Just as its balance sheets finally approach equilibrium, Berkeley Unified School District is losing its top numbers cruncher—the man universally credited with helping to erase a $6.5 million deficit and getting the district out of the red for the first time in three years. 

On Wednesday of this week, Deputy Superintendent Eric Smith announced his resignation, effective May 14. Smith cited a family emergency that required him to be with his two young children in San Luis Obispo. “It’s purely personal,” he said. “Basically some events happened in their mother’s life that requires me to be down there with them now.”  

Two of Berkeley’s biggest public entities have now lost their top budget officials this year. In January Paul Navazio resigned as city budget director to relocate to the city of Davis. 

Smith, who joined Berkeley Unified last May, has no job lined up as yet, and plans to work as a consultant until he finds a position on the Central Coast. 

A search for his replacement will begin immediately, said Superintendent Michele Lawrence, who had known for a while that Smith was contemplating resigning. In the meantime, Smith said Director of Fiscal Services Song Bendib will assume more duties and a consultant from the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team will step in to temporally fill the position. 

“It’s a tremendous loss for the district,” said School Board Director Shirley Issel. “When there’s someone capable, it’s noticeable and it makes a huge difference.” 

Smith’s departure comes as Berkeley Unified is fine tuning its 2004-05 budget—expected to be the first balanced budget since 2001. The deputy superintendent said the majority of the work will be completed before his departure, though some revisions might have to be made by his successors based on a May financial report. 

Smith arrived at Berkeley Unified last April to replace consultant Jerry Kurr. The district retained Kurr to lay the groundwork for digging itself out of a financial crisis which was caused, in part, by the collapse of its accounting and management systems. 

Though Smith’s tenure has been short, Superintendent Lawrence credited Smith with saving the district between $2 and $3 million by fine-tuning systems and changing outdated business practices. 

Smith moved to self-insure the district for workers compensation costs and ended the practice of paying insurance premiums for relatives of employees who no longer qualified for coverage, saving a combined $1.8 million a year.  

Among the systems that still need work, Smith said, include tracking employee absences and timesheets for non-salaried workers. 

Lawrence is formulating a list of potential replacements, but said that finding someone with an appropriate skill set will be tough.  

“Eric has some rare talents,” she said. After budget cuts forced the district to eliminate associate superintendents for human resources and curriculum, she gave him responsibility for insurance, liability, facilities and labor negotiations. 

“A school business administrator a specialty job that doesn’t translate easily from the private sector,” Lawrence said. “California finance is so complex and the funding model is so convoluted, especially in Berkeley because of the parcel tax, that you have to be in the system a while to be excellent.” 

Smith, a past president of the California Association of School Business Officials, has spent his entire career in school finance, working his way up from a facilities manager in Modesto to the Deputy Superintendent of Business Services for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, the job he held before coming to Berkeley. 

Although they are sad to see him go, school board members and staff supported Smith’s decision. “We always talk about putting kids first, so I’ve got to commend Eric because he’s doing what’s right for his kids,” said School Board President John Selawsky. 

ˇ

Anne Crowden, the beloved music teacher who founded the Crowden School in Berkeley in 1983, died Monday morning in her birthplace of Edinburgh, Scotland, of pancreatic cancer. She was 76. Berkeley composer John Adams, in a 1997 tribute, said that Crowden used “her enormous energy and powers of persuasion to create a place where children from all economic backgrounds could immerse themselves in music while enjoying the highest levels of academic schooling.” A violinist herself, passionate about chamber music, she started her school with eleven junior high school children in a church basement. 

The Crowden School now fills a former public school at 1745 Rose St., and many of its graduates have gone on to distinguished musical careers. A Musical Reverie at the school, intended to produce a recorded tribute to send to Crowden in Edinburgh, was already scheduled, prior to her death, for March 28. Organizer Erika Miranda called it “a gathering in the tradition Anne liked best.” It will go on as planned at 5 p.m., with rehearsals at 4 p.m. Anne’s favorite music will be combined with anecdotes from those who attend, and the resulting DVD will be sent to Deidre Cooper, her daughter, who is a violinist in London. Colleagues, students, friends and admirers are also planning other memorials, with dates, places and times to be announced later, according to Crowden School Board Chair Sallie Arens. 

›

Berkeley resident Karen Rose did not have to hire someone to accompany her to the voting booth during the March primary and read the ballot to her. With no one looking over her shoulder, Rose was able to vote without having to reveal to anyone else who she voted for. 

Rose, a member of the city’s Disability Commission, is blind. Two weeks ago, she was able to vote completely on her own by listening to recorded instructions through headphones provided with a Diebold touch screen voting machine specially designed for the visually impaired. 

“These machines are the only way that I get a secret ballot, a right that is constitutionally guaranteed,” she said. 

The touch-screen machines are so popular within the disabled community, in fact, that last Monday, several disability advocacy and assistance organizations, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the California Council of the Blind, the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund of Berkeley, filed suit against four California counties and California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley for failure to provide such machines to completely service every disabled voter casting ballots in California. 

But while the touch screen machines recently introduced throughout Alameda County are a boon to disabled voters, they are generating complaints from other quarters. 

Three days after the disability advocates’ lawsuit was filed, State Representatives Don Perata (D-Oakland) and Ross Johnson (R-Irvine), filed a joint request asking the Secretary of State to halt the use of all electronic voting in the upcoming November election, citing recent major glitches with the machines here in Alameda county and Southern California during the March primary. In the city of Berkeley, for example, card scanners that clear the previous voter’s electronic ballot malfunctioned, causing major delays in the voting process. 

According to City Clerk Sherry Kelly the city has had nothing but positive feedback about the machine’s advantages for voters with certain disabilities. And while she said she knows the machines have vulnerabilities, she doesn’t think those vulnerabilities are severe enough to disband them quite yet. 

“There are some down sides and they need to be addressed, but I don’t think that means that we should stop using them,” she said. “I don’t think enough is known yet to take a step back.” 

While Berkeley must pay a portion of the cost of the voting machines, the machines themselves are selected by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters office. 

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund attorney Sylvia Yee said there are 250,000 disabled voters in California who could benefit from the touch-screen machines. Along with the visually impaired, she noted that touch screen voting machines are particularly helpful to persons who cannot hold a pencil. 

People with disabilities, she points out, are one of the last minority groups to be acknowledged by voting systems. Language minorities got ballots in their language several years ago. The disabled “want the ability to boldly go where others have gone before,” said Yee. Instead, “people with disabilities are just supposed to be good and wait.” 

Dona Spring, a Berkeley councilmember who is disabled said that she agrees with both sides.  

“People with disabilities have long been disenfranchised by the voting options available to them,” she said. “We need to make these systems more accessible, but at the same time there are some very serious concerns about the Diebold touch screen voting equipment.” 

Spring said she advocates using absentee ballots until the kinks with the machines are worked out. 

“Even if disabled voters have access, if their votes are not counted correctly is does no good,” she said. ˇ

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. 

International Earth Day Celebration, with a ringing of Berkeley’s Peace Bells at 10:49 p.m. at the back porch of Berkeley City Hall. 

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. 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 demonstration will begin at Dolores Park, 18th & Dolores Sts., at 11 a.m. and march to the S.F. Civic Center. 415-821-6545. 

Fiddlers for Peace meet 9 a.m. at Ashby Bart, or at Dolores Park (SF) tennis courts- learn to play while we stop the war. 548-1512. 

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 

Beach Clean-Up with the Kiwanis Club. Help clear our beaches of winter storm debris. Meet at 160 University at Shorebird Park. For information call 527-2000. 

Jr. Skywatchers Club takes a look at planets. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area. 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. 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. 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. 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.  

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., from 10 to 11 a.m. To register, call 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 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! 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 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, 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. 

Dalite Baum of Black Quandary 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 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. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 

Tuesday Morning Birdwalk at Briones, Bear Creek Road entrance parking lot, to see woodpeckers, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Call if you need binoculars. 525-2233. 

“Wilderness Weekends: Camping and Backpacking in th Bay Area and Beyond” at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Copwatch Film Screening, “These Streets Are Watching” at 9:15 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd. in Oakland. Cost is $5. 814-2400. 

Dine Out for African Aids Orphans Unicorn Pan Asian Cuisine is donating 25% of its proceeds today to the rural Uganda Golomola Village AIDS orphanage. Co-sponsored by ACT UP East Bay & Priority Africa Network. Unicorn is at 2533 Telegraph Ave. Reservations recommended. 841-4339.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Charles Fitch will show travel slides at 11 a.m. 845-6830. 

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

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. 215-7672. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 

Tilden Explorers A nature adventure program to learn about racoons and skunks from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area. For 5 to 7 year olds. Fee is $6, $8 for non-residents. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Great Decisions 2004: “Reform in the Middle East” with Dr. Laurence O. Michalak, Vice Chair (ret.) Center for Middle Eastern Studies, UCB, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

“Prospects for Peace” with Stephen McNeil, regional director for Peace Building, American Friends Service Committee, at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Sponsored by the Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

Academic Quiz Bowl, featuring high school teams, at 7 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, 2352 Shattuck Ave. 644-0861. 

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

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 

Prose Writers Workshop Novices welcome. Experienced facilitator. Community sponsored, no fee. Meets 7 to 9 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut. 524-3034. 

“A Conversation with Artists on the Image of Christ ” at 7:30 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Parish, 2220 Cedar St. 848-1755. 

Berkeley CopWatch open office hours 7 to 9 p.m. Drop in to file complaints, assistance available. 548-0425. 

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

Community Dances, traditional English and American dances, 8 p.m. every Wednesday, $9. 7 p.m. first Sunday, $10. Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. 233-5065. www.bacds.org 

Free Feldenkrais ATM Classes for adults 55 and older at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut at Rose. For information call 848-0237.  

THURSDAY, MARCH 25 

Residential Green Building and Remodeling Learn about healthier building materials, how to lower your utility bills, reduce home maintenance and minimize remodeling construction waste. From 7 to 10 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $35. 525-7610.  

Amazon Rainforest Slideshow Join us for a slideshow presentation showing images of completely wild and undeveloped regions of the Amazon jungle with Rainforest Action Network volunteer Larry Landry at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Free. Donations accepted. 548-2220, ext. 233.  

Types of Home Care & What to Consider, with Pat Brown, RN, at 2 p.m. at Longs Drugs Wellness Center, 1941 San Pablo Ave. To register call 841-8466. 

FRIDAY, MARCH 26 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Robert E. Brown on “The Power of Handshaking.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $11.50 - $12.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020. 

“Literacy & Beyond!” Family Literacy Night Event at the Berkeley YMCA, 2001 Allston Way, between Shattuck and Milvia. From 7 to 9 p.m. Free and open to the community. 665-3271. 

Literary Friends meets at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center to discuss “For a Future, Is it Possible’’ 232-1351. 

Old School Dance Party in support of Haitian grassroots organizations at 8 p.m. at Fellowship of Humanity Hall, 390 27th St & 411 28th St, between Telegraph & Broadway, Oakland. 465-9914. 

Report Back from Venezuela by the February delegation at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St. 528-5403. 

Preparing for Surgery, Chemo, or Radiation Treatment? A workshhop with Carolyn Janson from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Longs Drugs Wellness Center, 1941 San Pablo Ave. Bring a friend or family member for free and they can learn how to support you in this process. Workshop fee is $45 and includes book and audio tape. to reserve a space call 925-825-4704. 

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. People of all traditions are welcome to join us. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 655-6169. www.bpf.org 

Kol Hadash the Bay Area’s only Jewish Humanistic Congregation meets at 7:30 p.m. for Shabbat at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. 428-1492. www.kolhadash.org 

Shekinah Sanctuary, a metatrance ecstatic prayer ritual using chants and movement at 7 p.m. at Belladonna, 2436 Sacramento St. Admission is $21. 883-0600. 

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

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.  

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  

CITY MEETINGS 

Energy Commission meets Wed., Mar. 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Neal De Snoo, 981-5434. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/energy 

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., Mar. 22, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Deborah Chernin, 981-6715. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/parksandrecreation 

Solid Waste Management Commission Mon., Mar. 22, at 7 p.m., at 1201 Second St. Becky Dowdakin, 981-6357. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/solidwaste 

City Council meets Tues., Mar. 23, at 7 p.m. with a Special Meeting at 5 p.m. Special Meeting, in City Council Chambers, Sherry M. Kelly, city clerk, 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/citycouncil 

Citizens Budget Review Commission meets Wed., Mar. 24, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7041. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/budget 

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., Mar. 24, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Mary Ann Merker, 981-7533.www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/civicarts 

Disaster Council meets Wed., Mar. 24, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. Carol Lopes, 981-5514. www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/commissions/disaster 

Mental Health Commission meets Wed., Mar. 24, at 6:30 p.m., at 2640 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Harvey Turek, 981-5213. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/commissions/mentalhealth  

Planning Commission meets Wed., Mar. 24, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Ruth Grimes, 981-7481. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/planning 

Police Review Commission meets Wed. Mar. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, Barbara Attard, 981-4950. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/commissions/policereviewà

It was about a year ago, according to Ocean View Gardens tenant Desiree Lambert, that water began to drip from her living room ceiling whenever it rained. One day the drip from the weak spot turned into a pour. In December of 2003, the weight of the water sent plaster crashing onto her sofa, leaving a hole in her ceiling the size of a basketball. 

Desiree Lambert is grateful that last month her ceiling was patched and the roof repaired, but she is not happy that it took her landlords over a year to do it.  

“The people at Ocean View have the attitude of ‘We’ll do something, but we’ll do it on our own time and when we get ready,’” said Lambert, who has a three-inch ring binder and a computer disk in which she has saved copies of the numerous letters she sent the managers of Ocean View about her ceiling and other maintenance issues.  

Ocean View Gardens is a 62-unit Delaware Street affordable housing complex built in 1982. The homes are currently rented to residents who earn 50 to 60 percent of the Area Median Income, roughly between $40,000 and $46,000 per year for a family of four. AF Evans Company of Oakland owns and operates the complex, leasing the land for the site from the City of Berkeley. 

On Jan. 20, Lambert and a few other disgruntled Ocean View residents complained about conditions at the housing project during a Redevelopment Agency discussion on extending Ocean View’s ground lease from the city. The residents charged that both the city and AF Evans representatives had been unresponsive to complaints about alleged substandard conditions in some of the housing complex’ units. The City Council (in its role as the Redevelopment Agency) ex-tended the lease, but asked the city manager’s office to return to its March 23 meeting with a follow-up report on the tenants’ complaints. 

Stephen Barton, Berkeley housing director, said that the Ocean View owners promptly responded to the complaints voiced at the Jan. 20 meeting, adding that some repairs were made the weekend following the meeting.  

But Lambert is not appeased. She said Ocean View management has ignored her complaints for years. Along with her leaking ceiling, Lambert said the walls in her living room have also suffered rain damage. Lambert said that about a year ago she killed 23 wasps which had swooped into her home through another hole near her ceiling fan. It took a year to repair the hole, according to Lambert, while the project’s management periodically sent someone over to spray for the wasps.  

In 1996, Lambert’s brother fell down the staircase leading to Lambert’s door when one of the steps collapsed. This matter was settled out of court, but Lambert said the incident could have been avoided if Ocean View’s managers had listened to her when she first began to complain about the wobbly staircase.  

The management at Ocean View says that Lambert may have been responsible for her own distress. Cynthia Neal-Wood, community manager at Ocean View, said that Lambert has been very uncooperative. Neal-Wood explained that Lambert does not allow maintenance workers in her unit when she’s not home, and would frequently cancel appointments that she would schedule for contractors to work on her unit.  

“You have to comply with the residents but the resident as well has to comply with the management,” Neal-Wood said. 

Neal-Wood had a similar complaint about Lennita Williams, another resident who spoke out at the Jan. 20 City Council meeting. Neal-Wood said that Williams has also repeatedly refused to allow maintenance workers to enter her home.  

Williams says that the plumbing in her kitchen and bathroom needs repairing. She said that dinnertime and bath time are dreaded hours of the day for her and her 21-year-old daughter Christina. The kitchen sink has little water pressure. When she twists the handles to turn on the water at full force, it just drizzles out of the faucet. Using water from her bathroom sink, she fills pale yellow plastic container with hot water and cleans her dishes in it. 

Williams also keeps a big blue bucket nearby. When she or her daughter takes a shower or bath the water in the tub won’t drain. She has to use the bucket to scoop out the water. Sometimes, she says she just showers at a friend’s place so she won’t have to face the back-straining chore. 

The pipes underneath Williams’ bathroom sink leak. She uses a white plastic bowl to try to keep the cabinet from getting too wet. But there’s not much help for the bathroom floor. The pipe behind the toilet leaks too. The linoleum floor is soaked, cracked, and weakening, and Williams says she’s afraid she or her daughter may fall through the floor on day. She has placed towels, pajama pants, and sheets on the floor around the base of the commode to try to soak up the water.  

“We grab whatever we can find,” she said.  

Williams admits that she has at times refused to allow workers into her home. She said she’s doesn’t trust them and is afraid they may vandalize her home. She says that individuals claiming to be maintenance workers sometimes show up without any uniforms or identification. In addition, she says that part of her distrust comes the fact that a number of years ago, an Ocean View maintenance worker was dismissed for stealing items from apartments while he was inside doing repairs.  

Lambert said she, too, has the same distrust of the housing project’s maintenance workers, and adds an additional problem: Maintenance workers, she says, sometimes ask tenants to wait home all day for repair personnel to come, avoiding giving even the four-hour window normally given by such utilities as PG&E or the cable company. 

For her part, Manager Neal-Wood said that residents have no reason to distrust the management or the maintenance workers. She feels Lambert is just being uncooperative. 

Lambert, meanwhile, feels she is just being demeaned. 

“They do not take the residents of Ocean View seriously,” she said, adding that she thinks the residents are not respected because Ocean View is subsidized housing.  

Williams also thinks she and other tenants are being taken advantage of because of their low income.  

“They don’t care because we’re poor people,” she said. “They know we can’t afford to get good lawyers.” 

ˇ

Berkeley’s mayor and eight city councilmembers, who all together spent a total of approximately $456,000 to get elected to their present terms, failed to reach a consensus Tuesday on presenting a ballot measure to voters that would shift at least some of those expenses to the public. 

Without taking a vote, the council asked city staff to study two scenarios to publicly finance elections: one (proposed by Mayor Tom Bates) that would give public funds to candidates and another (proposed by Councilmember Linda Maio) to require the city to match individual campaign donations dollar for dollar until a set spending ceiling is reached. The Bates proposal also included a provision that in order to receive city funds for their campaigns, candidates would have to prove their viability by collecting $5 contributions from at least 700 separate individuals. If passed, the Bates plan would make Berkeley the first city in the country to fully finance elections. 

Staff will report back to the council on April 27th with recommendations on the plans and potential taxes hikes to cover the costs. In the case of fully financed elections, costs would range between $1.4 and $4 million, according to a proposal offered by the Center for Governmental Studies at UCLA.  

Possible financing schemes include raising the hotel occupancy tax or parking fines. 

In advocating his plan, Bates told the Council that many qualified candidates don’t want to take the financial plunge to run for city office. The average cost of running for office in Berkeley is now $200,000 for mayor and $30,000 for councilmember. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington argued that such a system would not only encourage more candidates, but would keep special interests out of Berkeley elections. “It’s horrendous that by giving donations from a wife and a contractor and employees, one developer can manipulate 25 percent of the money you need for a campaign,” he said. 

Councilmember Miriam Hawley said she opposed either public financing proposal because she believed voters would likely be barraged with ballot measures requesting tax hikes for more pressing needs, including library services and school funding. “We’re asking people to make terrible choices,” she said. “I’d hate to see people choose this [public election financing] over schools.” 

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak called Bates’ full funding plan, “an incumbent protection act.” To level the ground for candidates challenging better known incumbents, he proposed granting challengers more money. He also wanted public funding extended to ballot measures and have staff study increasing councilmember salaries.  

“This job doesn’t pay enough to attract good younger candidates, which is why most of us are so old,” he said. 

Proponents of fully funded elections, including Bates, Kriss Worthington and Dona Spring, had hoped that a vote last January by the Fair Campaigns Practices Commission—approving in principle the concept of Berkeley publicly financing local elections—would help catapult the issue past the council. But when councilmembers offered vastly different opinions Tuesday, Bates told Worthington, “I don’t think the votes are here tonight to do this,” and the matter was put over to staff. 

To get a measure on the November ballot, the council has to approve a plan by July. 

If the council fails to reach a consensus, proponents of fully financed elections might take matters into their own hands. “We’re considering a signature drive if [the council] doesn’t move very soon,” said Sam Ferguson a UC Berkeley student and co-founder of the Berkeley Fair Election Coalition. He added his group hadn’t settled on how they would fund the program if they tried put it on the November ballot. 

The council did reject one election plan. On a 4-5 vote (Bates, Maio, Worthington, Breland and Spring voting no) they killed a more modest election reform proposed by Councilmember Wozniak that would have asked staff to prepare a ballot measure increasing maximum campaign contributions from $250 to $500 for mayoral campaigns.  

In non-election news, the council, amid much confusion, rejected the most stringent regulations proposed by Councilmember Spring to tighten rules for developers who offer cultural space in return for height bonuses for new buildings.  

Spring’s side could only muster four votes (Spring, Worthington, Breland and Maio) to have the planning and civic arts commissions consider provisions that would have prevented developers from renting or selling the additional housing until the cultural space was filled, make the cultural space available only for public venues, and give the city power to force a developer to find a new tenant for the space if part of it has been vacant for more than six months. 

For a fleeting moment, Spring won the vote on the latter two issues, with support from Councilmember Hawley. After Mayor Bates pointed out she had accidently voted to support Spring, Hawley, who appeared confused about what her earlier “yes” vote had implied, asked for a motion to reconsider. Hawley then reversed her vote on the commission referral matters, siding with Bates and Councilmember Betty Olds in opposition. Councilmembers Wozniak and Shirek abstained. 

Spring’s proposal was sparked by public complaint about the Gaia Building, owned by Panoramic Interests, which was two extra stories by the city of Berkeley as mitigation for a proposed cultural space. While there are current plans to move a cultural tenant into the building, the cultural space has remained vacant in the three years since the downtown mixed-use project was completed. 

At its 4:30 pm working session preceding its regular meeting, the council heard a report from Planning Director Dan Marks on proposed changes to the city’s Creeks Ordinance. 

At the council’s request, the City Attorney’s office had earlier presented two proposed amendments to the ordinance, one that would prevent new development within 30 feet of a creek within the city limits, a second that would address the issue of single family homes destroyed by natural disaster. At Monday’s workshop, Marks expanded on those topics, including proposed areas for the Council to discuss such as an appropriate distance to set back developments from creeks and what position the city should take towards creek daylighting. 

The Council is not expected to take up formal discussion of proposed changes in the creek ordinance until later this year.  

Back in the Black 

The Berkeley Girl Scout Troop, robbed of $150 in cookie sales Monday afternoon, will apparently not suffer a financial loss because of the experience. 

Teresa Beglinger of East Bay Tow reimbursed the troop in 10-dollar bills, five-dollar bills and quarters, so they could make change for future customers, said Troop Leader Jane Stillwater. She added that Beglinger is just one of several local residents quick to offer help to Berkeley Troop 3983.  

The troop was selling cookies at Center Street and Shattuck Avenue after school Monday when two robbers staged a fight in front of them, while a third robber raced off with the cash box. 

Berkeley Police Department Spokesperson Kevin Schofield said the men were chased and dropped much of the money as they were fleeing. 

Employees at MPR Associates have also raised money to cover the troop’s loses, Stillwater said. 

The troop has sold over 40,000 boxes of cookies since they were Brownies and have saved their proceeds for a planned Caribbean Cruise. 

Armed Robbery No. 1 

Two men robbed a 20-year-old Berkeley resident at gunpoint just after midnight Tuesday at the corner of Parker and Regent streets.  

Two men, also armed with guns, robbed an 18-year-old Berkeley resident of a wallet and CD player Monday night on the 2000 block of Center Street. 

Rosa Parks Vandalism 

Vandals trashed and spray painted a classroom at Rosa Parks Elementary sometime last weekend, Berkeley Police Spokesperson Schofield said. School officials found the room in disarray early Monday morning.

The City of Berkeley has issued a rabies alert after a bat infected with rabies was removed from the 2300 block of Warring Street on Monday. 

Berkeley Animal Control Services cautions that unvaccinated and dogs and cats, as well as such wild animals foxes, coyotes, badgers, weasels, raccoons, and can carry the rabies virus. In Berkeley, bats and skunks are the most likely to affected.  

In Oakland in recent years, raccoons have been migrating from the woods and open fields in the hills areas down into the urban community. 

Rabies is almost always fatal in humans if left untreated. Berkeley Animal Control Services cautions that dead animals should never be handled and any nocturnal animal such as skunks, bats or gray foxes, that are seen during the day should be considered dangerous. 

Residents are also advised to educate their children about the dangers of wild animals. For more information or to report a case, call Animal Control Services at 981-6600, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 

The terror attacks in Madrid have done more than put Europe on warning and shake up Spain’s politics. Because of deep historical and emotional ties to Madrid, the entire Spanish-speaking world now feels directly implicated in the 21st century dilemma of how to respond to terrorism. Struggling to make sense of the deadly bombing that struck the traditional heart of Hispanic culture, Spanish-language media on both sides of the Atlantic adopted their own typographical shorthand for the catastrophic event: 11-M. 

The abbreviation, like 9/11, refers to a date, March 11, when bombs ripped through several morning rush-hour commuter trains in Madrid. But 11-M also encompasses the aftermath: the millions-strong peace protests that followed, and general elections three days later that brought a new government to Spain and reconfigured the worldwide war on terror. 

The full meaning of 11-M is being debated far beyond Madrid. Latin American media, and U.S.-based media catering to the country’s over 40 million Hispanic residents have already adopted 11-M as a new symbol for terrorism. 

In a report headlined simply “11-M,” published in the Acapulco, Mexico, daily newspaper Sur, Arturo Martínez Núñez wrote that 11-M appropriately conveys the gravity of the attacks, for the letter “M” also begins the Spanish words for death, “muerte,” and evil, “mal.” 

Many Spanish-speakers responded to the attack as their first direct taste of terror. Editorials on 11-M often referred to Spain as “la Madre Patria,” the Motherland, and referenced even more immediate bonds than just language and timeworn colonial connections. Blood ties, the product of immigration, also bind Latin America to Madrid. It’s not uncommon for Latin American families to have relatives living both in Spain and the United States. 

Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Honduras and El Salvador were among the many countries mourning their emigrants killed in the bombings—evidence that Madrid’s working-class neighborhoods are teeming with New World migrants as well as North Africans. 

In a letter titled “The Open Veins of Spain,” published March 15 by Miami Spanish-language daily El Nuevo Herald, María José Garmendí wrote: “The Spain that bleeds today is a Spain that belongs to everyone. It is the Spain that has opened itself to receive all its kin from Latin America (as well as) its Arab ancestors...” 

Much in the way “post-9/11” symbolizes a world changed after the Sept. 11 attacks, 11-M in some quarters is beginning to represent a different way of responding to terrorism, one that stresses peace over bellicosity and calibrated responses instead of an all-consuming world war against a shadowy foe. 

The Spanish electorate, says commentator Luis Bruschtein in the March 16 Buenos Aires daily Página 12, has pointed in a new direction by electing a dovish leader to head their government just days after the deadly bombings. The voters’ decision was “so admirable,” Bruschtein writes, “because they voted against war when the most primitive impulse would have been to seek revenge.” In this way, Spaniards “have discredited the supposed liberating and religious morality of the attackers and have put them in their place as common criminals.” 

In Mexico City daily El Universal, opinion writer Alberto Aziz Nassif put the same idea this way: “To put out a fire one does not continue to toss gasoline on it.” 

This 11-M inspired wave of solidarity toward Spain’s new alignment is partly motivated by what Argentina’s interior minister described as the “ideological affinity” that Spain’s new leader, a socialist, shares with many Latin American governments. 

Immediately after his election victory, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero announced he would stand firm against terror but would pull Spanish forces out of Iraq, barring U.N. intervention. His announcement almost immediately repaired a rift over Iraq that has complicated Iberian-Latin American relations for over a year.  

With few exceptions, the region’s governments, including key players like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile, share Zapatero’s belief that the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq was wrong and a misguided strategy for stifling terror. 

Even former staunch U.S. allies were suddenly reconsidering their terror war tack in the wake of 11-M. Honduras, which sent hundreds of troops to Iraq, announced a pullout too, despite the Central American nation’s desperate need to stay on Washington’s good side for aid and immigration favors. Guatemala and El Salvador are also now reconsidering their troop commitments. Meanwhile, bombings and attacks are again flaring up in Iraq, near the one-year anniversary of the Iraq war’s start. 

“Winds of change” are blowing across the Atlantic, according to a March 16 editorial in New York Spanish-language daily El Diario/La Prensa. It’s not yet clear how U.S. Hispanics, for whom both 9/11 and 11-M resonate strongly, will react. Polls have shown them to be more disapproving of the Iraq war than the general population. Spain’s new political configuration, and the fact that the Bush administration is more isolated than ever internationally suggest that U.S. Hispanics may begin to object more strongly to President Bush’s anti-terror policies. 11-M and its effect on U.S. politics is, at the least, an important new variable in this year’s election. 

Marcelo Ballve is an editor at Pacific News Service.

Editor’s Note: A 14-year-old Oakland, Calif., resident who’s father was shot to death interviews her friends about what they think causes all the violence in “Tha Town.” 

OAKLAND, Calif—I feel that Oakland was meant to be this way—people killing each other—because it doesn’t seem to stop. I’ve lived in Oakland since I was 3 years old. I’m 14 now. 

Looking at the pictures of those who died really scares me. Recently the Oakland Tribune printed the names and pictures of “Tha Town’s” murder victims in 2003, with a map showing the street location of the homicides. Most of the murders happened in East and West Oakland, and most of the victims were African American, but Asians, Latinos and others are also affected by Oakland’s bloodshed. 

Last year, there were 114 murders in Oakland.  

I feel really sorry for those who died. It hurts me inside. We may be separated by different colors but we still are the same people.  

I know because I lost my dad when I was 3 years old—and he was Vietnamese. I will never know how it feels to have a real father around. You know how my dad died? Someone shot him and my uncle. 

I wish I had been there. I want to know who killed my dad. What did he do wrong? He was just a daddy waiting to go home to his wife and his little daughter.  

My dad was killed in his car on 69th Avenue in East Oakland. All my family knows is that someone shot him and my uncle. My mother believes that kind people die young, but people who are evil and cruel live long lives.  

I asked some young people I know if they feel safe in Oakland. I know I don’t feel safe in my neighborhood at all, and neither do many of my friends. All I do is stay home, because I know if I step out the house the streets will turn me into someone my mom wouldn’t recognize.  

Maria, 14, is Chinese. She’s tall, brown-eyed and hyper. We stay in the same neighborhood, the “Murda Dubs,” the neighborhood in the 20-something Avenues.  

“I don’t feel really safe around my neighborhood. There have been at least three homicides around my streets. It’s gotten to the point where I think killing is an everyday normal agenda. I am prepared to die in the streets any second,” Maria says. 

Leslie, 14, is Mexican. She’s pretty and always has a smile on her face. She lives in East Oakland too. She says, “Sometimes I get scared to walk home because there a lot of people dealing with drugs out in my neighborhood all the time.” 

Ana, 14, lives in East Oakland. She is Salvadorian and has long curly hair. Her neighborhood is hectic. “People have been killed around the corner from my house. People have been beat up for money,” she says. “I can’t even go to the park ‘cause there are freaks who are disrespectful. It’s not a good place for a child to grow up in.” 

I wondered what my friends thought about the fact that black people do most of the dying in Oakland. 

“[It’s not just] Blacks but Asians too. There are also a lot of Mexicans that are killed. It’s not a big deal to Oakland, but I think everyone who lives in Oakland should care. If you don’t care or give a damn, what kind of person are you?” says Lil’ Tone, 17. Tone is Vietnamese and Cambodian. He’s tall and plays football for Oakland High.  

Ana had no idea most of Tha Town’s murder victims are black, but she adds, “I think that black people are crazier than other races. Not to put it out there, it’s just what I think.” 

Still, she says non-black people should be concerned. “I think everyone should care, because what if the person who died is in your family and they die for no reason? You would want people to care.” 

Leslie thinks the murders touch everybody. “I don’t think [murder] affects just black people. I know other races have been killed. It doesn’t mean Oakland only kills black people, it’s just that there more black people out there doing wild stuff.” 

I don’t know why people are killing each other in Oakland. Maria thinks it’s because of the cycle of violence. “Most of the killers probably lived a cruel life and didn’t get a good education,” she says. 

Rosie Nguyen is a student at Met West High School in Oakland and an intern at YO! Youth Outlook, a magazine by and for Bay Area youth and a Pacific News Service project. 

Å

On Friday afternoon of last week, apparently without warning to Burbank administrators, workers from the Oakland Unified School District’s central office demolished a portable building and the mural that had decorated it for several years. The work was done in full view of students present for after-school activities. State Administrator Randolph Ward said later that the portable had long been scheduled for demolition, and its destruction had nothing to do with the possible pending closure school.  

Burbank is one of five Oakland schools tentatively slated to be closed down next June by Ward, who has been running the Oakland school system since it was taken over by the state last year. 

An ad hoc group of parents organized to save the school issued a release stating that “young students and teachers arrived [at Burbank] Monday morning to find the ruins of their buildings still on the playground, with huge trucks and equipment finishing off the remains. Children and adults alike were devastated and disoriented by the inexplicable disappearance of their school buildings. The children are asking if the rest of the school will be torn down around them.” 

Following a Monday evening meeting, a group of Burbank teachers passed out a leaflet noting that “earlier in the week [that the portable was destroyed], people came from the District offices to Burbank and without notice, visited classrooms with video cameras and note pads and started recording teachers’ equipment, supplies and inventory as a part of the closure process. The combination of both events and the fact that there was no notification of either resulted in the teachers feeling more than frustrated with the lack of knowledge about what’s going on.” 

Ward has said that a final decision on the closing of Burbank and the four other schools is still under consideration.›

The U.S. government just released the first trade figures for this year, showing a whopping $43.1 billion deficit for January – an all-time high. More than a quarter of that was with China, whose trade deficit with the United States expanded to $11.5 billion. During the normally staid annual Senate hearing March 9 on trade policy, Republican members pushed Robert Zoellich, the U.S. trade representative, to be tougher on China. That’s what a lot of Democrats want, too. Think again.  

China and other Asian countries are saving a lot and spending relatively little. America, by contrast, saves almost nothing and buys a lot. In other words, we’re living high on the hog, way beyond our means. They’re living low on the hog, arguably way below theirs.  

If you hadn’t noticed, American consumers are deep in debt, and the American government is deep in debt. A large part of the reason we can keep binging is that China and other Asian nations continue to support our habit. They keep buying American assets and lending us money. For the last two years, for example, money flows from Asia into U.S. government securities covered two-thirds of the $650 billion growth in the public debt of the United States.  

It’s like a drunk who’s offered drink after drink by a teetotaler. Finished? Have another. You can’t stand up? Oh, that’s okay. Here, have another.  

Who’s to blame? Well, you could say that they’re to blame for giving us more and more booze. At least, that seems to be the way Washington wants to view it. In yesterday’s trade hearings on Capitol Hill, Democrats and Republicans alike criticized China for keeping its currency artificially low, which makes its exports cheaper. Treasury Secretary John Snow recently vowed to hold China’s “feet to the fire” to get it to raise its currency.  

But there’s another way to look at this. The reason China’s and other Asian currencies are low relative to the dollar is that these countries have been propping up the dollar by pouring so much money into America. If they stopped supporting our habit, we’d have to sober up.  

If they stopped sending us their money, the results would in fact be sobering. The value of the dollar would plummet, and long-term interest rates in America would soar. American consumers and the federal government would have no choice but to stop binging. We’d be in for a real shock.  

Problem is, there’s no 12-step program for a drunken nation like ours.  

Mr. Reich, former secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, is professor of social and economic policy at Brandeis and the author of "Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America," out in May from Knopf

San Francisco police are letting people know today that the downtown area may be subject to congestion and delays—particularly for drivers—due to anti-war protests starting Friday morning. 

The first planned gathering begins at 7 a.m. at Justin Herman Plaza at the foot of Market Street, according to Officer Maria Oropeza, with likely protest activity spreading out through the Financial District and toward Civic Center as it did last year. 

Oropeza said “plenty of officers”' would be out both facilitating the exercise of free speech rights for those objecting to the U.S. military presence in Iraq and keeping the streets safe.  

“We are a very patient police department,” she said, “but when people cross into civil disobedience and the disruption of work we have to afford the general public their right to function, as well.” 

More than 2,000 people were arrested in spring 2003 weekday demonstrations that shut down many intersections and freeway ramps at times, but nearly all the charges were later dropped. 

This time, Deputy Chief Greg Suhr has gone on the record telling potential demonstrators that police don't plan to accept the same level of  

chaos. “No, you're not going to shut down San Francisco,'” he said. 

On Saturday, a major march from Dolores Park to Civic Center is planned at midday, with the route along Market Street between Valencia Street and Van Ness Avenue, Oropeza said. Once the Civic Center rally begins around 2 p.m., she said Market Street would most likely be cleared for traffic. 

—Bay City News›

UC Regent Ward Connerly deserves some mention, both for something he recently said, and for something about which he was pointedly silent. 

First, the said part. 

When students apply to the University of California system, they have the option of checking a box to denote their race. The requested information is voluntary, and is supposed to be used for statistical purposes only. For the past 15 years or so, as the multi-racial, multi-ethnic movement has begun to gain ground in this country, UC has given students the option of checking more than one box. If Tiger Woods had applied to UC under that system, for one example, he would have been able to check both “African-American” and “Thai.” 

Well and good. But when it comes time for the UC system to make reports to the federal government on the number of students attending its schools from individual races, federal regulations require that the university arbitrarily assign Mr. Woods to either one checked race, or another. The university makes the choice, a situation which hovers between the ludicrous and the impossible, since by what criteria can a university employee—smart as they are—make a decision on whether Mr. Woods is more Thai or more black, when he is equal parts of both? 

The logic would be for the federal government to allow for the split-the-baby solution: one-half of such a student assigned to one race, one-half assigned to another. But to paraphrase the great “Men In Black” line, the federal government does not exercise any logic of which it is aware. 

So instead, our friend Mr. Connerly has asked that his fellow UC regents include a new box for students to check—“multi-ethnic”—and thereafter lobby the federal government to change its race-reporting requirements to allow for the new category. Mr. Connerly, who campaigned for the late-deceased Prop 54 on the platform of doing away with such race-reporting boxes, now tells a reporter “I don’t like the boxes, but I’m accepting that as a given. But if you’re going to have the boxes, give people a choice to accurately depict how they perceive themselves.” 

Mr. Connerly is onto something here, and if the proposal were being advanced by anyone other than Mr. Connerly, my progressive and liberal friends would almost certainly be a bit quicker to embrace the concept. They (my progressive and liberal friends) like to be known, after all, for being the champions of the unchampioned minority, and no one in the world is more a minority than someone born of parents of different races. 

The problem, of course, is in the numbers. Money and political power in America is often apportioned out by how many numbers is assigned to individual races, leading to a scramble for everyone to sign folks up to their team. Some years ago, before his late extramarital troubles, President Clinton proposed a national discussion on the issue of race. Such a discussion is still in order, but only if we can conduct it like adults, and without all the attendant shouting and poking of fingers in the air. I don’t know if Mr. Connerly’s multi-ethnic category is the answer. But it’s as good a place as any to start the discussion. 

Anyway, on to what Mr. Connerly didn’t say. 

Last week, in an article entitled “UC Reveals Admissions Disparities,” the Oakland Tribune informed us of two things: The number of African-American and Latino students has “plummeted” since the Connerly-initiated ban on affirmative action kicked in, and that African-American and Latino students are being admitted to the UC system at “slightly higher rates” than “similarly qualified” white and Asian applicants. 

The plummeting of the numbers of blacks and Latinos in the UC system was taken as being normal. 

The possibility that “similarly qualified” blacks and Latinos were getting a “slightly higher” jump on their white and Asian friends warranted an investigation, to make sure nothing wrong was being done. 

“We want to determine whether it’s part of the ‘statistical noise’ that occurs in these types of models, or whether it appears the unintentional (racial) patterns are still being exercised in campus admissions policies,” the Tribune quoted Bruce Darling, UC’s senior vice president of university affairs. 

The “discrepancy,” it appears, if one reads the fine print of the Tribune article, is that a UC “model study” predicted how many students of each major race “ought” to be getting into the university, and then noted that the actual numbers were not exactly what the “model study” predicted what they “ought” to be. At UC Berkeley, for example, the study predicted that 32.6 percent of white applicants should have been admitted. Only 32.1 percent of them got in. The difference was slightly larger for Asian students: 34 percent expected, 32 percent admitted. 

One would have thought that such a study of racial percentages would have brought howls of protest out of our good friend, Mr. Connerly, who, after all, has made quite a career in recent years of castigating progressives and civil rights advocates for using race-based statistics to advance their causes. One is tempted to make the conclusion that Mr. Connerly only gets agitated about racial statistics when (coincidentally) they are used to get African-Americans and Latinos in, but is not so exorcised when (again, coincidentally) such statistics are used to keep African-Americans and Latinos out. But perhaps, after all, that is only a coincidence, Mr. Connerly was busy that day, and did not see the news reports. He has time, now, to make amends, if he so chooses. 

But Mr. Connerly, after all, is not really the point here, is he? 

We are merrily—and quite openly and consciously—letting our race attitudes presumptions hang out here, for all the world to see. Does the Tribune run headlines—and do investigations ensue—if African-American and Latino participation falls slightly below the “expected” in some category? If so, we would probably be able to talk about nothing else. And if African-American and Latino students are getting into the UC system in slightly larger numbers than “predicted,” the prevailing presumption is that such a situation cannot have resulted for reasons of merit—greater drive and motivation because such students come from more difficult circumstances, perhaps, or better demonstrated leadership qualities?—but only because of some hidden, unfair advantage. Maybe such suspicions linger because so many of my good white friends (and relatives) know how such a system might operate. 

ˇ

JEFFERSON SCHOOL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The central issue regarding the possible re-naming of Jefferson School has a contemporary correlate, namely, our current president, who proclaims that he advocates peace, yet orders in invasion of a vulnerable country, killing soldiers and civilians, and destroying essential infrastructure. 

Alistair Cooke once noted in a radio talk that,” The whole truth about any of us would shock all of us.” 

Jack W. Fleming 

• 

UC HOTEL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

All of Berkeley should be thanking Randy Shaw for his commentary piece “Berkeleyans Must Unite to Stop UC Hotel,” Daily Planet, March 12-15). Finally, a voice of reason.  

If a hotel adjacent to the campus and downtown is desired, let the university build it on its own property, the huge parking lot west of the Tang Center that is one block from downtown.  

Why should more of city be sacrificed to the university’s greed? 

What is behind our city politicians’ eagerness to engineer that sacrifice? One wonders... 

Sharon Entwistle 

• 

REQUIRED READING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Randy Shaw’s commentary in the Daily Planet 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 

• 

NICE GOING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I picked up a Berkeley Daily Planet at my work and started to read the Susan Parker column entitled “A Frightening Day Both Inside and Out” (Daily Planet, March 16-18). At the end of the column there are lyrics quoted from a rap song. Every swear word was spelled out. I believe the point of Parker’s column was that she was upset that these lyrics were available to read on her home computer (via Internet) by an underage child. So what did you do? You took these lyrics and published them so even more underage children can get there hands on them. Nice going. Could you not have abbreviated them? There are security measures that you can place on your home computer to prevent children from reading stuff like this, but you have published this for everyone under the sun to read. I would love to know what you guys were thinking when you allowed this to go to print. Freedom of speech and all that is fine but there are limitations, and in my opinion and as a parent, the Daily Planet has over stepped the line!! I look forward to hearing your response. In the meantime, I am going to try to get my place of work to stop receiving and circulating the Berkeley Daily Planet. 

Debbie Crowson 

• 

SAVE HUD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Concerned about the housing problems their children and grand children will face in the years to come, senior citizen residents of Strawberry Creek Lodge in Berkeley are conducting a nationwide SAVE HUD petition campaign addressed to Congress. The petition calls for restoring the original purpose and funding of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as it was enacted in 1965.  

The administration’s recently announced budget for fiscal year 2005 cuts even more deeply into a budget already decimated to one third of the 1976 HUD funding level. Not only may the next generation be saddled with new costs to help shelter their aging parents, they will be required to deal with housing a growing number of homeless and ill-housed lower-income households nationwide. 

Originally the petition was directed only to U.S. Representative Barbara Lee. However, as petitioners realized that adjacent area residents showed interest in signing up, the campaign took on a Going National aspect. Strawberry Creek Lodgers are now sending petitions and fact sheets to their friends and families in other parts of the country asking them to gather names and petition their own representatives in Congress. 

For fiscal year 2005 budget considerations, the organizers require Congress to restore HUD support at least to the 2004 budget level, and reverse the projected cuts for the very lowest-income households. Seniors on fixed incomes have no way to pay more for housing than they do at present, and the same can be said for millions of families who earn the lowest wages. 

Locally, the campaign initiated at Strawberry Creek Lodge is approaching the goal of 2,000 signatures. The petitions will be presented to Rep. Barbara Lee at an event scheduled for April 13 at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

SAVE HUD can be reached at P. O. Box 2805, Berkeley, 94702 or online at www.savehud.org. 

Dee Rossman 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In both its editorial pages and reportage, the Daily Planet is becoming an anathema to fair-minded readers in general and most of the local Jewish community in particular. Last month, the Daily Planet apologized for printing a letter I wrote accurately quoting an individual’s anti-Semitic rant as he attempted to disrupt a lecture by Daniel Pipes. It then published a half-page litany of lies by that self-same individual who, even though he disrupted a Savio Memorial Lecture two years ago, justified his abrogation of freedom of speech at the Pipes lecture by perversely wrapping himself in the mantle of FSM values.  

Last week, Daily Planet Executive Editor Becky O’Malley dismissed Daniel Pipes’ website as “reprehensible,” without bothering to discuss why. I wonder what she thinks now following bombings in Spain and Israel by the very Islamic fundamentalists Pipes rightfully takes to task? It should be said that O’Malley stated rightfully that the demonstrators holding signs outside the Pipe’s lecture were correct to protest in that manner. But she failed to note that most of those very protesters were thrown by the police out of the auditorium when they tried to interfere with Pipes’ constitutionally-guaranteed liberty of speech. 

Finally, Jakob Schiller wrote a feature on Kahlil Bendib (“Kahlil Bendib: Pledging Allegiance to No One,” Daily Planet, March 16-18) in which he discussed one of Bendib’s more benign cartoons on the Middle East crisis. Yet Schiller must have looked at the other scribblings in Bendib’s book and realized why numerous members of the Jewish community protested to Black Oak Books that such overt anti-Semitism had no place in the windows of the bookstore. Alas, the feature had nary a word of the controversy Bendib’s bigotry has generated. 

With nearly every issue, the Daily Planet reveals itself to be little more than an echo in print of KPFA’s stridently anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish flatulence. And as it does so, it takes no seer to see the paper’s audience eventually diminishing like its predecessor. 

Dan Spitzer 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Library Gardens, a new development planned for the property to the west of the main downtown library exemplifies how short-sighted people can be in their decision-making process. While city zoning requires only 59 residential parking spaces for the development, this project has been approved with 240 spaces, 105 of which are for residents of the project-to-be. With BART and buses a few steps away, new housing does not need to provide excessive parking.  

I say short-sighted because I’m thinking of the future of our city and our planet. I would rather see less cars and think of ways to reduce congestion on our streets, than think of ways to accommodate those cars. I would rather create a city that welcomes pedestrians, transit and bicyclists by making streets safer and more convenient for those modes of travel. If we continue to welcome and accommodate more cars, all we will get is more cars. We need to change that practice and create an environment that will attract more pedestrians, transit and bicyclists if we are to ever change this trend of ever-increasing numbers of cars and ever-increasing congestion, pollution, and therefore global warming.  

Fossil fuel is a finite source of energy being depleted and due to run out in our lifetime. Damage to our health and that of our planet caused by unlimited use of this fuel is well-documented (despite what the George Bush’s of this world say for their own financial gain.). 

We have to start somewhere. It starts with me, and it starts with us. Decision-makers in this city must hear from those of us who don’t think more parking is the answer.  

Berkeley Ecological and Safe Transportation (BEST), is a group of people volunteering their time to work with residents, city staff, appointed and elected officials to create the pedestrian-, bike- and transit-friendly Berkeley mentioned above. We started this group two and half years ago to create a more friendly environment for pedestrians, transit and bicyclists. Our group is open to anyone wishing to work on this goal. Car-Free Housing is the subject of our next meeting, Tues., April 6 at 6 p.m. at the Main Library, third floor meeting room. To find out more about what we are doing, go to www.berkeleybest.org or contact imgreen03@comcast.net, or come to our meeting. 

Marcy Greenhut 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

First off, thank you for all the kind words written by Richard Brenneman about the Jazz Lounge I am opening in the Gaia Building (“De Leon’s New Club Could Be Gaia Tenant,” Daily Planet, March 5-8). As at my former place on University Avenue, we will offer live music every night with a strong emphasis on local, too often unsung, musicians. I plan to show free vintage jazz movies in the late afternoons. I am very excited about opening soon. 

I need to correct a couple of errors: The place will be called Anna’s Jazz Lounge and not Blackbird. I kicked around many names, and love the name Blackbird, so full connotations. But since our décor is tropical, and blackbirds don’t live in palm trees last I looked, I have decided to go with just the former name “Anna’s,” which will be simpler for those who remember us from before. 

The other correction results from what I believe was editorial in nature. On page 16, a long quote begins the second paragraph, “We lost faith that anything would happen and we had no written agreement with him [Patrick Kennedy], despite our best efforts…” The paragraph concluded with my stating that I did not have a lease until two months ago. The long quote seems to be attributed to me as it is attributed to no one else and my indirect and true statement closes the paragraph. However, I simply never said any of those quoted words, they don’t apply to me, and I want this to be made clear. 

Anne de Leon 

ˇ

It’s a firm belief of mine—and I can’t help but believe that my Berkeley neighbors share it as well—that people in neighborhoods other than where I hang out are as entitled to walk down their neighborhood streets in safety, as I am in my neighborhood. If that other neighborhood happens to be located in Kabul’s busy streets, or near Cambodia’s rice paddies, or in any of the thousands of neighborhoods in the 71 countries around the world where over 100 million landmines are buried, that doesn’t change my far-off neighbors’ entitlement to walk in safety. It’s just that in fact they can’t—and don’t—not in their neighborhood.  

The problem for my far-distant neighbors is nothing less than the imminent possibility of death or a diminished life. Dismemberment may permit survival but not much more than that of what’s considered a decent life. Dismemberment happens often, especially to my neighbors’ kids—in Mozambique, for example, where my neighbors’ kids who are just old enough to tend the family cow are not quite old enough to keep the cow from wandering into tall grass where left-over landmines still lurk. In Bosnia, an 8-year-old came into this world after the war ended in 1995 and so was never shot at by snipers when she walked through her neighborhood to buy the day’s bread; these days in her neighborhood, if she makes a wrong step, she stands the risk of getting blown up by a leftover stray mine. 

Danger signs with skulls and crossbones often warn people and animals to stay away from unexploded landmine sites in their neighborhood. But the signs are aged and fading, and they command less attention than they did when everyone’s body-memory of armed conflict was fresh. My friend’s neighborhood in Angola has had those scary warning signs for years—for decades, even—and she’s feeling mighty frustrated and discouraged about the toll that landmines continue to take of her neighbors and how little anyone seems to care. She wonders how much she can do, what steps she can take, to ensure that neighborhood kids stay safe and whole now, when the enemy is no longer formally the enemy, the war has been declared over, but the mines near their neighborhood go on wreaking terrible damage. 

Landmines maim or kill approximately 26,000 civilians every year. Between 8,000 and 10,000 of those victims are children. The victims who survive endure a lifetime of physical, emotional, and economic hardship. In mine-affected countries, medical care is expensive and often unavailable; most countries are able to fill less than one-fourth of their annual prosthetic requirements. Landmine victims who end up unable to work become a financial burden on their families. Some are ostracized by their communities. As for their ability to make a living, mine-infested land is unusable for agriculture or habitation. 

From January 2002 to June 2003, there were new landmine casualties in 65 countries. The majority (41) of these countries were not even at war; only 15 percent of reported casualties were military personnel. The number of injured survivors continues to grow in every affected region of the world, yet the assistance available for the rehabilitation and reintegration of landmine victims into society is hopelessly inadequate. 

The Bay Area has for a long time attracted refugees fleeing for their lives. My Afghan neighbors in Fremont know about that, with relatives still being dismembered or killed in their neighborhoods in Afghanistan. My Serb friends, living still in the neighborhood where they were born and went to school and where their parents were born and went to school, received a small ray of hope last June. The parliament of Serbia and Montenegro passed legislation to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. My Sudanese neighbors still in their old neighborhood in Khartoum were glad to hear that in May 2003, the Council of Ministers officially and unanimously endorsed the Mine Ban Treaty transmitted it to Parliament for ratification. And in Iraq, U.S. soldiers have perished in these months since the “major fighting” was declared over. Peace accords, cease-fires, humanitarian pauses—none of those procedures can guarantee safe passage across a field being farmed for the family’s basic food needs. 

What about getting rid of the mines? No single technology is able to detect all types of mines, because landmines come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and are made from a variety of materials. The international community, including both public and private sectors, is working to improve current technologies to make the mine clearance process safer, faster, and more effective. Here in our Northern California neighborhood, Rep. Woolsey announced the introduction of legislation, the Roots of Peace Act of 2003 (H.R. 2299), that would authorize $10 million to help defuse unexploded mines in agricultural lands of formerly war-torn countries. The Bush administration just announced a new landmine policy, but has not changed its policy of staying aloof from the rest of the countries committed to abandoning the use of landmines. 

Wars make headlines, but the continuing curse of landmines goes unheralded and will persist in our global society’s neighborhoods until we eradicate all landmines, present and future. 

Rita Maran, Ph.D., is president of the United Nations Association-USA East Bay Chapter . 

›

IRV WITH PAPER BALLOTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley can implement Instant Runoff Voting in the elections this fall if the will is there. Run the elections for City Council separately. Print paper ballots for the city offices and have voters in each voting location mark the ballots using the instant-runoff system, where they indicate a rank for each candidate: (“1” for their first preference, “2” for the next, and so on). The ballots can then be counted by volunteers, with other volunteers watching the count to ensure accuracy. There can be several sets of volunteers do the counting in parallel to do it faster.  

One way to do the count would have sheets of paper with the candidates in columns and the ranks in rows. Suppose there are three candidates, Alphy, Betty, and Gammy. Each name would be at the top of a column. There would be four rows, for rank 1, 2, 3, and unranked. So there would be 12 boxes in total. For example, one box would be “Betty, rank 2.”  

For each ballot, a volunteer would call out the candidates and ranks, and another volunteer would mark the appropriate boxes on the sheet. The ballot would be handed to third volunteer to verify the accuracy. When all the votes are counted, a volunteer would telephone to City Hall the totals for each candidate and rank, 12 numbers in this case. These would be entered into a computer program that would calculate the result. 

The ballots would then be sealed in a box and delivered to city hall. This can be done with little cost using volunteers. Rather than wait for the county and state to catch up with Berkeley, let’s lead and do it ourselves! Why not! 

Fred Foldvary 

• 

IRV FLAWS NOT DEBATABLE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

On March 2, Berkeley residents voted overwhelmingly for Measure I, empowering the City Council to replace our antiquated, 18th-century voting system with a more modern procedure. Make no mistake: This is a victory for democracy, and we can hope that future elections will produce results that better reflect the will of the people.  

But not necessarily. 

Measure I does not specify the system that will be used to replace our traditional “plurality voting” system. It leaves that detail to the City Council. It is clear, however, that the authors of Measure I prefer the “single transferable vote” system known as Instant Runoff Voting. IRV has a great deal of political momentum, and its proponents portray it as an electoral silver bullet. They claim that IRV will immunize us from “spoiler candidates,” and create a system where we are all free to vote our minds, without ever having to worry about accidentally voting against our own interests. This is far from the truth. In fact: 

• IRV does not eliminate the effect of spoiler candidates. It merely raises the bar of popularity that a candidate must achieve before he or she becomes a spoiler. 

• Under IRV, if you mark your favorite candidate “1,” you could still end up handing the victory to a candidate you dislike. 

• Under IRV, by marking your favorite candidate “1,” you could end up producing a worse result than if you had stayed home and not voted at all. Not even our traditional “plurality” system can go that wrong. 

These flaws are not debatable political points; they are provable mathematical facts. IRV proponents try to belittle them by saying they are unlikely to happen. The truth is we don’t know when or how often these flaws will manifest. It could be next year, next decade, or next century. When it happens, will we be brave enough to seek out an even better system than IRV, or will we retreat to our traditional system, however flawed it may be? 

There are many alternatives to IRV that we might consider, and the one I advocate is Approval Voting. The idea behind Approval Voting is simple: on a traditional ballot, vote for as many (or as few) candidates as you like. Most votes wins. Approval Voting always elects the candidate acceptable to the most voters, and is truly invulnerable to “spoiler” candidates. Because Approval Voting is such a small change from our current system, it is simple to understand and inexpensive to implement. Approval Voting can be implemented without any changes to current voting hardware and software; if we wanted to, we could implement it tomorrow. To the 20,000-plus Berkeley voters who voted for Measure I, I ask: If you could implement cheaper and better voting reform than IRV, and have it sooner, why wouldn’t you? 

By all means, don’t take my word for it. I encourage all voters to do their own research into alternative voting systems. On the Internet, there is an excellent article on Approval Voting at http://alum.mit.edu/ne/whatmatters/200211/, and a comparison of various systems can be found at www.electionmethods.org.  

Our current system is like the proverbial broken clock: It’s right twice a day, but it’s still broken. In our haste to replace it, let’s not choose a clock that’s only right three times a day. When deciding how to best implement Measure I, I urge the councilmembers and voters of Berkeley to consider all the available alternatives, including Approval Voting. Let’s get it right the first time. 

Marc LeBlanc 

Member, Citizens for Approval Voting›

The large mural, Berkeley—the City and Its People, which for more than 30 years has graced the City Council chamber, can now be seen in the fine Romare Bearden retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.  

The show opened last October at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the first solo exhibition featuring an African-American artist in the gallery’s 62-year history. In addition, the New York Times devoted an editorial to this show. Only Vermeer has been given such prominence in recent memory. 

Bearden’s work fully justifies this attention. It is unique, powerful and evocative. It deals with memory and life as he experienced it: his childhood in North Carolina; his youth in New York during the Harlem Renaissance when men like W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson and Duke Ellington were guests at his parents’ house.  

The syncopation of jazz is a major element characterizing his collages and Photostats from early on to his 1985 album cover for Winton Marsalis’ Mood, a tune which, in turn, was inspired by Bearden’s collages. In addition to jazz, Romare Bearden was inspired by a multiple of forms in art from African sculpture to Vermeer, Rembrandt and Matisse—from Dada collages, social realist paintings—from Greek mythology to Zen. Above all, his style is part of the Modernist tradition of Cubist collage, which he made his own. 

In 1945 when he returned from army service in World War II, Bearden went back to his job as a social worker in New York. There, he was witness to the lives of the impoverished, who remained a recurrent theme in his work. The strength of his collages lies in the fusion of the social content and modernist form. 

After studying with George Grosz at the Art Students League, Bearden worked in the prevailing Abstract Expressionist mode from 1955 to 1962. This period is something this carefully curated ex-hibition seems to pass over. At any rate, it was when he em-braced collage as his proper medium that Bearden did his finest work. A student of Zen precepts, his approach was intuitive, but he abandoned Abstract Ex-pressionist gesture painting as too visceral for his purpose. He found his strength in an organic merging of pasted cut-outs with overpainting. 

In the late 1960s, Bearden created deeply moving collages which addressed the life of African Americans in his native Mecklinburg County, North Carolina (Charlotte). They depict cotton pickers, people talking, trains passing and the rituals of baptism, burials and conjur women. Ralph Ellison called them “abiding rituals and ceremonies of affirmations.” Bearden did not portray specific individuals, but created figures that appear like archetypes of the world in which he was born. In a 1979 interview he pointed out that Mecklinburg County was, for him, what Dublin was for James Joyce: the place of the artist’s roots. 

In 1963 Bearden was instrumental in starting the “Spiral” black artists group which facilitated the meeting of black artists. The group initially was active in supporting the civil rights movement; it later turned its attention to the debate over definitions of the black aesthetic.  

Bearden began exhibiting and selling his work in prestigious galleries around the Spiral group time, and in 1971 the Museum of Modern Art in New York honored him with a solo show, called Prevalence of Ritual. The show was booked (by this author) for the Berkeley Art Museum, which led to Bearden’s commission for the City Hall mural. Bearden spent more than a week in Berkeley, meeting with its citizens, drawing and photographing what he saw, absorbing much of the city’s life. Returning to his studio in New York, he produced a truly outstanding work of public art. It may well be the largest collage in existence. More than that, it is a grand image of Berkeley, the Bay and above all, its people with four profile heads in different colors on the bottom of the picture. Many people may not be aware that Berkeley’s logo is derived from this mural.  

Still in remarkably good condition, the mural was taken to the National Gallery, where it occupied the place of honor. In San Francisco in a rather crowded installation, it can be seen until May 16. The mural will travel from there to Dallas, to the Whitney Museum in New York, and then to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, where the traveling show concludes in April 2005. After that, the Bearden City Hall mural will return home to Berkeley. 



For many generations, the Jewish musicians of Eastern Europe played the raucous, emotionally charged dance music called klezmer. They absorbed the Slavic, Gypsy and Turkish musical styles of their neighbors into their own music and invested their playing with a soulful intensity. This coming week, as the Berkeley Jewish Music Festival (BJMF) begins its annual celebration of Jewish music from around the world, the focus will be on klezmer, celebrating its passing from one generation to the next and its connection to Berkeley itself.  

Festival Director Ellie Shapiro explains that this year’s BJMF is “a great immersion course in klezmer music. The range is from pioneer Jewish folklorists to classic Philadelphia klezmer to David Krakauer, who’s taken klezmer as the root and used it to create new music that integrates jazz and hip-hop.” 

Clarinetist Krakauer brings his band Klezmer Madness! to Wheeler Auditorium on Saturday, March 20 at 8 p.m. Krakauer is a versatile virtuoso who has soloed with the New York Philharmonic and Kronos Quartet, and is a fixture of New York’s jazz avant-garde. He plays with a mastery of the highly vocal inflection of klezmer clarinet, and his formidable band is sure to raise the roof at Wheeler.  

Krakauer is steeped in Jewish musical traditions, but he’s also pushing klezmer into the future, augmenting his band with electric guitar and bass, and more recently, the hip-hop sampling of DJ So-Called, aka Josh Dolgin.  

Krakauer explains, “Adding the electric guitar, not only does it give it the sound of modernity, but I also realized that the raw energy of the electric guitar brought my music closer to the music of the 1920s, that had that raw, rough element to it.” 

Krakauer’s band has strong Bay Area connections, with bassist Trevor Dunn, who was active in the local jazz scene for many years, and guitarist Sheryl Bailey, who teaches at the Stanford Jazz Workshop each summer.  

From his home in Montreal, Dolgin discussed his contribution to the band. “I sample old Jewish sources and I try to get authentic Jewish kind of grooves looping. Hip-hop should be about representing who you are. So I couldn’t make music about being a gangster, I had to talk about Jewish stuff, because that’s what I am.”  

Two events spotlight the heritage of Philadelphia klezmer and that city’s remarkable Hoffman family, a musical dynasty stretching back to 19th Century Ukraine. The third and fourth generations of family musicians, drummer Elaine Hoffman Watts and her daughter, along with trumpeter Susan Watts, will lead a jam session on Thursday, March 25 at the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center. All instruments and skill levels are welcome. Two nights later, on Saturday, March 27, they’ll close the festival with a Philly Klezmer Swing Dance Party at 8 p.m. at the Crowden Music Center at Rose and Sacramento. Jewish dance and swing expert Steven Weintraub offers a pre-party dance lesson at 6:30 p.m. 

Now in her seventies, Elaine Hoffman Watts discussed her family legacy. “My grandfather, Joseph Hoffman, came to America in the early 1900s,” Watts says. “He wrote two books of music by hand that he remembered from Russia, just great music, and it was popular in Philadelphia at that time. Every city had its own distinct klezmer because they all came from different places and they all brought different music from their shtetls.”  

Beginning in the 1950s, she says, “American Jews wanted to be Americans, they didn’t want klezmer, and that music died out. But thank God, we have people who brought it back. It’s gorgeous music. Susan and I will be playing some of the music that my grandfather wrote when we come to California.” 

The dance party also reveals Berkeley’s special role in bringing the music back to life. Shapiro explains, “The whole klezmer revival started at the North Berkeley branch of the public library with the first concert of The Klezmorim,” the 1970s band that spearheaded the music’s revival. A former member of The Klezmorim, Sheldon Brown, a well-known local clarinetist, will play at the Swing Dance Party.  

Folk music legend and longtime Berkeley resident Ronnie Gilbert performs on Sunday, March 21 at the JCC. In the 1950s, Gilbert was a member of the Weavers, whose version of the Hebrew folksong Tzena, Tzena sold two million copies in 1951 and sparked the era’s folk music revival.  

Gilbert suffered during the era of the McCarthy blacklist because of her radical politics, but continued to pursue both music and activism. As Shapiro notes, “She’s the daughter of a Yiddish-speaking union activist. Her life story is of a generation of people who grew up with very strong politics integrated with their art, and being Jewish was just part of the gestalt of that world.” Gilbert’s show, A Radical Life With Songs, will feature a rich selection of stories and music from her remarkable life. 

On March 23, a program at the JCC called Back To The Source offers audiences a rare chance to discover early documents of Jewish music in pre-Soviet Russia. The talk and musical demonstration will be presented by Dr. Izaly Zemtsovsky (a former UC visiting professor and leading expert on Russian Jewish music) and by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Michael Alpert. 

Although the focus is on klezmer, the festival is presenting an additional series of concerts, films, and talks that highlight the diversity of Jewish music, from Argentina to Azerbaijan. As Shapiro says, “We pride ourselves on being a festival of Jewish world music, so even though this year we’re focusing on klezmer, we have nine additional events that represent other kinds of music as well.” 

The Berkeley Jewish Music Festival runs March 20-27. Information and tickets are available at (925)866-9599 or www.brjcc.org.  

Just like your family, houses are full of things that need annual (and sometimes more frequent) checkups. Gutters crack, septic tanks leak, and furnaces stop working. Keep the following list on hand to remind yourself which household appliances and fixtures you can check yourself, which need professional attention, and approximately how much you’ll have to spend on maintenance and repair.  

Every Day or Week  

• During the winter, press the TEST button on your carbon monoxide detector once a week to make sure it’s working. Cost: Free.  

• Take a weekly look at your water heater. A small puddle under the heater can quickly become a major flood if not caught in time. Cost: Free.  

• Clean out the lint trap in your clothes dryer after each load. Cost: Free.  

Every Month  

• In warm weather, gnats can make their home in traps under your sinks. If you have this problem, pour a quarter cup of bleach followed by a gallon of water down each drain and let it sit overnight. This will kill the pests and prevent more of them from moving in. Cost: Under $1.  

• Add enzymes to your septic tank to keep the bacteria levels high. One way to do this is to flush one cup of brewer’s yeast down the toilet every month. Cost: Under $5.  

• Drain lines leading to septic tanks and cesspools need to be kept clean. Pour a cleaner specially made for the job (available at your local hardware or home store) down the toilet every month or two. Cost: $6 to $11.  

Every Two Months  

• The seal on your refrigerator door will last forever if you keep it clean. Wipe it with a cloth or sponge and warm, soapy water. Cost: Free.  

• Run a lemon through your garbage disposal to keep it smelling fresh. Cost: Under $1.  

Every Six Months  

• Lint in the dryer vent can create a fire hazard and decrease the dryer’s efficiency. To clean out the ducting, follow the instructions on the owner’s manual. Most tell you to detach the 4-inch duct that leads to the outside of the house by unfastening the clamp. If the hose is long, use a vent cleaning brush to clear the lint. If it’s short, reach in and pull out the lint; use a rag to get at the last bits. Cost: $20 for a 10-foot vent-cleaning brush; $30 for a 30-foot brush.  

• Replace the filters in your forced-air heating system. This not only cuts down on allergens, it preserves the life of the motor and blower, and keeps the ductwork clean. Cost: From under $1 for a basic filter to $15 for one of top quality.  

• Change the battery in your fire alarm when daylight savings time starts in the spring and ends in the fall. Cost: About $2 for a 9-volt battery.  

• When the weather turns cold, your automatic garage door opener needs to apply more force to open and close the door. You can increase the amount of force manually. Check the side or back of the unit for screws you can adjust with a screwdriver, and twist them in the direction indicated on the unit. When the weather warms again, decrease the amount of force by reversing the process. Cost: Free.  

In Spring and Fall  

• From the ground, do a visual inspection of the shingles on your roof. If you see any that are discolored or curled, chances are water is seeping underneath. Hire a contractor to add soffit and roof vents to your home. Cost: Varies by region.  

• Look under the gutter. If you can see daylight between the gutter and the fascia board (the board the gutter is nailed to), the gutter has separated from the house. Remove the loose spikes and replace them with gutter bolts from the hardware store. Cost: $1.50 to $3.50 per bolt.  

• If yours is a brick house, look at the mortar line for cracks and loose pieces. You can repair the damage with mortar in a tube. Cost: Under $10.  

• Check your home’s siding for pieces that are stained, or chalky. Clean siding with a cleaner made specifically for aluminum or vinyl siding (available at your local hardware or home store). Cost: Under $15.  

• Make sure that the phone or cable wires aren’t frayed or rusty. If they are, call the phone or cable company to have the wires repaired. Cost: Free, unless the problem is inside the house; then, varies by region.  

• Using your thumbnail, dig into the caulk around your windows. It should be spongy to the touch. If it’s hard, replace it. Remove old caulk using a liquid or gel caulk remover. Then, with a caulk gun, apply urethane caulk, which has good adhesive qualities and is easy to paint over. Cost: $3 for caulk remover; $10 for caulk gun; under $10 for each tube of caulk.  

Every Year  

• The rubber hose on your washing machine can burst, unleashing thousands of gallons of water. Inspect the hose for stiffness, brittleness, or blisters. If you see any of these signs, replace the rubber hose with a stainless steel one. Cost: Under $30.  

• Dirty filters and dusty ducts lower the efficiency of your air conditioner or central air system. What’s more, low coolant levels can leave you sweltering on hot summer days. An appliance repair person can replace the filters, check the coolant level, and clean the ducts in the central air system. Cost: $45 to $125, depending on your system. Changing the coolant level can run you from $400 to $500.  

• If you have a gas-fired furnace, a damaged heat exchange element can release carbon monoxide into your home. Have your furnace inspected and cleaned by a certified heating and cooling repair person. Cost: $50 to $100.  

• A frozen garden hose can burst the pipes inside your house. Close outside spigots; detach and store hoses before the first freeze. Cost: Free.  

• Door locks can become tight, causing your key to break inside. If your locks are hard to turn, use liquid graphite (available at your local hardware or home store) to get them turning again. Cost: Under $2.  

›

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. 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 $5-$10. 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 $14. 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. 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.  

Shadow Puppetry and “Night Music” with Sarah Jo Zaharako at the 1923 Teahouse at 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $7-$10. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

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

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

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. 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 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. Donation $3. 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. 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 601-7919. www.fourseasonsconcerts.com 

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. Proceeds benefit Healing Muses’ hospital music program. Advance reservations recommended. 524-5661. www.healingmuses.org 

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. Donation $10-$25. 525-0302. www.uucb.org  

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

Balkan Showcase Benefit 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. 

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. 

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 Ensemble 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. 

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. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Celebration of Spring with Ken and the New Incredibles and Michelle Mulholland at 8 p.m. at Belladonna, 2436 Sacramento. Cost is $5. 883-0300. www.belladonna.ws 

SUNDAY, MARCH 21 

FILM 

Chantal Akerman: “Chantal Akerman” at 4 p.m. and “The Man with the Suitcase” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Mary Tolman Kent reads from “Closing the Circle” her memoire about life in Berkeley, at 2 p.m. at Berkeley History Center, 1931 Center St. 848-0181. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/ 

“Off to a Great Start with Books” a program for parents and teachers with Kathleen Odean, author of “Great Books for Babies and Toddlers” at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Central Library. 981-6223. 

Poetry Flash with Gloria Frym and Ann Joslin Williams at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Ruth Frankenberg explores modern religious life in the United States in “Living Spirit, Living Practice: Poetics, Politics, Epistemology” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

“Ant Farm 1968-1978” Guided Tour at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

New Brutalism Reading Series with Elizabeth Treadwell and Yedda Morrison at 7 p.m. at 21 Grand, 449B 23rd St. Oakland. Cost is $4. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Salvatore Licitra, tenor, with members of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, at 7 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$100, available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Healing Muses presents “La Foolia” a spectacle of early music at 4 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 

Jewish Music Festival with Ronnie Gilbert “A Radical Life with Songs” at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $15-$20. 848-0237. 

Cypress String Quartet, Call and Response performing new compositions in response to master composers at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $12-$17 available from 925-798-1300. 

Philharmonia Baroque, “La Musique du Roi Soleil” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $29-$60 and are available from 415-392-4400. www.philharmonia.org 

Rodney Gehrke, organist, will celebrate the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Reception will follow. Donations gratefully received. 

VOCI Women’s Vocal Ensemble with guest soloists at 4 p.m. at 182 Estates, Piedmont. Tickets are $50 and reservations required. 531-8714. www.coolcommunity.org/voci 

“Thieves in the Temple: The Reclaiming of Hip Hop,” written and performed by Aya de León,at 7 p.m. at Oakland Box Theater, 1928 Telegraph. Tickets are $10. 451-1932. 

Youthquake: Teen Music Auditions from 3 to 6 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5 for 18 and older, free for under 18. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Siete Potencias, from Cuba, (pending visas)t 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Shamani Sound Systems at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

4 Songwriters and an Equinox at 7 p.m. at 1923 Teahouse. Suggested donation of $7-$10. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Diva Dish with Luke Yankee at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50 in advance, $16.50 at the door. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

John Calloway and Diaspora: Latin Diversity at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

John Schott and Ben Goldberg at 4 p.m. at Spasso Cafe, 6021 College Ave. at Claremont. 

MONDAY, MARCH 22 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Dalton Conley describes “The Pecking Order: Which Siblings Succeed and Why” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Poetry Express Membership Drive, featuring the Bay Area Poets Coalition at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC 

West Coast Songwriters Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $5 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rachel Cohen describes “A Chance Meeting” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Judy Wells and Dale Jensen at 7 p.m. at the Beanery, 2925 College Ave. 549-9093. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Empyrean Ensemble, featuring pianist Amy Dissana-yake, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $20 available at the door. www.berkeleychamberperform.org 

Jewish Music Festival featuring the music collections of S. Anskky and Moshe Beregovski at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$15. 848-0237. 

Courtableu at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson with Cheryl McBride at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Alex Bordei, pianist and accordionist, performs at 1:15 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. Ave. 981-5190. 

Club Mekon, an evening of song and readings, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $15. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com  

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 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 

CHILDREN 

Jazz/Art, for the whole family, with Lisa di Prima and the Don Robinson Trio at 3:30 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library West Branch, 1125 University Ave. 981-6270. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7, $5 with student i.d. 841-2082. www.starryplough.com 

Paul Waldman will discuss “Fraud: The Strategy Behind the Bush Lies and Why the Media Didn’t Tell You” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Nederlands Dans Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$64 available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Aphrodesia and Sila at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Swing Mine at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Austin Willacy, Beth Waters, contemporary folk at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50 at the door. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Taarka, gypsy jazz, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Swamees, Atticus Finch, Little Cat Z and the Voom at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $5. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.comô

China Camp State Park at Marin County’s Point San Pedro is hidden a few miles behind the Frank Lloyd Wright Marin Civic Center and faces east across the southwestern tip of San Pablo Bay. Having passed the Marin Civic Center hundreds of times, I never even noticed the state’s brown directional sign to China Camp until last Sunday. 

On one of China Camp’s 200 annual fog-free days, spectacular views span from Napa and Sonoma counties to Angel Island, Mount Tamalpais, Mount Diablo, and even as far south as San Francisco. 

Frank Quan, a descendant of one of the founding Chinese business families of the camp, still lives and shrimps in the village that was once home to 500 people. Instead of shrimping for the human market, most of his family’s catch now sells for bait, however, due to pollution of the bay’s waters. Georgette Quan “comes home on weekends” to oversee the snack store and café, where she presides as the ultimate source for local gossip, history, and gooey thick shrimp and cucumber sandwiches ($4.00). Clam chowder tops out at $2.50 with bread, shrimp salad is $4.00. 

Historic buildings include the snack bar, a delightful museum of China Camp and shrimping history, and old buildings that used to service and house the local shrimping industry. 

The bike and hiking trails are abundant and fabulous, even or especially in the spring mud. They wander through acres and acres of oak habitats, meadows, small redwood groves, and bayside salt marshes that attract fowl of many varieties. Several piers offer fishing for striped bass, flounder, perch, and sturgeon. 

Many of the park’s 30 “developed” campsites at Back Ranch Meadows are wheelchair accessible and include picnic table, food locker, and fire ring. Self-contained RVs may park for camping over night in parking lots in good weather seasons. Several picnic sites include great views, barbecues, picnic tables, running water, restrooms, and wheelchair accessibility, with boating, fishing, and windsurfing possibilities. 

China Camp State Park is a great place close to home for all of us to enjoy nature and learn more of our Bay Area history that we should respect. 

DIRECTIONS TO THE CAMP: 

The short way to 1,500-acre China Camp State Park is to travel north on Highway 101 from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, take the downtown exit in San Rafael, and then Point San Pedro Road east past Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s three miles via Peacock Gap to China Camp Village. For the long and lovely route, exit north 101 at the Marin Civic Center and continue eastward on North San Pedro Road. This way takes you by Turtle Back Hill, Back Ranch Meadows, Bullet Hill, Miwok Meadows, Buckeye and Weber Points, Bullhead Flat, the Ranger Station, Five Pines Point, Rat Rock Cove, and a plethora of hiking and bike trails. 

FOR CAMPSITE RESERVATIONS: 

Call (800) 444-7275 up to seven months ahead. 

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.” 

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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 been just about a year since we started gearing up in earnest for the first issue of the new Berkeley Daily Planet. Anniversaries inevitably prompt deep thoughts about the meaning of life. Who are we, why are we here, now, doing this? And increasing ly, in the age of hot media, we think, why a newspaper? My friend the journalism professor, who told me this was going to be a lot of fun, has been here for the week. She taught a class last semester that entailed supervising students putting out one issue of a tabloid, and she is now much more realistic about the amount of work involved. We had dinner with another younger friend who hopes to launch a quarterly magazine, and he’s full of (probably warranted) optimism, typical of the pre-publication mood.  

Journalism is exciting. But it’s a lot of work. And expensive.  

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? Being in the office when people who never expected to see their pictures in the paper come in to pick up extra copies for their friends. What’s a nnoying? Well, last week we got a press release from a sausage company asking us to print their recipes, and boasting that their product was so good they’d never had to advertise. I seldom feel the need to respond to press releases, but I did pop off a fl ame mail asking them exactly how they thought newspapers could be paid for, if they never advertised. It’s a simple point, but it’s lost on many. The Berkeley Daily Planet is not yet breaking even, but we have had from a beginning a core of faithful adver tisers who do get it. We’ll be publishing our “Honor Roll” in the next couple of weeks as part of the anniversary commemoration. On the other hand, many well-established local businesses seem to have trouble understanding that their “buy local, not from c hains” sloganeering should extend to their own advertising policy.  

So, still, why newspapers? We continue to believe that everything works better if people know what’s going on. In old Russia, when peasants were being abused by evil overseers, they woul d console themselves by saying “if our little father the Tsar only knew this was going on, he would put a stop to it.” When things go wrong in a city like Berkeley, without a newspaper it’s easy for citizens to say that elected officials are not responsib le because they don’t know what’s happening. Even now, with a newspaper, some commentators on the recent machinations at the Planning Commission have been heard to say that “the mayor didn’t know about what was being done” by his appointee, “is very unhap py about it” and is “trying to do something.” Well, the good thing about having a paper is that they will soon know whether or not this is true.  

For at least 20 years, the majority of Berkeleyans (and also many citizens of Oakland, Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond) have been willing to vote for anyone whose campaign fliers repeated the word “progressive” enough times. It’s been easy for political operatives to frame elections as the struggle between good and evil, between the noble Progs and the dreaded Mods (or the fearful Progs and the sober Mods, of course). With an active newspaper, however, it’s possible for voters to know what the people they vote for are actually doing in the offices they’ve been elected to.  

Berkeley progressives recruited the current Berkeley mayor on the supposition that he supported the issue positions they’d been working on. Now some of them are expressing shock and surprise that the mayor’s appointees to key commissions routinely vote with the Mod appointees, and that he’s turned to Mod contributors in order to pay off his campaign debt. The New Testament warns against false prophets who “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” That’s a bit extreme when applied to Berkeley’s Prog vs. Mod cam paigns. There may be nothing wrong with a centrist strategy (just ask the DLC, who think it’s great). But at least voters deserve to know who they’re choosing. 

Many in Berkeley are caught up in the struggle between generically modified food and organic p roduce. They will understand the next image in the biblical text: “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” In the most often quoted phrase “by their fruits ye shall know them.” If citizens read a newspaper, they have a shot at finding out what kind of fruits their vote has bought. They can evaluate politicians by what they’ve actually done in office, not just by who they’ve said they were during campaigns. And that makes democracy function better, which is worth all the trouble and expense. 

Becky O’Malley is executive editor of the Berkeley Daily Planet.  

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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.›