Center 

2521 Channing St.  

Trainings and workshops on identifying racism and oppression and building solutions. Organized by STARC, which is trying to build support on the West Coast. This event runs through Sunday, Nov. 5. Hot meals will be provided.  

$10 

Call 869-2538 

 

Marga Gomez 

8 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Comedian Marga Gomez was one of the founding members of Culture Clash and the Latino comedy ensemble. Part of the La Lesbian performance and film series. 

Call 654-6346 

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 

Does Asian = Spy? 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Bade Museum  

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave.  

Professor L. Ling-Chi Wang from UC Berkeley’s Ethnic Studies Department will lecture on the ramifications of the Dr. Wen Ho Lee fiasco.  

Call 849-8224 

 

“Re-Emerging Japan” 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

James R. Lincoln, professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas Business school will speak.  

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533 

 

The Next Ivory Trade? The Intellectual Property Rights of University Faculty 

A conference sponsored by the Berkeley Faculty Association/American Association of University Professors Coalition 

9 a.m. tp 3:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley International House 

841-1997 

 

Putting Disability in Its Place 

9 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

MLK Jr. Student Union 

Pauley Ballroom 

Civil rights historians, scholars and leading 1960s activists explore the parallels and differences among social movements and how the disability rights movement fits into this larger context.  

Call 548-6608 

 


Saturday, Nov. 4

 

Breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

Cohousing Tour 

8:15 am - ? 

Parker Street Housing Cooperative 

2337 Parker St.  

Join a Shared Living Resource Center organized tour of seven examples of Cohousing. The tour will visit the Doyle Street Cohousing in Emeryville, Swans Market Cohousing in downtown Oakland and three others, including North Street Cohousing in Davis. Bring a lunch. Advanced registration is required.  

$65 per person 

Call Ken Norwood, 548-6608 

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Dublin Library’s resident storyteller and featured teller at the 1998 National Storytelling Festival tell kids aged 3 to 7 her favorite tales.  

Call 649-3943  

 

New Science & Ancient Wisdom Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International Center 

2222 Harold Way 

Featured speakers include Father Charlie Moore speaking on “The Cosmic Origins of Man,” Dolores Cannon speaking on “Visions of Nostradamus,” and David Hatcher Childress speaking on “Technology of the Gods.” Event runs through Sunday.  

Pre-registration admission, $65; after Oct. 27, $85 

Call Charles Gotsky, 650-343-5202 

 

Installing Windows, Doors and Skylights 

9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar instructed by builder Glen Kitzenberger. Other seminars also scheduled.  

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

$75 per person 

 

Collecting Chinese Decorative Art 

10 a.m. - Noon 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Dessa Goddard, director of the Asian Department at Butterfields, and a panel discuss. Followed by a collectors’ tea. Included in admission price to museum.  

Call for reservations, 238-2022 

 

“Broadway to La Scala” 

7 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

2501 Harrison St. (at 27th St.) 

A benefit concert for the Oakland Lyric Opera featuring a selection of Broadway musicals and arias from operas, including “Madame Butterfly.”  

$25 

Call 836-6772 

 

Nuclear Disarmament 

2 p.m.  

Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library 

6508 Telegraph Ave.  

Jackie Cabasso, Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation will speak on disarmament and proliferation.  

 

Life in the Pueblo  

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

Gathering Tribes  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Zuni Fetish carver Amos Pooacha and his sister, Linda Pooacha-Eli, a painter of miniatures on sandstone and jewelry sell and display their art. Also on Sunday, same hours.  

Call 528-9038  

 

Who Owns America? 

An Anti-Racism/Oppression Gathering 

8 a.m. - 10 p.m.  

UC Berkeley Labor Center 

2521 Channing St.  

Trainings and workshops on identifying racism and oppression and building solutions. Organized by STARC, which is trying to build support on the West Coast. This event runs through Sunday, Nov. 5. Hot meals will be provided.  

$10 

Call 869-2538  

 


Sunday, Nov. 5

 

Buddhist Psychology 

6 p.m.  

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Buddhist teacher Sylvia Gretchen on “Beyond Therapy and Into the Heart of Buddhist Psychology.” Free. 

Call 843-6812  

 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour 

Downtown Berkeley  

Tour new construction, new uses, historic rehabilitation and public improvments that are completed or still in the works.  

Noon 

RSVP required 841-0181 space is limited. 

Tickets: $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers. 

 

A Dispirited Rebellion 

10 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Author, television personality and columnist Gadi Taub will explore the literary and cinematic changes in Israeli society since the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. A brunch will be served at 10 a.m.  

Admission: $7 non-JCC members; $5 members 

Call 848-9237 

 

Soprano Stephanie Pan Sings 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Soprano Stephanie Pan is joined by Meg Cotner on harpsichord, Salley Blaker on cello, and Alex Jenne on lute. They will perform the music of Barbra Strozzi, Jacopo Peri, Giovanni Felice Sances and others.  

$10 general; $9 students and seniors; under 12 Free 

Call 644-6893 

 

Stucco Repair 

9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Hands-on workshop taught by handyperson Jim Rosenau. Other seminars also scheduled this day.  

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

$90 per person 

 

“Bigger Things” 

7 p.m.  

La Pena Cultural Center  

3105 Shattuck Ave.  

Judith-Kate Friedman celebrates the release of her new CD.  

$12 general; $20 reserved seating 

Info and tickets: 654-7464 or 849-2568 

 

Women Warriors, Women Thinkers & Women Awliya 

3 p.m.  

St. Johns Presbyterian Church  

2727 College Ave.  

The final in a series, “The Feminine Side of Islam.” Refreshments will be served and donations are appreciated.  

Call 527-4496  

 


Monday, Nov. 6

 

Airports vs. the Bay 

7 p.m. 

Albany Community Center 

1249 Marin St.  

Albany 

David Lewis, Executive Director of “Save the Bay” will speak on the airports’ plans to expand into the SF Bay and other challenges to Bay restoration.  

Contact: Friends of Five Creeks, 848-9358 

 

Flu Shots for Seniors 

9 a.m. - Noon & 1 - 2 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

$2 for seniors 

 

“The Weir” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Director Tom Ross will discuss the Aurora Theater’s production of “The Weir” and will distribute 30 free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.  

 

Youth Commission 

6 p.m.  

MLK Jr. Youth Center 

1730 Oregon St.  

 

Peace & Justice Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst St.  

 

Landmarks Preservation Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

 

Personnel Board Meeting 

7 p.m.  

Permit Center 

2118 Milvia St.  

 


Tuesday, Nov. 7

 

Zonta Club dinner 

5:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

$20 per person 

Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine bioligist, author and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, will be the featured speaker. 

For more information call 845-6221 

 

Exercise for Seniors 

10 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Exercise to music with Doris Echols. Free 

 

“How Can We Restructure Civilization?” 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332 

 

Bayer’s Biotechnology Center Groundbreaking 

1 p.m.  

Seventh & Grayson 

Seventh & Dwight 

Call 705-7880 

 

Home Design Workshop 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Instructed by architect/contractor Barry Wagner, this class runs four consecutive Tuesdays through Nov. 28.  

$150 for all four classes 

Call 525-7610 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 8

 

Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Sufferers Support Group 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

 

Public Works Commission Special Meeting 

5 p.m.  

Engineering Conference Room 

2201 Dwight Way 

Discussion and prioritization of Commission work plan priorities for Public Works.  

 


Thursday, Nov. 9

 

The Life and Art of Chiura Obata 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Public Library 

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

A slide show and lecture presented by Obata’s granddaughter, Kimi Kodani Hill, celebrating Obata’s book, “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment,” and the retrospective exhibit of Obata’s work to appear this Fall at SFs De Young Museum. 

For details call 644-6850  

 

From Morgan to Modern 

“Bay Area Modern” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

ESL Teacher Job Fair 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave., Room 7  

ESL program representatives from adult schools in Alameda and Contra Costa counties will provide information about desired qualifications, current job openings, credentialing requirements, and more.  

Call Kay Wade, 644-6130 

 

“Feeding the Moon: A Nutritive Approach to Feminine Fertility” 

Lern how fertility is affected by the environment and how it can be enhanced by healthy lifestyle choices 

7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The Ecology Center 

2530 San Pable Ave.  

558-1324, free 

 

“Diabetes: What to Know Head-to-Toe” 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free 

869-6737 

 

Love and Betrayal: A Musical Journey 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Mezzo Soprano Sylvia Braitman discusses the role Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg, and Hanns Eisler played in the development of modernity in German, Austrian and Western music.  

Tuition: $8 for general; $5 JJC members (class code A101-BJ) 

Call 848-0237 for more info.  

 

Hour of the Furnaces 

4:30 - 6 p.m. 

Hewlett Library, Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd.  

Renny Golden, poet, liberation theologian, and professor of social ethics at Northeastern Illinois University, will read from her new book on the Central American experience of struggle.  

649-2490 

 

Meeting Life Changes 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With John Hammerman. Free 

 

Become A Travel Photo Expert 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional photographer Richard I’Anson, who has taken photos all over the globe, shares highlights and insights from his book, “Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures.” Free 

Call 527-7377 

 


Friday, Nov. 10

 

Dragon and Phoenix Banquet Cooking Contest 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Students from Bay Area cooking academies present original dishes based on the “Dragon and Phoenix” theme to a panel of celebrity judges. Fee and price of admission to museum. 

Reservations: 238-2022  

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 

Korean Literature Seminar 

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

7768 Duke Ct.  

El Cerrito 

Korean writer and professor Do Chang Hoi will speak on the topics of creative writing and modern Korean literature. Sponsored by the Korean Literary Art Fellowship. Continues on Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

Call 559-7856 for more info.  

 

PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

Room 303  

2020 Milvia St.  

A groups of PC users who help each other solve problems. They introduce their members to new software, hardware, and invited speakers and technicians from various PC related companies. Meet the second Friday of each month.  

Call Melvin Mann, 527-2177 

 

Cultural and Historical View  

of the Dalmation Islands, Croatia 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Byron Bass, archeologist with the URS Corporation will speak. 

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533  

 


Saturday, Nov. 11

 

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

Kitchen Design Fundamentals  

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by independent kitchen and bath designer Beverly Wilson.  

$75  

 

Homeowner’s Essential Course 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

The annual six-Saturday intensive with lectures, slides, and demonstrations taught by professional builder Glen Kitzenberger. Six Saturdays through Dec. 16.  

$425 per person, including textbook 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

 


Sunday, Nov. 12

 

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

“Time Across Cultures” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

St. Clements Church 

2837 Claremont Ave.  

The annual Roselyn Yellin Memorial lecture with a slide-illustrated panel discussion. Also a tour of the “Telling Time” exhibit at the Judah L. Magnes Museum followed by a reception at the museum, 4 - 5 p.m.  

More info: 549-6950 

 

Buddhism & Compassion 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Psychiatrist and teacher Bobby Jones on “Healing through Compassion.” Free.  

843-6812 

 

“Road To Mecca” Auditions 

2 p.m.  

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

The Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is auditioning roles for two females, 60-70 and 25-35, and one male, 60-70. Auditioners should prepare a monologue no longer than two minutes. No appointments. 

Call Debra Blondheim, 667-9827 

 

Solar Electricity for Your Home 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar instructed by engineer Gary Gerber of Sunlight and Power.  

$75 per person  

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

 

Carpentry Basics for Women 

9:30 - 4:30 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

A hands-on workshop taught by carpenter Tracy Weir. This workshop is a two-day workshop and runs Nov. 12 and 19.  

$195 per person  

 


Monday, Nov. 13

 

An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Barbara Kingsolver’s works include “Animal Dreams,” “High Tide in Tucson,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Prodigal Summer” 

free parking $10 in advance, $13 at the door 

Benefits KPFA and Urban Ecology. 

848-6767 

 

From Rossi to Bernstein 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the works of Jewish classical composers beginning with the sixteenth century. The first in a series of three Monday evening classes on music.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students  

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students 

Call 848-0237 

 

Berkeley Preschool Fair 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, this fair features representatives from local preschools. The topic will be how to evaluate preschool education philosophies and make the most of the admissions process. A fair featuring many local preschools will follow panel discussion. 

$5 non-members; Free to NPN members 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org 

 

“Timber Framing - Ancient and Modern” 

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar led by contractor/Timber Framers Guild member Doug Eaton.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 14

 

Take a Trip to the Steinbeck Museum and 

Mission San Juan Bautista 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

This is an outing organzied by the Senior Center.  

$40 with lunch, $25 without  

Call Maggie or Suzanne, 644-6107 

 

Three Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley South Branch Library 

1901 Russell St. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

649-3943 

 

More Little Pigs 

7 p.m.  

Berkeley North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets huff and puff and blow the house down.  

 

“The Hand of Buddha” 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck (at Rose) 

In her new book poet, columnist and travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin explores the lives of women from different ethnic backgrounds and in moments of crisis. Free 

Call 843-3533 

 

Quest for Justice 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Bade Museum 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

A reception and discussion with the artists of “Quest for Justice: The Story of Korean Comfort Women as Told Through their Art,” an exhibit on display at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.  

849-8244 

 

Even Seniors Get the Blues 

1 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A holiday blues support group with Lyn Rayburn.  

 

Recognizing Alzheimer’s Disease 

10 - 11:30 a.m.  

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 

Summit North Pavilion 

Annexes B & C  

350 Hawthorne Ave.  

Oakland  

Susan Londerville, MD, Gerentologist, will discuss how to recognize the signs and common symptoms of Alzheimer’s and how to distinguish them from normal aging. Free 

Call Ellen Carroll, 869-6737  

 


Wednesday, Nov. 15

 

Even More Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Library Claremont Branch 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets help Little Red Riding Hood get to Grandma’s house.  

 

Healthful Holiday Cooking 

11:30 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Natalie. Free 

 

Community Action Commission & 

Berkeley Homeless Commission  

Joint Public Hearing  

7 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. (at Ashby) 

The purpose of this hearing is to allow low-income residents of Berkeley, and people who use the services to inform these agencies about what services they need.  

Call Marianne Graham, 665-3475  

 

Making Additions Match 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by architect/colunist Arrol Gellner.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

 


Thursday, Nov. 16

 

Reminiscing in Swingtime 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Library  

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

George Yoshida, author and jazz drummer, presents a multi-media program recounting the big band experience in the Japanese American internment camps. The presentation will be capped with a set of live jazz by the George Yoshida Quartet. 

Call for more info: 644-6850 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

 

Free blood pressure screenings 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

free 

869-6737 

 

Three Little Pigs  

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library West Branch  

1125 University Ave.  

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

 

Tai Chi for Seniors  

2 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Tai Chi master Mr. Chang. Free 

 

Sea Kayaking in the Bay Area and Baja 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Mitch Powers of Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center presents slides of some of his favorite paddling destinations and gives tips on selecting gear, paddling safety and planning trips. Free 

Call 527-4140 

 

HVAC for Beginners 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning for beginners seminar taught by contractor/engineer Eric Burtt.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

 


Friday, Nov. 17

 

Community Dance Party 

7:45 - 9:45 p.m. 

Live Oak Park 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Come learn to dance with easy instructions presented by the Berkeley Folk Dancers.  

Teens $2; Adult Non-members $4 

Information: 525-3030  

 

California Energy Re-Structuring 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Severin Borenstein, director at the UC Energy Institute will speak.  

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533  

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 

Housing Clinic for Seniors 

3 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A housing clinic with the East Bay Community Law Center. Free  

 


Saturday, Nov. 18

 

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Fourteen hours of free concerts, workshops, jam sessions and to top it off a Saturday night dance. The fifth annual Folk Festival will feature Shay & Michael Black, Spectre Double Negative & the Equal Positive, Larry Hanks, Wake the Dead and many others. Sponsored by Charles Schwab and the City of Berkeley.  

More info or to volunteer: 525-5099 

 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of local filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

 

Zuni Fetish Show  

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

Gathering Tribes  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Fresh from a trip to Zuni, Janet & Diane from Beyond Tradition will have new fetishes and jewelry. This is the last fetish show of the year for Gathering Tribes.  

Call 528-9038 

 


Sunday, Nov. 19

 

Soprano Deborah Voigt 

Cal Performances  

3 p.m.  

Voigt’s performance is a postponment from her original Oct. 15 date. The program will remain unchanged. 

$28-$48 For tickets call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

 

Mt. Madonna & Wine  

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Hike through evergreen forests and visit the remains of a 19th century estate, then finish the day with a visit to Kruse Winery. One of many free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: (415) 255-3233 for reservations 

 

“Drawing Marathon”  

Merritt College’s Art Building 

Live models, group poses.  

$12 for half a day, $20 for a full day, senior and student discounts available. No cameras or turpentine. 

523-9763 

 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of Berkeley filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

 


Monday, Nov. 20

 

The Music of Israel 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the music of Israel, from the early pioneers of Palestine to the latest rock.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 21

 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

Noon - 2 p.m.  

Alta Bates Medical Center, Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Call D.L. Malinousky, 601-0550 

 

Environmental Solutions! 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332  

 


Saturday, Nov. 25

 

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Get map from: 

1250 Addison St. #214 

or download at: http://www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Over one hundred professional artists and craftspeople open up their studios and workspaces to the public. All styles of artistic expression are represented. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. 

Call 845-2612 

 


Monday, Nov. 27

 

To Make the World Whole 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses songs of peace, protest and change from labor, feminists, peace, and environmental activists of the past 125 years, that inspired others to action. 

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 29

 

Wanderlust: Tales of Adventure and Romance 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Jeff Greenwald and other travel writers discuss the art of writing travel literature and how to make a living doing it.  

Call 843-3533 

 


Thursday, Nov. 30

 

Pro Arts Juried Show Reception 

6 - 8 p.m.  

Pro Arts 

461 Ninth St.  

Oakland 

With the work of 70 artists, this annual show features the work of emerging and mid-career artists. The show runs through December 30. See A&E calendar for details.  

 

Snowshoeing Basics  

7 p.m . 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional snowshoe guide Cathy Anderson-Meyers gives basic instruction on how to get out and experience Tahoe’s winter terrain on “shoes.”  

Call 527-4140 

 


Letters to the Editor

Wednesday November 01, 2000

Don’t ask Nader  

to step aside 

Editor: 

It’s wrong to ask Nader to drop out because he spoils Gore’s chances. If the Nader votes are honestly cast, the nation should know that Greens are a coming power. Voting is a group activity: each vote shows solidarity with a group. It’s an insult to tell Green voters that they are “really” voting for Bush. 

The problem is not Nader; it’s that too many people have been talked into voting for Bush. Perhaps all those people really do want the EPA dismantled, corporations free to do what they like, and the Christian Right imposing their religious beliefs on the rest of us. If a substantial number of Bush voters do not favor these things, then they are the ones who should drop out, not Nader. 

 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley 

 

Bush laughs at global warming, other dangers 

 

Editor: 

“What would it be like if one of us ran for president?” my roommate and I asked ourselves. It was early in the morning, neither of us was dressed, and I at least hadn’t had coffee.  

“I identify with Gore,” I said, too groggy to be less than honest. I know that a lack of subtlety and finesse would be my downfall too. 

My roommate, an environmentalist with her eye always on the ecological ball, said that as a presidential candidate she would appeal for change. “We have to restructure everything about the way we live,” she said. But she knew, she told me, that as she stood on the campaign stump, tomatoes would fly as an unruly crowd shouted and jeered at her environmental message. 

Here, I had to stop her. Isn’t it clear from recent events that our crowd would not shout away my friend’s message. Wouldn’t these people, these Americans, led by a simpering George W., simply laugh it off? Isn’t that what happened in Illinois? But it was Gore’s tax plan (a small part of it) that was lampooned in place of my poor friend, as Bush encouraged his audience’s laughter at electric-gasoline cars and solar panels.  

What is Bush playing at? Global warming is real. The Sierra Club, the EPA, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), and others agree. Some parts of the world have warmed by as much as 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit and scientists predict that the average global temperature will increase 1.8 to 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. This should be a real problem for people living in California where hotter, drier conditions could increase the frequency and intensity of our already too frequent and intense wild fires. Isn’t it really rather stupid to laugh at these things? 

But maybe the more important question is: What is Bush playing on. Why would 52 percent of us, according to the latest Gallup, prefer to watch Bush smirk for the, next four years rather than change anything about our lifestyles?  

Laura Benedict 

Berkeley 

 

Nader lacks resume  

for presidency  

Editor: 

For those flirting with voting for Nader rather than Gore because he’s greener, think again. Nader is not the better messenger for the earth’s agenda. Unlike Gore, who has a substantial resume for the Presidency along with being a formidable environmental policymaker, Nader, as a consumer advocate, does not have the credentials to be President nor is he a very informed spokesman for the planet. And it is doubtless that Nader could well become the spoiler tight race, a point reinforced by his behavior. The ironic effect is that votes for Nader could become defacto votes for Bush in many states; green votes could translate into scorched earth votes. 

I am voting for Gore, recognizing his faults and compromises, but also assured that he is the among the best Presidential candidates we’ve ever had for the environment -- as he has worked for it throughout his 20 years in Congress, and been an advocate for environmental initiatives as Vice President, including: the Kyoto Protocols (Global Warming) -- which he helped author, set asides of new national monuments, Wilderness and Roadless Area Protection, Lands Legacy, among others. He has the intelligence and the background to address complex issues like global warming, forest and species protection. And he has been the major voice for greening the Clinton Whitehouse throughout these past eight years. I have grown tired of Nader’s “tweedle-dum, tweedle-dee” references to Gore and Bush. That such rhetoric is intellectually dishonest and politically dangerous is dramatically illustrated by the savage attacks Nader has made on the Gore and by a letter he recently wrote to environmentalists condemning the Vice President’s environmental credentials. But as Carl Pope Director of the Sierra Club responded to it, Nader has “no right to slander those who disagree” with him until he can answer how he would “protect the people and places who would be put in harm’s way, or destroyed, by a Bush presidency.” 

While it’s understandable that we all are tired of business as usual in government, let’s not be naive about political processes that might seem easier to ignore or curse than deal with. Rather, let’s be realistic and remember that change comes best by reforming the system from within it: Gore is clearly better equipped to do this than Nader. Moreover, Nader’s campaign shows a lack of consideration for the consequences of his strategies, yet another illustration of the left (represented by the Green Party) serving to splinter rather than unite people of conscience, drawing away drawing votes away from the only candidate who would likely be an effective president, and one who believes that protection of the earth is an organizing principle for this millenium. 

At such a critical time in our history, effectiveness is needed, not ideological purity. For the environment, for women’s choice, for reducing greenhouse gases, for the Supreme Court – and for a far greater likelihood of effecting lasting and positive change for the greatest number I believe that Gore is the best choice and encourage your vote for him, too. 

John Steere 

Elyce Judith 

Michael Fried 

Sue Olive 

Berkeley 

 

Presidential elections: exercises in power, not principle 

 

Editor: 

Message to Ralph Nader’s Greens who argue that we can afford to have Al Gore lose this election if they get enough votes to build their party. Grow up! 

Many American leftists foolishly believe that once they irrevocably muck something up, those most harmed by their actions will flock to them for leadership. It never happens. In 1966, many left-wing California organizations refused to support then governor Edmund “Pat” Brown and de-facto threw the election to Ronald Reagan. Similarly, John Anderson’s third party efforts helped elect Reagan president (even Anderson later regretted it). In neither of these cases, did the “masses” rise up with the left to dispose of Reagan. If anything, they moved further right with him.  

That is why it took conservative democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore to recapture the White House. 

The sad truth is that presidential elections are exercises in power, not principle. The next president will appoint a voting majority to the Supreme Court, who will far outlive his term. He will decide whether to drill in the Alaska wilderness, or offshore in California. He will either allow RU-486 with no restrictions or work to keep it from American women. Those choices are real and matter beyond the narrow confines of your party’s agenda. (An agenda that will be irrelevant because you will have no means to exercise it beyond group hugs at meetings and maybe a few House Representatives.) 

If I wake up to “George Bush’s America,” I will not be happy. I will have a president who does not know what ENDA means. I will watch primarily poor and minority children attend voucher schools with inadequate funding and no oversight. I will see a Supreme Court so right-wing, that I will probably miss Chief Justice Rehnquist. 

I assure you that I will not look to the Green Party for leadership. Nor do I think that I will be alone in this assessment. Your selfishness, and your refusal to think beyond the consequences of your actions, shows me that you are incapable of building coalitions. Those most harmed by your actions will be scrambling for survival and in need of real leadership. The rest of the country will continue its rightward drift.  

I shudder to think what type of candidate it will take to recapture the  

White House after Bush. 

 

Catherine S. Daly 

Berkeley 

 

Support AA and BB 

 

Editor:  

One of the cornerstones of a good school system is well-built facilities and safety systems that are adequately maintained. Measures AA&BB would provide this. 

Measure AA would continue the rehabilitation of school buildings (mainly classrooms) as well as updating alarm and fire sprinkler systems. Measure AA will not increase our tax rate – rather, it extends the maximum tax rate from the 1992 bond measure. Measure BB would ensure that our school facilities and safety systems are maintained. 

These two measures would set high standards for our buildings and grounds and would send a clear message that we hold to high standards for teaching and learning. A yes vote on Measures AA & BB obviously makes sense. 

 

Ted Schultz 

Berkeley Parent,  

School Board Director 


Cottage clearing causes confusion

John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Wednesday November 01, 2000

A property owner who demolished an 80-year-old cottage in north Berkeley to build a much larger home has been slapped with a Stop Work Order. 

As reported in the Berkeley Daily Planet on Oct. 27, residents on a quiet tree-lined street were surprised when the cottage at 1728 Delaware St. was suddenly gone. They said owner Patrick Mebine, a computer programmer in San Francisco, assured them the project was only a remodel and addition that would incorporate the existing structure. 

Builders had completed the foundation and laid some of the flooring on the new 3,000 square foot project when the city halted work on the site last Friday.  

“The city has issued a Stop Work Order and Patrick Mebine has been advised that he will have to appear before the Zoning Adjustment Board for a Use Permit Modification,” Said Matt Le Grant, the senior planner at the Planing and Development Department.  

Le Grant said it could take a month or longer before work on the project will begin again.  

Mebine said he thought he received permission from the city to demolish the cottage. He said he is uncertain what the Stop Work Order will accomplish because the cottage is gone and in the meantime the unfinished project will just sit there. “It’s not good for the neighbors, it’s not good for me and it’s not good for the contractor and sub-contractors,” he said. 

He said the project contractor had no other work scheduled and is now out of work.  

Mebine filed a Zoning Project Application last year in which he described his plans as a “Remodel of, and addition to existing dwelling resulting in 1,657 additional square feet of usable floor space.” 

Notices of a public hearing before the ZAB were mailed out to neighbors and notices were posted in the immediate area.  

The notices announced the project as a “Partial house demolition, major residential addition and hot tub.” 

In addition Mebine went to his neighbors and showed them an architect’s drawings that incorporated the existing cottage into the remodel.  

He presented the same plans to ZAB and they issued a Use Permit allowing for additional square footage and construction of a hot tub. The Use Permit also allowed for the demolition of “more than 50 percent of the building’s walls and roof so as to constitute a demolition of an existing 1,200-square foot dwelling.” 

The Use Permit is the governing document that specifies what is permitted on all development sites. 

Mebine said when his contractor took a look at the cottage he strongly recommended demolishing the entire structure. “He said all I’d be saving is some studs that might not meet city requirements,” Mebine said. He agreed with the contractor and decided to completely demolish the cottage. 

Mebine applied for and received a demolition permit from the city and said no one at the permit center told him there would be a problem. 

But Assistant City Attorney Zack Cowan said any permit for demolition would not supersede the conditions of the Use Permit. “At the point he decided to change his plans he should have gone back to the city for approval,” he said. 

Cowan said the conditions of the Use Permit are created by representations made to the Zoning Adjustments Board and once the Use Permit goes into effect those representations bind the property owner.  

At no time did Mebine ever present to ZAB any plans that described a demolition of the cottage. 

Mabine will now have go through the application process again. Which means waiting for available space on the calendar for another public hearing before ZAB. He will also have to post and mail hearing notices to residents in the project area. Zab will then decide whether to award Mebine permission to demolish a building that no longer exists. 

“I’m not sure how the board will vote,” said ZAB member Gene Poshman. “We’re kinda back at square one.”


Halloween hauntings

John Geluardi/Daily Planet
Wednesday November 01, 2000

Christ Klinger-Desade, as Psychotic Jill in the Box, springs from her hiding place scaring the brave souls who ventured into the Haunted House on Fifth Street. Scott Connolly and Madeline Stanionois have organized the Halloween scare fest for the last three years. Entrance to the Haunted House was free but those who survived the three stories of  

Halloween-styled fright Tuesday were asked to make a small donation to Access to Software For All People.


School vouchers losing support

By Ana Campoy Special to the Daily Planet
Wednesday November 01, 2000

Americans tell pollsters they are unsatisfied with the current state of the nation’s public schools and the presidential candidates can’t stop talking about education.  

All of this would make it seem the perfect time for dot-com millionaire Timothy Draper to launch an initiative to offer parents a $4,000 voucher to send children to the school of their choice. 

But instead of taking off as the bilingual education initiative did last year, Draper’s Proposition 38 is now behind in the polls, dropping from 45 percent in August to 37 percent last month, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.  

Educational experts and political scientists blame Proposition 38’s failure to catch on to everything from an inappropriate campaign strategy, to negative perceptions of vouchers and a misreading of the polls on education. 

To begin with, they said, it is easy to misread the voters’ desire for change in the education system. 

Americans may be unsatisfied with schools in general, but they are mostly satisfied with their local schools. This is true especially among the parents of school-age children. The vast majority, 70 percent, grade their kid’s schools with As and Bs, according to the 2000 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s attitude toward Public Schools. 

In addition, Proposition 38 supporters decision to make access to the voucher system universal, instead of targeting it to low-income children, played against them.  

“The majority of parents with kids in inner-city schools don’t vote so the backers said ‘if we just make it for the poor people we won’t have enough voters,’” said Pam Riley, a political scientist from the Pacific Research Institute. 

The campaign failed to ally with organizations such as the Catholic Conference, which could have helped to move middle to higher income voters around the subject, she said. The Catholic Church’s 718 schools, which serve 254,000 of the state’s students could have given Proposition 38 support from those type of families, as Riley predicted. 

Moreover, involving Catholic educators would have also provided an expert opinion on the mechanics of running a school, said Luis Huerta, researcher of the Policy Analysis of California Education, a joint effort between UC Berkeley and Stanford University.  

“The Catholic Conference would have flat out just told them that $4,000 was not enough to run a school,” he said. 

But the initiative’s campaign strategy is not the only factor working against it. Vouchers have a bad reputation. Less than 4 percent of Americans see vouchers as an effective action to improve public schools in the United States, according to this year’s Gallup polls. More than 50 percent of Californians think that passage of the voucher initiative will not help the public school system, or the students with the lowest test scores, according to the Public Policy Institute’s findings. 

Moreover, with the economy booming, California residents have seen big changes in the education, system in recent years, including more funding, improved bonuses for students and teachers, increased accountability through tests and smaller class sizes. 

“(Prop. 38) is a hard sell in the current state of California because if we are seeing improvements, why are we going decentralize and risk whatever gains we have been making?” asked Huerta. 

To top it all, Proposition 38 would cost California residents at least $2.6 billion dollars, and so far now, there is no evidence that it would work. None of the other existing voucher programs in the country are based on the universal access that Proposition 38 promises. 

“It is a more drastic measure than most people are comfortable with,” said Kim Rueben, education research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. 

But even if Proposition 38 fails, its presence on the ballot has given public schools a wake-up call. 

Its second one. 

The first was in 1993, when another voucher initiative, Proposition 174, was on the ballot. 

Although it failed with a ratio of 3-to-1, it did have an impact on the education system: It strengthened the charter school movement, Riley said. 

Since then, 261 charter schools that serve 121,000 students have sprouted in California. 

The current voucher initiative could have less impact on school choice, but more on its less publicized half: state school funding, said Huerta. 

“One positive thing is that it calls attention to folks that school funding is still very low to 

compete with other states,” he said. 

 

 

 


Old enough to make a difference

By Helen Rippier Wheeler
Wednesday November 01, 2000

Seniors will make a difference Nov. 7. There are almost 5 million of us 65 years old and older living in California.  

So I decided a ask a diverse group of seniors about their voting preferences and concerns. 

Many have bought the argument that one’s vote doesn't matter. Joe Dallas, at lunch at the senior center, firmly declared he doesn’t vote, doesn’t believe in it.  

Most seniors with whom I come in contact oppose State Proposition 38, school vouchers, but support Berkeley Measures R, the warm water pool, Y, eviction controls and County Measure B/transportation funding.  

No one mentions Bush-Gore! 

Nancy Blumenstock is a founding mother of Berkeley-based editcetera, a former UC Press editor with World War II top secret clearance.  

By absentee ballot, she’s voting for Berkeley Measures R “extremely important,” she says, Y “...although I doubt it would protect me, a project-based Section 8 tenant,” and Z/low-rent housing; State Proposition 36/drug treatment and probation instead of incarceration – “jail serves no purpose whatever,” she says and County Measure B “I am disabled and rely on taxi scrip.”  

Did she listen to the Presidential debates? “I carefully avoided them!”  

Before retiring, 57-year-old Alberta Sitlani was a Social Security Administration claims representative.  

A former Commission on Aging member, she is no longer able to involve herself in senior activities.  

“Dismayed” about people who don’t vote, she considers Measure B the most important. She will vote to continue California Assemblyperson Dion Louise Aroner.  

“I have never been politically involved,” declared Aiko Yamamoto, a Nisei – a person whose parents immigrated from Japan – who was incarcerated in a World War II relocation camp. She relies on League of Women Voters analyses. Increasingly aware of her good judgment in purchasing her home years ago, she realizes the present housing crisis would make life very difficult for her – a divorced grandmother.  

“I like what Nader says but I fear voting for him is like voting for Bush; if only Nader had been allowed to debate... I’ll vote straight democratic. I always vote Yes on schools and libraries.”  

Elvira Rose is a Berkeley-born Hispanic, a great grandmother completing her second term as president of the North Berkeley Senior Center Advisory Council.  

She opposes State Prop 33, which allows legislators’ Public Employees’ Retirement System participation.  

A Thousand Oaks home-owner, she is not sure how she will go about deciding among the four Council District 5 candidates; also unsure about Prop 38 and doesn’t want to give an opinion on Measure Y, owner move-in evictions.  

A Democrat who on occasion “does cross,” she will vote for “the library of course – it affects everyone.”  

Eighty-plus Eleanor Gibson delivers Meals on Wheels to shut-in seniors and co-chairs the Older Women’s League chapter. She owns her own Berkeley Hills home. “As a senior citizen housing advocate, I am quite discouraged. ‘Affordable housing’ does not make for low enough rents. I will vote for Measure D because it tries to prevent urban sprawl and supports infill of the present spaces in cities, and for Measure Z, for 500 units of low-income housing in Berkeley. It is a bit vague but its message is correct.” 

A Green Party member, Charlie Betcher considers County Measure B and City Measures Y and Z the most important ballot choices for disabled and aged persons; his votes for State Senate and Assembly go to incumbents Perata and Aroner. Kudos to chair Charlie for bringing the problem of elder abuse to the Commission on Aging’s table. 

As for me, I voted several weeks ago, using the new electronic voting machine at the City Clerk’s office.  

 

Helen Wheeler invites comments and suggestions: pen136@inreach.com. She is a member of the: Alameda County Advisory Commission on Aging and its Legislative Advocacy Committee, North Berkeley Senior Center Advisory Council and Berkeley Housing Authority, and a former Berkeley Commission on Aging Vice Chair. 


Group launches campaign against Proposition 37

Bay City News
Wednesday November 01, 2000

Opponents of Proposition 37 held a news conference in front of the Chevron refinery in Richmond today to urge voters to defeat the proposition they say is financed by big businesses.  

Representatives from the California Public Interest Research Group, Clean Water Action and the American Lung Association were joined by Berkeley City Councilman Kriss Worthington today to call attention to the proposition, which they say would protect certain industries from paying for any pollution or sicknesses they cause.  

Linda Wiener, with the American Lung Association, said the proposition could pass unnoticed by voters who might end up supporting it unknowingly in next Tuesday's election. 

According to the opponents, the proposition is backed primarily by big business – including the alcohol, tobacco and oil industries – because it would make it harder for legislators to impose monetary penalties or mitigation fees, collected to pay for clean-up or other mitigation costs for activities that cause harm to people or the environment. 

The proposition would amend the state’s constitution to redefine those mitigation fees as taxes.  

Under such a designation, the state legislature would have to come up with a two-thirds vote to raise the amount collected, while a two-thirds vote of the people would be needed to increase the taxes at a local level. 

Under the current mitigation fee designation, only a majority is needed by either the legislature or the public to increase the fees. 

According to opponents of the proposition, the tax designation would make it virtually impossible to collect money from the targeted industries for community programs, and the cost would be passed on to taxpayers. 

Sarah Dahan of Clean Water Action said, “It is irresponsible that the oil industry would rather shift the cost of their own clean-up to the taxpayer.” 

In accordance with Tuesday’s Halloween celebrations, Councilman Worthington compared the proposition, named the “Two Thirds Vote Preservation Act,” as a razor inside of an apple. 

Worthington said, “As our children trick or treat for nickles and dimes, the oil and chemical industries are attempting to trick the republic to get them millions of dollars in exemptions from paying regulatory fees protecting the environment.” 

Austin Lee, spokesman for the campaign in support of the proposition, said the idea that the taxes would be shifted over to taxpayers in inaccurate. 

He noted that the California Taxpayers Association and the California Chamber of Commerce are among the co-sponsors of the proposition, showing, he said, that the coalition’s position is wrong. 

“All we want to do is clearly define what a tax is and what a fee is,” Lee said. 

Lee said the proposition is drafted so that those who are  

causally responsible for incidents that compromise public safety are held accountable for their actions. 

But the current system, which Lee said targets small firms that may not be causally responsible for incidents, puts businesses at a competitive disadvantage. 

If anything, he said, taxpayers are currently at a disadvantage with the system that “opens the floodgates” on taxes disguised as fees. 

“The consumers are actually going to bear the burden of such  

increases,” he said.


State tops in biotech crop research, but slow to use

The Associated Press
Wednesday November 01, 2000

DAVIS — Though California researchers are at the forefront of agricultural biotechnology, the commercial use of genetically modified crops is sparse compared to widespread use in the Midwest. 

“That’s kind of the paradox,” said Kent Bradford, director of the seed biotechnology center at the University of California, Davis. “UC has some of the original patents for recombinant DNA and a lot of research capability. But it mostly hasn’t gone into the commercial market here.” 

That’s not due to a public outcry over “Frankenfoods” or concerns for safety, but because California’s agriculture covers more than 250 crops, as opposed to the Midwest’s reliance on corn and soybeans, said Judith Kjelstrom, associate director of the biotechnology center at UC Davis. 

“They’re niche crops, not the large crops. The research into the niche crops is slower and is just coming into play over the next few years,” she said. 

UC Davis officials estimate that within the nine-campus UC system there are 200 invention disclosures on agriculture biotechnology – the first step toward a patent. About half of those are from UC Davis, said school spokeswoman Pat Bailey. 

The international environmental group Greenpeace warned last week that if California farmers jump into genetically modified crops, it could harm the state’s $26.8 billion agriculture economy. 

The Greenpeace report looked at six of the state’s agricultural products – rice, walnuts, grapes, lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes – that amount to $1.1 billion a year in exports to Japan, Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. 

Consumers in those countries are reluctant to buy genetically engineered products, with some governments requiring labeling and others banning their import, said Jim Tischer, director of the Davis-based Community Alliance with Family Farmers. 

The result, Tischer said, would be a glut of GMO products with no place to sell them. 

“It would be horrific, as highly regarded as California farm products are in foreign markets, to have them be tainted with the genetically engineered label,” said Tischer. 

California has a reputation for organic growing and makes up a good portion of that $6.6 billion industry nationwide, he said. 

“You can have thriving organic growers who have a genetically engineered crop go in the next field, and there goes your crops,” he said. 

While scientists are testing genetically modified strains of those crops, commercial use of GMOs in California is limited to cotton and a small percentage of corn, said Bradford, who also is a professor of vegetable crops at UC Davis. 

“We’re behind the curve, since the companies mainly targeted the big crops like corn and soybean in the Midwest. We have very little corn and soybeans aren’t grown here,” he said. “It’s just taking much longer to develop those markets.” 

Most of the crops that scientists have tinkered with are geared to making life easier for farmers, not consumers, Kjelstrom said. 

“There are advances in herbicide-tolerant lettuce, but the industry isn’t real excited about that,” she said. “They were hoping for something like golden rice that has increased Vitamin A – a poster child for biotechnology.” 

Golden rice – genetically modified to contain extra beta carotene – is advertised as a way to reduce blindness brought on by a Vitamin A deficiency, a condition that affects millions in Third World countries. 

Kjelstrom said biotechnology is not only safe, it has the potential to feed the world as the planet’s population grows. 

“We’ll have to be able to grow on less-than-desirable land,” she said. “We’re going to have to have new crops that can grow in salty or drought-stricken soil. We have to think of the future.” 

Bradford believes the use of GMO in most crops is inevitable. 

“Commercialization is still a few years off. All the industries involved want to make sure the public will accept it,” he said. 

“The problem now is marketing. Greenpeace has hit it.” 

 

The state’s rice industry has taken measures to ensure that the GMO and traditional rice won’t be mixed in silos or in transportation to appease public apprehension. 

“They worked very hard to get into the Japanese market. They don’t want to lose that,” Bradford said. 

While Greenpeace cites surveys showing that the U.S. public wants GMO products labeled, limited or banned, Tom Hoban, a researcher at North Carolina State University, said consumers place genetically engineered foods at the bottom of their list of concerns. 

Even the recent discovery that GMO corn not approved for human consumption was found in taco shells and corn chips hasn’t changed the public’s opinion about altered crops, Hoban said. 

Hoban is conducting an ongoing study of the public’s attitude toward GMOs and said when it comes to food safety, microbial contamination and pesticide use are the top concerns. 

Tim Johnson, president and CEO of the Rice Growers Association, said the California rice industry will respond to what customers want. If that’s GMO, then rice growers will produce it, he said. 

But he said he’s not concerned that public opinion of the genetically altered strains will create a glut of GMO rice without a buyer. 

“We honestly don’t know if they will be in production in California. It takes between seven and 10 years to bring rice to production,” he said. 

Tischer’s organization, which promotes sustainable and organic farming, is proposing a moratorium on GMO crops until testing protocols are redesigned. 

“We also think the biotech companies should be prepared to stand behind the products, and indemnify the farmers who buy their crops from liability and loss of market,” Tischer said. 

On the Net: 

Read the Greenpeace report at www.greenpeaceusa.org 

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is at www.cdfa.ca.gov 


Comic Steve Allen dies at age 78

The Associated Press
Wednesday November 01, 2000

LOS ANGELES — Steve Allen, who pioneered the enduring late-night talk show with the original “Tonight Show” and produced a stream of songs and books, was remembered Tuesday as a comic who became a renaissance man. 

Allen, 78, died Monday night of an apparent heart attack at the Encino home of his son, Bill Allen. 

“He said he was a little tired after dinner. He went to relax, peacefully, and never reawakened,” his son said.  

Steve Allen’s wife, actress Jayne Meadows, was “distraught” at the loss of her husband of 46 years, Bill Allen said. She had stayed home while her husband visited with their son and his family at their nearby house. 

“Like the rest of America, Dolores and I share in the sadness of Steve Allen’s death but celebrate his great and full life. We’ll miss him. He left us too early,” comedian Bob Hope said in a statement. 

“All of us who have hosted the “Tonight Show” format owe a debt of gratitude to Steve Allen. He was a most creative innovator and brilliant entertainer,” said former “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson. 

And current “Tonight” host Jay Leno said of Allen: “He was one of the sharpest guys off the cuff. He never played dumb. He played many characters, straight man and comic, and he did each role perfectly. But the role he played best was Steve Allen.” 

“He had a magnificent mind. He was a kind, gentle, warm man. He would be embarrassed for me now, because I can’t put into words the way I felt about this man. I loved him,” entertainer Dick Clark said. 

In recent years, Allen used his celebrity to lobby against what he saw as increasing and dangerous vulgarity and violence in media. He was featured in a series of newspaper advertisements calling on viewers to demand more family friendly TV shows, including an ad that ran Tuesday in his hometown Los Angeles Times. 

Allen’s versatility made him a force in music, theater and television and more for decades. The day before his death, he performed in concert at an area college. 

Besides starring the King of Swing in the 1956 movie “The Benny Goodman Story,” Allen appeared in Broadway shows, on soap operas, wrote newspaper columns, commented on wrestling broadcasts, made 40 record albums, wrote plays and a TV series featuring historical figures in roundtable discussions. 

Several Allen tunes were recorded by pop vocalists; the most popular was “This May Be the Start of Something Big.” 

His skill as an ad libber became apparent in his early career as a disc jockey in Phoenix. He once interrupted the playing of records to announce: “Sports fans, I have the final score for you on the big game between Harvard and William & Mary. It is: Harvard 14, William 12, Mary 6.” 

Allen was born to vaudeville comedians Billy Allen and Belle Montrose in New York City on Dec. 26, 1921. Steve was 18 months old when his father died, and his mother continued touring the theater circuits alone while Steve grew up in the care of relatives. 

In the early 1940s Allen dropped out of college to work as a disc jockey and entertainer at radio station KOY in Phoenix before he was drafted in 1943. 

He was soon released because of asthma, returned to KOY, and married his college sweetheart, Dorothy Goodman. They had three sons, Steve Jr., David and Brian, and divorced in 1952. 

Allen moved to Los Angeles and began offering his comedy and music on local radio. He and Meadows married in 1954 and had one son, William (Bill) Allen. 

His midnight show on KNX attracted national attention in 1950 when it was carried on the CBS network as a summer replacement. The radio networks were converting to television, and he was brought to New York by CBS for “The Steve Allen Show.” 

Allen’s most enduring achievement came with the introduction of “The Tonight Show” in 1953. The show began as “Tonight” on the New York NBC station WNBT, then moved to the network on Sept. 27, 1954. 

Amid the formality of early TV, “Tonight” was a breath of fresh air. The show began with Allen noodling at the piano, playing some of his compositions and commenting wittily on events of the day. He moved to a desk, chatted with guests, taking part in sketches, doing zany man-in-the street interviews. 

Allen’s popularity led NBC in 1956 to schedule “The Steve Allen Show” on Sunday evenings opposite “The Ed Sullivan Show” on CBS. 

A variation of “Tonight,” the primetime show was notable for its “Man in the Street Interview” featuring new comics Louis Nye (“Hi-ho, Steverino”), Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Pat Harrington and Bill Dana. The show lasted through 1961, airing the last year on ABC. 

Allen cut back his “Tonight’ duties to three nights a week when the primetime show started. He left even that in 1956. He was replaced for a season by Ernie Kovacs, then NBC tried a new format in 1957, “Tonight! America after Dark.” It failed, and “Tonight” resumed with Jack Paar, followed by Johnny Carson in 1962 and Jay Leno in 1992. 

Over the years, Allen remained busy with concerts and with appearances in movies and TV series, often with his wife. Her sister, the late Audrey Meadows, played Alice in Jackie Gleason’s “The Honeymooners.” 

A self-styled advocate of “radical middle-of-the-roadism,” Allen often spoke out on political matters such as capital punishment, nuclear policy and freedom of expression. 

He joined with the Parents Television Council, a nonprofit, conservative group based in Los Angeles, to speak out against TV content in a series of ads. In a speech last year, he said shows such as “Jenny Jones” have “taken television to the garbage dump.” 

Allen was proudest of his 1976-79 PBS series “Meeting of Minds.” He moderated a panel of actors impersonating historic figures such as Galileo, Cleopatra (played by Jayne Meadows) and Attila the Hun, who explained their diverse philosophies. 

Besides his wife and children, Allen is survived by 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 

In addition to private services, which had yet to be planned, the family intends to organize a service at which Allen’s friends in the industry can share stories about him, his son Bill said. 


Vote-swapping sites shut down

The Associated Press
Wednesday November 01, 2000

SACRAMENTO — Two Internet sites offering to trade votes among supporters of Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader and Democratic candidate Al Gore have been shut down. 

The Web sites were taken offline Monday evening after the California secretary of state, the state’s top elections officer, told the site administrators that the vote trading violated California law. 

The sites www.voteswap200.com and www.voteexchange.org allowed Gore voters to trade their vote for a Nader vote in another state where the presidential race is close. 

If successful, the trade would manipulate the electoral college election system by helping Gore win undecided states. 

A fair swap would also help Nader maintain support that could get the Green Party federal election dollars in 2004. 

At least three other vote-swapping sites targeting Nader supporters remained online Tuesday. 

“This is not only illegal but it compromises the integrity of elections and the fundamental underpinnings of elections. We can’t take this lightly,” said Alfie Charles, spokesman for Secretary of State Bill Jones. 

Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury said Tuesday that he is not convinced that the sites are illegal. He has asked the state’s attorney general investigate the issue. 

In Oregon, Nader voters could swing the election in the favor of Republican candidate George W. Bush. 

Green Party volunteers in Oregon pointed out that because the state has an all-mail-in ballot, the site may have already done damage to the Nader campaign. 

“There is no reason to think that anyone who signs up for these sites is a real person and there is no way to know if these people are going to vote the way they promise,” said Dan Meek, a Portland attorney volunteering for the Nader campaign. 

Because state officials have little authority over Web sites, other vote-swapping sites could remain online until they are removed by the site author or the company that issued the domain name. 

Earlier this month, Jones announced an investigation into what California voters had offered to sell their votes on www.vote-auction.com. The site offers a block of more than 2,500 California votes to the highest bidder. 

On Tuesday, the block of votes for president in California was selling for $19.61. 

State officials are also cracking down on smaller Web sites. Colin Goldman, a Libertarian candidate running for a Southern California assembly seat was offering a $1,000 raffle to people promising to vote for him. 

That site was shut down Oct. 26 after state officials complained. 

——— 

On the Net: 

VoteSwap2000: http://www.voteswap200.com 

NaderTrader: http://www.NaderTrader.org 

VoteExchange.com: http://www.voteexchange.com 

VoteExchange.org: http://www.voteexchange.org 

Winchell: http://winchell.com/NaderTrader 

Vote-Auction: http://www.vote-auction.com 

Bush campaign site: http://www.georgewbush.com 

Gore campaign site: http://www.gorelieberman.com 

Nader campaign site: http://www.votenader.com 


Betty Ford Center decries Prop. 36

The Associated Press
Wednesday November 01, 2000

SACRAMENTO — One of the nation’s best known drug treatment centers is weighing in against an initiative on next week’s ballot designed to provide more treatment programs. 

“A lot of people have expressed surprise that the Betty Ford Center would oppose an initiative that’s about treatment,” center President and CEO John Schwarzlose said Tuesday. 

The initiative would require that first- and second-time drug users be sent to treatment instead of prison or jail. That, and a lack of funding for frequent, random drug tests, means users can’t be held accountable, Schwarzlose said. 

Proponents countered that California’s current treatment system isn’t working, as evidenced by the record number of people imprisoned for drug possession. 

However, the sort of treatment allowed under Proposition 36 is a far cry from what his center provides, Schwarzlose said prior to a news conference at the Rancho Mirage-based center, which has treated Hollywood celebrities and other well-known people. 

“I truly believe the Texaco on the corner could hold treatment sessions,” Schwarzlose said. It would be better to increase funding for existing treatment programs and California’s successful drug courts, he said. 

Dale Gieringer, director of the San Francisco-based Drug Policy Forum of California, noted that drug courts treat about 5 percent of users, while California prisons held a record 20,116 inmates on simple drug possession charges as of June 30. Those inmates made up a record 12.4 percent of the prison system’s population. 

“We’ve had drug courts now for the better part of a decade, and they don’t seem to have made much of a dent,” Gieringer said. 

Nor has imprisoning drug offenders noticeably reduced drug use, added Dave Fratello, campaign manager of the California Campaign for New Drug Policies. 


UFW co-founder in critical condition

The Associated Press
Wednesday November 01, 2000

BAKERSFIELD — United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta remained in critical condition Tuesday after undergoing surgery to stem bleeding from a rare opening in an artery. 

Family members gathered at the bedside of the 70-year-old labor and women’s rights activist in the intensive care unit at Bakersfield Heart Hospital. Huerta was on life support and sedated, but was beginning to open her eyes and reach for respiratory tubes running into her throat, giving her family hope that she will recover. 

“With prayers and that great fighting spirit we’ve come to know her by we’re hoping it all comes together for her,” said Emilio Huerta, one of her 11 children. 

After surgery Monday morning to repair an aortic artery in her intestines, her progress was monitored by the minute for the first three hours. 

“They told us that the odds were against us at that point,” Emilio Huerta said. “She has improved in the sense that her bleeding has stopped and she didn’t have any cardiac arrest and the likelihood of that is less and less.” 

Huerta was first hospitalized last Wednesday for treatment of a bleeding ulcer, and was released Friday. She began feeling ill again the next day and was readmitted Sunday, family members said. 

Huerta was a young elementary school teacher in the farm-rich San Joaquin Valley when she decided to follow another calling in 1955. 

“I couldn’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes,” she once said. “I thought I could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry children.” 

She began working with Cesar Chavez and in 1962 co-founded the National Farm Workers Association – the forerunner to the UFW – where the single mother of seven earned a reputation as a fearless fighter. Chavez died in 1993. 

Emilio Huerta was optimistic that his mother would show the courage she did 12 years ago when she recovered after being critically injured during a San Francisco rally called to protest presidential candidate George Bush’s opposition to the UFW grape boycott. 

The 5-foot, 100-pound woman suffered three broken ribs, a pulverized spleen and required more than a dozen blood transfusions after being caught between advancing police officers who were thrusting their batons into the crowd of demonstrators. 

The city paid about $850,000 to settle her lawsuit in what was the city’s largest-ever police misconduct settlement. A grand jury investigating the matter chose not to bring charges, but recommended sweeping changes in crowd-control policies. 

Huerta stepped down as the UFW’s secretary-treasurer in September to help campaign for Al Gore. 

Last year she was honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights by President Clinton for her lifelong work as a labor activist. 


Resident fights for home mail delivery

The Associated Press
Wednesday November 01, 2000

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA — Some days, Joe Steinfeld is awake by 3 a.m. in his cluttered house, handwriting letters that he will fax to officials in Washington. He has called members of Congress, picketed alone in the nation’s capital, complained at town meetings and made a failed run for City Council. 

His quest? To end a 97-year-old tradition and open up Carmel-By-The-Sea to what nearly all Americans expect – home mail delivery. 

His persistent efforts make this proudly crotchety town recoil at the prospect of losing one of its most revered social occasions – the daily ritual of going to the post office for the mail. 

Steinfeld, 71, a retired antiques dealer recovering from cancer, said this is an important civil rights fight for elderly and disabled people who have trouble getting to the post office. 

If he has to, he said, he’ll sue the city 115 miles south of San Francisco. 

“The basis of our system is choice, but not in Carmel,” Steinfeld said. “Your neighbors are going to tell you you have no choice of postal service. Does that make any sense?” 

It does in a town that clings fiercely to its quaint idiosyncrasies, a place where you have to get a permit to wear high-heeled shoes, where there are no sidewalks in residential areas, no traffic lights or street lamps, no fast-food joints – and no mailboxes or numbered addresses. 

Houses have names like “Green Door Cottage,” “Sunburst” and “The Gazebo,” because that’s the way it’s always been. 

Steinfeld said he was amazed when he and his wife moved here last year from down the coast and found there was no home mail delivery. He began making regular calls to Postal Service officials in Washington and San Jose, plus every member of the House and Senate committees that oversee the Postal Service. 

In August, the Postal Service said it could begin home delivery if mailboxes and a numbering system were in place, and Steinfeld placed mailboxes in front of his house and the homes of his supporters. 

“It would be a complete luxury to have the mail delivered to my house,” said Carolina Bayne, a widow in her 60s. “Thank God for Joe.” 

But many Carmelites believe that if mailboxes clutter their narrow streets, then traffic lights, sidewalks, maybe even a McDonald’s, could come next. 

They also aren’t swayed by Steinfeld’s argument that the absence of addresses delays emergency vehicles, a contention supported by the fire chief. 

The City Council is scheduled to vote next Tuesday on an ordinance to prohibit mailboxes and addresses for 45 days. That would give the town time to come up with a compromise to preserve the no-mail tradition and ensure that disabled and elderly people are served, possibly through private delivery, Mayor Sue McCloud said. 

More than 4,000 communities nationwide don’t have home mail delivery, mostly small or remote towns that are served with a cluster of boxes on a highway or with boxes in a post office. The Postal Service will go along with whatever Carmel-By-The-Sea decides, spokesman Gus Ruiz said. 

Many residents are tired of the attention Steinfeld has brought. 

“They just want him off their backs,” McCloud said. “He is not likeable. You just can’t deal with him on a reasonable basis.” 

The mayor said she has received 664 letters or postcards on the mail issue, and only 108 favored home delivery. More than half the town’s 4,000 residents are older than 65. 

“I’m so used to coming down here, it’s no problem whatsoever,” 82-year-old William Frost said recently at the post office. “In fact, I kind of enjoy the trip and every once in a while I see somebody down here that I say hello to.” 

Though many Carmelites complain that Steinfeld doesn’t appreciate the town’s deliberate ways, he may be more like them than they would like to admit. 

“You have a community with a lot of retirees and you’ll always have somebody who doesn’t like this and doesn’t like that,” said Clint Eastwood, who was mayor from 1986 to 1988. “They have more time on their hands, as opposed to a working-class community where everybody’s busy.”


Drive-by suspects sought

Daily Planet staff
Wednesday November 01, 2000

At about 8 p.m. Tuesday night a car drove by Rasputin’s records on Telegraph Avenue and opened fire, taking aim at a young man standing in front of the store, said Lt. Russell Lopes of the Berkeley Police. 

No one was hit, Lopes said. Police stopped a suspicious car near University Avenue and Milvia Street at about 8:30 p.m., believing that it might be the assailants, but witnesses said it was not the suspects’ car, Lopes said.


Judge rules Reddy case will be public

By Michael Coffino Daily Planet Correspondent
Tuesday October 31, 2000

Guilty pleas expected to be entered by a Berkeley landlord and four relatives facing criminal charges for sex, immigration and tax offenses were put off Monday after the judge hearing the case refused a request by government and defense lawyers to seal the plea agreement and close the courtroom to the public.  

Federal prosecutors have implicated Lakireddy Bali Reddy, a 63-year-old Berkeley landlord, in an alleged conspiracy to import Indian teen-agers and adults to the United States for sex and cheap labor. Four members of Reddy’s extended family have also been charged and are expected to plead guilty to federal criminal charges. 

“I feel sick about the whole thing,” Reddy told the Daily Planet shortly before the hearing began Monday morning. “God is great,” he said, putting his hands together in a gesture of supplication. “God is great,” he repeated.  

Reddy said his attorney had advised him against talking to the press. “My mouth is shut up, my hands are shut up,” he explained genially. “I should not be talking.” 

Indeed, media issues moved to the center of Monday’s proceedings.  

Citing the “intense publicity” the case has received, lawyers for the defendants refused to enter scheduled guilty pleas unless the court session was closed to reporters. They argued that press coverage of statements the five defendants would have to give as part of their guilty pleas would prejudice potential jurors if the plea agreement is rejected by the judge and the case goes to trial.  

After initially closing the courtroom session for close to three hours, Oakland Federal District Court Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong finally opened the hearing to the public. She then asked defense lawyers if they wished to have the guilty pleas entered in open court. Defense lawyers declined to do so and Armstrong reset the entry of guilty pleas for Feb. 6.  

Judge Armstrong said she would also issue a judgment on that day and sentence the four men and one woman named in the case, including two of Reddy’s sons, 31-year-old Vijay Kumar Lakireddy and 42-year-old Prasad Lakireddy, Reddy’s brother, 47-year-old Jayprakash Lakireddy of Oakland, and Jayprakash’s wife, Annapurna Lakireddy. 

In an order signed late last week but not made public until Monday morning, Judge Armstrong had agreed to close Monday’s proceedings pursuant to a joint request by the defense and prosecution. As a result, about twenty media personnel and spectators seated in the courtroom Monday morning were ordered to leave before the session started.  

For close to three hours reporters waited in the hallway outside the courtroom until Roger Myers, a media lawyer representing the San Francisco Examiner, faxed an urgent request to the court seeking to have the proceedings opened on First Amendment grounds.  

At first, only a reporter from the Examiner was allowed inside the courtroom. This set off an indignant reaction among the dozen remaining journalists, who began to compose a handwritten letter demanding they be admitted as well. But before the note could be transmitted to the judge, the double doors to the courtroom were abruptly flung open and a bailiff instructed the assembled crowd to “come in, sit down and be quiet.” 

What little of Monday’s hearing spectators were then allowed to see presented the unusual spectacle of government and defense lawyers joining forces to argue that the defendants’ guilty pleas should be entered in a closed courtroom session, while Examiner attorney Roger Myers argued via speaker phone for open proceedings. Myers said it would be unconstitutional to hold closed proceedings.  

“There’s a constitutional right of access to criminal proceedings,” he told the judge. “Congress cannot legislate away the First Amendment.” 

But Reddy attorney Ted Cassman said media coverage would prejudice his client. “The extent of media coverage defies our experience,” Cassman told the judge. “The publicity in this case has exceeded anything we have ever seen in its tenor, its sensationalism, its pervasive(ness),” he said.  

When entering a guilty plea in federal court a defendant is required to engage in a lengthy “colloquy” with the judge elaborating on the circumstances of the guilty plea. This dialogue, Cassman argued, if covered in the media, would likely taint potential jurors, prejudicing them against Reddy and the other defendants in the event the judge rejects the proposed plea agreement with the government.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Kennedy agreed there was a “substantial danger” of prejudicing a jury pool.  

But Judge Armstrong denied the request. She held that publicity alone was not a sufficient basis to close the courtroom.  

The judge ruled that on Feb. 6 she would receive the pleas, enter a judgment, and hand down sentences, all on the same day. In the intervening months she said she would study a probation report discussing the case. A probation report makes an independent sentencing recommendation based on an investigation of the defendant’s life circumstances, background and other factors bearing on an appropriate sentence.  

Media law specialist Stephen Barnett, who has taught at Boalt Hall School of Law for thirty years, said he had never heard of a guilty plea hearing being closed to the public. “It’s contrary to what the Supreme Court says the First Amendment requires,” he said. 

“I think it’s unjustified and outrageous for a hearing in a criminal case that does not involve young children or other special considerations to be closed,” he said. “The law is that criminal proceedings in federal court must be open to the public.” 

Despite her later ruling that the session be opened to the public, all but thirty minutes of Monday’s nearly four-hour hearing was held behind locked doors.  

During this period a freelance courtroom artist tried to sketch the proceedings from a narrow window in the side door to the courtroom. That vantage afforded spectators an oblique view of the mute scene being played out inside. Reddy was dressed informally in slacks and running shoes, while the other defendants wore ties or more formal attire for their courtroom appearances.  

Meanwhile, lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and a San Francisco law firm coordinating representation of what they say are numerous still unidentified victims in the case were also denied access to the proceedings for more than an hour. They were finally admitted to the courtroom and later spoke with numerous television and newspaper reporters gathered outside the courthouse. 

“More and more victims come forward every day,” said attorney Michael Rubin who plans to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of the alleged victims. 

“We think there are scores if not hundreds of victims throughout the world,” Rubin said, “some here, some in different parts of the country, many back in India, who are victims of this reprehensible conduct.” Rubin claimed Reddy’s activities had gone on for “decades.” 

“One of the things we’re doing is making sure that the people who are responsible for these events receive justice. We think all five defendants should go to prison,” he said. 

None of the lawyers representing the defendants in the case returned phone calls Monday seeking comment on Monday’s court session. 

In a related development, the government appears to have made a concession to claims by Reddy’s lawyer, Ted Cassman, that charges stating Reddy imported aliens for “immoral purposes” are unconstitutionally vague. In the government’s revised indictment filed last week, those charges against Reddy were dropped and replaced with different charges under a separate law specifically forbidding transportation of minors “for sexual activity.” Defendant Vijay Kumar Lakireddy, however, continues to be charged under the law Cassman claimed was too vague to stand up to a constitutional challenge. 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Tuesday October 31, 2000


Tuesday, Oct. 31

 

Sing-A-Long 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 644-6107 

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 1

 

Kathak Dancing with Pandit Chitresh Das 

7:30 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 

2640 College Ave.  

The Graduate Theological Union presents a free lecture-demonstration with Pandit Chitresh Das, a master of India’s Kathak dance form. This event is free. 

Call 649-2440 for additional info 

 

Mountain Adventure Seminar 

In-store, registration required 

6 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Learn about equipment, fundamental climbing techniques and safety procedures. 

$100 REI members, $110 for non members 

To register (209) 753-6556 

 

Task Force on  

Telecommunications 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Fire Safety Commission 

7:30 p.m.  

Fire Training Division 

997 Cedar St.  

Discussion will include undergrounding of utilities in Berkeley and a proposal to the City Council for additional support for the Fire Department.  

 

Citizen’s Budget Review  

Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Community Action Team 

7 p.m. 

Over 60 Health Center 

3260 Sacramento 

Citizens will meet to plan actions to take to reduce the health disparities in the city. 

 

Board of Education 

7:30 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 


Thursday, Nov. 2

 

PASTForward Panel Discussion 

2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

Bancroft Way (below College) 

In conjunction with the White Oak Dance Project’s performances, a panel discussion with Judson era dance choreographers Yvonne Rainer and Deborah Hay. Free. 

 

From Morgan to Modern 

7:30 p.m. 

“Saddling the Site: The Environmental Designs of Wurster, Church and Others” 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

 

Spirit of the Road 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Don Patton, general editor and Vice President of Publishing for the California State Automobile Association presents a slide show celebrating the first one hundred years of the automobile and the CSA. Free. 

Call 843-3533 for more info.  

 

BOSS Graduation 

6 - 8 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th & Harrison 

Oakland 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency’s graduation gala for poor, disabled, and homeless folks who have worked hard to achieve jobs, housing, education, training, and other milestones. There will be special guests, music, and a buffet. The community are invited. 

Call 649-1930 

 

Spirit Matters 

4:30 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave.  

Rabbi Michael Lerner speaks about his new book. 

Call 849-8244 

 


Friday, Nov. 3

 

Taize Worship Service 

7:30-8:30 p.m. 

An hour of quiet reflection and song. First Friday of the month. 

Loper Chapel on Dana Street between Durant and Channing Way. 848-3696 

 

“Want to Transform your Dreams Into Reality?” 

7:30 p.m. 

Lecture by Leonard Orr, world known for creating the Rebirthing and Conscious Breathwork Movement. 

The Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St. 

$25, 843-6514 

 

Circle Dancing 

7:45 - 10 p.m. 

Finnish Brotherhoos Hall 

1970 Chestnut St. 

Simple folkdancing in a circle. Beginners welcome and no partners are required.  

Call John Bear, 528-4253 

 

Marga Gomez 

8 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Comedian Marga Gomez was one of the founding members of Culture Clash and the Latino comedy ensemble. Part of the La Lesbian performance and film series. 

Call 654-6346 

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  


Saturday, Nov. 4

 

Breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Dublin Library’s resident storyteller and featured teller at the 1998 National Storytelling Festival tell kids aged 3 to 7 her favorite tales. Call 649-3943  

 

New Science & Ancient Wisdom Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International Center 

2222 Harold Way 

Featured speakers include Father Charlie Moore speaking on “The Cosmic Origins of Man,” Dolores Cannon speaking on “Visions of Nostradamus,” and David Hatcher Childress speaking on “Technology of the Gods.” Event runs through Sunday.  

Pre-registration admission, $65; after Oct. 27, $85 

Call Charles Gotsky, 650-343-5202 

 

The Next Ivory Trade? The Intellectual Property Rights of University Faculty 

A conference sponsored by the Berkeley Faculty Association/American Association of University Professors Coalition 

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley International House 

841-1997 

 

Collecting Chinese Decorative Art 

10 a.m. - Noon 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Dessa Goddard, director of the Asian Department at Butterfields, and a panel discuss. Followed by a collectors’ tea. Included in admission price to museum.  

Call for reservations, 238-2022 

 

“Broadway to La Scala” 

7 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

2501 Harrison St. (at 27th St.) 

A benefit concert for the Oakland Lyric Opera featuring a selection of Broadway musicals and arias from operas, including “Madame Butterfly.” $25 Call 836-6772 


Sunday, Nov. 5

 

Buddhist Psychology 

6 p.m.  

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Buddhist teacher Sylvia Gretchen on “Beyond Therapy and Into the Heart of Buddhist Psychology.” Free. Call 843-6812  

 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour 

Downtown Berkeley  

Tour new construction, new uses, historic rehabilitation and public improvements that are completed or still in the works.  

Noon 

RSVP required 841-0181 space is limited. 

Tickets: $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers. 

 

A Dispirited Rebellion 

10 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Author, television personality and columnist Gadi Taub will explore the literary and cinematic changes in Israeli society since the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. A brunch will be served at 10 a.m.  

Admission: $7 non-JCC members; $5 members 

Call 848-9237 

 

Soprano Stephanie Pan Sings 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Soprano Stephanie Pan is joined by Meg Cotner on harpsichord, Salley Blaker on cello, and Alex Jenne on lute. They will perform the music of Barbra Strozzi, Jacopo Peri, Giovanni Felice Sances and others.  

$10 general; $9 students and seniors; under 12 Free 

Call 644-6893 

 

“Bigger Things” 

7 p.m.  

La Pena Cultural Center  

3105 Shattuck Ave.  

Judith-Kate Friedman celebrates the release of her new CD.  

$12 general; $20 reserved seating 

Info and tickets: 654-7464 or 849-2568 

— compiled by  

Chason Williams 

Monday, Nov. 6 

Airports vs. the Bay 

7 p.m. 

Albany Community Center 

1249 Marin St.  

Albany 

David Lewis, Executive Director of “Save the Bay” will speak on the airports’ plans to expand into the SF Bay and other challenges to Bay restoration.  

Contact: Friends of Five Creeks, 848-9358 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 7

 

Zonta Club dinner 

5:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

$20 per person 

Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine bioligist, author and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, will be the featured speaker. 

For more information call 845-6221 

 


Thursday, Nov. 9

 

The Life and Art of Chiura Obata 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Public Library 

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

A slide show and lecture presented by Obata’s granddaughter, Kimi Kodani Hill, celebrating Obata’s book, “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment,” and the retrospective exhibit of Obata’s work to appear this Fall at SFs De Young Museum. 

For details call 644-6850  

 

From Morgan to Modern 

“Bay Area Modern” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

ESL Teacher Job Fair 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave., Room 7  

ESL program representatives from adult schools in Alameda and Contra Costa counties will provide information about desired qualifications, current job openings, credentialing requirements, and more.  

Call Kay Wade, 644-6130 

 

“Feeding the Moon: A Nutritive Approach to Feminine Fertility” 

Lern how fertility is affected by the environment and how it can be enhanced by healthy lifestyle choices 

7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The Ecology Center 

2530 San Pable Ave.  

558-1324, free 

 

“Diabetes: What to Know Head-to-Toe” 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free 

869-6737 

 

Love and Betrayal: A Musical Journey 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Mezzo Soprano Sylvia Braitman discusses the role Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg, and Hanns Eisler played in the development of modernity in German, Austrian and Western music.  

Tuition: $8 for general; $5 JJC members (class code A101-BJ) 

Call 848-0237 for more info.  

 

Hour of the Furnaces 

4:30 - 6 p.m. 

Hewlett Library, Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd.  

Renny Golden, poet, liberation theologian, and professor of social ethics at Northeastern Illinois University, will read from her new book on the Central American experience of struggle.  

649-2490 

 


Friday, Nov. 10

 

Dragon and Phoenix Banquet Cooking Contest 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Students from Bay Area cooking academies present original dishes based on the “Dragon and Phoenix” theme to a panel of celebrity judges. Fee and price of admission to museum. 

Reservations: 238-2022  

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 


Saturday, Nov. 11

 

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 


Sunday, Nov. 12

 

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

“Time Across Cultures” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

St. Clements Church 

2837 Claremont Ave.  

The annual Roselyn Yellin Memorial lecture with a slide-illustrated panel discussion. Also a tour of the “Telling Time” exhibit at the Judah L. Magnes Museum followed by a reception at the museum, 4 - 5 p.m.  

More info: 549-6950 

 

Buddhism & Compassion 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Psychiatrist and teacher Bobby Jones on “Healing through Compassion.” Free.  

843-6812 

 

“Road To Mecca” Auditions 

2 p.m.  

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

The Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is auditioning roles for two females, 60-70 and 25-35, and one male, 60-70. Auditioners should prepare a monologue no longer than two minutes. No appointments. 

Call Debra Blondheim, 667-9827 

 


Monday, Nov. 13

 

An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Barbara Kingsolver’s works include “Animal Dreams,” “High Tide in Tucson,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Prodigal Summer” 

free parking $10 in advance, $13 at the door 

Benefits KPFA and Urban Ecology. 

848-6767 

 

From Rossi to Bernstein 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the works of Jewish classical composers beginning with the sixteenth century. The first in a series of three Monday evening classes on music.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students  

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students 

Call 848-0237 

 

Berkeley Preschool Fair 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, this fair features representatives from local preschools. The topic will be how to evaluate preschool education philosophies and make the most of the admissions process. A fair featuring many local preschools will follow panel discussion. 

$5 non-members; Free to NPN members 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 14

 

Take a Trip to the Steinbeck Museum and 

Mission San Juan Bautista 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

This is an outing organzied by the Senior Center.  

$40 with lunch, $25 without  

Call Maggie or Suzanne, 644-6107 

 

Three Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley South Branch Library 

1901 Russell St. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

649-3943 

 

More Little Pigs 

7 p.m.  

Berkeley North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets huff and puff and blow the house down.  

 

“The Hand of Buddha” 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck (at Rose) 

In her new book poet, columnist and travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin explores the lives of women from different ethnic backgrounds and in moments of crisis. Free 

Call 843-3533 

 

Quest for Justice 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Bade Museum 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

A reception and discussion with the artists of “Quest for Justice: The Story of Korean Comfort Women as Told Through their Art,” an exhibit on display at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.  

849-8244 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 15

 

Even More Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Library Claremont Branch 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets help Little Red Riding Hood get to Grandma’s house.  

 


Thursday, Nov. 16

 

Reminiscing in Swingtime 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Library  

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

George Yoshida, author and jazz drummer, presents a multi-media program recounting the big band experience in the Japanese American internment camps. The presentation will be capped with a set of live jazz by the George Yoshida Quartet. 

Call for more info: 644-6850 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

 

Free blood pressure screenings 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

free 

869-6737 

 

Three Little Pigs  

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library West Branch  

1125 University Ave.  

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

 


Friday, Nov. 17

 

Community Dance Party 

7:45 - 9:45 p.m. 

Live Oak Park 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Come learn to dance with easy instructions presented by the Berkeley Folk Dancers.  

Teens $2; Adult Non-members $4 

Information: 525-3030  

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 


Saturday, Nov. 18

 

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Fourteen hours of free concerts, workshops, jam sessions and to top it off a Saturday night dance. The fifth annual Folk Festival will feature Shay & Michael Black, Spectre Double Negative & the Equal Positive, Larry Hanks, Wake the Dead and many others. Sponsored by Charles Schwab and the City of Berkeley.  

More info or to volunteer: 525-5099 

 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of local filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

 

Sunday, Nov. 19 

Soprano Deborah Voigt 

Cal Performances  

3 p.m.  

Voigt’s performance is a postponment from her original Oct. 15 date. The program will remain unchanged. 

$28-$48 For tickets call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

 

Mt. Madonna & Wine  

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Hike through evergreen forests and visit the remains of a 19th century estate, then finish the day with a visit to Kruse Winery. One of many free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: (415) 255-3233 for reservations 

 

“Drawing Marathon”  

Merritt College’s Art Building 

Live models, group poses.  

$12 for half a day, $20 for a full day, senior and student discounts available. No cameras or turpentine. 

523-9763 

 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of Berkeley filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

 


Monday, Nov. 20

 

The Music of Israel 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the music of Israel, from the early pioneers of Palestine to the latest rock.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 21

 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

Noon - 2 p.m.  

Alta Bates Medical Center, Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Call D.L. Malinousky, 601-0550 

 


Monday, Nov. 27

 

To Make the World Whole 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses songs of peace, protest and change from labor, feminists, peace, and environmental activists of the past 125 years, that inspired others to action. 

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 29

 

Wanderlust: Tales of Adventure and Romance 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Jeff Greenwald and other travel writers discuss the art of writing travel literature and how to make a living doing it.  

Call 843-3533 

 

Compiled by Chason Wainwright 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Supporters urge “yes” on AA and BB

Tuesday October 31, 2000

Editor: A recent letter by John Cecil contained erroneous statements about about Berkeley public school ballot Measures AA and BB. It is important to correct those errors so that Berkeley voters can understand what is at stake. 

Thanks to community support of the Berkeley Schools Excellence Project Measure (BSEP) in 1987, K-6 class sizes were reduced to 26 students. At that time the district had enough classrooms. Two things have happened since then which have put a strain on classroom facilities. First, when the refurbished school buildings began to reopen the Berkeley public school student population began to grow, increasing to an additional 20 percent. This need for more classrooms brought about by growth is especially acute at Berkeley High. Also, the State instituted a program to reduce K-3 class sizes to 20. The state provides only a fraction of the funds necessary, but for Berkeley it was nearly enough because its class size was formerly at 26. The state program does not pay for the additional classrooms required. Because of this program and the growing number of students, Franklin School has been reopened. It needs much work to bring it up to the level of the other elementary schools. 

In short, the Berkeley school community is asking the Berkeley voters to provide its students – elementary, middle school, and high school – with adequate classroom space and other needed facilities and to ensure that they are adequately maintained. Measures AA and BB will address these needs. For details see “www.bcsss.com.” 

I leave the reader to weigh the concern about the use of word “income” instead of “revenue.” Mr. Cecil is having to scrape hard to find fault in the case for AA and BB. 

 

Bruce Wicinas 

Berkeley 

 

Editor: 

The case for AA  

AA proposes a school bond that will allow us to undertake the unfinished work of rebuilding our schools. We are still have many buildings that are old and run down to the point where they create a negative environment for teaching and learning. There is work to be done at the High School, King Middle, our wonderful Adult School, Franklin and more. Sooner or later we are going to have to do these jobs and it might as well be now. The reason is that we already have a successful building program in place. Our current administration has delivered both beautiful buildings and meaningful improvements in student test scores, at the same time! And this has been accomplished at a time of increasing enrollment. That’s an impressive achievement!  

 

The case for BB 

BB is a parcel tax that will provide adequate funds for maintenance. I can”t bear to see our beautiful new properties looking prematurely worn, our new equipment fail for lack of timely maintenance or repair, our landscaping wither and die. State funding for maintenance is simply not enough to do the job right and this community will not tolerate using scarce educational dollars to make up the shortfall. BB will create a 12 year endowment for maintenance which will protect our capital investment and provide a positive environment for teaching and learning. Vote for BB to make sure that we can provide for our children’s health, education and welfare.  

 

Shirley Issel 

School Board Director 

 

 

AA, BB and more 

Editor: 

Where does the Parent Teacher Association stand on the elections? I’d like to share the views of the California State PTA and the Berkeley PTA Council in regards to issues on the November ballot. 

No on Proposition 38 - Vouchers: The School Voucher Initiative does nothing to add funding to the public schools, and could potentially divert funding that might otherwise be directed towards public education.  

Yes on Proposition 39 - School Improvement and Accountability Act: Prop. 39 is a California State Constitutional Amendment that would lower the vote requirement for the passage of local school facilities bond measures from 66 percent to 55 percent and would also enact new accountability standards.  

Yes on Local Measures AA & BB: This is supported by the Berkeley PTA Council, and school site PTA”s. Measure AA will raise $116.5 million dollars for the Berkeley schools. These monies will be used to continue the rehabilitation of our school facilities. More classrooms, cafeterias and kitchens. Needed safety and heating systems. Adequate infrastructure to accommodate technology. AA will not increase our tax rate, it only extends the maximum tax rate from the 1992 bond measure. Measure BB funds by law would be dedicated to school maintenance. During the first year, Measure BB will raise $3.8 million and will cost most homeowners around $60 a year. There is no other foreseeable source of funding for a standard level of maintenance services, with the exception of cutting our precious academic programs. We urge you to vote YES on Measures AA & BB 

See more about the PTA Council & Berkeley schools at our Web page, http://berkeleypta.org/ 

 

Mark A. Coplan, President 

Berkeley PTA Council 

 


Forum rallies teens

By Juliet LeybaBerkeley Daily Planet Corresponden
Tuesday October 31, 2000

Students hear from several party delegates 

 

Berkeley High School senior Miriam Feeley celebrated her 18th birthday on Saturday and now that she’s “legal” she said she can’t wait to cast her first vote as an adult citizen in the upcoming presidential election. But there’s one problem – she can’t make up her mind.  

“I registered months ago,” she said “I’ve been following the election really closely. I listen to National Public Radio, read the papers and watch the news regularly but I still don’t know who to vote for.” 

That is why she decided to attend a special presidential debate forum Monday afternoon in the Community Theater at Berkeley High School.  

“I hope when I walk out of here I will finally know who to vote for,” she said. 

Feeley and about 800 of her classmates poured into the theater to hear what representatives from the Republican, Democratic, Green and Reform parties had to say about education, foreign policy and their candidates’ visions for the future. 

The event was organized by student Zoe Sachs-Arellano, 16, as part of Berkeley High School spirit week and to prepare students for a mock presidential election on Thursday. 

The mock election will be conducted with the help of the Berkeley Albany Emeryville League of Women Voters. 

“I’m hoping that the event will make the mock election more spirited and help students be more informed on the issues and differences between the parties and candidates,” Sachs-Arrellano said. “Even though most of us can’t vote yet the election outcome will affect us in the coming years.” 

The event created so much “spirit” that at times it was impossible to hear panelists. 

Loud roars of approval and applause peppered every Nader and Gore representative response to questions while the Bush and Buchanan representative responses were greeted with jeers, hisses and an occasional rude comment from the high school audience. 

“Schools not jails,” shouted one student in the back of the crowded auditorium. Loud applause followed and someone else’s voice rang out: “Keep abortion legal.” 

Teachers scrambled around trying to quell the growing cacophony as Bush and Buchanan representatives shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and Gore and Nader representatives smiled patiently awaiting their next opportunity to rally their current and future supporters.  

Student Parker Robinson, 17, said that even though he’s not old enough to vote he attended the forum to familiarize himself with the issues so that he can cast an intelligent vote on Thursday at the school’s mock election. 

“Also, I just want to know what’s going on because the outcome will affect my life. Hopefully, I’ll be able to figure out who the best candidate is and convince my (voting) friends and family to cast their vote for him.” 

Megan Greenwall, 16, said she attended the forum because she’s “really politically minded” and interested in seeing the different view points of the parties. 

“I wish I could vote. If I could I’d vote Gore or Nader. Maybe we should try to get the voting age lowered to 15,” she quipped.  

The majority of the students in attendance favored Nader but many said that although they agree with Nader’s domestic policy and pro-environment position, they didn’t think he was qualified to lead the most powerful country in the world. 

Feeley, who spent several years living in Israel, said she is “very concerned” with foreign policy issues. 

“I just can’t see Nader doing well in the foreign policy area,” she said. “He’s good for communities but I honestly don’t think he could succeed in foreign affairs. I don’t see him as someone capable of ending the violence in my home country.” 

Ramona Gonzales, 17, said she thinks Nader is a “romantic” and although his ideas sound good most of them are unrealistic. 

“Nader is awesome, no doubt, but he’s not even in the race,” Gonzales said. “Gore is the only realistic choice, and I think he will focus on enough of Nader’s issues to appease the Greens.” 

After the forum, registered voter Volissia Goodwin, 18, said she is still undecided. She’s leaning toward Nader mainly because that’s who got the most cheers during the event and that’s who her friends like. 

“The biggest problem is understanding what’s really going on,” Goodwin said. “Nader finds out where the money goes and that’s good. That’s what my friends say but it’s not always clear.” 

Goodwin said the main reason she thinks young voters like herself are confused and undecided is because they’re coming from “a child’s place.”  

“We’re young and not too concerned with what goes on outside of our own world. We’re too caught up in our own lives,” she said. 

In an effort to become more informed Goodwin said that she’s planning on spending a lot of time reading the papers, watching the news and talking to her parents in the coming days. 

“My parents encourage me to make my own decisions but they’ll probably throw in a hint or two – those hints might be my deciding factor.” 

Senior Phiron Yim, 18, said she hasn’t registered to vote and didn’t want to because she feels “uncomfortable” with the level of responsibility voting requires.  

“I don’t know enough about politics and the issues,” Yim said. “I just want to sit this one out and wait until next time.” 

After attending the forum Yim said that based on what she heard and experienced she’s going to cast her mock vote for Gore.  

“He’s pro-choice and I firmly believe abortion should be the woman’s choice.” 

As for Feeley, the event was a success. 

“I’ve decided . . . finally. It’s got to be Gore. America is just not ready for Nader and Nader’s not ready for America and the world. I want world peace not just peace in the U.S.”  

 

 


Report too vague to help Beth El cause

John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday October 31, 2000

The release of a Final Environmental Impact Report has done little to deter what promises to be a long battle pitting the Congregation of Beth El against neighbors and environmentalists.  

Neighbors said the Final Environmental Impact Report, which was released on Oct. 20, is a poorly prepared document that does little to address their concerns about the development. Members of Beth El said they are pleased overall with the report and that it shows the current proposal is workable.  

The report was commissioned by the city and paid for by the Congregation of Beth El. The purpose of the report is to provide information about potential environmental effects of the project according the standards of the California Environmental Quality Act. The report is also required to make suggestions on how developers can avoid adverse environmental effects.  

The report, which was prepared by Pacific Municipal Consultants of Sacramento, was released in two stages. The Draft Environmental Impact Report was reviewed by all concerned parties, who were then invited to make comments and raise concerns about the report to the consultant.  

The consultant then evaluated and addressed those concerns in writing after which the report was released again as the Final Environmental Impact Report.  

“There were no surprises or concerns in the FEIR, in fact what’s remarkable is the FEIR found no significant unavoidable impacts,” said Congregation member Martin Dodd.  

Neighbors said the report fails to live up to CEQA requirements because it did not present a reasonable range of possible alternatives. “It dismissed the idea of building an underground parking lot as too expensive without providing reasonable estimates,” said Juliet Lamont a member of Live Oak Codornices Creek Neighborhood Association, which has collected over 2,300 signatures on a petition and enlisted the support of a variety of environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Urban Creeks Council of California and Friends of Five Creeks. 

“We are not against Beth El building here,” Lamont said, “but we want a smaller project and we want them to stay away from the creek,” Lamont said. 

Dodd said they have worked very hard to have as little impact on the site as possible and the FEIR shows they were successful. He said building a underground parking lot would not only drastically raise construction costs but it was uncertain what effect digging out so much earth would have on the creek. 

The Beth El congregation purchased two acres at 1301 Oxford St., in 1997 with the intent of constructing a synagogue and school on the park-like setting to accommodate its burgeoning congregation. The site was formerly the home of the Alliance Chinese Church. 

The Congregation proposed a single 35,000-square-foot structure that would include a temple, school and nursery school.  

There was immediate resistance from neighbors and environmentalists, who cited a variety of issues. Chief among them are concerns about parking and traffic, damage to Codornices Creek which runs through the property one third above ground and two thirds underground and that the proposed development is just too large. 

The Temple is currently located a few blocks away at Arch and Vine streets. Temple members said the 600 family congregation has outgrown the 50-year-old facility, that was built for 250 families.  

Beth El has proposed a 35,000-square-foot development that would include a sanctuary with seating for 350 people, a social hall, school and nursery school. To ease traffic and increase safety for parents dropping of young children at the school, the design calls for a driveway with an entrance on Oxford Street that will allow cars to drop off passengers and then park in one of 35 on-site parking spaces or drive back out onto Spruce Street.  

Temple members said regular activities at the site would be Saturday morning services for 100-200 people, religious classes for 325 students, half attending twice a week on different days and a nursery school operating five days a week for 60 tots.  

The 300-foot section of Codornices Creek is generating the most concern. Common wisdom among environmentalists is that it is best to “daylight” or open up culverted creeks and allow them to run above ground in a natural course which facilitates wildlife and allows for better flood prevention. 

The creek runs from the hills through the flatlands and into the Bay. 

Opponents said if the proposed development is constructed, daylighting the creek would be impossible because the 35-car parking lot would be directly over the culverted section of the creek.  

Dodd said daylighting the creek doesn’t make sense because the setback lines from the creek would change requiring the structure to be much taller. In addition he said 300 feet of open creek at the bottom of a deep ravine would be dangerous for children attending the school. 

“If the creek were to be exposed it would effectively mean your couldn’t build on it,” Dodd said. 

The location was formerly the site of Napoleon Boneparte Byrne’s home. He was one of the city’s first settlers and his home and the surrounding area was designated a historical landmark by the city. However, the home was extensively damaged by fire in the 1985 and demolished in 1988. However, the Landmarks Preservation Board reaffirmed the site as a landmark on Nov. 19, 1990 two years after the Byrne’s home was demolished. 

The next step in the process is a meeting of the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Nov. 6, in which they will make a recommendation on the historical aspect. Then the Zoning Adjustments Board will review the FEIR for approval on Nov. 9.  

Lamont said no matter what happens this project is going before the City Council. “I can guarantee you the neighbors will appeal an unfavorable decision by ZAB and I’m willing to bet Beth El will do the same,” she said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Recovering addict opposing Prop. 36

By Olga R. Rodríguez Special to the Daily Planet
Tuesday October 31, 2000

When Tom Gorham was 37, he lived in a house in Half Moon Bay so close to the ocean he could hear the waves. 

Two years later, he was living under an Oakland freeway where all he could hear were the passing cars. 

“My mother died of an overdose of pills and vodka,” Gorham said. “My sister was dying of cirrhosis of the liver and my wife left me and took our children. The only way I knew how to deal with my problems was drinking and getting high.” 

Gorham, who has been clean and sober for 26 months, lived on the streets of Berkeley and Oakland for 12 years until a judge at a drug court in Berkeley sent him to treatment instead of jail. By then, he says, he had been arrested more than 400 times. 

“Drug court saved my life,” he said. “Most of my arrests were drug related but I was sent to jail every time. Being sent to treatment gave me a second chance in life.” 

Gorham could be a poster child for Proposition 36, an initiative on the November ballot that suggests spending $120 million a year to send first and second-time non-violent drug offenders to treatment rather than jail. Instead, he joined the opposition and will be speaking against Proposition 36, along with actor Martin Sheen, chair of the No on 36 campaign. 

Opponents of Proposition 36, Gorham included, argue that the initiative fails to address addiction and it eliminates accountability and consequences giving drug abusers little incentive to change their behavior or take treatment seriously. 

”Nowhere in the proposition does it say the aim is to get people clean and sober,” said Gorham, who works as outreach coordinator and case manager with Options for Recovery, a drug treatment program in Berkeley. “They talk about treatment but it’s obvious they don’t understand how to help addicts.” 

Backers of Proposition 36 say the initiative won’t help everyone but, they argue, the current drug court system only serves at most 7 percent of the offenders charged with non-violent drug offenses. They say the proposition, if passed, will reroute as many as 36,000 drug offenders away from prison and county jails and into community-based treatment centers. 

”It will leave out some badly addicted offenders,” said Scott Ehlers, spokesperson for the Yes on 36 campaign. “We agree with that. But what the proposition wants to do is help those people whose only crime is being in possession of drugs for personal use. Unfortunately, one initiative is not going to solve all of California’s drug related problems.” 

Nearly one in three of the state’s 162,000 prisoners is serving time for a crime related to drugs and about eight in 10 have a history of substance abuse. Yet, there are only 8,000 beds in prison designated for substance-abuse treatment. 

Community drug-treatment programs fail to fill the gap. According to the state’s Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs 6,806 people were in residential programs funded by public dollars at the end of the past fiscal year. Another 2,500 were on the waiting list. And if Prop 36 passes another 36,000 could join them. 

But the availability of beds, opponents such as Gorham say, is not the only problem with the initiative. 

In the current drug court system a judge gets to decide whether the drug offender should go to jail or be sent to treatment. If passed, Proposition 36 will require all defendants who plead guilty to simple drug possession and have no other convictions such as violence or use of a firearm to be sent to drug treatment. 

“The problem is that the proposition, if passed, will take away drug testing and the threat of jail,” Gorham, who has a certificate in addiction counseling from John F. Kennedy University, said. “Without these two tools there is no chance of getting an addict's attention.” 

Ehlers dismisses these criticisms and says a judge can still order drug testing, the only difference is that the addict will be required to pay for their drug testing as part of probation. Judges, he says, will retain the ability to send drug abusers to jail or prison, but only after the addict has failed two or more attempts at recovery. 

”We don't do anything to prohibit drug testing,” Ehlers said. “We just want all funds available to be used in treatment programs.” 

Opponents argue the initiative deprives judges of the carrots and sticks approach they need to ensure that drug offenders remain in treatment and as a result it will eventually clog courts with drug related cases. 

”An addict does not wake up one day and decides to stop using,” said Gorham. 

”They will choose treatment to avoid going to jail. But without intervention and support the addicts won't be able to successfully complete a treatment program and they will end up in jail sooner or later.” 

Alameda Superior Court Judge Carol Brosnahan, who has been in charge of Berkeley's drug court since March, worries Proposition 36 will give the addict control of the situation. 

“This proposition let's the addict decide what type of treatment they should get,” Judge Brosnahan said. “They can fail treatment three times before a judge can intervene and help them see there is the option of a sober and clean life. For some of them it might be too late.” 

Gorham says he feels lucky to have had a tough judge and the help of Dr. Davida Coady, director of Options for Recovery. 

”Four times I was put in jail while in treatment for showing up drunk to the progress reports,” Gorham said. “But they stuck with me. Under Proposition 36 I wouldn't be here today.”


DMV snafu may leave many folks unregistered

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Tuesday October 31, 2000

If you turned in a form to register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Oakland and you didn’t receive a sample ballot, you may not be registered. 

Some 35 to 40 people who believed they registered at the DMV on Claremont Avenue in Oakland have called the Alameda County Registrar’s Office with that complaint, said Sandy Creque, office manager for the registrar. 

Evan Nassoff, DMV spokesperson, called the problem “regrettable.” He said the DMV does its job of transmitting voter registration cards to the registrar of voters as best it can. “We make sure our part of the job is done effectively and efficiently,” he said. 

Sometimes, however, people forget to check the card where one is supposed to check it, to show there is an updated address. Other times, people have forgotten to fill out voter registration forms, he said. 

This number of complaints is “not unusual,” he said. 

But that answer did not satisfy the mom of one 18-year-old, who called the Daily Planet, wondering what the problem was. Asking that her name not be used, she said her son, anxious to vote for the first time, told her he filled out the correct form and turned it in to a DMV clerk in July. The registrar of voters, however, has no record of her son’s registration.  

Creque said the registrar’s office is taking pains to make sure everyone who has registered can cast a ballot. 

People who believe they are registered but did not receive a sample ballot should call the office of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters at 663-8683. The office will check to see if it has a record of the registration, Creque said. 

If there is no record, the caller can request materials to fill out, explaining that they did, in fact, register. Alternatively, they can pick up the materials at the registrar’s office in Oakland. 

The registrar’s address is 1225 Fallon Street, Room G1, Oakland, 94612. 

The person who completes these forms then must vote as an “absentee” voter, by coming in to the offices in Oakland.  

The registrar will then turn these ballots over to a judge. “The judge will make the determination,” Creque said. 

If the individual affected is disabled, or has another hardship which makes it difficult to come into the county office to vote, the registrar will make special arrangements to allow the person to vote at a polling place near that person’s house.


Initiative may help homeowners

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — Aspiring homeowners who borrow from the federal government could save $1,650 in upfront mortgage fees under an initiative announced Monday by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

The initiative will apply to some 1.3 million Federal Housing Administration loans each year, Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo told a convention of mortgage bankers. 

The FHA lends at market rates to borrowers whom private lenders deem too risky. FHA loans are targeted toward low-income and first-time homebuyers. Beginning in 2001, the FHA will make loans as high as $235,000. 

Families stand to benefit – as do community service organizations like the Genesis Project, which provides low-rent apartments to recovering drug addicts. 

With seven FHA mortgages, Oakland-based Genesis stands to save thousands a month. 

“For us, it means we can provide more services,” said Patrick Stoute, the nonprofit’s executive director. “Because we put everything back into programs for the benefit of clients, it means that we can hold rents at the lower end of the spectrum. So the client benefits.” 

Until now, the FHA charged a 2.25-percent fee to execute the mortgage – for example, tacking $2,250 onto a $100,000 loan. 

Cuomo announced that premium would fall to 1.5 percent of the original loan. Taking a typical $100,000 FHA mortgage, the fee would fall to $1,500. The borrower thus would save $750 in the short term. 

Cuomo said his plan would not cost taxpayers anything – rather, it would cut into FHA loan profits by some $1 billion per year. 

“We can reduce the premium because we are financially very strong,”


Court upholds CBEST test for state teachers

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — For the second time, a federal appeals court Monday upheld the legality of a test that California teachers are required to pass, despite claims it is racially discriminatory. 

First-time passage rates for the CBEST, which is mandatory for people trying to qualify as teachers in the state, are twice as high for white applicants as for blacks. 

The California Basic Educational Skills Test has been required by state law for teaching, counseling and administrative credentialing for public schools since 1983. 

Organizations of Mexican-American, black and Asian educators argued there was no proven connection between CBEST and teaching skills, and that teachers should be judged on their classroom performance. 

The test consists of multiple-choice questions in reading comprehension and mathematics and two essays to measure writing skills.  

It is given six times a year and can be repeated indefinitely. 

In a 7-4 ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the CBEST was a valid measure of job-related skills despite a disproportionate number of minorities failing to pass it. 

“The CBEST is intended to establish only a minimum level of competence in three areas of basic education skills,” Judge Susan Graber wrote for the majority in an 80-page opinion. 

Recent state figures showed that 100,000 people a year took the test, 70 percent passed on their first try and 82 to 85 percent passed eventually. 

But there were significant differences among ethnic groups, particularly in first-time passage rates: 80 percent for whites, 60 percent for Asians, 47 percent for Hispanics and 37 percent for blacks. 

The state says the test is set at an eighth to 10th grade level and screens out only the unqualified. For example, the math question missed by the most applicants in August 1995 asked how many students could be served a half-pint of milk from a five-gallon supply. (The answer is 80.) 

Last year, a three-judge panel of the same circuit court upheld the test’s usage. But a majority of the circuit’s judges voted in March to rehear the case with 11 judges. 

U.S. District Judge William Orrick of San Francisco upheld CBEST after a non-jury trial in 1996. He said the test had an adverse impact on minorities, but measured essential job skills better than other alternatives. 

In a dissent, Judge Stephen Reinhardt said the majority’s opinion is a blow to California’s students. 

“As a result of this ruling, qualified minority educators ... will be denied the opportunity to work in California’s severely understaffed public schools, simply because they failed to pass a test that concededly has a disparate impact on minority group members,” Reinhardt wrote. 

He said one Cambodian-born applicant with a postgraduate teacher preparation certificate and a bachelor’s degree cannot teach bilingual elementary classes to address the needs of 24,000 Khmer-speaking students. That person did not pass the CBEST reading section. 

The case is Association of Mexican-American Educators vs. State of California, 96-17131.


Online music site gets Sony rights

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — Musicbank, a start-up promising to give consumers online access to their personal CD collections, said Monday it signed a licensing agreement with Sony Music. 

The deal means San Francisco-based Musicbank now has the rights to store CDs made by four of the five major record labels. 

BMG Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group previously signed licensing agreements with Musicbank. The company is trying to negotiate an agreement with the remaining major label, EMI. 

Before the end of the year, Musicbank plans to launch a service that will enable consumers to listen to their CDs through any Internet-connected computer. Musicbank will record the entire catalogs of the music labels and then play them online for consumers who can prove that they previously purchased the requested music. 

The new “music locker” service is similar to one launched earlier this year by San Diego-based MP3.com, which didn’t obtain licensing agreements before giving consumers online access to their CDs. The music labels sued MP3.com, which now faces settlements and penalties that could exceed $250 million. 

MusicBank’s licensing agreements are expected to require the company to pay millions of dollars in royalties to the labels.  

The privately held company hasn’t disclosed the specifics of its licensing deals. 

Rival makers of digital music lockers, such as Myplay.com, believe the licensing agreements will force MusicBank to charge subscription fees. Musicbank hasn’t provided details of its business plan.


Black population declines in S.F.

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — The black population in San Francisco has declined, and with it, the political power of the community to address issues such as affordable housing, poverty, education and crime. 

The black population in the city has decreased only two points, from 13 percent in 1970 to 11 percent in 1998, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, at the same time that Asian and Latino populations have grown. 

The Asian population rose from 29 percent in 1990 to 36 percent in 1998, and the Hispanic population grew from 12 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 1998. The white population fell from 46 percent in 1990 to 38 percent in 1998. 

With the decrease in the black population of the city is a decrease in the strength of traditional institutional forces, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; a lack of future leaders for the community; and the loss of power and members in black churches, the San Francisco Examiner reported Sunday. 

Some argue that more blacks are now in positions of power in the city, for example, the mayor and superintendent of schools. But critics say the people in those positions have not improved conditions for most blacks in the city. 

The issues facing blacks in San Francisco, such as education, racial profiling and the economic development of urban neighborhoods have complex answers and not everyone agrees on how to deal with them, said Robert Smith, a San Francisco State University political scientist. 

“No one has an idea of how to address the miseducation of poor black kids,” he said. “We talk about how bad it is, but no one has any real agenda or strategy of how to address that problem. It’s very complicated.” 


Campbell trailing Feinstein by 15

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — Republican Tom Campbell remains far behind incumbent Dianne Feinstein in the race for U.S. Senate, according to a poll by the San Francisco Examiner and KTVU-TV. 

The poll shows Democrat Feinstein with support from 53 percent of those polled, while Campbell has support from 38 percent. 

Campbell also does not have name recognition among voters, according to the poll, which showed nearly four of every 10 voters surveyed did not know who he was or had no opinion of him. 

The congressman from San Jose is a known maverick, a pro-choice, pro-gun control Republican who won’t take money from Political Action Committees. 

One of Campbell’s big challenges will be giving voters a reason to unseat Feinstein, who “hasn’t made any major mistakes in Washington or in California,” said Tim Hodson, director of the Center for California Studies and a political science professor at Cal State Sacramento. 

A Los Angeles Times poll conducted Oct. 19 to Oct. 23, found an even bigger discrepancy. It showed Feinstein leading Campbell 60 percent to 35 percent overall and among every group polled except white males. 

The Examiner/KTVU poll was taken Sunday through Wednesday of 822 likely voters by Research 2000 of Rockville, Md. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.


Reports show dangerous water was discharged

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

LOS ANGELES — Industrial runoff water with dangerously high levels of chromium 6 was discharged for two decades into storm drains that flowed to the Los Angeles River, it was reported Monday. 

Newly released city records provide the first clear evidence of how the chromium 6 used by local industries during the Cold War may have led to today’s ground water contamination, the Los Angeles Times reported. Chromium 6, which is suspected of causing cancer and other illnesses, appeared in industrial runoff between 1945 and the mid-1960s in concentrations as high as 80,000 parts per billion, according to the records. Health experts consider any chromium 6 concentration in the thousands of parts per billion in surface water to be dangerous. The records were compiled by the city of Los Angeles as part of a pollution study but were not made public. They were unearthed by Mel Blevins, a court-appointed water master who oversees the upper Los Angeles River area, and he provided them to the Times. 

Blevins said some of the runoff probably seeped into the San Fernando Valley aquifer and contaminated ground water pumped by Los Angeles and other cities for drinking water. 

“What it means to me is surface water had the opportunity to percolate down into the ground water,” he said. “That pollution is some of the main sources of the problem we’re seeing today.” 

The new information comes amid a fierce debate about the safety of some local cities’ water supplies and the potential costs and benefits of tighter standards for chromium in drinking water. 

The debate has acquired a high profile thanks in part to the recent Julia Roberts film “Erin Brockovich,” about a 1996 case in which residents of the California desert town of Hinkley won a $333-million settlement from Pacific Gas & Electric when its tanks leaked high concentrations of chromium 6 into ground water. 

The cities of Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale are in talks to jointly hire consultants to develop technology that would reduce the chemical in ground water, and Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation last month requiring state health officials to report by Jan. 1, 2002, on the risk posed by chromium 6. 

Officials say tap water pumped from the San Fernando Valley basin today is safe because wells are closed when chemicals exceed prudent limits. Water pumped from San Fernando Valley wells makes up about 15 percent of Los Angeles’ water supplies. 

Decades of industrial pollution — much of it from aerospace manufacturing — turned the San Fernando Valley aquifer into a federal Superfund site. Chemical contamination in water wells remains an issue for area residents who say they were sickened by drinking poisoned water, and has led to thousands of lawsuits against area companies including Lockheed Martin Corp., which has paid $60 million to date to settle claims but has not admitted liability. 


Minorities see higher arrest rate by state patrol

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SACRAMENTO — The California Highway Patrol was slightly more likely to arrest Latinos and blacks than whites, according to a CHP report that looked at 2.1 million traffic stops over nine months. 

Gov. Gray Davis ordered the CHP to start keeping race and ethnicity data last year after he vetoed a bill that would have required such information from police departments statewide. 

California Highway Patrol Commissioner D.O. “Spike” Helmick said the study shows no apparent racial bias by his officers because minorities were not over-represented in traffic stops. Only after they were stopped were there higher minority arrests. 

“When you’re going by on the highway at 70 or 80 mph, it’s pretty difficult to tell who’s inside,” Helmick said. “Originally, people tried to advance the idea that we were stopping people based on race. Once an officer stops somebody, they do their job.” 

The report looked at 2.1 million traffic stops over a nine-month period ending in April. 

The CHP did not say how often drivers were searched, and provided no geographic breakdowns that might show whether minorities were targeted in certain areas.  

It also did not break out results from drug enforcement teams that include CHP officers. 

Michelle Alexander, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s racial justice project, criticized the report as being deliberately inconclusive. 

The ACLU is involved in a class-action suit filed last year that accuses the CHP of targeting minority motorists on highways between San Jose and Los Banos. 

Helmick urged Alexander to “try your case in court. We’re not going to try it in the papers.” 

The CHP report says whites had the highest number of arrests after searches, followed by Hispanics, but doesn’t give the percentages or other statistics. 

The report says Hispanics were most likely to be released with a verbal warning after a search, which Alexander interpreted to mean a higher proportion of Hispanics were likely to be searched and cleared of wrongdoing. 

Additional data being collected by the CHP could be included in next year’s report, Helmick said. 

Whites made up about 51 percent of the population in 1999, but accounted for over 55 percent of those drivers pulled over for traffic stops, the report says. Whites were 47.6 percent of arrests, it says. 

Latinos made up 30.4 percent of the state’s population, 26.1 percent of traffic stops, and 34.7 percent of arrests, the CHP statistics show. 

Blacks made up 6.8 percent of the population, 7.6 percent of traffic stops, but 9.2 percent of arrests.


Vigil planned over police killing at Halloween party

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

LOS ANGELES — Police Chief Bernard C. Parks on Monday blamed a realistic-looking prop gun for the police shooting of an actor at a Halloween party. 

The officer who fired 11 shots at Anthony Dwain Lee through a window at a West Los Angeles mansion had “no time” to determine whether the weapon was real or to shout a warning, the chief said at a news conference. 

Parks displayed the gun, which he said was made of solid gray rubber in the shape of an Israeli-made .357 Desert Eagle semiautomatic handgun. 

Parks said such replicas – often used as movie props – have led to at least seven recent officer-involved shootings. 

“Whether it’s a Halloween party, on the street or at a robbery ... we can’t take for granted that (a gun) is a replica,” Parks said. 

Parks also expressed his department’s “deep condolences” to Lee’s family. 

“It’s a tragic event,” he said. 

Lee, 39, was shot on Saturday when he pointed the gun at an officer investigating noise complaints. 

Parks said the officer and his partner identified themselves to some partygoers at the home and were directed to the rear of the house to find the host. Instead, they spotted Lee through a window. 

Parks said he doubted that the officers could have been mistaken for costumed guests. 

“I think when you show up with LAPD uniforms in LAPD cars, and an LAPD badge, it’s clear who you are,” he said. 

Lee had appeared in small TV and film roles on shows such as “ER,” “NYPD Blue” and the 1997 Jim Carrey movie “Liar Liar.” 

Those who knew Lee acknowledge he carried the fake weapon as part of a devil costume but insist he would never have pointed it at anyone – even as a joke. 

“I can tell you with absolute confidence that it wasn’t in his nature,” said Ramon McLane, Lee’s neighbor and friend for 13 years. “He was a lot smarter than that.” 

“Anthony was a well-seasoned actor who carried prop guns for some of his roles,” McLane said. “He knew never to point a gun at someone, regardless of whether it was real or not.” 

Friends planned to honor Lee’s memory with a candlelight vigil outside the West Los Angeles police division where the officer who killed him is stationed. 

Lee’s younger sister, Tina Vogt, who works for the chief of the Sacramento Police Department, planned to attend the rally. Vogt has said she is baffled by the killing and questions the LAPD’s account of the shooting. 

LAPD officials have refused to discuss many elements of the case, pending the outcome of a department investigation. 

Officer Tarriel Hopper, 27, who has been with the department for three years, has been placed on paid leave while the LAPD and county district attorney’s office investigate the death. 

Hopper and his partner arrived at the mansion in the affluent Benedict Canyon area about 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Lt. Horace Frank said. 

Tenants of the home – nicknamed “The Castle” for its towering, sky-blue turrets and arches – were hosting a Halloween costume party that attracted hundreds of guests. 

Witnesses said some of the revelers came dressed as police officers. 

Lee donned a rubber devil mask, friends said, and carried the toy gun as a prop. He was not wearing the mask when he was shot. 

Hopper and his partner were walking along the edge of the house looking for the party’s host when they spotted Lee in a back bedroom, Frank said. 

”(Lee) turned to (Hopper) and pointed what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon at him,” he said. 

That’s when Hopper opened fire. 

Lee died of multiple gunshot wounds, county coroner Scott Carrier said. Exactly where Lee was shot, and how many times he was hit, remained under seal by investigators Monday, Carrier added. 

The tenants said they were shocked by the killing but refused further comment. 

Andrea Lipson, of Camarillo, who owns the house with her husband but did not attend the party, questioned why officers would prowl around the home instead of knocking on the front door. 

“Why did they walk around most of the house just to peer in through a small window at a guy in the last room?” she asked. “And if the officer saw a gun pointing at him, why didn’t he stand aside and duck down. Next to the window is a great big plaster wall.” 

Frank could not say whether the officers entered the home before the shooting or identified themselves to party guests. He wouldn’t say whether Hopper had his gun drawn before looking in the window. 

“You have an officer who just felt his life was being threatened,” Frank said. “It’s sinking in on the poor guy. He’s horrified by the whole thing.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.lapd.com 


Judge unseals papers in Yosemite murderer cases

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

FRESNO — A federal judge Monday agreed to unseal court papers that spell out why prosecutors sought the death penalty in the case of Yosemite murderer Cary Stayner. 

At the request of a group of news organizations, Judge Anthony W. Ishii ordered that all court documents in the case be unsealed, but delayed the release of two items until Stayner is sentenced Nov. 30 in the slaying of a Yosemite naturalist. 

“Whenever a court unseals a court record, the public wins,” said lawyer Neil Shapiro, who represented The Associated Press and four newspaper groups. But he said postponing the release of the most sought-after documents deprived the public of a constitutional right for a month. 

Ishii said the delay was due to the unlikely possibility that Stayner would withdraw his guilty plea before sentencing. 

The documents had been sealed to protect Stayner’s right to a fair trial. With his Sept. 13 conviction in U.S. District Court, however, there was no longer a need to keep the papers secret, Shapiro argued. 

In pleading guilty to murdering Joie Armstrong at the national park on July 21 last year, Stayner was spared the death penalty but agreed to a sentence of life without parole. 

Among papers that will become public at his formal sentencing is a document prosecutors filed to prove Armstrong was killed in “an especially heinous, cruel and depraved manner,” one of the aggravating factors that support a death sentence. Armstrong, 26, who led children on nature hikes in the park, was decapitated. 

The document also includes portions of a confession Stayner gave to authorities, sources have told The AP. 

A defense lawyer argued that releasing that document and a defense brief opposing the death penalty could jeopardize Stayner’s right to a fair trial in the case of three Yosemite sightseers he is charged with killing. 

Elements in the sealed papers will likely be discussed in that case, said defense lawyer Marcia Morrissey. 

“These documents would in no way assist the public,” Morrissey said. 

Stayner faces a state trial in Mariposa County and the possibility of the death penalty in the February 1999 murders of Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli, 15, and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, 16. 

But Ishii said he didn’t have the authority to keep the federal documents sealed after sentencing. Stayner was charged in federal court because Armstrong was killed in a national park. 

The Sund-Pelosso party had been staying at Cedar Lodge, a remote and rustic motel outside the park’s western gate, where Stayner, 39, lived and worked as a handyman. 

Shapiro argued the case on behalf of The AP, The Chronicle Publishing Co., McClatchy Newspapers, Inc, the Hearst Corp., and Knight Ridder Inc.


Lawsuit thrown out over radioactive waste dump

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SAN DIEGO — A Superior Court judge has thrown out a lawsuit against the state over the abandoned development of a radioactive waste dump near Needles. 

Superior Court Judge S. Charles Wickersham dismissed all of US Ecology Inc.’s claims against the state, Gov. Gray Davis, the California Department of Health Services and Diana Bonita, the agency’s director. The ruling, issued last week, was made final Monday. 

The company filed suit after the state decided not to pursue purchase of land in the Mojave Desert for a low-level nuclear waste dump. Wickersham ruled the decision was “discretionary” and not under the jurisdiction of the court. 

US Ecology alleged the state violated a contract with the company. That claim also was found to be without merit. 

The company sought to open a depository for low-level nuclear waste in Ward Valley, about 18 miles from the Colorado River. 

“I think that the judge is telling US Ecology that it’s going to have to pay for its own mistakes at Ward Valley ... that the state is not going to allow a radioactive waste dump at Ward Valley and it doesn’t owe any money to US Ecology in damages,” said Bill Magavern of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, an environmental organization opposed to the project. 

Critics said such a dump could contaminate the Colorado River and jeopardize the water supply for millions of people in the Southwest. 

Officials with American Ecology of Boise, Idaho, the parent company of US Ecology, said the dump would contain only low-level radioactive material and would not pollute the river. 

“We disagree with the ruling and we are in the process of filing our appeal,” said Steve Romano, vice president for corporate development at American Ecology. “We continue to believe we have a strong case and maintain that either this project will be built or we are entitled to get our money back.” 

Two appeals related to the dump are pending in federal court.


Gay Boy Scout leader fired

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

SANTA BARBARA — A Boy Scout executive was stripped of his Eagle Scout status and fired by the Boy Scouts of America National Council 10 days after he publicly admitted he was a homosexual, his attorney said. 

Len Lanzi, Boy Scouts Los Padres Council executive director, worked for the scouting organization 14 years before he was terminated by mail Thursday. 

“We plan to pursue all legal remedies available to him,” said Lanzi’s attorney, Steven Serratori, whose Century City firm specializes in employment law. 

“I think it’s fair to say that everybody is surprised at the arrogance of the Boy Scouts,” Serratori said.  

“To think in this day and age that they think they can fire someone based on their sexual orientation. It’s arrogant.” 

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last summer upholding the Boy Scouts’ right to exclude gay members does not apply to its employees, the lawyer said. 

Messages for the Los Padres Boy Scout Council were not returned Sunday. 

Lanzi, whose territory includes Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, is believed to be the highest-ranking Boy Scout executive to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality since the Supreme Court ruling in June. 

Los Padres Boy Scout board members told the Santa Barbara News-Press their options were limited because of the national council’s policy on gays. 

“We could contradict the national Boy Scout policy, and possibly risk the whole council being decommissioned, or we can go along with firing him,” said Karl Eberhard, a member of the Los Padres Boy Scouts board. 

“I maintain that the whole thing is completely idiotic,” he added.


Zaplets content unzips the power of e-mail

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

REDWOOD SHORES — You know the drill: Message. Reply. Delete, delete, forward, reply, delete. 

Not only is the average online user wading through 2,052 e-mails this year, according to Jupiter Communications, many are battling an overload of instant messages, spreadsheets and Web pages – not to mention old-fashioned phone calls and snail mail. 

A Redwood Shores-based company called Zaplet Inc. has produced some software designed to make wired life a little simpler. 

The company’s Zaplets software combines instant messaging and e-mail features with the rich graphical content of Web pages to form what is essentially interactive e-mail. It connects groups of people to information that can be constantly updated even after it’s sent. 

With e-mail used as a delivery tool for content and conversation, one Zaplet can be used to collaborate on work projects, keep up invitation lists, conduct surveys, compile addresses, raise donations – even share gossip. 

“We think of the Zaplet platform as a whole new genre for the Web,” says company chief executive Alan Baratz. “Eighty percent of the tasks on which employees spend their time, there’s no (software) support for this. 

“Zaplets will make it really easy to snap together applications that support easy, efficient communication and collaboration,” Baratz said. 

Zaplet isn’t alone in trying to capture an emerging market for online collaboration. New York-based Gizmoz hopes to allow businesses to provide their customers constant updates of marketing and content, while privately held 2Way Corp. of Seattle focuses more on in-company communications. 

Microsoft’s Netmeeting and Lotus Development’s Sametime software offer interactive communications features – and a new program called Groove by a Lotus Notes author is also a potential contender in the arena. 

Zaplet executives stress, however, that their offering combines service and software for corporations looking for simple packages. 

The company is the creation of David Roberts, a former CIA employee, and Brian Axe, a former operations and marketing executive at Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM Corp. 

Axe concocted the idea two years ago during a stint at Reactivity, one of the Silicon Valley’s many high-tech incubators, and enlisted Axe as a co-founder. 

Zaplet was originally envisioned as a tool for consumers to do such things as store and exchange personal databases of anything from family photos to phone numbers. But Baratz recently decided to concentrate on selling the software and accompanying services to big businesses. Consumers can still try out the product for free at Zaplet’s Web site. 

A journalist’s attempt to do just that went smoothly. An invitation to a party with simple graphics went out to six friends, who had the opportunity to RSVP and make comments in a running tally that could be tracked simply by reopening the original e-mail. 

The Zaplet Web site will be changed next year when the company launches new software packages for business use. That might help explain why the start-up has had no shortage of investors. 

The new technology’s promise – and its potential to grab a chunk of the $10 billion online communications business – recently helped Zaplet secure $90 million in financing from major venture capital firms and such industry heavyweights as Cisco Systems Inc., Novell Inc. and Oracle Corp. Early customers include USAToday.com, ZDNET and the Republican National Committee, which used Zaplet to send its redesigned Web site to 25,000 supporters in 50 states, Canada, Mexico and England. 

Zaplet has already invited several Fortune 100 companies to test new prepackaged offerings, such as Zaplets that can do sales forecasting and field tracking of sales employees and software to track the progress of a company job candidate. 

By charging on a registered-user basis, a company with 10,000 to 20,000 employees would pay “a few million dollars” to get Zaplet software to install on its secure corporate servers, Baratz said. 

Zaplet also will host information for companies on its own servers under the same per-user arrangement, with monthly billing, he said. 


Brown pelicans make their return

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

MALIBU — Southern California’s brown pelicans are returning to swoop and dive along the coast as the population bounces back from declines caused by El Nino. 

“We were talking about it last week as big flocks of them were going by,” said Lorry Haddock, a Malibu lifeguard.  

“It just seems that, progressively, the numbers keep growing each year a little more.” 

The warm currents created by El Nino kept the pelicans’ food away, but La Nina caused cold water to rise from the depths of the Pacific, bringing prey closer to the surface, biologists said.  

The past two years of such favorable weather in California and nesting areas in Mexico have greatly boosted the birds’ numbers. 

“During the last El Nino, there was almost no nesting in the Gulf of California,” Daniel Anderson, a professor of wildlife biology at the University of California, Davis, told the Los Angeles Daily News.  

“We had a big year down there this summer.” 

The famous pelican population on Anacapa Island off the Ventura coast has also made a comeback, according to a recent count.  

For many, the pelicans there and elsewhere in the area are a symbol of the early environmental movement because they were nearly wiped out 30 years ago by the pesticide DDT before the population crept back in subsequent decades. 

Frank Gress, a research biologist who, with Anderson, helped discover that the shells on Anacapa pelicans’ eggs were fatally thin because of DDT, recently made his 22nd annual census there. 

From Oct. 3 to Oct. 10 Gress counted nests, chick mortality, abandonment and productivity of each nest in the island rookeries.  

He has yet to finalize his results, but said he counted roughly 4,500 nests, about 2,000 more than in 1998. 

During 1992, one of three earlier El Nino years, he counted only 1,500 nests.


Judge dismisses two counts in LAPD corruption case

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

LOS ANGELES — As prosecutors rested their case, a judge dismissed two perjury counts against one of the officers charged in the LAPD corruption trial. 

Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Connor said prosecutors failed to prove that officer Michael Buchanan was on vacation when he claimed to have witnessed an arrest. 

“I believe the evidence is simply insufficient,” she said. 

Buchanan is one of four officers on trial for misconduct and still faces three other counts. 

Connor said defense lawyers presented enough doubt to suggest that personnel records introduced by prosecutors might be wrong. The officer’s lawyer, Harland Braun, said Buchanan came to work late on the day in question after visiting his terminally ill parents in a hospital. 

Connor’s ruling came after defense lawyers asked that all charges against their clients be dismissed. She allowed the remaining seven counts, including three against Buchanan, to be decided by the jury. 

Buchanan, officer Paul Harper and sergeants Brian Liddy and Edward Ortiz are charged with conspiracy, perjury and filing false reports. The charges stem from three cases between March 1996 and April 1998 in which the officers are alleged to have framed innocent people. 

Defense attorneys urged Connor to dismiss all charges, including a conspiracy count against each. 

“There simply was no evidence in this trial of any conspiracy,” attorney Barry Levin said. “There was no agreement. ... Your honor, there hasn’t been one piece of evidence that is reliable and credible that says this case should go to the jury.” 

Deputy district attorneys Anne Ingalls and Laura Laesecke argued there has been ample proof to sustain a guilty verdict on all the allegations. 

“This is a decision that needs to be made by the community, that needs to be made by the jury,” Laeseka said. “There is sufficient evidence to send this case to the jury.” 

The arguments over whether to dismiss the charges took place outside the presence of the jury and after prosecutors rested their case. 

Both prosecutors repeatedly accused the defendants of lying on written reports. They did not discuss the absence of their star witness, former officer Rafael Perez. 

Perez turned informant in exchange for leniency after he stole $1 million worth of cocaine from a police evidence room. His allegations that officers in the Rampart Division antigang unit planted evidence, lied under oath and falsified reports has led to dismissal of charges in about 100 cases. 

 

Perez wasn’t among the 26 witnesses called during the first two weeks of testimony. His lawyer said he would refuse to testify unless he received immunity from recent murder allegations made by an ex-lover. 

The claim remains under investigation and no murder charges have been filed. 

Defense attorneys have said Perez is a liar and that without his testimony there is no case against their clients. 


Independent incumbent fighting for re-election

The Associated Press
Tuesday October 31, 2000

OAKLAND — Audie Bock stunned California’s political establishment last year when she won a special legislative election to become the highest-ranking Green Party officeholder in the country. 

Now Bock hopes to spring another surprise on the Capitol, this time by winning re-election as the Legislature’s only independent and doing it in an Assembly district where nearly two of every three voters are Democrats. 

Her Democratic opponent, Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan, has lots of campaign money, lawn signs, glossy brochures and the backing of her party’s establishment, including Gov. Gray Davis and Assembly leaders. 

Bock has a tight budget, a simple campaign flier and homemade campaign signs lettered by an elderly friend. But she says she can win. 

“When people look at the record I have achieved in such a short period of time, combined with the fact I am not beholden to special interests and big-party agendas, they will vote for the person who gets the people’s job done,” she said. 

Bock’s victory in a March 1999 special election to fill the vacant 16th District seat marked her first foray into politics. 

Bock, who holds degrees in French and East Asian studies, has worked as an interpreter for Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa and taught at several universities, including Harvard, Yale College and the University of California at Berkeley. 

Bock entered the race at the request of Green leaders, who were looking for someone active in the party to run for the open seat. Bock said she really didn’t see herself as a party activist, although she worked on Ralph Nader’s 1996 presidential campaign and for the Green’s 1998 candidate for governor. 

And she was reluctant to run because she was about to start a new job teaching at Hayward State Univ rsity. 

“They assured me that it wouldn’t take up very much of my time,” Bock said of her first campaign. 

Bock defeated Democrat Elihu Harris by 327 votes. She left teaching to work full-time as an assemblywoman. 

Democrats say Bock’s victory was a fluke, that turnout was low and Harris, a former Oakland mayor and ex-assemblyman, had too much political baggage. 

They are determined to reclaim the seat, even though Bock votes with them most of the time. 

Bock’s campaign has raised about $120,000 since the middle of last year, including more than $33,000 in donations and loans from herself and her family. Chan has taken in about three times as much. 

Chan contends Bock has been ineffective and is a “little bit abrasive and arrogant.” 

“I think she tends to take credit for things she’s involved in marginally,” Chan said. 

Bock denies a claim by a former staffer that she called Chan “a big drip” but she says she may have called her a “wuss.” 

As for effectiveness, Bock points to the state spending she landed for her district and the five bills she got signed into law this year. They include measures to aid crime victims, promote low-income housing and study educational opportunities for veterans. 

Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, said Bock has been a “good member in many respects.” But Chan is “fabulous” and Democrats, who hold 46 of the Assembly’s 80 seats, want a bigger majority, he said. 

Bock was once a Democrat. She left the party in 1993 after congressional Democrats failed to implement national health insurance. 

Looking for a party that cared about the issue, she picked the Greens, a liberal third party that has its roots in the European anti-nuclear movement and also supports strong environmental laws and campaign finance limits, among other causes. 

Her March victory made Bock the first third-party candidate to win a California legislative seat since 1917 and the top U.S. Green. 

Then she stunned Greens by leaving the party last October to become an independent. Bock said she hadn’t changed her views but wanted to avoid the March open primary and the stigma that would come if she trailed Chan in the overall vote. 

Green spokeswoman Nancy Marmol said party members were disappointed by Bock’s decision. 

“She had been kind of our star,” Marmol said. “And then people kind of moved on. From the point of view of the development of the party it didn’t make any difference at all.” 

Greens hold at least 71 local offices across the nation, and have about 240 candidates on ballots Nov. 7, from Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign to local school boards. 

Most Greens were further upset when Bock accepted $1,500 in campaign contributions from oil companies, said Greg Jan, an Alameda County Green and Bock’s former campaign manager. Those included $1,000 from Chevron. 

 

 

“You will not find a single vote I made that favored anything Chevron is doing,” Bock replied. 

Jan said Greens helped Bock gather the signatures she needed to make the fall ballot, but now “the vast majority” of their efforts are aimed at winning other offices. 

The Greens haven’t endorsed anyone in the Assembly race, which also features Republican Timothy B. McCormick, a title insurance executive, and Libertarian Richard E. Armstrong, a transit system technician. 

Bock said she doesn’t regret her decision to go it alone. 

“Independents are the fastest-growing sector of the voting public and there is a reason. In many ways a party is an advantage,” she said. “It’s a family and a support system. In many ways it’s baggage.” 

On the Net: 

Find Bock at audiebock.org 

Find Chan and McCormick at www.smartvoter.org 

Find Armstrong at http://members.aol.com/nicedad1/questions.html 


Parents clash over Berkeley High standards

By Robin Shulman Special to the Daily Planet
Monday October 30, 2000

Parents at Berkeley High School are frustrated with the progress the school is making in addressing harsh criticism that African-American and Latino students are not receiving the same education of Asian and Caucasian students.  

Last year, the Western Associatåion of Schools and Colleges – the school’s accrediting agent – threatened to pull its accreditation if the school does not show marked progress by this Spring. That is when a team of inspectors from the association will visit Berkeley High to reevaluate the school. If the school loses its accreditation, a Berkeley High diploma would have little weight when it comes time for students to apply to college. 

In response, some 150 parents gathered at the school Saturday to hash out their differences and prepare a document that proves the school has made progress after the accrediting agent’s 1999 report. Input from parents, students, teachers, administrators and staff will be included in the report, which is due in December. 

“If we really want Berkeley High to get full accreditation, it’s imperative that we all get involved,” said School Board President Joaquin Rivera. 

However, parents at the meeting told stories reflecting the vastly different experiences of their children. White parents discussing student achievement cited some excellent teachers and diverse classes as the school’s strengths.  

“If you can get them!” interjected black parents. 

Parents complained that students who don’t know their options often end up on academic tracks that will not prepare them for college. Even students who know what they want are often misinformed by counselors, parents said. 

“My son is really into computers and he already wants to know what he wants to do as a career,” said one African-American mother. “He wasn’t able to get any of the classes he wanted. He has no classes in the seventh period, so he’s roaming around,” she said. 

“What are strengths for one group are weaknesses for another group,” said Jean Wang, a University of California at Berkeley researcher on a four-year study of diversity at the school. At least at this meeting, “there’s much more recognition of the achievement gap as a problem,” said Wang.  

Last year, the school set up 11


Calendar of Events & Activities

Monday October 30, 2000


Monday, Oct. 30

 

 

Fun with Origami 

10 a.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

644-6107 

 

“BYOP: Pumpkin Carving By  

Porch and Hearth,” 

Tilden Regional Park 

4 to 7 p.m. Take Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Berkeley.  

(510) 525-2233 

 


Tuesday, Oct. 31

 

 

Sing-A-Long 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

644-6107 

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free. 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 1

 

 

Kathak Dancing with  

Pandit Chitresh Das 

7:30 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 

2640 College Ave.  

The Graduate Theological Union presents a free lecture-demonstration with Pandit Chitresh Das, a master of India’s Kathak dance form. This event is free. 

Call 649-2440 for information. 

 

Mountain Adventure Seminar 

In-store, registration required 

6 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Learn about equipment. fundamental climbing techniques and safety procedures. 

$100 REI members,  

$110 for nonmembers. 

To register (209) 753-6556. 

 

Task Force on  

Telecommunications 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Fire Safety Commission 

7:30 p.m.  

Fire Training Division 

997 Cedar St.  

Discussion will include undergrounding of utilities in Berkeley and a proposal to the City Council for additional support for the Fire Department.  

 

Citizen’s Budget Review  

Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Board of Education 

7:30 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

 


Thursday, Nov. 2

 

 

PASTForward Panel  

Discussion at art museum 

2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

Bancroft Way (below College) 

In conjunction with the White Oak Dance Project’s performances, a panel discussion with Judson era dance choreographers Yvonne Rainer and Deborah Hay. Free. 

 

From Morgan to Modern 

7:30 p.m. 

“Saddling the Site: The  

Environmental Designs of Wurster, Church and Others” 

The Hillside Club, 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242. 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic  

Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters.  

Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 for more information. 

 

Spirit of the Road 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop  

& Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Don Patton, general editor and vice president of publishing for the California State Automobile Association presents a slide show celebrating the first one hundred years of the automobile and the CSA. Free. 

Call 843-3533 for more info.  

 

BOSS Graduation 

6 - 8 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th & Harrison 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency’s graduation gala for poor, disabled, and homeless folks who have worked hard to achieve jobs, housing, education, training, and other milestones. There will be special guests, music and a buffet. The community is invited. 

Call 649-1930 

 

Spirit Matters 

4:30 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave.  

Rabbi Michael Lerner speaks about his new book. 

Call 849-8244 

 


Friday, Nov. 3

 

 

Taize Worship Service 

7:30-8:30 p.m. 

An hour of quiet reflection and song. First Friday of the month. 

Loper Chapel on Dana Street between Durant and Channing Way. 

Call 848-3696 for information. 

 

“Want to Transform your Dreams Into Reality?” 

7:30 p.m. 

Lecture by Leonard Orr, world known for creating the Rebirthing and Conscious Breathwork  

Movement. 

The Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St. 

$25. Call 843-6514. 

 

Circle Dancing 

7:45 - 10 p.m. 

Finnish Brotherhoos Hall 

1970 Chestnut St. 

Simple folkdancing in a circle. Beginners welcome and no partners are required.  

Call John Bear, 528-4253. 

 

Marga Gomez 

8 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Comedian Marga Gomez was one of the founding members of Culture Clash and the Latino comedy ensemble. Part of the La Lesbian performance and film series. 

Call 654-6346. 

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 


Saturday, Nov. 4

 

 

Hike breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call (415) 255-3233 for  

reservations and more  

information. 

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Dublin Library’s resident storyteller and featured teller at the 1998 National Storytelling Festival tell kids aged 3 to 7 her favorite tales.  

Call 649-3943.  

 

The Next Ivory Trade? The  

Intellectual Property Rights of  

University Faculty 

9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

A conference sponsored by the Berkeley Faculty Association/American Association of University Professors Coalition 

UC Berkeley International House 

841-1997. 

 

New Science & Ancient  

Wisdom Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International Center 

2222 Harold Way 

Featured speakers include Father Charlie Moore speaking on “The Cosmic Origins of Man,” Dolores Cannon speaking on “Visions of Nostradamus,” and David Hatcher Childress speaking on “Technology of the Gods.”  

Pre-registration admission, $65; after Oct. 27, $85 

Call Charles Gotsky, 650-343-5202 

 

 

Chinese Decorative Art  

collecting discussed 

10 a.m. - Noon 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Dessa Goddard, director of the Asian Department at Butterfields, and a panel discuss. Followed by a collectors’ tea. Included in admission price to museum.  

Call for reservations, 238-2022. 

 

 

“Broadway to La Scala” 

7 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

of Oakland 

2501 Harrison St. (at 27th St.) 

A benefit concert for the Oakland Lyric Opera featuring a selection  

of Broadway musicals and arias  

from operas, including “Madame Butterfly.”  

$25 

Call 836-6772. 

 


Sunday, Nov. 5

 

 

Buddhist Psychology 

6 p.m.  

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Buddhist teacher Sylvia Gretchen on “Beyond Therapy and Into the Heart of Buddhist Psychology.” Free. 

Call 843-6812.


Perspective

By Andrew LamPacific News Service
Monday October 30, 2000

As someone who came from Southeast Asia, I am no stranger to astrology. And I’m inclined to consult the occult when it comes to picking important leaders – the president of the United States, for instance. Pick one with lousy karma, and the whole country might go to pot. 

Sure, I’ve considered Bush’s tax cut promises and Gore’s pledges on education, and I fret over Bush choosing Supreme Court justices and Gore’s lack of charisma. But when all is said and done, the two don’t seem to differ greatly. Both are political animals controlled by big money, and there’s no telling what they would do under pressure. 

So, if you are as undecided as I am, you might want information about our two candidates that is not available in the mainstream media. 

Al Gore’s sign is Earth and his running mate, Joe Lieberman’s is Water. Gore was born March 31, 1948 at 12:53 PM with his Moon in Capricorn, Sun in Aries and his Mercury in Pisces. 

George W. Bush, in contrast, is the sign of Fire, and his running mate Dick Cheney is Metal. Born July 6, 1946, Bush’s Sun is in Cancer and his Moon is in Libra. 

This means that both Gore and Bush picked atrologically compatible running mates. 

“Water and Earth imply growth and productivity,” observed my mother who knows something about astrology. “It might mean more biotechnology breakthroughs.” The bad side, she said, “is that it could mean plagues and flood and natural disasters if they run the country.” 

Fire and Metal, my mother suggested, imply scientific progress, strong civilization and military strength. The bad side, and this is very bad, is that a strong military could lead to war. 

So, who’s my mom going to vote for? 

“Bush and Cheney.” 

Why? 

“Their faces have good feng-shui, especially Cheney. Auspicious for the country.” My mother may be biased, having voted Republican for the last two decades. 

So I went to Horoscope.com, the Internet’s oracle. 

Gore, it said, can be bold, brash and impatient. “Other aspects of his chart affect this, though, making him appear much different. The influence of Aries brings into play his role as an action guy and a good initiator.” 

Horoscope.com went on, “Gore’s Moon in Capricorn simply reaffirms that he’s a go-getter. Even if it takes a lifetime, he will achieve his goals.” 

Does this mean the vice president will run again if he loses? Help! 

For Bush, Horoscope.com has this to say: “His Mercury in Leo shows him to be an excellent talker. He can keep an audience enraptured by his storytelling abilities. He has the rare gift of making almost everything he says interesting and entertaining.” 

The downside? 

“He may be prone to exaggerate, but this gift will certainly be appreciated by those who must sit through hours of political speeches.” 

And I thought Gore was the exaggerator?! 

“His Mercury also conjuncts Pluto. Couple that with his Sun squaring Jupiter and you have a man who may be following a blind faith and preaching about something that isn’t quite real.” 

Does that mean war? Horoscope.com doesn’t provide an answer. 

Still confused, I cast the I-Ching at Iching.com. For Bush it says: “Do not be too assertive at this time, for if you try to direct things, you are liable to become confused or alienated ... Strive for a pure natural responsiveness based on inner strength rather than outer show.” 

I take it that the I Ching is telling him to keep doing what he’s doing pray for the best. 

For Gore the I-Ching seems hard to interpret: “During a period of abundance, it benefits one to show benevolence....Think of good deeds now as a hedge against times of scarcity in the future. This reading bodes well in the raising of children.... “ 

Is this why he doesn’t want to squander the budget surplus? Or will Gore lose the election and end up raising his kids in the private sector? 

The I-Ching doesn’t have straightforward answers of course, which is a problem with oracles in general. 

OK. After all this research, who am I going to vote for? 

I admit, I still don’t know. I’m a Gemini and am always of two minds. 

But my moon is in Taurus, and I am the sign of Water which makes me a bit unpredictable. 

Maybe Ralph Nader. 

PNS commentator Andrew Lam is a journalist and short story writer


Cal spikers still looking for wins

By Tim Haran Daily Planet Correspondent
Monday October 30, 2000

Five is the magic number for the Cal (9-11, 4-9 Pac-10) women’s volleyball team. That’s the number of matches the Golden Bears need to win to guarantee a .500 season and to give the team a shot at NCAA Tournament play. 

But wins have eluded the Bears and its magic number has remained at five since Cal’s last victory over William & Mary College two weeks ago. Following the Bears’ loss to Arizona State (15-8, 7-6 Pac-10) Saturday at the RSF Fieldhouse, 16-14, 15-3 and 15-8, Cal has dropped four straight matches. Moreover, the Bears failed to win a single game in those four losses and have lost 16 of its last 19 games. 

“I think we tend to push the past out of our minds pretty well,” Cal coach Rich Feller said, dispelling any notion of decreasing morale due to the slump. “We look at every match and try to push to win.” 

Against ASU, Cal played without outside hitter Candace McNamee who is still recovering from an ankle injury she suffered earlier in the month. Caity Noonan posted a team-high 42 assists filling in for McNamee. Feller mixed up his lineup even more by playing freshman Jenna Grigsby who had previously seen action in just one game this season. 

“We had to mix it up to try and find some answers,” Feller said. “Grigsby did a spectacular job out there.” 

In fact, Cal seemed to have the first game well in hand, leading 7-3 before the Bears won four straight points on Grigsby’s serve. Leading 12-5, Cal lost 11 of the next 13 points and let the first game slip away. 

“We just weren’t consistent,” said Cal’s Reena Pardiwala, who contributed 12 kills and nine digs. “We need to go hard on every point.” 

The Bears dug themselves a deep hole in game two, falling behind 3-8 before the Sun Devils scored seven straight points. Cal kept pace with ASU during the first half of game three, but after freshman Gabrielle Abernathy’s kill tied the score at eight, the Sun Devils ran off the game’s final seven points. 

“There was a lack of focus and energy,” said Alicia Perry, who led the Bears with 17 kills and 18 digs. “We need to prepare mentally and go in thinking we can win every game.”  

Freshman outside hitter Ashleigh Turner sparked the Bears with seven kills and nine digs while playing on the left side of the court, opposite her normal position.  

“You can’t come into matches, make changes like that and expect the continuity to be there,” Feller said. 

Two of the Pac-10’s most prolific hitters squared off against each other Saturday. Cal’s Perry matched up against ASU’s Amanda Burbridge, who was named both Pac-10 and national player of the week for her combined 77 kills against the Washington teams last week. Burbridge leads the conference in kills and is tied with Perry for the lead in digs. 

Cal starts a three-match road trip this week with contests against Washington State on Nov. 2, Washington on Nov. 3 and Santa Clara on Nov. 7.


Measure Y to outline tenant protections

Berkeley Daily Planet Staff
Monday October 30, 2000

Measure Y is among the most debated ballot measures in the city. Its aim is to protect seniors and the disabled from being dislodged when owners move into units which belong to them. Tenant activists say the measure is necessary to protect vulnerable people from being tossed into the streets, while property owners argue that the measure makes these individuals even more vulnerable – landlords will choose to rent to nondisabled students and dot-commers rather than the elderly and disabled. 

Measure Y prohibits landlords from moving in and evicting a person 60 years or older who has lived in a building for five years or more, or a disabled person who has lived in the building five years or more. 

Landlords are also prohibited from moving in and evicting any person who has lived in the building for five years, when the landlord owns multiple units, defined as having 10 percent or greater ownership interest in five or more residential units in Berkeley. 

The landlord (or spouse, parent or child) who evicts a tenant must move into the property within three months of the eviction and stay there 36 months. 

A landlord who owns a comparable vacant unit in Berkeley must use that unit for himselfor his relatives. If the landlord owns a unit that is not comparable and is vacant, the unit must be offered to the


Oregon outlasts Sun Devils, can smell the roses

Staff
Monday October 30, 2000

Pac-10 roundup 

 

UCLA 27, No. 24 Arizona 24 

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — If Cory Paus was hurt, it didn’t show on UCLA’s final snap. 

With coaches trying to determine whether something was wrong with Paus’ shoulder, the sophomore quarterback scrambled 13 yards for a touchdown with 48 seconds left as UCLA rallied for a 27-24 victory over No. 24 Arizona on Saturday night. 

“Cory started off slow, but the last play he was phenomenal,” coach Bob Toledo said. “Early in the fourth quarter, we almost pulled him because we thought he had a separated shoulder. He hung in there and was a difference-maker for us.” 

After falling behind 21-14, the Bruins (5-3, 2-3 Pac-10) held Arizona (5-3, 3-2) to one field goal in the second half to snap their eight-game road losing streak. UCLA last won away from home on Nov. 14, 1998, beating Washington in Seattle. 

Paus, who was 19-of-35 for 230 yards, one score and two interceptions, capped a 66-yard drive in the final 2:47 when he scrambled left, pulled out of three arm tackles and put the ball in the end zone with an extended arm. 

 

No. 9 Washington 31, Stanford 28 

STANFORD (AP) – With a teammate in the hospital and time running perilously short, Washington scored the last improbable touchdown in a fourth quarter full of them. 

Justin Robbins caught a 22-yard TD pass from Marques Tuiasosopo with 17 seconds left as the ninth-ranked Huskies blew an 18-point lead with six minutes to play and then drove 80 yards in the closing seconds to beat Stanford 31-28 on Saturday. 

A driving rain at Stanford Stadium made scoring difficult until the frenetic final six minutes, when the teams combined for five touchdowns. The small, soaked crowd — equally divided between Washington and Stanford supporters — might have got neck aches from watching the teams drive up and down the field. 

 

No. 7 Oregon 56, Arizona St. 55, 2OT 

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) – In a game as wild as college football gets, Joey Harrington threw for 434 yards and tied a school record with six touchdown passes as No. 7 Oregon staged an amazing fourth-quarter comeback to beat Arizona State 56-55 in overtime Saturday. 

The Ducks (7-1, 5-0 Pac-10) never led in regulation, but Harrington threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final 3:21 of the fourth quarter, the last with 27 seconds to go. 

Allan Amundson, playing in place of injured Maurice Morris, ran 1 yard for the Ducks’ touchdown on their second overtime possession. 

Arizona State (5-3, 2-3) followed with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Krohn to Richard Williams. The Sun Devils set up for a conversion kick that would have tied it again, but it was a fake. 

Krohn, who threw for 432 yards and five touchdowns, rolled right and threw to Todd Heap, but the tight end couldn’t quite catch it. 

 

No. 18 Oregon St. 38, Washington St. 9 

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – Ken Simonton ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns as No. 18 Oregon State kept its Rose Bowl hopes alive by overpowering Washington State 38-9 Saturday night. 

The Beavers (No. 17 ESPN/USA Today, No. 18 The Associated Press) are tied with Washington for second place behind unbeaten Oregon, but the Huskies hold the tiebreaker over Oregon State (7-1, 4-1 Pacific-10). 

The game featured the two most productive offenses in the Pac-10, but Washington State (3-5, 1-4) gained just 240 yards. Jason Gesser, the leading passer in the conference, was 11-for-29 for 104 yards and two interceptions under heavy pressure.


Voter bond aims to redo rehab pool

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Monday October 30, 2000

Michael Barklay is recovering from major back surgery and, leaning on a walker, he took careful steps towards the steaming warm water pool at Berkeley High School.  

Barklay was a paraplegic for 37 days and, though he still relies on a wheelchair, is beginning to walk again. Once he is submerged up to his neck his body is partially released from the painful pull of gravity. 

Barklay spends three evenings a week at the pool and regards the free facility as a God-send. 

“This is the only place I can go to exercise,” he said.  

If voters pass Measure R on Nov. 7, more people like Barklay will be able to use the two indoor water pools which will be modernized with $3.5 million of general obligation bonds. Those bonds would cost homeowners an average of $4 per year. Operation of the two indoor warm water pools (one pool is heated to approximately 85 degrees and the other 92 degrees) will be turned over to the city which will modernize the 70-year-old facility so that pool programs can be expanded and more accessible. Currently there are programs seven days a week for seniors (age 55 and older) and disabled swimmers of all ages. The pool is also used by those who are rehabilitating from injuries or recovering from surgery.


Powell’s big return leads Cal to win over Trojans

The Associated PressThe Associated Press
Monday October 30, 2000

LOS ANGELES – Jemeel Powell turned a couple of keen observations into big plays for California. 

Powell returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, then added an interception as Cal beat Southern California 28-16 on Saturday to hand the reeling Trojans their fifth consecutive loss. 

“They were not in punt coverage, but block coverage and I knew I would have a chance,” Powell said after Cal (3-5, 2-3 Pac-10) downed the Trojans (3-5, 0-5) for the third consecutive time. 

“Powell’s punt return broke our back,” said USC coach Paul Hackett. “We had opportunities to make plays and so did Cal. They did and we didn’t.” 

Powell said the Bears found they gave the Trojans’ receivers too much of a cushion early in the game and decided to pressure them more. He was in perfect position for his interception, when he leaped high above USC’s Kareem Kelly to grab Palmer’s long throw at the Cal 41 with 6:52 remaining. 

“I relied on my skills and, luckily, they threw to him and I had good coverage,” Powell said. 

Bears coach Tom Holmoe said, “Powell had a spectacular return and a key interception.” 

Cal’s defense sacked Palmer seven times and kept the Trojans off-balance most of the game. Andre Carter logged 2 1/2 sacks, had eight solo tackles and an assist, and Scott Fujita had two sacks. 

Kyle Boller threw for a pair of touchdowns as the Bears downed USC for the fourth time in their last five meetings. 

The Trojans, who had never started conference play 0-4 before this year, have lost five straight overall for the first time since 1991, when they had a six-game losing streak and finished 3-8. Head coach Larry Smith was fired a year after that season. 

USC was 3-0 and ranked No. 8 nationally this fall before their losing streak began. 

“It’s been an awful October,” said Hackett, whose record in two-plus seasons at USC fell to 17-16. “You cannot play raggedy special teams and expect to win in our conference; the teams are too good and too even. I’ve got to take the time to focus more on special teams.” 

Cal’s defense shut out USC in the second half, allowing the Trojans across midfield just once after they led 16-14 at halftime. 

After the Bears rallied to take the lead late in the third quarter, Powell gave them a 12-point pad with his spectacular punt return 2:55 into the fourth. 

He started to his right then sliced up the center of the field, as two Trojans desperately dived but only got their fingertips on him. 

Any real chance the Trojans had of catching up afterward evaporated when Palmer threw the two interceptions. USC also squandered another chance when it was called for an illegal substitution on a Cal punt with about five minutes remaining, giving the Bears a first down instead of a fourth-and-1 at midfield. 

Boller was 7-of-12 for 131 yards, with no interceptions. Joe Igber carried 28 times for 80 yards in the victory. 

The Trojans’ Sultan McCullough rushed for 122 yards on 15 carries, including a 32-yard touchdown. Palmer completed 19 of 39 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown. 

Cal’s Nick Harris set an NCAA career record for punting yardage, with his seven punts for 272 yards giving him 13,157 yards. Cameron Young of TCU had 12,947 from 1976-79. 

Boller threw a 12-yard scoring pass to Derek Swafford late in the third quarter and connected with Geoff McArthur for a 2-point conversion and a 22-16 lead. 

The Trojans had scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 2:11 of the first half to move ahead 16-14. They took the lead on John Wall’s 25-yard field goal 32 seconds before halftime, shortly after McCullough’s scoring run. 

Carter set up the Bears’ second touchdown, jarring the ball out of Palmer’s grasp on a sack at the USC 11 early in the second quarter. Daniel Nwangwu picked up the loose ball and ran to the 7 before he was tackled, then Joe Echema scored shortly afterward on a 1-yard run. 

Both teams scored on their first possession of the game. Boller threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Pipersburg, and Palmer responded with a 19-yarder to Chad Pierson.


Clinton hits campaign trail to support Gore

By Lawrence L. Knutson Associated Press Writer
Monday October 30, 2000

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – President Clinton sang along with the gospel choirs at two black Baptist churches Sunday and implored congregants to ponder what he called the stark choices of the presidential campaign and to “make sure nobody takes a pass on Nov. 7.” 

“When I hear people say this is not really a very significant election it makes me want to go head first into an empty swimming pool,” Clinton said at Alfred Street Baptist Church just outside Washington. “We really do have a big, clear, unambiguous stark choice here. We don’t have to get mad, but we need to be smart.” 

Leaving the White house shortly after dawn on a clear, crisp late-October day, Clinton issued a strong appeal for a large turnout of black voters for Vice President Al Gore in the contest with Texas Gov. George W. Bush. 

“There are differences in education policy, in health care policy, in environmental policy, in crime policy and on foreign policy, just a ton of things,” Clinton told the early morning service at Shiloh Baptist Church in the nation’s capital. “You need to show on Election Day.” 

“We still have bridges to cross,” he told worshippers. “The question is, are we going to be walking in the right direction. Are we all going to walk across, or just a few of us? 

The president’s church appearances represented his most direct and public appeal to energize black voters to go to the polls in record numbers for Gore, despite the vice president’s reluctance to campaign with Clinton and reservations about having him out on the campaign trail at all. 

Clinton met in the East Room on Friday with 150 black leaders in an attempt to spread the word that black voters — a core Democratic constituency — are vital to Gore’s chances. 

On Saturday, Clinton recorded more than 70 telephone messages to tell blacks that their votes are needed. On Monday, he participates in a 45-minute live national radio conversation with television talk-show host Queen Latifah and entertainers Sinbad and Will Smith in another attempt to address concerns that this year’s black vote will be lower than in recent elections. 

Clinton is to continue that effort in meetings with black ministers at the White House on Monday and at get-out-the vote rallies later in the week in Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif. 

There was evidence that Clinton’s message was getting across. 

At Shiloh Baptist Church, the Rev. Wallace Charles Smith told congregants in a letter that people who think there isn’t much difference between Gore and Bush are “dead wrong.” 

“Probing beneath the surface we see that their policies would take the nation in very different directions,” Smith said, citing the candidates’ positions on civil rights, education, judicial choices, and Social Security, where he said Bush’s call for partial privatization is “a considerable gamble,” 

“There are huge differences, which when it comes to policy implementation that will set the nation’s course for a long time to come,” he said. 

Clinton sat near the ministers at both services and sang along with the choirs, clapping and smiling, and needing no prompting on the verses. 

In his sermon, Smith prayed for the Clintons, whom he said have “been under a fierce onslaught of hostile forces for eight long years.” He urged God to “touch the electoral process ... and anoint the polling places” and ended by saying of Clinton, “if he could only run again.” 

Gore, who began the fall campaign by declaring himself “my own man,” has not asked for Clinton’s direct help in the campaign. Clinton did not mention Gore by name but made no secret of his preference. 

“Don’t pretend there’s no difference and it won’t have any impact on you,” Clinton said. “It’ll have a huge impact, which decision we make.”


St. Mary’s dominates action-packed game

By Tim Haran Daily Planet Correspondent
Monday October 30, 2000

Panthers headed for showdown with Piedmont 

 

The St. Mary’s High Panthers traveled to Vallejo Friday and defeated the St. Patrick/St. Vincent Bruins 48-28 in an offense-dominated game that saw the teams combine for 10 touchdowns and two field goals. 

The Panthers improved to 3-0 in the Bay Shore Athletic League with the win and face John Swett High on the road this week before returning to Berkeley to play Piedmont High in a game that could decide the league championship. 

Following St. Mary’s opening kickoff, it took only 45 seconds for St. Patrick/St. Vincent to put points on the board. On 3rd-and-10, Bruins’ running back Pat O’Donnell broke through the Panthers’ defense and raced 80 yards to the end zone for the first of his two touchdowns. Evan Kestloot added the extra point to give the home team a 7-0 lead. 

On its next series St. Patrick/St. Vincent turned the ball over on downs and St. Mary’s took over. Junior running back Phil Weatheroy found a seam and scampered 79 yards untouched for the Panthers’ first score of the game. Pat Barry, who is transitioning from the soccer field to the gridiron, added the point after on his way to an 8-for-8 kicking performance.  

But the game was tied for just 41 seconds when Bruins’ quarterback Alex Vasquez ran for 46 yards before running back Justin Eweres ran another 24 yards untouched for the first of his two touchdowns and the second St. Patrick/St. Vincent score of the game.  

Still in the first quarter, the Panthers countered. A mere 48 seconds later, St. Mary’s Trestin George rolled to the right and ran 49 yards down the sideline to even the score 14-14 with 1:32 left in the opening period. 

“We had a shaky start, but everything came together for us,” said George, who scored three touchdowns. “We’re a good team, we play as one unit and by the second half we stepped it up.” 

St. Mary’s didn’t trail for the rest of the game. A pair of field goals by Barry before the end of the half gave the Panthers a 27-14 lead heading into the locker room. 

Known for its explosive running game, St. Mary’s didn’t attempt a pass until the 3:03 mark of the second quarter. Panthers’ quarterback Jason Washington went 2-for-6 on the night, but both completions resulted in touchdowns. With 2:12 left in the third quarter, George caught a screen pass and ran 26 yards for the score. Wide receiver Courtney Brown caught the second TD pass with 10:17 left in the game. 

“That wasn’t by design,” said Panthers’ coach Dan Shaughnessy, referring to the team’s few pass attempts. “Our best receiver (Omar Young) went down, so we had to scrap our double tight, double flanker set. We went back to our old horse and buggy offense.” 

After the win, George admitted he’s looking forward to the season finale against Piedmont, and may even be looking past John Swett. 

“We’re going to go out there and crush them (John Swett), hopefully make them quit in the first half,” he said. “We’ll stomp them into the ground and get ready for Piedmont.” 

Shaughnessy knows his team’s offense is potent, but he also recognized that St. Mary’s defense has to improve its consistency for the final two games of the year. 

“We’ve put up a lot of points on the year, but it isn’t a patient offense,” he said. “We’ve got to get more consistent on defense to hold these teams.”


Environmentalists square off on wetlands recovery

By Leon Drouin Keith Associated Press Writer
Monday October 30, 2000

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Back when wetlands were less respectfully known as swamps, marshes and bogs, Bolsa Chica was tied to the ocean’s undulations. 

For millennia, its high tides and low tides nurtured creatures that wriggled in the mud and the cordgrass, and thus made a fine dinner spot for hundreds of bird species in Southern California. 

The Bolsa Chica wetlands lost its direct connection to the Pacific more than a century ago when its inlet was blocked off for the sake of a duck club. The discovery of oil decades later means walking-beam oil pumps slowly churn where marine life once teemed. 

Now, in what may be the biggest and best chance to recover a chunk of the more than 90 percent of California coastal wetlands lost to human use, more than 1,200 acres of the Orange County saltwater wetlands will be restored to something resembling its former self. 

But how close the resemblance will be is dividing former allies. 

Environmentalists who had fought to save Bolsa Chica from development now question the idea of sacrificing beach land to create a new ocean inlet, the main measure in a $63 million proposal put forward in an environmental report released this summer. 

The document is the product of a Bolsa Chica steering committee that includes eight state and federal agencies. They collaborated three years ago to buy 880 acres of the wetlands from a developer who once planned a marina there. 

“We have fought tooth and nail right alongside some of these same people, but (building an inlet) is just an unwise thing to do,” said Don Slaven, a member of the executive board of the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. 

The preferred plan, which would be mostly funded by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, would eliminate part of Bolsa Chica State Beach — across Pacific Coast Highway from the wetlands — to create a 360-foot-wide inlet. It temporarily would close areas of the beach 800 feet north and south of the inlet for construction. 

Estimates in the agencies’ environmental impact report show that without an inlet, the project would be about $40 million cheaper. 

“From an ecological value standpoint, there may be more bang for the buck by not doing such an aggressive restoration,” said Evan Henry, president of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, which has fought efforts to build in the Bolsa Chica lowlands. 

Defenders of the project say dropping the inlet would give the wetlands only a shadow of its potential biological diversity. A 300-acre portion of Bolsa Chica that was restored two decades ago represents only the beginning, they say. 

The existing wetlands relies on ocean water delivered through a channel running from Huntington Harbor a few miles north. 

The system mutes the tidal system, making the difference between high tide and low tide about 18 inches, said Jack Fancher, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife official and one of the project’s managers. In a full tidal system, the difference would be as much as 10 feet. 

An inlet, which would have to be dredged about every other year, would help create a variety of wetlands habitats. Under such conditions, Fancher said, “the ecosystem blossoms” with great blue herons, great egrets, California halibut, sea bass, anchovies, smelt and hundreds of other species. 

“If you’d like to see 60 (fish) species instead of 10 or 12 species, you need an ocean inlet,” Fancher said. 

Restoration without an inlet “may still have some benefits, but it won’t have all these others,” Fancher said. “If your restoration potential is a 10, it gives you a 2.” 

Amigos de Bolsa Chica, a group that has fought to preserve the wetlands since development plans emerged in the mid-1970s, supports creating an inlet but contends it will need to be smaller for the project to gain the approval it needs from 16 different federal, state and local entities. 

“That big a cut isn’t going to see the light of day,” said Amigos President Linda Sapiro Moon. “I’d rather see a compromise in wetlands restoration and retain the beach rather than have no project.” 

Slaven, of Surfrider, said the Bolsa Chica plan would not only erase beach land, but would release urban runoff along one of the area’s cleanest beaches and might aggravate erosion problems. 

“Flushing reintroduced water could turn this into a toxic brew that no one knows anything about,” Slaven said. “We can’t save a wetlands by turning around and destroying a public beach. 

“We’ve worked hard to save the wetlands. We probably should take a rest here and take a look at things,” he said. 

Testing at the wetlands turned up no urban runoff problems, said Dwight Sanders, Bolsa Chica’s state-level project manager and chief of the State Lands Commission’s division of environmental planning and management.  

He said the project cannot proceed until the oil contamination is cleaned up. 

Some of the oil wells are expected to continue pumping for 15 to 20 years, so part of the restoration will be delayed. 

When the least terns make their annual flight from South America to build nests in the sand, “The island is just alive with white,” she said. 

But the oil machinery in the landscape testifies to a job unfinished. 

“After achieving all we’ve achieved,” Dettloff said, “to not do a good restoration job would be criminal.”


Women’s soccer falls 4-1

Daily Planet Wire Services
Monday October 30, 2000

LOS ANGELES - After trailing only 1-0 at the half, the No. 5 California women’s soccer team lost to No. 3 UCLA, 4-1, Sunday at rainy Drake Stadium. The Golden Bears are now 15-2-1 and 5-2 heading into the final two games of the regular season this week. The Bruins improved to 14-2-1 and 5-1-1 in league play.  

“We made some mistakes,” said Cal coach Kevin Boyd. “We self-destructed a little bit. It was raining the entire game. Wet conditions are definitely going to play to the favor of a team that is a little faster. They’re a little faster than we are, certainly up top against our backs. They do a really good job transitioning numbers forward and attacking with five and six players. They played very well and got in behind us and put the ball away.” 

With Cal’s loss and second-ranked Washington’s 6-1 victory over Oregon today, the Huskies clinched their first Pac-10 title in school history.  

Lindsay Greco gave UCLA a 1-0 lead at the half by converting on a one-on-one opportunity with Cal goalkeeper Maite Zabala in the 22nd minute.  

Stephanie Rigamat pushed the Bruins lead to 3-0 with goals in the 59th and 68th minute.  

At 73:25, sophomore forward Laura Schott helped Cal avert its first shutout loss of the season when she scored off a feed from senior midfielder Natalie Stuhlmueller from 10-yards out. The goal was Schott’s Pac-10 best 22nd and pushed her league-best point total to 45.  

With the Bears pressing forward, UCLA’s Lauren Emblem added an unassisted insurance goal at 74:09. UCLA’s four goals are the most Cal has given up in a game this season. The Bears had only once permitted more than one goal in a game - in a 2-1 loss to Washington.


Health officials now suspect bacteria in salsa killed diner

The Associated Press
Monday October 30, 2000

Viva Mexico shut down after woman is poisoned 

 

REDWOOD CITY – Health officials suspect that shigella bacteria-tinged salsa may be to blame for a woman’s death and more than 100 illnesses after patrons of a Mexican food restaurant fell ill. 

San Mateo County shut down Viva Mexico, a popular Mexican food restaurant, earlier this week after Constance Williams-Pennel, 53, died Monday. She had eaten lunch at the restaurant three days earlier and preliminary laboratory reports indicate she died of shigella poisoning, or shigellosis. 

Dozens of other diners were also sickened after eating at Viva Mexico and several had to be hospitalized, county officials said. The Environmental Health Services Division of the San Mateo County Health Services Agency shut the restaurant down less than a half hour into an inspection of the facilities following William-Pennel’s death. 

Investigators discovered buckets of stagnant water used to thaw shrimp, meat and vegetables stored at unsafe temperatures and dirty cutting boards. 

A man who answered the phone at Viva Mexico Saturday said the owners were present but had been advised by their attorney not to comment on the restaurant probe. 

Previous inspections of Viva Mexico resulted in “above average” marks from the county, but the latest shigella outbreak could be the worst ever in California, health officials said. 

Investigators have focused their attention on kitchen workers who failed to wash their hands, tainted cilantro used in the salsa, and un-refrigerated foods as prime sources for the outbreak. 

“If someone had contaminated food with shigella, it was in prime territory to grow,” said Dean Peterson, director of the county’s environmental health services. 

Stanford employee Gene Yep dined at Viva Mexico with his two sons and a daughter the same night as Williams-Pennel. Forty-eight hours later they were all ill. 

“I thought it tasted a little funny,” said Yep’s daughter April. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people infected with the bacteria develop bloody diarrhea, high fever and stomach cramps beginning a day or two after they are exposed. The disease usually subsides in about a week. 

About 18,000 cases of shigellosis are reported in the United States each year. This is the first documented shigella outbreak at a food establishment in San Mateo County.


Dog days at pet site lead to many layoffs

The Associated Press
Monday October 30, 2000

San Francisco’s Petopia.com fires more than 60 percent of staff 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – These are dog days for Petopia.com, an online pet supplies retailer. Even the animals are getting fired. 

The Web site fired more than 60 percent of its staff Thursday and those 120 workers are expected to clear out their cubicles for good Monday morning. 

Petopia was on the verge of a major acquisition Wednesday, but the deal fell through, according to company spokeswoman Donnelle Koselka. 

The company even fired the live-in pets that used to roam the halls of the brightly colored headquarters in the South of Market Street area in San Francisco. 

An oversized fire-hydrant for dogs and chew toys will now go unused, as well as cages for Louie the lizard, a Chinese water dragon, Albert the guinea pig and assorted chinchillas, hamsters and fish. 

Petopia was founded last year and is partially owned by San Diego-based Petco, the country’s second largest pet store chain. 

Pet stores online haven’t had the greatest track record. In June, Emeryville-based Petstore.com laid off all its workers, folded up shop and teamed up with Pets.com.


Republicans rest as Gore and Leiberman hit Michigan

By Sandra Sobieraj Associated Press Writer
Monday October 30, 2000

Bush at home, Democrats do TV talk shows, churches 

 

MACOMB, Mich. – While the Republican side mostly rested on Sunday, Democrats Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman blanketed TV talk shows, mined Detroit’s black churches and motored through Michigan with a blunt homestretch message: “George Bush is not ready to be president of the United States.” 

Tipper Gore appealed to those who don’t see her husband’s personal appeal, telling Macomb County’s swing voters the presidential election is not “The Dating Game.” 

“You don’t have to fall in love with Al Gore — I already did that,” she said before boarding a bus caravan with the vice president, running mate Lieberman and his wife Hadassah. 

At home in Austin, Texas GOP Gov. George W. Bush interrupted his day off to address California Latino supporters by satellite. He predicted he’ll beat Gore there because he is working to earn every vote while Gore, who will make a late dash to California on Tuesday, has taken its 54 electoral-vote grand prize for granted. 

President Clinton, banished to the wings, preached at two Washington-area black churches, trying to excite likely Gore voters to turn out on Election Day. 

The latest polls give Bush a narrow but notable edge in a race that has seesawed since the summer conventions. State polls dramatize the historic closeness of the contest: Gore appears ahead in Florida, Bush up in Ohio and other battlegrounds still tight tossups. 

With nine days left in the campaign, the rhetoric got even sharper, with Lieberman flatly asserting that Bush is not ready to be president. 

“Maybe someday, but not now. Now George Bush is not ready to be president of the United States, the kind of president you need and deserve,” Lieberman told a rally on the lawn of Macomb County Community College, repeating lines he used on three network morning shows. 

Mrs. Gore, who normally keeps her introductions short and sweet, also piled on, saying voters want experience and “somebody who understands foreign policy.” 

Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate who is pulling support from Gore among liberals in key states such as Michigan, where Gore has a slight edge, dismissed him as ineffectual. 

“If Gore cannot beat the bumbling Texas governor, with that horrific record, what good is he? What good is he? Good heavens, this should be a slam dunk,” Nader said on ABC’s “This Week.” 

Gore previously had left it to lower-profile surrogates to question whether Bush’s 5 1/2 years as governor with limited state constitutional powers qualify him to be president. 

Aides did not rule out that Gore himself would take up the charge, if he makes no headway in the next several days. Late Saturday night, Gore signaled the shift in focus in commenting on his endorsement by The New York Times, which said Bush’s knowledge and resume were lacking. 

“My already high estimation of the New York Times has risen even further,” Gore told reporters aboard Air Force Two. 

He is “now throwing every negative kitchen sink at the governor he can find,” complained Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer, who said Bush’s final-week theme will be “bringing America together.” 

Underscoring his confidence, Bush will campaign in New Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington state, Minnesota and Iowa — all states that Democrats traditionally win in presidential elections. 

His parents, former President Bush and first lady Barbara, will be out on the trail, too, along with former Sen. Bob Dole, the 1996 GOP nominee, and wife Elizabeth Dole. 

At home in Austin, Texas, Bush went to church hand-in-hand with wife Laura, took a back pew and a hymnal. Outside Tarrytown United Methodist Church, he told reporters there was nothing like being around friends “you can count on” and “a little spirituality to prepare my mind for the final week. 

“Keeps life in perspective — properly in perspective, I might add,” Bush said. 

From campaign headquarters, Bush addressed more than 200 Latino Republicans meeting in Anaheim Hills., Calif., by satellite TV. 

“While my opponent has been busy counting the votes of California, we’ve been working hard to win them,” said Bush, who will campaign Monday and Tuesday in the biggest state, where a GOP upset would cripple Gore. 

“It’s becoming pretty clear that the vice president is taking California for granted,” he said, noting that Gore has now changed his plans to go there on Tuesday. “I hear he’s going to rush in at the last minute,” Bush said. 

Gore told Detroit church worshippers: “The next nine days will determine if we have grown weary in doing good. ... We have left Egypt but we have not yet arrived in Canaan.” 

In Washington, Clinton told churchgoers “there are differences in education policy, in health care policy, in environmental policy, in crime policy, and our foreign policy, arms control, how we relate to Africa and the rest of the world, just a ton of things here.” 

“Now, you need to know and you need to show on Election Day!” 

Gore also met privately Sunday morning with Michigan’s influential Arab-American leaders, some of whom have endorsed Bush and have been alarmed by Gore’s recent pro-Israel statements. Gore assured them of his “even-handed” approach to the Middle East, participants said. 

In what Lieberman jokingly calls “double dating,” the Democratic candidates, their wives and rocker Jon Bon Jovi rolled 260 miles through Michigan, where the latest poll gives Gore a hair-thin edge. 

Bon Jovi said he wrote his song “Living on a Prayer” during the Reagan-Bush era of “trickle-down economics” and didn’t want to go back. 

One spectator in their last-stop Muskegon crowd held a poster goading Gore, “Let’s see that kiss.” He shouted out, “I feel hot!”


California briefs

Monday October 30, 2000

Pot advocates blowing smoke over measure 

BOONVILLE — Mendocino County voters are abuzz over recreational marijuana use. 

That’s not necessarily because they’re smoking the stuff, but because Measure G, if approved, would attempt to legalize recreational marijuana use in the county. 

Local Boonville bakery owner Bruce Hering even wrote a poem about pot that was printed in the local newspaper. He was one of the first to sign his name on the petition that put Measure G on the ballot. 

No matter to supporters of legal pot use that state and federal laws would supersede the Measure G even if it was approved. The federal government doesn’t even recognize the legitimate use of medical marijuana. 

Proponents of the measure hope a victory will send a clear message to state and federal legislators that the move toward legalizing marijuana is the right one. 

Who is the force behind the move to legalize green buds? The Green Party. 

 

Mail box explosion hurls heavy metal  

EUREKA — Local and federal agencies continue investigating a mailbox explosion that showered several Eureka neighborhood yards with shards of metal. 

The explosion occurred on Saturday at about 2 p.m. was apparently caused by a chemical reaction inside a two-liter soda bottle, investigators say. 

Metal fragments were thrown more than 100 feet from the explosion. 

No injuries were reported, but Eureka Fire Chief John McFarland reminded those responsible that destroying a mailbox is a federal offense. 

 

Lamas dance, sing for locals 

CRESCENT CITY — Ten Buddhist lamas from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in southern India came to town Saturday for a music and dance performance. 

Performers were to showcase their talents by playing ten-foot-log trumpets, cymbals and gyaling horns for the audience at the Crescent Elk Auditorium. 

The Tibetans are the only their culture has been able to cultivate known as “overtone singing” wherein each chant master sings three notes simultaneously to create a complete voice chord. 

The performance was part of a tour sponsored by Richard Gere and Drepung Loseling Institute, the North American seat of the Drepung Loseling Monastery.


Mistrial declared in kava tea DUI case

The Associated Press
Monday October 30, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – The man charged with drunken driving after downing up to a dozen cups of kava tea was effectively acquitted after his case ended in a mistrial Friday. 

A jury at the San Mateo County Superior Court found itself hung 10-2 in favor of acquitting Taufui Piutau, who California Highway Patrol officers arrested for DUI on Aug. 7, 1999. 

The case is thought to be he first of its kind in California. 

Piutau, a native of the South Pacific island nation Tonga, was allegedly weaving before CHP officers puled him over. He also failed a roadside sobriety test after being stopped. 

Prosecutors said the kava he drank before the arrest impaired his ability to drive. Kava tea, used ceremoniously in the Pacific islands, is made by immersing in water powder made from the rhizome of a pepper plant called kava-kava or Piper Methysticum. 

The Physicians’ Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines calls kava-kava a drug with anti-anxiety effects used to treat patients who are nervous, stressed or restless. 

The mistrial forces District Attorney Jim Fox to decide whether he will refile the charges, something he told the San Francisco Chronicle is unlikely. 

“With a split like that in a misdemeanor case, I can’t remember the last time a case was retried,” he said. 

Defense attorney Scott B. Ennis suggested to the jury that the “impairment” investigators saw could be explained as a combination of gout and cultural misunderstanding.


Chemical companies settle pesticide dispute

The Associated Press
Monday October 30, 2000

LOS ANGELES – An ocean pollution trial a decade in the making has ended with Montrose Chemical Corp. and two other companies agreeing to pay an undisclosed amount to compensate Californians for damages linked to a giant DDT deposit in the ocean off Los Angeles. 

The deal came Friday after nearly a week of testimony in what was one of the nation’s largest and longest-standing environmental cases. The government was seeking roughly $150 million for damages to natural resources. 

U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real ordered that the agreement between the government and industry remain confidential until a consent decree outlining the terms is filed by Dec. 15, and attorneys for both sides declined to discuss the terms of the agreement. 

But the deal came after several government witnesses testified about the effects of half a century of contamination, and after Montrose suffered a major defeat when Real ruled that the company’s leading scientific consultant did not qualify as an expert on key issues. 

The issue of whether Montrose or the federal Superfund must pay for cleaning up the pesticide contaminating about 17 square miles of ocean floor off Palos Verdes Peninsula remains before a federal appeals court. 

The non-jury trial stemmed from a lawsuit filed in 1990 over pollution which took place from 1947 to 1971. 

Defense lawyers acknowledged the dumping of DDT into the ocean, but argued those actions were legal and did not significantly harm marine life, fishing or public health. 

But the government presented detailed testimony from several biologists and geologists who described the extent of the DDT on the ocean floor and the reproductive damage to eagles and falcons. 

After hearing that testimony Real called a weeklong recess, during which time the two sides completed the settlement. 

The 100 tons of DDT at the center of the case is the largest known deposit in the world, and the area is on the federal Superfund list of the nation’s most hazardous chemical sites. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is experimenting with a dredging operation in which tons of silt from Long Beach Harbor are being poured into the ocean to cover the deposit. 

DDT, which was widely used in the United States until it was banned about 30 years ago, is linked to cancer and reproductive problems in humans and continues to contaminate fish and kill bald eagle chicks. Montrose, now defunct except for the lawsuit, was the world’s largest manufacturer of the compound. 

Except for claims in the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, the government was seeking more money from Montrose and its co-defendants than in any other case involving damages to natural resources. At times during the 10 years, Montrose appeared close to victory. In 1995, the case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge A. Andrew Hauk, but it was later reinstated by an appeals court. 

In addition to Montrose, the settlement involves Aventis CropScience USA Inc., formerly Rhone-Poulenc, and Atkemix Thirty-Seven Inc. Another defendant, Chris-Craft Industries, which is a 50 percent shareholder in Montrose, has not settled. Real has yet to rule whether the company is liable. 

Three federal and three state environmental agencies, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will decide how to use whatever money comes from Friday’s settlement after a public review process.


Students slam landlord for alleged violations

By David Olson Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday October 28, 2000

Everyone at the Piedmont Lodge near the UC-Berkeley campus seems to have horror stories to tell about the conditions there. 

Roger Pao showed the red spots on his arm that he said were caused by bed bug bites. Joseph Enayati told how it was sometimes difficult to open the front door because of trash piled up in the foyer. Jordan Epperson said when he complained about his poorly functioning toilet he was told to throw used toilet paper in the garbage can. 

Five residents of the Piedmont, 2434 Piedmont Ave., took their complaints Wednesday to a campus meeting of a City Council-Rent Board Joint Task Force on Housing. 

City Councilmember Dona Spring listened to the complaints in disgust. “It sounds like a slumlord,” she said. “It’s really appalling that people should live like this.” 

The next day, city housing code enforcement inspectors were at the Piedmont. The city investigation is in its early stages, because as of Friday afternoon, inspectors had not been able to enter most of the residents’ rooms. But the inspection so far has found that some smoke detectors either had dead batteries or no batteries at all, and that the heat had been illegally shut off, said Carlos Romo, the city’s supervising housing inspector.  

Other city departments are also scheduled to inspect the rooming house. The fire department will inspect the building to respond to allegations of loose cables, blocked entrances and a faulty fire escape, Romo said. Planning department inspectors will determine whether rooms were illegally subdivided, he said. Housing inspectors counted five more rooms in the building than city records indicate existed only a year ago, he said; the subdividing was “possibly” carried out without permits, Romo said. 

More than 30 people live at the Piedmont, said building owner Barbara Lee (not to be confused with another individual of the same name who is a Bay Area congresswoman.) The rooms are small, there is only one kitchen, and most tenants share bathrooms, but rents – usually $880 for a room with two beds – are lower than at apartment buildings. 

Some Piedmont residents – most of whom are UC-Berkeley undergraduates – said they knew beforehand of the substandard conditions at the lodging house, but said that the Piedmont was their only housing possibility in the extremely tight Berkeley housing market. 

“Everyone is desperate in Berkeley for housing,” said Irshad Alam, a graduate student in Middle Eastern studies who has lived at the Piedmont for more than a year. “I want to move out but I can’t find another place to live.” 

“The battle in Berkeley is not just finding quality housing: it’s finding any place at all where you can sign a lease,” said Nick Papas, external affairs vice president for the student government. “Once they find that place, students are often willing to overlook deficiencies.” 

“They feel if they complain, they’ll get kicked out,” said City Councilmember Linda Maio. “We have a certain number of unscrupulous landlords who are willing to take advantage of that. There’s a lot of money to be made.”  

But tenants at the Piedmont finally realized things would not improve unless they publicly complained, said Gurpreet Sandhu, a first-year extension student. Residents posted leaflets advertising Wednesday’s meeting on their doors; one leaflet had “Stop Barbara” written in red marker. 

Sandhu showed a photograph of an arm covered in red marks. The marks are from the bed bugs or mites that bit her, she said. 

“I started my first week in school with hideous welts on my face” as a result of bug bites said Sandhu’s roommate, Guelda Voien, a first-year extension student. 

“My daughter called me one day crying, saying she had gotten bitten all over her body,” said Catherine Ro, mother of Jennifer Ro, a first-year student who lived for a month in the Piedmont before breaking her lease because of the conditions there. Lee suspected the bugs were living in the wooden bed frames and eventually replaced them with metal frames, apparently solving the problem for most students. But 

Roger Pao, a freshman extension student, said he still has a wooden frame and got bitten for the first time earlier this week.  

An unannounced visit by the Berkeley Daily Planet after Wednesday’s meeting confirmed many of the residents’ complaints. 

A television cable lay loose across the second-floor hallway at the foot of a stairway and on the path to the bathroom; residents said they have tripped over the cable. A water hose draped the top stairs of the fire escape on the third floor. The bottom vertical ladder of the fire escape itself protruded several inches above the railing and appeared difficult to climb on to. Sandhu said she took it for granted that she would not be able to climb to safety if there were a fire. 

Plastic bottles and other objects propped up windows that do not stay open by themselves. The three washing machines – one of which was broken – had rust stains. 

Residents said the basement laundry room regularly flooded. The back stairway to the building was dark because no light bulb was installed. 

Until about two weeks ago, a desk in the building foyer was practically surrounded by trash, said Joseph Enayati, a second-year student in molecular cell biology. “There was so much, it was hard to even open the ( outside) door,” he said. “Nobody knows how it gets there. The worst thing is it smells like sewage.”  

Residents said their rooms were dirty when they moved in. “It was filthy,” said Jeanne Phung, a first-year student in history and ethnic studies. “There were used sheets on my bed, (used) socks in the drawer and flies in the kitchen.” Several residents complained of toilets that clog regularly and do not flush easily. 

Lee said residents share some of the blame. Trash does sometimes pile up in the foyer, but that is because the residents put it there, she said. 

Lee acknowledged that the laundry room floods. “I don’t know how that can be done (repaired),” she said. Lee also acknowledged that the back stairway was too dark. “Maybe I should have put a bulb in there, huh?” she said. 

The toilets regularly clog because tenants “put too much paper in there,” she said. “If they have too much paper, they can just throw it (the used toilet paper) in the garbage can,” Lee said. 

Lee denied the fire escape is unsafe – “I don’t think anybody would have a problem” climbing on to the ladder, she said – but she acknowledged that the hose “shouldn’t be on” the steps. “Yeah, I’ll have to get that organized,” she said. 

Lee said she attempts to keep the Piedmont as clean as possible, but admitted that perhaps the rooms “collected dust over the months” before new tenants arrived in August. 

Residents repeatedly complained about power outages that ranged from a few minutes to a few hours. But Lee said that is tenants’ fault for “overloading the electricity” by using too many appliances at the same time. 

Jennifer Ro, the student who broke her lease and moved out after a month at the Piedmont, said she is happy to have found a place in the university residence halls. But she and her mother are still trying to recover the three months of rent they paid Lee. Catherine Ro said she paid Lee $1,720 – for rent plus a security deposit – and that Lee had verbally agreed to return all the money. But Lee sent a check for only $300, she said.  

Lee, who denied she promised to return the $1,720, said the $300 covered most of the security deposit – $100 was deducted as “application” and “processing” fees, and to cover long-distance calls to Ro’s Torrance home – but said she will not return the rest, because Ro had broken her lease. 

A building owner does have the right to collect rent for the entire term of a lease if a tenant breaks a lease and the owner “makes an effort” to find another renter, said Tom Brougham, senior management analyst with Berkeley’s rent stabilization board. But, he added, “the landlord has a responsibility to deliver to tenants a safe, habitable and peaceful enjoyment of the property.” 

If a tenant breaks a lease to escape poor living conditions, the owner must return the rent payments, he said.


Calendar of Events & Activities

Saturday October 28, 2000


Saturday, Oct. 28

 

Shakespeare Festival’s annual costume and garage sale  

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props, and set pieces from previous productions. Free. 701 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-3422 ext. 120. 

 

Buddhist Peace Fellowship 

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

A Day of Mindfulness with Claude Anshin Thomas 

A day of meditation, dialogue, teachings and reflection on transforming violence in ourselves an in the world. 

We the People Auditorium, 200 Harrison St. 

Donations excepted 

496-6072 

 

Community Workshop to  

discuss the strengths and  

weaknesses of Berkeley High  

School  

9 a.m. – noon 

Florence Schwimley Little Theater at Berkeley High School 

Students, parents, teachers, business owners, neighbors, and others are invited to a discussion on that will help set the course for future school improvements and provide the basis for accreditation review. 

Iris Starr, AICP, 540-1252 

tinstarr@earthlink.net 

 

“Grassroots Globalization vs.  

Elite Globalization” 

2 p.m. 

Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library 

6501 Telegraph Ave. 

595-7417 

 

“Halloween Mask Making” 

Tilden Regional Park 

2 p.m. 

Come learn the origins of Halloween and make a plaster-gauze mask. Registration required. $4. Take Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Berkeley. (510) 525-2233. 

 

Pedaling the Green City 

11 a.m. -3:30 p.m.  

Take a leisurely bike ride along the future San Francisco Bay Trail. One in a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Halloween for the little guys with (not so) scary stories, music, and more. 

Call 649-3943  

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

 

St. John’s Church and Camp  

Elmwood Haunted House  

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  

Party for teens from 8:45 to 10 p.m.  

Free. Wear a costume and bring a canned good, book or toy donation.  

845-2656 

 

“The 3rd annual Habitot  

Halloween” 

Habitot Children’s Museum  

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

A not-too-spooky Halloween event for young children with entertainment, parades, games, magic and songs. Come in  

costume. Registration strongly suggested. $4 general; $6 for the first child age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

647-1111 

 

“Not Very Scary Halloween  

Celebration” 

10:30 a.m. at La Pena  

Betsy Rose performs songs and activities to celebrate the harvest season and the ancestral spirits. Children are invited to come in costume. $4 general; $3 children. 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2572. 

 

New School’s Halloween  

Bazaar 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

1606 Bonita St. (at Cedar) 

Free to the public, this annual event features face painting, mask-making, children’s games, apple bobbing, pumpkins, live entertainment, and a vast array of other delights. Proceeds benefit the New School’s scholarship fund and the playground project. Free.  

Call 548-9165 

 

Run Your Own Landscape Business: Part 3 

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. (at Blake) 

Local horticultural consultant and UC Master Gardener Jessie West will teach you how to plant, prune, control weeds, and more. This is the final class in the series. 

$15 general; $10 for members; $5 materials fee 

Call 548-2220 x223 

 

West Coast Live Comes to Berkeley 

10 a.m. - Noon 

Freight & Salvage 

1111 Addison (at San Pablo) 

Broadcast around the world this live, on-stage radio show will feature The Austin Lounge Lizards, author Anne Lamott, and others. The show can be heard on KALW at 91.7 FM.  

Reservations: 415-664-9500 or www.TicketWeb.com 

 

Battle of the Drills 

2 p.m. 

Veterans Hall  

1931 Center St. 

Presented by the Flaming Five this fifth annual battle will feature drums squads, fancy trick, precision, and dance. 

$5 

Denice Cox, 841-1126 

 


Sunday, Oct. 29

 

“Almost Halloween Hike”  

Tilden Regional Park 

10 a.m.  

Explore the nature of Halloween folklore on the trails.  

 

“Wake the Dead: A Music  

Concert”  

Celebrate the Celtic “Day of the Dead” (Halloween) with folksong artists Paul Kotapish and Danny Carnahan.  

2 to 4 p.m.  

(510) 525-2233 

 

“Gateway to Knowledge” 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl. 

Barr Rosenberg describes how to master new knowledge and take the power to shape our lives in wise and compassionate ways.  

843-6812 

 

 

compiled by Chason Wrainwright


Life’s ups and downs just a carousel ride away

By Jennifer Dix Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday October 28, 2000

It’s not quite opening time for the merry-go-round at Tilden Park this sunny Saturday morning, but already toddlers and parents are arriving in eager hordes.  

Several small children press against the metal gate that surrounds the carousel and peer in at the painted menagerie. “I’m going to ride on the dragon!” shouts one little boy. “There’s no dragon,” a smaller boy says scornfully. “Yes, there is,” the first insists. “See?” He points to a fantastical green creature with the head and claws of a griffin and a long serpentine tail. 

Matthew Thomas of Albany is here with his son, Henry, who is 20 months old. This is Henry’s second or third visit to the carousel, and “he’s just getting okay with it,” says his dad. He has overcome his initial trepidation and is happy today to ride on a horse with his father close beside him. Dad is drawn to the carousel for his own reasons: nostalgia for his own childhood visits to amusement parks, and an appreciation for the historic 1911 structure. 

“It’s got old-world charm,” he says, noting the detail on the carved figures and the painted roof. “They don’t make them like this anymore.”  

The entire setting seems to conjure up days gone by. Set in a wooded grove where the air is permeated with the smell of eucalyptus, the carousel is next to an old-fashioned candy shop, where visitors can purchase everything from popcorn and candy to sparkly stickers to Beanie Babies. There’s a vintage organ within the carousel enclosure (played on Sundays), and decorations change continually with the seasons. This month there are jack-o-lanterns and straw bales and swags of artificial colored leaves. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, the carousel will be decked with holiday ornaments and lights, and special family entertainment is offered nights until Christmas Eve. 

At the heart of this year-round festivity is Terri Holleman Oyarzún, a cheerful mother of four who seems to believe completely in the magic of the place. Oyarzún and her family have managed the Tilden Park carousel since 1992, when she took over from longtime operators Jeanette and Harry Perry. 

Oyarzún calls her transition to carousel operator “one of those cosmic, karmic things.” She was working as a probation officer when she stumbled upon her new job.  

“I came up here with my kids one day and it was closed, with a sign saying the Perrys were retiring,” Oyarzún recalls. Her first reaction was dismay. “Then I started thinking, ‘Hey, maybe I could do this.’” 

It was the beginning of a new life that Oyarzún calls “pretty much a 24-hour commitment.” With a small staff that ranges in age from teens to retirees, she runs the carousel, the gift shop, and the summer concession stand at Lake Anza. Any given day may find her cleaning or retouching the carousel animals, driving down the Peninsula in search of the perfect holiday decorations, or climbing struts to repair the carousel mechanism. On top of that, she and her husband, Egon, run Goats R Us, an Orinda ranch that raises goats for hire to graze brush and reduce fire hazards. 

But Oyarzún wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’ll be doing this forever. I’ll go until I can’t go around anymore.” 

Her youngest son, 9-year-old Zephyr, has never known any other life. When not in school, he helps with the ticket sales and the upkeep of the antique carousel, polishing the brass poles and repainting the horses’ hooves – ”and sometimes the saddles,” he adds. 

Oyarzún delights in pointing out highlights of the carousel. Built in 1911 by the Herschell-Spillman Company, this is a merry-go-round in the “County Fair” style, with muted colors and a kind of primitive country charm. The side of the animal that can be seen from outside the carousel is known as the “romance side,” and is more elaborately decorated than the inside. There is a lead horse, more lavishly carved and bejeweled than the others. She is nicknamed “Rosie,” for the red rose in her bridle, and is a particular favorite with little girls. 

“Can you guess which figure is the most valuable?” Oyarzún asks.  

There’s so much to choose from. The mythical sea monster? The spotted giraffe? The stork, with a tiny baby carved in its saddle? 

None of these, as it turns out. It’s the frog – or frogs, to be more precise. The Tilden Carousel has two of them. What makes them unique is that they are clothed, in cheerfully painted britches and jackets that suggest Mr. Toad from The Wind in the Willows.  

All the staff are “very protective” of the historic structure, Oyarzún says, and their shared enthusiasm makes the people who work at the Tilden carousel something of an extended family. Oyarzún likes the fact that the merry-go-round draws all kinds of people: not just children, but adults with special needs and the elderly. For her younger employees, she says, it provides valuable exposure to a broad spectrum of humanity.  

“They learn that there’s nothing wrong with being different,” she says. “It’s the cycle of life. It’s all part of being human.” 

Oyarzún clearly derives great satisfaction from her job. “I think the best part of this is presenting something where families can make memories,” Oyarzún says. “Usually children don’t know what their parents go through; life can be hard, with worries and struggles and bills to pay. But you can come here and know that life can be okay… Life can be just a ride on a merry-go-round.” 

 

 

The Tilden merry-go-round is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends during the school year, with extended hours Nov. 24-Dec. 23. For more information, call 524-6773, or visit the regional parks website at www.ebparks.org. 


Saturday October 28, 2000

University must pay fair share 

 

Editor: 

It was great to see “fairness injected into discussion of the city-University relationship. Hegarty’s letter accurately pointed out that there are other tax and fee exempt entities in town and added that UC contributions “easily total in the millions each year.” But the question is what is a fair and reasonable share? While no letter could possibly do justice to a topic which warrants an extensive study, several points may contribute to this critical, ongoing dialogue.  

The direct payments itemized in Hegarty’s letter constitute less than half of 1 percent of the city’s budget. A decade ago, then Mayor Loni Hancock initiated an effort to gain recognition of and compensation for UC costs. The payments vary – some are time-limited annual payments, others are one-time only or in kind donations, and some are not made to the city but to the school district, which is a separate jurisdiction. Some payments have been instituted to replace fees eliminated by new state laws.  

A study by the city’s Planning Department of a few select services some years ago concluded that UC cost the city at least $11 million. A full analysis of the services the city provides the university’s extensive, expansive, dense land uses needs to be renewed and include new UC developments. A look at one city project, sewer rehabilitation, may serve to put the issue in perspective. 

According to an Aug. 14 Public Works Commission communication to the Planning Commission, deferred sewer maintenance is currently nearly $500 million, double the city’s total annual budget. As the largest single user of the city’s sewer system, UC is contributing $250,000 annually toward repairs as noted in Hegarty’s letter. At that rate, it will take 500 years for UC contributions to fund even twenty-five percent of current sewer repair needs.  

If the repairs were done today, as some argue is prudent, what would be the cost per person? If the city paid all the cost, each resident of Berkeley would pay $5,000. On the other hand, if the state were to pay the total bill, the cost for each resident of California would be about $20. 

This is only one example of the burdens which seem unreasonably heavy for one small city’s taxpayers. The city and UC both have an interest in good maintenance of the city’s basic services. The city cannot fund these services alone with its severely reduced tax base.  

It seems reasonable and fair to request that the state consider taking more responsibility for state institutions, particularly when these are located in dense urban areas where the state institution has displaced many revenue generating land uses and constitutes a comparatively large proportion of the land uses, and thus the demand for services. This does seem fair! 

 

Nancy Holland 

Berkeley 

 

 

Town-gown need to work together 

Editor: 

I am writing in response to a recent later to the Editor and a news article, concerning proposed university development in the Southside neighborhood. 

The letter from John English, titled “UC must respect the historic district” states that the proposed Centralized Dining and Student Services Building should conform to its historic neighbors and that the university has ignored the concerns of the city committees and commissions and concerned citizens. From my own close involvement with the project I can say this is not true. 

Conformity and contextuality in architecture are highly subjective - and controversial matters. One building’s attempt to “blend in” with its neighbors may be seen by some as mimicry or a cartoon of older features and styles. Another building may express an individuality some may feel is intrusive to the surrounding character. 

In most cases where a new building is inserted in the midst of older, well-designed neighbors a very careful design process is necessitated. In a neighborhood as rich and varied as the Southside, this process is mandated. This careful process took place in planning the Centralized Dining and Student Services Building, proposed at the center of Bowditch and Channing.  

As part of the Underhill Area Master Plan, of which the dining facility is a component, the campus prepared detailed design guidelines for the properties involved, guidelines that called for inclusive designs sensitive to the scale and character of the neighborhood. While the campus does not prescribe a design style when planning a new building, a palette of materials and colors was recommended. Further, the guidelines prescribes a strong relationship of new buildings to the street, building massing broken down to a neighborhood scale, and creating pedestrian-active sidewalks.  

The guidelines intent was realized in the new Centralized Dining and Student Services Building. This design was not easy to achieve, as any new building on this site would have its challenges. But the neighborhood building style is quite eclectic. The site’s neighbors include the brown-shingled Anna Head School across the street, the stuccoed Casa Bonita adjacent, a modern apartment building faced with plywood to the north, and the shingled Shorb House diagonally across Channing. No style predominates, and how each “fit in” to each other is a highly relative notion.  

The campus Design Review Committee, chaired by Harrison Fraker, Dean of the College of Environmental Design, held numerous meetings to resolve the building’s design and to refine its elements to be a good, albeit modern, neighbor. The massing, fenestration, orientation, and materials (still being developed) have been carefully debated and eventually received a recommendation for approval.  

At each meeting I transmitted the comments of the City Design Review Committee and Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the concerns of local citizens; these comments played a constructive role in the buildings evolution.  

I have two comments on the Friday, Sept. 29 article “Campus pavilions may be leveled.” In the article, Landmarks Preservation Commission member and BAHA staff Lesley Emmington Jones asks the question, “...Does the southside of campus become a neighborhood community based on the needs of the community or an institutional expansion zone...?”  

My first comment is that the Southside is and has been a campus-oriented neighborhood since its initial development in the 19th century. Indeed, the land was once owned by the campus and was sold to finance the nascent College of California, UC’s predecessor. In this neighborhood the university is also “the community.” the notion that the university is not an integral part of this neighborhood belies the fact that 8,000 of the 10,000 residents are students, that the churches, businesses and apartment buildings are here due to the university’s presence, and that the ongoing and celebrated vitality of the neighborhood is due in major part to the university’s presence, reputation, and stature. 

My second comment is that we need to transform the seemingly endless debate over the future of the Southside into a true dialogue between campus, city and community. The Southside Plan had true promise when it started out almost three years ago. Campus and city worked effectively as a team gathering information and holding many meetings with community and campus members. The opinions on the direction of future plans were as diverse as Berkeley is today. This process resulted in the Draft Southside plan published last January.  

Since then, contrary to the initial agreement between the city and the University, the City Planning Commission has decided to develop its own Southside Plan without the active partnership of the University. The University awaits the results of this effort.  

I am hopeful we can find common ground between town and gown, and not create barriers to dialogue or dig into opposing positions. The Southside has traditionally been a place of creativity and toleration. Only if the campus, city and community approach this effort in a spirit of cooperation, rather than confrontation, will it be possible working to create a common vision for the Southside. 

David Duncan 

Community Planning & Urban Design ManagerCapital ProjectsUC Berkeley 

 

 

Cuba is misunderstood 

Editor, 

Thank you for Tuesday’s (10/24) front page article on the Pastors for Peace challenge to the Cuba embargo. I do believe, however, that the author misrepresents Cuba’s repression of civil rights on the island. It is true, as he alleges, that Amnesty International and other human rights groups have found fault with Cuban policies toward dissident groups and trade unions. But we would do well to try to understand these policies within the larger international context that motivates them. 

Since the beginning of the revolution until today, The United States has been carrying out a campaign of high- and low-intensity warfare against Cuba. The U.S. interventions that have made it into the history books – including the seizure of Cuba from Spain at the turn of the century and the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 – make up only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. For more than four decades now, a deadly campaign against Cuba has been waged by paramilitary groups in Florida and elsewhere. These groups have, for example, bombed hotels in Cuba, tried to sabotage Cuba’s food supply, and have worked with CIA operatives to carry out assassinations of Cuban leaders (there have been several such attempts on Fidel’s life). 

This adversity has encouraged something of a siege mentality in Cuba. Political repression in Cuba is in large measure a response to decades of aggression directed at the island by its northern neighbor. What I find impressive is that, under such difficult circumstances, Cuba has nevertheless accomplished so much, in education (achieving a higher literacy than in any other Latin American country), universal health care, and the arts, for example. 

If our aim is to support democratic participation and civil rights in Cuba, we’ll work to end the U.S. embargo. 

 

Raymond Barglow 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Hoping 

Al Gore will protect the environment, is like praying Jerry Farwell will 

protect abortion" 

 

 

Why Al Gore could be the worse thing to happen to the environment since 

James Watt 

 

by Elliot Cohen 

 

Besides destroying trees to print "Earth In the Balance" what has Al Gore done for the environment? In 1992 Gore criticized Bush administration plans to license an Ohio hazardous waste incinerator, writing a letter that promised not to "...issue the plant a test burn permit until all questions concerning compliance" were answered. That promise was broken. Even after the plant failed two test burns – emitting 92 percent more mercury then it was supposed to – the Clinton/Gore administration granted a commercial operating permit. Since then that incinerator has burned over a half million tons of waste, spewing airborne mercury, lead, and dioxin into the Ohio river, and affecting thousands of people in Ohio and West Virginia. 

Gore personally lobbied to repeal the ban on importing tuna caught with dolphin killing nets. Gore personally assured Norway sanctions would not be imposed for killing 300 whales. Court orders aimed at protecting the spotted owl had brought the logging of ancient Northwest forest to a virtual halt. 

After election the Clinton/Gore administration had the court orders lifted, and permitted logging so intensive that with-in five years the spotted owl population declined more than environmental impact statements predicted would have happened in a forty year period under the previous Bush administration plan. Millions of acres of National Forest were clear-cut after the administration exempted certain timber sales from environmental laws and judicial review. The administrations failure to enforce strip mining laws destroyed more than 1,000 miles of streams.  

Gore supports NAFTA and other environmentally destructive trade pacts. He opposed an outright ban on whaling as detrimental to free trade. Gore convinced Clinton to use the CIA against free trade opponents. With-in months the London Daily Telegraph was reporting the CIA had targeted environmental minister Michael Meacher for questioning Monsanto's plan to sell genetically engineered crops. The administration also killed an international Biosafety Convention to protect the biotech industry. 

Most frightening is Gores cavalier attitude toward nuclear power. Gore took credit for negotiating a deal to sell China up to ten nuclear reactors, claiming it was good for the environment because nuclear waste was preferable to burning coal. Gore convinced the Energy Department to triple spending on commercial nuclear power, pushed trade pacts to sell nuclear reactors to Argentina and Brazil, and agreed to pay Russia ten billion dollars for the right to dump 200 tons of high level radioactive waste in the Urals, securing what the nuclear industry needs most: a place to dump it's poison. In essence Gore's stance, that he favors environmental protection, except on the nuclear issue, is like supporting woman's rights, except on the issue of abortion! 

Environmental groups, heavily invested in lobbying, support the candidate they believe will make the best back room deals, so they endorsed Gore despite his record. But as a voter you can make a far wiser choice, and vote in a way that leads to long term efforts to protect the environment. The environment has an amazing capacity to restore itself. With-in years after pollution destroys an area plants and trees begin to take hold. This does not mean protecting the environment doesn't matter, but it shows why who is president during the next four or eight years is less important then long term environmental policies. If Ralph Nader attracts enough votes to make the election very close, or to cause Gore to lose, future Democrats and Republicans, will take environmental policy far more seriously. Voting for what you believe is not throwing your vote away. If you care about environmental protection and nuclear proliferation voting for Gore could be the biggest ballot box mistake you ever make. 

Elsa Tranter  

To:  

dailycal@dailycal.org, voice@cctimes.com, calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.com, Ebxpress@aol.com, mreiley@cctimes.com, 

dscardina@cctimes.com 

 

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: League of Women Voters of  

Berkeley, Albany & Emeryville 

 

1414 University Avenue Suite D 

Berkeley CA 94702 

 

Contact: Elsa Tranter 

(510) 642-1657 days 

(510) 524-8970 evenings 

etranter@uclink4.berkeley.edu 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: League of Women Voters of  

Berkeley, Albany & Emeryville 

 

1414 University Avenue Suite D 

Berkeley CA 94702 

 

Contact: Elsa Tranter 

(510) 642-1657 days 

(510) 524-8970 evenings 

etranter@uclink4.berkeley.edu 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

 

 

 

Berkeley 

 

 

Dear Editor, 

I don't understand why the price of gasoline here in the San Francisco Bay Area is higher than most other regions in the USA. There are several refineries making it here, yet the price for middle-grade gasoline has been hovering around $ 2 a gallon. 

Republican politicians blame taxes and the price of imported oil from OPEC. If those were the reasons for the high price, then oil company profits would be about the same this year as last year. They would simply have pushed through their higher costs to the customer, right? Wrong! 

Chevron's third-quarter profits increased three times higher than last year, from $ .58 billion to $ 1.53 billion. Exxon Mobil's profits doubled to $ 4.29 billion, up from $ 2.21 billion in the same quarter last year. 

These numbers aren't fuzzy. The clearly focus on price gouging. 

If Bush gets elected President, will his team help us drivers? Well, Dubya was the head of a failed oil company in Texas, and has often expressed sympathy for others "working the oil patch". V.P. candidate Cheney received a generous severance payment that included future stock options from the Halliburton oil company which he headed. If Halliburton's profits drop, so will Cheney's golden parachute. Bush's foreign policy advisor, Condolezza Rice, has served on Chevron's board of directors since 1991; they even named a new tanker after her. His economic advisor, Michael Boskin, has been a director of Exxon-Mobil since 1996. Bush's campaign economic advisor, Lawrence Lindsey, is a close consultant to Enron. Is this crowd going to protect us from the oilgopolies? Get real! Quick! 

We've got only one chance to prevent a Republican-controlled government from colluding with Big Oil to squeeze ever more profits from our wallets. That chance is to vote against Bush on November 7. 

 

 

 

Bruce Joffe 

 

Subject:  

measure Y 

Date:  

Fri, 27 Oct 2000 16:35:53 PDT 

From:  

"John Koenigshofer"  

To:  

opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.com 

 

 

 

 

Dear Editor 

 

Like rent control, measure Y will further reduce the number of rental units  

available in our city. 

The facts speak for themselves. Every time a new restriction is placed on  

rental housing more units are removed from the market and those who would  

develop new housing are less likely to do so. 

The path of hyper-regulation is counter productive. History proves this.  

Whether in Berkeley or the Soviet Union, intrusive bureaucracies merely  

suppress creativity and inventiveness. 

Randy Silverman and other rent board cronies have spent tens of millions of  

dollars in the past 20 years but have never created a single housing unit!  

Rather they have reduced the number of rental units in our city. What a  

solution! 

They have wasted an extraordinary amount of money supporting their Orwellian  

Bureaucracy and promoting their reactionary agenda while the housing  

shortage grows worse. 

I for one, with a lot less money, have created several new homes and units  

in Berkeley. I have also seen many units pulled off the market and projects  

abandon as the result of the totalitarian mentality of Silverman and his  

comrades. 

I know for a fact, if Y passes several more housing units will be removed  

permanently from the market. I also know that some housing proposal  

currently on the drawing board will be abandon. 

Measure Y is a suicide mission. It will hurt property owners and renters  

alike. It is time we reject these old school bureaucrats who haven't created Editor: 

It's wrong to ask Nader to drop out because he spoils Gore's chances. If the Nader votes are honestly cast, the nation should know that Greens are a coming power. Voting is a group activity: each vote shows solidarity with a group. It's an insult to tell Green voters that they are "really" voting for Bush. 

The problem is not Nader; it's that too many people have been talked into voting for Bush. Perhaps all those people really do want the EPA dismantled, corporations free to do what they like, and the Christian Right imposing their religious  

beliefs on the rest of us. If a substantial number of Bush voters do not favor these things, then they are the ones who should drop out, not Nader. 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley 

 

 

one unit with all their money and power. All they do is attack the  

creativity and vision of others. 

Randy Silverman and the rent board should stop meddling and use their  

multimillion dollar budget to create housing. 

 

 

John Koenigshofer 

Berkeley, Ca. 

(510) 848-7509 

 

 

 

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Bears edge USC in overtime

Daily Planet Wire Services
Saturday October 28, 2000

LOS ANGELES – California sophomore midfielder Brittany Kirk scored the game-winning goal with 1:15 remaining in the second overtime period to lift the No. 5 Golden Bears to a 2-1 victory over No. 12 USC Friday at McAlister Field. The Bears improved to 15-1-1, 5-1 in Pac-10 play, while the Trojans dropped to 11-4-2 and 3-2-1 in league play. The win also avenged the Bears 2-1 double overtime loss to the Trojans last season in Berkeley.  

The game was scoreless until the 80th minute when Cal's go-to player Laura Schott posted her Pac-10-best 21st goal of the season. Senior midfielder Natalie Stuhmueller sent a 30-yard free kick in front of the Trojan goal, and Schott headed the ball into the net for her league-best 42nd and 43rd point.  

Less than a minute later, USC's Jessica Edwards tied the score by converting on a Christy Callier pass from eight-yards out.  

The game went to overtime with the score 1-1 and the shots even at 11-11. USC also was forced to play down a player in the 81st minute when Katie Ticehurst was issued her second yellow card.  

With the second and final 15-minute overtime period winding down, the Bears held a 7-4 edge on shots, but the game looked as if it was going to end in a tie. With 75 ticks on the clock, Kirk nailed her second-game winning goal of the season on the Bears eighth shot in extra time, and senior forward Regina Holan was credited with the assist on Kirk's 10-yard winning strike. Kirk's other game-winning goal came in Cal's 2-1 overtime victory against Missouri Sept.15 in Winston Salem, N.C.  

The Bears created more dangerous opportunities throughout the match, as USC's goalkeeper Shaelyn Fernandes was forced to make nine saves, while Cal's Maite Zabala only had to save three shots with the help of a veteran Bear defense.  

Cal remains in second-place in the Pac-10 with second-ranked Washington (16-1, 7-0 Pac-10) defeating Oregon State, 2-1, in double overtime Friday afternoon.  

Cal looks to remain in the Pac-10 title hunt when it battles No. 3 UCLA Sunday at 1 p.m.


Center celebrates 10 years of activism in civil rights

By Jennifer DixSpecial to the Daily Planet
Saturday October 28, 2000

Frances Beal has devoted her life to fighting racism. Long before race, class, and gender became popular topics in literary academic theory, Beal identified these concepts as the theoretical basis for oppression, in her 1969 pamphlet “The Black Women’s Manifesto.” From protesting Jim Crow laws in the 1950s to her current work with the Black Radical Congress, which she helped to found, she has been at the forefront of the struggle for social justice. 

It hasn’t been easy. A Bay Area resident since 1981, Beal remembers weeping as she watched the 1988 film A World Apart, which showed a daughter’s pain at the disruptions to her life caused by her activist parents.  

“My mother was active in leftist politics, and I sometimes felt some resentment because we were ‘different.’ And there were times my children complained because I wasn’t there for them,” Beal recalls. “That’s the human side to this, the sacrifice you make.” 

This Sunday, Beal and other Bay Area trailblazers will be honored at the second annual Sisters of Fire Awards Ceremony, honoring “women who light the way.” The awards are sponsored by Berkeley’s Women of Color Resource Center, which celebrates its 10th anniversary at the same event. 

The honorees are an impressive group, a reminder that the Bay Area truly is a center of liberal activism. Besides Beal, the women include former Ms. magazine editor Helen Zia, an award-winning journalist who has led the way in giving a voice to Asian-American women’s experiences; Avotcja Jiltonilro, a popular Latina poet and musician; and Yuri Kochiyama, a lifelong human rights activist who was imprisoned with other Japanese Americans in an American internment camp during World War II. The ceremony also recognizes the local youth organization Third Eye Movement and Native American activist Nilak Butler. Entertainment at the Sisters of Fire ceremony includes poetry, dance, and music, including a performance by the Korean women’s drum group Jamae Sori. 

The Women of Color Resource Center has a lot to celebrate. For ten years it has provided information and developed reports and curricula meant to empower minorities and connect women of different ethnic backgrounds. It boasts an board of directors that includes luminaries such as Angela Davis. Director and co-founder Linda Burnham was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, as was Frances Beal and many other leaders. 

The Center has this year brought out two publications that are finding a wide and avid audience. Working Hard, Staying Poor is a report on the effects of welfare reform intended to balance the generally sunny reports seen in the mainstream media. “We find that in fact it has largely hurt women, especially women of color and increased their economic insecurity,” says center staff member Jung Hee Choi. 

Another publication, Women’s Education in the Global Economy, is a curriculum guide to study the impact of globalization on women around the world. It has received “a tremendous response,” says Choi. Besides the community, religious, and labor organizations one might expect to be interested in the program, the center has received orders from hundreds of university professors of women’s studies and ethnic studies across the country. The demonstrations at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle and subsequent protests have probably helped spur interest in the topic, says Choi. 

The Center’s 10th Anniversary and Sisters of Fire Awards ceremony will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. Tickets range from $15 to $50. For more information, call 848-9272. 


Practice pays off for Simmonds as Cal beats OSU 2-0

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Saturday October 28, 2000

Practice makes perfect. 

After an intensive week of staying after the Cal men’s soccer team’s regular practices to work on his shooting, forward Kendall Simmonds made his extra work pay off by scoring both of his team’s goal in Friday’s 2-0 win over Oregon State. 

“My coaches had me out there for an hour every day to work on my shooting,” Simmonds said after the game. “I guess they really helped me out, and it showed today.” 

The win puts the Bears back in contention for the Pac-10 title at 2-2-1 in conference play with leader Stanford coming into Berkeley to play on Sunday. A win in that game would put Cal within a half-game of the Pac-10 lead. 

“We’re definitely in the picture right now,” Simmonds said. “We’re as good as any team in this league.” 

Simmonds scored both of his goals in the second half, despite taking a hard fall that injured his shoulder and ribs. 

The first goal came off of a pass from forward Austin Ripmaster in the 68th minute. Simmonds got the ball clear of two OSU defenders, then slotted the ball past goalkeeper Peter Billmeyer for his fourth goal of the season. 

Rather than being happy with a one-goal lead, the Bears continued to play the ball forward to Ripmaster and Simmonds. The attacking style paid off again six minutes later, as Simmonds trapped a high ball, dribbled across the top of the goal box and feathered a shot over Billmeyer, who had come off of his line. Ripmaster was credited with his second assist of the game on the play. 

“It was a composure shot. He drew the ’keeper out and then put the ball right over him,” Cal head coach Kevin Grimes said. “He was definitely the man of the match today.” 

Simmonds now lead the Bears with 11 points for the season. 

The victory continued the team’s three-game winning streak, which was started by a win over highly-ranked UCLA. It also gives the Bears a 4-1 record when playing at Edwards Stadium this year, while they have yet to win away from home. 

“I think at home, our guys are more comfortable,” Grimes said. “When we’re here, we can make life miserable for our opponents, and that’s what we’re going to keep trying to do.” 

Simmonds agreed with his coach. 

“This is Bear territory, baby,” the senior said. “We can beat anybody on our home turf.”


Popular parks measures face limited resistance

John Geluardi Daily Planet Staff
Saturday October 28, 2000

The Committee to Support Our Parks wants to make sure measures S and W pass on Nov. 7 and they’re not taking any chances. So far the committee has spent more money than any of the other campaigns for the various tax and bond measures on the ballot.  

Supporters say the increased revenue is needed to maintain city parks, which have been built up in the last few years. Much of the work was done by volunteer labor, through organizations such as Berkeley Partners for Parks. 

According to campaign statements filed at the City Clerk’s Office Oct. 21, the campaign for the two measures has spent about $30,000. Berkeley Citizens for a Safe and Sound Schools, promoting Measure AA and BB, is second at about $24,500. Those promoting other local ballot measures have spent about $10,000 or less.  

Currently Berkeley maintains 306 acres of parklands which include 50 parks, 80 landscaped medians, 100 pathways and 35,000 trees. 

Measures S and W are both special taxes, one is new and the other was passed in 1997. The state considers a tax special when the revenue raised by the tax is spent on a single program such as parks. A general tax is spent on any program deemed necessary by city governments. 

Voters must approve special taxes by a two-thirds majority. If a special tax passes it then must go before the voters every four years for approval to spend its revenue. The four-year approval requires only 50 percent of the vote. 

Measure S is a new special tax intended to increase the 1997 tax. 

If approved, the annual increase in parks taxes for a person with a 1,900 square-foot home will be $15, bringing the total to $169. 

Promoters of the measure said that additional money will be well spent. Campaign Coordinator Nancy Carleton said Berkeley parks are improving by leaps and bounds. “Most of the recent improvements were done by volunteers who put in thousands and thousands of hours to make the city better.” 

Even though much of the work was done by volunteers, it will take additional tax dollars to maintain the improvements. “This is a modest fee that will raise $600,000 every year which will allow the city to take care of its parks,” she said.  

Carleton said recent additions to the parks system include the Gabe Catalfo Playing Field, a new soccer field on Harrison Street, the Dreamland For Kids, a playground designed with the help of kids at Aquatic Park and the soon to be completed Bay Trail. 

“Those are just a few. There are updated play areas, recently planted street trees. Soon there will be the pedestrian bridge. All these things need to be maintained,” said Carleton. 

Measure W is a special tax passed by voters in 1997 and is now due for its four-year reapproval. If Measure S passes, Measure W, which only requires 50 percent voter approval, will not even go into effect.  

Detractors of the two measures said in printed arguments in the County of Alameda Sample Ballot that taxes are already too high and the revenue is ill spent on costly projects that always seem to require more taxes. The argument was signed by former City Councilmember John Denton, Evelyn Giardina, Martha Jones and Marie Bowman. 

Denton said he’s voting against the measure out of protest against city councilmembers who always seem to vote together when it comes to increasing taxes and spending despite deep philosophical differences. He said the dog area in Cesar Chavez Park is an example of mismanagement. “That area has the prime view of the Bay and San Francisco and they made it a dog park, which precludes anyone else from using it.” 

Measures S and W have been endorsed by eight of the nine members of the City Council, the Berkeley Democratic Club, Berkeley Citizen’s Action, the Sierra Club, the entire school board and a host of present and past public officials.  

The largest contributors to the S and W campaign are two city workers’ unions SEIU Local 790, which contributed $7,500 and SEIU Local 535, which threw in another $7,000.  

Carleton said the workers don’t stand to gain anything from the passage of the measures other than securing the means to do their jobs well.  

Carleton said taxes for city parks are strongly supported among most residents because they have such a positive effect. She said there good for kids and homeowners are usually in favor because they can raise the value of property. “It’s a win, win situation,” she said. 

 

 


Spartans’ offense too much for BHS

By Sean Gates Daily Planet Correspondent
Saturday October 28, 2000

Pinole Valley deals ’Jackets their first ACCAL loss 

 

Please forgive the Pinole Valley Spartans. They can just be downright rude at times. Not only are they possessive, direct, and offensive, but they demand constant attention. Nobody looks for these traits when they’re trying to find that special someone. But to find these characteristics in a high school football offense? If only everyone could get this lucky. 

The Spartans (7-1, 3-1 ACCAL) rode their dominating offense to a 47-28 win over the Berkeley Yellowjackets (3-5, 3-1) by scoring on seven of their 10 offensive possessions, cruising out to 40 first half points, racking up 446 total yards, and scoring on the very first play from scrimmage when running back D’Andre McFarland transformed a sweep right into a broken tackle and a 67-yard touchdown jaunt. 

Early scores are nothing new for the sixth-best yardage offense in the Bay Area. McFarland finished the night with 168 rushing yards, 75 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Call him Big Play D’Andre: McFarland tallied runs of 26, 43, and 67 yards and scored a 67-yard touchdown reception late in the first half. For the night, the Spartans pulled off nine plays of at least 20 yards, averaging 9.3 yards per play. Move over, St. Louis Rams! 

Throwing McFarland the football was the Bay Area’s top-rated passer, quarterback Adrian Smith, who entered the game with 14 touchdowns and 1091 passing yards. Smith added to his league-leading statistics by completing 10 of 13 pass attempts for 173 yards and three touchdowns.  

Four different Spartans tallied at least two receptions. Leading the way was super split end Marcus Maxwell, who entered the game with the third-highest yardage (624) and fifth-highest reception (34) marks in the Bay Area. The ‘Jackets "held" Maxwell in check for most of the game, however, to just three receptions for 81 yards and a 27-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. 

As for Berkeley, the ’Jackets found themselves playing catch-up all game long. This limited the number of carries for the sixth-best rusher in the Bay Area, Ramone Reed. A true warrior, Reed rushed 15 times for 121 yards and caught four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Reed alone accounted for 218 of Berkeley’s 369 total yards and beckoned his teammates on during the game, noting "this is not the day to be walking!" Nothing could stop Reed on this night, not even an injury to his right leg that forced him to retreat to the sidelines for a series. 

The ‘Jackets pulled out all the stops in the second half. Down 40-14, Berkeley head coach Gary Weaver utilized the reverse, the halfback option pass to the quarterback, and even the good ol’ hook and lateral pass. But it was too little, too late, and not even a sensational 65-yard punt return in the fourth quarter by Anthony Lee Franklin could rescue the ‘Jackets from their misery. 

Penalties continue to be the thorn in Berkeley’s side, as the ‘Jackets committed eight infractions for 60 yards. Six of the eight penalties were either false starts or encroachment gaffes, and a 40-yard pass reception by Charles West with 1:53 remaining in the first half was wiped out because of a personal foul. 

Berkeley faces another difficult opponent next week when they square off at home against the El Cerrito Gauchos at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3.


Judge sticks to his guns on Ford Motor recall

By David Kravets Associated Press Writer
Saturday October 28, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – A California judge who ordered the recall of 1.7 million Ford Motor Co. cars and trucks said Friday he would stand by the decision. 

“I’m not likely to change my mind,” Alameda County Superior Court Michael E. Ballachey said. 

Ford had asked Ballachey to reconsider almost three weeks after he ruled that the automaker concealed a dangerous design flaw that can cause some vehicles to stall in traffic. Ford said the ignition devices are not defective for the 1983 through 1995 model years in question. 

Ballachey’s recall order, which won’t become effective until a court-appointed expert decides how to repair the faulty ignition devices, was the first from a state judge. Government agencies normally order recalls, but Ballachey said California law gives him that power. 

The recall order came in response to a class-action suit filed on behalf of millions of former and current Ford owners in California. 

After Ballachey said the recall would move forward, Ford attorney Richard Warmer asked Ballachey to remove himself from the case — the second time Ford had made that request. 

“I didn’t do it last time and I’m not doing it this time,” Ballachey said in a terse tone from the bench Friday. 

After the hearing, Warmer told The Associated Press that Ford believed the judge was biased against the automaker. 

“We don’t believe he is impartial,” Warmer said. 

It was not the first time that Ballachey appeared upset with Ford. When he ordered the recall Oct. 11, he said Ford was living an “Alice in Wonderland” dream for repeatedly denying the vehicles were dangerous. 

Ballachey said Ford sold as many as 23 million vehicles nationwide with the flaw, but his jurisdiction does not extend beyond California. Similar class-action suits are pending in Alabama, Maryland, Illinois, Tennessee and Washington. 

The judge said as early as 1982 Ford knew the vehicles were prone to stalling, especially when the engine was hot, but failed to alert consumers and repeatedly deceived federal regulators. 

The ignition device was put on 29 models between 1983 and 1995, including the Taurus, LTD, Ranger, Bronco, Mustang and Escort, the company has reported. During that period, the Taurus was one of the top-selling cars in America. 

Ballachey said he expects a court-appointed referee to suggest how to fix the vehicles by March. 

He also said he would call a jury, perhaps in April, to hear the case. Before that, however, he must decide whether jurors should have a trial to decide for themselves whether the devices were faulty, or whether the jury can rely on the judge’s findings and move directly into a punitive damages phase of trial.


No. 5 Wildcats tear into Bears volleyball

Daily Planet Wire Services
Saturday October 28, 2000

Arizona’s big hitters too much for Cal 

 

The University of California women's volleyball team fell to No. 5 ranked Arizona, 3-0 (15-9, 15-5, 15-10), Friday night at the RSF Fieldhouse on the Cal campus.  

The talented Wildcats (19-2, 12-1), who have won 19 of their last 20 matches, were led by Allison Napier, Marisa DaLee and Lisa Rutledge with 13, 12 and 10 kills respectively. The Bears (9-10, 4-8) were paced by senior outside hitter Alicia Perry with a team-high 14 kills.  

In game one, Cal was tied with Arizona, 5-5, with the help of kills from Perry, sophomore Leah Young and freshman Gabrielle Abernathy, and a block by freshman Heather Diers. The Wildcats then took control with a 5-0 run to lead 10-5 and ended up winning 15-9. The closest the Bears could get was 12-9 behind back-to-back block assists by Diers and sophomore setter Caity Noonan.  

Arizona completely dominated game two, 15-5, with most of Cal's points coming off Wildcat errors. Game three was probably the Bears best game as they came back from a 9-1 deficit to get within 10-9. Cal's comeback was fueled by an ace by freshman Ashleigh Turner, block assists by freshman Jessica Zatica and Perry, back-to-back kills by Young, an ace by Noonan, block assists by freshman Lisa Collette and Young, and a solo block by Collette. With the score, 10-9, Arizona took the next four points before Noonan's second service ace got the Bears to 14-10, but the Wildcats scored again to take the game and the match, 15-10.  

The Bears will next host Arizona State, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Recreational Sports Facility Fieldhouse.


Berkeley poet and translator Grosjean dies of liver cancer

Daily Planet Wire Services
Saturday October 28, 2000

Korean immigrant helped introduce books of leading English poets and Buddhist writers to Korean readers 

 

Ok-Koo Kang Grosjean, noted poet and translator, died last night in her home in Albany. She would have been sixty years old on November 1 and had been diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year.  

She is best known for introducing the work of leading English language poets and Buddhist writers to Korean readers through her translations of several books including the Dalai Lama's Policy of Kindness and Ocean of Wisdom, Thich Nhat Hanh's Being Peace and The Heart of Understanding, J. Krishnamurti's Flame of Attention and Education and the Significance of Life and Gary Snyder's No Nature.  

She also translated works from Korean into English, most notably with the volume Selected Poems by Park Nam Soo. Her own books of poetry, Horizon and A Hummingbird's Dance remain in print, and a book of recent poems entitled Delightful Encounters is forthcoming. About her poetry she once said, "I let myself flow in the mysterious stream of the heart."  

Ok-Koo Kang was born in Kwang-Ju, Korea, and emigrated to the United States in 1963 with a pharmacy degree from I-Hwa Women's University in Seoul.  

She attended Columbia University and San Francisco State University before receiving a master's degree in nutrition (biochemistry) from U.C. Berkeley.  

She immediately got work as a chemist for the USDA labs in Albany and continued there until taking early retirement in 1995.  

She met Glen Grosjean ("grow-zhahn") at Cal, where he was an associate in speech (he later held various academic positions there until his retirement) and they were married in 1965.  

She had been raised Presbyterian but was gradually drawn to Buddhism through her husband's interest - he had been a Zen monk for three years in the 1950s at Shogenji, a monastery in Japan - and in response to the loss of her sister to cancer in 1968.  

Her garden was a great passion, and Ok-Koo was also a devoted musician, playing viola da gamba, piano, recorder, lute and the Korean kayageum (koto).  

Her husband survives her along with their son, Charles, who lives in Pasadena.  

A Buddhist service will be held on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the Chapel of Light at Skylawn Memorial Park on Half Moon Bay Road, off Skyline Boulevard.


Sports shorts

Saturday October 28, 2000

Cal water polo upsets No. 3 Long Beach St. 

LONG BEACH, CA - The No. 5 ranked Cal men’s water polo team (9-7, 3-2) defeated No. 3 ranked Long Beach State (12-7, 2-1), 11-6, in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play Friday afternoon at Long Beach State’s campus pool. It was the first home loss of the season for the 49ers.  

Cal took control in the second half of what was a close game. The Bears outscored Long Beach State 6-3 in the final two periods. Freshman Attila Banhidy led Cal with four goals. Senior Eldad Hazor added three goals and junior Joe Kaiser chipped in two goals. Goalie Tim Kates had seven saves.  

The Bears will next face USC, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 1:30 p.m. at McDonald’s Olympic Swim Stadium 

 

Bear swimmers dominate at Pacific meet 

STOCKTON, CA - The California men’s (1-0) and women’s swimming teams (2-0) dominated host Pacific Friday afternoon in Stockton. The Bears won 22 of the meet’s 28 events at Chris Kjeldsen Pool on the Pacific campus. Cal’s men won 120-104, while the Bear women captured 10 of 14 events to win 131.5-92.5. No other information was provided by Pacific.  

Nort Thornton’s men’s team will next host CS Bakersfield Friday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. at Spieker Aquatics Complex. Teri McKeever’s women’s team next travels to Athens, GA to face two-time defending national champion Georgia Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET, before visiting South Carolina Nov. 4.  

 

Andre Carter to chat with fans online 

On Tuesday, October 31, Cal defensive end Andre Carter will drop by ESPN.com to chat with the fans beginning at 11:00 a.m. PT.  

A preseason All-American and a semifinalist for the Lombardi award, Carter has been a stalwart for the Bears as the defensive end has been on the field for all but two defensive plays this season for the 2-5 Bears.  

Carter leads the Bears with a total of seven sacks this season, despite constant double-teaming by opponents. That figure is tied for second place on the Pac-10 sack list heading into Saturday's clash with USC.


Berkeley researcher disputes flu epidemic toll

Daily Planet Wire Services
Saturday October 28, 2000

There has never been a flu epidemic like it. In one year - 1918 – half a million Americans died from a contagion often identified as the deadliest epidemic of the 20th century, a flu so severe that the fear of it happening again causes public health authorities to go on global alert. 

Now a researcher in demography at the University of California, Berkeley, has evidence that undetected tuberculosis, or TB, actually may have caused much of the mortality in 1918. 

If so, such a deadly flu may not occur again, at least not in the United States which has low rates of TB infection, reports Andrew Noymer, UC Berkeley doctoral student in demography, a department in the College of Letters and Science. He published his findings in the current (September) issue of Population and Development Review, the main journal of the Population Council.  

Noymer’s evidence comes from patterns of mortality in the U.S. population in the years after the epidemic year. Death rates from tuberculosis fell dramatically in 1919 and 1920 and, for decades thereafter, changed an historic gender pattern in mortality. 

Apparently, those who died from the flu already had diseased lungs. When they got the flu, it turned into pneumonia, which in those people with TB became especially severe. It was the pneumonia complicated by TB that killed them, said Noymer. Their early demise depressed the death rate from TB in the following years.  

He said tuberculosis creates cavities in the lungs that are notorious breeding grounds for staphylococcus A bacteria that causes a pneumonia that was actually the killer in 1918. Noymer’s findings explain a peculiarity of the 1918 pandemic that killed at least 20 million people worldwide.  

Normally, the influenza virus is not lethal to young and middle-aged people. Most of its victims are elderly. But in 1918, the typical victim was a man between the ages of 20 and 40, a group that normally has a very low death rate, said Noymer. 

In the early 20th century, however, tuberculosis was a major killer of men in that age group, apparently because of transmission in factories where men worked in densely-packed, poorly-ventilated conditions, Noymer said. Men were about 30 percent more likely to die from TB than women were- a pattern closely paralleled during the flu epidemic.  

In 1918, men were 35 percent more likely than women to die from flu. Of the 500,000 Americans who died that year, 280,000-300,000 were men.  

“This can’t be a coincidence,” said Noymer. “I think TB is the missing piece of the puzzle. It explains why younger people, especially men, died in such great numbers. Scientists since 1918 have been searching for clues for why the 1918 epidemic was so deadly, especially in middle age. But people did not look at what happened to tuberculosis death rates, not only in the epidemic year, but in the years afterwards.”  

His findings explain another mystery. Scientists who have attempted to study the gene sequence of the 1918 influenza virus have seen nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to explain the flu’s virulence.  

“Never before or since have we seen a flu epidemic that was so virulent,” said Noymer. “The spread was extremely rapid, as was the development of the infection. Almost everyone who died was gone in two weeks. 

“I do believe my finding explains most of the deadliness of the 1918 epidemic. It doesn’t prove that, if another strain were to appear, that the U.S. population would be safe, but it strongly suggests that we would fare much better.”  

Noymer’s analysis shows that the 500,000 people who died in 1918 were almost exactly the number who would have been in various stages of disease from TB. Using pre-1918 death rates, Noymer calculated that 500,000 more TB deaths would have occurred between 1918 and 1932 had there never been a flu epidemic.  

As a result of the excess death among men in 1918, a healthier male population was left, said Noymer. For years afterward, the life expectancy of men, which usually lagged behind women by six years, moved up to more closely resemble the female pattern. It was this startling change that sparked Noymer’s research, when he saw something no demographer had ever noticed before - a precipitous drop in 1919 in the gender differential from six to two years.  

“When I saw that,” said Noymer, “ I said to myself, ‘That’s the flu!’ And, surprise, surprise, it leaves the same mortality patterns on age and sex that TB does.”


Northern California briefs

Saturday October 28, 2000

Man convicted of manslaughter had 16 priors 

MARYSVILLE – An Olivehurst man who was recently convicted of manslaughter in connection with a drunken-driving car crash that killed two people had 16 prior drunken-driving convictions on his record, court records show. 

Ronald Bushers Sr., 51, is expected back in court Dec. 8 for sentencing. He faces a prison term of 15 years to life. 

The accident that killed the two Paradise people occurred November 1999 on Highway 70. 

California Highway Patrol officers said Bushers had a blood-alcohol content of .22. A level of .08 is considered legally intoxicated. 

Prosecutors said they found that Bushers’ first drunken-driving conviction was in March 1970. 

Treatment programs introduced in the 1980s seemed to have little impact on Bushers, said Yuba County District Attorney Patrick McGrath. 

The state chairman of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Linda Oxenreider, said she has never heard of anyone with more drunken-driving convictions. 

 

Former politician and wife busted for marijuana, could face other drug charges 

AUBURN – A former gubernatorial candidate and his wife on trial for growing marijuana may also have to defend themselves against other drugs found in their house. 

Prosecutors have pointed out that a half gram of a psilocyben mushroom was also found in the house of Steven and Michele Kubby. 

The drug, also known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, is usually ingested for its hallucinogenic effects. 

Defense attorneys say the mushrooms have been used as medicine and spiritual aids in other countries. 

The Kubbys argue they were legally growing more than 250 marijuana plants found in their Squaw Valley home last year. They have been vocal advocates of medicinal marijuana and say they had permission to use the drug to treat their ailments. 

Steven Kubby was the Libertarian candidate for governor in 1998. 

 

Students under fire for paper’s content 

SACRAMENTO – A behavioral hearing was postponed for two Sacramento students suspended for editing an underground newspaper. 

Administrators at Sacramento High School say the publication included several racial slurs and sexual references. 

School officials said the hearing was postponed Thursday because not all people involved in the hearing were available at the time. 

Some students say the publication was distributed off campus and brought to school by other students. 

One of the editors’ parents is protesting the suspension. He claims the boys have a First Amendment right to publish the newspaper. 

The hearing has not been rescheduled, school officials said Thursday. 

 

UC Davis police call for removal of their chief 

DAVIS – Police officers working for the University of California, Davis, are calling for the removal of their chief and asking for an audit of the entire department. 

Officers say they are frustrated by the mismanaged police force and the department’s practice of underreporting crimes that happen on campus. 

In a letter to university Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, the officers and department staff announced a vote of no confidence in Chief Calvin Handy, who has been the department’s top officer for the past seven years. 

An attorney for the officers said there have been “serious allegations of abuse of authority” in the department. 

In a prepared statement, Handy said he was open to hearing any complaints from officers and hoped to revolve the issues dividing the department. 

UC Davis spokeswoman Lisa Lapin said Thursday that the officers’ letter was the first formal complaint of the department in 10 years. 

Similar problems recently bothered the Davis Police Department, where officers took a vote of no confidence against Chief Jerry Gonzales. The city hired a consultant to examine the complaints.  

Gonzales’ said his last day on the job was Friday.


Neo-Nazis to march in protest of judge’s decision against them

By Nicholas K. Geranios Associated Press Writer
Saturday October 28, 2000

Aryan Nation will take to the streets of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho despite impending loss of their rural compound 

 

SPOKANE – This weekend, days before they lose their rural compound, members of the Aryan Nations will march defiantly down the streets of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. 

Saturday’s march is the most visible sign that Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler is not going away despite the $6.3 million judgment awarded against him in a civil rights lawsuit Sept. 7. 

“It’s to drive home the point that I’m not running out of town like a whipped dog,” Butler said after filing for the parade permit. 

It’s not clear how many supporters of the neo-Nazi group will march in support of its anti-Semitic, white supremacist message.  

Past parades have had close to 100 participants. Last year’s event drew fewer than two dozen, who were greatly outnumbered by various protesters and news media representatives. 

Butler’s supporters have been using the Internet to try and draw marchers to Coeur d’Alene, 30 miles east of Spokane. 

“This is a white pride and racial awareness march where true Aryans are standing together ... and showing the fine folks of north Idaho and the national media that we are not going to be silenced,” wrote Vincent Bertollini of the white-supremacist 11th Hour Remnant Messenger. 

Bertollini, a wealthy computer executive who lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, recently bought a house in nearby Hayden that Butler is living in. 

One protest group, the Seattle-based United Front Against Fascism, plans to attend the 11 a.m. parade. 

“Fascism cannot be vanquished in the courts alone,” said Luma Nichol, a founder of the group. 

Coeur d’Alene city officials have tried to block past parades in court, but failed because of constitutional free-speech protections. 

Human rights groups in the area say they do not believe in directly confronting the Aryans. The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations will use the parade as the occasion to roll out its new “Idaho, the Human Rights State” public relations campaign. 

Protesters say that’s the wrong approach when dealing with a hate group such as the Aryan Nation. 

“Turning your back on the fascists only encourages them,” said Gil Veyna of the United Front. 

All Coeur d’Alene police officers will work Saturday, and they will be joined by staff from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department and Idaho State Police. Officers will reportedly set up barriers along the parade route in an attempt to keep marchers and protesters apart. Anyone who crosses the barriers will be arrested, Sheriff Rocky Watson has said. 

Butler took out a permit for more than 100 participants on Sept. 8 — the day after losing the lawsuit brought by Victoria and Jason Keenan, a mother and son. 

The Keenans were chased and shot at by Aryan Nations security guards when they drove past the group’s compound near Hayden Lake, Idaho, in 1998. A Kootenai County, Idaho, jury found Butler and the Aryan Nations negligent in hiring and training the guards. 

On Thursday, a judge denied a request for a new trial for the Aryan Nations, clearing the way for the victorious Keenan family to take over the 20-acre compound as soon as next week.


Lake County man sentenced to six months for threats

Bay City News Services Bay City News Services Bay
Saturday October 28, 2000

Ewing interfered with fair housing rights for neighbor 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Attorney's Office said today a Lake County man has been sentenced to six months in jail and six months of home detention for making racist threats against his Clearlake neighbor last year. 

U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Breyer sentenced Gregory Ewing, 43, yesterday in San Francisco after he pleaded guilty to interfering with fair housing rights. Ewing will begin serving his prison term on Dec. 5. 

According to a U.S. Attorney's spokesman, Ewing yelled racist slurs and threatened his 68-year-old neighbor after she invited her grand daughter, her daughter's African American husband and their daughter to her home on May 11, 1999. 

Ewing admitted going to his neighbor's porch and shouting racial epithets as well as building a 9-foot, 4-inch cross on his lawn. He also threatened to kill his neighbor and burn the cross, according to prosecutors. 

The woman contacted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People when Clearlake police failed to immediately respond. Police arrived after the NAACP contacted them. Ewing was arrested, released on bail and a restraining order was issued. Local charges were filed but dismissed, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. 

Ewing made more racist slurs on Aug. 3 during another visit by the neighbor's granddaughter and great-granddaughter, prosecutors say. 

On Oct. 14 Ewing threatened to burn his neighbor's house down and kill her following a visit by the NAACP representative. 

Ewing was arrested again, released on bail on Oct. 18 and another restraining order was issued.  

The NAACP then filed a complaint with federal authorities and the FBI began an investigation.


Health benefits provider to lose $96 million

The Associated Press
Saturday October 28, 2000

LOS ANGELES – The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the nation’s second-largest health benefits provider, will lose $96 million this year on its self-insured health plans, according to a newspaper report. 

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that CalPERS officials will consider double-digit rate hikes and higher co-payments in the next two years to offset some of the losses. 

The health fund’s reserves will drop to $73.1 million, enough to last six weeks should unexpected medical costs or other emergencies hamper the fund’s ability to draw from it regular cash flow to pay claims. The recommended industry standard is to have at least three months of reserves. 

The health fund losses will not impact CalPERS’ ability to pay retirement benefits to members or destabilize other programs. 

CalPERS attributes the losses to an increase in membership to its self-funded plans. The increase is largely from members in the state’s rural areas who are joining because health maintenance organizations are pulling out of the counties where they live. 

“This is the only option that is available statewide,” said Allen Feezor, CalPERS assistant executive officer for health. 

Unlike HMOs, which can leave when it becomes too expensive to operate, CalPERS is obligated to provide care for all its members no matter where they live. 

The result, Feezor said, is that the PERSCare and PERSChoice plans have suffered high increases in the cost of doctor and hospital visits, as well as high prices and increased demand for prescription drugs. 

About 22 percent of CalPERS’ 1.1 million members are enrolled in the two plans. The plans are preferred provider organizations where there is no primary-care gatekeeper and patients don’t need a referral to see a specialist. 

Premium increases will be instituted in 2001 that will average 19 percent more than this year, officials said. An increase of 24 percent is needed to stem the losses and premiums, deductibles and co-payments may be raised in 2002, Feezor said. 

The CalPERS board voted last month to increase by 300 percent the amount that some board members receive to attend meetings. The compensation for some board members, who attend about 75 meetings a year, will increase to an annual average of $30,000 from about $7,500 a year.


Quite a fish story: angler snags ancient whale fossil

The Associated Press
Saturday October 28, 2000

VENTURA – Fisherman Aaron Plunkett can talk about his whale of a catch that didn’t get away: The Lake Casitas angler snagged fossilized bones of a 25 million-year-old toothed baleen whale, a first-of-its-kind find in California. 

“They’ve been found before in Washington and Oregon and Baja, but we’ve never found one in California,” said Howell Thomas, a paleontologist at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. “This is the only one ever found in California. 

“We were just kind of waiting to see where the first one would be found. It’s exciting because it proves tooth baleen whales were off the coast of Southern California.” 

Plunkett, an Ojai musician, was fishing at Lake Casitas on Jan. 19 when he noticed what appeared to be bones among the pebbles along the shoreline. The mountain lake is 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. 

“Twenty-five million years ago, that was all under water,” Thomas said Friday. 

Plunkett contacted paleontologists and they were thrilled. 

“We said, ’Hey, that looks like a primitive bone,” said Thomas, who then accompanied Plunkett to the site and gathered parts of the skull, an ear bone and a tooth and brought them back to the museum adjacent to the Coliseum. 

“He’s a musician,” the paleontologist said. “How he noticed it was a vertebrate is anybody’s guess.” 

The toothed baleen whale, which was about 30 feet long, represents a rare evolutionary link between whales as we know them — with their brushy, plankton-catching plates — and their ancient, toothy ancestors. 

The toothed baleen whale dates back to the earliest part of the Miocene Epoch, and the Casitas find may be one of the last of the toothed baleens to survive past the Oligocene Epoch. 

Plunkett, whose telephone number isn’t listed, has been very protective of his fossil find. In a written statement, Plunkett said he hoped to create an Ojai learning center to house the skeletal remains. 

“I feel it appropriate for the whale to remain in the Ojai Valley,” Plunkett said. 

But Thomas said he is hoping to dig up the entire skeleton later, once the museum is able draw up a budget for digging and cleaning. 

Doug Ralph, director of the Lake Casitas Recreation Area, said he would like excavation to occur quickly for fear scavengers might descend on the site.


Charges may be filed in frat death

The Associated Press
Saturday October 28, 2000

CHICO – Manslaughter charges could be filed against some members of a fraternity where an 18-year-old student died, the Butte County district attorney has announced. 

Adrian Heideman died Oct. 7 during a party where he tried to drink a bottle of brandy. 

The California State University, Chico, freshman from Palo Alto had a blood-alcohol content of .37, more than four times the legal limit for driving. 

District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Thursday that he had only recently been given the results of the police investigation, but added that he was considering charges against members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. Heideman was a new member of the fraternity. 

Medical reports show that Heideman died of asphyxiation due to alcohol poisoning. 

Ramsey said medical examiners found that the alcohol stopped Heideman’s ability to vomit the alcohol. Instead, it filled his lungs. 

The fraternity could also be charged with manslaughter. If the organization is charged, it could face criminal fines of up to $10,000.


Investors, residents clash over Pebble Beach

By Brian Bergstein Associated Press Writer
Saturday October 28, 2000

PEBBLE BEACH – This is some of the world’s most prized real estate – looming Monterey pine and cypress trees, top-caliber golf courses and achingly lovely mansions, all giving way to a pristine, rocky shoreline. 

But the celebrities and other investors who paid $820 million last year for 2,600 acres of this land say beauty alone can’t pay the bills. They want to build a new golf course and expand resorts in the area – and some residents and environmentalists say they’re tricking voters into going along with it. 

The Pebble Beach Co. – whose investors include actor-director Clint Eastwood, former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth and golfer Arnold Palmer – is making an intriguing offer in its development plans. The company says 425 forested acres it owns, now zoned for housing, should be preserved forever as open space. 

“We’re doing this because we love the area and we want to keep it always great,” said Eastwood, who has lived in Monterey County for nearly 40 years and served two years as mayor of nearby Carmel in the 1980s. “I guess everybody has a little bit of nostalgia. I’d like to see Pebble Beach remain the same, as much as it can in the real world.” 

The company has placed an initiative on the Nov. 7 ballot in Monterey County, asking voters to change zoning rules so the company can carry out both its expansion and the forest preservation. 

The initiative, Measure A, is supported by the local residents’ association and endorsed by the local newspaper, the Monterey County Herald. If the measure passes, parts of the development itself could still be vetoed by county officials and the California Coastal Commission. 

But critics say a ballot initiative is the wrong way to carry out complicated changes in land-use plans, which usually require laborious public hearings and environmental impact studies. The company says all such procedures will still take place before it begins its expansion. 

The opponents say the company has given voters a deceptively titled ballot measure – the Del Monte Forest Preservation and Development Limitation Initiative – and are using Eastwood’s reputation to present itself as a bunch of preservationists, rather than golf course builders. 

“Clint and Ueberroth and Palmer want some return on their big, big investment, and I don’t blame them,” said Ted Hunter, co-chairman of the opposition group, Concerned Residents of Pebble Beach. “We’re saying they’re getting too greedy, they ought to do it the right way, the way any other developer would.” 

Though the opposition consists mostly of well-off residents of Pebble Beach and nearby communities, they clearly are outgunned. As of Sept. 30, the company’s campaign already had spent $734,235, while the opponents had spent just $4,224. Pebble Beach Co.’s executive vice president, Mark Stilwell, said the company is willing to spend “whatever it takes.” 

The company wants to send at least four mailers to every voter in the county and might air commercials with Eastwood, to draw the interest of far-away county residents who might never cruise the area’s famed 17-Mile Drive or tee up at Spyglass Hill. 

Gillian Taylor, who chairs the local Sierra Club chapter, said Measure A contains provisions that restrict the ability of county officials and the Coastal Commission to refine certain elements of the company’s plans. She fears that if the initiative passes, other developers will feel emboldened to try the same tactic. 

Pebble Beach Co. contends nothing sneaky is going on. The company says the initiative merely lets it know now, rather than years down the road, whether it will be able to carry out an expansion that Stilwell estimates will cost more than $100 million. 

The previous owner of the Pebble Beach Co. – Taiheiyo Club Inc., a Japanese company – had proposed 315 new homes in the area, though it is zoned for as many as 890, in addition to a new golf course. 

Under the new plan, the company could only add 38 new residential units, adjacent to existing streets, though it could add as many as 210 new guest rooms at the resorts. An equestrian center in the area would be moved to an old quarry, with the new golf course in its place. 

The opponents say they fear increased traffic from big events at the new golf course and effects on their water supply. 

They also say Measure A does not save as much forest as it purports. While it blocks residential development, some areas will be rezoned for “recreational open space” – meaning a golf course that will require cutting down some trees. 

Alan Williams, a developer who has worked on other Eastwood properties in the area and is advising Pebble Beach Co. on this project, said trees removed for the golf course can be moved elsewhere on the property. 

“We try to educate people in what we’re trying to do,” Eastwood said. “And I think if we let them down, we deserve to not have their faith, and not have the project.”


California trial judges need reason to seal records

By David Kravets Associated Press Writer
Saturday October 28, 2000

Open-records advocates praise Judicial Council’s decision;  

opponents claim ruling hurts defendants’ privacy 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – California’s trial judges no longer can seal court records automatically under a new rule adopted Friday. 

The rule, an outgrowth of a California Supreme Court decision last year, requires judges to state on the record why they are sealing a record. The reasons must be in accordance with guidelines spelled out by the high court. 

Open-records advocates hailed the rule, approved 18-1 by the Judicial Council — the administrative arm of California’s court system. 

The only negative vote came from John Collins, a Pasadena lawyer appointed by the State Bar to sit on the council. He said the Judicial Council has no place to adopt such a controversial rule, adding that is the state legislature’s job. 

“There is an awful lot of stuff that may get daylight that shouldn’t,” said Collins, whose vote does not reflect the position of the State Bar that represents all of California’s lawyers. 

Advocates said the rule would stop judges from the common practice of “casually” sealing records at the request of attorneys. 

“It’s not going to stop all sealings. But I think it will cut down on the number of casual sealings that occur without any good reason except that the parties in the case think it is OK,” said Terry Francke, counsel of the California First Amendment Coalition. 

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Ronald Robie agreed with Francke. Robie, a Judicial Council member, said judges immediately seal records at the request or by so-called “stipulations” of lawyers, regardless of whether the documents should remain open. 

Now a judge must conduct a hearing and state the reasons for sealing, which might make judges leery of sealing a record, Robie said. 

“It eliminates stipulations,” he said. “That happens frequently.” 

When a judge seals a record, the judge must find an “overriding” interest. That is the standard the California Supreme Court spelled out last year when the high court ruled that a lower court erred when it excluded the public and media from portions of a civil trial in which the jury was not present. 

The high court said there was a First Amendment right to access courts and the justices requested the Judicial Council propose how and when court records could be sealed. 

Even so, the definition of an overriding interest is at the judge’s discretion. Such interests include sealing trade secret information in a lawsuit, the addresses and phone numbers of witnesses and, in some cases, psychiatric and medical reports. 

However, even under the new rules, settlement agreements of lawsuits remain confidential as well as a host of juvenile court records and documents of family mediation disputes. 

Some lawmakers have said they may introduce legislation next year requiring that lawsuits settled out of court become public records.


‘Sausage Killer’ pleads innocent

The Associated Press
Saturday October 28, 2000

OAKLAND – The man accused of shooting and killing three meat inspectors on a visit to his linguisa factory in June has pleaded innocent to murder charges. 

Stuart Alexander, 39, is accused of shooting U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors Thomas Quadros, 52, and Jeannie Hillery, 56, and state inspector Bill Shaline, 57 at his Santos Linguisa Factory in San Leandro. Another state inspector, Earl Willis, escaped unharmed. 

The Alameda County district attorney’s office has said it will seek the death penalty. 

The next court date is for discovery on Dec. 8. 

On surveillance tapes from the June 21 shooting, Alexander is seen grabbing three handguns in his office, loading them, then closing the window blinds. The next scene, from a surveillance camera high above the retail section of the factory, shows the inspectors falling after being shot. 

The black and white tapes show Alexander coming into the room, shooting at prone inspectors Quadros, Hillery and Shaline. Alexander then runs outside to chase another Willis. 

Hillery is seen lifting her head and moving her right arm, and Quadros appears to be moving, as Alexander re-enters the room. The factory owner reloads, then moves over to each of the inspectors and shoots them several times. 

Alexander, who is seen pacing his office before grabbing the handguns, appears calm during the shootings. 

Shaline was shot six times. Hillery was shot four times. Quadros was shot three times. All died in the factory.


Pac Bell faces state fines

The Associated Press
Saturday October 28, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Bell could face more than $2 million in fines levied by state regulators who appear likely to punish the company for tricking customers into signing up for unwanted telephone service options. 

California Public Utilities Commissioner Josiah Neeper said Pac Bell scared customers into dropping the “complete blocking” option by telling them they might experience difficulties completing calls. 

When customers choose the “complete blocking” option, their numbers do not appear on Caller ID boxes, making the devices a tough sell for Pac Bell. 

Neeper, who previously said no fine was needed, now recommends Pac Bell pay a $2.4 million fine. 

Neeper’s about-face came as a surprise to the company. 

“This entire case is a sad commentary on the regulatory system, as there were virtually no facts on customer complaints to support the proceeding,” said Pac Bell spokesman Bill Blase. 

Commissioner Richard Bilas has begun drafting a separate proposal to fine Pac Bell for a different amount, a sign that a majority of the five CPUC commissioners would endorse such a penalty on the company.


Green Party protestors add spice to debate

By John Howard AP Political Writer
Saturday October 28, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. Senate contenders Dianne Feinstein and Tom Campbell clashed sharply Friday on drugs, economics and immigration, as raucous Green Party protesters rushed the television station where they debated and demanded their candidate be allowed to participate. 

There were no injuries. After the hour-long debate, Feinstein left the building through a rear entrance to avoid some 100 protesters, who remain jammed in the building’s lobby. 

Supporters of Green Party candidate Medea Benjamin began their protest on the sidewalk in front of KRON-TV, then pushed into the stations’ lobby. Benjamin was excluded from the debate under ground rules adopted by the station and the Feinstein and Campbell campaigns. 

About a dozen police officers blocked the demonstrators and arrested two people. One was identified as Northern California campaign director June Brashares. Both were immediately released. 

The protest did not delay the debate’s start. 

Meanwhile, in the upstairs studio, Campbell and Feinstein differed on immigration and the Republican Campbell’s proposal to help addicts kick the habit by giving them access to drugs. 

They also clashed on Social Security financing, with Democratic incumbent Feinstien opposing Campbell’s proposal — similar to that of Texas Gov. George Bush —to invest some Social Security funds in the stock market. 

The disagreements began with an exchange on drug policy. 

Campbell said the federal government’s plan to give $1.3 billion to Colombia for an anti-drug program was the first step toward a “third world jungle war.” 

“Don’t spend this money on Colombia, spend it on rehabilitation,” he said. 

Feinstein said though current anti-drug efforts have not succeeded, she opposed offering drugs to addicts. 

“It’s folly to legalize narcotics,” she said. 

Campbell also said Feinstein supported a national ID citizenship card as a citizenship test — which she denied — and restricted levels of legal immigration. 

As the two met in the studio, their scant, newly released television ads peppered the air waves — the first TV spots in the no-frills campaign. 

Feinstein’s 30-second spot focuses on education, health care and crime, while Campbell’s ad centers on his drug treatment proposal. Campbell says giving addicts drugs in controlled settings with local authorities’ approval would help treatment and limit crime. Feinstein has ridiculed the idea. 

By election day, Feinstein is likely to spend roughly $5 million on her general election and Campbell little more than half that — cheap in a state known for costly campaigns. 

Campbell, 48, a Harvard-trained Stanford University law school professor with a decade in the House, has raised issues he says distinguish him from Feinstein. 

Those include replacing the personal income tax with a national sales tax. He also notes that he refuses to accept contributions from special-interest political action committees. 

Feinstein, 67, opposes Campbell’s position on taxes and drug rehabilitation, and accepts PAC funds. 

Both favor gun control and abortion rights, two hot-button issues in California. 

Any differences on issues have been overshadowed by Campbell’s claim that Feinstein has conflicts of interest arising from her husband’s financial dealings and that she failed to fully disclose them. 

Campbell raised the issue in their first debate Tuesday in Santa Monica. He hammered it again at a San Francisco news conference Friday afternoon. 

Feinstein’s husband, international investment banker Richard C. Blum, has an array of financial interests, including some in China affected by Feinstein’s Senate votes, Campbell said. 

Feinstein denies Campbell’s assertions. She said she has supplied complete disclosure information. 

A Los Angeles Times poll released Friday showed Feinstein with a 25-point lead over Campbell among likely voters. The survey’s margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.


Record-high voter registration in state

By Scott Lindlaw AP Political Writer
Saturday October 28, 2000

SACRAMENTO – Californians continue to drift away from the two major political parties, with 14 percent of voters now registered as independents, figures released Friday show. 

That compares to 11 percent four years ago. In all, 15.7 million Californians are registered to vote Nov. 7, a record high, according to the report by Secretary of State Bill Jones. 

The figure is only 45,184 voters higher than it was for the 1996 presidential election, but Jones declared it a victory. 

County elections officials wiped more than 1.5 million names of voters who had died, moved away or were otherwise ineligible to vote from the rolls in the last four years, he said. 

The increase in independents comes directly at the expense of the Republican and Democratic parties, which both saw their slice of the electorate shrink slightly. 

Democrats still hold a sizable registration advantage over Republicans, 45-35 percent, roughly the same spread as in 1996. 

And they registered 449,920 new voters since the March 7 primary, compared to 344,516 for the GOP and 223,648 for decline-to-states. 

The Green Party has 0.88 percent of the California electorate, up slightly from 1996, and the Reform Party 0.5 percent, down a bit. 

“It’s just incredible, that despite all the efforts of the major parties, the voter group that is expanding at the fastest rate in California continues to be people who choose neither major party,” said pollster Mark Baldassare. 

“It’s one of the two most powerful political trends in the state, the other being the growth of the Latino vote,” he said. 

Bob Mulholland, a spokesman for the California Democratic Party, said the defection from the parties mirrored a general decline in loyalty. 

“It’s the baby boomers, plus the X Generation, have little loyalty to institutions — they change car dealerships, spouses, jobs,” he said. “Parties are one of last bases they’re hanging in with.” 

“California is an independent state,” said Stuart DeVeaux, a spokesman for the state GOP. “And when young people are registering to vote, they’re registering independent, and saying, ’Work for my vote, work for my participation.”’


Bay briefs

Saturday October 28, 2000

Eatery closed after one diner dies, dozens of others sick 

REDWOOD CITY – One woman died and dozens of other diners were sickened after eating at a restaurant, and officials shut Viva Mexico down after finding a number of health code violations at the restaurant. 

Constance Williams-Pennel, 53, of Sunnyvale, ate lunch at Viva Mexico last Friday. She died Monday, and at least 30 other people reported they became sick — with several requiring hospitalization — after eating at the same restaurant, county officials said Thursday. 

The Environmental Health Services Division of the San Mateo County Health Services Agency shut the restaurant down this week, less than half an hour after beginning an inspection into the establishment. 

Preliminary laboratory reports say Williams-Pennel apparently died from shigella poisoning, or shigellosis, an infectious disease caused by bacteria.  

Final autopsy results won’t be released until toxicology tests are completed later this week. 

Dean Peterson, director of the health services division, said they were alerted by a person who became seriuosly ill after eating at Viva Mexico on Friday. 

“They stay closed until we are completely confident they have the ability to provide a safe product to the public,” Peterson said. 

Inspectors said they found serious violations, including open containers of food left in a walk-in cooler; plastic tubs used to cool potentially hazardous chicken products, beef and beans; cooking and reheating temperatures not regularly checked by cooks; an inaccurate thermometer used to check the temperature of food; shrimp thawing in standing, rather than running, water; and cutting boards and food preparation surfaces not cleaned between uses. All are violations of the California Health Code. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people infected with the bacteria develop bloody diarrhea, high fever and stomach cramps beginning a day or two after they are exposed. The disease usually subsides in about a week. 

About 18,000 cases of shigellosis are reported in the United States each year. 

 

S.F. supervisor promises zoning to help protect non-profits 

SAN FRANCISCO – Supervisor Michael Yaki said he will introduce interim zoning protections in the mid-Market area of the city in an effort to buy time for more than two dozen threatened nonprofit organizations. 

The legislation would limit the number of new uses in the area, a move that would forbid existing nonprofit space from being rented to commercial businesses. The measure would not prohibit evictions, but would force property owners to bring in another tenant with the same or similar use. 

The protections would last 12 months and give San Francisco time to apply long-term solutions, said Yaki, who called his plan a drastic but necessary step to stop a wave of displacements sweeping the neighborhood. 

“This tsunami isn’t going to take out an individual group, it’s going to wash out a whole village,” Yaki said. “It’s like building a temporary dam. Right now, the river is washing away nonprofits one by one and now it’s about to hit a whole group of them. This gives us time to work and figure out what to do.” 

There are about 30 or more organizations in the area that have been kicked out, face eviction or have been hit with up to 400 percent rent increases.  

 

Feds commit $8 million for S.F. salt ponds 

WASHINGTON – The federal government has committed $8 million for the purchase of nearly 20,000 acres of San Francisco Bay salt ponds, which have been used for salt production since the Gold Rush era. 

The salt ponds, now eyed as a wildlife sanctuary, are located mainly in Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. 

The money will be added to the $25 million that Gov. Gray Davis pledged last month toward the downpayment on the land owned by Cargill Salt Co. and estimated to be worth $300 million. 

Environmentalists worry that buying the ponds will speed San Francisco International Airport’s proposal to build new runways.  

Paying to restore the ponds to their natural condition is considered a way for the airport to mitigate environmental damage from the expansion. 


Cottage razing angers residents

By John GeluardiDaily Planet Correspondent
Friday October 27, 2000

When Harvey Smith went away on vacation, he had no idea that when he came back to his quiet north Berkeley neighborhood, he would find that a modest cottage a half block from his house had disappeared. 

“I thought it was going to be remodeled,” said Smith, who had understood that the tiny house was getting an addition. “I was gone for three days and when I came back the house was gone. I was shocked.” 

Residents of the quiet tree-lined street said they are outraged a miniature 1,020 square foot cottage at 1728 Delaware St. could be razed when the owner Patrick Mebine led them to believe it was only going to be remodeled. They said the cottage was consistent with the neighborhood and the new home, three times the size of the original, is not. 

“He was slick,” said Richard Robyn who lives across the street from the site. “Initially he said he was going to remodel and even showed us plans and then the next thing we know he tore down the entire home.” 

Patrick Mebine did not return calls from the Daily Planet. 

The residents are echoing complaints of other Berkeley neighborhoods as small homes are being torn down and replaced with larger ones. Anthony Bruce, president of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, said his organization has heard of at least five homes in the last six months that have either been demolished or have a pending demolition application. 

Bruce said the situation is new to Berkeley, but has been a problem in other cities. The problem became so bad in San Jose in recent years the city enacted a Monster Home Ordinance last year, which limits the size of new homes and expansive remodels.  

“I’m surprised this sort of thing has taken so long to reach Berkeley,” Bruce said.  

Mark Rhodes of Berkeley’s Planning and Development Department said the process is a very public one and that the neighbors of the project attended a public hearing on the project. The Berkeley Building Code requires developers to post notices of public hearings as well as mailing notices to all residents within 300 feet of building sites. 

Rhodes said even though developers go through legal channels and neighbors are offered the chance to participate they can still be shocked once a home is demolished or remodel doesn’t meet their expectations. 

“This is happening all over the city,” Rhodes said. “There’s a lot of money and people want to remodel and build homes and others feel like the city is changing around them.” 

Carrie Olson, a Landmarks Preservation commissioner, said that even though the process is public, it is very complicated and unless concerned neighbors are familiar with building code terminology project plans can be confusing. 

In the case of 1728 Delaware St., the Zoning Adjustments Board was apparently confused by the presentation of the project at their Aug. 8 meeting. “This is a very, very strange decision,” said Gene Poschman, a ZAB commissioner. “We thought we were talking about an addition. At no time during the review did we discuss a complete demolition.” 

Rhodes said the Planning Department determined the demolition of the more-than 80-year-old home on Delaware Street and the construction of the larger home would not be detrimental to adjacent properties. He said the term “detrimenta” is interpreted in the code as blocking sunlight and views. 

“Just because people are upset about it doesn’t mean it’s going to be detrimental to the neighborhood,” he said. 

Olson said the demolition trend is a serious one and that Berkeley should institute a design review process for residential structures. Currently Berkeley only reviews the design of commercial buildings. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Friday October 27, 2000


Friday, Oct. 27

 

“Transportation: What’s in Store?” 

11:45 a.m. 

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

Larry Dahms, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Council speaks at 12:30 p.m. Luncheon is served at 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Luncheon: $11 

More info and reservations:  

848-3533 

 

“Right Ways to Get Out of a Lease” 

2000 Tenants’ rights week 

hourly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

ASUC/Rent Board booth at Sather Gate on the Berkeley campus. 

644-7714 

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305  

 

Conversational Yiddish 

1 p.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst 

644-6107  

 

Halloween Haunt at  

the Downtown YMCA 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Downtown Berkeley YMCA 

2001 Allston Way 

A haunted house, ghosts, Halloween crafts, a family swim in the “bat cave,” and face painting among other happenings. Free and open to the public. The Y is asking for a $1 donation to benefit the YMCA’s Youth and Government Program. 

Call 665-3238 

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in  

the Middle East 

 


Saturday, Oct. 28

 

Shakespeare Festival’s annual costume and garage sale  

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props, and set pieces from previous productions. Free. 701 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-3422 ext. 120. 

 

Buddhist Peace Fellowship 

A Day of Mindfulness with Claude Anshin Thomas 

A day of meditation, dialogue, teachings and reflection on transforming violence in ourselves an in the world. 

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

We the People Auditorium, 200 Harrison St. 

Donations excepted 

496-6072 

 

Community Workshop to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Berkeley High School  

9 a.m. – noon 

Florence Schwimley Little Theater at Berkeley High School 

Students, parents, teachers, business owners, neighbors, and others are invited to a discussion on that will help set the course for future school improvements and provide the basis for accreditation review. 

Iris Starr, AICP, 540-1252 

tinstarr@earthlink.net 

 

“Grassroots Globalization  

vs. Elite Globalization” 

2 p.m. 

Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library 

6501 Telegraph Ave. 

595-7417 

 

“Halloween Mask Making” 

Tilden Regional Park 

2 p.m. 

Come learn the origins of Halloween and make a plaster-gauze mask. Registration required. $4. Take Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Berkeley. (510) 525-2233. 

 

Pedaling the Green City 

11 a.m. -3:30 p.m.  

Take a leisurely bike ride along the future San Francisco Bay Trail. One in a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Halloween for the little guys with (not so) scary stories, music, and more.  

Call 649-3943  

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

 

St. John’s Church and Camp Elmwood Haunted House  

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  

Party for teens from 8:45 to 10 p.m.  

Free. Wear a costume and bring a canned good, book or toy donation.  

845-2656 

 

“The 3rd annual Habitot  

Halloween” 

Habitot Children’s Museum  

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

A not-too-spooky Halloween event for young children with entertainment, parades, games, magic and songs. Come in  

costume. Registration strongly suggested. $4 general; $6 for the first child age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

647-1111 

 

“Not Very Scary Halloween  

Celebration” 

10:30 a.m. at La Pena  

Betsy Rose performs songs and activities to celebrate the harvest season and the ancestral spirits. Children are invited to come in costume. $4 general; $3 children. 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2572. 

 

New School’s Halloween Bazaar 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

1606 Bonita St. (at Cedar) 

Free to the public, this annual event features face painting, mask-making, children’s games, apple bobbing, pumpkins, live entertainment, and a vast array of other delights. Proceeds benefit the New School’s scholarship fund and the playground project. Free.  

Call 548-9165 

 

Run Your Own Landscape  

Business: Part 3 

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. (at Blake) 

Local horticultural consultant and UC Master Gardener Jessie West will teach you how to plant, prune, control weeds, and more. This is the final class in the series. 

$15 general; $10 for members; $5 materials fee 

Call 548-2220 x223 

West Coast Live Comes  

to Berkeley 

10 a.m. - Noon 

Freight & Salvage 

1111 Addison (at San Pablo) 

Broadcast around the world this live, on-stage radio show will feature The Austin Lounge Lizards, author Anne Lamott, and others. The show can be heard on KALW at 91.7 FM.  

Reservations: 415-664-9500 or www.TicketWeb.com 

 

Battle of the Drills 

2 p.m. 

Veterans Hall  

1931 Center St. 

Presented by the Flaming Five this fifth annual battle will feature drums squads, fancy trick, precision, and dance. 

$5 

Denice Cox, 841-1126 

 


Sunday, Oct. 29

 

“Almost Halloween Hike”  

Tilden Regional Park 

10 a.m.  

Explore the nature of Halloween folklore on the trails.  

“Wake the Dead: A Music Concert”  

Celebrate the Celtic “Day of the Dead” (Halloween) with folksong artists Paul Kotapish and Danny Carnahan.  

2 to 4 p.m.  

(510) 525-2233 

 

“Gateway to Knowledge” 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl. 

Barr Rosenberg describes how to master new knowledge and take the power to shape our lives in wise and compassionate ways.  

843-6812 

 

An Evening with The Professor 

5 - 9:30 p.m. 

Mambo Mambo 

1803 Webster St.  

Oakland 

Berkeley resident Geoffrey A. Hirsch, better known as the Tie Guy from the “How Berkeley Can You Be” parade got his start in comedy in 1996. A professor in real life, Hirsch tell the story of how he became a funny guy.  

$5 for show only, $10 for show and dinner 

Call Geoffrey Hirsch at 845-5631 to reserve tickets 

 

“Liberty Heights” 

2 - 4:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Directed by Barry Levinson, this film introduces the Kurtzmans, middle class Jews living in Baltimore in the 50s’. A discussion of the film will follow.  

$2 suggested donation 

Call 848-0237 

 

“The Key of Happiness” 

3 p.m. 

St. John’s Church  

2727 College Ave.  

Carlos Lozano, former Columbian Ambassador to India and Egypt, will speak on meditation. Free. 

Call 707-529-9584 

 

“Lezziepalooza!” 

8 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

A night of music, presented by Orchestra D’Soul, and comedy, featuring the members of the “I Love Lezzie” troupe. Part of the La Lesbian performance and film series. $12 advance, $14 door 

Call 654-6346 

 

Rhyme & Reason Open Mike  

2:00 p.m.  

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

2621 Durant 

Featured poets Fernando Brito and Lara Dale followed by open mic. Each open mic. performer is limited to five minutes. 

Call Joan Gatten, 642-5168  

 


Monday, Oct. 30

 

“BYOP: Pumpkin Carving By Porch and Hearth,” 

Tilden Regional Park 

4 to 7 p.m. “Bring your own pepo” 

Take Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard,  

Berkeley. (510) 525-2233 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

 

 

 

 

 


Tuesday, Oct. 31

 

Sing-A-Long 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

644-6107 

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 1

 

Kathak Dancing with Pandit Chitresh Das 

7:30 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 

2640 College Ave.  

The Graduate Theological Union presents a free lecture-demonstration with Pandit Chitresh Das, a master of India’s Kathak dance form. This event is free. 

Call 649-2440 for additional info 

 

Mountain Adventure Seminar 

In-store, registration required 

6 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Learn about equip,emt. fundamental climbing techiques and safety procedures. 

$100 REI members, $110 for non members 

To register (209) 753-6556 

 

Task Force on Telecommunications 

7 p.m. 

North Berkely Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Fire Safety Commission 

7:30 p.m.  

Fire Training Division 

997 Cedar St.  

Discussion will include undergrounding of utilities in Berkeley and a proposal to the City Council for additional support for the Fire Department.  

 

Citizen’s Budget Review Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Board of Education 

7:30 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

 


Thursday, Nov. 2

 

PASTForward Panel Discussion 

2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

Bancroft Way (below College) 

In conjunction with the White Oak Dance Project’s performances, a panel discussion with Judson era dance choreographers Yvonne Rainer and Deborah Hay. Free. 

 

From Morgan to Modern 

“Saddling the Site: The Environmental Designs of Wurster, Church and Others” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

 

Spirit of the Road 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Don Patton, general editor and Vice President of Publishing for the California State Automobile Association presents a slide show celebrating the first one hundred years of the automobile and the CSA. Free. 

Call 843-3533 for more info.  

 

BOSS Graduation 

6 - 8 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th & Harrison 

Oakland 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency’s graduation gala for poor, disabled, and homeless folks who have worked hard to achieve jobs, housing, education, training, and other milestones. There will be special guests, music, and a buffet. The community are invited. 

Call 649-1930 

 


Friday, Nov. 3

 

Taize Worship Service 

7:30-8:30 p.m. 

An hour of quiet reflection and song. First Friday of the month. 

Loper Chapel on Dana Street between Durant and Channing Way. 

848-3696 

 

“Want to Transform your Dreams Into Reality?” 

Lecture by Leonard Orr, world known for creating the Rebirthing and Conscious Breathwork Movement. 

7:30 p.m., 

The Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St. 

$25, 843-6514 

 

Circle Dancing 

7:45 - 10 p.m. 

Finnish Brotherhoos Hall 

1970 Chestnut St. 

Simple folkdancing in a circle. Beginners welcome and no partners are required.  

Call John Bear, 528-4253 

 

Marga Gomez 

8 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Comedian Marga Gomez was one of the founding members of Culture Clash and the Latino comedy ensemble. Part of the La Lesbian performance and film series. 

Call 654-6346 

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 


Saturday, Nov. 4

 

Breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Dublin Library’s resident storyteller and featured teller at the 1998 National Storytelling Festival tell kids aged 3 to 7 her favorite tales.  

Call 649-3943  

 

New Science & Ancient Wisdom Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International Center 

2222 Harold Way 

Featured speakers include Father Charlie Moore speaking on “The Cosmic Origins of Man,” Dolores Cannon speaking on “Visions of Nostradamus,” and David Hatcher Childress speaking on “Technology of the Gods.” Event runs through Sunday.  

Pre-registration admission, $65; after Oct. 27, $85 

Call Charles Gotsky, 650-343-5202 

 

The Next Ivory Trade? The Intellectual Property Rights of University Faculty 

A conference sponsored by the Berkeley Faculty Association/American Association of University Professors Coalition 

9 a.m. tp 3:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley International House 

841-1997 

 

Collecting Chinese Decorative Art 

10 a.m. - Noon 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Dessa Goddard, director of the Asian Department at Butterfields, and a panel discuss. Followed by a collectors’ tea. Included in admission price to museum.  

Call for reservations, 238-2022 

 

“Broadway to La Scala” 

7 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

2501 Harrison St. (at 27th St.) 

A benefit concert for the Oakland Lyric Opera featuring a selection of Broadway musicals and arias from operas, including “Madame Butterfly.”  

$25 

Call 836-6772 

 


Sunday, Nov. 5

 

Buddhist Psychology 

6 p.m.  

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Buddhist teacher Sylvia Gretchen on “Beyond Therapy and Into the Heart of Buddhist Psychology.” Free. 

Call 843-6812  

 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour 

Downtown Berkeley  

Tour new construction, new uses, historic rehabilitation and public improvments that are completed or still in the works.  

Noon 

RSVP required 841-0181 space is limited. 

Tickets: $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers. 

 

A Dispirited Rebellion 

10 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Author, television personality and columnist Gadi Taub will explore the literary and cinematic changes in Israeli society since the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. A brunch will be served at 10 a.m.  

Admission: $7 non-JCC members; $5 members 

Call 848-9237 

 

Soprano Stephanie Pan Sings 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Soprano Stephanie Pan is joined by Meg Cotner on harpsichord, Salley Blaker on cello, and Alex Jenne on lute. They will perform the music of Barbra Strozzi, Jacopo Peri, Giovanni Felice Sances and others.  

$10 general; $9 students and seniors; under 12 Free 

Call 644-6893 

 

“Bigger Things” 

7 p.m.  

La Pena Cultural Center  

3105 Shattuck Ave.  

Judith-Kate Friedman celebrates the release of her new CD.  

$12 general; $20 reserved seating 

Info and tickets: 654-7464 or 849-2568 

 


Monday, Nov. 6

 

Airports vs. the Bay 

7 p.m. 

Albany Community Center 

1249 Marin St.  

Albany 

David Lewis, Executive Director of “Save the Bay” will speak on the airports’ plans to expand into the SF Bay and other challenges to Bay restoration.  

Contact: Friends of Five Creeks, 848-9358 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 7

 

Zonta Club dinner 

5:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

$20 per person 

Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine bioligist, author and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, will be the featured speaker. 

For more information call 845-6221 

 


Thursday, Nov. 9

 

The Life and Art of Chiura Obata 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Public Library 

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

A slide show and lecture presented by Obata’s granddaughter, Kimi Kodani Hill, celebrating Obata’s book, “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment,” and the retrospective exhibit of Obata’s work to appear this Fall at SFs De Young Museum. 

For details call 644-6850  

 

From Morgan to Modern 

“Bay Area Modern” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

ESL Teacher Job Fair 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave., Room 7  

ESL program representatives from adult schools in Alameda and Contra Costa counties will provide information about desired qualifications, current job openings, credentialing requirements, and more.  

Call Kay Wade, 644-6130 

 

“Feeding the Moon: A Nutritive Approach to Feminine Fertility” 

Lern how fertility is affected by the environment and how it can be enhanced by healthy lifestyle choices 

7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The Ecology Center 

2530 San Pable Ave.  

558-1324, free 

 

“Diabetes: What to Know Head-to-Toe” 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free 

869-6737 

 

Love and Betrayal: A Musical Journey 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Mezzo Soprano Sylvia Braitman discusses the role Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg, and Hanns Eisler played in the development of modernity in German, Austrian and Western music.  

Tuition: $8 for general; $5 JJC members (class code A101-BJ) 

Call 848-0237 for more info.  

 

Friday, Nov. 10 

Dragon and Phoenix Banquet Cooking Contest 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Students from Bay Area cooking academies present original dishes based on the “Dragon and Phoenix” theme to a panel of celebrity judges. Fee and price of admission to museum. 

Reservations: 238-2022  

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 


Saturday, Nov. 11

 

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 


Sunday, Nov. 12

 

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

“Time Across Cultures” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

St. Clements Church 

2837 Claremont Ave.  

The annual Roselyn Yellin Memorial lecture with a slide-illustrated panel discussion. Also a tour of the “Telling Time” exhibit at the Judah L. Magnes Museum followed by a reception at the museum, 4 - 5 p.m.  

More info: 549-6950 

 

Buddhism & Compassion 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Psychiatrist and teacher Bobby Jones on “Healing through Compassion.” Free.  

843-6812 

 

“Road To Mecca” Auditions 

2 p.m.  

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

The Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is auditioning roles for two females, 60-70 and 25-35, and one male, 60-70. Auditioners should prepare a monologue no longer than two minutes. No appointments. 

Call Debra Blondheim, 667-9827 

 


Monday, Nov. 13

 

An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Barbara Kingsolver’s works include “Animal Dreams,” “High Tide in Tucson,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Prodigal Summer” 

free parking $10 in advance, $13 at the door 

Benefits KPFA and Urban Ecology. 

848-6767 

 

From Rossi to Bernstein 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the works of Jewish classical composers beginning with the sixteenth century. The first in a series of three Monday evening classes on music.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students  

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students 

Call 848-0237 

 

Berkeley Preschool Fair 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, this fair features representatives from local preschools. The topic will be how to evaluate preschool education philosophies and make the most of the admissions process. A fair featuring many local preschools will follow panel discussion. 

$5 non-members; Free to NPN members 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 14

 

Take a Trip to the Steinbeck Museum and 

Mission San Juan Bautista 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

This is an outing organzied by the Senior Center.  

$40 with lunch, $25 without  

Call Maggie or Suzanne, 644-6107 

 

“The Hand of Buddha” 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck (at Rose) 

In her new book poet, columnist and travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin explores the lives of women from different ethnic backgrounds and in moments of crisis. Free 

Call 843-3533 

 


Thursday, Nov. 16

 

Reminiscing in Swingtime 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Library  

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

George Yoshida, author and jazz drummer, presents a multi-media program recounting the big band experience in the Japanese American internment camps. The presentation will be capped with a set of live jazz by the George Yoshida Quartet. 

Call for more info: 644-6850 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

 

Free blood pressure screenings 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

free 

869-6737 

 


Friday, Nov. 17

 

Community Dance Party 

7:45 - 9:45 p.m. 

Live Oak Park 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Come learn to dance with easy instructions presented by the Berkeley Folk Dancers.  

Teens $2; Adult Non-members $4 

Information: 525-3030  

 

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

 


Saturday, Nov. 18

 

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Fourteen hours of free concerts, workshops, jam sessions and to top it off a Saturday night dance. The fifth annual Folk Festival will feature Shay & Michael Black, Spectre Double Negative & the Equal Positive, Larry Hanks, Wake the Dead and many others. Sponsored by Charles Schwab and the City of Berkeley.  

More info or to volunteer: 525-5099 

 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of local filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

 


ONGOING EVENTS

 

 

Sundays 

Green Party Consensus Building Meeting 

6 p.m. 

2022 Blake St. 

This is part of an ongoing series of discussions for the Green Party of Alameda County, leading up to endorsements on measures and candidates on the November ballot. This week’s focus will be the countywide new Measure B transportation sales tax. The meeting is open to all, regardless of party affiliation. 

415-789-8418 

 

Mondays 

Baby Bounce and Toddler Time 

10:30 a.m. 

Oct. 16 - Dec. 11 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

For children ages 6 to 36 months. Get those babies off to a good start with songs, rhymes, lap bounces, and very simple books. 

649-3943  

 

Tuesdays 

Easy Tilden Trails 

9:30 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, in the parking lot that dead ends at the Little Farm 

Join a few seniors, the Tuesday Tilden Walkers, for a stroll around Jewel Lake and the Little Farm Area. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, turtles, and warblers, and waterfowl. 

215-7672; members.home.com/teachme99/tilden/index.html 

 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

 

Computer literacy course 

6-8 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center, 1720 Eighth St. 

This free course will cover topics such as running Windows, File Management, connecting to and surfing the web, using Email, creating Web pages, JavaScript and a simple overview of programming. The course is oriented for adults. 

644-8511 

 

Wednesdays  

10:30 a.m. 

Preschool Song and Story Time 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Music and stories for ages 3-5.  

649-3943 

 

Thursdays 

The Disability Mural 

4-7 p.m. through September 

Integrated Arts 

933 Parker 

Drop-in Mural Studios will be held for community gatherings and tile-making sessions. This mural will be installed at Ed Roberts campus. 

841-1466 

 

Fridays 

Ralph Nader for President 

7 p.m.  

Video showings to continue until November. Campaign donations are requested. Admission is free.  

Contact Jack for directions at 524-1784. 

 

Saturdays 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

Poets Juan Sequeira and Wanna Thibideux Wright 

 

2nd and 4th Sunday 

Rhyme and Reason Open Mike Series 

2:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. 

The public and students are invited. Sign-ups for the open mike begin at 2 p.m. 

234-0727;642-5168 

 

Tuesday and Thursday 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

 

Compiled by Chason Wainwright 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


BHS cruises to victory over hapless Spartans

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Friday October 27, 2000

The Berkeley High girls’ volleyball team gave up just four points in three games against the Pinole Valley Spartans. They haven’t lost a match in league play. So they must be playing very well, right? Wrong, according to their coach. 

“We’ve pretty much underachieved this season,” Justin Caraway said after the dominating victory by his Yellowjackets team. 

Considering a season in which the ’Jackets are undefeated in ACCAL league play would be considered harsh for most teams. But Caraway has come to expect easy victories in the new league, and he isn’t happy with just winning the league. He scheduled four tournaments for this year, and with three gone, Berkeley has yet to win one. 

Caraway’s team spent last weekend at the Moreau Tournament, where they lost two matches and finished tied for seventh. They will travel to the Acalanes Tournament this weekend, and the coach expects better results. 

“We haven’t come prepared to play in the tournaments,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s because we haven’t had tough games in league play, but we need to get better.” 

One problem has been the absence of star player Desiree Young, who has been unavailable for several weeks due to injury. Caraway said he expects Young to return this weekend. 

“It takes a huge part of our game away,” Caraway said of missing his 6-5 hitter. “She’s about one-third of our offense, and she blocks five or six balls every game. Her presence on the court alone gets us two or three points a game.” 

In addition to the upcoming tournament, Caraway pointed to upcoming ACCAL matches against Encinal and Alameda as good tests for his team. 

“Alameda took a game from us earlier this year, so those matches should be a bit tougher,” he said. 

Thursday’s match against Pinole Valley was never really competitive. The Spartans managed just two side-outs as the Yellowjackets jumped out to a 14-0 lead before giving up their first point. The game ended 15-1 on the strength of four kills by outside hitter Lizzi Akana and two by middle hitter/setter Caitlin Everett, and it was evident the visiting Spartans, who haven’t won a match all year, were in for a long afternoon. 

“We bring three solid hitters into every match, and most teams aren’t ready for that,” Caraway said. 

Akana showed her versatility in the second game, as she tallied two kills, one block and six service points. The Yellowjackets made several errors in the match, seeming to lose intensity. But despite going into a 2-0 hole to begin the game, Berkeley wouldn’t give up another point before scoring 24 straight, spanning the rest of the second game and giving them a 9-0 lead in the third. The final game of the match was highlighted by nine service aces by the Yellowjackets, including four by freshman Nadia Qabazard and two each by Ilana Barr and Akana. 

“We knew we would win the match, but we didn’t think it would be that easy,” Caraway said. 

Akana finished the match with seven kills and one block, while Everett chipped in with three kills and nine assists in her hybrid role. With Young out, Everett has been playing as a hitter, away from her natural position of setter. Caraway praised Everett for her versatility. 

“She gives us a good match from two different positions, which is always useful,” he said. 

Still, with Northern California Sectional playoffs looming on the horizon, Caraway knows his team will have to bring its best game every time. 

“The playoffs are going to be really tough,” he said. “You can’t win in NCS without playing your best.”


Friday October 27, 2000

Elect knowledgeable bus rider to AC board 

Editor: 

As the outgoing representative on the AC Transit Board for Berkeley, Albany, and West Contra Costa County, I have carefully examined the qualifications and records of the candidates running for my seat on the Board. The choice is clear. I urge you to vote for Joe Wallace. 

Joe has a long record as a champion of the best interests of the public and of AC Transit.  

• Joe rides the bus every day. He knows the special needs of women, families, commuters, seniors, kids, and disabled persons for safe, reliable public transit.  

• He has been a strong voice at regional agencies for adequate funding for bus services.  

• Joe played a leading role in bringing the No. 376 bus to North Richmond to serve the needs of people in that impoverished community for night service to employment sites and medical facilities. 

• He is an effective leader. He is a member of the steering committee for Urban Habitat programs, chair of the AC Transit Riders’ Advisory Committee, a member of the board of the North Richmond Neighborhood House, and chair of the North Richmond Municipal Advisory Committee.  

Joe’s endorsers include a member of Congress, State legislators, local elected officials, community leaders, and many ordinary citizens, as well as the Sierra Club, the Berkeley Democratic Club, and Berkeley Citizens’ Action. 

Joe’s skills, experience, and integrity will make him an outstanding AC Transit Director. He will be a strong, responsive and effective representative for all of us. Please vote for him on November 7th. 

 

Mim Hawley 

AC Transit Board Member, Ward I  

 

 

AC should trade in polluting monsters 

Editor: 

“Bus” -- a huge, noisy, polluting vehicle that runs in a static state with disregard to neighborhoods, traffic lights, environment, bicycles, pedestrians and passengers. After commute hours, buses can be see on Telegraph, Shattuck and College Ave., at times, two and three bumper to bumper with the front bus transporting all the passengers and the other two empty. In the late evening hours on College Ave., it is not uncommon to see these monstrosities running pass midnight with one or two passengers. Not only does this produce unnecessary traffic, noise, pollution and consumption of petroleum products, but it serves as a stage for the ineffective and uncreative AC Transit management. It is disturbing that AC Transit does not employ an analyst to research and report recommendations. Can it be so difficult to replace these inefficient monstrosities with small economical vans to serve the one or two passengers after commute hours? This would provide more street for bicycles to pass, less pollution, less noise, conservation of petroleum products and it will cut costs for AC Transit not only for bus purchases, but for fuel and maintenance.  

 

Robert Radford 

Berkeley 

 

Police behavior was inappropriate 

Editor,  

I feel it is necessary for me to respond to the incident reported on the front page of last Thursday’s Daily Planet, in which my wife, Carrie Sprague, was publicly singled out at the Berkeley City Council meeting by the President of the Berkeley Police Association. 

Later, in the hallway outside the Council Chambers, Carrie was surrounded by 20-30 hostile and shouting police officers. Towering one and a half feet above her, Randy Files, President of the Police Association, threatened her with arrest and shouted that all the members of the Police Association personally hate her to the cheers of his cronies. 

It is ironic that some police officers blame Carrie and other neighbors for their difficulties in finding parking for their personal vehicles. During many, many planning meetings for the new Public Safety Building, Carrie repeatedly addressed the need for adequate Police Department employee parking.  

Unfortunately, neither the Police Department nor the Police Association ever sent representatives to these meetings to discuss employee parking. In addition, Carrie sent a letter to the Berkeley Police Association more than a year ago requesting that they meet with neighborhood representatives to discuss mutually beneficial solutions to parking problems. No response was ever received.  

I believe that the personal hostility toward Carrie has come about because she has worked for effective enforcement of the Residential Permit Parking ordinance. She continues to insist that police officers may not disrespect our law or our neighborhood. 

As for the effort by some Police Association members to bully Carrie, I can assure all those who are concerned for her safety that she was not in the least intimidated. Having lived with me for 20 years Carrie readily recognizes bluster without substance when it occurs.  

Stan Sprague 

Berkeley 

 

Police inappropriate 2 

Editor:  

The debate over controlled neighborhood parking took an abrupt turn last week when police officers affiliated with the Berkeley Police Association appeared at the City Council to lobby for parking access at the Civic Center (Daily Planet, Oct. 19) 

The action marks one of those rare moments when the BPA rank-and-file having publicly demonstrated. As city employees, police officers have every right to demonstrate. And there was nothing wrong with them chanting, “What do we want? Parking! When do we want it? Now!”  

However, when shouting officers, and in particular the president of the BPA, Officer Files, targeted local neighborhood activists at council, it raises questions about proper police conduct. To publicly single out particular residents as the source of their parking woes, was not only shortsighted, but unprofessional. 

Berkeley officers should realize that their parking ticket woes are to be blamed on their employer, the City of Berkeley, and not local residents. Further, most residents are in support of city employees having off-street parking at their work places. Certainly adequate parking is demanded of other large businesses in Berkeley.  

A decade ago, the city committed itself to reducing both its fleet size and the number of employee commuter cars when it signed onto the Clean Air Act. Throughout the nineties, Berkeley government unfortunately did nothing to address these two issues, preferring to exempt itself from any changes in this area of transportation.  

The concerns of Civic Center residents parallels the experience of the neighbors living around the Public Works Corporation Yard in District 2. These neighbors have fought a futile battle to reduce city employee on-street parking for over twenty years.  

In 1992, the city’s traffic engineer performed an employee parking study at the corporation year. The parking study, set against current numbers, shows a significant increase in employee on-street parking. Frustrated residents have even resorted to identifying and counting city employee cars, the very activity which so enraged the police officers in question. 

Perhaps the greatest deterrent to open dialogue in a neighborhood dispute is the phrase, “I can arrest you.” This statement was repeatedly shouted by Officer Files as he and other BPA members took their demonstration outside council chambers and directed their ire at a single citizen. He only stopped when their conduct was challenged by some of the public who had joined in the yelling match. It is doubtful that any of those young officers stopped to consider the chilling effect such threats and actions have on public discourse and participation. 

The officers in question would be quick to state that they were off duty. Yet, when the would-be arresting officer asserted, “I can arrest you,” is this officer then still off duty? Even if officers are technically off the clock, they should never display the kind of conduct witnessed both inside and outside council. 

Moreover, this is an inappropriate use of one’s position and should be subject to review. Two years ago, the noted criminal lawyer John Burris spoke in Berkeley about police conduct and civilian review. He stated that the greatest asset to any officer is not the gun, baton, or pepper spray, but the officer’s ability to listen as well as to communicate respectfully.  

 

L.A. Wood 

Berkeley 

 

City keep out  

Editor: 

I find it a little disheartening that the Berkeley City Council has once again stuck its nose where it does not belong and making things just a little bit harder for business owners to run their own businesses as they see fit. Their consideration of an ordinance to ban certain types of cigarette displays is just another sign of the utter insignificance this City Council has to real life problems.  

I understand the need for people to want their children not to smoke, and if the city is serious about wanting to stop children from acquiring cigarettes, it would be simpler to send undercover teens into these stores and see if cigarettes are available for sale to them. If it is, fine the business. Why create another silly ordinance to take away the rights of business owners? The argument that certain types of display makes it easier to steal cigarettes is even sillier. Most of the displays I see at convenience stores around Berkeley are located behind the cash register (including the one at the Fast Mart which is discussed in the article). It would take an effort to steal anything from it and if the teens are stealing it, who is the victim, the store or the teen? 

Leave the business owners to do what is right. If stealing becomes a problem, they will do something about it. 

The only thing more disappointing about this subject was the article itself. The article contains at least 4 intelligent arguments for the ordinance. The only counterpoint available was a “no comment” from convenience store manager located not more than 200 feet from your office. I know of at least 5 stores within that range and not one of them was quoted. Couldn’t you have found at least one owner to quote? I don’t think asking for a semblance of unbiased coverage is too much to ask of a quality newspaper such as yours. 

Jim Tamietti 

Berkeley 

(Editors note: our reporter John Guluardi called a number of business owners in an effort to find an opposing view, but found none. Thanks for stepping forward.) 

 

lion. A full analysis of the services the city provides the university’s extensive, expansive, dense land uses needs to be renewed and include new UC developments. A look at one city project, sewer rehabilitation, may serve to put the issue in perspective. 

According to an Aug. 14 Public Works Commission communication to the Planning Commission, deferred sewer maintenance is currently nearly $500 million, double the city’s total annual budget. As the largest single user of the city’s sewer system, UC is contributing $250,000 annually toward repairs as noted in Hegarty’s letter. At that rate, it will take 500 years for UC contributions to fund even twenty-five percent of current sewer repair needs.  

If the repairs were done today, as some argue is prudent, what would be the cost per person? If the city paid all the cost, each resident of Berkeley would pay $5,000. On the other hand, if the state were to pay the total bill, the cost for each resident of California would be about $20. 

This is only one example of the burdens which seem unreasonably heavy for one small city’s taxpayers. The city and UC both have an interest in good maintenance of the city’s basic services. The city cannot fund these services alone with its severely reduced tax base.  

It seems reasonable and fair to request that the state consider taking more responsibility for state institutions, particularly when these are located in dense urban areas where the state institution has displaced many revenue generating land uses and constitutes a comparatively large proportion of the land uses, and thus the demand for services. This does seem fair! 

 

Nancy Holland 

Berkeley 

841-0214 

 

Editor: 

I am writing in response to a recent later to the Editor and a news article, concerning proposed university development in the Southside neighborhood. 

The letter from John English, titled “UC must respect the historic district” states that the proposed Centralized Dining and Student Services Building should conform to its historic neighbors and that the university has ignored the concerns of the city committees and commissions and concerned citizens. From my own close involvement with the project I can say this is not true. 

Conformity and contextuality in architecture are highly subjective - and controversial matters. One building’s attempt to “blend in” with its neighbors may be seen by some as mimicry or a cartoon of older features and styles. Another building may express an individuality some may feel is intrusive to the surrounding character. 

In most cases where a new building is inserted in the midst of older, well-designed neighbors a very careful design process is necessitated. In a neighborhood as rich and varied as the Southside, this process is mandated. This careful process took place in planning the Centralized Dining and Student Services Building, proposed at the center of Bowditch and Channing.  

As part of the Underhill Area Master Plan, of which the dining facility is a component, the campus prepared detailed design guidelines for the properties involved, guidelines that called for inclusive designs sensitive to the scale and character of the neighborhood. While the campus does not prescribe a design style when planning a new building, a palette of materials and colors was recommended. Further, the guidelines prescribes a strong relationship of new buildings to the street, building massing broken down to a neighborhood scale, and creating pedestrian-active sidewalks.  

The guidelines intent was realized in the new Centralized Dining and Student Services Building. This design was not easy to achieve, as any new building on this site would have its challenges. But the neighborhood building style is quite eclectic. The site’s neighbors include the brown-shingled Anna Head School across the street, the stuccoed Casa Bonita adjacent, a modern apartment building faced with plywood to the north, and the shingled Shorb House diagonally across Channing. No style predominates, and how each “fit in” to each other is a highly relative notion.  

The campus Design Review Committee, chaired by Harrison Fraker, Dean of the College of Environmental Design, held numerous meetings to resolve the building’s design and to refine its elements to be a good, albeit modern, neighbor. The massing, fenestration, orientation, and materials (still being developed) have been carefully debated and eventually received a recommendation for approval.  

At each meeting I transmitted the comments of the City Design Review Committee and Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the concerns of local citizens; these comments played a constructive role in the buildings evolution.  

I have two comments on the Friday, Sept. 29 article “Campus pavilions may be leveled.” In the article, Landmarks Preservation Commission member and BAHA staff Leslie Emmington Jones asks the question, “...Does the southside of campus become a neighborhood community based on the needs of the community or an institutional expansion zone...?”  

My first comment is that the Southside is and has been a campus-oriented neighborhood since its initial development in the 19th century. Indeed, the land was once owned by the campus and was sold to finance the nascent College of California, UC’s predecessor. In this neighborhood the university is also “the community.” the notion that the university is not an integral part of this neighborhood belies the fact that 8,000 of the 10,000 residents are students, that the churches, businesses and apartment buildings are here due to the university’s presence, and that the ongoing and celebrated vitality of the neighborhood is due in major part to the university’s presence, reputation, and stature. 

My second comment is that we need to transform the seemingly endless debate over the future of the Southside into a true dialogue between campus, city and community. The Southside Plan had true promise when it started out almost three years ago. Campus and city worked effectively as a team gathering information and holding many meetings with community and campus members. The opinions on the direction of future plans were as diverse as Berkeley is today. This process resulted in the Draft Southside plan published last January.  

Since then, contrary to the initial agreement between the city and the University, the City Planning Commission has decided to develop its own Southside Plan without the active partnership of the University. The University awaits the results of this effort.  

I am hopeful we can find common ground between town and gown, and not create barriers to dialogue or dig into opposing positions. The Southside has traditionally been a place of creativity and toleration. Only if the campus, city and community approach this effort in a spirit of cooperation, rather than confrontation, will it be possible working to create a common vision for the Southside. 

 

David Duncan 

Community Planning & Urban Design Manager 

Capital Projects 

UC Berkeley 

 

Subject:  

John Geluardi’s Article for 10/24/00 

Date:  

Thu, 26 Oct 2000 17:27:05 -0700 

From:  

Jim Tamietti  

Organization:  

Environmental News Network 

To:  

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Editor, 

 

I find it a little disheartening that the Berkeley City Council has once again stuck it’s nose where it does not belong and making things just a little bit harder for business owners to run their own businesses as they see fit. Their consideration of an ordinance to ban certain types of cigarette displays is just another sign of the utter insignificance this city council is to real life problems.  

 

I understand the need for people to want their children not to smoke, and if the city is serious about wanting to stop children from acquiring cigarettes, it would be simpler to send undercover teens into these stores and see if cigarettes are available for sale to them. If it is, fine the business. Why create another silly ordinance to take away the rights of business owners? The argument that certain types of display makes it easier to steal cigarettes is even sillier. Most of the displays I see at convenience stores around Berkeley are located behind the cash register (including the one at the Fast Mart which is discussed in the article). It would take an effort to steal anything from it and if the teens are stealing it, who is the victim, the store or the teen? 

 

Leave the business owners to do what is right. If stealing becomes a problem, they will do something about it. 

 

The only thing more disappointing about this subject was the article itself. The article contains at least 4 intelligent argument for the ordinance. The only counterpoint available was a "no comment" from convenience store manager located not more than 200 feet from your office. I know of at least 5 stores within that range and not one of them was quoted. Couldn’t you have found at least one owner to quote? I don’t think asking for a semblance of unbiased coverage is too much to ask of a quality newspaper such as yours. 

 

 

Jim Tamietti 

Berkeley, CA 

510-644-3661 ext 20 daytime 

510-644-3005 fax 

jtamietti@enn.com 

 

 

 


Arts & Entertainment

Friday October 27, 2000

 

Ebony Museum of Arts 

The museum specializes in the art and history of Africa.  

Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.  

30 Jack London Village, Suite 209. (510) 763-0745. 

 

Habitot Children’s Museum 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

“Back to the Farm.”  

Ongoing 

An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more.  

Cost: $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under.  

Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

647-1111 or www.habitot.org 

 

Judah L. Magnes Museum 

2911 Russell St.  

549-6950 

Free 

Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season” 

Through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. The exhibition will expand Nov 5, 2000, to encompass all four seasons and a collection of rare treasures from Jewish, Tibetan, Mexican-American, and other cultures. 

“Second Annual Richard Nagler Competition for Excellence i Jewish Photography” 

Nov. 5 - Feb. 2001. 

Featuring the work of Claudia Nierman, Jason Francisco, Fleming Lunsford, and others.  

 

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley 

Wednesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Open Thursdays til 9 p.m.  

Through Jan. 16, 2001: “Amazons in the Drawing Room”: The Art of Romaine Brooks  

Predominantly a portrait artist, Brooks paintings were influenced by elements of her life and are a visual record of the changing status of women in society and her own refusal to conform to the social order of early twentieth-century Europe.  

 

Pacific Film Archive  

Theater Gallery 

2625 Durant Ave. 

Through Jan. 8, 2001: “Continuous Replay: The Photographs of Arnie Zane” 

Best known as the cofounder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Zane began his exploration of the human form through photography. 

Through Dec. 17: Wolfgang Laib/Martrix: “188 Pollen from Pine” 

 

The Asian Galleries  

“Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery,” open-ended.  

A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection.  

“Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. 

“Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. 

“Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

642-0808. 

 

UC Berkeley Museum of  

Paleontology 

Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley 

“Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing.  

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, ongoing. An exhibit of some of the fossils which have been excavated in California. 

Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

642-1821. 

 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst  

Museum of Anthropology 

Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College  

Avenue, Berkeley 

“Modern Treasures from Ancient Iran,” through Oct. 29.  

This exhibit explores nomadic and town life in ancient and modern Iran as illustrated in bronze and pottery vessels, and textiles.  

“Approaching a Century of Anthropology: The Phoebe Hearst Museum,” open-ended.  

This new permanent installation will introduce visitors to major topics in the museum’s history, including the role of Phoebe Apperson Hearst as the museum’s patron, as well as the relationship of anthropologists Alfred Kroeber and Robert Lowie to the museum. 

“Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture,” ongoing. 

$2 general; $1 seniors; $.50 children age 17 and under; free on Thursdays. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

643-7648 

 

Mills College Art Museum 

5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 

“The 100 Languages of Children,” through October.  

An exhibit of art by children from Reggio Emilia, Italy. At Carnegie Building Bender Room. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. 

430-2164 

 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

“Math Rules!” Ongoing. A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge. 

“Within the Human Brain” Ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning  

experiments. 

“In the Dark,”through Jan. 15, 2001. Plunge into darkness and see amazing creatures that inhabit worlds without light.  

“Saturday Night Stargazing” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza.  

“ChemMystery,” through January 1, 2001. The LHS becomes a crime scene and a science lab to help visiting detectives to solve two different crime scenarios.  

“Grossology,” LHS Family Halloween Party, Oct. 28, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Featuring the creation of “gross” stuff with household products and ChemMystery, a hands-on crime lab for kids.  

$12 for adults; $10 for kids 12 and under.  

Call 643-5134 for tickets  

Open daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

$7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4 

642-5132 

 

Holt Planetarium  

Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. 

“Moons of the Solar System,” through Dec. 10. 

Take a tour of the fascinating worlds that orbit Earth and other planets out to the edge of the Solar System.  

“Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18;  

$3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Centennial Drive, University of California,  

Berkeley. (510) 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

 

 

The Oakland Museum of  

California 

1000 Oak St., Oakland 

“Secret World of the Forbidden City” Through Jan. 24, 2001. A rare glimpse of over 350 objects which illustrate the opulence and heritage of the Chinese Imperial Court Under the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 - 1911. For this exhibit: $13 general, $10 seniors and $5 for students with ID.  

For museum: $6 general; $4 seniors and students; free children age 5 and under; second Sundays are free to all. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Many special events scheduled for November and December related to “Secret World of the Forbidden City.” Call the museum or check the Out & About calendar listings for upcoming events. 

(888) OAK-MUSE or www.museumca.org. 

 

Music 

 

Bruce Hornsby 

Nov. 4, 8 p.m. $29.50.  

Berkeley Community Theatre, 1900 Allston Way, Berkeley.  

(510) 444-TIXS 

 

Ashkenaz 

1317 San Pablo 

Oct. 27, 9 p.m., Sam Mangwana (Congolese rumba, world) 

Call TicketWeb, 594-1400 or Ashkenaz, Tuesday through Sunday during showtimes, 525-5054 

Oct. 31, 9 p.m. A Reggae Halloween Party with Ras Kidus and guests, An evening of soca, calypso and reggae music featuring Haf Breed, Jah Flyy, Pode Vill Crew and DJ Jah Bonz. $9 

 

924 Gilman St. 

All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted 

$5; $2 for a year membership 

525-9926 

Oct. 27: Elliot, The Jazz June, Lovelight Shine, Killing Independent 

Oct. 28: Haloween show includes From Ashes Arise, Born Dead Icons, Time in Malta, Le Shok, Lesser of Two  

Nov. 3: Slow Gherkin, Tsunami Bomb, Loose Change, Flatus, Homeless Wonders 

 

Freight & Salvage Coffee House 

1111 Addison St. 

All music begins at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.) 

Oct 28: Solas (Irish traditional band) 

Oct. 29: Austin Lounge Lizards (Texas lunacy) 

Oct. 30: Bill Miller (singer/harpist from Wales) 

Nov. 1: Wake the Dead (Celtic Grateful Dead) 

Nov. 2: Gerry O’Beirne (Irish guitarist & singer) 

Nov. 3: Darryl Henriques (humorist) 

Call 762-BASS or 601-TWEB for advance tickets 

For additional info call Ashkenaz showline, 548-1761 

 

Cal Performances 

Oct. 29, 3 p.m.: Ian Bostridge, Tenor, performs music of Schubert and Hugo Wolf, $28 - $48.  

Nov. 5, 3 p.m.: Julia Fischer, Violinist, performs music of Tartini, Beethoven and Cesar Franck, $28 - $48.  

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley (Bancroft at College) 

Nov. 19, 3 p.m.: Deborah Voigt, Soprano, performing music of Strauss, Schoenberg, Wagner, and others, $28 - $48 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 

For tickets and info for these events call 642-9988 

 

Yoshi’s 

Oct. 30, The big fUn philharmonic featuring Aaron Bennett, Kimara, John Finkbeiner, and others. Presented by Jazz In Flight. $8 general; $6 for JIF members and students 

Oct. 31, 8 p.m. Halloween Salsa Dance Party, With Jesus Diaz y su QBA. The dance floor will be open. $14 

Unless otherwise noted, music at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. (510) 238-9200 or (510) 762-BASS. 

 

The Jazzschool/La Note 

2377 Shattuck Ave. 

All music begins at 4:30 p.m. 

Oct. 29, Mimi Fox Trio 

Nov. 5, Victor Lewis Quintet  

Nov. 12, Ledisi with special guests, The Braxton Brothers 

$12; $10 students/seniors; $6 for Jazzschool students and children under 13 

Reservations: (510) 845-5373 

 

Live Oak Concert Series 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., The Horizon Wind Quintet 

$10; $8 for members; $9 for students and seniors; Children under 12 admitted free 

 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts Presents: 

The Empyrean Ensemble: “Trading Places: Trios Old and New” 

2640 College Ave.  

Nov. 11, 8 p.m. with pre-concert audience interactive discussion with pianist Gwendlyn Mok at 7 p.m.  

Tickets: $18 and $14 for seniors and students; groups of 10 or more, $14 each 

For tickets: 925-798-1300 

 

Eli’s Mile High Club 

3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland 

(510) 655-6661 

Doors open at 8 p.m. 

Beginning Oct. 26, Funk & Soul with DJs Styles, Kendread and special guests. Ongoing Thursdays.  

Oct. 28. Halloween party featuring Takezo. Doors at 8 p.m.  

 

Albatross Pub 

1822 San Pablo Ave. 

All bands play at 9 p.m. 

Nov. 1: Whisky Brothers (old time & bluegrass) 

Nov. 2: Keni “El Legrijano” (flamenco guitar) 

Nov. 4: Larry Steel Jazz Quartet 

 

Films 

 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

Fine Arts Cinema 

2451 Shattuck 

Nov. 18 & 19, 2 - 11 p.m.  

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educational and art video and film works. Sundays program will feature work of Berkeley residents: Shola Ogunlana’s “Indigenous Woman: Passing,” Even La Magna’s “People + Their Power,” and Aidan Fraser’s “Unbroken Glass.” The final feature of the festival will be Albany resident Chris Hokuala Uchiyama’s film “Bliss,” which is loosely based on the shootings at Columbine high school.  

$8 per day. Call for tickets and schedule, 843-3699 

 

Pacific Film Archive 

2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 

Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. “Political Advertisement 2000” 

Nov. 3, 7 p.m.: “The Elders,” 8:50 p.m.: “On & Off the Res with Charlie Hill and The Laughing Club of India” 

Nov. 4, 7 p.m.: Ottawa Animation Festival 2000 - Program 1 

Nov. 5, 3:30 p.m.: “Liebe Perla,” 5:05 p.m.: “Teatro Amazonas,” 6:30 p.m.: “Angelos’ Film” 

Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.: “The Land of the Wandering Souls” 

Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.: Field Studies: Films by Gunvor Nelson 

 

Fine Arts Cinema  

2451 Shattuck (at Haste) 

Nov. 11 & 12  

La Lesbian Film Festival 

Festival begins both days at 2 p.m. 

Individual screenings, $7; Festival pass, $35; disabled discounts 

Call 654-6346 or visit www.lapena.org 

 

Theater 

 

“The Green Bird”  

by Carlo Gozzi 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre 

2025 Addison St. 

Adapted by Theatre de la Jeune Lune and directed by Dominique Serrand.  

“The Green Bird” runs through Oct. 27. For tickets contact the box office at 845-4700 

 

Impact Theatre Presents: 

“Impact Briefs 4: Impact Smackdown!” 

Oct. 20 - Nov. 18 

Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.  

$10, Students $5 

Call 464-4468 for tickets & reservations 

La Val’s Subterraniean  

1834 Euclid 

 

“Fanny at Chez Panisse” 

Julie Morgan Theatre 

2640 College Ave., Berkeley 

Musical based on the book with opening proceeds going to the Verde Partnership Garden in Richmond. 

Through Oct. 29 

Runs Wednesday - Sunday, 7 p.m.  

$26 - 34  

1-888-FANNY06 

 

“Moonlight”  

by Harold Pinter 

A Last Planet Theatre production 

Potrero Hill Playhouse 

953 De Haro 

San Francisco 

Pinter’s most recent play features a man named Andy who is dying and his wife, Bel, who can’t get their two sons to pay them a visit. A story of infidelity, sibling rivalry, marital combat and moonlight and memory.  

Runs Thursday - Saturday, through Oct. 28. All shows at 8:30 p.m. No show Oct. 26.  

$20 opening night, $10-15 regular run, $5 preview 

More info and tickets: 845-2687 

 

“A Midsummer Nights Dream” 

Saint Mary’s High School 

1291 Albina St. 

Oct. 27-28, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m. 

$6 general  

 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley Presents: 

“Inherit The Wind” by Lawrence & Lee 

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Friday and Saturday through Nov. 18. All shows at 8 p.m. One Thursday performance on Nov. 16.  

$10; discounts for groups of 15 or more 

Reservations: 528-5620  

 

Berkeley Rep School of Theatre 

“Sundiata” 

Martin Luther King, Jr. High School 

1781 Rost St.  

The world of premiere of Edward Mast’s tale of Djata, a handicapped boy who discovers he is the lost son of the murdered king of the Mali Empire. As the empire’s last hope, he is called upon to reclaim his heritage as the Lion King.  

Nov, 4, Noon 

Free to the public, but reservations are encouraged. 

Call 647-2972  

 

“Dinner With Friends” 

by Donald Margulies 

Nov. 10 through Jan 5, 2001 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre 

2025 Addison St.  

845-4700, www.berkeleyrep.org 

 

Barestage Productions Presents 

“Avengeline” by Adia Shy 

Nov. 2 - 11, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. and Saturday, 10 p.m.  

Choral Rehearsal Hall 

UC Berkeley 

$5 

Call for info and directions, 642-3880 

 

 

Dance 

 

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company  

“You Walk?” 

Oct. 27-28, 8 p.m. 

$20 - $42 

 

“Past Forward”  

White Oak Dance Project Present:  

Nov. 1 - 4, 8 p.m.  

Mikhail Baryshnikov and company celebrating the influence of post-modern choreographers.  

$36 - $60  

Zellerbach Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Call for tickets, 642-9988 or try TicketWeb.com 

 

Exhibits 

 

Berkeley Art Center 

“Ethnic Notions: Black Images in the White Mind,''  

Through Nov. 12. An exhibit by Janette Faulkner exploring racial stereotypes in commercial imagery. Free. Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Live Oak Park, 1275 Walnut St., Berkeley. (510) 644-6893 

 

California College of Arts and Crafts  

Free. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oliver Art Center, 5212 Broadway, Oakland. 594-3712 

 

Starbuck’s Coffee presents Mark Harper: “MMII”  

Acrylic paintings 

3839 Emery St., Emeryville 

Every day, 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

Call 893-2891 

 

Traywick Gallery 

Photographs of Marco Breuer, through Nov. 26. Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m.  

1316 Tenth St., Berkeley 

 

Kala Gallery 

Kala Art Institute 1999 Fellowship Awards Exhibition Part II through Oct. 31. Features work by Margaret Kessler, Barbara Milman, Michele Muennig, and David Politzer.  

Tuesday through Friday, Noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment. 1060 Heinz Ave. Call 549-2977. 

 

Berkeley Historical Society  

“Berkeley’s Ethnic Heritage.” An overview of the rich cultural diversity of the city and the contribution of individuals and minority groups to it’s history and development.  

Thursday through Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m. Admission free.  

1931 Center St.  

Call 848-0181 

 

Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery 

Paintings by Timothy Buckwalter, Hilary Harkness, and Jerry W. King, Through Oct. 28. 

Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

942 Clay St., Oakland. Call 625-1830 for more info. 

 

Pro Arts Gallery 

Early Bird Holiday Art Fest. Oct. 25 - Nov. 11. Shop early for unique gifts made by local artists. Free opening reception, Oct. 28, 1 - 4 p.m. featuring live music and artist demonstrations.  

Gallery hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

461 Ninth St., Oakland. Call 763-9425  

 

Bucci’s 

Photographs by Jan Wison Kaufman, “Through the Crystal Ball” 

Through Nov. 17, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.  

6121 Hollis St., Emeryville. Call 547-4725  

 

Ames Gallery 

“Left Coast Legends: California Masters of Visionary, Self-taught, and Outsider Art,” featuring the work of Dwight Mackintosh, Alex Maldonado, A.G. Rizzoli, Jon Serl, and Barry Simons, Through Dec. 2.  

2661 Cedar St., Call for more info: 845-4949 

 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 

Alan Leon: Hebrew Calligraphy and Illuminations, Nov. 1 - Dec. 15. Opening reception, Nov. 4, 1 - 3 p.m.  

Gallery hours: Tuesday - Thursday, 1 - 7 p.m.; Saturday, Noon - 4 p.m. and by appointment.  

3023 Shattuck Ave., Call 548-9286 x307 for more info 

 

!hey! Gallery 

Paintings by Atiba Azikiwe Andrews, through Nov. 11. 

4920-b Telegraph (at 51st), Oakland 

Call 428-2349 

 

The Oakland Museum of California 

“La Flor y la Calavera: Altars and Offerings for the Days of the  

Dead,” through Nov. 26.  

The 7th annual exhibit in observance of Dias de los Muertos featuring ofrendas, altars and artworks created by artists, community groups and students in observance of Mexico’ s Day of the Dead. $6 general; $4 seniors and students; free children age 5 and under; second Sundays are free to all. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 1000 Oak St., Oakland.  

(888) OAK-MUSE or www.museumca.org 

 

Readings 

 

Rhyme and Reason Poetry Series 

Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive 

2621 Durant Ave. 

2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. 

Includes featured readers and open mike poetry. Free 

2 p.m. sign-up. Program runs from 2:30 - 4 p.m. 

Oct. 29: Fernando Brito, Lara Dale 

234-0727 

 

Holloway Poetry Reading Series 

8p.m., Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall 

For more information call 653-2439 

Nov. 1: John Yau and Garrett Caples, books include “Forbidden Entries” and “My Symptoms” 

Nov. 7: Marie Howe and Brian Glaser, “The Good Thief” and “What the Living Do” 

 

Cody’s Books 

2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852  

& 1730 Fourth St., 559-9500 

Telegraph events (all begin at 7:30 p.m, unless noted): 

Oct. 28, 11 a.m. - Noon, American Folk Songs for Young People 

Oct. 29, The poetry of Kim Addonizio & Jim Natal 

Oct. 30, Martin Davis, “The Universal Computer: the Road from Leibniz to Turing” 

Forth St. events: 

Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m., Robert San Souci, children’s writer, to chat and sign “Cinderella Skeleton” 

 

Lunch Poems: A Noontime Poetry Reading Series 

Morrison Room, Doe Library 

UC Berkeley 

12:10 - 12:50 p.m.  

Call 642-0137 

Under the direction of Professor Robert Hass, this is a series of events on the first Thursday of each month. Free.  

Nov. 2: Goh Poh Seng 

Dec. 7: Fanny Howe, Mark Levin, and Carol Snow  

 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

843-3533 

All events begin at 7:30 p.m. 

Nov. 2: Don Patton discusses “The Spirit of the Road: One Hundred Years of the California Automobile Association” 

Nov. 14: Linda Watanabe McFerrin discusses “Stories: The Hand of Buddha,” a book that explores the lives of women. 

Nov. 29: Travel writer Jeff Greenwald and others discuss and read from “Salon.com’s Wanderlust: Read Life Tales of Adventure and Romance”  

 

Tours 

 

Lawrence Berkeley National  

Laboratory 

Scientists and engineers guide visitors through the research areas of the laboratory, demonstrating emerging technology and discussing the research’s current and potential applications. A Berkeley lab tour usually lasts two hours and includes visits to several research areas. Popular tour sites include the Advanced Light Source, The National Center for Electron Microscopy, the 88-Inch Cyclotron, The Advanced Lighting Laboratory, and The Human Genome Laboratory. Reservations required at least two weeks in advance of tour. 

Free. University of California, Berkeley. 

486-4387 

 

Berkeley City Club Tours 

Guided tours through Berkeley’s City Club, a landmark building designed by architect Julia Morgan, designer of Hearst Castle. 

$2. The fourth Sunday of every month except December, between noon to 4 p.m.  

2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 

848-7800 

 

Golden Gate Live Steamers 

Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size, run along a half mile of track in Tilden Regional Park. The small trains are owned and maintained by a non-profit group of railroad buffs who offer rides.  

Free. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley.  

486-0623  

 

Oakland Historic walking tours 

Runs through October.  

The tours cover downtown Oakland and its historic waterfront. All tours begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last between an hour and an hour and a half.  

Free. Call for reservations. Oakland. (510) 238-3234. 

 

University of California at Berkeley Botanical Garden 

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. 

Botanical Garden Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Meet at the Tour Orientation Center for a free docent tour. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Botanical Garden, Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. (510) 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ 

 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours 

Nov. 5 - What’s Happening Downtown? led by Debbie Badhia 

More info call 848-0181 

 


Lawsuit says living wage discriminates

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Friday October 27, 2000

Attorneys for Skates by the Bay have sued the city, saying the amended Living Wage Ordinance that covers Marina properties unfairly discriminates against them and will cause them and their employees irreparable harm. 

In June, the city passed a Living Wage Ordinance that requires employers doing business with the city or leasing property from the city to pay their employees a “living wage,” determined to be $9.75 per hour plus $1.62 if benefits are not paid. 

Advocates for workers at the Marina lobbied for an amendment to the ordinance to cover low-paid hotel and restaurant workers at the Marina. All Marina property is owned by the city and leased by various corporations, the largest of which are restaurants and a hotel-restaurant. 

Without the amended ordinance, Marina businesses which have more than six employees and generate more than $350,000 annually, would be covered by the ordinance only after their leases are renegotiated with the city. In some cases, that would be in 20 years. 

The City Council amended the ordinance in September, stating that the use of the Marina by a private enterprise is a privilege and should not “exacerbate the problems associated with inadequate compensation of workers.” 

The Marina lands, as Public Trust tidelands, “are for the use and benefit of the public,” according to the ordinance. “The public interest is best served by ensuring that the public is not deterred from visiting the Public Trust tidelands because they do not wish to patronize businesses (that) do not pay their employees a living wage or provide them with health care benefits.” 

Zachary Wasserman, attorney with Wendel Rosen, Black & Dean of Oakland, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court earlier this month. Wasserman said by enacting the amendment, the city “unilaterally” altered the leases of the four affected businesses at the Marina. 

The lawsuit explains that Skates employs about 170 people. “The estimated cost of implementing the provisions of the amendment, not including administrative fees, is a minimum of $175,000 per year,” the lawsuit states, noting that the administrative fees would be considerable, given the various ways different employees’ health benefits are calculated. 

The consequences of paying out that sum of money could include “increased prices, consolidation of jobs, elimination or reduction of part-time employment, elimination of non-mandated benefits, reduced hours of operation or potentially closing the restaurant depending on the total impact,” according to the suit. 

If prices were raised at the Marina restaurants to compensate for increased costs, other restaurants in the city which do not suffer the same requirement to pay a living wage, would have an unfair advantage, Wasserman said. 

He further points out that “the city puts more money into downtown than it does at the Marina,” yet the downtown businesses, which benefit from that support, are not subject to the provisions of the Living Wage Ordinance. 

The new ordinance would not affect many of Skates’ workers, Wasserman said. “Many waiters, many employees at Skates earn more than the Living Wage,” he said. Others are students who opt to work part time, and there are others for whom the Skates’ job is a second part-time job.  

One of the problems is the mandated 12 paid days off per year, which includes paid holidays. “The restaurant industry typically does not give paid vacations until the employees have been there a significant amount of time,” Wasserman said. 

Amaha Kassa of the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, one of the organizations which has supported the unionization of workers at the Berkeley Marina Radisson Hotel, argued that the RUI Corp. would have no problem paying its workers more money. He points to the June, 1998 Puget Sound Business Journal which says that each of RUI Corp’s restaurants were expected, after some time, to bring in about $5 million. A June 23, 2000 article said the corporation had taken in $105 million in 1998 and $117 million in 1999. 

In a written statement, City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque said her office had looked closely at the ordinance and its amendment and believes it is defensible.  

“Because the city has severely restricted development in this special zone, businesses such as Skates located there enjoy a monopoly position and hefty profits,” she wrote. “By applying the Living Wage to businesses in this zone, the Berkeley City Council has said that a tiny amount of those profits need to be shared with those invisible hard-working men and women in these businesses who do not get a living wage, yet who make it possible for the rest of us to dine, cruise and vacation in stunning surrounding, financed by public funds.”


Bears looking to clinch tournament bye with wins in L.A. this weekend

Daily Planet Wire Services
Friday October 27, 2000

 

The Pac-10 title is on the line this week when No. 5 Cal travels to Los Angeles to face No. 12 USC Friday at 3 p.m., and No. 3 UCLA Sunday at 1 p.m. The Bears are 14-1-1 and in second place in the Pac-10 with a 4-1 record. Washington leads the league with a 6-0 mark.  

A strong finish could help the Bears attain a bye in the first round of NCAAs and possibly one of eight seeds in the 48-team field, which will be announced Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. 

USC is ranked No. 12 this week by Soccer America with an 11-3-2 record and is tied for third in the league with UCLA with a 3-1-1 mark. The Trojans are led by freshman forward Jessica Edwards, who has 20 points, and Canadian World Cup midfielder Isabelle Harvey, who has 15 points.  

“USC plays a very direct style, so it’s hard to keep your composure,” said Cal head coach Kevin Boyd. “We’ll have to work hard and play our game.” 

UCLA is 12-2-1 and ranked No. 8 by Soccer America. Forward Tracey Milburn leads the team with 27 points (12G, 3A). UCLA and Cal will likely have a defensive battle, as the teams have combined to allow only 12 goals all year. Cal trails USC, 2-3, in the all-time series, and is even with UCLA at 3-3.  

“UCLA’s defense is good because their offense is so good,” Boyd said. “It’s hard to keep the ball in their end.”


Man dies in recycling plant explosion

Daily Planet wire reports
Friday October 27, 2000

RICHMOND — An explosion and fire rocked a plastics recycling center Thursday morning, killing one worker, injuring several others and forcing 12 nearby schools to cancel classes. 

The two-alarm fire began about 2 a.m. at MBA Polymers, Inc., a research and commercial recycling operation. Witnesses say they heard two loud explosions at the scene. 

Jeremiah Spritz, 26, of Richmond was killed, Jim Fajardo of the Richmond Fire Department said. Four other workers  

were treated for smoke inhalation  

and were reported in stable  

condition. Spritz, whose relatives say he had only been working at the company for five months, was found about 60 feet inside the warehouse where the explosions occurred. 

The cause of the explosions has not been determined. The fire was contained at about 8 a.m., but destroyed the company’s entire center warehouse. 

Firefighters said they had a difficult time fighting the blaze because of the toxic fumes emitted and the tangle of pipes and uneven flooring in the warehouse. The structure is one of three located behind an office area in the 500 block of West Ohio Avenue. 

One firefighter reportedly described it as “trying to climb through  

a jungle gym.” 

A fire engine from Chevron was called to assist, bringing with it thousands of gallons of foam to suffocate the fire. Water only cools it down, while foam can actually extinguish the flames. Regular fire trucks normally carry about 10 to 20 gallons of foam. 

People living near the plant were told to stay indoors and keep windows closed until 1 p.m. Smoke from the fire contained the chemical polystyrene, which can cause respiratory problems, Fajardo said. 

Richmond Fire Chief Jim Fajardo said the Ford plant at 700 National Court was evacuated and employees at other nearby offices and residences were advised to shelter in place to avoid the toxic fumes. Tollboth operators were told to go inside where there was air conditioning and people crossed the Richmond Bridge without paying the toll. 

Students were sheltered in schools and their parents were notified. 

Some 4,800 students were affected at schools in Richmond, San Pablo, North Richmond and Point Richmond. The schools were Peres Elementary, Chavez Elementary, Coronado Elementary, Dover Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Washington Elementary, Nystrom Elementary, Verde Elementary, Harbour Way Academy and Gompers Continuation High, North Campus Continuation High, and the Transition Learning Center. 

All schools will reopen Friday, a West Contra Costa Unified School District spokesman said. 

Kaiser Permanente’s Richmond hospital reported it had treated dozens of people for respiratory complications related to the plant fire. “We’ve treated about 50 people here today,” said Cynthia Gregory, spokesperson for the Richmond Kaiser. 

Patients generally complained of chest pains or shortness of breath, she said. All were treated and released. Three employees from the plastics plant also were treated at the hospital and released. 

Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo reported it had treated 30 people for ailments as well. Spokesman Andy Williams said none of the injuries was serious, and all patients were treated and released. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Ex- Democratic hopeful supporting Republican

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

SAN JOSE— Bill Peacock, the leading opponent of Democrat Mike Honda in the March primary, is crossing party lines to endorse Republican Jim Cunneen in the hotly contested 15th Congressional District race. 

The endorsement coup for Cunneen, announced Wednesday, is another sign of the blurred lines that have marked the tossup Silicon Valley race. 

The Democratic Party has targeted the seat as one of six it needs to regain control of the House of Representatives. 

But in a move against his party, Peacock, a high-tech investor and Portola Valley businessman, said he will endorse Cunneen. 

It’s not a case of sour grapes, said Peacock, a lifelong Democrat and former Carter administration assistant secretary of the Army. Peacock said he spent six months researching the records of the two candidates – both are state assemblymen – before making the decision. 

“In a heartbeat, if (Honda) were to move up to the state Senate, I’d write him a check,” Peacock said. “But I think Jim Cunneen, with his education and high-tech background, is a far better bet to represent the needs of all the people in the 15th Congressional District.” 

Peacock also said he agrees on issues more often with Cunneen than Honda. 

During the March primary, Honda was the front-runner in a Democratic field of five. He faced tough competition from Peacock, who spent nearly $1 million of his own money on the race. Honda raised $139,000. 

Honda won the party nomination with 40 percent of the votes, nearly triple Peacock’s total. 

“It’s obviously a disappointment when a Democrat abandons his party,” said Honda’s campaign spokesman Vince Duffy. “But he’s entitled to his opinion and we wish him well in his further endeavors.” 

Democrats boast a 45-36 percent voter registration advantage in the upscale district. But voters elected Tom Campbell, a moderate Republican, for the past four terms. Now, Campbell is running for the Senate against Democrat Dianne Feinstein.


Homeless numbers tallied

The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Volunteers
Friday October 27, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — Volunteers spread out across the city Thursday night to tally how many homeless people call San Francisco home. 

The effort will be the second homeless count by Mayor Willie Brown’s Office of Homelessness. The first, conducted in April with about 100 volunteers, concluded that 3,610 people live on city streets. 

But city officials believe they undercounted by at least 15 to 20 percent, and want to get a more accurate number. 

After Brown and Supervisor Gavin Newsom kick off the event, teams of volunteers will begin canvassing the city. They are scheduled to return by midnight. 

This time, unlike the April count, the geographic boundaries of the city’s new supervisory districts will be used to count the homeless, Brown spokesman P.J. Johnston said. 

The purpose of the count is to assist in short-term and long-term planning for the city’s homeless services, said George Smith, director of the city’s office of homelessness. He said it will become a semiannual event that will yield accurate numbers within two years. 

A homeless advocacy group, the Coalition on Homelessness, puts the number as high as 14,000 people – more than four times the mayor’s last count.


Graduation standards revoked

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Board of Education has voted to drop tough graduation requirements for the high school class of 2001 after learning that 30 percent of the city’s seniors failed to meet the requirements. 

The board voted unanimously Tuesday to rescind the tougher requirements and deflected blame from the students to themselves. 

“We didn’t provide the resources,” said board member Jill Wynns. “We had trouble providing the classes needed.” 

The board acknowledged there were not enough tutors or extra-period classes to support the students. 

In 1997, the board nixed electives such as wood shop and journalism, electing to raise academic standards by requiring more math, English, science, arts and foreign language courses. The board also raised graduation requirements from 220 to 240 credits. 

At the time, the board anticipated the state would pay for programs to support programs such as a longer school day for extra courses and tutoring, but such reimbursement never was approved. 

The class of 2001, the first to matriculate under the tough standards, was left scrambling for credits and nearly a third of the 1,120 high school seniors were not on track to graduate with their class. 

A new, long-term plan for graduation requirements is to be presented to the school board by February.


Napster for Mac now available

The Associated Press Legally troubled Napster, In
Friday October 27, 2000

Legally troubled Napster, Inc. set its sites on Apple computer users, making its popular music swapping software available for Macintosh operating systems. 

The company announced Napster for the Mac on Wednesday and the program was available for download from Napster’s Web site. 

Despite making inroads to new users, Napster is still embroiled in a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against it by members of the Recording Industry Association of America. 

In July, a federal judge granted an injunction against that portion of Napster’s service that makes possible the unauthorized trade of copyrighted music. A federal appeals court stayed the injunction, heard testimony from both sides on Oct. 2 and a trial is pending. 

Napster claims 32 million users of its software and the music-sharing phenomenon shows no signs of slowing, despite the legal battles. The Internet tracking company Media Metrix found that the number of Napster users per month increased from 1.1 million in February to 6.7 million users in August. 

On the Net: 

http://www.napster.com 

http://www.riaa.com


Scientists to sequence genes of poisonous fish

The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — A poisonous
Friday October 27, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — A poisonous puffer fish, considered a dining delicacy in Japan, may hold the key to sequencing the human genome. 

An international consortium of scientists will attempt to sequence the genome of the Fugu in less than six months, and hope that information speeds similar work on human genetic makeup. 

Researchers at the U.S. Energy Department’s Joint Genome Institute, who announced the plan Thursday, said the Fugu genome contains less “junk” DNA to sort through, making the process of finding and controlling the genes an easier task. 

“This genetic information from a distantly related vertebrate will help us read the book of human life with new understanding and knowledge,” Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said in a statement. 

The research involves scientists in the United States, Britain and Singapore. 

The compactness of the Fugu genome makes it a cost-efficient model to study, researchers said. Fugu lack certain sequences of mammalian genes. 

Virus-like invaders into the human genome bypassed or apparently were warded away from the Fugu’s evolution.


Overhaul urged for state Earthquake Authority

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

The Associated Press 

 

SACRAMENTO — A member of the California Earthquake Authority’s ruling board demanded Thursday that the agency be overhauled, contending the complex financial structure that sustains the CEA could fail in the event of a catastrophe. 

State Treasurer Philip Angelides, one of three state officials who decide broad policy for the CEA, urged the Legislature to scrutinize the nation’s first state-run, privately financed earthquake insurer and come up with changes in the multibillion-dollar system. 

Angelides, who has been critical of the CEA’s operations in the past, told key lawmakers that “the Legislature, when it returns in January, should make review and reform of the CEA a key priority.” 

A fundamental problem, Angelides said, is the CEA’s “layer-cake” financing, which is composed of a mix of funds from reserves, insurers’ assessments, Wall Street investors and reinsurance. 

But Angelides said the $7.5 billion pool – particularly the critical reinsurance piece – could unravel in the event of a catastrophe, such as a major quake and multiple aftershocks, that exhaust the pool and leave policyholders unprotected. 

Angelides also said the CEA needs to be more competitive in attracting policyholders, particularly low-risk customers. The fear of Angelides – and some executives in the insurance industry – is that private companies will siphon off the best customers, while the CEA will be left with the high-risk policyholders. 

The CEA, which covers about 850,000 policyholders, should “be financially sound and capable of carrying out its responsibilities over the long term,” the treasurer added in a detailed letter to the heads of the Senate and Assembly insurance committee, the top executive at the CEA and to Insurance Commissioner Harry Low. 

But the CEA said the agency is well-financed, pointing a recent independent audit sought by the board. 

“We would conclude that the CEA’s current capacity to pay claims is as good as or better than that of private catastrophe insurers,” said CEA spokesman Mark Leonard, citing the auditors’ conclusion. 

Leonard also said the CEA policies, called “mini-policies,” would be able to protect policyholders in the event of a devastating quake like the 1994 Northridge earthquake. 

“The mini-policy was to designed to provide catastrophic coverage, to rebuild people’s homes, and it was designed to reduce the exposure to the industry,” he said. 

“It was a choice between the mini-policy and no coverage for the earthquake, and it never would have passed (the Legislature) without the sponsorship and support of responsible consumer groups,” Leonard said. 

But one major consumer group, the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, says the 15 percent deductibles in the CEA policies – $30,000 in the case of a $200,000 home – means people often must foot the bill for the damages, because the average home damage is less than the deductible. 

“Unless you have extraordinary, catastrophic damage, the policy is worthless. That has to be the long-term concern here,” said Foundation spokesman Doug Heller. 

The CEA, the first agency of its kind in the nation, was created in 1996 in response to the turmoil in California’s homeowners’ insurance market following the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake. 

The Authority is a pool of funds provided by insurers and investors to cover quake losses. 

The idea of the CEA was prompted mainly by large insurers, who under California law are required to offer quake insurance to people who buy their homeowners’ coverage. 

That law crippled many carriers, who faced huge losses because of their Northridge earthquake claims. 

The CEA was set up to market quake policies and cover the claims. Companies representing about two-thirds of California’s quake insurance market participate in the CEA. 

The mini-policies average about $2.79 per $1,000 of insured value statewide, or roughly $560 annually for a $200,000 home. The policies can cost as little as 80 cents per $1,000 in low-risk areas, and up to $8.70 per $1,000 in the most quake-prone zones for unreinforced masonry homes. 

More than nine out of every 10 homes insured by the CEA are wood-frame houses, costing up to $5.70 per $1,000 — or $1,140 for a $200,000 home. 

The CEA’s mini-policy covers the dwelling, but not related structures, such as fences, garages, landscaping, sheds, pools and walkways, among other items. 

——— 

On the Net: 

www.insurance.ca.gov/docs/FS-CEA.htm 


Money given for special education

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

SACRAMENTO — School districts that have been complaining for 20 years that the state has shortchanged them for special education will get $520 million for past costs and $100 million more a year, Gov. Gray Davis announced Thursday. 

“All sides agree that this settlement puts the problem behind us once and for all and adequately funds our important special education programs,” Davis said in a statement. 

The California School Board Association, which has led the legal and negotiating battle, applauded the settlement. 

CSBA executive director Davis Campbell said the governor and his team “negotiated in good faith and their support for the settlement is a huge contribution to special education programs.” 

The governor said the $520 million in retroactive payments will be doled out over 11 years. The state will give school districts $270 million for the current year and $25 million in each of the following 10 years. 

He also agreed to increase special education funding by $100 million a year, a 3.5 percent increase that begins July 1, 2001. 

The Legislature, which returns in December, will have to approve the funding. 

The lawsuit was first filed by Riverside County in 1981. Other school districts joined the lawsuit as it made its way through the courts. 

The districts claimed the state did not give them sufficient money to pay for services the state required districts to provide for special education students.  

The state had always maintained that the general funding provided districts was sufficient. 

The constitution requires the state to reimburse local governments, including school districts, for things it requires them to do. 

An appellate court judge ruled that the state had to pay for specific programs that were required by state law but exceeded federal mandates.


Countertops can make or break a kitchen

By James and Morris Carey The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

By James and Morris Carey 

The Associated Press 

 

In this age of high-priced construction, countertops are getting as hard to choose as plumbing fixtures or light fixtures. There are the solid-surface materials such as Corian, Gibralter, and Avonite. There are plastic laminates from Formica to Wilsonart. And don’t forget ceramic tile, porcelain tile, slab and tile granite, concrete, slab and tile marble. And what about stone? How easy it is to become confused by all that’s available. 

In a kitchen, the countertop has as much to do with the overall appearance as the cabinets do. 

In order of cost, we will class countertops into six basic categories, with the three in most common use listed first (laminates, tile and synthetic solid-surface products):  

Plastic Laminate Countertops 

Plastic laminate has been around since the beginning of modern kitchens. We actually saw it made once. Several layers of resin-coated paper are sandwiched together (and held under heat and pressure) to form what we think of as Formica. Plastic laminate tops come in many colors and textures. The latest rage is having your plastic laminate custom-designed to your own color, texture and style, but be prepared to spend a few bucks here. With standard plastic laminate tops, the color is in the final layer. When it is applied at corners, you see the resin coated layers of paper as a black line. With higher quality plastic laminate all layers of the material are colored — not just the final one. When this material is applied to a corner there is no black line. An entire laminate counter can be installed for somewhere between $600 and $1,800 for most kitchens.  

Ceramic & Porcelain Tile 

There is no limit to what you can do with ceramic tile. Inlaid with real gold, burnished for texture and hand-painted finishes are just a few of the choices. The problem here is grout lines. No one seems to want to deal with grout cleaning any more. Tile grout does require regular maintenance. Sealing the grout only means that cleaning will be easier to do. So far we haven’t heard any complaints about tile except that the surface begins to dull after about 40 years if abrasive cleaners are constantly used. Porcelain is harder than a rock and far more durable than conventional ceramic tile. It also is more expensive. Fewer color choices are available in porcelain. Ceramic tile and porcelain are more than twice the price of plastic laminates.  

Solid-Surface Countertops 

New synthetic solid surface countertops are growing in popularity. The grout cleaning and maintenance problem disappears with solid-surface materials. We consider all of these products a good bet. Each manufacturer has its own series of colors. Although Dupont’s entry, Corian, can be sanded if burned or gouged, it remains a surface somewhat susceptible to scratching and similar damage. Other brands are harder, but cannot be repaired on the spot by a novice. Bottom line — if you decide on any of the solid-surface products, be sure to take it easy. You will be trading off grout cleaning for a surface that is less durable than tile. Solid-surface countertop prices begin where tile prices leave off. Here the sky is the limit.  

Marble, Granite and Stone Tile 

Marble, granite and stone tiles are for those who would prefer them in slab form. The neat thing about these tiles is that the grout line can be extremely thin. This reduces the need for extensive grout cleaning, but does not completely eliminate the chore. Most marble is susceptible to damage from citric acid and alcohol. Vinegar is another mild acid that will quickly remove the shine from most polished marble surfaces. In a few seconds the surface can be devastated. The same is true for many polished stone surfaces. Marble and granite tiles are about the same price as the solid-surface products. 

Tip: If you want to test stone to ensure that it won’t fail as a countertop, lay a sample in the kitchen sink and pour vinegar onto the polished surface. If the shiny surface dulls, you know what will happen when it becomes a countertop. 

Granite is the best of the stone tiles. It is the hardest and is impervious to just about anything. Unfortunately, because all of these products are natural, you are limited to what Mother Nature has to offer. We think that granite tiles give ceramic tile a real run for the money when it comes to elegance.  

Concrete Slab (poured in place) 

We don’t see a lot of concrete being poured on kitchen counters (inside the home at least), but they are gaining in popularity. Concrete countertops are expensive, require a sealant and must be treated with care. Prices for concrete tops are all over the board. Expect to pay through the nose.  

Slab Marble or Granite 

Slab marble has the same problems as marble tiles. Alcohol and mild acids are bad medicine. Tile or slab must be handled with kid gloves. Many types of hair spray contain alcohol. Granite, on the other hand, is extremely hard, incredibly durable and absolutely maintenance-free. Our experience is that slab granite is the single most maintenance-free surface. You can expect to pay as much as $200 per square foot for certain colors of slab granite. 

The good news is, that with its sudden popularity, granite is getting cheaper and easier to buy. Today the big box stores are offering granite installed for $70 per square foot. Expensive yes, but better than the $100-plus weve been seeing. We recently spoke with a fellow named Steve Neal, owner of Straight Line Importers in Martinez, California, who is part of a small new group of stone contractors selling pre-fabbed 8-foot long counters — ready to install — for $30 to $50 per square foot (depending upon the color). That’s less than the cost of most popular synthetic solid-surface materials. Steve says that colors are limited to five now, but 12 will be available soon.


Carpeted stairs help quiet house, lessen slipping

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

Stairs leading directly from a living room or central hallway look more attractive and inviting when carpeted. And, a carpeted stairway will quiet your home by softening footsteps and absorbing sound waves. Carpeted stairs are safer, too, lessening your chances of slipping. 

Avoid utility-grade carpeting. Stairways get heavy wear, especially along the tread nosing. Choose an easy-to-clean variety with a dense pile. Carpet with attached cushion backing is cheaper and easier to put down, but isn’t recommended for stairways. Since you want a long, narrow runner, you may be able to buy remnants of high-quality carpeting at much less than the going rate for a room-size piece. The runner need not be one length. Two or more sections can hide the seam under the tread nosing where it will be unnoticeable. 

Remember, the pile on each piece should always lie facing toward the bottom of the stairs. Both ascending and descending, the pressure of your foot is mostly toward the tread nosing, so unless the pile faces the same way, wear will be excessive -- perhaps doubled. Feel pile direction by running your hand lightly across the carpet. 

The most common method for carpeting a stairway with a closed wall on one side and open balusters at the other is to roll both edges under. Allow about 1 inch from the wall with 1-and-1-quarter-inch roll-under at the edges. If your carpeting won’t unravel at a cut edge, you can butt it against the sidewall without roll-under. 

Determine the total length of the runner by measuring one tread and one riser, wrapping the tape measure around the nosing and holding it against the riser below the tread with your thumb. Add 1 inch to allow for the thickness of the padding under the carpet. Multiply this figure by the number of steps. Remember to allow extra carpeting if your runner is in two or more sections, since each section must join under a tread nosing. 

To get width, measure from the wall to the base of the balusters, or whatever portion of the step you will be covering. Add 2-and-1-half inches for rolling the edges under – 1-and-1-quarter inches for each side. Since you will probably need to trim at least one edge along the runner’s length, allow an additional inch for this. If your carpeting has irregular edges, be sure you have enough material to trim the full length of both sides straight. 

Measure a stairway with a landing as if the landing were one deep step. Ideally, cover the landing and the first riser above it with one piece. If you can’t, include the riser with the steps above it. Winder steps – wedge-shaped steps that turn a corner – require carpeting about 50 percent wider than a straight runner, and waste considerable material. You need a separate piece for each step and the riser above it. The pile on each tread must be at right angles to the nosing and facing downstairs. 

If your stairs have been carpeted, remove old nails or tacks and any quarter-round trim or molding, check treads and risers for looseness and secure any that need it using glue and 8d finishing nails. Refinish the parts of the treads and risers that will show before putting down carpeting. 


Vote auction site changes its name

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

SACRAMENTO — A Web site offering to sell 21,000 votes for president to the highest bidder has changed its domain name and switched its registrar to a company based in Germany. 

Federal and state laws prohibit the sale of votes, but the Austrian owners of www.vote-auction.com denied they had moved operations overseas to avoid legal challenges. 

Instead, investor Hans Bernhard wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press, research showed that users frequently tried to type the new name of the site instead of the old name, which lacked the hyphen. 

The site asks voters to fill out personal details and then offers to sell the votes – in blocks broken down by state – to the highest bidder. The technique, the Web site says, brings the “big money of campaigns directly to the voting public.” 

The site offers to deliver the votes to any corporation or individual, but it hasn’t identified voters, bidders or said when the sale will end. 

The owners say the U.S. vote auction is a test to determine how they can make money. They still need to work out how voters would be paid and how to verify that they cast the right ballot. 

Election officials in Michigan and New York have criticized the scheme and a court challenge in Illinois led to the closing of the old site. California Secretary of State Bill Jones warned any vote sellers they could face felony charges and a minimum of three years in prison. 

The site was reopened this week with the help of CSL Computer Service of Germany. By Thursday, more than 2,500 California voters had offered their votes and the leading bid was $48,000 or $19.61 per vote. 

“Truthfully, this could probably go on forever, so long as it is known by those who wish to use the service, for lack of a better term,” said Steve Jones, a professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, who follows the Internet. 

Shad Balch, a spokesman for California’s secretary of state, said the domain name change would not affect California’s investigation into the site and its employees. 

Industry experts say it would be almost impossible to identify voters by using technology. 

“There is virtually no legal way to check who is using the site without a subpoena or warrant, which is unlikely when the operations are international,” said Stewart Farley of Internet Products Inc., a San Diego company that makes Web-filtering products.


Pollutants behavior puzzle scientist throughout state

The Associated Press \
Friday October 27, 2000

LOS ANGELES — It’s a dirty-air puzzle that befuddles scientists: When other pollutants punch out for the week, smog-causing ozone starts working overtime in some parts of the state. 

In the Los Angeles area, ozone levels typically are 32 percent higher on Saturdays and Sundays than they are Monday through Friday when freeways are clogged with commuters. The difference is 25 percent in San Francisco. 

Other pollutants – even those that help form smog – drop on weekends. The so-called ozone weekend effect doesn’t happen everywhere, however. A draft report released this week by the California Air Resources Board found no statistically significant differences between weekend and weekday ozone levels in Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley. 

The phenomenon in Los Angeles and San Francisco, first noticed in the 1980s, has four possible explanations, according to the report. Among the theories: 

l Weekends produce a different kind of traffic volume that could encourage smog production. Morning traffic is much higher on weekdays, but weekend traffic catches up later in the day, when nitrogen oxides can produce ozone more efficiently. 

l Ozone produced on weekdays could drift over the ocean, then return to shore over the weekend. 

l The atmosphere could contain more soot on weekdays than on weekends. That could help absorb some of the ultraviolet radiation that otherwise would help form ozone. 

Automakers support another possible reason that suggests government regulators could reduce weekend smog by allowing an increase in one smog-causing pollutant: nitrogen oxides. 

Experiments show the ratio between hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides plays an important role in the formation of smog. Decreasing nitrogen oxides when levels of that pollutant are low compared to hydrocarbons actually increases smog, the experiments indicate. 

Researchers found that nitrogen oxide levels decrease at a greater rate than hydrocarbon levels on weekends. 

Even if further studies support the automakers’ theory, that would be a poor reason to turn back the clock on decades of regulation and technological improvements aimed at reducing nitrogen oxides in the air, Air Resources Board spokesman Richard Varenchik said. 

“The big picture overall is that ozone has been cut by two-thirds in the last 30 years,” Varenchik said. “The strategy we’ve been using is certainly the correct strategy.” 

The South Coast Air Basin, which includes Los Angeles, saw ozone levels of 200 parts per billion or higher about every other day 35 years ago. 

 

Cleaner air has prevailed in recent years.The basin hasn’t seen such a “Stage I episode” for two years. 

Nitrogen oxides need to be kept out of the air not just because of their role in forming smog but because they also contribute to pollution from particulate matter and toxic air contaminants, said Bart Croes, chief of the air board’s research division. 

“There’s only one component of air pollution that’s worse on the weekends,” he said. “We shouldn’t devise a control strategy based on one pollutant.” 

 


Bush campaign steps up in state

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

SACRAMENTO — With California up for grabs, George W. Bush doubled his advertising effort and announced a campaign swing with one-time rival John McCain, while Gov. Gray Davis packed his bags for a week of barnstorming for Al Gore and other Democrats. 

Heartened by California polls showing Gore’s lead narrowing to 5 to 7 percentage points, the GOP presidential nominee is making an aggressive final push on the airwaves, and returning for a campaign visit Monday and Tuesday. 

Bush will air two ads, one in Spanish and English targeting Hispanics and the other in English saying he trusts individuals more than Gore. They will total about $2 million through Election Day. 

On top of that, Republicans will spend about $6 million in California between now and Nov. 7 on a series of Bush ads, including one in Spanish. 

“We are committed to winning California, and he is willing to put his time and the money on the line to win,” said Bush California campaign chairman Gerry Parsky. 

Gore has spent nothing on TV ads, and he has not visited the state since Sept. 20, though he also faces a challenge from Green Party candidate Ralph Nader. Gore has no plans to return before Election Day. 

But Gore is getting help on two fronts in the homestretch. President Clinton will campaign here late next week, and Davis plans to hopscotch the state for at least seven days beginning Sunday. 

Some Democrats have grumbled privately that Davis has done too little for Gore. The governor is California chairman of Gore’s campaign, and Garry South, an adviser to both, said electing Gore would be Davis’ “number one political priority in 2000.” 

Since the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, Davis has done little publicly to promote Gore. He swung into action this week, touting Gore in TV interviews, but only when three Republican governors campaigned in Sacramento for Bush. 

Told of the criticism, Davis said in an interview: “I beg to differ.” 

“I’ve been working for Al Gore for a year and a half,” Davis said. 

He waited until the week before the election to actively stump for Gore because “turnout is everything,” he said. 

Both Clinton and Davis enjoy high approval ratings in California, and they are likely to appear together.


Study monitors impact of Internet on society

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

LOS ANGELES — The Internet has revolutionized the way Americans talk, study, work, play and spend money. 

But could the first casualty in this revolution be our humanity? 

Not according to those responding to “Surveying the Digital Future,” a study released Wednesday by the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Nearly two-thirds of all Americans have ventured online, and most users surveyed deny the Internet creates social isolation, said Professor Jeffrey Cole, the study’s lead researcher and director of the UCLA Center for Communication Policy. 

Internet technology has been a popular communication tool for only the past five years, however, and Cole speculates the Web will have profound long-term effects that most users can’t yet detect. 

“The Internet changes everything from our values to communication patterns and consumer behavior,” Cole said. 

Spending long hours surfing the Web “can even change how many neighbors we recognize by their faces,” he added. 

The study tracked the online habits of 2,096 respondents – both Internet users and nonusers – who mirror the nation’s ethnic, economic and geographic makeup. Researchers said it had a margin of error of 2 percentage points. 

The researchers hope to use its figures to begin investigating the specific effects of Internet innovation on human behavior. 

Do the benefits of online research in schools outweigh the risk that children may happen upon risque material? (About 70 percent of adults believe children’s grades stay the same despite Internet activity.) 

Can Internet commerce cripple traditional retail stores or create healthy competition? (About 65 percent of Internet purchasers say they buy less from traditional shops.) 

Will people ignore relatives and friends in favor of chat-room acquaintances? (Three-quarters of respondents say they are not ignored.) 

Ironically, lack of privacy is the greatest concern of those surveyed. 

About two-thirds of Internet users agree that people who go online put their privacy at risk, the study showed. 

“What we’ve found is that almost no one is afraid of the government monitoring us,” Cole said. “They’re afraid corporations are watching what they do.” 

The most consistent source of profit on the Internet, Cole said, is pornography. But he acknowledged it was too difficult to get survey participants to answer truthfully to draw any conclusions on its impact. 

The survey also leaves other questions unanswered. 

Does Internet access make workers more productive or does it tempt them to slack off? What do people sacrifice to spend time online: hobbies, television, exercise, sleep? 

Cole said he hopes to continue the study over the next 10 to 20 years in an effort to address more issues relating to the technology. 

Right now, Internet users say that e-mail, Web sites and chat rooms have a “modestly positive impact” on their abilities to make new friends and communicate more with family, according to the survey. 

Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, said the report supports his own findings that the Internet is a tool that unites more people than it isolates. 

“There is some evidence that people make and sustain long distance friendships online,” Rainie said. “They get health care information that they couldn’t get before. A goodly number say it helps them manage finances better.”


State drug courts face challenge from Prop. 36

The Associated Press
Thursday April 15, 2010 - 10:53:00 AM

AUBURN — It’s no coincidence that Court Commissioner Colleen Nichols holds her weekly drug court inside the Placer County Jail.  

Bailiffs pounce on offenders who test dirty for drugs, skip treatment or otherwise break her strict rules.  

They are handcuffed and sit shamefaced next to the judge’s bench. Soon, they are whisked away to serve short jail sentences _ punishment meant as the adult equivalent of being sent to sit in the corner. 

Those who stay clean, on the other hand, are rewarded with Nichols’ praise and applause from the dozens of other drug offenders waiting their turn. 

They emerge from her jammed courtroom beaming, often to hugs from their spouses or children. Most will have their records wiped clean once they complete the program.  

Drug courts stem from a realization by judges and prosecutors a decade ago that they needed a new tool to battle the crush of crack-cocaine users clogging courts and prisons, said Jeff Tauber, who presided over California's first drug court. They adopted a carrot-and-stick approach that rewards users who stay clean and punishes those who backslide, said Tauber, president of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.  

There are nearly 700 drug courts nationwide and at least 300 more are planned. They are in 48 of California's 58 counties, and the rest will have them by year’s end, said Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Manley, president of the California Association of Drug Court Professionals. 

The drug courts reflect a recognition by politicians, judges and prosecutors that simply jailing addicts doesn't work without treatment, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said.  

Lockyer, along with several judges and other law enforcement officials, said that effort would be harmed rather than helped by a drug treatment measure on California’s Nov. 7 ballot.  

Proposition 36 would ban incarceration for those convicted for the first or second time of being under the influence of drugs or possessing drugs for their personal use, instead sending them to treatment programs. 

The initiative, sponsored by the California Campaign for New Drug Policies, would end the short jail sentences at the heart of the drug courts’ strategy. 

Effective as they are for offenders who end up in them, drug courts by their own estimates reach just 5 percent of users, while thousands more go untreated in prisons or jails, replied Dave Fratello, campaign manager for the California Campaign for New Drug Policies. 

Proposition 36 would help drug courts by pouring $120 million a year into treatment, Fratello said.  

“We feel this will complement drug courts,” Fratello said. “There's simply more options for judges if there are more programs out there.”  

Judges can use community service or residential treatment programs instead of jail to punish offenders who test positive for drugs or skip treatment sessions, Fratello said.  

But without the threat of jail, users can walk away from community service or treatment programs, Nichols said in an interview after she finished with her 83rd and final drug offender for the day. Proposition 36 would impose one- to three-year prison sentences on those who repeatedly fail treatment by using drugs or refusing to show up for sessions, but it entails a long process so complex the initiative’s proponents use a flow chart to explain it. 

The intensity of Nichols’ supervision varies based on offenders’ drug history or the severity of their drug crime, and diminishes as offenders work through the 12- to 18-month program. 

Each undergoes periodic drug tests, regular court appearances, counseling or drug classes and self-help meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s a busy schedule, and those who mess up know Nichols will immediatel order them led away in handcuffs.  

 

``One of the cornerstones is accountability and consequences,'' said Nichols, 

who has been running the drug court for 2 1/2 years. ``Without that, you have a 

whole group of people who have no reason to be clean and sober.''  

 

Participants said it is the frequent testing and threat of jail that forced them to 

stay clean.  

 

``It keeps you honest,'' said xxx, 22, of Roseville, who went to jail twice 

after testing positive for heroin. ``They're doing it to help you, not to punish 

you.''  

 

xxx, 30, and xxx, 19, both of Roseville, met in a residential 

treatment program last year: ``It's a love match made in rehab,'' joked xx.  

 

They entered Placer County's drug court program a year ago, and are among 40 

participants scheduled to graduate next month.  

 

There will be more hugs and cheers, congratulations from Nichols and other 

law enforcement officials, and each graduate will get a T-shirt proclaiming: ``I 

did it and I'm proud.''  

 

xx and xx have both spent time in jail, and neither thinks it helped 

them with their drug problem _ except as a deterrent.  

 

``If people don't have sanctions, if they don't have consequences, then they 

don't have reasons not to use,'' xx said.  

 

Steven Belenko of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at 

New York's Columbia University, found that drug courts were more effective 

than other community treatment programs, and had lower re-arrest rates for 

graduates.  

 

He worries that Proposition 36 doesn't require any minimum length of 

treatment, unlike drug court programs that run at least a year.  

 

``I just don't think this kind of short-term, sporadic treatment is appropriate for 

that kind of (addicted) population,'' Belenko said.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Border agents report witnessing gunfire

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

SAN DIEGO — Border Patrol agents reported hearing shots fired when 10 uniformed men bearing rifles came onto U.S. soil in a canyon east of San Diego. 

Border Patrol officials said the incident occurred Tuesday about four miles east of the Otay Mesa border crossing. 

Agents said the uniform wearing intruders came within 20 yards of the U.S. officers before turning and walking back to Mexico, said Merv Mason, a Border Patrol spokesman in San Diego. 

They did not identify themselves nor could agents recognize any distinguishing markings on their uniforms. 

Although Border Patrol agents said they took cover and radioed for help when they heard shots, a spokesman for the Mexican Consulate in San Diego said there were no shots fired. 

“There has been confusion,” said Roberto Gonzalez. “There were no shots.” 

Nevertheless a Border Patrol helicopter was sent to retrieve the U.S. agents. No one was injured. 

Mason said U.S. officials were consulting with Mexican authorities to determine who the men were and why they crossed.  

They reportedly entered near Otay Mountain in a rural zone where the border is marked by a knee-high fence to bar vehicles from entering the United States illegally. 

Gonzalez was still unsure if any group had entered the U.S territory, saying rugged terrain in that area makes it hard to determine where the border lies. 

U.S. officials say the incident is one of several in which Mexican soldiers and agents have strayed into the United States, mainly along sections where official border markers are sparse. 

Mexican authorities have also accused U.S. border agents of chasing suspected illegal immigrants onto Mexican soil. 

The countries are working to identify “critical” border sections and improve marking by installing poles with flashing lights and coated in reflective paint.


Smoke-free bars aren’t loosing revenue

The Associated Press
Friday October 27, 2000

 

LOS ANGELES — The number of bars complying with California’s smoke-free workplace law has risen dramatically and, rather than losing business as some feared, revenue has increased since the 1998 cigarette ban. 

“I think we’ve seen a cultural change,” Jonathan E. Fielding, county director of public health, said Thursday in announcing results of a survey showing a 46 percent rise in bars complying with the smoke-free law. 

“People now expect a smoke-free environment. While the level of support continues to increase, the bottom line is the bottom line – and that is that business has increased,” Fielding said. 

Most importantly, Fielding said, there’s been an increased number of bar employees who are protected from the dangers of secondhand smoke. 

“We are making great progress in educating the public, including smokers, about the dangers of secondhand smoke. More and more smokers are choosing to step outside instead of risking the health of those around them,” Fielding said. 

A county survey of 600 to 700 establishments with liquor licenses, picked at random, found a 46 percent increase in compliance by stand-alone bars. Overall, including restaurants with bars, compliance was up 15 percent. 

Strong public support and stepped up law enforcement has also helped with the compliance effort. 

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky joined in the compliance announcement. 

“Despite the tobacco industry’s false predictions of doom and gloom when the smoke-free bar law was enacted in January 1998, support for the law continues to increase and business among California restaurants and bars continues to grow,” Yaroslavsky said. 

Mark Lifland, owner of the Philly West bar in West Los Angeles, said he’s benefited from the smoke-free workplace law. 

“Our employees and customers appreciate a smoke-free environment,” Lifland said.


Council sends clear parking message Daily Planet Correspondent

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Correspondent
Thursday October 26, 2000

The City Council soundly rejected the mayor’s civic center parking plan at Tuesday’s meeting in favor of a more comprehensive plan that includes education, housing and a strong emphasis on alternative modes of transportation. 

The comprehensive plan passed by a 7-1 vote with only the mayor voting no and Councilmember Diane Woolley absent. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who co-wrote the plan with Councilmembers Linda Maio and Dona Spring, said he was delighted the plan passed and was surprised it won by such a large margin. He said the difference shows the city is ready to try new solutions to the parking problem. “The mayor’s plan screamed parking, parking, parking. Our plan considers education, housing, commuter checks and cost to the city,” he said. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said the approved recommendation is little more than a motion to sit and wait. Dean was especially critical of the plan’s component that directs the city to wait for completion of the Transportation Demand Management Study. The study, which cost more than $50,000, will present an analysis of traffic trends and available parking and suggest possible solutions. It is due within seven weeks.  

“That’s such a smokescreen I can’t believe it,” Dean said. “The study won’t tell you how much parking you need or where to put it.” 

Dean said her recommendation called for a two-pronged approach that would encourage transit and develop a plan for providing parking. She said that something needs to be done quickly. “This situation is a house of cards and parking is getting tighter and tighter and tighter.” 

It is undisputed that there is a shortage of parking for city employees around the civic center and it will get much worse when City Hall is re-occupied in late January. The question before the city is what direction it will take to solve the problem. The mayor, while giving a nod to a Transit First Policy, said a 100 percent transit workforce is impossible to achieve and there will always be a need for some parking and the city should determine the need and provide for it. 

But the other council faction said it’s time for the city to take a more progressive approach. They want to increase incentive for alternate forms of transportation, launch an education program that stresses the importance of using public transit and look into the creation of more affordable housing, so hard-pressed city employees and teachers, can afford to live closer to work.  

Worthington said the proposed parking lot on Oxford Street is an example. “If we build a parking lot at the Oxford Street location we lose the opportunity to create housing on the site,” he said. 

Councilmember Polly Armstrong voted for the comprehensive plan although she took a cautious approach to it. She said people’s lives are complex and the city can’t eliminate parking without having systems in place that will provide for emergencies and other necessities. She suggested the city make cabs available in case a city employee has a home emergency and has to leave work. 

“It’s easy for transit supporters to say leave the car at home and take public transportation but life is more complicated than that,” she said. “We need to humanize whatever parking or transit plan goes into place.” 

Maio, a co-author of the plan, also voiced caution based on a recent report by the city manager. The report, which painted a bleak picture of available parking, analyzed current parking conditions while various construction projects are ongoing and looked at future parking availability once construction is complete.  

“According to the city manager’s report there will be a permanent shortfall of 142 spaces in the civic center area after all construction is done,” she said, “That’s a lot of spaces and something we’ll have to be very aware of.” 

The Berkeley Police Association left no doubt it wants more parking around the new Public Safety Building. At last week’s meeting 20 off-duty officers made their views clear during the public comment portion of the meeting, as well as participating in some Berkeley-style protest chanting in the hallway outside the Council Chamber.  

During the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting, a succession of speakers got frequent applause from the 30 supporters in the audience, when they spoke against the creation of more parking. 

Carrie Sprague was singled out the previous week by police officers as contributing to the parking problem. Sprague is known to walk the neighborhood near the Public Safety Building with a clipboard recording the license numbers of people who are parked in excess of the two-hour limit. She was heralded by speakers at Tuesday’s meeting. One suggested a huge statue of a woman holding a clipboard should be erected in front of City Hall. 

Robert Wrenn, chair of the Berkeley Planning Commission, said it was time Berkeley stop talking about transit programs and actually put one in place. There’s language in the 1997 Civic Center Urban Design Plan that calls for the city to encourage Civic Center employees to take public transit. But it was never aggressively pursued. 

“Every time I turn around someone is suggesting another parking garage. It’s time we put the same energy into transit.” 

Worthington added that according to financial reports from the two city-owned garages in the area there is only a parking shortage around lunch time.  

“This is not about parking, it’s about free parking,” he said. “If anyone who works for the police department can’t find a parking space they bring me their car and I’ll find a space for it. They’ll have to pay, though.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events & Activities

Thursday October 26, 2000


Thursday, Oct. 26

 

“A Contemporary Food Fight: GM Foods in the market place” 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley 

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

A discussion with Dr. Peggy Lemaux, professor of Plant and Microbiology at UC Berkeley, and Dr. Petra Frey from Switzerland, of the scientific basis for biotechnology, it’s risks and benefits. 

Contact Maribel Guillermo, 642-9460 

 

“What Does Rent Control Do For You” 

2000 Tenants’ rights week 

hourly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

ASUC/Rent Board booth at Sather Gate on the Berkeley campus. 

644-7714 

 

New Science & Ancient Wisdom Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International Center 

2222 Harold Way 

Featured speakers include Father Charlie Moore speaking on “The Cosmic Origins of Man,” Dolores Cannon speaking on “Visions of Nostradamus,” and David Hatcher Childress speaking on “Technology of the Gods.” Event runs through Sunday.  

Pre-registration admission, $65; after Oct. 27, $85 

Call Charles Gotsky, 650-343-5202  

 

From Morgan to Modern 

Julia Morgan and Hearst Castle:Designing and American Country House 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10 or $35 for series that continues through November. 

841-2242 

 

Adult Aerobic Class 

9:30 - 11 a.m.  

Berkeley Adult School 

1414 Walnut St.  

Get fit doing simple routines to upbeat music. Adaptable to those with physical limitations. Free. Every Thursday.  

Call Dolores, 540-0771 

 

East Bay Science  

& Arts Middle School 

Noon  

BART Plaza, Downtown 

Middle school students perform dances of folk, swing, and Cuban rueda styles. Free.  

Contact Carrie Ridgeway, 549-2230 

Proposition Brown Bag 

Noon - 1:30 p.m.  

Institute of Governmental Studies 

109 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Hear presentations about and discuss the eight propositions on the California ballot. 642-4608 

 

Tai Chi 

2 p.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst 

644-6107 

 

Homeless Action Center’s 10th anniversary Benefit 

Club Muse 

The Vagabond Lovers, comedian Doug Ferrai 

856 San Pablo Ave. Albany 

For ticket information call 540-0878 

 

Christmas in April  

This volunteer based service renovates homes and community centers for low-income, elderly and disabled persons. They are seeking applications for free home repairs to be completed in 2001. Applicants should be low-income seniors, 55 or older, or disabled residents who own their homes. Applications are due November 1.  

Call 644-8979 

 

Zoning Adjustments Board Meeting 

7 p.m.  

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

 

West Berkeley Project Area Meeting 

7 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth Ave. 


Friday, Oct. 27

 

“Transportation: What’s in Store?” 

11:45 a.m. 

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

Larry Dahms, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Council speaks at 12:30 p.m. Luncheon is served at 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. 

Luncheon: $11 

More info and reservations: 848-3533 

“Right Ways to Get  

Out of a Lease” 

2000 Tenants’ rights week 

hourly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

ASUC/Rent Board booth at Sather Gate on the Berkeley campus. 

644-7714 

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305  

 

Conversational Yiddish 

1 p.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst, 644-6107  

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free. Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

 

Halloween Haunt  

at the Downtown YMCA 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Downtown Berkeley YMCA 

2001 Allston Way 

Free and open to the public. The Y is asking for a $1 donation to benefit the YMCA’s Youth and Government Program. Call 665-3238 


Saturday, Oct. 28

 

Shakespeare Festival’s annual costume and garage sale  

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props, and set pieces from previous productions. Free. 701 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-3422 ext. 120. 

 

Buddhist Peace Fellowship 

“A Day of Mindfulness with Claude Anshin Thomas” 

A day of meditation, dialogue, teachings and reflection on transforming violence in ourselves an in the world. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

We the People Auditorium, 200 Harrison St.Donations excepted 

496-6072 

 

Community Workshop to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Berkeley High School  

9 a.m. – noon 

Florence Schwimley Little Theater at Berkeley High School 

Students, parents, teachers, business owners, neighbors, and others are invited to a discussion on that will help set the course for future school improvements and provide the basis for accreditation review. 

540-1252, tinstarr@earthlink.net 

 

“Grassroots Globalization  

vs. Elite Globalization” 

2 p.m. 

Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library 

6501 Telegraph Ave. 

595-7417 

 

“Halloween Mask Making” 

Tilden Regional Park 

2 p.m. 

Come learn the origins of Halloween and make a plaster-gauze mask. Registration required. $4. Take Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Berkeley. (510) 525-2233. 

 

Pedaling the Green City 

11 a.m. -3:30 p.m.  

Take a leisurely bike ride along the future San Francisco Bay Trail. One in a series of free outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations  

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Halloween for the little guys with (not so) scary stories, music, and more.  

Call 649-3943  

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free. Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

St. John’s Church and Camp Elmwood Haunted House  

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  

Party for teens from 8:45 to 10 p.m. Free. Wear a costume and bring a canned good, book or toy donation. 845-2656 

 

“The 3rd annual Habitot Halloween” 

Habitot Children’s Museum  

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

A not-too-spooky Halloween event for young children with entertainment, parades, games, magic and songs. Come in costume. Registration strongly suggested. $4 general; $6 for the first child age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 

 

“Not Very Scary  

Halloween Celebration” 

10:30 a.m. at La Pena  

Betsy Rose performs songs and activities to celebrate the harvest season and the ancestral spirits. Children are invited to come in costume. $4 general; $3 children. 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2572. 

 

New School’s  

Halloween Bazaar 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

1606 Bonita St. (at Cedar) 

Free to the public, this annual event features face painting, mask-making, children’s games, apple bobbing, pumpkins, live entertainment, and a vast array of other delights. Proceeds benefit the New School’s scholarship fund and the playground project. Free.  

Call 548-9165 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Run Your Own Landscape Business: Part 3 

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. (at Blake) 

Local horticultural consultant and UC Master Gardener Jessie West will teach you how to plant, prune, control weeds, and more. This is the final class in the series. 

$15 general; $10 for members; $5 materials fee 

Call 548-2220 x223 

 


Sunday, Oct. 29

 

“Almost Halloween Hike,”  

Tilden Regional Park 

10 a.m.  

Explore the nature of Halloween folklore on the trails.  

“Wake the Dead: A Music Concert”  

Celebrate the Celtic “Day of the Dead” (Halloween) with folksong artists Paul Kotapish and Danny Carnahan.  

2 to 4 p.m.  

(510) 525-2233. 

 

“Gateway to Knowledge” 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl. 

Barr Rosenberg describes how to master new knowledge and take the power to shape our lives in wise and compassionate ways.  

843-6812 

 

An Evening with The Professor 

5 - 9:30 p.m. 

Mambo Mambo 

1803 Webster St.  

Oakland 

Berkeley resident Geoffrey A. Hirsch, better known as the Tie Guy from the “How Berkeley Can You Be” parade got his start in comedy in 1996. A professor in real life, Hirsch tell the story of how he became a funny guy.  

$5 for show only, $10 for show and dinner 

Call Geoffrey Hirsch at 845-5631 to reserve tickets 

 

“Liberty Heights” 

2 - 4:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Directed by Barry Levinson, this film introduces the Kurtzmans, middle class Jews living in Baltimore in the 50s’. A discussion of the film will follow.  

$2 suggested donation 

Call 848-0237 

 

“The Key of Happiness” 

3 p.m. 

St. John’s Church  

2727 College Ave.  

Carlos Lozano, former Columbian Ambassador to India and Egypt, will speak on meditation. Free. 

Call 707-529-9584 

 


Monday, Oct. 30

 

Fun with Oragami 

10 a.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

644-6107 

 

“BYOP: Pumpkin Carving By Porch and Hearth,” 

Tilden Regional Park 

4 to 7 p.m. “Bring your own pepo” 

Take Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak  

Boulevard, Berkeley. (510) 525-2233. 

 


Tuesday, Oct. 31

 

Sing-A-Long 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

644-6107 

 

Haunted House 

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 

1818 5th St. 

Free 

Donations benefiting youth activities in Berkeley appreciated. 

644-3305 

 


Wednesday, Nov. 1

 

Kathak Dancing with Pandit Chitresh Das 

7:30 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 

2640 College Ave.  

The Graduate Theological Union presents a free lecture-demonstration with Pandit Chitresh Das, a master of India’s Kathak dance form. This event is free. 

Call 649-2440 for additional info 

 

Mountain Adventure Seminar 

In-store, registration required 

6 p.m.-9 p.m. 

Learn about equip,emt. fundamental climbing techiques and safety procedures. 

$100 REI members, $110 for non members 

To register (209) 753-6556 

 

Task Force on Telecommunications 

7 p.m. 

North Berkely Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Fire Safety Commission 

7:30 p.m.  

Fire Training Division 

997 Cedar St.  

Discussion will include undergrounding of utilities in Berkeley and a proposal to the City Council for additional support for the Fire Department.  

 

Citizen’s Budget Review Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

 

Board of Education 

7:30 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

 


Thursday, Nov. 2

 

PASTForward Panel Discussion 

2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum 

Bancroft Way (below College) 

In conjunction with the White Oak Dance Project’s performances, a panel discussion with Judson era dance choreographers Yvonne Rainer and Deborah Hay. Free. 

 

From Morgan to Modern 

“Saddling the Site: The Environmental Designs of Wurster, Church and Others” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

 

Spirit of the Road 

7:30 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Don Patton, general editor and Vice President of Publishing for the California State Automobile Association presents a slide show celebrating the first one hundred years of the automobile and the CSA. Free. 

Call 843-3533 for more info.  

 


Friday, Nov. 3

 

Taize Worship Service 

7:30-8:30 p.m. 

An hour of quiet reflection and song. First Friday of the month. 

Loper Chapel on Dana Street between Durant and Channing Way. 

848-3696 

 

“Want to Transform your Dreams Into Reality?” 

Lecture by Leonard Orr, world known for creating the Rebirthing and Conscious Breathwork Movement. 

7:30 p.m., 

The Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St. 

$25, 843-6514 

 


Saturday, Nov. 4

 

Breathtaking Barnabe Peak 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Hike through Samuel P. Taylor State Park’s lush forests and climb to the heights of Barnabe Peak, overlooking Point Reyes. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Dublin Library’s resident storyteller and featured teller at the 1998 National Storytelling Festival tell kids aged 3 to 7 her favorite tales.  

Call 649-3943  

 

New Science & Ancient Wisdom Conference 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

International Center 

2222 Harold Way 

Featured speakers include Father Charlie Moore speaking on “The Cosmic Origins of Man,” Dolores Cannon speaking on “Visions of Nostradamus,” and David Hatcher Childress speaking on “Technology of the Gods.” Event runs through Sunday.  

Pre-registration admission, $65; after Oct. 27, $85 

Call Charles Gotsky, 650-343-5202 

 

The Next Ivory Trade? The Intellectual Property Rights of University Faculty 

A conference sponsored by the Berkeley Faculty Association/American Association of University Professors Coalition 

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley International House 

841-1997 

 


Sunday, Nov. 5

 

Buddhist Psychology 

6 p.m.  

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Pl.  

Buddhist teacher Sylvia Gretchen on “Beyond Therapy and Into the Heart of Buddhist Psychology.” Free. 

Call 843-6812  

 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour 

Downtown Berkeley  

Tour new construction, new uses, historic rehabilitation and public improvments that are completed or still in the works.  

Noon 

RSVP required 841-0181 space is limited. 

Tickets: $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers. 

 

A Dispirited Rebellion 

10 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Author, television personality and columnist Gadi Taub will explore the literary and cinematic changes in Israeli society since the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. A brunch will be served at 10 a.m.  

Admission: $7 non-JCC members; $5 members 

Call 848-9237 

 


Monday, Nov. 6

 

Airports vs. the Bay 

7 p.m. 

Albany Community Center 

1249 Marin St.  

Albany 

David Lewis, Executive Director of “Save the Bay” will speak on the airports’ plans to expand into the SF Bay and other challenges to Bay restoration.  

Contact: Friends of Five Creeks, 848-9358 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 7

 

Zonta Club dinner 

5:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

$20 per person 

Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine bioligist, author and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, will be the featured speaker. 

For more information call 845-6221 

 


Thursday, Nov. 9

 

The Life and Art of Chiura Obata 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Public Library 

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

A slide show and lecture presented by Obata’s granddaughter, Kimi Kodani Hill, celebrating Obata’s book, “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment,” and the retrospective exhibit of Obata’s work to appear this Fall at SFs De Young Museum. 

For details call 644-6850  

 

From Morgan to Modern 

“Bay Area Modern” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

 

ESL Teacher Job Fair 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave., Room 7  

ESL program representatives from adult schools in Alameda and Contra Costa counties will provide information about desired qualifications, current job openings, credentialing requirements, and more.  

Call Kay Wade, 644-6130 

 

“Feeding the Moon: A Nutritive Approach to Feminine Fertility” 

Lern how fertility is affected by the environment and how it can be enhanced by healthy lifestyle choices 

7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The Ecology Center 

2530 San Pable Ave.  

558-1324, free 

 

“Diabetes: What to Know Head-to-Toe” 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free 

869-6737 

 

Love and Betrayal: A Musical Journey 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Mezzo Soprano Sylvia Braitman discusses the role Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg, and Hanns Eisler played in the development of modernity in German, Austrian and Western music.  

Tuition: $8 for general; $5 JJC members (class code A101-BJ) 

Call 848-0237 for more info.  

 


Saturday, Nov. 11

 

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 


Sunday, Nov. 12

 

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

 

“Time Across Cultures” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

St. Clements Church 

2837 Claremont Ave.  

The annual Roselyn Yellin Memorial lecture with a slide-illustrated panel discussion. Also a tour of the “Telling Time” exhibit at the Judah L. Magnes Museum followed by a reception at the museum, 4 - 5 p.m.  

More info: 549-6950 

 

Buddhism & Compassion 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Psychiatrist and teacher Bobby Jones on “Healing through Compassion.” Free.  

843-6812 

 


Monday, Nov. 13

 

An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Barbara Kingsolver’s works include “Animal Dreams,” “High Tide in Tucson,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Prodigal Summer” 

free parking $10 in advance, $13 at the door 

Benefits KPFA and Urban Ecology. 

848-6767 

 

From Rossi to Bernstein 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the works of Jewish classical composers beginning with the sixteenth century. The first in a series of three Monday evening classes on music.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students  

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students 

Call 848-0237 

 

Berkeley Preschool Fair 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, this fair features representatives from local preschools. The topic will be how to evaluate preschool education philosophies and make the most of the admissions process. A fair featuring many local preschools will follow panel discussion. 

$5 non-members; Free to NPN members 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org 

 


Tuesday, Nov. 14

 

Take a Trip to the Steinbeck Museum and 

Mission San Juan Bautista 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

This is an outing organzied by the Senior Center.  

$40 with lunch, $25 without  

Call Maggie or Suzanne, 644-6107 

 

“The Hand of Buddha” 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck (at Rose) 

In her new book poet, columnist and travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin explores the lives of women from different ethnic backgrounds and in moments of crisis. Free 

Call 843-3533 

 

Compiled by Chason Wainwright 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Thursday October 26, 2000

Measure R is  

a life saver 

 

Editor: 

As a senior citizen and one of many to whom the passage of measure R will be a life saver, I am writing you concerning the warm-water pool run by the City of Berkeley as part of the Berkeley Unified School District. 

This pool has served the community for over 20 years and is now badly in need of renovation. Due to a spinal condition I swim there several times a week. I find it the one most effective pain reliever I have experienced so far, and it is the only place where I can get the weightless exercise essential to my general health.  

Of the people who I see there and who share my experience there are many who have serious disabilities, many who are in wheel chairs, some who are elderly, some who are quite young, and some obviously in pain. All of them find relief and healing in the warm water of this pool. 

Measure R, if passed, will provide the needed money to save this pool, as neither the City nor the School District reportedly have the funds available to do this.  

I can only have implicit trust in the compassion and humanity of my fellow voters in their support of Measure R. We will be infinitely grateful.  

 

Augusta Lucas-Andreae 

Berkeley 

 

Measure R: warm water pool, a partnership 

 

Editor: 

I was so pleased when I learned that the Berkeley City Council has placed Measure R on the ballot for the November election. This is a wonderful opportunity to rescue and renovate an important community resource—the warm water swimming pool located at Berkeley High School. 

The warm water pool, a cooperative effort between the City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Unified School District, has offered programs to the public for more than twenty years. The pool is located on the Berkeley High School campus and maintained by the city. 

The pool is heated to 93 degrees, ideal for people who need warmth and a low-impact environment to be able to exercise. The pool is regularly used by senior citizens, and people of all ages who are physically disabled because of stroke, injury, cerebral palsy, other neurological conditions, or arthritis. For some, it has been an integral part of their lives for many years. For others, it is a means of recovery from shorter-term injuries or surgery. 

During my years on the Berkeley School Board, the Board received many letters and phone calls from community pool users and medical professionals urging us to preserve the warm water pool, rather than use the space for other purposes, as well as advising us of the need for renovations. I found their descriptions of the physical and emotional benefits of the warm water pool very compelling. One woman explained that the pool was the only place she could exist in the world without pain. Others told how the pool improved the quality of their lives and uplifted their spirits. I had never realized what a broad segment of the community benefited from the warm waters of the pool. 

A few years ago the School Board and Superintendent made a commitment, as part of the new Master Plan for Berkeley High School, to preserve the warm water pool’s place on the high school campus. However, neither the school district nor the city has the funds to pay for the substantial renovations the aged pool requires. Measure R would provide the approximately $3 million needed to save the pool, and cost the average taxpayer only $4 per year. 

I am sure most of us could think of relatives, friends or neighbors whose lives would be helped by swimming in the warm water pool. And those of us who do not need it now might need it someday! Please vote November 7th for Measure R. 

 

Miriam Topel 

Former Member, Berkeley School Board 1990-98 

 

Measure Y could cost you $4,500 

 

Editor: 

Homeowners beware! Measure “Y” applies to you - just as does Section 13 (Good Cause Required for Eviction) of Berkeley’s rent law, which it modifies (= tightens). 

Say you’re renting a room or an in-law suite to a student or other low-to-moderate income person. Under “Y” you would have to pay that person $4,500 “relocation expenses” if you wanted to reclaim the accommodations after a year for your own or your family’s use. Worse yet, if your tenant, regardless of age or disability status, had been there for at least five years, he/she would have gained a lifetime estate, and you’d have to pay even more to dislodge him/her or hire a lawyer and go to court -whichever cost less - in order to regain full possession of your home. Not to speak of the nightmarish scenario which could arise, were you to leave for a year (Sabbatical?) and rent out your home while you’re away. 

Read the proposed measure in all its details (2 and 1/4 full pages in your voter information pamphlet!). It applies to you! Vote NO on “Y”. 

 

Peggy Schioler 

Candidate for the Rent Stabilization Board 

 

Measure Y opens the door to discrimination 

 

Editor: 

How refreshing to see such honesty come from Berkeley Property Owner Association President Robert Cabrera when he states that Measure Y will “grease the skids for discrimination.” 

Is Mr. Cabrera actually saying that by passing legislation protecting certain vulnerable classes of our population (elderly and the disabled) from certain types of evictions that his landlord constituency will then discriminate by not renting to these people? 

And that, in essence, Measure Y should thus be defeated? Following this rationale all Civil Rights legislation passed since the Civil War and all legislation which protects any vulnerable group from discrimination should thus be repealed since the argument is the same. Why hire a woman, a senior, an ethnic minority or a disabled person, since they have legal protection from discrimination? I simply won’t hire them.  

How refreshing indeed to see the President of the Property Owner’s Association reveal true colors when it comes to their sincerity and compassion towards Berkeley renters.  

 

Matthew Siegel 

candidate for Rent Board 

 

 

 

Olson takes campaign to cyberspace 

The Daily Planet received this press release from Carrie Olson’s District 5 City Council campaign: 

Berkeley City Council candidate Carrie Olson is taking her campaign to the Internet, by launching an online discussion forum to address the issue of growth in California’s 3rd densest city. Landmark Commissioner Olson, who operates MoveOn.org, a national citizens action website, has created a unique on-line venue she calls an ActionForum. This award winning venue is effectively an electronic town hall, using a reader rating system to give every citizen’s comment a chance to rise to the top. ActionForum.com was also used by the Berkeley for citizen discussion of the city’s controversial General Plan draft and by MoveOn.org for their National Goals forum. 

“By engaging citizens in online discussion,” said candidate Carrie Olson, “I’m working to focus the election on important issues facing the city, like the stunning growth anticipated for this already dense town, and away from political-machine partisanship.” 

Citizens using ActionForum are able to join in a dialogue over the Internet with their fellow citizens, where all participants in the forum have the opportunity to be heard and where the highest rated comments rise to the top. ActionForum participants not only rank comments, they also indicate if they agree with the comment. A tally is automatically kept. Citizens can easily change their mind and the tallies are automatically updated. 

Go to: http://www.actionforum.org/national/carrie.html 

 

 

Rodefer touts  

health reform 

The Daily Planet received this press release from Benjamin Rodefer’s Distric 5 council campaign.  

Benjamin Rodefer announced today the details of his “Berkeley Care” program, a plan that would offer health insurance to every resident of Berkeley.  

“The goal of Berkeley Care” Rodefer says, “is to address the great disparity in health care coverage among our diverse resident population. The long term hope is that we will be able to divert existing health care funding earmarked for city health services, as well as other County, State, Federal and private funds to augment Berkeley Care and thereby lower enrollee costs. Eventually we hope to be providing universal health care to every resident of Berkeley, and in the process providing National leadership on this crucial issue.” 

How “Berkeley Care” works: 

• The City of Berkeley creates a citywide pool, consisting of both uninsured residents and currently insured residents wishing alternative coverage. 

• The City seeks bids from HMO’s to cover the pool. The higher the city’s enrollment percentage, the lower the insurer’s risk, and hence the lower the corresponding rates. The contract would have a tiered rate structure. 

•. There would be two premium rates: standard and low income. City residents would work directly with the HMO to establish their residency and income status.  

4. The HMO contract would stipulate that a small monthly fee, based on total enrollment for that period, be returned to the city as contribution towards City’s costs. 

5. The City of Berkeley would actively pursue further funding options for Berkeley Care. 

For more information contact Benjamin Rodefer at 510-525-9263 

Or CityCouncil@HipNow.com 

Editor: 

How refreshing to see such honesty come from Berkeley Property Owner Association President Robert Cabrera when he states that Measure Y will “grease the skids for discrimination.” 

Is Mr. Cabrera actually saying that by passing legislation protecting certain vulnerable classes of our population (elderly and the disabled) from certain types of evictions that his landlord constituency will then discriminate by not renting to these people? 

And that, in essence, Measure Y should thus be defeated? Following this rationale all Civil Rights legislation passed since the Civil War and all legislation which protects any vulnerable group from discrimination should thus be repealed since the argument is the same. Why hire a woman, a senior, an ethnic minority or a disabled person, since they have legal protection from discrimination? I simply won’t hire them.  

How refreshing indeed to see the President of the Property Owner’s Association reveal true colors when it comes to their sincerity and compassion towards Berkeley renters.  

 

Matthew Siegel 

candidate for Rent Board 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subject:  

AC Transit Needs Transition 

Date:  

Wed, 25 Oct 2000 20:33:16 EDT 

From:  

Robehelen@aol.com 

To:  

opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.com 

 

 

 

 

“Bus” -- a huge, noisy, polluting vehicle that runs in a static state with  

disregard to neighborhoods, traffic lights, environment, bicycles,  

pedestrians and passengers. After commute hours, buses can be see on  

Telegraph, Shattuck and College Ave., at times, two and three bumper to  

bumper with the front bus transporting all the passengers and the other two  

empty. In the late evening hours on College Ave., it is not uncommon to see  

these monstrosities running pass midnight with one or two passengers. Not  

only does this produce unnecessary traffic, noise, pollution and consumption  

of petroleum products, but it serves as a stage for the ineffective and  

uncreative AC Transit management. It is disturbing that AC Transit does not  

employ an Analyst to research and report recommendations. Can it be so  

difficult to replace these inefficient monstrosities with small economical  

vans to serve the one or two passengers after commute hours? This would  

provide more street for bicycles to pass, less pollution, less noise,  

conservation of petroleum products and it will cut costs for AC Transit not  

only for bus purchases, but for fuel and maintenance.  

 

Robert Radford 

Berkeley  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editor: 

To often, Berkeley “Activist” groups work separately or take different approaches to solve the same problem. Your article about the southwest Berkeley neighborhoods opposition to a new fast food complex at 1200 Ashby Ave. appeared above an article stating that southwest Berkeley residents have a life expectancy of 20 years less than those residents in the Berkeley hills. 

There is a major connection here between these two groups of activists and they should be working to help each other. Those residents in southwest Berkeley ( read African American) die at a younger age not only because of a lack of healthcare but because of poor eating habits. A recent study on health showed that black youth get 40 percent of their daily vegetable intake from french fries. An article about the free lunch program in Oakland High schools revealed that very few of those elegible took part but instead bought fast food.  

Obesity among all Americans has increased more than 60 percent since 1990. There is more of a health crisis than a health care crisis.Those who want healthcare for everyone should think in terms of wanting a healthy life for everyone. Help people to enjoy their lives by improving their quality of life not just prolonging it. Berkeley is proud of the fact that it promotes the use of bycyles and not the automobile. It is time for Berkeley to promote healthy lifestyles and ban fast food.  

Caring about health is as important as caring about healthcare. 

 

Michael Larrick  

(510) 849-4572 

 

Editor: 

Hello, my name is Kinchasa Taylor and I am and have been a resident of Carrison Street for the past 23 years. I am upset by the article written about the block and how the people who live on the block are represented. 

I believe that the opinions in opposition to the plans to build a fast-food restaurant and mini mart are valid and I would agree with them. 

What I do not agree with is the way my new neighbors portrayed Carrison Street as a “street overrun with drug dealers and prostitutes.” I’d like to point out that Vicki and Mike Larrick have not lived on Carrison Street for eight year as stated. Drug dealers and prostitution has never been a problem on Carrison Street. 

Until they moved in, this street was filled by senior citizens. 

Actually the house in which they live was owned by a senior citizen until her death. They moved in her house maybe 4-5 years after she died. 

I know this because up until they moved in I watered the grass. I believe that my anger is mostly directed at this couple because of their portrayal of themselves as saviors to the community. 

The community expects people who move into the neighborhood to show respect for those that have lived here before and have raised successful families. It saddens me that we have lost our predominantly African American neighbors. 

But as people move in to clean up the neighborhood they must keep in mind that are new that they are joining the group that was already established and attempting to make a change themselves. 

It is really sad to see that my neighborhood is being represented as a bad black neighborhood until it was saved by it’s new white residents. Some of the arrivals of the migration to South Berkeley, do not respect the people, the community, or the residents they have joined with. 

Our land, our efforts, our homes are being taken over by people that have only one thing on there mind: how can I live here and make it the way I want it to be, not how can I become a part of this community and help with the efforts being made.  

If you want to write something about the community, write about the gentrification, genocide, and mentacide occurring in south Berkeley. It’s real and it’s occurring. 

If you don’t believe me ask my old neighbors, senior citizens with historically fixed rents, uniformed of there rights and Measure Y, why they had to move out there homes, and move after over 25 years of occupation.  

Kinchasa Taylor, 

Berkeley 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


’Jackets sweep Alameda; boys undefeated in ACCAL

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday October 26, 2000

Berkeley passes last major test in league play; Encinal up next 

 

In a battle of the ACCAL’s only remaining undefeated boys’ water polo teams, Berkeley High came out on top of Alameda, 12-9, Tuesday afternoon. 

Playing in the smallest pool in the conference, the action was fast and furious as counterattacks came one after another. The visiting Yellowjackets (12-6, 4-0 ACCAL) never trailed in the match and never lost their lead after the first quarter, but the outcome was in doubt until the final two minutes of the final period. 

“We’ve played these guys three times this year, and we’ve won every time,” said Yellowjacket Carl Nasman. “But it’s always close, and they really know how to play in their own pool.” 

Berkeley couldn’t maintain more than a one-goal lead for most of the match, but they didn’t let the Hornets establish their offense enough to tie the match either. Up 9-8 with less than four minutes remaining in the match, the ’Jackets pounded the ball in side to Joe Ravera and David Schooley, who each scored a goal to put the visitors up 11-8 with just two minutes left and remove any doubt about which team was going to win. 

The Yellowjackets main concern on defense was keeping the ball out of the hands of Alameda hole setter Artie Cortez, the Hornets’ best player and the hub of the team’s offense.  

“Our coach told us to double-team him if he got the ball in the hole, and we stopped his pretty well,” Nasman said. 

With Ravera and Schooley playing tough defense on Cortez, the Hornets were reduced to taking shots from the perimeter for much of the match, which played right into the hands of the Berkeley defense. 

“We were terrible shooting and passing today,” said Alameda coach Robert Rodd. “We made their goalie look like and all-star.” 

That goalie, Chris May, made 12 saves in the game and also watched numerous Alameda shots go wide and high of his net. 

“I thought they were actually pretty good shooting out of their set offense,” May said. “But once I got used to the small pool and shots coming from anywhere, it was easier to stop them.” 

May also praised his team’s play against Cortez. 

“We had really good hole-set defense today, and he didn’t get many shots close in,” he said. 

Berkeley jumped out to a quick two-goal lead on goals from Ravera and Schooley, but the Hornets came rushing back to tie the score with two goals of their own in less than a minute of action. Nasman scored a goal before the first intermission to give the ’Jackets a 3-2 lead. 

The second period was more of the same, as both teams scored three goals for a 6-5 halftime score. Cortez got his first goal during the quarter, but it was a shot from the outside as he looked to escape the ’Jackets’ tough interior defense. 

The third quarter was highlighted by spectacular saves from each goalie, as Alameda’s James Britton knocked down inside shots from Ravera and Schooley. But Schooley went to his backhand in the final period, scoring three straight goals for Berkeley to finish with five scores. 

“He beat the same guy with the same moves three times in a row,” Rodd said. “It’s hard to win a game like that.” 

When Ravera found himself three yards out from the Alameda goal with the ball in his hand and no defender in sight, he put the game away with his third goal to put Berkeley up 11-8. Cortez finally got his second goal with a minute left, but Alameda’s frustrations boiled over as Steve Lodigiani was ejected from the action following his third intentional foul, and Berkeley’s Dominic Cathey scored with 37 seconds left on the clock to set the final score and deal the Hornets their first ACCAL loss. 

The girls’ game was considerably less competitive, as the ’Jackets (7-8, 2-3) scored four goals in less than two minutes during the first quarter. From there the rest of the game was just a formality, as Berkeley’s Cody Keffer racked up a second-half hat trick to match the three goals from teammate Carrie Guilfoyle as the Yellowjackets rolled to a 9-3 win. Berkeley goalie Amy Degenkolb made 10 saves in the winning effort.


KPFA airwaves still a battle

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet Staff
Thursday October 26, 2000

More than 200 people turned out in the Wednesday morning downpour in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Way studios of KPFA chanting, as they did during the summer of 1999, “Who’s station? Our station!”  

As during that summer, the protesters were demonstrating over claims that Pacifica Foundation, which governs the five Pacifica stations and holds their licenses, “gags” programmers, dictating what they can and cannot say. 

This time, the protesters were not focused on local programming but on national radio news-magazine co-host Amy Goodman who co-anchors Democracy Now!, a hard-hitting unabashedly left leaning show that has won awards for reporting on police brutality, Chevron’s role in Nigeria, East Timor and more.  

Speakers claimed Goodman is being micro-managed by her Pacifica bosses and saddled with new work rules, which Goodman describes in an e-mail as a “desire of management to reign in and exert political control over Democracy Now!” 

Demonstrations were held Wednesday at each of the five Pacifica stations. 

“This is about a political housekeeping purge,” noted author and media critic Norman Solomon told the morning rally, which spilled off the sidewalk and onto the street.  

“They’re trying to implement an ideological litmus test. If you’re more progressive than Al Gore, get off our air waves,” he said. 

Goodman describes the situation in an e-mail distributed by Northern California Pacifica board member Tomas Moran. 

She talks about going into a meeting in mid October with the Pacifica program director and executive director which she said she believed was to “resolve a series of escalating conflicts which have erupted in recent months between (program director Stephen) Yasko, Executive Director Bessie Wash, myself and the Democracy Now! staff....Instead we were suddenly faced with this list of ‘ground rules’ and the threat to fire me.” 

Among the rules is a demand to present a list of topics for shows for the next week and to accept only speaking engagements that have been preapproved by the program director.  

Goodman further claims that two new producers are being imposed on her and co-host Juan Gonzales without their approval. “The two producers – our only producers – are the heart of this show,” Goodman writes. “It is clear from all of management’s actions, they are using this opportunity to change the political direction of the program.” 

Pacifica’s public relations department’s voice mailbox in Washington, D.C., was full Wednesday and Executive Director Bessie Wash was traveling and unavailable for comment.  

Pacifica did issue a statement on the matter on Monday, noting that Democracy Now! “has become one of our most valued programs.” 

The Pacifica memo further asserted: 

• It has not dictated Democracy Now! programming, nor has it censored the programming. “Comments were not presented to Ms. Goodman as directives. Such input is part of the collaborative radio production process.” 

• Goodman’s bringing Ralph Nader onto the floor of the Republican Convention in order to get his live commentary from there and using a borrowed press pass, “put all of Pacifica in danger of not receiving credentials for the Democratic Convention,” the memo said, explaining that is why management did not allow Democracy Now! hosts to get Democratic Convention press passes. 

• Contrary to claims, Goodman has been part of conversations in the process of choosing new producers. It is intended for both Goodman and Yasko to interview candidates together. 

• Pacifica has not tried to limit Goodman’s free speech, but asked her to inform the Foundation of Pacifica-related speaking activities and to get approval. “National radio hosts are Pacifica ambassadors and intrinsically represent the organization at an function where they make public remarks.” 

For more information, see www.mediademocracyow.org or www.pacifica.org. 

 


Hornets dominate BHS women’s tennis

By George Thomas Daily Planet Correspondent
Thursday October 26, 2000

Alameda deals Berkeley second loss of season 

 

It was a battle of the stinging insects on Tuesday when the Berkeley High Yellowjackets’ women’s tennis team fell to Alameda High’s Hornets by a score of six matches to one. 

With the loss, their second of the season to Alameda, the ‘Jackets fell to 4-2 in league play. Alameda are now 5-0 and are clear favorites to claim the ACCAL title. 

Alameda swept six of seven matches from the Yellowjackets in decisive fashion and looked like a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming NCS playoffs. 

Berkeley’s top singles player, the nationally-ranked Megan Sweeney, fell to Alameda’s Megan Falcon in a tough match in which the scoreline wasn’t reflective of the run of play. It was a battle of baseliners, and while Sweeney seemed to overpower her opponent at times, Falcon was steadier throughout the contest. Falcon’s victory was an excellant example of the technique known as pushing, in which a player seeks to outlast her opponent through keeping her shots soft and deep. 

At No. 1 doubles, Talia Gracer and Carly Kleiman were defeated by an Alameda pair, Valerie Surh and Liz Lam, who were simply more aggressive. While Berkeley’s tandem often let balls bounce near the net, Surh and Lam pounced on short balls, creating easy volleys and putting them away nicely. The Alameda couple played fundamental doubles, taking big swings from the baseline and attacking the net. 

Joanna Letz was the lone standout in an otherwise dissapointing day for the ‘Jackets, as she cruised to an easy victory in 45 minutes. Her individual triumph combined with her support from the sideline were not enough to power her teammates to victory, and Alameda had clinched the four matches necessary for the win well before the 90-minute mark. 

Berkeley loses only two seniors after this season, Talia Gracer and Sarah Lesser, and have two freshman in their top four spots. “Our freshman have been a big part of the team,” Letz said.  

The team also has five juniors and is likely to improve next season. The strength of Berkeley and Alameda’s programs, combined with the schools’ similar mascots and colors (Berkeley’s Yellowjackets wear red and gold; Alameda’s Hornets wear black and gold) could produce quite a tennis rivalry in the future of the ACCAL. 

“Berkeley’s an up and coming team,” said Alameda coach Glen Oetman. “Those freshman will be a force to be reckoned with. Next year this will be a real challenging match.” 

“The score may look one-sided, but the play hasn’t shown that,” Oetman added.  

“I’m happy with everyone’s performance,” Berkeley coach Dan Seguin said of his players. “Everyone did better than last time when we played (Alameda). Alameda was just a better team.” 

Berkeley finished dead last in the competitive EBAL last season, and will most likely improve to a second place finish this year. 

“It’s good to be winning,” said Letz. 

Still, Seguin is already looking forward to next season, when he hopes Berkeley can challenge for the ACCAL title.  

“We’re going to look better. We have a good shot at winning league.”


Charges in Reddy case get specific

By Judith ScherrDaily Planet Staff
Thursday October 26, 2000

The U.S. Attorney released new specific charges Wednesday against Berkeley’s largest landlord and four members of his family charged with fraudulently bringing foreign workers to the country for cheap labor and sex.  

In a letter dated Oct. 19, the attorney states that Lakireddy Bali Reddy, his sons Vijay Kumar Lakireddy and Prasad Lakireddy, his brother Jayprakash Lakireddy and his wife, Annapurna Lakireddy will enter guilty pleas next week. 

The “superseding information” filed Wednesday is far more detailed than the charges filed early last year. It names the persons whom the Reddy family allegedly brought to the United States fraudulently, includes charges against the three other members of the family and adds filing a fraudulent tax statement to the charges Reddy faces. 

Each of the family members is alleged to have helped numerous persons enter the country fraudulently. Reddy is charged with bringing in some two dozen people and is also charged with making false statements on his Income Tax Return. While he claimed he had no interest or authority over financial accounts in another country, in 1998, he had a financial account in India, according to the U.S. Attorney’s documents. 

Reddy’s wife, who will be assisted by a translator when she enters a guilty plea Tuesday, is alleged to have helped 10 persons enter the country fraudulently; his brother, Jayprakash is charged with aiding the entry of three persons; his older son is alleged to have aided nine. The younger son, Vijay is alleged to have aided six persons, most having come in on high-tech visas to work for his Berkeley-based Active Tech solutions and be paid about $43,000 annually. He is accused of bringing a woman to “work without pay as a nanny.”  

New charges mean that persons already arraigned must be newly arraigned, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Vijay Lakireddy was arraigned Wednesday, Reddy will be arraigned today and the three others will be arraigned on subsequent dates. 

The specific charges explain that Reddy, hist two sons and wife would submit fraudulent visa petitions to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, then the four, plus Prasad Lakireddy would arrange for Indian nationals to come into the United States on the basis of the fraudulent petitions. Four among those charged (Prasad Lakireddy is not so charged) would arrange for the Indian nationals to be picked up at the airport and taken to businesses or apartments owned by the defendants. 

Four of the defendants ( Reddy’s wife is not so charged) would employ the illegal immigrants in their businesses – Jay Construction, Reddy Realty and Pasand Restaurants, all in Berkeley – “and would employ these aliens at various times without paying them the minimum wage or overtime premium as required by law.” 

Reddy and Lakireddy are further charged with bringing minor female Indian nationals “for purposes of engaging in illegal sexual activity for defendant Lakireddy Bali Reddy.” 

A hearing on these charges is scheduled in U.S. District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong’s Oakland courtroom Monday. 

 

 


$3.5 million ‘rusty wall’ OK’d

By John Geluardi Daily Planet Correspondent
Thursday October 26, 2000

Despite much protest among its members late Tuesday night, the City Council narrowly passed a design concept for the Aquatic Park Sound Barrier, which was described by one Councilmember as a “rusty steel wall with flowers on it.” 

Councilmember Polly Armstrong said the council did not have a chance to review the new $3.5 million design and was pressured to make a late-night decision. “It’s 11:30 p.m. and we’re talking about a multimillion dollar project that will either be a work of art or a very expensive disaster,” she said. 

The concept was approved by a vote of 5-3, with Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmembers Betty Olds and Polly Armstrong voting against the motion. Councilmember Diane Woolley was absent. 

The 3,100-foot sound barrier will consist of a sheet-pile metal wall punctuated approximately every 200 feet by clusters of thick concrete pipes standing on end, filled with compacted dirt and topped with plants and flowers. The wall will run between the east side of Interstate 880 and the 32-acre Aquatic Park, which is part of the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds. 

The City Council wanted something else than the generic California Department of Transportation wall and hired a group of engineers and architects to design a sound barrier that was unique. After going through a difficult approval process with Caltrans, the engineering and architecture firm, The Crosby Group, was able to put together an initial design concept and presented in to the Council late Tuesday night.  

There was pressure on the Council to decide Tuesday because it won’t meet again until Nov. 15 and the design concept had to be approved by Nov. 13 or the city would risk losing state funding.  

Mayor Shirley Dean said she was furious with the last-minute review and vote. She said it was amazing that the project was not presented to the Council sooner. “This is a project that I’ve fought for and been very involved with and to be out of the loop and then have it plucked down on me at 11:30 p.m. at night is outrageous.” 

Dean said that this is an example of a frequent problem of city decision-makers not having enough time to review projects and then having to quickly make a decision. “This has got to stop,” she said. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington complimented Parks and Waterfront Director Lisa Caronna for putting the creative project together. He added Caltrans is not known for being very open to creative new ideas when it comes to sound barriers. “It’s a miracle that we made it this far.” 

 

 


Bay Area hospital workers strike

Bay City News
Thursday October 26, 2000

Thousands of hospital workers are striking today, affecting services at eight hospitals in Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano and Lake counties. 

The walkout of some 3,500 doctors, registered nurses, emergency employees, technicians and other members of the Health Care Workers Union SEIU Local 250 was prompted by the hospitals' alleged unlawful practices during negotiations and their refusal to bargain in good faith, said union spokesman Allen White. 

The strike is at three Catholic Healthcare West hospitals, including Seton Medical Center, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center, and five Sutter Health Hospitals, including Alta Bates Medical Center, Eden Medical Center, Summit Medical Center, Sutter Solano Medical Center and Sutter Lakeside Hospital. 

White says the union has filed more than 20 charges against CHW and Sutter for actions taken against employees, including threatening employees and conducting illegal surveillance


S. F. drivers unlikely to get a ticket for hitting pedestrians

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — Of the 337 car and pedestrian collisions this year where the driver was likely at fault, only one in 10 drivers received a citation, the San Francisco Examiner reported Monday. 

The paper’s review of police records of accidents and citations from January to June found that drivers who hit and killed 28 pedestrians this year did not receive tickets, though a few are being prosecuted for vehicular manslaughter.  

Fifty-four of the accidents were hit and run. 

Police issued just 39 citations at the same time that Mayor Willie Brown, Police Chief Fred Lau and Supervisor Mabel Tend pledged to toughen enforcement and make streets safer with new ads, longer green lights and talking pedestrian signals.


$10,000 in grants go to community

Daily Planet staff
Thursday October 26, 2000

Three Berkeley residents and two Berkeley organizations will be honored tonight at the Berkeley Community Fund’s Seventh annual Awards Dinner. 

The event will be hosted by Board President Narsai David and will continue the 71-year tradition of bestowing the Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal for long-time service to Berkeley.  

This year, Chief Justice of the United States District Court for Northern California Thelton E. Henderson, will receive the prestigious award.  

Judge Henderson is honored for his lifetime of work in the areas of civil rights, constitutional principles and mentoring of young minority lawyers.  

Berkeley Community Awards will be awarded to individuals who have served the community well. 

This year’s recipients are Carolyn North, founder and mainstay of the Daily Bread program; and Harry Weininger, civic and cultural leader and consensus builder.  

North took a simple and courageous step when she decided to connect excess food from restaurants and bakeries with hungry people. 

Weininger has shown Berkeley the importance of “seeing the commonalties” in people and the danger of political polarization within a community.  

Bay Area Outdoor Recreation Program and the New Bridge Foundation will receive the Berkeley Community Award for nonprofit groups that comes with a grant of $5,000. 

In addition to these grants, the fund has awarded 18 grants to community organizations in Berkeley, as well as three $2,000 college scholarships to deserving Class of 2000 Berkeley High School graduates Jabris Patterson, Jimmy Tran and Dana Troy. Grants and scholarships come from community contributions and foundation grants. 

Because the board of directors covers all administrative costs, all contributions go directly into grantmaking and scholarships.  

The Berkeley Community Fund was founded in 1992 by civic, business and community leaders committed to improving life in Berkeley by philanthropy focused on solutions to social and economic problems at the local level.  

The Dinner will be at H’s Lordships in the Berkeley Marina. A reception will begin at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. 

Ticket prices for this event, with dinner and entertainment, are being kept to $35 to make the event affordable to a larger number of people. The costs for the dinner and awards are being underwritten by local businesses and individuals. For more information, call 843-5202


Drug czar speaks out on Prop. 36

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

SACRAMENTO — The nation’s drug czar has weighed in against a proposal on California’s Nov. 7 ballot that would require treatment instead of incarceration for nonviolent drug users. 

Proposition 36 threatens California’s existing drug treatment programs, White House Drug Policy Director Barry R. McCaffrey said Wednesday in an open letter to actor Martin Sheen. Sheen is honorary chairman of California United Against Drug Abuse, the proposition’s primary opponent. 

McCaffrey’s opposition four years ago wound up energizing supporters of a successful 1996 California proposition that permitted the use of marijuana for medical purposes, said Dave Fratello, campaign manager for the pro-36 California Campaign for New Drug Policies. 

“People really just reject the notion that the top cop for the drug war would tell them how to vote,” Fratello said. “By always picking losers, I think he’s shown he’s out of step.” 

McCaffrey said Proposition 36’s lack of funding for drug tests, coupled with a ban on short jail sentences, would mean less effective treatment for addicts, and would undermine judges’ discretion.  

The proposition requires treatment instead of jail or prison for those convicted for the first or second time of possessing drugs or being under their influence. 

Opponents had asked McCaffrey to consider holding a news conference outlining his objections. No such news event is scheduled with less than two weeks before the election, said Jean Munoz, a spokeswoman for opponents. 

Meanwhile, supporters of the proposal are launching a new 30-second television ad that dramatizes a California drug user going to jail while an Arizona user gets treatment. Arizona voters approved a drug treatment initiative in 1996. 


Former Pelican Bay guard’s conviction upheld

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO — A state court upheld assault and alcohol convictions against a former Pelican Bay State Prison guard on Wednesday. 

The 1st District Court of Appeal said there was no evidence to reverse Jose Garcia’s conviction last year for assaulting a sex-offender convict. Garcia was sentenced to nearly five years imprisonment for charges that included possessing alcohol in prison. 

He was accused of soliciting or directing inmates to assault sex offenders in 1994 and 1995. He rewarded the assaulting inmates with deodorant, booze and silk underwear 

The state appeals court was not swayed by Garcia’s contentions that he was framed, that there was a lack of evidence to uphold the conviction and that possessing alcohol was not forbidden. 

Garcia faces a federal trial on similar charges alleging that, from 1992 to 1995, he conspired to deprive five inmates of their civil rights. 

Garcia and another guard, Mike Powers, are accused of causing inmates to stab and punch five other prisoners, some of whom were convicted sex offenders or child molesters. 

That federal trial is pending. 


Santa Cruz passes living wage

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

SANTA CRUZ — The city council of this fervently-liberal seaside city voted unanimously Tuesday to pass the nation’s highest living wage – $11 dollars an hour, or $12 without benefits. 

Like most of the roughly 50 other living wage ordinances nationwide, Santa Cruz’s would at first only cover full-time workers for the city or for-profit companies with city contracts. Most city workers already make more than $11 an hour. 

City officials want to extend the minimum wage to temporary workers employed by the city and to workers for social service agencies funded by the city. 

The ordinance had no formal opposition as it was being developed over the last few months. But the Santa Cruz Chamber Area Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday it did not support the measure because of key questions about its impact. 

Chamber President Ken Whiting said the City Council had not addressed whether the ordinance would price unskilled workers out of some jobs or whether it would reduce the amount of public services that can be provided in the city. 

While some economists contend “living wage” laws are symbolic and have little effect, supporters of the Santa Cruz ordinance believe it will give hundreds of people a boost, even in communities elsewhere in the county. 

The National Association of Home Builders recently ranked Santa Cruz the second-least affordable area in the nation – behind only San Francisco. 

On the Net: 

Santa Cruz County Coalition for a Living Wage: http://members.cruzers.com/cab/livingwage/livingwage.html


Malibu beaches fail health test

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

SANTA MONICA — The celebrity-filled Malibu shore is known for more than swaying palms, sun-roasted sands and bronzed surfers: The lapping waves also contain some of Southern California’s filthiest ocean water. 

The environmental watchdog group Heal the Bay released its annual Beach Report Card for Summer 2000 and Malibu’s Surfrider Beach led the list of Los Angeles County spots getting a failing grade for high bacteria levels. 

Surfrider is adjacent to the exclusive Malibu Colony gated outpost. 

Will Rogers, Big Rock, Santa Monica Pier, Herondo Street, Redondo, Cabrillo, Long Beach, Alamitos Bay and Avalon beaches also got “F” marks. 

Heal the Bay took weekly ocean samples at 373 beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego counties between May and September and gave “A” grades to 257 beaches. There were 38 “B” marks, 34 “C’s” and 17 “D’s”. 

Beaches were graded on a 28-day rolling average based on the risk of ocean users becoming ill. 

“F” grades went to 27 beaches, including Santa Barbara County’s Gaviota and Arroyo Quemado beaches as well as Ventura County’s Peninsula and Channel Islands harbor beaches and Sycamore Cove beach. 

Orange County’s “F” beaches included Seal Beach, Huntington Harbour, Huntington State, Santa Ana River Mouth and Newport. San Diego County’s Oceanside, Encinitas, Mission Bay, Ocean Beach and San Diego Bay. 

On The Net: http://www.healthebay.org


$1.1 billion sales tax cut announced by Davis

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

SACRAMENTO — Booming state budget reserves will force a $1.1 billion, quarter-cent cut in California’s sales tax next year, saving the typical family of four $120, Gov. Gray Davis said Wednesday. 

The cut will be the fourth and largest reduction in sales taxes in California history. 

“I believe this is an appropriate way to share with the taxpayers of this state some of the bounty they have bestowed on us,” the Democratic governor said at a Capitol news conference. 

The cut is required by a 1991 law that says sales taxes must be slashed a quarter percent when budget reserves exceed 4 percent of the state general fund for two straight fiscal years. 

California ended the last fiscal year with a reserve that ballooned to about 10 percent, and Davis said his Finance Department was projecting the reserve at the end of this fiscal year would also top 4 percent. 

The cut means the sales tax will vary from 7 percent to 8.25 percent next year depending on the county. Many counties have approved sales tax increases for projects such as transportation. 

The state Finance Department will have to make another reserve assessment next fall to determine if the cut continues beyond 2001. 

Davis credited the state’s booming economy and his veto of $5.1 billion in appropriations over the last two years for the cuts. 

The Legislature’s Republican leaders contended that former GOP Gov. Pete Wilson, who signed the 1991 law, should get credit for the cut. 

Republicans also claimed that the timing of Davis’ announcement was political because of the upcoming election. They said the cut should be made permanent. 

Davis said he was required to announce the cut by Nov. 1 and would have faced more criticism if he waited until then. He also said the state’s long-term economic picture was too uncertain to make the cut permanent. 

“I’m trying to chart a prudent course and keep us somewhere in the middle,” he said at a news conference. “I don’t want to jump the gun on spending; I don’t want to jump the gun on tax relief.” 

He said the sales tax cut would come on top of $3.5 billion in other tax cuts enacted as part of the current state budget. 

The quarter-cent cut will cost the state $1.099 billion next year, a savings for taxpayers of about $31 per person. 

Someone buying a $25,000 car would save $62.50 because of the cut, said Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio. 

Republicans noted that Davis threatened to veto a budget-related bill in June because it could have triggered the sales tax cut. 

Davis said that at that point it was not clear what the state’s budget picture would be. 

Asked if he should have supported more aid for local governments instead of allowing spending to build up, Davis said he had been generous in supporting cities and counties, mentioning his $5.7 billion transportation plan. 

“This is a balancing act,” he said. “Different people might arrive at different conclusions.” 

State Controller Kathleen Connell, a Democrat who is running for mayor of Los Angeles next year, said the sales tax reduction was “an automatic and symbolic tax cut..., nothing more.” 

“With California’s economy continuing to grow, we are in a position to make even deeper and more meaningful tax cuts,” she said. 


More San Diego AIDS cases involve drug use

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

SAN DIEGO — A growing number of people diagnosed with AIDS in San Diego have used intravenous drugs or had sex with people who injected drugs, according to the county’s health department. 

The report was released Tuesday, a week after the City Council moved a step closer toward authorizing a clean needle exchange program. 

“Cases attributable to directly injecting drugs and secondary spread to sexual partners and offspring account for a larger proportion of AIDS cases each year,” the report said. 

Since the first case of AIDS was reported in San Diego County in 1981, 10,244 people have been diagnosed with the disease, the third highest number of AIDS cases among California counties.  

An additional 4,700 to 9,000 are estimated to be HIV positive. 

In 1984, 2 percent of people with AIDS reported using intravenous drugs. By 1999, it was 13 percent. 

As of Sept. 30, nearly 7 percent of the 10,553 people with AIDS in the county were women, but among drug users with AIDS, females comprised nearly 33 percent.  

Additionally, a third of all people with AIDS were ethnic minorities but more than half of the people with AIDS who were also intravenous drug users were ethnic minorities. 

Sixty percent of women and 20 percent of men attributed their HIV infection directly to injection drug use or being a sexual partner of an injection drug user, the report said. 

While the county Board of Supervisors has refused to approve a clean needle exchange program, the City Council last week declared a health state of emergency, one of the first steps needed to implement a needle exchange. 

At least four California cities – Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Cruz – and Marin County have adopted emergency ordinances allowing such needle exchanges. 

The number of new HIV and AIDS cases in the county is similar to trends nationwide showing that the disease is spreading fastest among women and ethnic minorities. 

The number of AIDS cases among young men is also on the rise. Of the men testing positive for HIV and AIDS at the county’s clinics, more than a third are between the ages of 19 and 30, said Terry Cunningham, director of the county Office of AIDS Coordination, which compiled the report. 

New drug therapies have helped people with AIDS live longer, the report said. In 1996, 400 county residents died of AIDS compared with 151 deaths in 1998. 


CBS, technicians settle sex lawsuit

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

CBS Inc. agreed to settle a class-action sex discrimination lawsuit involving some 200 women technicians for $8 million, attorneys said Wednesday. 

The agreement, which must be approved by a federal judge, also includes changes in how CBS handles job training and overtime opportunities, said Susan Stokes, one of the attorneys representing the women. 

The lawsuit, filed in 1996, accused CBS of discriminating against its female technical employees at television stations in Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay, Wis. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Donavan Frank approved the case as a class action. 

The women claimed they were denied assignments, promotions, overtime and training and were forced to work in a sexually hostile work environment. 

CBS admitted no liability or wrongdoing in the settlement, Stokes said. 

A CBS spokesman did not immediately return a phone call. 

“We’re very pleased with it,” Stokes said of the agreement, which will go before a federal judge for preliminary approval Nov. 17. Final approval isn’t expected until January. “It provides a lot of important changes that will help make the playing fields level for everyone.” 

As part of the agreement, CBS must post open positions and training opportunities and set up a mechanism for technicians to express interest in working overtime or on certain assignments, Stokes said.  

The women in the class will get additional training “to make up for what’s been denied them in the past,” she said, and CBS will change its equal employment opportunity policy and complaint procedures. 

CBS’ compliance will be monitored for four years. 

The amount of money each woman will receive will be based on length of service and the type of claim, Stokes said. An average figure wasn’t available. 

In November 1999, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission determined that CBS had discriminated against female technicians at its stations. CBS has denied allegations about condoning a hostile and discriminatory workplace.


Officials press state to toughen water standards

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

LOS ANGELES — A panel of scientists urged state officials to toughen standards for chromium 6 in water, stating there is compelling evidence that it causes cancer. 

In testimony Tuesday during a joint hearing of state regulatory agencies, toxicology professor John Froines of the UCLA School of Public Health said studies have shown chromium 6 to be a carcinogen when inhaled through air, which makes it a likely carcinogen when ingested through water. 

The state should quickly take action to purge water supplies of the chemical, even though scientists and regulators are still debating its risk, said Froines, chairman of the advisory board for the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. 

“You can take the political, legal and economic argument (against the tougher standard), and it will go on for 10 years,” Froines said. “We should assume the correctness of the state’s public health goal for chromium 6 and begin from there.” 

Froines was among nearly two dozen experts, regulators and citizens who testified before the joint hearing of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee and the Assembly Committee on Environmental Safe and Toxic Materials. 

The hearing, which was attended by about 200 people, was called by state Senators Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, and Tom Hayden, D-Los Angeles. 

Schiff called on the state Department of Health Services to issue an “action level” directive, which would not have the force of law, but would urge local water agencies to meet a chromium standard as quickly as possible. 

Officials with the state Department of Health Services say it could take five more years to implement a new standard, which prompted Tuesday’s hearing. The agency has urged public water systems to test for chromium 6 and was drafting emergency regulations to require testing by the end of the year, said David Spath, the department’s drinking water chief. 

It was unlikely that the department would issue an emergency regulation, because chromium 6 is not an immediate public health threat, Spath said. 

“This is not a case of acute toxicity,” he told the joint committee. 

Chromium 6 has been suspected of causing cancer in several high-profile lawsuits. In a 1996 case made famous by the Julia Roberts film “Erin Brockovich,” residents of the San Bernardino town of Hinkley won a $333 million settlement from Pacific Gas & Electric because the company’s underground tanks leaked chromium 6 into ground water.


Gore slips in California polls

The Associated Press
Thursday October 26, 2000

LOS ANGELES — Voters in California favor Vice President Al Gore over Texas Gov. George Bush by 7 percentage points in the race for president, according to a statewide poll published Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times. 

Gore once held a double-digit lead in California, which is a crucial state politically because it controls 54 of the 270 electoral votes needed for the presidency. A poll released Monday by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California also showed Gore’s lead over Bush shrinking from 9 to 5 points since last month. 

The Times poll found that Gore held a broad edge over Bush among women in the state and is only narrowly behind among men, which contradicts the national trends that have made the overall race a dead heat. 

The 48 percent to 41 percent lead for Gore comes despite a $6 million ad campaign waged by the Republican Party on Bush’s behalf. 

The poll found that Gore maintains strong connections in California, with 62 percent of the voters registering a positive impression of him, while only 37 percent have a negative view. Voters’ impressions of Bush are negative, with 51 percent expressing an unfavorable impression and only 46 percent a positive one. 

“California voters firmly believe that the nation and the state are going in the right direction, and these voters say they will back Gore,” said Susan Pinkus, director of the Times Poll. “It all hinges on turnout.” 

Four of five California voters believe Gore has the intellect and experience to be president, a majority so large that it includes many Bush voters.  

In Bush’s case, voters are ambivalent, with 47 percent saying he has enough experience and intellect, but 42 percents believe he does not. 

 

The Times poll interviewed 1,304 Californians, including 852 likely voters, from Thursday through Monday and has a margin of sampling error for likely voters of plus or minus 4 percentage points. 


Opinion

Editorials

Students, N.Y. Times editors discuss race relations issue

By Robin Shulman Special to the Daily Planet
Wednesday November 01, 2000

An audience of mostly college students challenged New York Times editors and writers Monday about what news is fit to print when it comes to race in America. 

“We believe in this project with all our hearts,” said Gerald M. Boyd, deputy managing editor who conceived the Times’ year-long investigative series “How Race is Lived in America,” a 15-part series dealing with race through the lens of relationships. 

But audience members said the series reduced race relations to an “emotional statement” and that the Times often fails to fairly cover other racially charged issues, most recently the case of a Chinese American scientist charged with espionage. 

About 25 reporters and photographers fanned throughout the country over a year to produce the series, which included articles about the frustration of low-wage workers in a North Carolina pork-packing plant, the struggle of middle-school New Jersey girls of different races to maintain their friendship, and the decision of an Atlanta-area church to include a mixed-race Jesus in the Christmas pageant. Decades ago, the story would have been about blacks denied equal rights, said Boyd, who is African American. But that has changed, he said. “There's been some progress. Even so, whites and people of color remain divided.” 

About 700 people packed Wheeler Auditorium for the symposium. In cities like Berkeley, people often think “we are beyond even talking about race, that’s only for those hicks in the South,” said Timothy P. Egan, a national reporter who wrote one of the articles. Egan is Caucasian. But students lined up to comment on and question the Times coverage. 

Boyd said the genesis of the series was the office mood after the OJ Simpson verdict was announced. “Every place you looked in the New York Times when the verdict was announced, you could hear a pin drop,” he said. At the Times, as elsewhere in the United States, reactions to the verdict came down on racial lines, Boyd said. 

But soon the conversations stopped and everyone went back to their work. “Why was there this difference and why weren't people talking about it?” said Boyd. “We set out journalistically to go into this silence. The silence taking place in the newsroom, and the silence across the country,” Boyd said. 

Times writer Dana Canedy, who is African American, said, “There's a silence and fear of saying the wrong thing. Am I going to lose my job, just blow that promotion, are people going to ask me to lunch?” 

“I don't know what it is about race that makes it so powerful,” said Boyd, who said he had sleepless nights while the series was being produced. 

Timothy P. Egan, a Seattle-based correspondent, said while writing for the series he was looking for “one moment of revelation and a bit of light coming through.” 

Race often boils down to class, said UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism alumnus Charlie LeDuff, who is mixed Native American and Caucasian. “Who gets what?” he asked. 

One audience member criticized the series for being “tokenist” and superficial. Another asked about the decision to focus on black and white, as the series included only one article on Asian Americans. 

Ariel Luckey, a UC Berkeley senior in Environmental Studies, criticized the Times coverage of Wen Ho Lee, a Chinese American scientist accused of espionage. The Times, which identified the Los Alamos scientist by race, later printed an explanation for the coverage that came close to an apology. 

“We take this as seriously as anything I've ever encountered in my career as a journalist,” said Boyd. “This year will be remembered for two things,” he said. Boyd said in future the Times will recall its 15-part, 100,000-word series on race in America, and its 1,600-word statement on Wen Ho Lee. 

 


Landmark ACLU suit over education begins

Bay City News
Tuesday October 31, 2000

A lawsuit filed by civil rights groups against the state got under way today, charging that California schools are plagued by filthy facilities, outdated textbooks and uncredentialed teachers. 

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter J. Busch decided on two motions today. First, he declined to appoint an independent evaluator to survey schools and determine such things as the availability of textbooks in California classrooms.  

He further decided to take under submission the state's demurrer, or request for dismissal, which would determine whether the case can proceed or not. 

“It does not seem that the case turns on cleaning the underbrush or figuring out which of the alleged problems are actually there,” Busch told the court. “But rather on whether the existing standards and mechanisms to address them are constitutionally adequate.” 

Busch, however, indicated the case had basis, saying, “Discovery can go forward. There is a case here that can survive the demur stage.” 

The complaint alleges that the state reneged on its constitutional obligation to provide the bare essentials necessary for education and charges that officials violated state requirements that equal access to public education be provided without regard to race, color or national origin. 

Specifically, it charges that low-income and non-white students are being denied the basic necessities required to get an education because they are in schools with substandard conditions such as unqualified teachers, no textbooks even for core courses, not enough classrooms or rotting classrooms with mold, leaks or vermin. 

The complaint cites 46 schools that lack bare minimum necessities of education in Southern and Northern California. They include Balboa High School, Luther Burbank Middle School and Bryant Elementary School in San Francisco; Fremont High School in Oakland; and Watsonville High School in Watsonville. Busch questioned the direction of the lawsuit, saying it is not clear whether it is aimed at the state’s oversight or supervision role regarding strategy to make sure it carries out its functions in an appropriate way, or whether it is aimed at asking the state to correct the specific conditions outlined in the suit. 

Plaintiff’s attorney Mark Rosenbaum tried to address the judge’s concern, saying the obligation of the state is to establish a system of accountability. 

“What's missing is a plan of accountability to identify and  

implement remedies and ensure basic conditions are provided,” he said. 

John Daum, attorney representing the state, said, “It cannot be disputed that the state has some ultimate responsibility for  

education.” 

But Daum said if the case, as the plaintiffs assert, is about the absence of standards, it must be determined what the standards are before litigation commences. 

“What should the state have employed that it didn't? What did the state fail to do that the constitution required it to do?” he asked the court. 

Daum said the state, like any large organization, does have a system to address concerns and manage its responsibilities in the form of its Uniform Complaint Procedure, and it is unfair to assume the state would not have fixed the problems once they were highlighted.  

He said, however, that the process of correction stopped because the plaintiffs withdrew their administrative complaints. 

Rosenbaum retorted by saying the real question is why doesn’t the state – on its own – monitor, school conditions and remedy them. 

Busch said the issue is not one of blame, but rather what in the system “broke down,” noting that he will come to his final conclusion as quickly as he can and let both sides know when it is time for a status conference.  

Meanwhile, Michael Jacobs, a plantiff's attorney with Morrison & Foerster, said outside court that his side will move ahead by hiring its own surveyor. He said he hopes the state will answer the questions put to them and is looking forward to getting a trial date.  

“Judge Busch is trying to sort out the complexities of the state’s role in education,” Jacobs said. “We are pleased with his questions.”


Costumed man with toy gun killed by L.A. cop

By Leon Drouin Keith Associated Press Writer
Monday October 30, 2000

Actor slain at Halloween party 

 

LOS ANGELES – A police officer shot and killed a guest at an upscale Halloween costume party after the man pointed a fake gun at him, police said. 

It wasn’t clear if the man knew the officer was a real policeman, or if he thought he was just another partygoer in costume, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman said. 

Anthony Dwain Lee, 39, of Van Nuys died at the West Los Angeles mansion where he was shot shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday. He was an actor who had appeared in small TV and film roles, including on the shows “ER” and “NYPD Blue” and as the character Fred in the 1997 Jim Carrey movie, “Liar Liar.” 

Police said several hundred people, many of them in costume, were at the Benedict Canyon mansion, known to some as “the Castle” for its extravagant design. Officer Tarriel Hopper and his partner went there in response to a noise complaint, and were looking for the mansion’s owner as they walked along an outside walkway. 

Police reported that the officers looked through a window and saw Lee and two other people in a room. Lee looked up toward Hopper and allegedly pointed a phony gun in his direction, said police officer Charlotte Broughton. 

Hopper responded by firing several rounds from his weapon through the window. Investigators later determined Lee’s gun was fake. 

“It does not appear that (the officer) did anything wrong,” Broughton said. “When somebody has what appears to be an authentic weapon, you respond the way you’re trained to respond.” 

Hopper, 27, has been with the department three years, while his partner Natalie Humphreys, 25, joined the force two years ago, police said. The shooting is being investigated by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division and a team from the district attorney’s office. 

Partygoer Rick Hull told KTLA-TV in Los Angeles that Lee raised his toy gun after an officer shined a flashlight into the room, and that officers did not identify themselves before the shooting. 

“I can’t explain why the officer would shoot someone at a costume party who might have had a toy gun,” Lee’s younger sister, Tina Vogt, told KTTV-TV in Los Angeles. 

“I mean, I don’t think they can give me the kind of answers that I need, quite honestly,” said Vogt, who works in the police chief’s office in the Sacramento Police Department. 

Lee’s friend, Kirsten Blackburn of Glendale, said Lee was a “man of peace,” a Buddhist who worked with a youth organization. 

“We’re devastated, and we’re not alone by any means,” Blackburn said. “This is so incredibly shocking that a person would be taken down like this.” 

Lee was wearing a black sweatshirt, a black vest and tan colored pants, said county coroner’s Lt. Dan Aikin. 

A friend of 15 years who was not at the party, Mitch Hale, told the Los Angeles Times that Lee usually wore a devil mask costume with a hood and carried a replica gun to Halloween parties as a reminder of his past. 

As a youth in Northern California, Lee had followed the gangster life before becoming an actor and eventually moving to Los Angeles, Hale said. 

“He was dressed as a devil, not a gangster,” Hale said. “How could this happen?”


No. 2 Cardinal blank weary Bears

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Monday October 30, 2000

Stanford’s Leber scores two goals 

 

The Cal men’s soccer team was shut out by a more energetic Stanford squad Sunday at Edwards Stadium. The 3-0 loss dropped the Bears out of Pac-10 contention at 2-3-1 in league play, while the No. 2 Cardinal boosted their title hopes by running their conference record to 5-1. 

After winning a tough match against Oregon State Friday, the Bears looked a step slow all game. Stanford didn’t play Friday, and it showed as they raced around the field cutting off passing lanes and attacking the Cal goal with a frenzy, outshooting the home side 19-4 and playing most of the game in the Cal half of the field. 

“They were fresh coming into this game. It’s hard to recover in two days when your opponent didn’t play,” Cal head coach Kevin Grimes said. “We were physically tired and maybe a little bit mentally tired.” 

The first Stanford goal came in the 12th minute when Scott Leber collected a pass inside the box and slid the ball past Cal goalkeeper Marco Palmieri. 

Leber scored again to open the second half, heading in a corner kick by teammate Matt Moses, who also assisted on the first goal. 

Cal was unable to get the ball to their front men, Austin Ripmaster and Kendall Simmonds, and had numerous passes intercepted by the Stanford midfielders. No Bear had more than one shot in the game, and Stanford goalie Adam Zapala wasn’t seriously challenged on his way to his conference-best 11th shutout of the year. 

“Our possession game really didn’t work today, but I think that’s a byproduct of Stanford’s pressure,” Grimes said. “They had so much more jump in their legs than we did.” 

Stanford put the game out of reach with their third goal in the 62nd minute. 

Forward Corey Woolfolk took a breakaway down the center of the field and passed off to Roger Levesque, who scored easily.


Army Corps of Engineers approve new Bay Bridge repair designs

By Kelly Yamanouchi Associated Press Writer
Saturday October 28, 2000

Findings from half-million-dollar study give go-ahead for next year 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – A seismic safety examination of plans for a new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has determined that the state Department of Transportation is on its way to designing a seismically safe bridge. 

A team of 25 engineers and scientists from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the report Friday. 

The Army Corps’ findings are the result of a $500,000 two-phase study commissioned by the city of San Francisco and the state to help resolve the bitter and costly dispute over how to make the 65-year-old bridge withstand an earthquake. 

The Army Corps determined in September, after a first phase of the seismic safety study, that the eastern span of the bridge needs to be replaced, not repaired.  

But the findings of the second phase, which studied whether the current design meets seismic criteria, are less clear. 

The Army Corps said it did not have the data to evaluate the bridge according to a set of earthquake criteria it was asked to use, but expressed faith in Caltrans’ designers. 

Caltrans is “moving along a path to design a bridge that meets the seismic performance criteria,” the report states. 

“They’ve got the right kind of people with the right kind of knowledge and the design procedures they’re following appear to be on a path to meet the criteria they’ve established,” said Jim Taylor, an Army Corps spokesman. 

Part of the problem in the evaluation of data, according to the Army Corps, is that Caltrans is designing the bridge according to one set of earthquake standards, and the Army Corps was asked to evaluate it on a different set. 

Caltrans spokesman Dennis Trujillo said the difference between the two sets of criteria “is like inches versus centimeters — it’s a different methodology.” 

The Army Corps’ report said the quake it used to evaluate Caltrans’ plans would be larger than the quake Caltrans is designing the bridge to withstand. 

Trujillo said the report has not changed Caltrans’ plans for the new span, and that it will continue the process. 

The Army Corps spent four months evaluating 75,000 pages of data that Caltrans has drawn up for its plans so far. Construction on the four-year project could begin as soon as next year.


UC Berkeley election site is a ‘deep Web’

Daily Planet staff
Friday October 27, 2000

Want to find out which Hollywood stars donated to Vice President Al Gore’s Presidential campaign? How about the home prices of the donors to Texas Governor George Bush’s campaign? Or the crime rates in the neighborhoods of donors to either candidate? 

As this year's Presidential campaign climaxes, a University of California, Berkeley, professor has created a Web site that makes such searches easy, and demonstrates the power of new Internet technology he has developed to mine the “deep Web.” “This is more powerful than search engines on the Web," said Joseph Hellerstein, associate professor of computer sciences in the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley, who created the site with fellow computer sciences associate professor Michael Franklin and the help of five graduate students and one undergraduate. 

“With this you can do real data analysis, not just find a neat new Web page.” The software that Hellerstein and Franklin developed is called Telegraph, after the street near the UC Berkeley campus famous for its street vendors and street people.  

“Like the Berkeley main street after which it is named, Telegraph is the natural thoroughfare for a volatile, eclectic mix coming from all over the world,” Hellerstein wrote on his Web site. The “deep Web” refers to information on the Internet that is not available by simply following hyperlinks, and thus not accessible through search engines like Google or Inktomi. Some people estimate the deep Web contains 500 times as much information as the rest of the Web. 

The Federated Facts and Figures Website, is at http://fff.cs.berkeley.edu/.


Dellums praised in dedication

Bay City News
Thursday October 26, 2000

OAKLAND — With warm outpourings of affection, a host of local and state leaders came to Clay Street in Oakland Wednesday to dedicate the twin-towered federal building to former U.S. Rep. Ron Dellums. 

When the statesman finally spoke – following the praise of mayors, city council members and supervisors past and present – Dellums expressed gratitude to the supporters who “kept sending me back to Washington.” 

But mostly Dellums thanked his family. 

“For (my mom) to call me on the phone and say, ‘I just walked by the federal building and I saw my son's name on the federal building and all the buttons popped off my jacket.’” 

Dellums was referred to as a political role model by many current politicians, including Oakland Councilman Ignacio de la Fuente, Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean and Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley. 

“For many of us in this room, our political history is so wrapped up in this man,'' Aroner said. 

The dedication concluded with the unveiling of an engraving inside the federal building's glass-domed aviary. 

It’s a day of building dedications for Dellums, who will be honored by the Chabot Space and Science Center with the dedication of the Dellums Science Building this evening.