Some of you have known me for many years, while others, I believe, have never heard of me. I’m a historian, author of hundreds of articles about Berkeley’s architectural history, long-time editor of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association website, and the recorder of the following 21 landmark applications: -more-

The well orchestrated uproar over CEQA*[1] is similar to the 1930s hysteria over marijuana. Nancy Skinner, Scott Weiner, California Governor Gavin Newsom are all clutching their pearls over the alleged burden it creates for poor, downtrodden developers, and Berkeley's entire city council is apparently happy to applaud weakening it with even more exemptions. But the UC regents didn't lose their case in appellate court over their proposal to build housing on People's Park because of CEQA. They lost it because they were stupid.

The horrors attributed to CEQA are groundless. Two decades of CEQA decisions analyzed by the Rose Foundation[2] documents the fact that CEQA's requirements have not burdened developers or development, but rather have improved proposals statewide which ran the risk of damaging not just the environment but in particular communities of color and historic cultural treasures. Local politicians' close associations with developers may preclude the modest scrutiny provided by CEQA, which is simply designed to make sure that there is thorough discussion of a project's impacts, including environmental impacts. In People's Park's case, it mandated discussion of alternative locations for the project, which the University of California (UC), California's largest landowner, chose not to do. The First Appellate District Court of Appeal's tentative ruling of December 22, 2022 plainly states:

"We do not take sides on policy issues. Our task is modest. We must apply the laws that the Legislature has written to the facts in the record. In each area where the EIR[3] is deficient the EIR skipped a legal requirement, or the record did not support the EIR's conclusions, or both."[4] -more-

One of the Great Radio Bloopers

On February 12, 2023, a KCBS reporter's weather update went awry causing her to dissolve into a pot of on-air giggles. "Sorry," she said. "I meant to say we can expect good weather for hiking and cycling. Did I really say 'Good weather for hikeling and psyching'?" Yes, she did!

Pass the 28^th Amendment

On March 2, the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) thanked the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for holding a historic hearing on S.J.Res.4, a "bipartisan resolution affirming that Congress views the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as valid, having been duly ratified by 38 states, (three-fourths of the 50 states, as required by Article V of the U.S. Constitution)." -more-

On Jan. 31 of this year, the city did what it had been doing for years to no effect; it had again raided the encampment called “First They Came for the Homeless.” It had been situated on Adeline St. at 64^th for years. But not because of city largess. It was only because of external circumstances, like a federal suit (the Boise decision), and the pandemic. The fact that it represented the main principled and ethical response to homelessness would not have mattered. That encampment had been raided and torn apart more times than this city knew how to count. For some reason, even a liberal city like Berkeley could not bring itself to live with the effects of its own corporate structure, nor with the autonomy of those dealing with that structure. -more-

I have mixed feelings, leaning toward dismay, about Newsom's new "CARE Court" bill, which is now signed into law. It is intended to force noncompliant mental health consumers into treatment, and this is presumed to eliminate or ease homelessness. But it won't do that. In order for mentally ill people and others to be housed, you must provide housing that we can reasonably pay for on the scant amount of benefits we get. -more-

Today, March 8, as I write, it is International Women’s Day. On this occasion, it strikes me as important that we here in the USA take serious note of the dire situations facing women in both Iran and Afghanistan. Indeed, demonstrations today by women in many of our American cities are emphasising the solidarity between women here and women in Iran and Afghanistan. Moreover, women here recognise that the struggles of women in Iran and Afghanistan are part of the very same struggles women face in this country, especially now that Row v. Wade has removed women’s constitutional right to abortion and reproductive rights over their own bodies. -more-

In a personal celebration of International Women's Day I recommend that everyone who has not already done so view the film Women Talking. Nominated for best film at the Academy Awards it is loosely based on actual events that occurred in a Mennonite community in Bolivia (to US Women) between 2005 and 2009. But it gives us pause to think about how to fight back against what is happening in Texas, Florida, other fascist Republican dominated states, the Supreme Court, Windsor California, as well as Afghanistan, and elsewhere that women are under the gun and power of male supremacy. For one thing, it's easy to boycott Walgreen's and to ask others to join the Courage Campaign's boycott. -more-

The illustrious Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is currently in Berkeley under the auspices of Cal Performances, and on Tuesday, March 7 they presented the first of three concerts they will give here over three days. Under conductor Christian Thielemann, who makes his Bay Area debut, Vienna Philharmonic will traverse a century of Viennese music. When Christian Thielemann walked on stage at Tuesday’s concert, he struck me as looking more like a rugby player than a symphony conductor. He is husky and square-jawed. But make no mistake, Thielemann is a consummate conductor. -more-

Although I appreciate Handel’s extraordinary gift for composing beautiful music, I often find his works, especially his oratorios but also some of his operas, overlong, tedious and downright boring. Take, for example, Handel’s oratorio Solomon, which the highly regarded Baroque music group The English Concert just performed on Sunday, March 5, at Zellerbach Hall. The performance of Solomon was announced as lasting three hours and ten minutes, including two intermissions, though in fact it lasted far longer than that. When one considers Handel’s use of the da capo format, with its endless repeats, I find that my attention wanes and my impatience mounts. -more-

Worth Noting:

City meetings at 2180 Milvia in the Redwood Room (City Council committees) and at 1231 Addison in the BUSD Board Room (City Council and ZAB) are hybrid, in-person and by videoconference. All other city commission and board meetings in city buildings at 2939 Ellis the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2800 Park the Frances Albrier Community Center and Live Oak Park are in-person only.

• SUNDAY: At 2 pm is the North Berkeley BART Housing Site Walk
• MONDAY: At 12 noon the Community for a Cultural Civic Center (CCCC) meets via ZOOM. At 2:30 pm the Agenda and Rules Committee meets on a hybrid format on the draft agenda for the March 21 regular City Council meeting. The Peace and Justice Commission and the Personnel Board meet in person at 7 pm.
• TUESDAY: CANCELED - The planned Council worksession on BMASP (Berkeley Marina Area Specific Plan) has been canceled.
• WEDNESDAY: From 8 – 11 am is the planting of 40 native California trees. At 5:30 pm the Police Accountability Board (PAB) holds an in-person special meeting on fixed camera surveillance policies. At 7 pm the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets at 7 pm with a full agenda on the marina, capital projects, aquatic park and grants.
• THURSDAY: At 10 am the Budget Committee meets in a hybrid format. At 7 pm ZAB meets in a hybrid format. Two projects are in the Hillside Overlay, the high fire hazard area. The Hayward Fault runs through the Berkeley Hills and many areas of the hills are mapped as hillside slide areas.
• SATURDAY: At 10 am the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council (BNC) meets for the first time in a hybrid format. The agenda is not posted yet. BNC meetings are always full and worth attending.
• SUNDAY: At noon there is a special gathering at Peoples Park

The Droste proposal to limit Public Comment at City Council meetings was rescheduled from February 28 to the March 14 City Council meeting as the first action item, item-20

The proposals were item-19 in February 28 council meeting agenda which is why these commentaries from Councilmember Kate Harrison, Phil Allen D-1 Resident and the Activist’s Diary from February 26, 2023 list the Droste & Robinson/Wengraf proposals as item 19.

• https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2023-02-26/article/50192?headline=Say-No-to-Undemocratic-Council-Proposal-to-Limit-Your-Right-to-Public-Comment--Kate-Harrison-Berkeley-City-Council-District-4
• https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2023-02-26/article/50199?headline=No-on-Item-19--Phil-Allen-D-1-resident
• https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2023-02-26/article/50200?headline=A-BERKELEY-ACTIVIST-S-DIARY-Week-Ending-2-26--Kelly-Hammargren

The full Agenda for the March 14 City Council meeting is after the calendar of meetings and after the draft agenda for the March 21 City Council meeting.

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

Links to ZOOM support for activating Closed Captioning and Save Transcript are at the bottom of this calendar.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-