Preservationists won a hard-fought battle Thursday when members of the Zoning Adjustment Board made clear that as far as they were concerned, any development at 2526 Durant Ave. would have to include the Blood House. 

By a unanimous vote, the board spared the stuccoed, 19th-century Victorian from the wrecking ball, and denied permits to developer Ruegg & Ellsworth to tear down the Blood House and build a 44-unit apartment complex with 18 parking spots on the site. The board determined that, despite the developer’s claims to the contrary, Ruegg & Ellsworth could build a feasible apartment complex that incorporated the Structure of Merit.  

Board members ordered staff to draft findings to deny Ruegg & Ellsworth a use permit on grounds that an alternative was “not infeasible.” Staff will present the findings in four weeks. At that time, the developer has the option of returning to the board with a new apartment development proposal that includes retention of the Blood House. 

Ruegg & Ellsworth can also appeal the decision to the City Council and, if spurned, go before the Alameda County Superior Court. 

Unlike previous projects before them in recent times, the ZAB respected the legal implications of the Structure of Merit designation for the building issued in 1999 by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) changed its tactics from filing lawsuits, upon defeat, to engaging the debate with development alternatives that incorporated the Blood House.  

ZAB commissioners—several of whom have sparred with BAHA in the past—thanked the organization for offering an analysis that allowed them to save the Victorian, and in a moment that bordered on the surreal, noted developer Patrick Kennedy, who officially served the developer as a consultant on the project, congratulated BAHA members on a job well done.  

“This is uncharted territory,” said Lesley Emmington-Jones of BAHA, who credited the group’s architect Mark Gillem for the victory. “It was incredible, to save a historic house and offer a plan with affordable housing. This is having the cake and eating it too.” 

Though the future of the Blood House is more secure, the viability of the building—which many argued had long since lost its aesthetic charm— remains in doubt. 

BAHA fears that Ruegg & Ellsworth, denied their housing project, might let the Victorian—which is currently used as office space—fall further into disrepair, instead of restoring it as part of a larger development on the 10,377-square-foot plot just east of Telegraph Avenue. 

Brendan Heafey, project manager for the developer, couldn’t guarantee that a new proposal would be forthcoming. “Now that our plan has been rejected, I need to step back from that and see how, if at all, we go forward,” he said, adding that he will meet with BAHA’s Gillem to discuss alternative proposals. 

During the hearing, Heafey had dismissed Gillem’s design that moved the restored house to the northwest corner of plot next to a new apartment building. He said the plan lacked comprehensive fire egress, laundry room and viable retail space, undervalued expenses, limited potential tenants to people without cars, and included a gated corridor that would invite crime. 

“I don’t care if you put barbed wire on that thing, every homeless guy in the area is going to hop that fence and put his blanket there,” Heafey said. 

“All the concerns the developer brought up are minor,” replied Gillem. “The simplicity is its really about preservation or parking. It appears there’s a feasible alternative that doesn’t include parking.” 

Ruegg & Ellsworth fought an uphill battle to attempt to win approval for their plan. Since the City Council had already upheld the Blood House as a Structure of Merit, the developers had to perform a full Environmental Impact Report.  

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which offers no means to mitigate the loss of a historic 

resource. The only way the ZAB could have approved the project would have been to make a finding that there was no feasible alternative which incorporated the Blood House. In addition, in the event that such a finding were made, ZAB would also have to conclude that the benefits of the new housing outweighed the loss of the Blood House. 

The task of offering alternatives fell to Ruegg & Ellsworth, which never managed to win the ZAB’s trust that they were making a good faith effort to keep the building. Since the first hearing in June, commissioners repeatedly ordered the developer to return with different, possibly more viable alternatives. On Thursday commissioners accused the owners of inflating construction cost estimates and understating the revenue potential of a restored Blood House. 

ZAB Commissioner David Blake pressed staff to provide such data in future cases. 

BAHA rushed in to fill the credibility vacuum with a plan they said offered the same investment yield and saved the house at the expense of all of the parking spaces—a sacrifice allowed under the draft Southside Plan. That appeared to be enough to ensure ZAB’s decision. 

For BAHA, the decision to jump into the Blood House debate was rooted in its failure to stop the demolition last year of a Structure of Merit building named after turn-of-20th century Berkeley resident John Doyle. 

“After the Doyle house, we decided to roll up our sleeves and make our mark in the beginning, rather than hire a lawyer and go to court,” said Emmington-Jones, adding that the group anticipated employing the strategy in future cases as well. 

Instead of hiring a lawyer, BAHA hired Gillem of MLG Architecture and Planning, who arrived on the Berkeley planning scene five years ago with a proposal that preserved the McKinley School and fostered a compromise plan for a development at the First Presbyterian Church. 

“He’s saved the day twice now,” said Emmington-Jones, who credited the soft-spoken architect with toning down rancor between the parties. “He met with the developers and staff and made it a discussion among gentleman,” she said. 

OAKLAND—The leaders of California’s university and college towns took a step towards easing the financial burden caused by those educational institutions, meeting last Friday in Oakland to begin drawing up a long-range mitigation plan. 

Hosted by Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates and Riverside Mayor Ron Loverage, the meeting allowed mayors, city managers, and city staff from the affected communities to share concerns and strategies about issues including land use, transportation, housing, city services and taxes. Attended by representatives from Davis, Sacramento, Berkeley, Albany, Goleta, Santa Cruz, Merced and Sonoma, the meeting was the second in a series that began last September in Sacramento.  

“It’s a fragile relationship,” said Mayor Bates about the negotiations between Berkeley and UC to pay a share of the city’s tax burden. “It’s built on past experience and current relationships. But personally I believe that the university and the city are working as well as can be imagined. Everyone has a healthy skepticism.” 

With both the city of Berkeley and Cal facing severe budget cuts, Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz said the creation of the ad-hoc task force is an important step to insure both parties create an economic relationship that each side can live with. 

“The state is cutting back everything, so we are all fighting for a small piece of the pie,” he said. “We’re all fighting for our fare share of the crumbs.” 

Several tentative decisions were made by the group including an agreement for meeting participants to seek local support for one college-impact bill recently introduced in the legislature by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley). Hancock’s proposed legislation would strengthen environmental requirements for new building projects proposed by any public institutions of higher learning in California. 

Four of the cities present (Sacramento, Berkeley, Goleta and Davis) also agreed to help create a database website for all the municipalities that would archive city documents that deal with university/city relations and projects.  

As part of a suggestion introduced by Berkeley’s former city budget director, Paul Navazio, the group also agreed to pursue possible tax legislation that would separate academic and for-profit projects proposed by state colleges and universities. The proposal would help the cities have clearer access to sales tax revenue from for-profit college activities, a major concern for all the cities at the meeting.f

A collection of 26 Berkeley residents, including Berkeley High PTA President Lee Berry, requested Friday that the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury investigate financial mismanagement at Berkeley Unified School District’s Food Services Department.  

The residents have all signed their name to a complaint alleging that the department has lost $2.4 million over the last three years, costing Berkeley Unified funds that could have helped slow increasing class sizes. 

“I can’t say why they’re losing this much money,” said Yolanda Huang, who along with fellow parent Ray Couture initiated the complaint. “The district financial reports are different every time. That’s why we said we have to go to the grand jury so someone will tell us the truth.”  

Huang has complained to the district for years that BUSD has been losing thousands of dollars while serving reheated, prepackaged food to the majority of its students. 

While the county civil grand jury lacks enforcement powers, it could issue findings and require the district to offer a response, according to Alameda Deputy District Attorney Jeff Stark. He said if the grand jury decides to take up the investigation, a report could be released as early as June 

Superintendent Michele Law-rence disputed the $2.4 million loss figure. “They’re looking at a few years ago when we weren’t accounting properly and food services showed a huge ending surplus,” she said. “We can’t make comparisons from that old data.” 

In an earlier interview District Director of Nutrition Services Karen Candito said her department has cost the district’s general fund about $1.1 million since 2001, some due to accounting changes beyond her control. 

Food service has come under scrutiny in recent years from both the community and state watchdogs. Last year, as part of a district-wide audit, the Fiscal Crisis Management Advisory Team (FCMAT) cited several failings of the department, including a lack of monthly profit and loss statements, no reliable food inventory system and poor communication between Candito and top district officials. 

In addition, the district’s Child Nutrition Advisory Committee, once headed by Mayor Tom Bates, has repeatedly blasted the department for shoddy accounting practices and poor food The committee, on which Huang and Couture both served, has not met for months while members await feedback from Superintendent Lawrence on their proposed food policy and the formation of a superintendent’s committee on food services. 

Huang said the committee’s hiatus contributed to her decision to file the complaint, though several other committee members opted not to join her.  

“I think the school board and city are pretty clear that the food is unacceptable,” said committee chair Eric Weaver. “It’s not as if they need another investigation to figure it out.” 

Huang is no stranger to battling the district. She is currently party to a lawsuit charging that the district failed to perform annual audits of its voter approved construction bond money fund.  

Friday’s complaint comes amid a reform effort, initiated by the district in collaboration Alice Waters of Chez Pannise, to seek grant money to provide fresh food for all students. Later this year the high school will open a new food court with freshly made meals, and in 2005 King Middle School is expected to open its new cafeteria with organic produce funded, in part, by Waters. 

With 2002 election figures showing that Berkeley candidates laid out roughly $720,000 on city campaigns—roughly one-third more than in 1998—the City Council Tuesday will debate a plan to make Berkeley the first city in the nation to fully finance municipal elections. 

Details of the plan and the funding source haven’t been completed, but advocates insist public funding is the best way to open public office to all of Berkeley and keep some special interests from infesting the political process. 

“I think it’s the right thing for the city to do,” said Mayor Tom Bates, who along with Councilmembers Linda Maio, Kriss Worthington and Dona Spring want staff to devise a plan in time to place on the November ballot.  

“Right now you need to know a lot of people with money or be wealthy yourself to have a chance,” said Bates, who favors increasing parking fines to pay for the proposal.  

Bates intimately understands the money crunch faced by Berkeley politicians. He loaned his campaign $76,000 of $236,385 total spent in his bid in 2002 to unseat former mayor Shirley Dean. After 16 months, Bates has only repaid approximately $17,000.  

The city’s Fair Campaign Practices Commission kick-started public financing for campaigns last January when, at the urging of Bates, Spring and Maio, it backed the concept. The Commission rejected recommending partial funding systems currently in place in several cities, including San Francisco and Oakland, as well as turning down a proposal to raise the maximum individual donation above $250. 

The commission declined to endorse a specific scheme for public financing, but councilmembers may model it after a plan designed specifically for Berkeley by the Center for Governmental Studies at UCLA. 

That plan, included in a report to the City Council, would set spending limits at $150,000 per mayoral candidate and $20,000 per City Council candidate with less money allocated to candidates for the rent board, school board and auditor. If a candidate opted out and spent more than regulated amount, the city would provide grants to other candidates in the race to make up the difference up to 200 percent of the designated public spending limit for the office. To vet out vanity candidates, public money would only be offered to candidates who raised $5 contributions from a specified number of Berkeley residents. 

Depending on the number of candidates, the plan projects total costs to the city for the 2006 election ranging from between $1.4 million to nearly $4 million. 

Those numbers come out to less than $6 per resident, per year—about two-tenths of a percent of all city spending, said Dan Newman, vice chair of the Fair Campaign Practices Commission.  

That’s too much for Councilmember Betty Olds. “The plan is just terrible,” she said. “If we’re going to tax people to death, it’s ridiculous to expect them to finance our campaigns.”  

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak, who in 2002 raised $73,000 to win a run-off election in District 8, said he could support public financing for the mayor’s race, but feared an even playing field could actually bolster incumbents who enjoy better name recognition. To encourage more residents to run for office, he preferred term limits and higher salaries for elected officials. 

Arizona and Maine have both passed laws to fully fund statewide campaigns, while several cities, like San Francisco provide matching funds for candidates that agree to spending limits. 

Also on Tuesday’s agenda is a proposal from Dona Spring to shore up rules governing height bonuses given to developers who offer cultural space. After the Gaia Building, owned by Panoramic Interests, was permitted two extra stories for a proposed cultural space that still remains vacant, Spring wants to tighten the rules to punish developers who do not fill the space with nonprofit organizations and extend Berkeley’s low income housing rooms to cover the additional floors of housing. 

On the consent calendar, the City Council will be asked to support a resolution opposing a constitutional amendment banning marriage rights for same-sex couples, and a second resolution encouraging the new ownership of the Claremont Hotel and Spa to bring in a new management team to avoid previous problems with the community and unions. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 16 

Tuesday Morning Birdwalk at Tilden Nature Center to see recent spring arrivals, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Call if you need binoculars. 525-2233. 

Tilden Tots, a nature adventure program for 3-4 year olds accompanied by an adult. This month we will learn about raccoons. At 3 p.m. Cost is $6, $8 for non-residents. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Garden Club presents “Let's Talk Dirt” by Buzz Berto- 

lero, E.V.P. of Navlet’s Garden Centers at 1 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. Guests are welcome. 524-4374. 

National Nutrition Month “Eat in Season” from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Derby St. at MLK. Cooking demonstrations, recipes and nutrition education. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Friends of Strawberry Creek meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library 3rd floor Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. Senior Environmental Scientist at UCB, Karl E. Hans, will present the 18 year history of the Strawberry Creek Restoration Program. For more info, contact jennifermaryphd@hotmail.com 

“Rachel, She Came to Stop the Tanks” a memorial for Rachel Corrie, with Dennis Bernstein, Bishara Costandi, Jon Jackson, Noura Khouri and Brian Avery, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St. 236-4250. www.norcalism.org 

“How Can Progressives Unite to Defeat Bush?” A roundtable discussion at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 27th and Harrison, Oakland. www.democraticrenewal.us 

“The Media at War: The US Invasion and Occupation of Iraq” A three-day conference with participants from The New York Times, Washington Post, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, NPR, CNN and many others. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Grad. School of Journalism. Details of the events can be found at http://journalism.berkeley.edu/ 

conf/mediaatwar/index.html 

“Mountain Bike Basics” with expert James Lanham at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

American Red Cross Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Advance sign-up needed. 594-5165. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers We are a few slowpoke seniors who walk between a mile or two meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the Little Farm parking lot. To join us, call 215-7672.  

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 

Tilden Tots, a nature adventure program for 3-4 year olds accompanied by an adult. This month we will learn about raccoons. At 3 p.m. Cost is $6, $8 for non-residents. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Great Decisions 2004: “Latin America Overview” with Prof. Peter H. Smith, Visiting Scholar, UCB, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

Berkeley Schools Excellence Project Community Forum to discuss the option of reauthorizing the special tax measure for the November ballot, at 7 p.m. in the new library at Berkeley High. 644-8717, 644-6320. 

West Street Community Forum The third and final meeting on the former Santa Fe Railroad Right of Way Improvement Project for Bikeway and Pedestrian Path that will run from Delaware St. to University Ave., at 7 p.m. at Ala Costa Center, 1300 Rose St. For information call Niran at 981-6396 or Michael at 981-2490. 

Gray Panthers at Night Prepare for the March 20th action in San Francisco. Light supper served. At 7 p.m. at 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

Report Back from the World Social Forum in Mumbai Proceeds benefit the National Radio Project. At 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10, sliding scale. 251-1332 ext. 106. 

“Peace Process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Where Are We?” with Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, Senator, Transitional Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 4 p.m., Maude Fife Room, Wheeler Hall, UC Campus. Sponsored by Office of the Chancellor and Institute of International Studies. 642-2472. 

Fun with Acting Class every Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Free, all are welcome, no experience necessary.  

“Building a Social Network in Ecuador in the Era of Globalization,” with Alfredo Palacio Gonzales, Vice President of Ecuador, who will discuss his work with indigenous communites at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Ecuador, and World Affairs Council. 642-2088. 

San Francisco Flower and Garden show opens today at the Cow Palace and runs through March 20 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun. March 21 to 6:30 p.m. Single day tickets are $20. www.gardenshow.com 

“Images of Christ in the Early Church” with Maureen O’Brien, at 7:30 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Parish, 2220 Cedar St. 848-1755. 

Berkeley Stop the War Coalition meets at 7 p.m. in 255 Dwinelle, UC Campus. www.berkeleystopthewar.org  

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 7:15 a.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 524-3765. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Vigil at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities. 

com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, MARCH 18 

The New Kingdoms of Life Alan Kaplan, naturalist at Tilden Park, discusses how the study of DNA has changed many assumptions about plant and animal classification, at 12:45 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St., at 10th St., Oakland. 238-2200.  

“The Solar Cat,” with author Jim Augustyn, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Biotic Baking Brigade Book Launch Party with Agent Apple at 7 p.m. at AK Press Warehouse, 674A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. www.akpress.org 

LeConte Neighborhood Association monthly meeting at the LeConte School, 2241 Russell, at 7:30 p.m. Agenda includes traffic circles, bus rapid transit, neighborhood organizing. For information, please contact KarlReeh@aol.com 

Berkeley-Palma Soriano Sister City invites you to join our June Delegation on Culture, Spirituality and the Environment in Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Informational meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. at Berkeley City Hall, 2180 Milvia St. 6th Floor Conference Room. 981-6817. www.geocities.com/ 

berkeley-palma/ 

“A Human Rights Policy for a Democratic Mexico” with Mariclaire Acosta, the former subsecretary for Human Rights and Democracy in the Secretariat of Foreign Relations Office in Mexico at 4 p.m., Women’s Faculty Club, UC Campus. 642-2088. www.clas.berkeley.edu 

Simplicity Forum Laura Hendry, professional organizer, will speak about the ramifications of clutter at 7 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 549-3509. www.simpleliving.net 

Nutrition Awareness at 1 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190. 

FRIDAY, MARCH 19 

Remembering the Dead, One Year Since the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, at 11 a.m. at Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay St. 839-5877. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Rev. Dennis Kubi and Prof. Lisa Fullam on “Is Physician Assisted Suicide Morally Permissible?” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m., speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020. 

China: Ancient Culture, Pedal to the Floor Slide show by Richard Register of Ecocity Builders and report back on his recent trip to China. Benefit for Ecocity Builders. From 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. $10 donation requested. 548-2220 ext. 233. 

Spring Equinox Gathering at Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina. Please arrive promptly at 5:30 p.m. Sunset at 6:15, Gathering ends at 6:30. Workshop led by David Glaser, UC Berkeley. Dress warmly, the weather is part of the experience. 845-0657. www.solarcalendar.org  

“Karate for Kids” a free introductory class with Dara Connolly at 5:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave., for ages 4 and up. 847-2400. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 7:15 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Players at all levels are welcome. 652-5324. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 655-6169. www.bpf.org 

Overeaters Anonymous meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Northbrae Church at Solano and The Alameda. 525-5231. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 20 

Global Day of Action Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq. The SF March 20 demonstration will begin at Dolores Park, 18th & Dolores Sts., at 11 a.m. and will march to the S.F. Civic Center. Call 415-821-6545. 

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Sproul Room, St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 587-3257. www.berkeleycna.com 

Jr. Skywatchers Club takes a look at planets. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Bring a bag dinner and a blanket. For ages 8-11 years. Fee is $4, $6 for non-residents. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Kids Garden Club on Monarchs. Join us as we make monarch wings, play the metamorphosis game and plant milkweed to attact these beautiful insects to our garden. From 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. For ages 7 - 10 years. Cost is $3, non-resident $4. Registration required, 525-2233. 

Kids in Gardens A two day workshop for K-12 teachers, today and next Sat. from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This 2-day workshop focuses on demonstrating the connection between garden-related pesticides and urban runoff pollution. For Alameda & Contra Costa county teachers. Pre-registration and fee of $25 is required. 231-9430, mary@aoinstitute.org, www.aoinstitute.org/ 

A Garden Walk with a Chemist Discover pigments, perfumes and poisons with Dr. Margareta Sequin, chemistry professor at SF State University. Course includes slide lecture introduction and a guided walk in the California Natives area of the Garden. No previous chemistry knowledge required. At 9:30 a.m. to noon. Cost is $30, $25 for members. UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Registration required. 643-2755. http://botan 

icalgarden.berkeley.edu 

“Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America” with author William White at 1 p.m. at Herrick Hospital, 2001 Dwight Way. 763-0779. www.unhooked.com 

LGBT Family Night at the Berkeley YMCA from 6 to 9 p.m. Family activities include swimming, arts and crafts, kindergym, juggling demo at 2001 Allston Way. Please RSVP to 848-9622 and include your name, number of people and ages of children. 

Village Day at St. Paul AME from 1 to 6 p.m. Join us for community based activities, cultural marketplace, vendors, silent auction, health and education booths, entertainment, food and more. 2024 Ashby Ave. 848-2050.  

Yoga for Seniors at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St., on Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. Open to non-members of the club for $8 per class. To register, call 848-7800. 

Pet Adoptions, sponsored by Home at Last, from noon to 5 p.m., Hearst and 4th St. 548-9223. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 21 

Welcome Spring Morning Hike from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Dress warmly. Fee is $5, $7 non-resident. registration required. 525-2233. 

Little Farm Lambs Celebrate the first day of spring with a visit to our flock of black sheep to see the new lambs. From 1-2 p.m. at Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Community Peace Labyrinth on blacktop next to the gardens at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave., enter by dirt road on Derby. Free. Wheelchair accessible. Sponsored by the East Bay Labyrinth Project. 526-7377.  

Solar Electricity For Your Home Learn how to size, specify and design your own solar electrical generator. A short field trip to a functioning house/system in Berkeley and current catalog of available equipment are also included. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 525-7610.  

Family Explorations: Amazing Insects Discover the weird and wonderful world of the most numerous and diverse animals on the planet—insects! Activities include building your own insect robot from recycled materials, sampling an edible insect, and creating butterfly and moth antennae you can wear and take home! From noon to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St. at 10th St. Oakland. 238-2200.  

Bayshore Walk Meet at 4 p.m. for a 2 hour walk along the Bay on paved trail at Pt. Isabel. Directions: From Hwy 80 exit Central Ave. El Cerrito, go west towards the Bay, over the next overpass. Turn right on Rydin; go to the end of the street and park. Sponsored by Solo Sierrans. 234-8949.  

Berkeley Cybersalon: Travels with Technomads We’ll hear from some actual technomads, such as mountaineer Arlene Blum; Bill Woodcock, director of the Packet Clearing House; high-tech RV roamer Art Tyde, founder of LinuxCare; and jetsetter Isabel Maxwell, CEO of Commtouch. At 5:30 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 

Women’s Day with The Women of St. Paul AME, with Presiding Elder Carolyn Tyler Guidry at 9:30 a.m. at 2024 Ashby Ave. 848-2050. 

Berkeley City Club free tour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are sponsored by the Berkeley City Club and the Landmark Heritage Foundation. Donations welcome. 2315 Durant Ave. For group reservations or more information, call 848-7800.  

Dalite Baum of Black Quandary all the way from Israel in a discussion looking at opposition to the occupation from a queer perspective, at 8 p.m. at the Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. Wheelchair accessible. 540-0751. www.thelonghaul.org 

Meditation Seminar with representatives of Sant Thakar Singh at 1:15 p.m. at the Berkeley Main Library, 2090 Kittredge. Free. 845-4870. 

Tibetan Buddhist Open House from 3 to 5 p.m. including prayer wheel garden meditation tour, yoga demonstration, talk on meditation and information on Tibetan art projects. Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Tibetan Buddhism with Lama Palzang and Pema Gellek on “The Way of the Viryuous Householder” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

“Eckhart Tolle Talks on Video,” at 6:30 p.m. at the Feldenkrais Ctr., 830 Bancroft Way. Donation of $3 requested, no one turned away for lack of funds. 415-990-8977 or mayahealer@yahoo.com 

MONDAY, MARCH 22 

Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Leadership Breakfast with Congressman Mike Honda, at 7:30 a.m. at the Marriott Oakland City Center, 1001 Broadway. Cost is $25. 663-1207. chloe@leeforcongress.org 

Tea at Four Enjoy some of the best teas from the other side of the Pacific Rim and learn their cultural and natural history. Then take a walk to see wintering birds and dormant ladybeetles, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, in Tilden Park. Registration required. Cost is $5 for residents, $7 for non-residents. Wheelchair accessible. 525-2233. 

Universal Access to Quality Health Care at 6:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Central Library, 3rd floor meeting room. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 843-8824. 

Fitness for 55+ A total body workout at 1:15 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5170. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. 548-0425. 

ONGOING 

“Freedom from Smoking” a free six-week smoking cessation program offered Mondays from March 29 for May 3, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by the City of Berkeley Tobacco Prevention Program. To register call 981-5330 or email QuitNow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Free Income Tax Help is available on Tuesday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12 noon at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Ozzie Olson, AARP trained tax preparer is available by appointment. 845-6830.  

Spring Bulb Bonanza at the Botanical Garden, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 15 - April 15, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755.  

CITY MEETINGS 

Berkeley Housing Authority meets Tues., Mar. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Sherry M. Kelly, city clerk, 981-6900. ww.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/housingauthority 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Mar. 17, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Katherine O’Connor, 981-6601. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/humane 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., Mar. 17, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Lisa Ploss, 981-5200. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/commissions/aging 

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed., Mar. 17 at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Marianne Graham, 981-5416. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/welfare 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs. Mar. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Anne Burns, 981-7415. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/commissions/designreview  

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., Mar. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Prasanna Rasaih, 981-6950. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/faircampaign 

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Mar. 18, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Peter Hillier, 981-7000. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/transportation›

BUSD Extends Superintendent’s Contract 

The Berkeley Board of Education extended the contract of Superintendent Michele Lawrence through June 2006, district officials announced Monday. 

Lawrence has received high marks from board members in steering the district through a tumultuous three years of budget cuts totaling about $14 million. 

Lawrence replaced longtime Superintendent Jack McLaughlin in 2001 just as the district plunged into a fiscal crisis that threatened local control. She has focused on repairing the district’s creaky data systems and centralizing decision making to achieve uniform policies throughout schools. 

District spokesperson Mark Coplan said the extension does not include a raise. Lawrence, whose contract was set to expire next June, makes $185,000 per year and received an interest-free $300,000 home loan upon taking the job. 

University Celebrates Inaugural Disability Awareness Week 

Sproul Plaza will be converted into a basketball court for a wheelchair basketball game Wednesday as part of UC Berkeley’s inaugural Disability Awareness Week. 

Activities, sponsored by the student government, president’s office and Disabled Students Program, started Monday and will continue through Wednesday. 

Tuesday’s events include an HIV information panel hosted by the Gender Equity Resource Center in 202 Chavez Hall at 12 p.m. and a charity fashion show at 7 p.m. at Pauley Ballroom in the student union. 

In addition to the basketball game Wednesday at 12 p.m., Greg Wollcoh, an actor and comedian, will perform at the Tilden Room on the fifth floor of the student union. 

On Monday, Chancellor Robert Berdahl and several other UC administrators spent the day in a wheelchair in order to, according to an Associated Students of UC spokesperson, “learn more about what life in a wheelchair entails.”

In the story “Gaia Building Criticized For Lack Of Arts Tenants” (Daily Planet, March 5-8), we reported that “12 of the 91 apartments [in the Gaia Building]... are reserved for tenants who earn 80 percent and less of the median area income.” The information was obtained from a website operated by the Berkeley city manager’s office. Panoramic Interests head Patrick Kennedy has informed us by letter that the Gaia Building currently has “19 units set aside for low-income residents at 50 percent” of the area median income. The 19 unit set-aside figure is confirmed in a newly-released document by the city manager’s office.›

NEW DELHI, India—India’s pro-Hindu ruling party is feeling good. 

The country’s economy has soared in the last year, and as voters consider their choices for national elections beginning next month, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is casting itself as the sole architect of a surging India. 

“Top of the world,” says smiling BJP official B.D. Misra, describing the mood at the party’s central office. The economy is blazing, he says, and the BJP deserves “200 percent” credit. 

On the path to the polls, the BJP is riding a very different beast than the one that carried it to power five years ago. Back then it sought votes by slandering the country’s minority Muslims. Now it’s riding on outsourcing. 

U.S. and British multinationals have moved a torrent of information technology (IT) jobs to India. Outsourced services, like call centers and accounting, grew by a remarkable 59 percent in India last year and are likely to continue at that pace. 

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee began draping full-page ads in major newspapers in January. They show gleeful Indians clutching pink lotus flowers, playing cricket and raising hands in a classroom, beneath the words “India Shining.” 

But many worry that the party’s success will re-energize its communal roots. 

When the BJP came to power, most agreed that it would have to moderate its pro-Hindu agenda and take a more benign attitude toward India’s fantastically diverse citizenry of 1 billion people, a quarter of whom still live in poverty. The BJP has tried to temper its anti-Muslim stance. But there are signs they may abandon that effort. 

“They are trying to recreate a sense of polarization in the country,” says Zafarul-Islam Khan, editor of the research journal Muslim India. The message, he says, is “only the BJP will protect the aspirations of Hindus.” 

Further, a pre-election redraft of the party’s official goals will raise four of the Hindu far-right’s top projects: banning cow slaughter, removing special legal status for Muslims on issues like divorce and inheritance, erecting a temple to the Hindu god Ram on the remains of the Babri Mosque and rescinding Muslim majority Kashmir’s autonomous status. 

The BJP has learned in recent years that it can get away with isolating Muslims, which constitute only 14 percent of the population. 

Two years ago, 1,000 Muslims were killed by their Hindu neighbors in the western state of Gujarat. At the time, many predicted that the BJP, which was implicated by human rights groups in sponsoring the violence, would be fatally tarnished. 

The party failed to rebuke the hawkish state leader Narendra Modi, a BJP member, despite his public description of the massacre as “natural” and his resistance to opening camps for Muslim survivors on the grounds that they would become “baby-producing centers.” Moreover, in two years since the riots, not a single killer has been convicted. 

But the BJP appears to be unscathed. In fact, it has in recent weeks attracted a spate of political defectors, including some prominent Muslims. 

Najma Heptullah, a senior Congress member of 24 years and a Muslim, appears set to join the BJP. The betrayal has drawn scorn from Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who called her an “opportunist.” 

Yet, a queue appears to be forming. Kolkata’s daily newspaper Telegraph recently asked in an article, “Who’s Next?” It listed 10 new Congress members rumored to be planning shifts to the BJP. 

“Wherever they see a chance to get votes, they go there,” Congress leader Kabil Sibal says of the defectors. 

The Hindu defections are blamed on a failing Congress party. “Many people simply believe that in the battle with China for economic dominance, the BJP and not Congress have the ability and determination,” says Darren Zook, a South Asia expert at the University of California at Berkeley. 

In a report released last month, the U.S. State Department repeated its concern that India was falling prey to Hindu extremist forces, calling its democracy “long-standing but flawed.” With the continuing flood of jobs here from U.S. corporations, though, there may be little to hold the resurging BJP back. 

Mike McPhate is a reporter at the Indian Express, an English daily. He is based in New Delhi.  

A Berkeley public transportation advocacy group has appealed to the City Council a use permit granted last month for the planned 176-unit Library Gardens project, slated to rise just west of the public library. 

Steve Geller, on behalf of Berkeley Ecological & Safe Transportation Coalition, filed the appeal Monday on the grounds that the project devotes too many parking spaces to residents of the complex. Geller also says the project is inconsistent with Berkeley’s General Plan, which calls for “transit-oriented development.” 

In his appeal letter, Geller argued that Library Gardens only needs to provide 59 spaces for its estimated 280 residents instead of the 105 presently planned.  

The City Council has not yet scheduled a hearing on the appeal. 

Project developer John DeClerq has expressed the importance of beginning construction on the project in May to avoid cost overruns. 

—Matthew Artz 

Ã

A while back the Berkeley police chased someone over the Oakland border and into my neighborhood. I heard the sirens and screeching tires long before they arrived. When I looked out my front window, I could see cop cars on every corner and others cruising up and down Dover and its side streets. I left my 17-month-old nephew and my 13-year-old friend Jernae safely inside and went out to investigate. There was a police car parked in front of my house.  

“What’s up?” I asked.  

“We’re lookin’ for somebody,” the policewoman answered. “African-American, ponytail and no shirt. If you see him, call 911.”  

“What did he do?”  

She didn’t answer.  

I walked up Dover Street, toward the corner of 55th where several cruisers were parked.  

“What happened?” I asked one of the three policemen leaning against a patrol car.  

“We’re lookin’ for somebody,” he said.  

“What’d he do?” I asked.  

“He ran into this neighborhood. He’s somewhere around here, but we’re not sure where.”  

By now, many of my neighbors were on their front porches and steps. It was a hot afternoon and they sat and fanned themselves with magazines and newspapers as a flurry of activity roared up and down our usually quiet streets.  

“What happened?” they asked me as I walked by.  

“I don’t know,” I said, heading east on 56th Street. More police cars were at the intersection and when I turned south on Shattuck, I could see blue lights flashing on the corner a block away.  

By now there were citizens in cars also cruising the streets, looking for action, and guys and women on scooters and bicycles, and on foot in sandals and sneakers. When I got back to my house, the police activity was centered directly across the street from my front door. Officers held their guns ready as others went into my neighbors’ backyards. There were people I didn’t know lounging on my front steps and others standing in my driveway. Some of them had cell phones and cameras. Jernae was on the front porch holding my nephew.  

A guy with a press pass around his neck walked by and I stopped him. “Do you know what’s going on?” I asked.  

“Yeah, there’s been another shooting. They think the guy who did it is behind one of those houses over there.” He pointed to a bungalow across the street.  

“I guess he doesn’t have a weapon on him, does he? I mean, they wouldn’t let this many regular citizens stand around here watching if they thought it was dangerous, would they?”  

“I don’t know,” he answered, surveying the 50 or so people who had gathered on the nearby corners and sidewalks. “How they gonna control this mob?”  

He was right. It looked like the Philadelphia Mummers Day Parade was about to begin.  

“Get back in the house,” I said to Jernae. “And take the baby with you.”  

She disappeared behind the closed door, the reporter kept walking, someone with a ponytail and no shirt rode by on a bicycle and the strangers on my front step got up and left. After an hour the police left too. I went inside the house and thought about how frightening it was to have this happen in our neighborhood, especially when I was taking care of two young children.  

I went upstairs and looked at my computer. Jernae had been searching the internet again for her favorite rap songs. I read the lyrics that covered the screen: 

Get low, Get low  

To the window, to the wall, (to dat wall) 

To the sweat drip down my balls (my balls) 

To all these bitches crawl (crawl) 

To all skit skit motherfucker (motherfucker!) all skit skit got dam (Got dam) 

To all skit skit motherfucker (motherfucker!) all skit skit got dam (Got dam) 

Pa pop yo pussy like this cause yin yang twins in this bitch 

Lil Jon and the East Side boys wit me and we all like to see ass and titties 

Now bring yo ass over here ho and let me see you get low if you want this thug 

Now take it to the floor (to the floor) and if yo ass wanta act you can keep yo ass where you at  

I pushed the delete button and turned off the computer. It wasn’t just scary outside. It was scary inside, too.  

Armed Robbery 

A man wielding a gun robbed a photo copy business on the 1400 block of Shattuck Avenue at 4:38 p.m. Sunday, police spokesman Kevin Schofield said. The robber made out with cash and remains at large. 

Shattered Glass 

The Homeless Action Center sustained three to four broken windows at about 4:05 a.m. Saturday, Schofield said. Patricia Wall, who works at the center on the 2500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way e-mailed the Daily Planet that someone threw rocks and bricks through the windows. She added that damage is expected to cost $1,000, not all of which will be recouped from insurance. 

Suspected Arson 

Residents at a retirement home on the 2100 block of Carleton Street awoke to a small fire Thursday morning, possibly caused by a cigarette lighter, Schofield said. The Berkeley Fire Department extinguished the flames and are investigating if the fire was set intentionally.

ON THE HOMEFRONT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Maybe now that the City of Berkeley has solved the Middle East crisis and censured the president, it could clean up the broken glass on Bancroft Way between Shattuck Avenue and Milvia Street? It’s been there for six months now and if we are going to be the city shining on the hill, maybe we could solve some of our own little problems before we spend our tax dollars telling the rest of the world how to run itself. 

Paul Glusman 

• 

CENSURE VOTE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley City Council censures President Bush? 

Not in our name. 

Jeanne Gray Loughman 

Norma Gray 

• 

UC HOTEL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Randy Shaw’s letter (Daily Planet, March 12-15) should be required reading for those who think the UC-proposed downtown hotel and conference center is a win-win for the city and the university.  

While relentlessly expanding into adjoining neighborhoods and the downtown, UC officials hope to avoid a legal challenge on this project by giving consideration to certain city zoning laws. But this doesn’t mean the city will have an effective voice in determining the most appropriate use of this land in our downtown. 

Many questions remain to be answered. For example, Mr. Shaw points our that a UC conference center and hotel could be substantially underutilized for much of the year—a huge dead space in the heart of downtown. Will it be another disappointment, like Oakland’s downtown Hyatt/convention center? Is this the best use of land in the heart of our tax base? Have we considered other priorities? 

While UC Berkeley is a great university, its reach can be greater than its grasp in matters that go beyond its educational mission. 

Alan Goldfarb 

• 

NEW MEDICARE LAW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The corporate media has not been covering the fact that the Bush administration has been using our tax dollars to run misleading ads for the new Medicare law. Although studies show most people will pay more, and many thousands could lose existing coverage, the $12 million dollar ad campaign says, “Same Medicare, more benefits.” In fact, this law will benefit the drug companies and HMOs. I do not want my tax dollars used to mislead the public. Here is some information I’d like to share with readers of the Daily Planet. 

Most people will actually pay more under the new law. According to a Consumers’ Union study, “Most beneficiaries will face higher out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs after full implementation, despite the benefit.” 

Medicare is forbidden to negotiate lower prices with drug companies, despite the Veterans Administration’s proven success of this approach. 

People with drug costs of around $500 per month get no Medicare help for half the year. Each year, people on Medicare must pay 100 percent of their drug costs between $2,251 and $5,100. 

Drug companies will get $139 billion in new profits under this law, and HMOs will receive billions to participate. The Wall Street Journal wrote, “Corporate lobbying groups are emerging as winners.” 

Approximately 2.7 million seniors could lose more generous benefits from their former employers, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

Congress’ General Accounting Office investigated the ads and found that while they are not technically illegal, they contain “omissions,” overstatements, and have a “political tone.” The GAO pointed to the ad’s failure to mention that drug discount cards will cost up to $30 annually, and that savings will vary by drug. 

The media firm hired to run Medicare’s TV ads, National Media Inc. of Arlington, Virginia, also works for the President’s reelection campaign, the Republican Party and drug companies. 

For citations on most of the above facts visit the Campaign for America’s Future at: www.ourfuture.org/docUploads/200401_medmythfact.pdf. 

Janice Schroeder 

• 

SEAGATE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) appreciates the Daily Planet’s coverage of the proposed Seagate Building on Center Street. The project comprises a massive nine-story mixed-use structure, with 145-148 residential units and 150-158 below ground parking spaces. It is moving forward toward full permit review. Accordingly, BAHA has written Acting Planning and Development Director Dan Marks expressing growing concern that there are elements of this project that are patently contrary to the Berkeley Downtown Plan, adopted by the City Council in November 1990. 

It is apparent to BAHA that the physical dimensions and the environmental impacts of the proposed Seagate Building are deserving of no less than a full public review process in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Furthermore, because planning is simultaneously proceeding for the University of California Hotel and Conference Center, announced on November 5, 2003, it is even more incumbent upon the city to adequately review the cumulative effects of two high profile projects, neither of which, by definition, are in compliance with the Downtown Plan. 

BAHA has ascertained with some alarm that, to date, an initial study—the mandated first step prescribed by CEQA—has not yet even been started by city planners. 

Susan Chase 

BAHA President 

• 

WHY NOT W? 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Why Martha Stewart but not George W. Bush? Stewart convicted of making false statements, conspiracy to make false statements, providing misleading information involving insider trading. No soldiers, innocent civilians or children killed or maimed. 

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, et al, have not yet been charged despite their false statements regarding matters of war involving non-existent nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, biological weapons, and al-Qaeda connections. Misleading information leading to war for control of world’s second largest oil reserves in Iraq, with permanent U.S. military bases, dominated by oil corporations and their politicians. Lies and war causing over 10,000 deaths and maimings, including Americans and thousands of Iraqi civilians including children killed or maimed. 

Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz also helped Reagan-Bush aid their war criminal ally Saddam Hussein with vast sums of money and assistance in the 1980s. As Stewart faces possible prison, when will Bush and his co-liars and one-time Saddam supporters be charged with false statements and misleading information” resulting in the deaths of thousands? 

Patrick Keilch 

• 

PAINT THE CROSSWALK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

With regard to my daughter Ashley’s Girl Scout Gold Award project of putting a crosswalk on Allston Way so that students can safely cross between the school and the park where they eat lunch, the California Vehicle Code states the following: 

1. Section 21373 states that if a school board requests traffic control devices, the City must start work on surveys within 90 days. 

2. Section 21372 States that the City must establish “traffic controls devices near schools for the purpose of protecting students” based upon pedestrian volumes, vehicle volumes and proximity to schools. 

3. Section 21368 states that crosswalks within 600 feet of a school must be painted yellow “for the protection and safety of persons attending the school”. 

While none of these sections specifically state that Berkeley High School must have a crosswalk between the school and the park to protect the lives of our young people—as compared to merely protecting vehicular flow—the code certainly does hint around that perhaps the City of Berkeley traffic department would be doing our kids a great favor if they would “turn to” and paint the darn crosswalk. 

Our children have been illegally crossing Allston Way for more than 60 years. They’ve received traffic tickets for doing this. They’ve faced detention and on-campus suspension for doing this. They’ve been yelled at, they’ve endangered their lives, they’ve injured themselves and they’ve lost their lunches while trying to run across the street in the face of on-coming traffic. They’ve even gotten hit by cars—and they still do it. We think it’s time we stopped making criminals of our youth and started protecting their right to be safe. Crossing Allston at lunchtime means a lot to Berkeley students.  

Berkeley students are good kids. They work hard at school (many go on to Harvard). They have a short lunch period. They are not criminals. Let’s show them that we care and give them a yellow (and red) crosswalk.  

One last sobering thought: Our high school students will get their lives endangered soon enough when George Bush’s proposed universal draft plan goes into effect. Let’s protect them now—while we still can. Let’s get out there and paint that crosswalk! 

Jane Stillwater 

• 

FALSEHOODS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I wish to point out several major falsehoods in the following statement, (“Censure Council Vote,” Daily Planet, March 12-15): “...both Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmember Linda Maio cited the fact that Congresswoman Lee had poured cold water on the impeachment idea during a late January meeting with Berkeley activists.” 

1) Neither Mayor Bates nor Councilmember Maio were present at the Jan. 30 meeting with Congressmember Lee, and, therefore, are not qualified to make factual statements. Present at the meeting with Congresswoman Lee were 13 members of the public representing 12 of the 14 organizations, (either based in or with members in Rep. Barbara Lee’s District 9) which have endorsed the impeachment of at least President Bush and Vice President Cheney. 

2) All but two of the representatives present at the meeting live in Congresswoman Lee’s district, and since several live in Oakland, the group as a whole cannot be characterized as “Berkeley activists.” Furthermore, three national organizations endorsing impeachment: Veterans for Peace, the National Lawyers Guild, and the Green Party had representatives present. 

3) Most importantly, Congresswoman Lee did not “pour cold water on the impeachment idea.” She supported the efforts of the National Coalition to Impeach Bush/Cheney, and encouraged us to continue organizing in order to help create a groundswell of support for impeachment. Although she indicated, until such groundswell, her priority would be to concentrate on voter participation. Nevertheless, Congresswoman Lee indicated that she might submit a Resolution of Inquiry to the House International Relations Committee that would make reference to impeachable offenses. Congresswoman Lee also agreed to participate in a town hall Meeting on impeachment, to which she might invite Congressmembers Maxine Waters and John Conyers. The National Coalition to Impeach Bush/Cheney had put the plans for a town hall Meeting on hold. We felt it very important to support the Berkeley City Council Peace and Justice Commission “Investigate Impeachment Resolution” of the March 9 City Council agenda. Our aim was to foster the groundswell of support for impeachment that was called for by Representatives Lee and Conyers. 

Some 200 impeachment supporters attended the rally and press conference, many of whom afterwards packed the City Council chambers.  

Gene Bernardi, National Coalition to Impeach Bush/Cheney 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

To: Mayor Bates, Councilmember Maio, and Berkeley Planning Commission  

Berkeley citizens worked for years to agree on the West Berkeley Area Plan, a clear vision for Green Valley industrial growth that will ensure sustainable development while keeping the city’s business ecosystem as diverse as the culture. One dimension of this vision is an expanded reuse and recycling industry. Berkeley already has a base of reuse and recycling businesses that help achieve recycling goals and provide local employment. The industry can grow much larger, but only if it has affordable land.  

Berkeley has an opportunity to lead the resource industry’s development—and build economically—as Alameda County pursues its goal of diverting 75 percent of discarded resources from waste. Achieving this goal will require industrial infrastructure in manufacturing zones. Important ecoindustrial development is already moving forward in San Leandro. Gilman Street is correctly zoned and ideally located to develop ecoindustrial parks and resource malls including both large and small businesses. Perhaps the wealthy Alameda County Recycling Board would help. The time is ripe.  

Resource malls and ecoindustrial parks are a future-oriented path to a solid and diverse economic base. They need land and affordable locations. Even retail is permitted in the MU-LI zone if the business is a Materials Recovery Enterprise.  

Urban Ore is one resource business that has already suffered from rising Gilman Street land values. When we lost our lease, we couldn’t afford to buy the property because of rising land values. We were forced to leave the neighborhood and went through a difficult four-year transition. We were being courted by other cities. If we had left town or gone out of business, Berkeley citizens would have been deprived of our environmentally sound disposal and resale service, and thousands of tons of resources would have been wasted every year. Instead, we continue to provide 22 fulltime jobs with fully paid healthcare, 11 parttime jobs, $1.6 million annually in revenue, and low-cost products without pollution that help people keep their property in good repair.  

The community has clearly said it wants this kind of enterprise. We have helped write three citizens’ initiatives that put recycling on the ballot, and they all won with more than 60 percent of the vote. Recently the Independent Recyclers Council of the California Resource Recovery Association asked Urban Ore’s Dr. Daniel Knapp to write a statewide citizens initiative for Zero Waste and Recycling Infrastructure. It will include a surcharge on garbage to fund recycling development—similar to Alameda County’s wealthy program.  

Building infrastructure for a growing recycling industry will require lots of land, funding, and participation by experienced developers. If Berkeley builds in this direction, the citizens will not have to be overcome. They will applaud and participate.  

Mary Lou Van Deventer  

Operations Manager  

ˇ

Dear Tom, 

As you know, a few days ago immediately before the election of the Planning Commission chair and vice-chair I was abruptly removed from the commission by Councilmember Breland, who had appointed me two and a half years ago. She offered no explanation. Your appointee to the Planning Commission, David Stoloff, appears to have been involved in my removal, along with Commissioner Harry Pollack. 

During that entire time, Councilmember Breland and I had literally no disagreements over policy issues that have come before the commission. Our relationship was always cordial and respectful. So I was startled when she phoned me last week and asked me to support the election of David Stoloff, your appointee, as vice-chair of the Planning Commission. I explained to her that Mr. Stoloff and I were currently on opposite sides of a heated controversy over development in West Berkeley. Since supporting him for vice-chair would appear to be supporting his agenda, I did not think that I could do that. Furthermore, I explained, several commissioners were urging me to run for vice-chair myself, and I thought I could win. However, I said that I had not made a final decision and I would consider it some more. She said I should decide and let her know. 

I wondered why in the world she would want him as vice-chair, since he leans toward representing the interests of developers and the university over the larger community. What could be her motivation? 

About 20 minutes later I received a call from Stoloff. He asked me not only to step aside and vote for him, but also to nominate him.  

This was getting pretty strange.  

I thought that a majority of the commission did not support Stoloff. He needed to get a vote from somewhere to win, and he was trying to get it from his opponent—me—and using Margaret as leverage. He obviously knew that Margaret had just called me and he was following up on it. I repeated to him what I had said to her. 

This was not the first time that Stoloff had approached me. About a month earlier he had asked me to support Harry Pollack for chair and himself for vice-chair. Pollack was originally Shirley Dean’s appointee to the Planning Commission and is now Councilmember Wozniak’s. I told him then that I could not support Pollack for chair because of his role last spring in the suppression of the MU-LI Report, on which I and others had worked long and hard, and I could not support Stoloff either, particularly since the two were running as a slate. The MU-LI Report was a controversial document analyzing problems in the implementation of the West Berkeley Plan in the Mixed Use/Light Industrial district. 

I’ll have to fill you in on some of the back story. 

Two and a half years ago, Joe Howerton, Councilmember Shirek’s appointee to the Planning Commission, asked me if I’d be interested in serving as Councilmember Breland’s Planning Commissioner. I had met Breland years before when we both worked on the West Berkeley Plan. Over the intervening years I had become increasingly dissatisfied with the way that that plan was being implemented by the city. My primary motivation for coming onto the commission was to see if I could help improve the implementation of the plan. 

The plan calls for maintaining the diversity that makes West Berkeley unique and identifies preservation of its industrial character as a key factor. However, the city has permitted significant erosion of the industrial base by the unremitting pressures of gentrification. In particular, the conversion of the old Courtaud factory into offices was shockingly against the spirit of the plan. The city had never even considered opening the building to light industries and arts and crafts. 

When I first came onto the commission, the City Council was considering a moratorium on conversions of industrial buildings into offices in the MU-LI district. The council directed the commission to set up a subcommittee to investigate the problems and report back. I quickly joined the subcommittee. At the time there was a functioning progressive majority on the commission. Most controversial issues were being decided by 5-4 votes, with Joe Howerton, Rob Wrenn, Zelda Bronstein, Gene Poschman and myself usually forming the majority. 

We worked more than six months on our investigation, and finally issued the MU-LI Report, which detailed significant areas where the zoning ordinance could be improved to better implement the industrial and arts and crafts protections of the plan. But just as the subcommittee was issuing the report, Mr. Howerton’s wife became ill, and Joe had to drop off the commission. Maudelle replaced him with Jerome Wiggins. It was at some of Jerry’s first meetings as a commissioner that the MU-LI Report came before us. 

Commissioner Harry Pollack took the lead in opposing the report in a memo claiming that it presented “a distorted view of the plan.” To him, “a key goal of the West Berkeley Plan is fostering the economic development of West Berkeley and maintaining West Berkeley as a primary source of tax revenues.”  

Contrary to Pollack’s claim, this goal is not one of the eight goals clearly detailed in the plan (pages 83-87). 

At the meeting when the commission was scheduled to debate the issues, Pollack quickly made a motion to table, seconded by Tim Perry (who was replacing David Tabb for that one meeting). Stoloff voted to table. A motion to table is not debatable. For some reason the new commissioner and swing vote, Wiggins, was drawn into voting with their camp, and so the commission never discussed the important issues brought out in the MU-LI Report, and never sent it to the City Council. I believe that Pollack manipulated this result because he knew he would lose an open debate. It is seeing this kind of manipulation of process to stifle discussion that later led me to oppose his election as chair.  

Fast forward to last week. The day after the phone calls to me from Breland and Stoloff, Berkeley Design Advocates, of which Stoloff is a past president, held a “charrette” in which they outlined a plan for the conversion of lower Gilman Street from the quiet industrial neighborhood of today into upscale residences and shops. They also proposed a hotel at the waterfront instead of the park that environmentalists have worked decades to achieve. In their scheme, Gilman would become four lanes of traffic. They envision declaring a redevelopment area to speed the gentrification process. At that meeting many people—myself among them—made our voices heard in opposition to this gratuitous development, and in support of the wise policies of the West Berkeley Plan. 

Two days after this, on the eve of the election, I received the call from Breland that I was to be replaced immediately on the commission by Tim Perry, a member of Berkeley Design Advocates along with Stoloff, and a supporter of Shirley Dean. 

With Perry replacing me, Stoloff had his vote, and so got elected vice-chair in this tainted election. 

If this were a third world country, people would call it a coup. 

I ask you, Tom, do you approve of this level of deceit and manipulation? 

You phoned me and said that you were not the one who called Breland, and you had nothing to do with this. I believe you. However, the agenda that Stoloff and Pollack are pushing for West Berkeley is the same gentrifying agenda that you have been promoting. From the time you took office you have been saying that one of your goals is upscale development of lower Gilman Street and Ashby Avenue.  

So this is not really about me, but about development. I am just a person who happened to stand in their way.  

The West Berkeley Plan is up for evaluation next year. I believe that Pollack and Stoloff have shown themselves to be incapable of organizing a fair process for that to happen. Under their leadership, the West Berkeley Plan will be dismantled in back rooms, and the public process will become a dog show. 

You have a clear responsibility for the behavior of your appointee in a matter like this. Neither I nor the many knowledgeable people I have talked to have ever heard of any similar sleazy manipulation in the history of elections on boards and commissions in Berkeley.  

The manipulation of a councilmember and the abrupt termination of a commission member because of a vote for a vice-chair is reprehensible. Are Stoloff and Pollack really qualified to lead the Berkeley Planning Commission? Or should this sad episode of undemocratic tactics disqualify them both from any positions of leadership in this town? 

Are you going to shrug and do nothing? 

If this is what the future holds for Berkeley, I shudder for the fate of my city. 

Sincerely, 

John Curl 

H

It’s always awkward to find yourself challenging a sacred cow. So when a revered Bay Area theatre company produces a play by a genius of modern drama and loads it with justifiably respected actors, it’s rather uncomfortable if you think the whole thing is a bust. 

It’s even worse when there’s a chorus of approval about the production Berkeley Repertory’s presentation of Ibsen’s Ghosts arising from critics you respect. Presumably, however, there is always room for a minority opinion—and it looks like this one may qualify. 

The play itself is just fine. Ghosts has a plot stuffed with dark secrets from the past (the ghosts of the title) and totally awful things happening to innocent people. But this was Ibsen writing, people. He didn’t flinch at introducing syphilis, incest and a few other such niceties. Certainly the play scandalized a very large chunk of Europe in its time, but that doesn’t mean the writing is at fault. 

All of the actors are good. It’s just that they keep getting sabotaged by the production itself, with a lot of first-rate talent going down the drain in a presentation overly tainted by melodrama. It is, for example, not until a lengthy and heartbreaking final scene between the powerful actress Ellen McLaughlin (Mrs. Helene Alving) and Davis Duffield, who plays her dying son, that Duffield is freed to demonstrate the genuine talent largely concealed throughout the bulk of the action. With two fine actors permitted to demonstrate their ability, at that point the play becomes worth seeing. 

For reasons that are never clarified, Duffield (Osvald Alving) had spent much of his previous time on stage literally flinging himself about the furniture. If that’s supposed to represent brain damage, it seems remarkable that the symptoms simply vanish when he’s heading into his greatest crisis. 

But there does seem to be a bent toward overly exuberant staging in other parts of the production. The opening scene, a quarrel between Mrs. McLaughlin’s maid, Regina Engstrand (Emily Ackerman) and her presumed father, the scoundrel Jakob Engstrand (Brian Keith Russell), is marred by the unintended absurdity of the delicate Engstrand’s repeated attempts to push the man—who looks at least twice her size and weight—out the door. 

Granted, one translation does call for her to do it one time, but does the version the Rep uses really require that many repetitions? 

Some people seem to find the giant-sized set symbolic of something or the other-one must decide for oneself, of course. But it is perhaps worthy of noting that a background which presumably suggests the 19th century interior of an isolated house in the country is scaled to the entire height of the stage—perhaps 30 feet or so. As the play continues, various chunks of the background disappear, leaving the bare bones of the stage behind the set open to view. More symbolism, of course. 

But the biggest deal with symbolism is the sudden substitution at a crisis point of a backdrop which to an untutored eye is more than a little reminiscent of those huge murals from the 1930s one occasionally sees on public buildings. Since the actors continue to carry on in straight 19th century style, this doesn’t seem like the very best idea in the world. 

Besides, what happened to the isolated, incest-driven, claustrophobic action of the play? 

Perhaps the trickiest role to present to a modern audience is the sanctimonious and curiously naïve Pastor Manders (James Carpenter). To modern eyes, his oblivion to his own motivation, and the outrageous gaps in his logic, border on the absurd. Part of the problem, of course, is that he represents a Puritanism that has either disappeared or assumed other forms. 

Mercifully, Ellen McLaughlin is permitted to carry the bulk of the plot without too much interference with her acting. Mrs. Alving is a wealthy widow living in an isolated country estate on the eve of the dedication of an elaborate orphanage which she is giving to the town in memory of her dead husband. 

This isn’t the act of sentimental respect the pastor would like to think. It turns out that McLaughlin’s character has spent her life covering up the quite disgusting facts of her husband’s lifestyle and that she is giving the orphanage to get rid of the last of his tainted money---she’s earned the rest of the family fortunes herself. 

But her monumental struggle to rid herself of the damage her husband’s lifestyle has created fails disastrously. When Oswald returns home, the sins of the father are visited upon the son. 

And upon his mother. 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Ghosts runs through April 11. 2025 Addison St. 647-2949.

Standing on the deck off the third-story studio at his Berkeley home, Khalil Bendib tries to match his pose to that of the Statue of Liberty. Oversized pen in one hand and a fez on his head, he checks an old newspaper photo of the statue to make sure he is holding his head in the right place and stretching his arm up high enough. Like everything Bendib does, he is in the process of creating a spoof by re-imagining a well-known scene and making it his own. 

That’s why Bendib is a cartoonist, the profession for which he is best-known. That is often complemented by the native Algerian’s lesser-known and more serious side—that of a fine artist. 

Since coming to the United States in 1977, Bendib has pursued various forms of artwork that include painting, sculpture and ceramics. Like his cartoons, his artwork is political. Yet it is also intensely personal, with most of his paintings and non-commissioned sculptures and ceramic works focusing on his Middle Eastern culture. 

Bendib also has several large commissioned works, including three separate sculptures that hang on the north side of the Gaia building. All three represent the Greek goddess Gaia, in various incarnations, and are meant to represent the power of women.  

Instead of a play on a theme like his cartoons, Bendib uses his art to convey a much more direct message. It’s about “portraying my roots and my culture in a way that is attractive,” he explains. “It’s an attempt to balance all the negative images that are attached to my culture.” 

One of the artist’s paintings, Cafe de Almohades, shows two groups of men sitting at a cafe drinking coffee and talking. The scene is set in Morocco, and Bendib says it is meant to represent the serenity of the culture. Unlike here in the United States, where “time is money,” Bendib shows the men enjoying their time with each other, focused on their conversation and nothing else. 

“What I liked so much was their freedom from the constraint on time,” he says. “When I went back to Morocco it occurred to me that [in the United States] we don’t have this wonderful calm. They are daydreaming, what we would call in the west, ‘wasting time.’” 

Bendib’s most popular pieces are his ceramics, which he says create a nice medium between drawing and sculpting. Coffee is the preferred theme. 

Whereas his ceramics evince a gentle nature, his cartoons are more what he calls “blunt instruments,” coming through like a wrecking ball, shattering assumptions. 

It Became Necessary to Destroy The Planet in Order to Save the It, a collection of Bendib’s political cartoons, contains a three-panel cartoon that juxtaposes two young boys with Jerusalem in the background. The boy on the left greets the other boy and says, “Hi, I’m Haile, a Jew from Ethiopia.” In the next frame the boy on the right answers, “And I’m Ali, a Palestinian from here,” which prompts the Ethiopian boy to ask, “What are you doing here in my country?”  

“It’s not completely accurate and it’s not meant to be,” Bendib says about a cartoon. But, “such an exaggerated thing can be devastating. That’s what makes my cartoons either so attractive or repulsive.” 

Aside from the obvious political element within his artwork, Bendib feels the conception of the art itself is a political statement. He says he produces art the way he wants to and refuses to conform to the standards that have been set out there for “good art.” 

“Even as a artist, I find myself ‘reinventing the wheel’ so to speak, to escape those little boxes that exist even in the art world—the various art fads. I’ve never pledged allegiance to any particular school or art movement, finding myself in that way also, again, somewhat of an oddball, even among artists.” 

Bendib continues to produce work that pushes the comfort level, even among leftists. His post-9/11 cartoons have tackled some of the harder issues that continue to be edged out everywhere else. 

Several of the cartoons in the 9/11 section of his book focus on the racism both the Arab and Muslim communities faced. One strip has three frames, the first, labeled “Pearl Harbor 1941,” shows a flag-waving American demanding to “Kill all the Japs.” The next frame, labeled “NYC, D.C. 2001,” shows the same American demanding to “Kill all the Muslims.” The third and final frame is labeled “Oklahoma City, 1995,” and in it the American initially demands to “Kill all the white guys,” then, thinking better, adds, “No, wait a minute...Punish the Guilty, Don’t Generalize.”  

As an Arab and a Muslim, Bendib confesses he was scared initially that his cartoons would anger someone enough that they would come knocking on his door. 

“I am scared,” he says. “But I am compelled to do these cartoons. Post-9/11, Arab and Muslim Americans have become the proverbial canary in the cage in the mine shaft of our constitutional liberties. As their rights are being taken away, so will, eventually, the rights of all citizens be eroded and gradually ‘disappeared,’ if we keep sliding on this downward slope. My job is to debunk [the stereotype], and that makes me unpopular with those in the mainstream whose job it is to spread this message. The common denominator between all my cartoons is rebellion against blind conformity.” 

?

TUESDAY, MARCH 16 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Neely Tucker describes “Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoire” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

“Travels Though the Center of the Sahara Desert” a slide show and lecture by Philip Hassrick at 7:30 p.m. at Easy Going Bookstore, 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, “21st Century Cellos” at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $21-$45. 841-2800. www.berkeleysymphony.org 

Golden Gate Wind Quintet, “Gigi’s Fabulous Adventure” a marriage of pop, free jazz, contemporary classical, and cyberfunk at 8 p.m. at 1111 Solano Ave. Tickets are $20, available from 524-1696.  

Mimi Fox, solo guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Dayna Stephens House Jam at 8 p.m. at The Jazz House. Donation $5. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.com 

The Black Brothers: Shay, Michael and Martin at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $17.50 in advance, $18.50 at the door. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a showcase of ensembles at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 

FILM 

Film 50: “Ali: Fear Eats the Soul” at 3 p.m. and Meet Your Makers: “Since” at 9:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Chang-Rae Lee introduces his new novel “Aloft” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Suzy Becker recounts “I Had Brain Surgery, What’s Your Excuse?” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Café Poetry and open mic, hosted by Paradise at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert at International House, Piedmont Ave. at Bancroft. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Stump Tail Dog celebrates St. Patrick’s Day at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Green and Root, CD release party at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Traditional Irish Music with Driving with Fergus at 5 p.m. at The Starry Plough. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

St. Patrick’s Day with Don and Michele Clark, Steven Donaldson, Cathryn Bauer and Friends at 8:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Jules Broussard, Bing Nathan and Ned Boynton at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Stolen Bibles, American-rooted rock and roll, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 18 

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

“Fluid Exchange” exhibition of graduate art work from California College of Arts, at Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber Hall, UC Campus. Reception from 4 to 9 p.m.  

“Lisboa” photographs by Dennis Letbetter, taken with a 6x7 cm panoramic camera. At North Berkeley Frame and Gallery, 1744 Shattuck Ave. 549-0428.  

THEATER 

Central Works, “The Duel” a new play adapted from Chekhov’s novella, at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Runs Thurs. - Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. through March 27. Tickets are $8-$20. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

“The Vagina Monologues” performed by the women and men of LUNA Bar at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $25 and are available from 647-2949 or 888-427-8849. 

FILM 

Film and Video Makers at Cal at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Ant Farm 1968-1978” Guided Tour at 12:15 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

Simryn Gill/Matrix 210 Gallery Talk at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany” with Martin Goldsmith at 7 p.m., Durham Studio Theater, UC Campus. http://LS.berkeley.edu/CollegePresents 

“The Fourth World and Folk Art,” with Nelson Graburn, Prof. of Anthropology, at noon at the Phoebe Hearst Museum, corner of College Ave. and Bancroft Way. 643-7648. http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu 

“Museums of Learning” A discussion with Steve Seidel, Director of Project Zero at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, at 7 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Sponsored by the California College of the Arts Center for Public Life. 594-3763. www.cca.edu/capl. 

Karen Armstrong describes “The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. $10 donation requested. Sponsored by Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Debra Ginsberg introduces “About My Sisters” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. www.codysbooks.com 

David K. Shipler, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, describes “The Working Poor: Invisible in America” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Word Beat Reading Series  

with featured readers Rita Flores Bogaert and Adam David Miller, at 7 p.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 526-5985.  

Jonathan Kirsch discusses “Gods Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Mono- 

theism and Polytheism” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Raskidus, Jah Fly and Unda P at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Rachel Garlin at the 1923 Teahouse at 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $7-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Transcender, Slow Poisoners, Evergreen Dazed at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

David Maloney, “The Great Blight,” a folk opera, at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

San Francisco Medicine Ball at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Flowtilla at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Keni El Lebrijano, flamenco guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

FRIDAY, MARCH 19 

CHILDREN 

Elmo’s Birthday at 10:30 a.m. at Barnes and Noble. 644-0861. 

THEATER 

Berkeley Repertory Theater, “Ghosts” by Henrik Ibsen, at 8 p.m. and runs through April 11. 647-2917. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Everyday Theater, “The Bright River,” a show by Tim Barsky, at 8 p.m. at the Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. Through March 20. Tickets are $12-$20 and are available from 644-2204. 

Youth Musical Theater Commons “West Side Story” performed by 7th-11th grade youth at 7:30 p.m. at Longfellow Auditorium, 1500 Derby St. Tickets are $10 adult, $5 youth, available at the door. 848-1797.  

Un-Scripted Theater “Imrov Survivor” at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. at Telegraph, and runs to April 3. Tickets are $7-$10. 415-869-5384. www.un-scripted.com 

FILM 

Chantal Akerman “The Capture” at 7 p.m. and “All Night Long” at 9:10 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Edwidge Danticat reads from “The Dew Breaker” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and Combos Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Florence Schwimley Little Theater, BHS Campus, Allston between MLK Jr. Way and Milvia. Tickets are $3-$10. 527-8245. berkeleyjazz@comcast.net 

Newport Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22-$46 available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Jr. Bach Festival at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $5-$10. 843-2224. www.juniorbach.org 

Acoustic Pop with a Social Conscience with Greg Lamboy in a benefit concert for the Friday Night on College community meal. At 7:30 p.m., College Avenue Presbyterian Church, 5951 College Ave., next to Dreyers. 658-3665.  

Gun and Doll Show, Lemon Lime Lights at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Lichi Fuentes in a concert honoring International Women’s Month at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12 in advance, $14 at the door. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The New Hope Bboy/Bgirl Battle with Sisterz of the Underground at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Double Standards, jazz duo, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

AC/DSHE, The Station and Stiletta at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10.  

848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Leftover Dreams with Tony Marcus and Patrice Haan at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Alan Smithline, guitarist and vocalist at 7:30 p.m. at the Fellowship Café, Fellowship Hall, Cedar and Bonita Sts.  

Alexis Harte Band and Laughingstock at 9:30 The Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $8 at the door. 736-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org  

Michael Bluestein Trio at 8:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Johnny Talbot & DaThangs, live funk, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Gravytrain, The Quails, The Kingdom at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Peaktimes, improvisational dance and music at 8 p.m. at The Jazz House. Sliding scale donation of $8-$15 requested. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.com 

Domino Theory, jazz and funk, at 9 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Woman at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

SATURDAY, MARCH 20 

CHILDREN  

“Wild About Books” storytime with Louise Rafkin and her young students of Studio Naga in a martial arts presentation, at 10:30 a.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6223. 

Los Amiguitos de La Peña Ms. Jay’s Playhouse, music and movement at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Sean Powersí Shadow Puppet Workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $5-$15 sliding scale. 644-6893. www.berkleyartcenter.org 

Dance Jammies, a multi-generational dance event from 6 to 9 p.m. at Motivity Center, 2525 8th St. Cost is $9. 832-3835. 

Kids on the Block Puppet Show, promoting acceptance and understanding of physical and cultural differences at 2 p.m. at the Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave., lower level. Sug- 

gested donation $3. Children under 3 free. 549-1564. 

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

“4x4: Four Sculptors Work in Four Materials” opens at A New Leaf Gallery/Sculpturesite with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. at 1286 Gilman St. 525-7621. www.sculpturesite.com 

THEATER 

Youth Musical Theater Commons “West Side Story” performed by 7th-11th grade youth at 7:30 p.m. at Longfellow Auditorium, 1500 Derby St. Tickets are $10 adult, $5 youth, available at the door. 848-1797.  

A Family Affair, Teen Council One-Acts Festival at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. March 21, at Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $5-$10. 647-2949.  

“Code Blue at the Genome Zoo” at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage, 2015 Addison St. Recommended for ages 7 and up. Tickets are $10. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

FILM 

The Case for Pavel Jurácek, “The Key to Determining Dwarfs, or The Last Travel of Lemuel Gulliver” at 7 p.m. and “Every Young Man” at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“The Spirit of Fès: a Vision of Peace,” a roundtable discussion moderated by UC Davis ethnomusicologist Sandra Graham at 3 p.m. in Morrison Hall, UC Campus.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Spirit of Fes Tour, Moroccan sacred music, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22-$42 available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Berkeley Youth Arts Festival with Sean Powersí Shadow Puppets at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. www.berkleyartcenter.org 

Berkeley Youth Art Festival with Dance and Rhythm of India at 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. www.berkleyartcenter.org 

“From the Yachats Music Festival” by Four Season’s Concerts at 7:30 p.m. at Oakland’s Calvin Simmons Theatre. Long-time Berkeley music teacher, Jesse W. Anthony, will be honored as the third recipient of Four Seasons Concerts “Founder’s Award for Distinguished Service to Our Community.” For tickets, contact Four Seasons Concerts at 601-7919. www.fourseasonsconcerts.com 

UUCB Chancel Choir Spring Concert, under the direction of Bryan Baker, at 8 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Road, Kensington. Suggested donations at the door are $10-$25. 525-0302. www.uucb.org  

Balkan Showcase Benefit for Ashkenaz More than 15 bands contribute their music to celebrate Ashkenaz’s 31st Anniversary at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $20. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

“People Like Me” a world dance and music celebration for the whole family at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $6-$12. 925-798-1300. 

Healing Muses presents “La Foolia” a spectacle of early music at 8 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Ave., Albany. Tickets are $15-$18. All proceeds benefit Healing Muses’ hospital music program. Advance reservations recommended. 524-5661. www.healingmuses.org 

Dave Gleason at 2 p.m. at Down Home Music, 10341 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 525-2129. 

Jewish Music Festival with David Krakauer’s Klezmer Madness at 8 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$25. 848-0237. 

Jen August performs in a benefit for the National Organization for Women at 7:30 p.m. at Change Makers Bookstore, 6536 Telegraph, Oakland.  

G. S. Sachdev, bansuri, with Swapan Chaudhuri, tabla, at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $22-$26 in advance, $30 at the door. 594-0754. 

Philharmonia Baroque, “La Musique du Roi Soleil” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $29-$60 and are available from 415-392-4400. www.philharmonia.org 

All Ages Show with The People, Justifi, The Hep at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com  

Janis Ian at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $20.50 in advance, $21.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Madeline Eastman, “Slightly Left of Standard” at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Beth Custer Emsemble performs jazz, funk, Latin, rock at 8 p.m. at The Jazz House. Donations of $8-$15 suggested. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.org 

Para ti Chichito Cepeda, Puerto Rican drumming, at 8:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org  

Singer-Songwriter Night with Inka at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Reggae Angels at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $7-$10. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

The Lucky Stiffs, Blvd Strays, Jack Killed Jill at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $6. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Helen Chaya, Vivian’s Keeper at the 1923 Teahouse at 8 p.m. Donation of $7-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Triad with Dave Rocha at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Rock and Roll with Nicole at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Scott Amendola with Ben Goldberg on reeds and Devin Hoff on bass, at 8:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Allegiance, Lights Out, Our Turn, Worn Thin, The Answer, Dead in Hollywood, at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926.Ä

For the last few months a Bewick’s wren has been hanging out in my yard. We hear it much more often than we see it. Its song is one of those I can never seem to associate with the singer (not that my ear for birdsong is all that great; every spring I have to re-learn robin versus grosbeak versus tanager all over again). David Sibley transcribes it as “t-t zree drr-dree tututututututu,” which is supposed to represent a mix of trills and buzzes with a descending pitch. Peterson says it sounds like a song sparrow’s, but thinner. It doesn’t help that the song varies from region to region, and between individuals. Mostly I just wait for the wren—a small brown bird with grayish underparts and a white eyestripe—to show itself. 

Since it is singing, I’m assuming my bird is a male with a territory. And I can’t rule out the presence of a female (Bewick’s wrens, unlike some of their relatives, are monogamous). So nest construction may be getting under way any day now. But unless I catch a wren in the act of transporting material, I’d have no idea where to look for the nest. These birds are very creative in their choice of sites.  

Typical of their family, Bewick’s wrens are cavity-nesters. The main exceptions are the marsh wren, which attaches its globular nest to cattail or tule stems, and the cactus wren, whose nest is sheltered within the branches of a cholla, the spinier the better. W. L. Dawson, author of the classic Birds of California (1923), described the range of documented Bewick’s wren locations: “A cranny of suitable size is the sine qua non, and this may be in a rock-pile, in a canyon wall, in an old woodpecker hole…, under a root, behind a sprung bark-scale, in an old shoe or tin can, or the pocket of a disused coat.” Later observers have added junked cars, cow skulls, and discarded cardboard cartons to the list. One pair nested inside the walls of a trailer; it’s unclear if the trailer was in use at the time. 

Other wren species have similar propensities. One summer in the Sierra, I found a house wren nest in an old boot that had been nailed to a ponderosa pine the previous winter as a snow-level marker. A pair of Marin County house wrens once chose to build in the end of the exhaust pipe of a steam engine, fortunately while it was idle.  

Bewick’s wrens are pretty orthodox in their choice of nest materials. The range is wide—sticks, twigs, straw, feathers, bark, moss, dead leaves, spiderwebs—but the content is mostly natural. That’s not true of some of their relatives, though. Lots of birds will incorporate man-made objects in their nests when available; I’ve seen a Bullock’s oriole nest woven mostly from shreds of blue plastic tarp. But wrens seem to carry this tendency to extremes. Their nests have a great deal in common with the work of obsessive folk artists like Simon Rodia and Grandma Prisbey. 

There seems to have been a tradition among American ornithologists in the last century of deconstructing wrens’ nests and cataloging their contents; I wonder if anyone still has the time and patience for that sort of thing. Arthur Cleveland Bent recorded several such analyses in his Life Histories of North American Birds. One male house wren, for instance, incorporated a hatpin, 67 hairpins, five safety pins, 22 nails, part of a mouse trap, a buckle, six collar stays (this was in 1916), and bits of chicken wire into his nest. Said Bent, “The female refused to accept the nest and departed; I don’t blame her.” 

Rock wrens on the Farallon Islands—the only songbirds that nest out there—have used fragments of discarded batteries, fish hooks, and tacks, along with shards of abalone and mussel shell and the bones of seabirds, fish, and rabbits. (Yes, there were rabbits on the Farallons back in the collar-stay era.) 

But these avian masters of bricolage were outdone by a pair of canyon wrens in Fresno County, who build their nest almost entirely from pilfered office supplies. Employees at a Southern California Edison office had wondered where their paper clips, thumbtacks, and the like were going. The mystery was solved when the wrens’ vacated nest was dissected. It contained over 600 paper clips, 528 pins, 28 rubber bands, 19 thumbtacks, the lid from a glue container, 11 pen points, 87 matches, four toothpicks, and an airmail label. If Post-its had existed in 1931, I have no doubt that the birds would have used them as well. 

I wouldn’t expect anything like this from my Bewick’s wren. But he and his presumptive mate are welcome to the lint from the dryer, if they want it. And I’m tempted to leave a bowl of staples, brads, and paper clips on the back porch in case either of them has a taste for metal. Meanwhile, the prospect of a wren’s nest being just about anywhere—in a broken flowerpot? under the wheelbarrow? in that half-empty bag of redwood bark?—serves as a good excuse for not cleaning up the back of the yard just yet. 

It’s the biggest mystery swirling through Berkeley City Hall these past few days. What possessed Councilmember Margaret Breland to sack her appointee to the Planning Commission, John Curl, one day before the Wednesday night meeting where Curl appeared set to be elected vice chair of the commission? 

“She was talking to someone who convinced her to make a change,” said Councilmember Linda Maio, who, like many of her colleagues on the City Council, had many questions but no definitive answer for why the progressive councilmember from the flats of Southwest Berkeley would dump a kindred spirit in favor of Tim Perry—a moderate stalwart from the Berkeley Hills. 

The political intrigue could have lasting implications for development in West Berkeley. The West Berkeley Plan is up for review next year, and developers are actively seeking new projects on Ashby Avenue and Gilman Street.  

Curl, a woodworker based in West Berkeley, had fought to preserve the area’s industrial roots. Perry, on the other hand, has promoted new development especially along Gilman Street, where he hopes a new ferry terminal will one day be located.  

Breland, who has historically voted to preserve manufacturing in West Berkeley, refused to return calls to the Daily Planet. 

Maio said that in recent conversations Breland, the West Berkeley councilmember told her that she had made the switch because “there was too much politicking going on in the Planning Commission.” Maio also said that Breland, who remains home recovering from a mild stroke and may not seek reelection in November, had assured her that Perry was a temporary appointment. 

The brewing controversy, however, appears likely to exacerbate the commission divide, which has its own groupings of progressives and moderates independent from the councilmembers who appointed them. The nine-member body is torn between a faction of four progressive commissioners that included Curl. To varying degrees, these progressives want to closely manage development, especially in West Berkeley. On the opposite side is a group of four moderates who actively promote development. The ninth member, Jerome Wiggins, does not fall into either category.  

With Harry Pollack, a moderate, assured the deciding fifth vote from Wiggins for commission chairman, Curl appeared to have the five votes necessary to defeat moderate David Stoloff for vice chair. Stoloff is a Mayor Tom Bates appointee.  

Pollack was elected chair. But with Curl off the commission at Wednesday night’s meeting, his replacement, Perry, cast the deciding fifth vote for Stoloff, who progressives believe had a role in ousting Curl. 

Stoloff told the Planet Thursday that he had campaigned hard for the post, but never wanted Curl replaced. “I asked several people to support my being Vice Chair. I expect at least one person did talk to Margaret, but I can’t say who or what the conversation was about,” Stoloff said. 

“Stoloff has no pull over Margaret,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington. “That’s why this secret person is such a big question. Was it Patrick Kennedy? Was it Gordon Choyce (Breland’s pastor who reportedly help secure her support for a project for Temple Beth El)? Whoever it is, the person should come forward and confess.” 

Curl suspects the invisible hand belongs to Bates. 

“All I can come up with is that Tom wants his appointee to be vice chair of the Planning Commission and that’s what it’s about,” Curl said.  

That’s a charge the mayor denies. “I was very surprised [Breland] made that change,” he said. Bates added he had never spoken to Perry, who in 2002 supported Bates’ rival, former mayor Shirley Dean, during the hotly-contested mayoral race. 

Curl thought his commitment to West Berkeley also played a factor in his ouster. Asked if Breland had explained her decision to him, he replied, “There was no need to. We both know what this is about. I represent West Berkeley as it is. I think it’s a dynamic place that works. I don’t want to that be swept away by a building boom,” he said. “Margaret is lining herself up with the winning team. Tom’s got a big agenda and he’s pushing it through. He’s very good at getting things done.” 

Last spring, Curl, and Commissioners Gene Poschman and Zelda Bronstein prepared a report on implementation of the 1993 West Berkeley Plan that sought to protect Berkeley’s industrial base from office encroachment. 

Pollack won a 5-4 vote to table discussion of the report. He told the Daily Planet Friday that the report focused too much on office space and didn’t reflect the West Berkeley Plan’s emphasis on providing a balance of uses. 

Stoloff said he expected the commission to revisit the plan this year. The commission might also take up a proposed new Berkeley Bowl store and distribution center on Ashby Avenue. Curl had opposed that project at its presently proposed scale. 

The vice chair position is largely ceremonial, but Stoloff expects to wield some authority. “I hope to be much more active,” he said. “Harry and I will form a team to work with staff and make sure we’re working collaboratively on development issues in an orderly and an expeditious way.” 

He criticized the outgoing leadership of the commission for wasting time fighting with planning staff. “We have a mile long list of zoning amendments that haven’t been acted on,” he said. “[Outgoing Chair] Zelda [Bronstein said it wasn’t proper to meet with staff in private. That makes it hard to get work done.” 

Bronstein, who often clashed with former Planing Director Carol Barrett, said she conferred frequently with her successor, Dan Marks, and challenged Stoloff’s assertion about work not getting done. 

“Let’s talk about who among the planning commissioners really does work on the Planning Commission,” she said. “Certainly John Curl was one of the hardest working commissioners.” 

The ire surrounding the presidency of George W. Bush officially made its way to the Berkeley City Council Tuesday night when the council voted 8-0, Dona Spring abstaining, to support MoveOn.org’s efforts to censure President Bush.  

A competing proposal by the city’s Peace and Justice Commission to request Congressmember Barbara Lee to initiate impeachment actions against the Republican president was put off by the council after reports that Lee did not think impeachment had much chance of getting through Congress. The impeachment postponement vote also passed 8-0, with Spring again abstaining. 

Both measures were based upon criticism of Bush’s conduct in initiating last spring’s Iraqi war. The votes followed a pro-impeachment rally on the steps of Old City Hall prior to the council meeting, with speakers that included anti-war icon Daniel Ellsberg. 

For censure supporters, including Councilmember Kriss Worthington, it was a sweeping victory. 

“The most important message is that George Bush has conducted illegal military acts [and] given inaccurate information,” said Worthington. “To call for a censure is a dramatic step.”  

But the vote left those pushing for impeachment with mixed feelings, some glad the council made the move to take a stance and others disappointed they did not go further.  

Mark MacDonald, the Peace and Justice commissioner who introduced the impeachment resolution, agreed that censure was a move in the right direction but disagreed with the theory—credited to progressive Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich—that a move to impeach Bush would create sympathy for the president and only garner him more support. 

“I don’t buy that,” said MacDonald. “That’s not a good enough reason not to pursue the truth.” MacDonald noted that the cities of Santa Cruz and Arcata have already passed resolutions for impeachment. 

Councilmember Spring was one of several residents who spoke at the pro-impeachment rally. She suggested a friendly amendment to the censure vote that would have added a request for an investigation but not used the word impeachment. 

“I agreed with the community that we needed something stronger than censure,” she said. “But I understand that it is a question of strategy.” 

During the council debate on the impeachment issue, which was often interrupted by impeachment supporters, both Mayor Tom Bates and councilmember Linda Maio cited the fact that congressmember Lee had poured cold water on the impeachment idea during a late January meeting with Berkeley activists.  

“Everyone wants to get rid of [Bush],” Maio said. She added, however, that “I have to defer to [Congressmember Lee].” 

Jeffrey Thomas, Lee’s district director, said in a telephone interview that “there’s no Congressmember who is more interested in getting George Bush out of office than Congressmember Lee.” After speaking over the prospects of impeachment with John Conyers (D-Michigan), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, however, Thomas said that Lee was “not enthusiastic about the prospect of getting enough votes for impeachment in a Republican Congress. The votes are simply not there.” 

Commissioner MacDonald said he realized Representative Lee needed more of a groundswell to introduce the request for an impeachment investigation. 

“She doesn’t want to stick her head into the guillotine,” he said, 

Nonetheless, he said, he still thinks the move to impeach will aid and not hinder the move to oust Bush. 

“Impeachment is a good election issue. Even if you don’t win, you bring the spotlight in Bush’s crimes,” he said.

The project director of the proposed Berkeley UC hotel and conference complex stated this week for the first time, at least publicly, that the massive downtown development project will have to come under the city’s zoning ordinances and permit process. UC Senior Planner Kevin Hufferd told a Tuesday afternoon meeting of the Planning Commission’s UC Hotel Complex Task Force, however, that the hotel would probably exceed the city’s downtown height restrictions, leaving the distinct impression that it is the zoning ordinance itself which will have to give if the project is to go through. 

At the same meeting, Hufferd announced that the university had selected a developer for the $150 million to $200 million, 200-room project slated for the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Center Street: Cambridge, Massachussetts-based Carpenter & Co. 

In a press statement released the day of the task force meeting, Mayor Tom Bates said Carpenter & Co. has “pledged to work closely with the Berkeley community and has agreed, along with the university, that the hotel project will fall under the city’s land use jurisdiction. This was an important change as the university had previously asserted that, as a university-related facility, the project would be exempt from the city’s land use laws.”  

The sudden switch on the university’s zoning stand was in line with a controversial private memo, written by Deputy City Attorney Zach Cowan to Mayor Tom Bates last November, in which Cowan outlined a procedure to bring the project through Berkeley’s zoning procedure in order to “bulletproof” any possible zoning amendments to accommodate the UC hotel development. The memo was leaked to the Daily Planet and published last month. 

Carpenter & Co. was picked by UC to develop the project over three other finalists: Champion Partners, Lowe Enterprises, and Faulkner USA/Hilton Hotels. The winning developer signed a six-month agreement to perform a feasibility study on the project, estimated to cost between $150 million and $200 million. A decision on going forward with the project itself will not be made by the university and the developer until after the feasibility study is completed. 

Carpenter and Company is best known for building the Charles Hotel, next to Harvard University, and is currently developing the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco that will include condominiums and the African American Diaspora Museum. 

In addressing a planning commission subcommittee on the hotel project Tuesday, UC Senior Planner Kevin Hufferd touted the company’s track record in cooperating with activist communities and developing multi-purpose projects.  

Carpenter & Co. President and CEO Richard Friedman told to the subcommittee that he had no delusions of a simple planning process. “We’re used to dealing in high energy communities such as this,” he said. “Maybe we’ll regret it, but we’ll take a shot at it.”  

Though originally planned as a UC development, Hufferd said Tuesday that the university hoped that Carpenter & Co. would ultimately buy the plot from Bank of America, making the hotel a purely private venture. 

Friedman said his first call of action would be to hire an architect and urban design firm to work with the city and university on designing the development. He said he has already signed on Interstate Hotels, an independent chain, to run the future complex. 

The current concept calls for putting the hotel and conference center at the Bank of America site and, in a second stage, locating the museums at the landmarked UC Print Press at Oxford and Center streets and the University Hall Parking Structure at Oxford and Addison streets. 

Friedman said he envisioned the development also having some housing, parking and restaurants, and that he remained open to other concepts, including shuffling around the buildings. The eventual designer, Friedman said, could be selected by a competition or by a financier. 

“We come to the project without any preconditions. We’re completely clean slate,” he said. 

Mayor Tom Bates lauded the university’s decision to pick Friedman’s company from a pool of eight applicants. “We’re fortunate to get a team like this,” Bates said. “We’re a challenging community and I’m sure [Friedman] will work with us. 

City officials estimate the proposed complex, announced last November, could raise upwards of $1 million in tax revenue annually for Berkeley, which in recent years has lost hotel guests to a slew of new hotels in Emeryville.

Wednesday morning’s walkout at El Cerrito High School was one protest that left Principal Vince Rhea smiling. 

Not that he necessarily wanted 300 or so students marching off campus and through the nearby residential streets. “Any time there’s a walkout, we’re very concerned, and we want to make sure they’re not destroying property,” Rhea said. 

But the principal said he did approve of the students’ motive, which was to rally community support to save endangered programs at the school. 

A $16.5 million budget deficit announced Monday night has left Western Contra Costa County high schools in turmoil. After school officials proposed eliminating athletic programs and school libraries as well as ending school counseling, students held walkouts at several district schools this week. 

The El Cerrito Police Department was clearly worried about Wednesday’s El Cerrito High walkout. “I’ve never seen so many cop cars,” one teacher was overheard saying to another. “All their black-and-whites and the undercover cars, too.” 

But the students gave police no reason for concern. After the march they filed quietly back onto campus, where many headed to the football field. There they waited patiently while Rhea and his staff got things ready for an open mic session where students could share gripes. 

“Throughout the week, we’re going to be having a series of forums so students can vent their frustrations,” Rhea explained beforehand. 

About a hundred students gathered for the stadium meeting, which Rhea began with a plea. “I know you’re worried about the cuts, but we lose money every period you’re not in classes,” he said. “I want you to know I’m not going to let this high school close down.” 

The cowboy books and Western style belt and buckle that stood out from his otherwise business-like garb prompted a reporter to ask Rhea where he hailed from. “Berkeley,” he said. “My dad was a pediatrician.” 

But the principal’s style was pure Wall Street compared to the look affected by Corey Mason, the Spanish teacher and radio producer Rhea calls “my right-hand man.” 

While the principal sports a neat short and very Western mustache, Mason wears two braids—the first descending from the top of his head and well down his back and the second from the underside of an otherwise clean-shaven chin.  

Applause and cheers greeted Mason when he rose to take the mic. 

“I learned about walkouts 15 years ago,” he said. “We need to invite the people of El Cerrito and the businesses to help us.” Mason told the students that both the administration and the police “were very supportive.” 

A succession of students and one parent stepped up to the microphone to air their grievances. 

“They’re cutting football here,” a student athlete said. “My cousin’s coming here starting next year, and football’s his ticket to college, like it is for a lot of people I know.” 

Another student added that he knew “a number of people have been looking to come here and play. Now they’re gonna be disappointed. I heard about a few of them who say they’re going to Oakland.” 

Dominique Brown, a senior and a cheerleader, declared, “They say they’re concerned about our diet, and they’ve changed some of the food, but now they’re gonna cut sports? Grades are going to go down too,” she complained, “because a lot of students keep their grades up so they can stay in sports.” 

Loss of the library and counselors drew more expressions of concern than the possible loss of the athletic programs. “With the counselors gone, who’s going to help us apply for college?” asked a second cheerleader. “All seniors need them.” 

A volleyball player urged her fellow students to “tell your parents and all your friends to write letters. To the governor, to the legislature, to everyone. That’s the only thing that’ll work.” 

Jan, a senior, said “It deeply saddens me that we live in a society where people don’t care about their children anymore, about their education.” She pointed to the failure earlier this month of ballot Measure J, which would have increased school funding for the West Contra Costa district. 

“How did we get to the point where we’re losing athletics and music?” demanded the only parent at the gathering. “That’s the way out for a lot of our students.” 

“Without our counselors, who’s gonna help us with our college applications next year,” worried one junior. “We only have two now. But to have none? That’s gonna jeopardize everything. And what’re we gonna do without the library? Not everyone here comes from a home where they can afford a computer, so they write their papers on the ones in the library. If there’s no library, the district is basically robbing us of our education. Our future is in crisis. If these budget cuts take away our future, we’re dirt. If they care about us, they wouldn’t do this. I’m really concerned about not getting into college.” 

Photography teacher Jeremiah Holland praised the students (“You guys are great. You deserve the best.”) and offered practical advice for future demonstrations. “You need signs. You need posters. You need sticks to carry them. You need talking points.” 

Another teacher present was Philip Morgan, who runs the district’s highly popular and nationally known KECG radio station, which teaches students the basics of broadcasting—another program up for the chop. “We’re on the list,” said Morgan. “But we’re working on it.” 

Principal Rhea told students he was actively exploring corporate sponsorship for the sports teams. “There are a number of corporations interested in underwriting athletics in the East Bay. We’re looking at SBC and the Oakland A’s.” He also promised to personally relay the students’ concerns to Superintendent of Schools Gloria Johnson and other district officials.›

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 

Berkeley Schools Now Celebration with Assemblymember Loni Hancock, BHS Principal Jim Slemp, and Rosa Parks Principal Shirley Herrera at 3:30 p.m. at Rosa Parks School Library.  

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Izaly Cemtsov- 

ski, Prof. Slavic Studies, UCB, “Today’s Music in Central Asia.” Luncheon 11:45 a.m. Speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For reservations call 526-2925. 

Free Speech Movement Retrospective with Michael Rossman and Lynne Hollander Savio at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St., at Bonita. Suggested donation $5. 528-5403. 

Literary Friends meets at 1:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center to discuss Jane Austen. 232-1351. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 7:15 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Players at all levels are welcome. 652-5324. 

Berkeley Critical Mass Bike Ride meets at the Berkeley BART at 5:30 p.m. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. 548-6310. 

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. 655-6169.  

Overeaters Anonymous meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Northbrae Church at Solano and The Alameda. 525-5231. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 13 

National Nutrition Month celebration with cooking demonstrations, taste testing and nutrition education from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Flea Market, Ashby BART Station. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org  

Mini-Gardeners: Seeds Learn the plant cycle and see where seeds come from, for ages 4-6 accompanied by an adult, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center. Cost is $3, $4 non-resident. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Good Night Little Farm Rain or shine the animals need to be fed and put away for the night. Join us from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Little Farm. Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Compost Give-Away as part of the National Nutrition month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center St. at MLK, Jr. Way. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Seed Saving Workshop We’ll cover seed saving in detail, including botany and pollination, types of seeds, wet and dry seed processing methods, equipment, and seed storage. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $15 general, $10 EC members. 548-2220, ext. 233.  

School Garden Conference on starting or enhancing gardens in Bay Area Schools. Workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will begin at the Lawrence Hall of Science and move to the UC Botanical Garden. Cost is $10. 495-2801. 

Alternative Materials: Cob and Strawbale A workshop on two natural building methods. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 525-7610.  

Hands-on Ecological Restoration for Youth Enjoy a fun-filled, muscle building day working on a native plant restoration project at Shoreline Park in Oakland from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants should be 12 to 16 years old. Gloves, tools and snacks provided. Cost is $10. 238-3818.  

Stream Restoration Workshop taught by Ann Riley, author of “Restoring Streams in Cities,” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Urban Creeks Council, 1250 Addison St., #107-C. www.urbancreeks.org 

Help Build a Native Plant Nursery and Restore a Marsh Join the effort to restore West Stege Marsh, along the south Bayshore of Richmond, for the endangered Clapper Rail and other wildlife. From 9 a.m. Pre-registration preferred. 231-5783. martha@aoinstitute.org 

Introduction to Renewable Energy This workshop will introduce solar, wind and micro-hydro systems to homeowners who want to become their own utility companies by generating electricity with renewable energy technologies. At the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 970-963-8855. www.solarenergy.org 

Spring Care and Feeding of Roses with Deb McKay at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens Nursery, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

78th Annual Poets’ Dinner at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Emeryville, with guest speaker Richard Silberg. Tickets are $22, available from 841-1217. 

Story Dressmaking Workshop with artist Patricia Bulitt, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Live Oak Center, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Commemorate a woman or girl who influences your life with collaging onto a brown paper cut out dress. Bring art supplies such as paint, glue, stapler, scissors. Photos, buttons, ribbons, whatever you bring to remember her. Suggested for 8 years and older. Cost is $25-$50 at the door, no one turned away for lack of funds. 841-6612.  

South Berkeley Annual Crab Festival from 5 to 7 p.m. at the South Berkeley Community Church at 1804 Fairview St. at Ellis. Music will be provided by the Stacy Wilson Trio. Tickets are $35.00 for adults and $17.50 for children. 652-1040. www.sbccucc.org 

“Honoring Transition Beyond Identity” a workshop on gender and identity awareness from noon to 5 p.m. at Toltec Center of Creative Intent, 2300 Roosevelt at Bancroft. Cost is $55-$85, sliding scale. To register call 649-0352, ext. 4. 

Yoga for Seniors at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St., from 10 to 11 a.m. 848-7800. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 14 

Green Sunday The Green Party and the 2004 Presidential Race, panel discussion at 5 p.m. at the Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland.  

Butterfly Club for ages 8 and up. Learn about these colorful insects, growing native plants and habitat restoration. From 1 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Singing in the Rain Join us on a hike from 1 to 3 p.m. and learn how to identify slender salamanders, singing tree frogs and the California newt. Dress for mud and rain. At Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

“The Fourth World War” with Stephen Funk, imprisoned for refusing to fight in the Iraq War at 3 p.m. at Fellowship of Humanity Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. 644-6466. 

“From Risk to Action: Women and HIV/AIDS in Ethopia” a film presentation and discussion at 3 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Sponsored by Priority Africa Network, Citizens League of Ethiopian Americans and Concentric Media. 650-568-4340. 

Workshop on Creating Character for the whole family from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Rep School of Theater, 2071 Addison St. Admission is free, please bring a children’s book as a donation to the John Muir School Library. 647-2972.  

Storytelling Women Performance at 3 p.m. at Live Oak Center, Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck Ave, at Berryman. Cost is $15-$35, no one turned away. 841-6612.  

Beth El Diversity A panel discussion with Gary and Diane Tobin from 2 to 4 p.m. at Beth El, 2301 Vine St. 848-3988. 

Summer Camp Fair from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Temple, 1547 Lakeside Drive, Oakland. Learn about summer camp options for you and your children. Sponsored by the American Association of University Women. For a free directory of camps call 800-362-2236.  

Tibetan Buddhism, with Erika Rosenberg on “Emotions in Mind” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, MARCH 15 

Tea at Four Enjoy some of the best teas from the other side of the Pacific Rim then take a walk to see wintering birds and dormant ladybeetles, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, in Tilden Park. Registration required. Cost is $5 for residents, $7 for non-residents. Wheelchair accessible. 525-2233. 

Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds Educator Workshop Held in Berkeley from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. 415-597-5888. www.coastforyou.org/  

Kerry-oke! for John Kerry for President Sing your own or traditional lyrics to popular songs that are pro-Kerry, pro-America at the Hotel Shattuck Lounge, 2086 Allston Way from 7 to 10 p.m. A $50 contribution for John Kerry’s campaign is requested. To RSVP call 504-7152. 

Classroom Matters Fundraiser for middle school tutoring scholarships at 6:30 p.m. at Downtown Restaurant, 2102 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $75 available from 540-8646. 

Fitness for 55+ A total body workout including aerobics, stretching and strengthening at 1:15 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5170. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 16 

Tuesday Morning Birdwalk at Tilden Nature Center to see recent spring arrivals, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Call if you need binoculars. 525-2233. 

Tilden Tots, a nature adventure program for 3-4 year olds accompanied by an adult. This month we will learn about reccoons. Cost is $6, $8 for non-residents. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Garden Club presents “Let's Talk Dirt” by Buzz Berto- 

lero, E.V.P. of Navlet’s Garden Centers at 1 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. Guests are welcome. 524-4374. 

National Nutrition Month “Eat in Season” from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Derby St. at MLK. Cooking demonstrations, recipes and nutrition education. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Friends of Strawberry Creek meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library 3rd floor Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. Senior Environmental Scientist at UCB, Karl E. Hans will present the 18 year history of the Strawberry Creek Restoration Program. For more info, contact jennifermaryphd@hotmail.com 

“How Can Progressives Unite to Defeat Bush?” A roundtable discussion at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 27th and Harrison, Oakland. www.democraticrenewal.us 

“The Media at War: The US Invasion and Occupation of Iraq” A three-day conference with participants from The New York Times, Washington Post, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, NPR, CNN and many others. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Grad. School of Journalism. Details of the events can be found at http://journalism.berkeley.edu/ 

conf/mediaatwar/index.html 

“Mountain Bike Basics” with expert James Lanham at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

American Red Cross Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Advance sign-up needed 594-5165. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers We are a few slowpoke seniors who walk between a mile or two meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the Little Farm parking lot. To join us, call 215-7672.  

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 

Tilden Tots, a nature adventure program for 3-4 year olds accompanied by an adult. This month we will learn about reccoons. Cost is $6, $8 for non-residents. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Great Decisions 2004: “Latin America Overview” with Prof. Peter H. Smith, Visiting Scholar, UCB, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

Berkeley Schools Excellence Project Community Forum to discuss the option of reauthorizing the special tax measure for the November ballot, at 7 p.m. in the new library at Berkeley High. 644-8717, 644-6320. 

West Street Community Forum The third and final meeting on the former Santa Fe Railroad Right of Way Improvement Project for Bikeway and Pedestrian Path that will run from Delaware St. to University Ave., at 7 p.m. at Ala Costa Center, 1300 Rose St. For information call Niran at 981-6396 or Michael at 981-2490. 

Gray Panthers at Night Prepare for the March 20th action in San Francisco. Light supper served. At 7 p.m. at 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

Report Back from the World Social Forum in Mumbai Proceeds benefit the National Radio Project. At 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10, sliding scale. 251-1332 ext. 106. 

Fun with Acting Class every Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Free, all are welcome, no experience necessary.  

“Building a Social Network in Ecuador in the Era of Globalization,” with Alfredo Palacio Gonzales, Vice President of Ecuador, who will discuss his work with indegenous communites at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Ecuador, and the World Affairs Council. 642-2088. 

San Francisco Flower and Garden show opens today at the Cow Palace and runs through March 20 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun. March 21 to 6:30 p.m. Single day tickets are $20. www.gardenshow.com 

“Images of Christ in the Early Church” with Maureen O’Brien, at 7:30 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Parish, 2220 Cedar St. 848-1755. 

Berkeley Stop the War Coalition meets at 7 p.m. in 255 Dwinelle, UC Campus. www.berkeleystopthewar.org  

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 7:15 a.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. For information call Robert Flammia 524-3765. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Vigil at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities. 

com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, MARCH 18 

The New Kingdoms of Life Alan Kaplan, naturalist at Tilden Park, discusses how the study of DNA has changed many assumptions about plant and animal classification, at 12:45 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St., at 10th St., Oakland. 238-2200.  

“The Solar Cat,” with author Jim Augustyn, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Biotic Baking Brigade Book Launch Party with Agent Apple at 7 p.m. at AK Press Warehouse, 674A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. www.akpress.org 

LeConte Neighborhood Association monthly meeting at the LeConte School, 2241 Russell, at 7:30 p.m. Agenda includes traffic circles, bus rapid transit, neighborhood organizing. For information, please contact KarlReeh@aol.com 

“A Human Rights Policy for a Democratic Mexico” with Mariclaire Acosta, the former subsecretary for Human Rights and Democracy in the Secretariat of Foreign Relations Office in Mexico at 4 p.m., Women’s Faculty Club, UC Campus. 642-2088. www.clas.berkeley.edu 

Simplicity Forum Laura Hendry, professional organizer, will speak about the ramifications of clutter at 7 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 549-3509. www.simpleliving.net 

Nutrition Awareness at 1 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190. 

ONGOING 

Family Activist Resource Center where parents and caregivers can come with their children and do their political work while their children are cared for in a creative, respectful and nurturing manner. For information on the next meeting, 841-3204. 

“Freedom from Smoking” a free six-week smoking cessation program offered Mondays from March 29 for May 3, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by the City of Berkeley Tobacco Prevention Program. To register call 981-5330 or email QuitNow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Find a Loving Animal Companion at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society Adoption Center, open 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tues. - Sun. 2700 Ninth St. 845-7735. www.berkeleyhumane.org  

Medical Care for Your Pet at the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society low-cost veterinary clinic. 2700 Ninth St. For appointments call 845-3633. www.berkeleyhumane.org  

Spring Bulb Bonanza at the Botanical Garden, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 15 - April 15, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755.  

Free Income Tax Help is available on Tuesday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12 noon at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Ozzie Olson, AARP trained tax preparer is available by appointment. 845-6830.  

CITY MEETINGS 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon. Mar. 15, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St., Sherry M. Kelly, city clerk, 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Mon. Mar. 15 at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Pam Wyche, 644-6128 ext. 113. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/rent 

City Council meets Tues., Mar. 16, at 7 p.m. with a Special Meeting at 5 p.m., in City Council Chambers, Sherry M. Kelly, city clerk, 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Berkeley Housing Authority meets Tues., Mar. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Sherry M. Kelly, city clerk, 981-6900. ww.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/housingauthority 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Mar. 17, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Katherine O’Connor, 981-6601. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/humane 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., Mar. 17, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Lisa Ploss, 981-5200. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/commissions/aging 

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed., Mar. 17 at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Marianne Graham, 981-5416. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/welfare 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs. Mar. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Anne Burns, 981-7415. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/commissions/designreview  

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., Mar. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Prasanna Rasaih, 981-6950. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/faircampaign 

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Mar. 18, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Peter Hillier, 981-7000. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/transportationˇ

After months of painful debate among parents about letting their young children vote on an issue heavy with racial overtones, students at Jefferson Elementary School will have final say on a controversial petition drive to change the school’s name. But they will participate only from the confines of their homes. 

With Superintendent Michele Lawrence in attendance, the Jefferson PTA Tuesday averted a showdown at the Board of Education by permitting students to sign a community-driven petition to rename the school so that it doesn’t bear the mark of a slave holder. 

As required under district policy, the compromise gives a voice to students, even those too young to read the petition. However it takes the student portion of the participation outside of the walls of the school itself, where several parents feared that teachers or fellow students could manipulate the process. 

“I’m not comfortable with kids voting here,” said Chris Hudson, a parent who offered the compromise. He said the issue had been more divisive than he expected and that he would feel better “if the petition came home and we’d have a chance to discuss it.” 

In accordance with district rules that require support from 20 percent of parents, staff and students in order to consider changing a school name, opponents of Jefferson last spring collected signatures from 40 percent of parents and 32 percent of staff. However their drive stalled on the issue of taking the petition to students.  

Many parents argued that the petition—which holds that as a slaveholder, Jefferson was unfit to be honored by the school—presented issues too complex for young children to grasp fully, and which could potentially lead to strife in classrooms. 

Although several parents Tuesday held firm to their contention that seeking student approval for the petition was “nonsensical,” nearly all agreed it was preferable to prolonging the dispute that has virtually paralyzed the PTA. 

The nearly unanimous vote to include students came in stark contrast to the February PTA meeting in which parents voted overwhelmingly to petition the school board for a waiver exempting the school from following the district policy. The PTA later backed off that vote at the behest of Superintendent Lawrence, who opposed a waiver. She said other schools, including Rosa Parks Elementary, had followed the name change procedures, and warned that a decision by the board probably wouldn’t come until May.  

“I’m glad the process is moving forward,” said Derrick Miller, a parent who has questioned the name change. 

Had the dispute not been resolved this school year, the names of parents whose children graduate in June would have been disqualified, potentially causing the process to start from scratch. 

With the agreement now in place, Principal Betty Delaney will send the petition to students’ homes along with a letter to parents explaining its significance. Teachers will devise lessons on Jefferson in the weeks leading up to the mailing, she said. 

If 20 percent of students return a signed petition, as expected, a committee consisting of parents and staff will devise a process for selecting alternative names.  

Delaney said the committee would eventually select one or two names to compete with Jefferson in a final vote. The name that wins the votes of more than 50 percent of parents, staff and students will be submitted to the school board for official approval. 

Parents on both sides of the debate had reservations about the compromise, but expressed relief the dispute over the student vote was behind them. 

Kevin Adkinson said he would have liked to see the vote and debate more “out in the open.” Bernhard Leidewigt agreed that the dispute made for a good learning opportunity, but maintained that the decision should be left to parents and staff. “It’s appropriate for students to be involved in the discussion,” he said. “What’s not appropriate is for students to make judgments based on historical knowledge they don’t have.” 

›

The Board of Education voted Wednesday night to approve the latest incarnation of the Identity and Ethnic Studies (IES) program, Berkeley High’s most maligned class. The move came despite a call for ending IES from the student senate, which claimed it exacerbates racial tension on campus and costs students valuable electives. 

By a 4-2 margin, the board backed a new curriculum for IES—a full-year course mandated for all ninth-graders that combines health and ethnic studies. First year Principal Jim Slemp said that proposed reforms would answer critics who have charged for years the class was academic fluff that only satisfied the district’s penchant for political correctness. 

The vote was one of several Wednesday that will have lasting impacts on the high school. The board also approved a second small school to begin next fall and voiced support for a new attendance policy linking attendance to grades. Attendance and ninth-grade curriculum have long been Achilles heels for the school. In 2001, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, as part of the school’s accreditation process, listed both of them among Berkeley High’s top five problems. 

Boardmembers made clear that when it came to reforming IES, their support was more an act of faith in Slemp than a vote of confidence in the class. 

“There have been so many revamped versions of this class. It’s really hard for me to have any faith this will be better,” said Director Nancy Riddle. 

Student criticism of the class was more pointed.  

Student Director Bradley Johnson lodged a familiar charge, that instead of acclimating students to a diverse school, the class actually stokes racial tensions. He read an excerpt from a recommended text, “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh, aimed at white students who McIntosh believes are the beneficiaries of white skin privilege: “My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor.” 

“This is completely inappropriate in teaching students,” Johnson charged. “We need to make sure this type of indoctrination doesn’t happen. I’ve talked to students who have contemplated violent actions because of what’s discussed in the class.” 

Though IES has many critics, scheduling difficulties make it tough to dump. In 2000, the board voted to align social science classes with state standards and testing schedules. That meant pushing back World History to 10th grade, American History to 11th grade and Economics and Government to 12th grade, leaving a gaping hole for freshman and little opportunity for seniors to take social science electives. 

To fill the gap for freshman, the board combined a state-required semester of Health and board-required semester of Ethnic Studies into one full-year class, thus creating IES.  

Next year will be the first that the policy is fully implemented. Now with four mandated social science classes but no money to hire more teachers, the cash-strapped district must cut an estimated 23 elective classes, leaving students furious. Last week the student senate issued a counter proposal that would eliminate IES and restore the former order of social science classes, freeing up the senior year for electives. 

Slemp, however, said he favored keeping social science classes aligned to state standards and that a revised curriculum for IES could have merit. “Freshmen need a core academic piece and issues of identity and culture make a lot sense,” he said. 

Slemp’s plan couples IES with an English class, to be known jointly as Freshman Seminar, which he hopes will win UC accreditation. He calls for a more rigorous curriculum including an honors section, summer staff development time to train new teachers, and an independent review at the end of next school year. 

The board also backed Slemp’s attendance reform, which has raised student ire as well. 

After student absences last year cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding, starting in September the district will lower the grades of chronically truant students. Under the new school procedure, five unexcused absences from a class during the 45-day report card period equals one full letter grade drop, with the provision that the lowest a student’s grade can be dropped due to attendance is D-minus. Excessive tardies will also result in grade drops. Appeals to grade drops will be allowed. 

To make sure that parents are given fair warning of their children’s transgressions, the school is organizing community volunteers to contact the parents of truant students. Currently, the district uses an automatic dialer, but Slemp acknowledged that students often pick up the phone or erase messages so parents are never alerted. 

Peter True, editor of the Berkeley Jacket, doubted the plan could solve the schools attendance woes. “Students are aware of the policy. They’ll just write down notes to get absences excused,” he said. “We don’t have signature experts.” 

In a less controversial decision, the board bestowed small school status on The Community Partnership program, formerly known as the Computer Academy. Community Partnership is the second program within Berkeley High to attain “small school” status, following Communications Arts and Sciences, which won board approval last year.  

By fall 2005, the school plans to split into one medium-sized school and five small schools, each of the small schools serving between 250 and 400 students. Other small schools are being planned that will focus on Visual and Performing Arts, Social Justice and Ecology and International Studies. 

›

A proposal that could change the way Berkeley calculates how much can be built in a single development—and aimed at cutting down the size of future projects—was passed unanimously by the City Council Tuesday night. 

The proposal to adopt a new city methodology for calculating development densities, brought by Councilmember Dona Spring, now goes to the city manager’s staff for review. Staff is expected to report back to the council with possible changes within a month. 

Spring used a power point presentation on the University Avenue area to show how the calculations for density are resulting in three to four times the amount of density called for in the city’s General Plan. 

“If these [current] calculations are allowed to stand, the residential development potential on University Avenue from [Martin Luther King Jr. Way] to Sacramento will be nearly ‘used up’ by three developers,” she said during her presentation. The current process will leave Berkeley “stuck with a few massive projects and a lot of unimproved buildings and sites.” 

In a follow-up interview, Councilmember Kriss Worthington said that the current density interpretation “benefits rich developers who want to build big developments by building the minimal number of affordable units.” 

Councilmember Linda Maio said that the calculations for density on University Avenue use the entire space from Sacramento Avenue to MLK instead of individual plots or acres. When the figures for density are calculated using such a large area, she said, the threshold for density is very large, resulting in the buildings being approved at a maximum density. If the same buildings then get a 25 percent affordable housing density bonus, Maio said, the result is “big, bulky buildings.” 

According to Maio, Spring’s proposed changes would reduce the area which the city uses to calculate the density allowed in any individual development. A smaller calculation area means smaller individual projects. Maio said she hoped the changes proposed by Spring would “create an accurate balance.” 

In other matters: 

City Health Officer Poki Namkung reported on the health risk associated with cell phones and cell phone base station antennas. The report was a follow-up to the contentious debate over the Sprint cellphone antennae facility at 1600 Shattuck Ave., approved by the City Council last month. According to Namkung, the radio frequencies that cell phones and base stations emit are non-ionizing radiation, energy too low to break chemical bonds and damage the genetic material of cells. The base stations, said Namkung, would be dangerous only if a person stood directly in front of one. Because cell phones are used in close proximity, they present more of a health hazard than the towers, she added.  

After the presentation, Councilmember Worthington asked Mayor Tom Bates to help the city look for the information written by scientists who disagreed with Namkung’s conclusions. 

The City Council also rejected, unanimously, a Citizens Humane Commissions proposal to change the way funding is allocated for community groups working in conjunction with the city’s animal shelter. The proposal had been made on behalf of community groups facing cuts in city grants.  

In rejecting the request to separate the community groups’ funding from the city shelters, however, several of the councilmembers promised to find a way to ensure the groups’ funding.›

Oakland school district officials announced today that they won’t be sending layoff notices to tenured teachers this year. Last year the school district sent layoff notices to 1,160 teachers only to find itself seeking in the summer and fall to rehire them or find replacements. 

State Administrator Randolph Ward said at a news conference at district headquarters that no tenured teachers will be laid off this year. Instead, he said the district estimates it will be recruiting as many as 200 teachers for the new school year next fall. 

Sheila Quintana, president of the union that represents 3,500 teachers, joined Ward at the news conference and said “this is phenomenal news.’’ She said the lay off notices the teachers received last year were devastating.  

“We’ll never be able to assess the terrible effects that had on teacher morale,’’ Quintana said. 

—Bay City News›

Robbery Victim Shot 

A person was shot Wednesday night during a robbery at the intersection of Dohr and Ward streets. Police spokesperson Kevin Schofield said the victim was shot in the shoulder and was taken to Highland Hospital, but the injuries were not considered serious. The victim was mugged and physically attacked at 9:21 p.m. by two men, both with handguns, Schofield said. After the victim lost his money, he got into a physical confrontation with the assailants, one of whom then shot him. The two robbers fled the scene and remain at large, Schofield said. 

Motorists Robbed 

Two men, one armed with a knife, stole a wallet Tuesday night from two victims who had stopped in a car at Ninth and Pardee streets, Schofield said. 

Downtown Beatdown 

On Saturday afternoon, approximately 10 teenagers jumped a man at Center and Milvia streets, Schofield said. The youth did not rob the victim, who did not suffer serious injuries in the attack.Ã

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Once touted as the centerpiece of the Silicon Valley dream, San Jose now seems to be collapsing from the inside. In the past few weeks: A father was mistakenly killed downtown by a state drug agent, a Sikh man killed three other Sikhs in a park, longtime Bay Area families were threatened with deportation, and growing reports of abuse came out of our Santa Clara Juvenile Hall.  

I just heard that a man, an ex-DJ and drug counselor, was killed downtown by police last night, within a block of where I am writing this. The police say the man committed “suicide by cop.”  

Perhaps no other tragedy speaks to the chaos more than the killings of Hari Singh, 65, Satnam Singh, 70, and Kulwant Singh, 45, who were shot to death while playing cards at Overfelt Gardens in east San Jose in late February. Had it been a hate crime, we would have had some framework to understand the tragedy and target our outrage. But when the shooter is also Sikh, who can we march against?  

Still, despite the confusion, and amid the silence of local city officials, young grassroots leaders are emerging to lead the city out of this morass. Emerging from their jobs selling phones at the mall, or from studying for their next big final, the victims of the chaos have turned into overnight community organizers. While most of us have been keeping our heads down, bracing for more budgets cuts and continuing unemployment, they have fueled movements here that no one saw coming, but we all knew we needed.  

A Daughter’s Tale: Regina Cardenas  

The last time I saw Regina, at her father’s vigil, she was a mixture of shock, loss and fury. Rudy Cardenas, a father of five, was shot downtown by a state drug agent who mistook him for someone they had been staking out. The agents chased Rudy and shot him in a back alley.  

It was just two days after her father’s death, and Regina already sounded part media spokeswoman, part grieving daughter. “I had never been to any rallies or vigils or anything before this, but I need to start,” she said softly with a slight smile, before walking away to console another relative.  

Like many 25-year-olds, Regina’s life was in transition. She was in the middle of moving in with a girlfriend in mid-town San Jose, and had recently picked up a new job as a materials coordinator at a Milpitas medical company. But her life since her father’s death has been about arranging and attending meetings. She meets with lawyers about lawsuits, community organizations about rallies, funeral homes about costs.  

Several days after the vigil, Regina is speaking with me by cell phone minutes before a strategy meeting. She has hooked up with a neighborhood association to organize a march to the federal building. “We just can’t let the awareness die, we need to be constantly in the media for the community to be energized.” Regina hasn’t taken a break raising awareness or organizing since the shooting.  

“I feel like I have to be strong for the family. Of course I have breakdowns, but I don’t do it in front of others.” When I ask her how she does it, she says she gets help from friends and family, but her strength surprises even her.  

She’s getting a call on the other line and has to go; it’s about the upcoming meeting. As I stumble through another offer of condolence, she interrupts me to make a pitch for my attendance at an upcoming meeting she has organized, on how to hold law agents more accountable. “Bring anybody, it doesn’t even have to be people who know about my father’s case, but just people for the cause. We want to have a big turnout.”  

With family members, Regina organized a vigil with over 150 people, only a week after the first. In the corner, wearing a baseball cap pulled low, Regina raised money for funeral expenses by selling cookies, and shirts with Rudy Cardenas’s image and the words, “In Loving Memory.”  

Weapon of Mass Mobilization: Dale Cuevas  

Last December, after Dale took his last final at De Anza Community College, his mother showed him a letter from the Homeland Security’s Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. It told his family they had 70 days to voluntarily deport themselves to the Philippines. The U.S. government had rejected his family’s appeal for green cards.  

“Since that moment it’s been like a dream I can’t wake up from,” says Dale. The voluntary departure day has come and gone. But Dale says he’s too busy saving his family to be deported.  

Dale, 23, has lived in Fremont for 19 years, since his parents and two sisters fled political turmoil in the Southern Philippines. He’s about as Bay Area as you can get—he’s slightly hip-hop, knows more Spanglish than Tagalog and makes car payments. He studies business management at San Jose State and is a cell phone salesman.  

When I first met Dale at a community forum in a coffee shop in Union City, he was already comfortable with a microphone in his hand. “Our family’s coming forward may inspire other families to stand up too,” he tells a packed audience of media and immigrant rights organizations. The professional advocates at his side are left with nothing to say; the young man on whose behalf they were to speak is doing just fine himself. Dale lays out plans to put pressure on Sen. Dianne Feinstein to sponsor bill to allow his family to stay, then vanishes into his sea of friends. They look like young Filipinos you usually see at a break-dancing competition, a buzzing of Obey T-shirts and Van Dutch trucker hats. These are the foot soldiers in Dale’s immigrant rights movement.  

From the start, Dale has been placing his family story in local and national publications, making the press calls himself. “I saw how the lawyer’s public relations guy did it with the San Francisco Chronicle, then started calling every media outlet I could think of.” Dale has, in a way, already been trained in community organizing. “I am able to speak comfortably with people because of my sales background.” He explains to me that there are two types of salesmen: the “bait-and-switch kind,” who say they are going to give you something and then don’t, and “the ones with integrity.” Dale says he’s been “telling it like it is,” speaking on the glaring contradictions of Homeland Security policies that are threatening to deport hard-working families, to whomever will listen. “I mean, come on, my family is not making weapons of mass destruction,” he says.  

The possibility of being deported has brought Dale closer to his Filipino identity. “I always had all kinds of friends, and never really saw the point of getting together with the Filipino organizations.” But in the past two months, Dale Cuevas arguably has done more to spotlight the plight of Filipino immigrants than any other voice in recent history.  

Outside Agitator: Fernando Campos  

At 18, Fernando Campos looks at least 20 years younger than everyone else sitting at the meeting of Civil Rights for Children in Tutti’s bar and restaurant in South San Jose. He is not a parent, but an ex-detainee who joined the group that fights abuses within the Santa Clara Juvenile Hall as soon as he got out.  

Fernando is busy folding a stack of flyers while the parents are exchanging stories of recent assaults they have heard about from sons and daughters. Norm Towson, the founder, booms, “I just want them to stop beating up our kids and calling them assholes!” Fernando strolls by my chair and says calmly, “Don’t worry if it gets a little loud, people here are just passionate because they’re talking about their own kids, you know?” Fernando was incarcerated for seven months and was both witness to and victim of abuses and insults during his stay inside. The Santa Clara Juvenile Hall, once claimed to be the best youth detention center in the country, is now being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for abuses of its detainees.  

Fernando has no obvious obligation to try to change a system most would try to get away from as quickly as possible. He has a good job at a medical equipment assembly company, which will help him pay for college. He is helping his family pay automobile and home bills. But, he says, “When I was inside, my mom starting going to these meetings. I was impressed that there was a group like this. Nobody else seemed to care about us.”  

Civil Rights for Children has been a vocal critic of the Hall. They have protested in downtown San Jose, brought media attention and investigations, and are now pushing for a “Juvenile Justice Monitor” program to inspect the institution regularly.  

Scanning the room, Fernando says he met most of the sons of these parents in the Hall. “It was like we had our own little group in there, cause we had parents that were talking about us to each other.” Fernando knows he brings something more to this group than just another pair of hands to fold flyers. “When the parents see me here, see that I’m staying out of the system, I think it gives them hope because they can see their kids in me.”  

Fernando did go back inside the Hall a week later—to attend a meeting between Civil Rights for Children and top juvenile hall administrators. Dressed in a suit, he got off work early to represent the group with his mother. Once again, as tensions flared and voices grew louder, it was Fernando who asked everyone to calm down, speak in turn and respect each other.  

The Return of Community Organizing  

Tragedy often breeds activism. But within the context of harsh unemployment and budget cuts that have hit San Jose harder than most California cities, most people are scrambling just to get by. This is what makes the emergence of this new generation of San Jose leaders so surprising—they just shouldn’t have this much fight left in them.  

The new activists aren’t funded by foundations, don’t have nonprofit tax ID numbers, and don’t ask for permits for their marches. They use bars and coffee shops to hold meetings, sell cookies to fundraise and at times are as much support group as advocacy organization. The return of organizing in Silicon Valley is simply about everyday folks finding that they are stronger together than alone.  

Raj Jayadev is the editor of www.siliconvalleydebug.com, the voice of young workers, writers and artists in Silicon Valley. 

NORMAN, Okla.—Defending his decision to support a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage, President Bush declared that the “union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith.”  

Well, not exactly.  

Several religious leaders rushed to confirm Bush’s claim about the universal definition of marriage, but what qualifies them as experts on cultures outside their own?  

When social scientists get together to talk about this issue—and that’s frequently these days—we cringe at the way opponents of same-sex marriage attempt to justify what may be personal beliefs with anthropological “evidence.” Believe what you wish, but let’s keep the facts straight.  

The American Anthropological Association, the national professional organization of teachers and scholars who study human organization across the world, denounced the proposed amendment. They know that over a century of research has shown that marriage between one man and one woman is not the only or even the most successful way to organize a family.  

I teach an introductory class in cultural anthropology, and one of the first things students hear is to examine marriage not as an institution that predates culture, but as a dynamic, flexible contract that responds to the demands of each culture.  

Although monogamy between opposite sexes is the most common arrangement for joining spouses around the world, few societies find it beneficial to restrict marriage only to this form.  

Polygyny, the marriage between one man and two or more women, is often found in societies like the Egyptian Bedouins, who live with scarce resources and find large families an asset. Where it occurs, polygyny is associated with high status, since only a wealthy man can marshal the resources necessary to provide for several wives.  

Rarer is polyandry, a marriage between one woman and several men. Still, this form of marriage is considered desirable in Tibet, where arable land is at a premium. Rather than dividing the family’s plot among several sons and their wives, all the brothers marry a single woman, keeping the land intact and maximizing economic resources.  

The Inuit of northern Alaska practice a form of group marriage in which two monogamous couples swap sexual partners. The foursome does not live together, but comes to establish a bond of reciprocity that ensures mutual aid in an unforgiving environment. Children born to either couple consider each other siblings, further extending the pool of potential support and avoiding any sense of jealousy.  

Where monogamy—-just one spouse—is the norm, there are nevertheless examples of marriage between two people of the same biological sex: two men or two women. This is the case in many Native American societies that recognize a third gender, the berdache, who is anatomically male but spiritually neither male nor female. A berdache may live with a man, fulfilling the role of wife.  

In societies where descent is traced through the males of the family, keeping the lineage going is more important than restricting marriage to one man and one woman. Among the Kwakiutl Indians of the Pacific Northwest, a man may marry the male heir of a tribal chief as a means of inheriting certain privileges from his father-in-law.  

Similarly, a Nuer father in Sudan who has only daughters may ask one of them to adopt the social role of a man and take a bride. The female “husband” then selects a male mating partner for the wife. Any children born to the wife refer to the “husband” as father and become heirs of the paternal grandfather.  

Contact with missionaries, changing work patterns and the integration of once-distinct communities into national states have diminished some of the diversity of marriage forms present in the world today.  

Still, what remains constant is the relative novelty of the romance factor: affection between one man and one woman as a motivation for marriage is not the rule, or even the ideal in many places. No matter what shape they take, marriages across the world generally transcend the relationship between two individuals. They enhance solidarity between two groups.  

While pastors may say same-sex marriage violates sacred tenets, neither they nor President Bush have the weight of world cultures on their side when they say that marriage has always been between one man and one woman. Anthropologists can attest: there is nothing natural or preordained about marriage “American style.”  

Peter S. Cahn teaches at the University of Oklahoma and is the author of All Religions are Good in Tzintzuntzan: Evangelicals in Catholic Mexico (University of Texas Press, 2003).  

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If society is judged by the way it raises its children, what does the present condition of the East Bay’s major school systems say about us? 

Some months ago, the public schools of Oakland were seized by the state because of what was called financial mismanagement. It’s always been an interesting point—at least to me—that we have never had an impartial, public accounting of how that financial mismanagement actually took place. But we’ll get to that in a moment. Oakland’s schools got seized for failure to balance its books by the state of California (which, if one is paying attention, has been having its own considerable troubles in that regard; California might be looking over its shoulder with no small amount of worry, except that our national administration appears to be busy these days gorging itself on small countries). In any event, Oakland got seized, and around the state they gave knowing nods and gave that small, seemingly-innocent gesture of wiping over the backs of their hands to denote skin coloration and said, well, after all, it’s Oakland, you know. And the state went about its business. 

Berkeley—with its radical traditions and active citizens—may be a portion too gnarly for even the State of California to swallow. Still, the Berkeley schools find themselves under the thumb of that peculiar, state-initiated institution called FCMAT (the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team), which was called in to…ummm…assist the local educators after said educators overreached themselves a bit on the financial side. Having gotten its entry into Berkeley’s kitchen, however, FCMAT has taken to dipping its spoon into a multitude of the school district’s pots—facilities and public relations and even curriculum—all of which had nothing to do with the reasons FCMAT was summoned up in the first place. This has caused some considerable grumbling in and around the classrooms and district offices, but no sign, as of yet, of open revolt. And around the state, they shrugged and said, yes, but that’s Berkeley, the place where old men tie up their hair in ponytails, so it’s no wonder they couldn’t balance their checkbooks. 

Now comes the situation in West Contra Costa County. A decade ago, or so, they were forced to take a loan from the state to keep their schools afloat. They did—stay afloat, that is—but only just barely, listing badly like an abandoned rowboat in a bay backwater until, this week, we are informed that they must gut both sports programs and school libraries or else face a plummet straight to the bottom. No small part of the problem is that the West Contra Costa County schools must pay a million or so a year back to the state in loan payments. Iraq, the Bushites argue, must be forgiven its debts in order to move into the new world order of nations. But nobody cries for Richmond and El Cerrito, apparently. 

None of these East Bay, inner city school districts stands seriously accused of pocketing gobs of money for other than legitimate purposes. Their sin, it appears, is that they tried to juggle the balls of two realities…one, their mandate to provide adequate education for their young charges, and two, to do so within the context of a state climate that has increasingly squeezed out all sources of revenue to carry out that mandate. The Oakland schools, for example, got into its present troubles by merely attempting to bring its teacher salaries up to the median level of the Bay Area. How dare they?, we can hear the shocked rejoinders over sips of Starbucks in San Anselmo. Don’t they know their place? 

(This is the point where we pause and say that—the Dennis Chaconas county school board race being over—the time has come for an independent look at how the Oakland schools were lost. Such an investigation might be able to lure out the elusive Mr. Yasitis, who served at the center of the storm and could, presumably, provide interesting enlightenment (under oath, and with supporting documentation, one would hope). But such a public accounting should certainly entail not only the financial details, but the political as well, since only the naive would believe that politics played no role in the Oakland takeover. It is difficult to say who in authority might call for such an investigation. Not Mayor Brown, certainly, nor County Superintendent Sheila Jordan nor State Attorney General Bill Lockyer nor State Superintendent of Education Jack O’Connell, any of whom, in other circumstances, might be the logical persons to make such a call, with the exception that in this case each of them played a significant role in the state takeover and, therefore, might be expected to be disinclined to prosecute a vigorous inspection of their own selves. In any event, think on that a bit, folks, and give me some help on who might lead this charge. Isn’t anybody—anywhere—in the least bit curious as to how all of this came to be?) 

But back to the whole East Bay. 

One of the jobs of journalists and columnists and commentators is to ferret out connections that otherwise might not be apparent to the general public, but this one is too easy, friends. The present problems of the East Bay’s three major public school systems have all been treated as if they have occurred in isolation…each with its own peculiar, individual causes…but one does not need the cognitive powers of a Holmes or an Easy Rawlins to see the broad pattern, here. The problems of Oakland and Berkeley and West Contra Costa are not idiosyncratic…dumb, local administrators who cannot meet the bottom line, and airy school board members who cannot hold them to account. There is something larger, and more structural, at work here. We have, it appears, been gotten. 

We have grown up in a world of free, universal, adequate public education. We have come to believe that this was always the case, and will always be. Neither is true. What we are seeing—in the crisis in the East Bay schools—is a possible end to public education as we have known it. Someone is damming up the source of the common stream and, unless we wish to sit around and thirst to death, we ought to get up and walk over and encourage them to stop. If we want to have any say in what comes next, we need to roll up our sleeves and—as they say in Arkansas—get to gettin’. 

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Since last fall, Berkeley Design Advocates (BDA), a group of architects, planners and developers, has been promoting its vision of a gentrified West Berkeley.  

As described in the organization’s newsletters and at its monthly breakfast meetings, the area around Gilman Street west of San Pablo Avenue would be transformed into something very like the new Emeryville—plus a ferry terminal.  

Gilman would become a regional retail strip mall anchored by the coming Target in Albany, off Buchanan just north of the Berkeley city line; REI on San Pablo; and a mid-size “box” store on the now vacant site at Sixth and Gilman streets. There would be housing—some mixed with retail—on both sides of Gilman and beyond. The street itself would be widened to four or six lanes, prettified with landscaping, and thereby transformed into a pedestrian corridor stretching from San Pablo all the way to the bay. And on the waterfront would be the ferry terminal, along with a hotel, some retail and more housing.  

The latest step in the BDA campaign to Emeryvillize West Berkeley was taken last Saturday at the Doubletree Hotel on the marina. The plan was to have a morning session in which several design teams prepared maps and schematic drawings embodying different aspects of the BDA vision. In the afternoon, the teams were to present their work to “political people and decisionmakers,” who, it was hoped, would come away “inspired.”  

These sessions did take place, but to judge from the opinions expressed by the dozen or so speakers who responded to the afternoon presentations, the overwhelming reaction to the BDA scheme was not inspiration, but aggravation. A few people embraced the concept of a commercialized Gilman Street neighborhood. But the great majority vigorously objected to the BDA’s disregard of the light manufacturing that currently occupies most of the area, and of the city’s official policy of industrial retention that is the heart of the West Berkeley Plan.  

The objections came from a wide range of sources: former City of Berkeley staff—an economist and a city planner—who helped to conceive and implement the West Berkeley Plan; current planning commissioners who support the plan’s goals of maintaining a diverse light manufacturing base and good blue-collar jobs; a longtime, major West Berkeley manufacturer; one of the owners of Urban Ore, which was forced by inflated property values to move from Sixth and Gilman to its present location at Folger Avenue; a resident of the area who supports light industry; and a West Berkeley artisan who helped organize the broad coalition of manufacturers, artists and artisans, African-American clergy, organized labor and property-owners that collaborated on the plan. In addition, two environmentalists protested locating a ferry terminal and other intensive development west of the freeway, the location of the Eastshore State Park, which was been in the making for decades. The ferry terminal, they said, belongs at the Berkeley Marina.  

Others who were waiting to voice their unhappiness never got a chance. The BDA organizers cut the meeting short, ending at 3:30 p.m. a discussion that, according to the notice in the Daily Planet, was supposed to have gone until 5 p.m.  

What’s particularly disturbing about the BDA campaign is that bigtime planning is being left to private parties who involve only those they think will be sympathetic to their cause. BDA held two private workshops in the fall, to which it invited only property-owners in the area, who stand to profit from the conversion of their land from industrial to retail and housing uses. Few of the manufacturers whose businesses are on or near Gilman Street were notified. Nor were they notified about the event at the Doubletree last Saturday. The citizens who attended the meeting found out about it through other means.  

Of course, BDA is a private group, under no obligation to alert the public at large to its doings. The City of Berkeley, on the other hand, is a public entity with obligations to the whole community, not just special interests within it. In particular, city staff have responsibility to carry out policies formulated through public planning processes and enacted into law by the City Council—for example, the West Berkeley Plan. That plan was worked out in over a decade of intensive collaboration among many varied stakeholders, and then unanimously approved in 1993 by the City Council.  

In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that city staff have not been upholding the West Berkeley Plan’s goal of retaining light industry. Nor have staff followed through on the plan’s protections for artists and artisans, whom the Berkeley Zoning Ordinance counts as industrial. The city doesn’t even know how much industry we have in Berkeley, due to staff’s failure to do the comprehensive inventory of manufacturing space that is one of the basic tasks stipulated by the plan. If you don’t know what exists, you can’t enforce the rules that protect it. Questions have also been raised about the city attorney’s behind-the-scenes, stroke-of-the-pen alteration of the law intended to prevent gratuitous conversion of industrial space to other uses.  

With the dot-com bust, the threat of gentrification in West Berkeley now comes from the development of retail and housing not offices. We do need housing—at least affordable housing—but West Berkeley is the only part of the city zoned for manufacturing, and there are other places in town where it can go. Ditto for retail: As I said to the BDA presenters last Saturday afternoon, “You should be helping us revitalize retail in downtown and along San Pablo Avenue.”  

The West Berkeley Plan worked: Whereas other cities let their industrial sectors languish, we still have a manufacturing district. An independent consultants’ report on the local economy made last summer to the University of California stated that Berkeley’s industrial market “historically reflect[s] one of the lowest vacancy rates in the region.”  

Americans have suddenly become aware that in an industrialized world, a solid manufacturing sector is essential to a nation’s continued prosperity, and to its people’s ability to enter the middle class and stay there. Instead of ignoring the threats to our light industry and the people it employs, or, worse yet, contributing to those threats, we should be working to make Berkeley’s manufacturing stronger yet. Giving the West Berkeley Plan the respect it deserves would be a good start.  

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LEADERSHIP GAP 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I read with interest Matt Artz’s coverage of the deferred accountability at Berkeley High’s Attendance Office (“Berkeley High Gets Tough on Chronic Absentees,” Daily Planet, March 5-8). Surely any operating procedure that results in $116,399 in lost funds in a single year—not to mention the 30 years of Director Doran’s involvement with the district and BHS, during which time truancy has been a “hot issue of debate”—deserves greater effort to resolve the contentions of the various stakeholders.  

Mr. Johnson, as student director, is of course a latecomer to the table, and his concerns about student satisfaction and equity must be answered head-on. BHS leadership on the issue, however, can be regarded as far too little and far too late: When Mr. Doran proclaims that there are “consequences for truant students” and unflinchingly describes the attendance rules as “never mandatory or enforced,” it is clear that there is a leadership gap at BHS. 

The community—the entire BHS staff and student body included—is entitled to the wisdom of the district and of the principal, especially in the wake of 30 years of failure to reach consensus. When seven administrators and 150 teachers cannot reach an adequate response to the current challenge, it is customary to allocate the principal’s direction to break the deadlock, or to allocate the principal’s salary to offset the operating loss. 

I look forward to Mr. Artz’s efforts to bring to light the district’s response to the students and to the resident dogmatics who currently believe that any consequence for truancy is a punitive one, that classroom instruction is somehow “not relevant” to students with academic performance in the top 25 percent of their class, or that students who are fortunate enough to have the supportive advocacy of a parent or guardian will be exempted from whatever Solomonic wisdom emerges from the current debate 

The district’s decorated leadership continues to turn up its nose at each $10 per day per student attendance offered by the California Department of Education, yet remains willing to bring this core civic institution not only to the brink of bankruptcy, but to add BUSD to a nationwide list of public agencies losing their accreditation and thereby their entire reason for existence. 

James Tharp 

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FERRY TERMINAL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks to Matt Artz for taking the time last Saturday to cover the Gilman Corridor design charrette, sponsored by Berkeley Design Advocates (“Gilman Street on the Faultline of Development Wars,” Daily Planet, March 9-11).  

However, I’d like to correct his description of my position on the location of a future Berkeley/Albany ferry terminal. I’m delighted that the recent passage of Regional Measure 2 will provide funding to make a Berkeley/Albany ferry possible. However, I don’t, at this point, favor any particular site for its terminal. The next step for us all is to thoroughly study all aspects of the various potential sites through a comprehensive, site-specific EIR, in the normal way of all major projects. Only then can the best site, and the one most likely to succeed, be identified. We need to do it right this time. 

Linda Perry 

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GILMAN CORRIDOR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks for your March 9 article reporting on the Gilman Corridor planning charrette organized by Berkeley Design Advocates. On behalf of BDA I’d like to express our thanks for the Daily Planet’s coverage. At the same time I’d like to clarify BDA’s purpose and role in sponsoring the charrette. 

BDA does not have a plan for the Gilman Corridor. But we recognize that change on both sides of the Berkeley/Albany border has impacted the Gilman neighborhood. We believe that neither the neighborhood nor Berkeley as a whole are well-served by ignoring these events. Our purpose in conducting the Gilman Corridor charrette was not to choose a best alternative for Gilman’s future but rather to bring these developments to public attention and to help all Berkeleyans begin to think about and discuss the corridor’s future in an informed and thoughtful manner. 

I’d also like to correct the Planet’s description of Berkeley Design Advocates as a “trade group” of design professionals. We are a community organization whose membership is open to all persons who are concerned about thoughtful planning, sound environmental design and improvement of the Berkeley environment. Our membership includes both design professionals and interested citizens of all stripes. For 20 years BDA has served as an independent voice about Berkeley design and planning issues, seeking to improve our built environment through public education, lively debate, thoughtful commentary and informed criticism.  

John Blankenship 

Chair, BDA Steering Committee 

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CALL FOR FREER PRESS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We are missing a balanced discussion of Cuba in the mainstream press. The recent tightening of measures which oppose traveling to Cuba is one example.  

Licenses of hundreds of organizations whose members have traveled under the congressionally mandated people-to-people trips have been revoked or not renewed. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and “Send a Piana to Havana,” founded by former Berkeley resident Ben Treuhaft, are among them. The Piana people will no longer be allowed to send donated and refurbished pianos to Cuban schools and churches and to contribute to a workshop for piano tuners. Why? 

In the mainstream media reports and articles about the recent situation in Haiti we have not seen any mention of the fact that for the last five years Cuba has had a medical team in Haiti (including 332 doctors) who has saved an estimated 86,000 lives. Cuba is also giving technical assistance to Haiti’s agriculture and a radio-based literacy program and other (not military) aid.  

All these facts are available on the Internet. However, to avoid being criticized as being mere propaganda agents for the government, our daily papers and TV news should also present investigative reports on these subjects. 

Lenore Veltfort 

East Bay Women’s Internal League of Peace and Freedom 

Oakland 

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NEW BUSES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing to say that I, and many other riders, do not like these new AC Transit buses and have written them about it. They are very hard on the elderly and disabled. 

1. There aren’t as many seats, as 90 percent of the time you’re standing. 

2. There’s no railing to hold on to when getting on and off. 

3. You have to push a button to open the door. 

4. They have bucket seats and are high up. 

5. When you get off, it’s a very high step. 

6. Between the high step and lack of a railing, you just pray you don’t fall! 

Everyone I’ve talked to about this feels the same way about these buses. We all wish that AC Transit would sell these and use whatever money they get for them to fix up the others! 

Janis O. Brien 

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DANGEROUS INTERSECTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

What does it take to get something done to improve an intersection in Berkeley that has far too many accidents? Tonight there was yet another bad crash at the corner of Hearst and Oxford streets, this time involving three cars. Too often I’ve heard the horrible sound of screeching brakes and crumpling metal, called 911, only to observe the same scenario repeat and repeat. It’s a terribly designed intersection. How many more accidents do there have to be before there are life-saving changes made? At any one moment there are cars, buses, bicyclists and pedestrians, simultaneously crossing, turning left and right, making U-turns and accelerating down hills across a wide and widely used intersection. There are no left turn lights. There are double left turn lanes with cars on a collision course towards others making U-turns. Motorists making right turns are not always given the right of way, and people making left turns are not clear which lane they’re turning into. It’s a mess. Please print the statistics of how many accidents have occurred there in the past few years to increase public awareness and to help get immediate improvements made before more people get hurt. 

Susan Archuletta 

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REDEFINING MARRIAGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Marriage is under attack. People are trying to redefine marriage, and in the process lowering the moral fiber of our community. Marriage is all about family values. Marriage is designed to celebrate the creation of children to pass on our genetics to following generations. George Bush has called for a constitutional amendment to codify marriage as between a man and a woman. This is a good start, but let’s not stop there. There are other couples who are using marriage to gain legal status without furthering family values. We need to extend the marriage constitutional amendment to exclude these couples: Those not planning on having children, those with an infertile member, senior couples incapable of having children. The best amendment would not allow anyone to marry until they have children. Couples could only be engaged when the woman becomes pregnant, and if there is a miscarriage or a death in childbirth, no marriage! Call your senators and congressional representatives now and demand they not pass Bush’s weak amendment, but rather demand a real marriage amendment. Join your local chapter of Special People Envisioning Real Marriages and Everyone Gets Grandkids (SPERM & EGG). 

Lee Amosslee 

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WEBSTER SAYS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Anyone who is confused about the meaning of “marriage” should look it up in the dictionary. The three I have at home define it as the union of a man and a woman as husband and wife. No religious or political arguments necessary. I trust Webster to define terms, not people with their own agendas. 

Glen Jordan 

El Cerrito 

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THOMAS JEFFERSON 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I want to take issue with some of Ms. Talley-Hughes’ points in her hit piece on Thomas Jefferson (“Thomas Jefferson: A Man of His Time?”, Daily Planet, March 9-11). His wealth: Yes, he was well off in a system that relied on slaves. His wealth enabled him to be a leader in the noblest political experiment in human history, and deserves credit for inserting ideas into the Declaration of Independence that would enable future generations to abolish slavery. And because so much of his energy and attention went to these public service activities, he neglected his personal wealth and business, and died over $1,000,000 in debt. That was a lot of money in those days. There’s real danger in applying political correctitude to people who lived centuries ago. Does Ms. Talley-Hughes drive an internal combustion auto? If her home was raided and searched, would we find products made by slave labor in China, or sweatshops of Mexico or Indonesia? There are alternatives to these products. Two hundred years from now people might see these as “crimes” worthy of severe condemnation. Is the fine point that she doesn’t actually own these workers, just supports the system that keeps them in this situation? And let’s keep in mind that Berkeley has at least one school named for a convicted felon. 

Dick Bagwell 

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GAY MARRIAGE? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

What will happen if we allow gays to marry? Will there be more gays or lesbians? No, because we can’t turn straights into gays, nor gays into straights. A lot of effort has been expended by clergy and psychiatrists trying to make gays straights. It doesn’t work, and not allowing them marriage is undemocratic. 

Encouraging gays to marry promotes their mental and physical health. Monogamy among both straights and gays helps fight AIDS and other STDs, which are more prevalent among singles that married people. Loving married couples, whether the same sex or hetero, take care of each other, thus relieving a burden on society. Even under the best of circumstances, it’s tough being gay in our intolerant society. Choosing to change from hetero to homosexual is not a choice. Gays and Lesbians are part of America’s fabulous diversity, They are entitled to the same rights as the rest of our citizens. 

Gay marriage will prove helpful, not harmful to society; then, hopefully, our fear and prejudice will gradually fall away. So let’s support San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno, who is sponsoring the same-sex marriage bill AB1967. 

Deena Andrews 

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MALCOLM X FLOODS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As someone who as actually had the responsibility of keeping the drains at Malcolm X open, I just had to go back and take a look. It’s plain to see, the recent remodeling extended the building and added an enormous amount of concrete, thereby magnifying rain runoff. The newly extended west side of the school runs over 70 yards, much of it below grade, and all the additional runoff drains into pre-existing seven tiny holes, each the size of soda cans, which drains from the school, under the building and sidewalk, depositing water on the west side. During the floods, 32 inches of water pooled in the new amphitheater, causing a heavy wood desk to float. The city drain Bruce Wicinnas blamed is uphill from the school. It’s BUSD’s downhill drains that could not handle this much water. 

The recent floods at Malcolm X Elementary School highlight a fundamental problem with Berkeley Unified’s administrators. Many are not qualified to do the work. The smart thing would have been to have replaced the antiquated drains while doing the extensive Measure A remodeling. However, the Director of Facilities, Lew Jones, didn’t do that. He oversees our multi-million dollar school construction program, and his training is as a journeyman carpenter. 

Current Director of Maintenance Rhonda Bacot started out as a painter. Her solution was to try and find someone in the District who had expertise and knowledge, a civil engineer. Given BUSD’s slow financial system, hiring anyone is a lengthy process. Two months wasn’t enough time to hire an outside consultant and have that consultant actually do some work. One simple stopgap action would have been to install ejector pumps or sump pumps, which unfortunately didn’t occur. 

These are well-intentioned people, but they’re not qualified to do the job. School Baord members have mouthed words “accountability,” but up to now, have failed to implement it. School Board members can enact accountability by hiring experienced, and well-qualified administrators who have a proven ability to providing high quality competent services. 

Sally Reyes, Former BUSD maintenance employee 



The proposed downtown hotel and conference center poses an unprecedented risk to Berkeley’s unique character. This is not just another development fight, as the stakes are far greater. Defeating this project requires rare unity among longtime combatants in the city’s development wars. 

The problems with the project are obvious. It would allow an architecturally dull high-rise hotel to loom over the heart of Berkeley. The project forever forestalls the use of the site for a more dynamic and creative space for attracting shoppers and residents. This is a proposal suited for homogenized Walnut Creek, not Berkeley. We have long refused to become yet another cookie-cutter city, and Berkeley must continue to oppose America’s march toward urban standardization. 

Berkeley is often immersed in battles over proposed rental housing construction. The debate has pitted those focused on increasing the city’s rental housing supply against those who either oppose such housing altogether or seek smaller and less dense projects. 

This battle over housing is often wrongly depicted as a battle over development itself. But there is a big difference between supporting a large-scale housing project like the Gaia building-which provided desperately needed new rental housing in an optimum location-and supporting a high-rise hotel project that does nothing to address the city’s housing shortage. 

Over a decade ago, the City of Oakland was told that development of its downtown required a quality hotel in the area. The city then subsidized the construction of a Hyatt Hotel. But the hotel project failed to revitalize Downtown Oakland. Instead, millions of scarce Oakland economic development funds were squandered that could have been more productively spent by boosting neighborhood businesses. 

The Hyatt boondoggle was subsequently eclipsed by the Raider travesty. The Raider deal required Alameda County taxpayers to guarantee team revenue, which the media claimed was no risk because the Raiders would always sell out. This reliance on future ticket sales has cost our county about $17 million annually, as Raiders sellouts are a rarity. Raider ticket sales, like hotel guests descending on downtown Berkeley, was said to be a sure thing. 

The Oakland Coliseum was ruined as a baseball stadium in order to secure the Raiders deal; now folks are talking about destroying Downtown Berkeley for phantom hotel guests. 

Let’s go beyond the hype and look at the potential hotel market. The proposed hotel is envisioned to attract visiting scholars, those attending campus conferences/meetings, and visitors to museum exhibits. 

Few academic conferences will occur at UC Berkeley during December, January, June, July or August. May and September are also questionable, meaning that for most of the year there would be no need for visiting scholars to stay at the new hotel. 

The UC Art Museum is a fine facility but it will not become a magnet for visitors who decide to spend the night in downtown Berkeley. Visitors to the Bay Area on museum tours are far more likely to stay in San Francisco. In addition, a downtown hotel that simply siphons business from the Berkeley Marriot or Hotel Durant provides no new hotel tax revenue to Berkeley. 

Proponents of the hotel have claimed that Bay Area visitors who come to conferences in Berkeley will spend the night here if quality downtown lodgings were available. But nearly all of such visitors are here on expense accounts, and cash-strapped public entities and bottom-line focused businesses are unlikely to allow a Dublin or Livermore resident to stay overnight in Berkeley. 

The need for new conference space in Downtown Berkeley is also doubtful. There are many buildings on the Berkeley campus regularly available for weekend conferences, and large conventions will continue to meet in San Francisco. The conference center part of this proposal seems to have been included to give the hotel project the aura of being only one part of a larger vision. 

The economic benefits to surrounding businesses from the proposed hotel is also greatly exaggerated. During my 25 years working in San Francisco, I have seen time and time again how hotels fail to generate revenue for existing businesses. This is particularly true when hotels rely on large groups, the chief market for the proposed UC hotel.  

Here’s how it works. The group usually has breakfast brought to its meeting site and has dinner at a prearranged restaurant with a separate dining space large enough to hold the big group. Lunch would be eaten on campus or at the conference site. While group members may purchase coffee or buy postcards at local businesses, the only real money goes to the large dinner site, which currently does not exist anywhere near the proposed hotel. Tourist hotels are like sports stadiums in that neither provides anywhere near the economic injection into local businesses provided by far less costly alternatives such as new housing. I have heard the complaints about lack of tourist revenue from merchants in the areas bordering Union Square and Powell Street, and the business failure rate in these areas is high. 

Project boosters are so giddy with the prospect of new revenue streams coming to the city that they are accepting at face value the same baseless projections commonly seen with proposed taxpayer supported stadiums and other urban redevelopment schemes. Mayor Bates initially responded to the proposal by claiming it would bring Berkeley over $1 million annually in new revenues. But a failed project, like the Hyatt and Raider deals, will cost us funds. 

Proponents also claim that the project will create badly needed living wage construction jobs, provide a long-overdue “focus” for Downtown Berkeley, and finally create the town-gown link that was always the ideal of the university’s founders. 

But a hotel that sits semi-vacant for much of the year, like the Oakland Hyatt, becomes a symbol of a city’s decline. Anything built on the proposed site will create jobs, and even more jobs could have emerged had city officials solicited proposals for the site prior to the hotel plan’s emergence. 

This whole deal smacks of the same backroom university process that I have long been dealing with in regard to Hastings Law School’s ambitious plans for the site diagonally across from the Federal Building in San Francisco. Every few years Hastings would ask a few of us to meet about their development plans, not caring that they had been created without community input. 

In late 2001, Hastings told us of their plans to build an eight-story, 885-space parking garage on the site. The project was so far along that even the street trees had been selected. As the Hastings Board was set to approve the massive project in June 2002, I had to join with others in disrupting the final board meeting, which led State Senator John Burton to intervene to stop the project. We now get along better with Hastings as they develop new plans for the site, but it took Burton’s threat to rescind the school’s 2002-2003 budget before the school gave in. 

The point is that UC is a very powerful adversary. UC cannot be “worked with” like private developers, because it always believes it has constitutional powers to do whatever it wants. When UC uses terms like “community input,” it means that it wants to hear how they can build support for their massive project. You can be sure that those who see the project as a terrible idea that merits no further discussion will not be welcome on the various “task forces” designed to expedite the project. 

I know from two decades dealing with a succession of Hastings deans and legal counsel that its specific individuals that are the problem—rather it’s the sense of institutional prerogative held by all those filling top positions at UC. That’s why UC is falsely claiming it is not bound by local zoning laws in building the hotel—the institution knows how and when to powerfully assert its supremacy to get what it wants. 

Our city leaders must not do anything to weaken our local barriers to the university’s downtown land-grab. I almost fell out of my chair when I read in the Feb. 20 Daily Planet that Planning Commissioner Rob Wrenn is willing to change the zoning in exchange for the right “tradeoffs” and “mitigations.” This is the route to disaster, as there as nothing UC can do to “mitigate” its seizure of a downtown block for a 12-story hotel. 

Once our city officials head down the road of deals and tradeoffs, the signal has been sent to UC that the hotel is a done deal and now its only about the terms. UC has used its educational exemption from local zoning laws to run amok over neighborhoods—but Berkeley has the leverage now and its time to just say no. 

As Berkeley Deputy City Attorney Zach Cowan has correctly concluded, the hotel project violates local land use laws and does not constitute the “educational purpose” that triggers UC immunity. Current zoning laws are our only bulwark, and if our City Council stands firm the university will have to sponsor a ballot measure to rezone the site. 

The university will spend lavishly to pass their initiative, but if those on both sides of the housing wars unite, we will prevail. By just saying no to UC’s plans, the stage will be set for inviting proposals for a use of the site that reflects Berkeley’s uniqueness. 

Berkeley resident Randy Shaw is the director and supervising attorney of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and author of The Activist’s Handbook. 

Out of a whole year filled with most improbable and sometimes inelegant arm movements, bow or baton in hand, there is only one Monday when I always come to work with a sore wrist. That’s usually the first or second Monday of February, after the annual weekend of auditions for the Junior Bach Festival, now in its fifty-first year in Berkeley. 

Founded to promote the appreciation of the master among young musicians, the festival draws hundreds of students from the Bay Area and beyond to its annual auditions. I have for several years had the honor and pleasure of being one of the dozens of local musicians engaged as judges for this extraordinary event. 

The auditions are a logistical marvel. All the judging (except for vocalists) is done behind screens; judges are grouped in panels of three-violin panels, piano panels, cello panels, and so on. Thanks to careful maneuvering among the classrooms of UC Berkeley’s Morrison Hall, we judges do not see auditioners enter or exit. Though we may run into them in a hallway before or after they’ve played, we never really know who played what. To give the audition something more of the feeling of a performance and less of a grilling, the players enter in small groups (five or six at a time, say) and perform for each other-and those mysterious figures in the back behind the screen. 

This festival is not a competition in the sense of having a first prize winner; judges are not asked to make a ranking of all the players (indeed, how would it be possible?) but to offer their opinion as to whether a given performer or group is ready to perform at the festival’s high standard-more or fewer performers may be selected. This year, as many as nine programs are planned featuring those selected from this weekend to perform. But it could be eight. It all depends. 

Yet this is only part of the judges’ task, and from my point of view, not even the most important one. For as we listen to each eager young performer, we scrawl comments (usually furiously) on a small sheet of paper (hence the sore wrist on Monday). Our comments are clipped and copies sent to the students’ teachers. We try to gauge our advice to what we are hearing—suggestions of a technical nature, observations on interpretation, encouragement—as much as we can come up with in an impossibly short time. 

And there is so much to say! Over several hours my two judicial companions and I heard dozens of young string players, and the fruits of hundreds if not thousands of hours of preparation. Some played short single movements, others groups of movements, still others complete concertos, or entire partitas for unaccompanied violin. Sure, some were more assured than others; some have better control of their fingers and bow, some have thought more about what they want the music to say (these two groups are not always the same!). Some valued rigor, others exuberance. Some sounded nervous, others swaggeringly confident. 

Yet every single one of them was, for that brief moment at the very least, fully invested in a great enterprise-one that has occupied and fascinated students ever since Johann Sebastian first sat his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann down and started to teach him to play. Any comments we judges might offer on the spur of the moment can only have a certain small value. Bach’s music admits of so many possible interpretations and responses. The real work is going on in the mind, the heart, the soul of that young person on the other side of the screen. To those invisible young players, embarking on what I hope is a lifetime of engagement with our joyous art, I offer my heartfelt best wishes and profound gratitude, as I look forward to another sore wrist a year from now. 

The Junior Bach Festival continues at several Bay Area venues through Sunday, March 21. For more information visit the Junior Bach Festival website at www.juniorbach.org. 

George Thomson is a conductor, violinist, violist and director of the Virtuoso Program at San Domenico School, San Anselmo.›

Maybe if we all go over to the university and picket Zellerbach Playhouse we can persuade the university’s theater department to extend the run of their present production of Marat/Sade past this weekend. 

It would definitely be worth your while to beg, borrow, or bribe your way into this terrific production of a modern masterpiece. And the truth is that you probably won’t have an awful lot of other opportunities to see it. It’s just too large a project for theater groups to stage who have to pay for their talent. (Even with the entire cast doubling or tripling their roles this production requires thirty actors). But the university is blessed with a cooperative pool of novice theater professionals whom they can gently coerce into working for free. 

The net result is ticket prices that run from $8 to $14. And when you consider that the directors and other backbones of the productions are experts within their fields, it’s a theater buff’s dream come true. 

But enough about money. Marat/Sade would be memorable no matter what they charged. It’s a great presentation of a tremendous work. The actual title of the play gives a clue that you’re in for something remarkable—it’s just too long to be used very much: The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Clarenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade. 

From the play’s first appearance in West Berlin in 1964, Marat/Sade was recognized as one of the great plays of the 20th century. That seems formidable, and, underneath, the play is exactly that, of course. But the lightness of hand with which the complexity of the message is handled keeps it from overwhelming. There is no pain in this production. One could argue that the play’s brilliance lies in the use of comic techniques for a non-comic purpose.  

Behind everything is the use of the aftermath of the French Revolution as a metaphor for the complexity of power and political struggles. Set in 1815 at the height of Napoleon’s reign, the play speaks to the unpredictability of human action: The fact that the French Revolution did not lead to the relatively simple goal of individual freedom that the participants expected.  

But as with other truly great plays, this one is multi-layered and hooks you on many levels. It is absolutely possible to see this production in total ignorance of European history and still experience it as a knockout performance.  

The setting is suitably large, requiring a big chunk of the Zellerbach Playhouse’s space. From time to time some of the characters wander into the audience, some looking quite normal, others rather odd indeed. But they’re played a space or two outside of reality, meandering about, seemingly spontaneously taking various ridiculous actions.  

Entirely appropriately, the cast is identified as an “ensemble” with no distinction made between the actors. However, it is interesting to see how coolly Chris Cotone manages the role of de Sade. Much of his acting is done without words, sitting silently, detached, almost immobile, completely absorbed and completely untouched by the drama he controls.  

Without doing a single thing, he is most appropriately scary. It’s a chilling performance. But singling him out is not to suggest that he is alone in the quality of his performance. It differs only in that he is, after all, one of the few identifiable characters.  

The university’s theater department is to be congratulated on an awesome theater event.  

›

Let me begin my completely biased and highly arbitrary list of events by telling you about the Oakland Museum Jazz Series. Four days of the week you can grab an inexpensive lunch, sit in the light-filled room that is the dining area, and hear bassist Ron Crotty accompany one of three fine Bay Area pianists who are in rotation there: Brian Cook, Terry Rodriguez, and Bliss Rodriguez. Terry was the fellow playing when I stopped in recently. 

He’s got an approach reminiscent of Bill Evans (those big, fat Ravel chords), and his lines are fluid and imaginative. As for bassist Crotty, he’s an elder statesman of jazz that played years back with Dave Brubeck. 

It’s unusual these days that jazz players happen onto a regular gig where they can grow used to one another, developing repertoire and rapport. And the piano-bass setting, perhaps the most intimate combination in jazz, is always a special pleasure when it’s handled well, as it is here. The musicians seem almost to breathe together. Wednesdays. Thursdays. Saturdays and Sundays at the Oakland Museum: 1000 Oak St. 238-2200. 

This Saturday night, Amy X. Neuberg is having a record release party with Herb Heinz at the Oakland Metro, down there at the base of Broadway. We’re talking now of a larger, noisier, and altogether zanier approach to music. 

Amy’s a strikingly talented singer / percussionist who likes to combine these skills in her band, playing Midi-controlled samples and singing energized material that falls considerably left of center. 9 p.m. Saturday, March 13 at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. 763-1146. 

As a study in contrasts, let’s move on to Richard Wagner. Regarding the Berkeley Opera’s “Legend of The Ring,” there was a rave published in this very paper a few days back. Suffice to say that if you can get a ticket, you should report to the Julia Morgan Theater this Friday, March 12 at 7 p.m. or Sunday for the 2 p.m. matinee. (925) 798-1300. 

Next week—Friday, March 19—the Oakland East Bay Symphony has pulled together a program that deserves some sort of medal for eclecticism. Beethoven’s 7th and Ravel’s Bolero share the bill with Paul D. Miller (AKA the legendary D.J. Spooky), who will be holding forth on computer, mixing board and turntable. Composer Anthony DeRitis has created a score for the orchestra (it appears that both he and Mr. Spooky are working with the Beethoven and the Ravel as source material). As concepts go, this one’s got my vote. Sink or swim, it’s going to a wild evening. For those who haven’t heard D.J. Spooky’s recordings, the beats come and go (personally, the beats are not my thing), but the soundscapes he creates with loving care lend credence to the idea that there’s some strange and welcome beauty to be found in all this technology. 465-6400. 

On Tuesday March 16, Kent Nagano conducts the Berkeley Symphony at Zellerbach Hall in “21st Century Cellos,” the second in this series. You get Elliott Carter (with Joan Jeanrenaud the featured soloist), Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (with Laszlo Varga), and Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony in the same program. 841-2800. 

Also March 16, if you need an alternative (or if you’re feeling frisky after the show), go hear Kitty Margolis at Yoshi’s. She’s a wonderful, fiery, fun-loving singer with a deep understanding of the tradition. 

Then, March 17-21, also at Yoshi’s, you have a rare opportunity to hear pianist Ahmad Jamal. I’m not sure what I need to say about this one, except “Go.” Ahmad Jamal has influenced most everyone in jazz, including the late Miles Davis, who likely got some of his “less-is-more” approach from this quarter. Jamal’s trio has been together longer than Methuselah. They play only the necessary notes, and in all the right places. 

Ligeti and Penderecki represent the Eastern Bloc, John Adams the West Coast, Yu-Hui Chang the Pacific Rim in a concert by the Empyrian Ensemble at the Berkeley City Club at 2315 Durant Ave. on Tuesday, March 23. The Empyrian is an invaluable Bay Area resource, an ensemble that continues to present, year after year, premieres and contemporary repertoire with the very highest standards. Marjorie Merryman’s “Hidden Boundaries,” for clarinet, cello, and piano, is also on this program. www.berkeleychamberperform.org  

I’m going to wind up with a pitch for G.S. Sachdev’s concert at St. John’s later this month. Each of us, I suspect, has a soft spot for a particular instrument. I find, for me, the wood flute has some inexplicable magic that instantly has me enthralled, ready to fall into something like a fugue state. If you have a similar compulsion-or if you’d like to develop one-come and celebrate bamboo flute master G.S. Sachdev’s seventieth birthday on Saturday, March 20 at St. John’s. Sachdev is joined by Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla. The Bay Area is, happily, home to some of the world’s finest practitioners of the classical Indian music tradition. Here’s a chance to hear two of them at St. John’s Presbyterian, 2727 College Ave. The concert is at 7 p.m. www.bansuri.net 

Not long ago, I got mail from a friend who’d gone to hear a show I’d recommended. He told me it hadn’t been so great. Not that he expected me to get his money back or anything—he was pretty sanguine. But it did get me thinking about the peculiar nature of doing a column like this, and about the risks that we all take when we pony up for tickets. To dispense with the obvious, my cup of tea may be arsenic to you. Moreover, I can’t predict what shows will be terrific before they happen. But my friend’s complaint made me reflect on the ways in which the cards are stacked against live performance these days. We’re living in an age when we can relive, on CD, carefully edited performances by players captured at the height of their powers, playing works that are tried and true. I have, for instance, a recording of Heifetz performing eight of the major violin concertos. I’ve been playing this lately for anybody who’s got an extra few minutes, just so we can both be in the same room with a miracle. 

And recordings are miraculous. But if you think back to the seminal experiences that made you fall in love with music, many of these experiences were surely live. There’s something irreplaceable about being in the same room with the performers, witness to the risks they’re taking, hearing those molecules of air being jostled and displaced for the first time. We pays our money and takes our chances, knowing now and then we’ll win big. The disappointments we can always use for conversation. 

›

FRIDAY, MARCH 12  

CHILDREN 

Let’s Clown Around, with storyteller Laura Shennum at 10:30 a.m. at Barnes and Noble. 644-3635. 

FILM 

Women of Color Film Festival “The Secret Language of Youth” at 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Poetry Reading “Contemporary Poets on Writing, Meditation, and Buddhism,” at 1:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum Theater, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

THEATER 

Berkeley Opera, “The Legend of the Ring” at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $10-$40 available from 925-798-1300. www.juliamorgan.org 

Berkeley Repertory Theater, “Ghosts” by Henrik Ibsen, at 8 p.m. and runs through April 11. 647-2917. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Berkeley Black Repertory Group Theater, “Street Soldier The Play” a benefit for Omega Boys Club and celebrating Black History month at 8 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St. Tickets are $20. 1-800-SOLDIER. 

Central Works, “The Duel” a new play adapted from Chekhov’s novella, at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Runs Thurs. - Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. through March 27. Tickets are $8-$20. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

Everyday Theater, “The Bright River,” a show by Tim Barsky, at 8 p.m. at the Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. Through March 20. Tickets are $12-$20 and are available from 644-2204. 

Impact Theatre, “Say You Love Satan” at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid. Runs through March 13. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

“Marat/Sade,” by Peter Weiss, directed by Philip Charles Sneed at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Playhouse. Also March 13 at 8 p.m. and March 14 at 2 p.m. UC Dept. of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies. Tickets are $8-$10. 866-468-3399. http://theater.berkeley.edu 

Youth Musical Theater Commons “West Side Story” performed by 7th-11th grade youth at 7:30 p.m. at Longfellow Auditorium, 1500 Derby St. Tickets are $5-$10 at the door. 848-1797.  

Un-Scripted Theater “Imrov Survivor” at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. at Telegraph, and runs to April 3. Tickets are $7-$10. 415-869-5384. www.un-scripted.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$58, available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Charles Hamilton and the Alums of Berkeley High at 8 p.m. at the Florence Schwimley Little Theatre, Allston Way between MLK & Milvia. Tickets are $5 students, $10 adults, $12 reserved. 464-4631. 

Jr. Bach Festival at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $5-$10. 843-2224. www.juniorbach.org 

UC Men’s Octet performs at 8 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$10. 642-3880. 

Back Like I Never Left with Game, Kahlil Almustafa, Kirby Dominant at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Happiness, Anton Barbeau and Val Esway at the 1923 Teahouse at 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $7-$15. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Tangria Jazz Group performs blues and tunes by Monk at 8 p.m. at The Jazz House. Donation $7-$10. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.com 

Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums with Ms. Carmen Getit at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson with Nick and Shanna at 8 p.m. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Captured! By Robots, Hurting Crew, The Dead Hensons at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $6. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Ian Butler, Blue on Green, Hy Brassyl at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Point Blank at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Danny Caron, jazz and blues guitar, at 8:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

DJ & Brook, jazz trio, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

John Santos Quartet, Latin jazz, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50 in advance, $17.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Married Couple, alt-jazz, at 9 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Phenomenauts, Rock’N’Roll Adventure Kids, The Secretions, The Paranoids, Safeway at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 13 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Los Mapaches at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Wild About Books” storytime at 10:30 a.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6223. 

Pop Art Superstar Workshop, for ages 12-17, at 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $5-$15 sliding scale. Bring a light colored t-shirt or pillow case to print on. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org  

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

Katsunori Hamanishi, mezzotint prints, reception 6 to 8 p.m. at Shurman Fine Art Gallery, 1659 San Pablo Ave. Exhibition runs to March 31. Gallery hours are Weds.-Sat., 2-6 p.m. and Sun. 11a.m. -3 p.m. 524-0623. 

THEATER 

Confessions of a Cha Cha Feminist, with performance artist Maria Elena Fernandez at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Herstories, “Bone Songs: Echoes of the Unknown Mother” at 8 p.m. at Oakland Box Theater, 1928 Telegraph Ave. Tickets are $10-$25 sliding scale. 594-1377. 

Youth Musical Theater Commons “West Side Story” performed by 7th-11th grade youth at 7:30 p.m. at Longfellow Auditorium, 1500 Derby St. Tickets are $5-$10 at the door. 848-1797.  

“Orphans of Delerium” a series of performance rites presented by ParaTheatrical ReSearch at 9 p.m. at Wildcat Studio, 2525 Eighth St. $10 suggested donation. 464-4640. 

FILM 

Muslim Film Festival, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 2050 Valley Life Science Building, UC Campus. Tickets are $7-$10. www.muslimfilmfestival.org 

“Angel’s Ladies” about a legal Christian brothel in Nevada at 8 p.m. at the Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. Wheelchair accessible. 540-0751. www.thelonghaul.org 

Women of Color Film Festival “The Liberation of Everyday Life” at 6:30 p.m. and “Ways of Love” at 9 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Ant Farm 1968-1978” Sign-language interpreted guided tour at 1:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

Gallery Conversation with artists featured in The Kala Gallery’s current exhibition, “The Drawing Room,” at 2 p.m. 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

Steven Saylor, author of “Roma Sub Rosa,” speaks to the California Writers Club at 10 a.m. at Barnes and Noble. 644-3635. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 2 and 8 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$58, available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Netherlands Bach Society with guest soloist Marion Verbruggen at 8 p.m. at First Congragational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $38 available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Berkeley Youth Arts Festival with Berkeley Arts Magnet Percussion at 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. www.berkleyartcenter.org 

Jr. Bach Festival at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $5-$10. 843-2224. www.juniorbach.org 

UC Men’s Octet performs at 8 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$10. 642-3880. 

Gamelan Sari Raras at 8 p.m. at the Crowden School, 1475 Rose St. 642-9988. http://music. 

berkeley.edu/concerts.html 

Flamenco Spirit with Yaelisa and Caminos Flamencos at 6 and 9 p.m. at Cafe de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $42-$55 and includes dinner. For reservations call 843-0662. www.cafedelapaz.net 

Dress Up/Dress Down, a collection of stories told through outlandish dresses, dance and music at 8 p.m. at the Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club, 1650 Mountain Blvd. Tickets are $10-$15. 587-0770. www.movingout.org 

Youth Movement Records Artists at 8 p.m. at Youth Radio Cafe, 1801 University Ave. Cost is $3. 435-5112.  

Angel Magik, hiphop, reggae, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Tree Leyburn at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Pisces Party at the 1923 Teahouse at 9 p.m. All ages welcome. Suggested donation of $7-$10. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Post Junk Trio at 9 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Barbara Higbie, pianist, fiddler, singer and composer, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50 at the door. 548-1761.  

www.freightandsalvage.org 

Kotoja at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. African dance lesson with Comfort Mensah at 9 p.m. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

The Fountain St. Theater Band, Wart and Sonic Orange at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $6. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Sheldon Brown Group at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazz- 

school.com  

Acme Observatory presents Vivian Corringham with Tim Perkis, Scott Looney, Toyoji Tomita and Gino Robair at 8 p.m. at The Jazz House. Admission is free, donations accepted. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.com 

Farma, Crooked Jades, The Shiftless Rounders at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Eric Shifrin and the In Crowd at 8:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Amy X. Neuberg and Herb Heinz at 9 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

All Bets Off, Daughters, Some Girls, Chinese Stars, Paint the Light at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 14 

CHILDREN 

Asheba at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4 for children, $6 for adults. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

THEATER 

Berkeley Opera, “The Legend of the Ring” at 1 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $10-$40 available from 925-798-1300. www.juliamorgan.org 

Herstories, “Bone Songs: Echoes of the Unknown Mother” at 2 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2501 Harrison St. at 27th, Oakland. Tickets are $10-$25 sliding scale. 594-1377. 

Dress Up/Dress Down, a colection of stories told through outlandish dresses, dance and music at 4 p.m. at the Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club, 1650 Mountain Blvd. Tickets are $10-$15. available from 587-0770. www.movingout.org 

“Orphans of Delerium” a series of performance rites presented by ParaTheatrical ReSearch at 9 p.m. at Wildcat Studio, 2525 Eighth St. $10 suggested donation. 464-4640. 

FILM 

“The Dybbuk,” in Yiddish with English subtitles, at 2 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $2. 848-0237.  

Women of Color Film Festival “Endurance of Spirit” at 3 p.m. and “Truth Has a Perfect Memory” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Ant Farm 1968-1978” Guided Tour at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

Poetry Flash with Devorah Major and Marc Bamuthi Joseph at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

“Epicenter: San Francisco Bay Area Art Now” a discussion with authors and artists at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Creative Project Institute students read from their books and discuss the process of writing a book-length project, at 4 p.m. at Boadecia's Books, 398 Colusa Ave. on the Kensington Circle. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 3 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$58, available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Baroque Choral Guild, “Rachmaninoff Vespers,” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing. Tickets are available from 650-424-1410. 

Music from Scotland, England and Beyond with Jim Malcolm at 7:30 p.m. Donation of $15. For reservations and location email sally@greenberg.org 

Jr. Bach Festival at 3 and 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $5-$10. 843-2224. www.juniorbach.org 

Pat Humphries and Sandy Opatow at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. Benefits the Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Thought Riot, Life in Pictures at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Ledisi, featuring the Marcus Shelby Trio, at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com  

Alasdair Fraser with Muriel Johnstone, Scottish fiddler and pianist, at 2 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Joni Mitchell Song Night at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Deaf Electric at 8 p.m. at The Jazz House. Donations $8-$15. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.org 

John Schott and Ben Goldberg at 4 p.m. at Spasso Cafe, 6021 College Ave. at Claremont. 

MONDAY, MARCH 15 

THEATER 

Woman’s Will 24-Hour Playfest Female playwrights, directors and actors race to write, rehearse and perform seven new plays in 24 hours, and will present the results at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $10-$25 available from 420-0813. 

Playground, the Bay Area’s lab for developing playwrights, performs at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $6-$12. 415-704-3177. www.PlatGround-sf.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Zach Unger, Berkeley resident and Oakland Firefighter, describes “Working Fire: The Making of an Accidental Fireman” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Poetry Express, featuring Tom Odegard from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

Walter Liggett, Dorothy V. Benson, and Marda Woodbury will read from Lorna De Sosa's new book of poetry “Who Turned the Grass On?” at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst St. at 2 p.m. 981-5190. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kelly Joe Phelps, blues slide guitarist, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $17.50 in advance, $18.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

TUESDAY, MARCH 16 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“IN/Vision: Creating Museums of Learning” with Steve Seidel, Director of Project Zero at Harvard Univ. Grad. School of Education, at 7 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Ars. Free. Sponsored by the California College of the Arts Center for Public Life. 594-3763.  

Neely Tucker describes “Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoire” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

“Travels Though the Center of the Sahara Desert” a slide show and lecture by Philip Hassrick at 7:30 p.m. at Easy Going Bookstore, 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, “21st Century Cellos” at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $21-$45. 841-2800. www.berkeleysymphony.org 

Golden Gate Wind Quintet, “Gigi’s Fabulous Adventure” a marriage of pop, free jazz, contemporary classical, and cyberfunk at 8 p.m. at 1111 Solano Ave. Tickets are $20, available from 524-1696.  

Mimi Fox, solo guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Dayna Stephens House Jam at 8 p.m. at The Jazz House. Donation $5. 649-8744. www.thejazzhouse.com 

The Black Brothers: Shay, Michael and Martin at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $17.50 in advance, $18.50 at the door. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a showcase of ensembles at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 

FILM 

Film 50 “Ali: Fear Eats the Soul” at 3 p.m. and Meet Your Makers: “Since” at 9:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Chang-Rae Lee introduces his new novel “Aloft” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Suzy Becker recounts “I Had brain Surgery, What’s Your Excuse?” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Café Poetry and open mic, hosted by Paradise at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert at International House, Piedmont Ave. at Bancroft. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Stump Tail Dog celebrates St. Patrick’s Day at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Green and Root, CD release party at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Traditional Irish Music with Driving with Fergus at 5 p.m. at The Starry Plough. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

St. Patrick’s Day with Don and Michele Clark, Steven Donaldson, Cathryn Bauer and Frineds at 8:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Jules Broussard, Bing Nathan and Ned Boynton at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Stolen Bibles, American-rooted rock and roll, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 18 

EXHIBITION OPENINGS 

“Fluid Exchange” exhibition of graduate art work from the Califonia College of Arts, at Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber Hall, UC Campus Reception from 4 to 9 p.m.  

“Lisboa” photographs on Lisbon, Portugal by Dennis Letbetter, taken with a 6x7 cm panoramic camera. At North berkeley Fram and Gallery, 1744 Shattuck Ave. 549-0428.  

THEATER 

Central Works, “The Duel” a new play adapted from Chekhov’s novella, at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Runs Thurs. - Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. through March 27. Tickets are $8-$20. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

“The Vagina Monologues” performed by the women and men of LUNA Bar at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $25 and are available from 647-2949 or 888-427-8849. 

FILM 

Film and Video Makers at Cal at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Ant Farm 1968-1978” Guided Tour at 12:15 p.m.at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

Simryn Gill/Matrix 210 Gallery Talk at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bamcroft Way. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“The Inextinguishable Symphony: a True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany” with Martin Goldsmith at 7 p.m., Durham Studio Theater, UC Campus. http://LS.berkeley.edu/CollegePresents 

“The Fourth World and Folk Art,” with Nelson Graburn, Prof. of Anthropology, at noon at the Phoebe Hearst Museum, corner of College Ave. and Bancroft Way. 643-7648. http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Avenue, Berkeley "Museums of Learning" Explored at Julia Morgan CenterSteve Seidel, Director of Project Zero at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, discusses a new initiative to create "museums of learning": places (actual and virtual) to examine the products, processes, theories, problems and possibilities of teaching and learning. This event, sponsored by the California College of the Arts Center for Public Life, is free and open to the public. For more information call 510-594-3763,capl@cca.edu, cca.edu/capl. 

Karen Armstrong describes “The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkenss” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congragational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. $10 donation requested. Sponsored by Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Debra Ginsberg introduces “About My Sisters” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. www.codysbooks.com 

David K. Shipler, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, describes “The Working Poor: Invisible in America” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Word Beat Reading Series at 7 p.m. with featured readers Rita Flores Bogaert and Adam David Miller, followed by an open mic, at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave., near Dwight Way. For information call 526-5985 or 205-1749.  

Jonathan Kirsch discusses “Gods Against the Gsds: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Raskidus, Jah Fly and Unda P at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Rachel Garlin at the 1923 Teahouse at 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $7-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Transcender, Slow Poisoners, Evergreen Dazed at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

David Maloney, “The Great Blight,” a folk opera, at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

San Francisco Medicine Ball at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Flowtilla at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Keni El Lebrijano, flamenco guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Years ago I had a duck who would have killed for a tomato. I almost feel the same way about scalloped potatoes. When the potatoes have grown in one’s garden, the pleasure is doubled. Yet each year I fail to achieve the maximum crop, in spite of having tried nearly every known method of cultivation. Could it possibly be that potatoes have their limits—about two pounds per plant—and never will fill a twenty gallon garbage can with tubers, as is so often stated? 

My current way of growing these essential staples, rich in vitamin C, is to construct cylinders of wire approximately three feet across and five feet high, anchored with tall stakes. I place a small whole seed potato in the center of each cylinder, and cover it with four inches of commercial potting soil. As the potato leaves shoot up, I toss into the cylinder a mixture of soil and hay, so that just the upper leaves peek out. After a while I grow tired of doing this and apart from hosing the leaves from time to time, forget about them. 

When flower buds appear, I grope around the base of the plant, whose leaves by this time tower above the cylinder, and invariably unearth a couple of whopping potatoes and a few baby ones. The small ones, still attached, I leave to continue to grow. I make sure that all tubers are well covered, because in sunlight they become green and inedible. When the leaves have died I dig the entire crop and store it in the refrigerator. The earth is superbly conditioned by then, ready for a different vegetable, the wire having protected the plants from wildlife. Be sure to avoid planting a vegetable from the same family, Solanaceae. Crop rotation helps to prevent diseases.  

Seed potatoes appear in local nurseries in January. Choose small ones, put them in a brown paper bag in a cool shady place (such as a garage or north porch) and leave them for a month. If they become soft, so much the better. This procedure is called chitting, from an early English word for a young thing, a shoot, a sprout. Sprouted or not, plant them in February if weather permits, certainly no later than St. Patrick’s Day. Staggered plantings are possible through mid-July and if the garden is frost-free, fall planting is possible too. Depending on variety (red potatoes perform well in my cool garden) and number of plants, self-sufficiency can be year-round.  

As for the scalloped potatoes, when the mania overtakes me, I slice a large red potato on the mandolin side of my metal box cheese grater. I arrange the slices on a microwavable plate and dot them sparingly with butter and oil. Cover the plate. Microwaved for three minutes and lightly salted, these potatoes hit the spot. If a crisp golden crust is desired, they brown rapidly on the stove top. The microwave, an underused, underrated precision tool, efficient and economical, is an ideal means for a heartwarming bite. 

For a more substantial version, parboil slightly thicker slices, anoint sparingly with milk and small pieces of sheep’s feta cheese, and microwave on a covered plate as before. (Parboiling is not essential. It speeds cooking time and improves absorption.) Turn them over if not done, for a few more minutes. The cheese combines with the milk to make a rich sauce. This dish makes a satisfying light lunch, served with salad. 

›

A grass-roots project organized by Berkeley parents and supported by State Assemblymember Loni Hancock will be distributing $66,500 between Berkeley’s 17 public schools on Friday as part of a fundraising drive to help the district which has been hit hard by budget cuts. 

The project, Berkeley Schools Now! (BSN), has raised over $85,000 since last spring, initially asking parents who declared dependent children to donate last year’s increased tax refund. Since then the project has mushroomed, receiving donations from over 350 Berkeley community members. 

The project’s success is due at least in part to co-founder and executive board member Zasa Swanson who envisions BSN as part of what could be a state-wide effort to increase the involvement of the community in their schools. A versed community activist, Swanson said she saw the various needs that Berkeley schools and schools around state have that are not being met. 

“For me, Berkeley Schools Now! is a big cry for help, it’s a coming together,” she said. “It’s about if you see it, let’s do something about it.” 

The money raised by BSN is being allocated on a per-student basis by each school’s site council, a committee of parents and staff who work together to make funding for each school. 

The distribution will be attended by Loni Hancock and site councilmembers, and will take place at the Rosa Parks School Library at 3:30 p.m. Friday. 

The true traveler is he who goes on foot, and even then, he sits down a lot of the time.  

—Colette, Paris From My Window, 1944 

Exploring local footways, the members of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association (BPWA) have found many occasions to bless the generous neighbors who offer seating to passers-by. A rest is welcome whether the walker is puffing up a hill, stopping to admire a view or enjoy the sun, or headed home from store or bus. 

And since this is Berkeley, there are plenty of occasions to admire craft and imagination. Berkeley benches come in myriad shapes and styles, from rustic logs to starkly sculptural concrete to simple slats backed by a stunning mural. Using the same inexpensive, “store bought” bench, one neighbor surrounds it with flowers, while another provides a small fountain complete with dog bowl. 

Motivations, too, are many. Sculptures support a memorial bench at 1328 Walnut St. Uplands residents have placed two benches honoring living neighbors. Benches at M.L. King School Park, Berryman Path at Live Oak Park, and Atlas Path were placed by neighborhood and community groups, supported by the Berkeley Parks mini-grant program. 

BPWA is collecting bench photos on its website, www.berkeleypaths.org. Take a look. Or better, explore on foot for yourself. 

›

Berkeley’s beleaguered Quarter Meal program got an unexpected boost last week from an unexpected source: $2,500 from the student council at a private middle school in the Berkeley Hills. Quarter Meal supporters, which announced it might close this summer due to funding problems, are expressing optimism that the program can be saved for the balance of the year through help from local community organizations. 

The 30-year-old Quarter Meal program, sponsored by the Berkeley Food and Housing Project (BFHP) serves daily community meals to homeless and low-income individuals and families. The meals are served at Trinity United Methodist Church on Bancroft Way. 

Student leaders at Bentley Middle School have challenged a number of other private schools in the East Bay to match their $2,500 contribution to save the program. 

According to Betsy Strode, who sits on the BFHP board and whose son attends Bentley, the middle school participates in a community service program with the Quarter Meal. Students of Bentley help run the service a couple times a year.  

“Our school has had a long history of volunteerism and when we heard they were lacking funds, we knew we had money in the budget,” said Raj Lakireddy, 13, the student council president. 

Meanwhile, letters have been sent out to local congregations, asking them to boost their contributions in order to meet the program’s $75,000 annual operating budget. The appeal for donations is considered only a temporary stop-gap measure until a long-time funding source is found to save the program. 

“We are feeling pretty optimistic,” said Marci Jordan, BFHP executive director. “I’m keeping my fingers and my toes crossed.” 

According to Jordan, $75,000 will allow the Quarter Meal to operate five days a week for a full year. $50,000 would allow them to operate three days a week. If or when the funding comes through, Jordan said that the BFHP will be freed up to seriously pursue a private or grant donor that she hopes will provide enough money to fund the program for several years.  

The Quarter Meal has also gotten some immediate help from the Dorothy Day House, another Berkeley organization that provides food service, which has stepped in to serve dinner two nights a week.  

Meanwhile, both BFHP Board Member Betsy Strode and Bentley Head Robin Gal said they were surprised by their student council’s decision. 

“Believe me, it’s more enjoyable to watch your kids do community service than play soccer,” said Strode. 

“I think it’s really great that the kids are being given the opportunity to be put in advocacy positions. If these kids can fill the gap, that’s great.” 

“[Raj Lakireddy] is one of these kids who is completely dedicated to changing things in society,” said Gal, noting that he was a leader in creating the idea and getting it through the council. 

The Berkeley Food and Housing Project is looking for community support and donations of any size. For more information on the Quarter Meal program contact the Berkeley Food and Housing Project at 649-4965.›

Okay, the vernal equinox is creeping up on us. It’s light outside when we wake up in the morning, and the birds have launched their spring programming. As noted in these pages, stuff is blooming all over the place. It’s the time when the thoughts of many turn to romance. And, also, when the thoughts of some turn to politics. 

Two political agendas are currently preoccupying the activist wing of the greater Berkeley chattering class. First, the easy one: Will we or won’t we be able to swallow our pride and work for John Kerry? Even in greater Berkeley, the active chatterers are not, in the last analysis, crazy. There’s a lot of hemming and hawing on the usual suspect Internet list-servs, but precious few of the contributors, though they’ve been whining a lot, have any intention of sitting this one out. The challenge now, for those of us in California, is to figure out if there’s any strategy for adding more than money to the Fire Bush effort. We hope that California is safe for the Democrats, though that assumption needs to be regularly challenged. If it is, what else can we do to help?  

MoveOn.com is our local hero, constantly working on thinking up news ways to make a difference. A new group, America Coming Together, has targeted 17 key states for the Nov. 2 presidential election. They’re using traditional voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns. In my birthplace, St. Louis, for example, election officials report that their staff has been swamped by more than 32,000 new voters registered sinc e July. It has occurred to me that I should organize a family reunion to bring my 18 politically correct first cousins and their offspring back to the old home state to organize it against Bush. The only difficulty is that a fair number of them now live in Florida, another swing state where their help will be needed. 

But the presidential race is the easy one, as I said. Here in Berkeley, political minds are cogitating on prospects for the November City Council election. The four senior matriarchs of the council are up for re-election, and there is inevitably speculation about whether anyone’s going to retire this time. Mim Hawley has already announced that she’s on her way out, and affable real estate agent Laurie Capitelli hopes to take her place, so fa r without challengers. The other three are still officially on the fence. Margaret Breland has missed many council meetings recently because of poor health. Betty Olds is in her eighties, and Maudelle Shirek is in her nineties. Potential candidates are jo ckeying for position “just in case” one of them decides to retire. It’s an awkward situation, because true friends of all three have been heard to say privately that “she ought to retire in order to leave her legacy intact,” but no one is willing to say s uch things publicly. The inevitable result is that if an opening does develop in any of the three districts by the August filing date, candidates will most likely emerge from backroom deals instead of from an open public process. The new rule which lets a candidate win with 40 percent of the vote will make that outcome even more probable.  

All three, though they don’t necessarily agree on many topics, are well respected for their long history of generously contributing to Berkeley. That’s why all three o ught to give that legacy question a good hard look this year (and every four years). They owe it to themselves. 

Becky O’Malley is executive editor of the Daily Planet.›a