Last weeks’ murders of two Oakland residents in south Berkeley have left the residents of the area calling for the city to clean up what they say is a chronic problem with crime in their neighborhood.  

On Wednesday night, the Berkeley Police Department and a number of city officials responded. 

The BPD hosted a town hall meeting at the Philips Temple CME Church, located at the corner of Adeline and 62nd streets, to discuss the shooting and what residents can do to protect themselves. 

The meeting seemed to portend the birth of a south Berkeley anti-crime coalition, with around 100 residents, representing several neighborhood associations, in attendance.  

Officer Rob Rittenhouse, the BPD’s new area coordinator for south Berkeley, presided at the meeting, and introduced two of his fellow officers: Sgt. Steve Odom, who spoke on personal safety, and Detective William Badour, who gave an update on the investigation into last week’s murders (see sidebar). 

Mayor Shirley Dean, Councilmember Kriss Worthington, representatives from the offices of Vice-Mayor Maudelle Shirek and Councilmember Margaret Breland, and Tom Myers of the city manager’s office also attended the meeting. 

The heavy attendance by city officials underscored the gravity of the crime situation in south Berkeley – a situation that some say has spun out of control in recent years. 

The BPD recently reported that the area received 259 complaints of drug-related activity in 2001 – far more than in any other area of the city. 

Sgt. Odom’s personal safety presentation was well-received, but several residents became impatient. 

“Why should we have to feel unsafe?” asked area resident Andrea Cesar. “Why can’t the city clean this up?” 

Several groups offered their solidarity with the 62rd St. Neighborhood Association, in whose neighborhood the shootings occurred.  

Ron Casimere, president of the Alcatraz Avenue Neighborhood Association, said that there had to be more communication between south Berkeley neighborhood groups.  

“This whole corridor has a problem,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s taken this incident to get us together.” 

Several community activists that recently fought to close Brother’s Liquors on Shattuck Avenue came to listen and offer their support. The City Council voted to shutter Brother’s Liquors last month, which neighbors alleged was the center of drug and other criminal activity in their neighborhood. 

“There’s a bunch of communities in south Berkeley that are fed up to here,” said Byron Onisko. 

Frank Davis, Jr., president of the Black Property Owner’s Association and a 63-year resident of south Berkeley, said that BPD officers should be assigned to the area for several years at a time. It takes that long, he asserted, for the officers to know the area and be effective. 

The situation in south Berkeley was dire, he said. 

“I look around and I can see this area beginning to blossom in drug activity,” he said.  

After the meeting, Mayor Dean listened to residents’ complaints about several blighted and abandoned homes in the neighborhood, which had become magnets for crime.  

Dean told the residents to write to her and the city manager with the specifics of their problems. She promised them that their concerns would be handled. 

On Thursday, Dean said that the city – with the help of neighborhood residents – would do its best to clean up the area.  

“I’m of the theory that crime will thrive in areas where people are not organized, and where there is evidence of blight,” she said. “What we need to do is make sure that if trees are not trimmed, if there’s run-down houses, if street lights are broken, the city will be there to fix them.” 

On the way out of the building, a resident of 63rd Street cornered Mike Berkowitz, an aide to Vice-Mayor Maudelle Shirek, who represents the area on the City Council. 

“I’m just questioning (Shirek’s) involvement in our neighborhood,” the 63rd Street resident said. “We feel like we have no representation.” 

Berkowitz said that Shirek was an active supporter of the Berkeley Police Department. He said that she had voted to increase the size of the force, for community policing, and, not least, for the activation of the Communications Tower behind the Public Safety Center. 

“That was a big issue,” he said. “We took a lot of flack for that.” 

Officer Rittenhouse said on Thursday that a follow-up meeting is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 20 at the Philips Church. Interested parties can contact the BPD at 981-5700.

Editor: 

When I opened the Planet on Tuesday, I was soon shocked at the gross mischaracterization of Copwatch as presented by the anonymous woman from South Berkeley. As I live near Sacramento and Ashby, I observe the police at work on a daily basis and understand the potential for misconduct is great, as their job is quite frustrating.  

Regardless of a department’s history of misconduct, the police force is an institution of violence and ought to be monitored by the citizens who pay their wages and whom they are sworn to protect and serve, to ensure that they are not overstepping their boundaries.  

I have deep respect for Copwatchers who understand their duty as members of this society is to be on the streets, observing, recording, witnessing, and holding the police accountable for their actions. I attended their Decal class at UC Berkeley in which I participated in a Know Your Rights training and was trained how to Copwatch properly.  

I was struck by their deep commitment to nonviolent principles and the absence of blame placed on individual officers for the acts of violence occasionally required by their job. Not once did I feel the organization was dehumanizing officers or demonizing them—I listened to solid institutional analyses gained through observation and research. I never heard them object to everything the BPD does. I never got the impression that “cops = bad guys”—that is far too simplistic a treatment of the situation.  

Perhaps the writer of Tuesday’s letter failed to make the connection that if the BPD is more than tolerant, more than cautious, and more than restrained in their use of force, it might be because this community maintains a consciousness about their rights and the limits society has placed on the police force—which might have something to do with the fact that Copwatch has been around for twelve years in Berkeley educating people on that very subject. I am glad that there are Copwatchers on the streets in my neighborhood reminding the BPD that although they have violent means of keeping peace at their disposal, they are still accountable to the community in all its manifestations. 

Elena Pérez  

South Berkeley Resident 

David Miller, who was a clean cut, Irish-American, ex-college football player from Syracuse, N.Y., did not fit the 1960s-era American cultural stereotype of an anti-Vietnam War protester. But today, David Miller is known as the “first” person to burn his draft card, which the San Francisco resident did in New York City in 1965, in front of a large crowd. A photo of Miller’s card burning is still on display in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Miller is the author of “I DIDN’T KNOW GOD MADE HONKY TONK COMMUNISTS: A Memoir About Draft Card Burning, Witchcraft, and the Sexual Meaning of Ballgames,” just out from Regent Press. His memoir details Miller’s journey from his early spiritual and political orientation in Catholic pacifism and nonviolent direct action movement, led by the nun and Catholic Worker leader, Dorothy Day … to the ecofeminist witchcraft and women’s spirituality he practices today.  

Miller’s memoir is presented in four parts. Part one is a straight-up explanation of how Miller went from a volunteer job serving soup in Catholic Worker kitchens to the center of a political maelstrom, which resulted in the draft law’s wording being changed to make the public destruction of a draft card a crime. During this period Miller marries, has children, appears before the Supreme Court, and goes to Federal prison.  

Part two chronicles Miller’s second marriage, the birth of more children, and his travels through New York, London, and San Francisco. While living in the Bay Area Miller read a book about matrifocal (women-centered), goddess worshipping cultures.  

This begins a 20-year interest in ecofeminist witchcraft and goddess spirituality. During this period Miller attends law school, practices law in San Francisco, divorces, and partners to Starhawk, a well known leader in the Reclaiming Community of witches. He begins giving "men only" workships on his own or with co-presenters. 

In part three of Miller’s life, he travels to the ancient ruins of the Mayan city, Tikal, in a jungle of Guatamala; and to Copan in Honduras, where a king Miller calls 18 Rabbit lost his life as part of a sacrificial ballgame warrior mythology. His travelling companion, Starhawk, feels no female energy in these places, and Miller becomes tries to make sense of the history and influences he has perceived. Miller begins studying a sixteenth century Mayan text called the Popul Vuh. These further influences lead to Miller’s interest in the spiritual, symbolic, and sexual ideas underlying the games of football, basketball, and baseball. 

Miller’s transformative journey continues. In part four of his memoir, he is approaching his sixties. He returns to Schiller Park, in Syracuse, where his parents first met. Miller describes having an incandescent experience in which he takes in the totality of his life experience. He sees his family root, his cosmic root, and all the different seasons of his life.  

"If we wish to dance out from under the grip of our sacrificial ballgame warrior culture," Miller writes, "a new ballgame dance is needed. Let us set aside the temples and trappings of our warring ballgames and instead, dance the seasons, the well of the year with our sacred bodies, on this sacred earth. 

Miller’s book title was inspired by a country song called, "The Wild Side of Life," which is about honky tonk angels who can’t be tamed into wives. On the night after burning his draft card Miller was thrown in jail. The inmates were singing, and Miller chose "The Wild Side of Life" as his song.  

924 Gilman Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/acme.html. 

The Albatross Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring. com. 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Live Oak Concerts Feb. 10: Judy Phillips, Howard Kadis, $10; Feb. 15: Merlin Coleman with Dan Cantrell, Darren Johnson and Ron Heglin, $10; Feb. 16: Marvin Sanders, Karen Ande, JungHae Kim, $12; All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., 644-6893. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas “A Therese” & “Les Adieux,” Bruce Nalezny’s “Poeme & Finale” and Chopin’s 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers; The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be featured soloist with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616. 

Dance 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

Oakland Magic Circle hosts its 34th annual Installation Banquet and Stage show, Feb. 5: 7 p.m. Dinner, 8 p.m. Show, Dick Newton, Timothy James, Peter Winch, Dan X. Solo, $20 Adults, $15 Children; Bjornson Hall, 2258 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, 420-0680. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

"Human Nature" Feb. 16: 8:30 p.m., X-plicit Players, $15; Art-A-Fact, 1109 Addison St., 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.org. 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland, 239-2252, www.acteva.com/go/havefun. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” Masterworks by Guy Colwell. Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9, 2028 Ninth St., 841-4210, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387. 

Museums 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org. 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot by 40 foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821. 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley, 642-5132, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Friday, Feb. 1

Benefit for the Chiapas  

Peace House Project 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1606 Bonita 

Live music, DJs and homemade baked goods. Sliding scale. 

Hungarian Jewry 

7:30 p.m. 

Temple Beth El 

2001 Vine St. 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj of Budapest, Hungry will present discuss his life in Hungry and his effort to bring Judaism inside the iron curtain. 848-3988 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

“Communities in Action” Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Church Women United 

Berkeley /Albany Chapter 

9:30 a.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

This will be the preparation day for the World Day of Prayer. 526-4303.  

Saturday, Feb. 2

“Communities in Action” Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Sunday, Feb. 3

Religious Fundamentalism in Islam and Judaism 

1 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A course that explores the ways in which some Jews and Muslims have reacted to the challenges of the modern world. $35, $30 members. 845-6420, www.Lehrhaus.org 

Monday, Feb. 4

National Organization for Women 

6:30 - 8 p.m. 

6536 Telegraph Ave. 

February meeting of the Oakland East Bay Chapter of NOW. 287-8948. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

The Alexander Technique 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley YWCA 

2600 Bancroft Way 

Introductory workshop discussing the basic principles of this method, and demonstrate how you can apply them in ordinary movements. $15 members, $23 non-members. 848-6370. 

Wednesday, Feb. 6

Get Connected: The Magic of  

Mingling 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches mingling strategies for social occasions. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Copwatch 

7 p.m. 

Copwatch Office 

2022 Blake St. 

Know Your Rights Training, learn what your rights are and how to watch the police effectively and safely. 548-0425. 

Bringing Shabbat to Life: A Shabbat Workshop 

9:30 - 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches how to bring fun and peaceful family time to Shabbat through crafts, creative ideas and family projects. $5, $4 members. 848-0237 x127 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gregory Curtin lectures on “Transforming Local Government - The Impact of the Internet and New Information Technology”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Relationship Seminar 

7 - 9 p.m. 

First Presbyterian Church of Alameda 

2001 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda 

A four session seminar, Wednesdays, Feb. 6 - 27, on developing and deepening healthy interpersonal relationships. 522-1477. 

Thursday, Feb. 7

Help Put an End to the  

Sanctions Against Haiti 

4:30 p.m. 

Federal Building 

1301 Clay St., Oakland 

A vigil with music and speakers. 483-7481, haitiaction@yahoo.com.  

Backpacking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Veteran backpacker, Eric Rorer, shares slides and information on his recent adventure in the Refuge’s Franklin Mountains. 527-7377 

Friday, Feb. 8

Berkeley Women in Black 

noon - 1 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft 

Vigil urging the end of Israeli Occupation of West Bank and Gaza. 548-6310, wibberkeley.org.  

Saturday, Feb. 9

Earthquake Retrofitting Class 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

The Office of Emergency Services offers a free class to show how to strengthen a wood frame home by installing expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware.  

Afro-Centric Thoughts in Process Workshop 

3 p.m. 

Black Repertory Group 

3201 Adeline St. 

Black Consciousness for and about Africans born in America, also celebrating knowledge beginning with the birth of human life in Africa six million years ago. 652-2120 or 841-0392. 

Berkeley High School 

Men's Crew Team  

Annual Ergathon Fund Raiser 

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Civic Center Park 

BHS is the only public school on the West Coast offering crew to its students. Less than 2 percent of the team’s annual budget comes from the BHS Athletic Department. 559-3179, jldulay@attbi.com. 

Grizzly Peak Flyfishers Fundraiser  

6 p.m. 

Kensington Youth Hut 

59 Arlington Ave., Kensington 

19th Annual Dinner and Fundraiser for the nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation and education in flyfishing. 524-0428. 

Sunday, Feb. 10

Salsa Dance Party and Lesson 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Novices are welcomed, and nobody is required to bring a partner. $12. 508-4616, ronniematisalsa@yahoo.com 

Valentine’s Dance 

2 p.m. 

Longfellow School for the Arts 

1500 Derby St. 

Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra will perform. $15, $18 at door. 420-4560 

Special Day with Susan Crane: Plowshares Activist 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship 

1924 Cedar 

“Loving Your Enemies: A Revolution of Values.” Susan shares her spiritual journey which led to three terms in prison and living in Jonah House. 524-6064, hcarlstad@aol.com. 

John J. McNeill 

11 a.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

Spiritual leader, activist and author of The Church and the Homosexual will speak at the New Spirit Community Church 11 a.m. Worship Celebration. 849-8280, admin@newspiritchurch.org. 

Monday, Feb. 11

Perfect Couples 

5 - 7:30 p.m. 

2576 Shattuck Ave., Suite 7 

A group for singles who don’t want to be. For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s. $30 per session, 8 week commitment. Catherine Auman, MFT. 848-3511. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

An Evening of Music, Song, and Speech 

7 p.m. 

AK Press 

674-A 23rd St., Oakland 

Progressive minded singers and organizers will perform and speak. $5. 208-1700, molly@akpress.org 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Per Petterrson lectures as part of the Positive Political Theory Seminar. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Tuesday, Feb. 12

Wetland Restoration 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline, Oakland 

Restoration activities include planting native and removing non-native plants, shoreline clean-ups, and water quality monitoring. Gloves and tools are provided. 452-9261, mlatta@savesfbay.org 

UNtraining White Liberal Racism 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

1840 Alcatraz 

The UNtraining offers personal work for white people to address our unconscious racial conditioning. $10. 235-6134. 

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Near-death Experience Support Group 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Church 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

International Association for Near-Death Studies offers a supportive environment for the exploration of near-death experiences. 531-6393. 

Thursday, Feb. 14

Get Connected: Cooking from the Heart 

6 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Join Pastry Chef Daniel Herskovic, as he instructs how to create a sumptuous meal. $25 includes meal and lesson. 601-7247, dherskovic@yahoo.com 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

After playing tough for the first 30 minutes of the game, the Cal Bears went ice-cold with the game on the line Thursday night against Arizona to take their first home loss of the season, 68-58. 

The crowd at Haas Pavilion was rocking for the first half, during which an 18-2 Cal run gave the Bears a five-point lead. But the crowd went dead silent after a Ryan Forehan-Kelly jumper tied the game, 49-49, with 11 minutes left. Cal got just one field goal the rest of the way, a 3-pointer by Amit Tamir, as the Wildcats (14-6, 7-3 Pac-10) pulled away with a 17-3 run that lasted nine minutes. 

“They stepped up their defense, but we started rushing our shots,” Cal swingman Brian Wethers said of the Bears’ cold streak, which included seven turnovers. 

Arizona point guard Jason Gardner led the Wildcats in the second half with 15 points after scoring just two points in the first half. Arizona’s leading scorer at 21.3 points per game, Gardner hurt the Bears (14-5, 5-4) with his penetration and durability, getting to the free throw line 13 times and playing all but one minute of the game. 

“That’s not unusual for Jason,” Arizona head coach Lute Olson said. “He’s had other games when his first half wasn’t so good, but when it gets to crunch time he’ll step up.” 

Arizona also got a typically productive all-around night from sophomore Luke Walton, who had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Forward Rick Anderson pitched in with 16 points and 13 rebounds. 

The Arizona big men were helped by foul trouble for the entire Cal front line. Starters Solomon Hughes and Jamal Sampson combined to play just 18 minutes, contributing just 2 points and 1 rebound between them. Sampson was also the team’s latest victim of a flu bug, which has affected about half of the Cal players as well as head coach Ben Braun.  

Arizona was clearly the aggressor in the game, getting a 31-12 advantage in trips to the free throw line. Although the Wildcats made just 16 of their free throws, the Bears were clearly not aggressive on offense. 

“We can’t be successful getting to the foul line 8 times, 10 times, 12 times,” Braun said. “We’re at our best when we’re testing teams inside, and we didn’t do that.” 

With Hughes and Sampson on the bench for most of the game, the grunt work was left to 6-foot-10 freshman Amit Tamir. Tamir scored 10 points but had just 6 rebounds as the Wildcats claimed a 37-29 edge on the boards. 

The absence of the Cal shot-blockers also contributed to Arizona’s 54.8 shooting percentage, the second-highest the Bears have surrendered this season. Walton really took advantage, backing down smaller Cal defenders for short leaners in the post. 

“(Cal) has been effective down there challenging shots and making it tough to score,” Olson said. “We spread the floor and attacked them early, and they got in foul trouble.”

During Tuesday night’s crime summit, the Berkeley Police Department gave its most complete account to date of the murders of Rammar Johnson and Noel Turner, Jr. 

BPD Homicide Detective William Badour took questions from the audience about the shooting, although he declined to answer many questions, on the grounds that releasing certain facts may interfere with the investigation of the case,. 

Badour said that Johnson and Turner were shot while sitting in a green Honda Acura parked in front of 3331 King St. at around 2:40 a.m. on Jan. 22. The victims each suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head. 

The shots were fired from outside the car, from a distance of between 10 and 15 feet, according to Badour. Two young black males were seen fleeing the scene on foot. The police department has not been able to identify them. 

The victims – who had been visiting someone in the area – were from East or West Oakland. They were not living in the neighborhood, which straddles the Oakland-Berkeley border, at the time of their deaths. Neither was employed. 

Badour said that both victims had rap sheets that included arrests for drugs and gun possession, but that they had not, to his knowledge, every been arrested in Berkeley. 

Johnson and Turner were not in possession of illegal drugs at the time of the shooting. 

“The investigation so far does not lead us to believe that the crime was drug-related,” Badour said, a point which many members in the audience found hard to believe. 

One questioner tried to pin Badour down on the point. He wanted to know if regular, law-abiding citizens who were not involved in drugs should fear for their safety. 

“Is there any reason why we should be more concerned about walking down the street than we were two weeks ago?” he asked.  

“I don’t think this was a random thing,” Badour answered, implying that the perpetrators of the crime were not likely to repeat the crime on innocent people. 

Badour said that forensic evidence connected with the crime has been collected and is still being processed. He said that many in the neighborhood, including people that have recently been arrested on drug-related crimes, have been questioned.  

Still, he said, the case, if it is solved, will most likely be solved by people with information who share it with the police. 

“In other cases like this that I’ve worked, there are people who have seen something but are reluctant to come forward,” he said. “If anyone saw anything, or suspects anything, or has a hunch, call us. You don’t have to leave your name.” 

To that end, the BPD is filling out paperwork that will soon allow the department for a substantial award – probably $30,000 – for information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrators. 

Badour said that he was optimistic that the case would be cracked soon. 

“Standing before you now, I feel pretty good about it,” he said. 

Anyone who may have information about the case is urged to contact the BPD Homicide division at (510) 981-5741. 

Allegations made in Tuesday’s, 01/29/02 edition entitled “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Copwatch” contained several provocative opinions about the group that were unsubstantiated by the editorial staff of this newspaper. We continue to stand behind our resolve to provide this space as a vehicle for the first amendment and went to a reasonable length to try to trace down the truths in her allegations but were unsuccessful. At this time, we have no reason to believe that despite the allegations made in Tuesday’s letter that anyone involved in Copwatch has been picked up by the Berkeley Police Department for a heroin overdose. 

LOS ANGELES — MGM has a license to kill the title of the new “Austin Powers” sequel “Goldmember.” 

The studio petitioned the Motion Picture Association of America to ban the suggestive name of the New Line Cinema comedy, saying it infringed on the title of its 1964 James Bond thriller “Goldfinger.” 

The MPAA ordered New Line to stop using the title last week. 

“(We) have a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone who tries to trade in on the James Bond franchise without authorization,” MGM said in a written statement. 

New Line said it plans an appeal, arguing the MPAA approved the title of its 1999 sequel “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” a parody of the 1977 Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me.” 

Meanwhile, the studio has withdrawn preliminary ads for “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” which is scheduled to debut July 26. 

The comedy, starring Mike Myers as a toothy, flower-child secret agent, also co-stars Destiny’s Child singer Beyonce Knowles as his lover Foxy Cleopatra. Myers also plays several villains, including hairless schemer Dr. Evil and the new bad-guy, Goldmember. 

In the story “Panthers take it easy, still destroy Albany” (Daily Planet, Jan. 31), the St. Mary’s assistant coach should have been identified as Dave Simril. The Daily Planet regrets the error.

California Secretary of State Bill Jones, Republican candidate for governor, attacked his rivals and touted a statewide voter registration drive during an appearance at UC Berkeley Wednesday. 

Jones, speaking before several hundred students in professor Alan Ross’s “Election 2002” class, said former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who is leading in the polls for GOP primary, is too moderate for his party. 

“I’m a Republican, and I’m proud to be a Republican,” said Jones, attacking Riordan, who has endorsed and funneled campaign contributions to Democrats, and taken a pro-choice position on abortion.  

Jones also assailed Riordan for failing to break Los Angeles Unified School District into several smaller districts, arguing that smaller, local governance is more in line with Republican philosophy. 

“The mayor is a Republican, everyone knows he’s a Republican,” responded Matt Szabo, deputy press secretary for the Riordan campaign. “He’s running an inclusive campaign, and when he’s elected, he’ll be a governor for all Californians – Republicans, Democrats and Independents.” 

Szabo added that Riordan does support the division of the Los Angeles Unified School District into many smaller districts. Darrel Ng, press and communications assistant for the Jones campaign, said that Riordan should have worked with the local school board to break up the district during his time in office. 

Jones, who served in the State Assembly for twelve years before becoming Secretary of State, also said he has more government experience than businessman, and rival gubernatorial candidate, Bill Simon.  

“I have actually walked the walk,” he said. “I have passed legislation.” 

“While Bill Jones has career politician experience,” retorted Jamie Fisfis, communications director for the Simon campaign, “Bill Simon has private sector experience.” 

A recent California Field Poll, conducted Jan. 23-27, shows Riordan with a commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination, with 47 percent of voters favoring the former Los Angeles mayor, compared to 13 percent each for Jones and Simon. The primary will be held March 5. 

Professor Ross said that, with the primary just around the corner, Jones has little hope of closing the gap with Riordan, who has a significant fund-raising edge.  

“It’s going to be very tough to beat that kind of money,” he said. 

According to the latest figures, provided by the state, Riordan has raised over $7.9 million, compared to Jones’s $2.9 million. The former mayor of Los Angeles has $2.3 million on hand, compared to Jones’s $1.1 million. 

The Secretary of State also spoke at length about “Vote America,” a voter registration initiative, out of his office, that calls on Californians to serve as poll workers, conduct voter registration drives in their communities, or pledge to “take five” – registering and recruiting five voters to go to the polls. 

“Without any question.” Jones told the students, “we have the ability to change the world by virtue of our participation in elections.” 

Jones also touted the “three strikes and you’re out” legislation that he crafted as an Assemblyman in 1993, which imposes enhanced sentences for three-time felons. 

Several students raised concerns about the law, arguing that it has a disproportionate effect on African-Americans and Latinos.  

Jones said the law does not target any particular ethnic group, and added that, as governor, he will push for “pre-strikes” legislation that would beef up intervention services for young people. 

Jones said that legislation could include more pre-school and after-school programs, but Ng said the campaign has not ironed out the specifics. 

Bruce Cain, director of the Institute for Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, said the Secretary of State was the clear winner in a Jan. 22 debate in San Jose between the Republican gubernatorial hopefuls. But oddly, he said, that performance has not provided a boost. 

“He will go down in the annals of history as unique in the sense that I have never seen someone win a debate,” Cain said, “and go down in the polls.” 

Cain’s explanation: “It all comes down to one word – money.” 

Jones, responding to a student’s question about his financial disadvantage Wednesday afternoon, said that if money was all that mattered, there would have been a President Perot. 

Editor:  

I was astonished to pick up the Berkeley Daily Planet today and find an anonymous letter which villified Berkeley Copwatch.  

I have had the privilege of knowing the organizers of Copwatch, sitting in on some of their meetings, and witnessing how they conduct their copwatching shifts on the streets. They are unfailingly polite and respectful to police, as well as to everyone else. They do not shove anything in anyone's face, let alone microphones--they don't even own any microphones. As for videotaping, this is a perfectly legal activity, as was explained in your Monday feature article, and Copwatchers who use videocameras are trained not to interfere with police.  

The organizers and volunteers at Copwatch are civil, articulate, intelligent, and nonviolent. They know a lot about the law, and so they try to educate citizens regarding their rights. It's great that your anonymous letter writer knows a lot of upstanding, heroic police officers. Those officers are indeed a blessing to the community, but not every officer fits this profile--certainly not all of the time.  

It's absolutely false to say that Copwatch objects to everything that the police do. The fact is that police misconduct has been well documented in Berkeley, as well as places like L.A. and Oakland, and this is why Berkeley has a Police Review Commission. Incidentally, the Berkeley PRC has a longstanding collaborative and amicable relationship with Copwatch.  

Also, the allegation that a police officer picked up two Copwatch leaders who overdosed on heroin is absolute nonsense. Lastly, the author's name being withheld "for her safety" implies that somebody in Copwatch might "come after her." Copwatch is a sober, intelligent, and nonviolent group. They have never harmed or "come after" anyone ever, nor would they be disposed to do so (even in response to defamation).  

Marc Polonsky 

Berkeley

LOS ANGELES — A background actor from last summer’s “Planet of the Apes” movie accused the filmmakers of harming him and hundreds of others with dust used in a climactic desert fight scene. 

Jeffrey Clark seeks unspecified damages from studio Fox Entertainment Group for alleged fraud, battery, conspiracy and negligence, according to the proposed class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday. 

About 80,000 pounds of Fuller’s Earth, a sedimentary clay used for absorbing chemicals and oils, were tossed into the air with giant wind machines during the production, the lawsuit said. 

Extras involved in the scene — a battle between human slaves and their ape rulers — were exposed to the dust for hours at a time without breathing masks, according to the lawsuit. 

As a result, Clark said he suffered lingering eye irritation and respiratory problems. 

It is unclear, however, whether other background performers have joined the lawsuit. Clark’s attorney did not immediately return calls for comment. 

Fuller’s Earth is routinely used to produce dust effects in movies. The International Cinematographers Guild recommends limited use of the product and only in well-ventilated areas. The guild also suggests that crews wear proper breathing protection. 

Limited exposure to the clay is not dangerous except for those with chronic asthma or other respiratory ailments. Fuller’s Earth is also used in some cat litter and oily skin health treatments, and the dust is not toxic unless previously used to soak up a poison. 

Clark alleges he was exposed to the dust for 10 to 12 days at six or eight hours at a time. He and other extras were paid about $8 an hour. 

Fox officials did not immediately return calls for comment. 

The 2001 movie, a remake of the 1968 Charlton Heston thriller, chronicled the adventures of an Earth astronaut (Mark Wahlberg) who lands on a planet populated by intelligent primates who enslaved a race of humans. 

Directed by Tim Burton, best known for 1988’s “Batman,” the $100-million sci-fi adventure earned about $180 million domestically.

The Jan. 18 death of Irma Augusta, the last of the “Freedom Home sisters,” gave birth to the idea of creating a historical district honoring a group of homes on Stanton Street, which served as a springboard for impoverished Southern African-Americans to start a new life.  

The 95-year-old Augusta was the niece of Joseph Quezaire, a railway Pullman porter, who along with a group of other porters, purchased modest middle-class homes in the 2800 block of Stanton Street in the late ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. 

The porters, many of them from Plantation Country, Louisiana, then opened their homes to relatives living under oppressive conditions in the South. 

“These porters shared their homes with unfortunate relatives constrained in poverty, segregation and misery down south,” said Edward Gibson, a relative if Augusta. “These places of refuge are what I call the Freedom Homes, where the porters’ relatives found hope of a new and better life.” 

There is little documented history available of African-American homeownership in Berkeley. The Berkeley Historical Society, the Berkeley Public Library and the Berkeley Architectural Historical Society have no records about when African- Americans purchased their first homes in the city. There is also very little information about the Pullman Porters, who among the first African Americans to move to California from the south in the 1920s. 

“This is very important information and as a community we have to do what we can to document it,” said Jackie Stewart, the correspondent secretary for the African American Genealogical Society “The sad thing is that we are losing a tremendous amount of historical information with each older person who passes away.”  

Augusta’s mother, Annie Quezaire Mathieu, whose parents were slaves, was among the first Quezaires to move to Stanton Street from Donaldsonville, La. in 1941. Augusta was the last to move to Berkeley in 1957 after the death of her husband in 1955. There were five Quezaire relatives who moved to the Stanton Street home in the hopes of escaping the oppressive poverty of Louisiana. 

According to Gibson, who is married to Augusta’s niece, there were at least five other homes on the same block that were purchased by Pullman porters, who in turn brought their family members to Berkeley. He said porters began purchasing homes as early as 1927. 

“It was not unusual for African Americans to cluster together in small communities like that,” Stewart said. “Clustering together provided a communal feeling. And once one family purchased a home, they were often followed by other family and community members.” 

Gibson said the homes in 2800 Stanton Street hold a worthy place in history. He is planning to begin the process to have the homes or possibly the entire block landmarked.  

“These were very important homes to these families, they allowed them to change their futures in a very significant way,” he said. “That’s why I think it’s important for the city to recognize this area.” 

Chair of the Social Science Department at Vista College Chuck Wollenberg agreed.  

“Before the Second World War there were very few places where African Americans and Asian Americans could buy homes in the Bay Area. In Berkeley it was south of Dwight Way and West of Grove Street (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way).” he said. “I think some sort of historical recognition of this area makes a lot of sense.” 

Gibson, a retired naval officer who lives in Oregon, has contacted the Berkeley Architectural Historical Association and said he expects to submit the Stanton Street homes for consideration as a city a landmark in the coming weeks. 

BAHA Executive Director Anthony Bruce said that once the application is initiated, the homes could become landmarked within a few months. 

“Homes can be either architecturally or socially significant to be landmarked,” he said. “Mr. Gibson will have to demonstrate the historical significance in written form, which will be considered by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.” 

Editor: 

As a founding member of Copwatch, I feel that I must respond to the misperceptions, misinformation and false notions that appeared in an opinion piece entitled “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Cop Watch,” (January 29, 2002). 

The author of this letter seems to have given Copwatch quite a bit of consideration, but has not actually spoken with our members or read our literature. She seems to be operating in the belief that Copwatch is simply against the police on principle.  

Within the movement for police accountability, citizens who advocate for independent, civilian oversight of police have often been characterized as being “anti-police.” This simplistic representation of our analysis of police misconduct does a disservice to Copwatch and to the police. 

Within many professional law enforcement organizations nationally, there is support for civilian oversight of police. In fact, many police officers have come to believe that community involvement in oversight is essential, especially when we consider how difficult it is for officers who witness misconduct to “blow the whistle” on their fellow officers.  

I agree with the author of the letter when she says that Berkeley is “NOT Los Angeles, not even Oakland”. Berkeley citizens voted to establish one of the first Police Review Commissions in the country in 1973, and since that time, there has been a long line of citizens who have invested countless hours into making sure that brutality and misconduct did not become common practice as it has in some other communities.  

For the last twelve years, Copwatch volunteers have dedicated themselves to the task of monitoring police conduct. This kind of community oversight helps to explain why Berkeley cops are held to a higher standard of conduct.  

Copwatch is made up of volunteers. We are teachers, students, office and construction workers, doctors, artists and others.  

We train members of the public in non-violence techniques, observation methods and relevant aspects of the law. We train our members to deescalate situations where possible, not to interfere and to practice non-violence at all times (no verbal put downs, don’t run, keep your hands visible, etc). I must confess that I was shocked to read the paragraph in which the author claims that some officer on the BPD had taken two of the “main leaders” of Copwatch to the hospital to be treated for heroin overdose. This claim is not only untrue, but I fear that it is an effort to “kill the messenger” for carrying the unpleasant information that yes, police misconduct persists in Berkeley to this day.  

We at Copwatch have brought incidents of misconduct to the attention of the Police Review Commission and had allegations sustained. We have challenged and ultimately changed policies that we perceived to be unjust or ill considered. We have conducted countless “Know Your Rights” workshops in an effort to educate the public and to defend our basic civil rights. We have provided support and referrals to victims of misconduct. We are currently investigating claims that the Berkeley Drug Task Force has been using excessive force as a means of carrying out drug suppression efforts. 

I am glad that the author has had positive experiences with members of the Berkeley Police Department. However, that is not the experience of all Berkeley residents. Copwatch receives many complaints of misconduct each week especially from people who live in south and west Berkeley.  

As a school teacher, a twenty year resident of Berkeley, and someone who cherishes the Bill of Rights, I will continue to observe police, speak out against injustice and work for a better Berkeley.  

Andrea Pritchett 

Co-founder of Copwatch 

(Andrea Pritchett’s name was mistakingly withheld in Thursday’s article) 

LOS ANGELES — “Bloody Sunday,” a dramatization of the police massacre of 13 Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland in 1972, has been acquired by Paramount Classics. 

The distributor announced the acquisition Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the bloodshed that occurred when police opened fire on an unarmed crowd during a demonstration. The shootings enraged Catholics and set off a wave of Irish Republican Army violence that led to the bloodiest year in the Northern Ireland conflict. 

Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, “Bloody Sunday” stars James Nesbitt and Tim Pigott-Smith. Jim Sheridan (“In the Name of the Father,” “My Left Foot”) was an executive producer. 

“Bloody Sunday” was co-winner of the world-cinema audience award at this winter’s Sundance Film Festival. 

Paramount Classics plans to release the film domestically this fall.  

Besides the U.S. release, the distributor picked up rights for the film in Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Japan and South Africa. 

Students ‘won’t eat if it smells like feet’ 

PITTSBURGH — Middle school students at Schiller Classical Academy are taking a bite out of history in an effort to improve the quality of their lunch. 

The students, who were inspired by civil disobedience in the Boston Tea Party and the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., have started their own revolt of sorts. 

Since mid-December, students have begun a boycott of the lunchroom and adopted the slogan: “We won’t eat if it smells like feet.” 

They complain their pre-packed provided meals often include half-thawed frozen peaches, watery macaroni and cheese, greasy pizza and discolored meat. School officials say Schiller is limited in its offerings because the school lacks a cafeteria. 

“They’re not good ... and every other day it’s the same thing,” said sixth-grader Brittany Ford, 11. 

The protest was sparkedby students in Antoinette Jones’ eighth-grade history class after Jones urged students to take action, instead of just complaining. 

“I told them to find a cause, document what they feel is wrong, document the steps they will take to change it, and I told them they must be willing to make a sacrifice,” Jones said. 

Anthrax is pink flour 

PITTSBURGH — A quirky running club that uses pink flour to help guide its joggers has run into a sign of the times. 

Anxious calls to police were made Monday when residents discovered the flour at locations across the city and feared it might be anthrax. 

“It was an error in judgment,” said Jerry Agin, 60, an official with the Hash House Harriers running club. He called police and quickly explained. 

The Harriers began its noncompetitive social runs in 1938. Over decades, the club has developed a worldwide underground following. 

A leader, known as a hare, gets a head-start and marks a course which other runners, known as hounds, follow.  

The course is marked with checkpoints and false-trails to create general confusion. 

This isn’t the first time Hashers have run into trouble using flour. 

On New Year’s Day, a mall in Fayetteville, N.C., was evacuated for two hours when another Harriers running club marked its trail with flour. And in October, a pair of runners in Oxford, Miss., were arrested after using white powder to mark their route through a busy downtown square. 

“I guess we’re just going to have to stay away from flour for a while — at least in the urban settings,” Agin said. 

——— 

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Shorty the dog should probably consider a career in law enforcement. 

Duane Palmer was playing fetch on Jan. 16 with his 11-month-old Labrador-Huskey mix when the dog returned with a wallet instead of the ball that was thrown. 

Palmer turned the wallet over to police and told them where it was found. 

Police said the address also was the location from which a woman called to report she had seen a man peeping into her living room window on Jan. 9. 

North Huntingdon Patrolman Theodore Kukich said he found footprints in the snow and what appeared to be an impression left by someone laying down — but the man had fled before he arrived. 

The woman who owned the apartment said she could identify the man if she saw him again. 

When police showed her a picture from the driver’s license found below her window, she positively identified a 23-year-old man, who was charged with loitering, prowling at night and disorderly conduct. 

——— 

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Edward Ackell was in a hospital room, recovering from emergency surgery with tubes protruding from his body. But that didn’t stop him from casting a vote that forced a tie in the 138th House District election. 

Republican Rich Antous and Democrat Grace Scire each won 1,166 votes in Tuesday’s special election. A re-count is scheduled for Friday. 

The Danbury voter registrar’s office said the 71-year-old Ackell filled out the last absentee ballot issued Tuesday. Deputy Registrar of Voters George Schmiedel took the ballot to Danbury Hospital and left with Ackell’s vote at about 6:15 p.m., less than two hours before polls closed. 

Ackell won’t say who he voted for, although he is a Republican, according to his wife, Beverly. She said that for some reason she believed her husband’s vote was going to be important. 

“I said to him, ’Ed, you know I just have this feeling that this vote is going to do something for the election,”’ she said. After she called City Hall for help, Schmiedel delivered an emergency absentee ballot application and then returned with the ballot. 

Ackell was ready. He put on his glasses, found something solid to put between the ballot and the bed sheets, and said, “OK, give me the pen.” 

Citing a “primary” African-American female anchor at a local television station as evidence of newsroom diversity, a KPIX company attorney Thursday dismissed as baseless a racial discrimination lawsuit filed Monday by three employees. 

“We find it disturbing that the plaintiffs who are all currently employed by KPIX’s Channel 5 Eyewitness News have chosen to approach the media before the station,” attorney Dana McClintock said. “Although we have not been served with a complaint, we are confident that their claims, as reported by the press, will prove to be unfounded and the station’s treatment of all three individuals has been, at all times, equitable and fair.” 

McClintock said cases such as the one filed by reporter Lance Evans and photographers Cordetta Spells and Richard Flores are not uncommon at KPIX.  

“What you’re seeing here is people going to the press to try to get those headlines, to try to get some momentum behind their story, try to get a settlement, try to mitigate press damage but we just fight these things in court and we win,” McClintock said, adding that “it happens all the time.”  

Evans could not be reached for comment. But in papers filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, he said he lost promotions, airtime and primetime stories because he is an African-American. The management failed to act on his complaints, he said.  

Evans, who has worked for KPIX since 1997, is currently on paid stress leave, but will return to work Thursday.  

Spells, an African-American, said in court papers that she was paid less than her co-workers and humiliated at the station. The suit alleges that she was fired while on stress leave, but McClintock said Spells is still employed with KPIX.  

A television newsroom employee said Spells is on paid leave.  

The plaintiff said in court papers that she worked at the television station for 16 years.  

Richard Flores, who is still working at KPIX, said in court papers that he was demoted for sympathizing with Evans’ claims. Flores declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

KPIX has two African-American anchorwomen. Barbara Rodgers anchors the afternoon newscast and Dana King anchors the evening newscast.  

The latest statistics from Radio-Television News Directors Association & Foundation indicate an increase in newsroom diversity from previous years. According to a the foundation’s 2001 survey, minorities make up almost one quarter of all television station jobs. African-Americans make up almost 10 percent of jobs in TV news, while Hispanics constitute another 10 percent. Asian-Americans constitute 4 percent, while Native Americans constitute less than 1 percent of the jobs.

The 7,000-pound Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite, built and operated by UC Berkeley, fell from orbit Wednesday night and scattered debris across portions of Egypt and the Persian Gulf.  

Most of the EUVE, which brought back the first extreme ultra-violet images of the sky, disintegrated or melted upon re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.  

Roger Malina, a UC Berkeley research astronomer who has directed the project since 1996, said the largest surviving pieces would be about the size of a baseball and hit Egypt at about 8:39 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. 

“The satellite was expected to land in the South Pacific, but it came in about 15 minutes later than we expected. It is extremely hard to predict these things,” said Malina.  

The NASA-funded EUVE was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. on June 7, 1992 and had an initial operation plan of 18 months.  

Malina said NASA was so impressed with the results, that the project was extended twice for a total of nine years.  

The project cost $250 million, “from dream to the crash,” he said. 

The satellite brought back the first map of the sky in the extreme ultra-violet color spectrum, which had been virtually unexplored.  

“It opened up the sky to a different kind of light map, it was a mission of discovery,” said Malina. 

Through the project it was discovered that the sun’s cornea temperature was much higher than previously thought.  

“Scientists used to think it was around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but it’s really way up in the millions,” said Malina 

For the last five years the EUVE mission operation center was quietly located in downtown Berkeley at 2155 Kitteridge St., next door to the California Theater. At the peak of the project there were more than 100 people working around the clock. 

Malina said the EUVE cataloged more than 1,500 new stars and galaxies and “a couple of hundred of those are still a mystery, meaning that nobody knows what they are.”  

For more information about the EUVE project visit, http://ssl.berkeley.edu/euve/.

SAN DIEGO — The energetic 60-year-old woman with cropped white hair and seagreen eyes wouldn’t fit the usual profile of a drug pusher. But inside her cozy condominium, there’s trouble cooking. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration is steeling itself to put Gertrude Spindler out of business and make sure she keeps her wares away from would-be buyers. 

There’s no meth lab in Spindler’s bath tub, nor an Ecstasy ring based in the garage. But the retired packaging designer from Switzerland is using a family recipe to create her “Alpsnack” snack bars that include hempnuts. And under a recent DEA ruling, she may as well be selling heroin. 

Hempnuts come from hemp, an industrial plant grown outside the United States that is related to marijuana. Fiber from the plant long has been used to make paper, clothing, rope and other products. Its oil is found in body-care products like lotion, soap and cosmetics. 

Entrepreneurs like Spindler argue the nuts and oil from hemp are among nature’s best sources of essential fatty acids — omega-6 and omega-3. Twice a day, the San Diego woman swallows a spoonful of raw hempnuts, which she says improves — no pun intended — her joints. 

“I hate chemicals. I like natural things,” Spindler said. “God has given us those natural things and we should use it.” 

But the DEA is saying no. In October, the agency declared that food products containing even trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC — the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana — were banned under the Controlled Substances Act. 

It ordered an immediate halt in the production and distribution of all goods containing THC that were intended for human consumption. It gave until Feb. 6 for all such products to be destroyed or removed from the United States. 

The ruling has galvanized hemp-product manufacturers, who contend the DEA violated the law by failing to hold hearings or accept public comment before issuing its declaration. 

The Hemp Industries Association, which represents U.S. hemp product manufacturers and Canadian hemp exporters, has challenged the ruling in the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco and asked for a stay of the Feb. 6 deadline. 

Meanwhile, association members are continuing to produce and sell their goods, arguing that since the DEA did not issue a standard to measure THC levels they will follow standards set by Canada: By that scale, the THC is so negligible it could be considered undetectable — and certainly far below any level that would produce a “high.” 

“There is no such thing as a true zero in nature. It’s like how the government allows trace levels of arsenic in water or alcohol in orange juice,” said David Bronner, who leads the association’s food and oil committee and is chairman of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap, an Escondido-based company. 

Bronner and association members argue that hemp is not marijuana, just as field corn used for livestock feed is not the same as sweet corn eaten by humans. Smoking industrial hemp does not produce a high, just a big headache, he said. 

“But it’s part of this whole drug warrior ideology where they just associate anything that looks like cannabis to drug culture,” Bronner said. “They’re making it a drug-war issue.” 

DEA spokesman Will Glaspy said the agency simply is upholding the law. 

“A lot of people did not understand the law. The clarification says if a substance contains THC and is intended to enter the body then it is an illegal product,” Glaspy said. 

Hemp and marijuana, as the DEA sees it, are different parts of the same plant, he said. And THC in any amount is an illegal drug. 

So far the DEA has not taken enforcement action against people continuing to produce hemp food products, Glaspy said. What will happen after Feb. 6 remains to be seen. 

Hemp activists say Congress intended to exclude hemp products from anti-drug laws. They say the government should treat hempnuts as it does poppy seeds, which are exempted from regulation despite trace levels of opium. 

Moreover, Bronner and others hope the court rules in favor of hemp producers, which would settle the question of legality and allow the hemp market to grow. 

In the United States, hemp is a $100 million industry, mainly in textiles and cosmetics. The food product sector was worth $5 million last year, but has been doubling in size for the past three years, Bronner said. 

Hemp is being used to make energy bars, waffles, tortilla chips, milk-free cheese, veggie burgers, salad oil, bread and other edible goods. A hemp-milk product backed by actor Woody Harrelson is in the wings. 

“It’s just accelerating and the sky’s the limit. ... If we get the DEA out of it, it’s just going to boom,” said Bronner, who compared the hemp industry today to where soy producers were 20 years ago. 

Spindler launched her one-woman Alpsnack business last year. She produces 1,500 bars a month and sends them to distributors in six states. The threat of being shut down just as she’s starting worries her. 

“It hurts. But I have some very strong feelings that it’s going to work. It’s going to be settled,” she said. “It’s a good product. I just believe in it.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.dea.gov 

Hemp Industries Association: http://www.thehia.org 

Dr. Bronner’s: http://www.drbronner.com 

Alpsnack: http://alpsnack.com/ 

LOS ANGELES — Billboards designed to restore the image of Islam are going up along Southern California roads and freeways. 

Beginning Friday, three billboards sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Southern California in Los Angeles and Orange Counties will show the faces of seven smiling Muslims from various sex, age and ethnic backgrounds. 

A message below the pictures reads: “Even a smile is Charity – a message from your Muslim neighbor.” 

The image of Islam and its followers was tarnished because of the actions of a few on Sept. 11, CAIR officials said. 

The billboard campaign to promote religious tolerance is believed to be the first in the nation conducted by Muslims, a spokesman said. 

“There have been some people who have damaged the image of Islam,” said CAIR’s Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. “Our goal is to simply correct that image.” 

“These days any good image of Islam is few and far between,” said Salam Al-Marayati of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. “Any positive image of Muslims with an effective sound bite does have an affect on America.” 

Ayloush said the group’s initial, nonreligious message will be the first of several. Other messages will stress the importance of family and helping and respecting each other. 

Jewish leaders and members of the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue, an interfaith group, said they applaud CAIR’s campaign. 

“Any effort to promote religious tolerance is a good one,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. 

“It’s a noble cause to help educate the American public about the true principles of Islam and to reach out and extend an invitation to dialogue,” said Al-Marayati, who is also a member of the interfaith group Muslim-Jewish Dialogue. 

Ayloush said he hopes the billboards won’t become targets of hate crimes. 

“If anyone decides to vandalize them, then there’s nothing we can do about that,” he said. 

The billboards cost between $3,000 and $8,000 each and are funded by donations, many of them from CAIR members. Ayloush estimated that Southern California’s chapter has around 8,000 members. 

Muslim communities in Columbus, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas, have expressed interests in putting up similar billboards in their cities, Ayloush said. 

Mike Gettler knows a thing or two about tomatoes. 

And peppers. And lettuce. After all, he sold 10 million vegetable plants last year, a number he expects to grow this year. 

As head garden guy for Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse, Gettler sees a nation of green thumbs as gardeners galore prepare for the spring planting season. 

“There is a garden revolution going on,” says Gettler. 

“Interest has exploded. It may be the No. 1 outdoor pastime, and it fits the trend to spend more time at home. People see their home as a shelter and a vegetable or flower plot as one way to improve it.” 

But before turning the first spade of rich earth, Gettler advises green thumb wannabes to first turn a few pages, either in magazines or free e-gardening newsletters. 

“Any person who wants to garden can do it,” says Gettler, “but if you don’t do basic reading or answer basic questions, you might not be as successful.” 

Garden outlets hear a bumper crop of questions from first-time gardeners. Gettler trains his staff to quiz customers on the size of plot, vegetables or flowers to be grown, availability of sun and soil quality. As recently as five years ago, Lowes didn’t hear as many basic questions because most gardeners were veterans. 

Yet the most important question has little to do with daylight and soil: “Are you committed to gardening?” 

Too often, he says, people are primed to garden but neglect their plants as the growing season goes on. “They become bored,” says Gettler. “All of a sudden, they’re not weeding, not watering, not testing the soil or checking for bugs. Gardening is one of those things that takes time and TLC. People like to garden because when you’re on your hands and knees tending plants, you don’t think about work or paying bills. All the information in the world won’t make you a good gardener without the drive to seed, feed, and weed.” 

Gettler’s golden rules are simple: 

1. Think small. Especially true for beginners. A large plot can be more work than the novice expects. “Choose a few hardy plants, such as tomatoes, peppers or marigolds that do pretty well no matter what you do to them,” says Gettler. “See what luck you have. Then expand your garden and plant more varieties the next year.” 

2. Get in touch – literally – with your soil. “People tell us, ’my plants didn’t grow’ and often they don’t know why,” says Gettler. “It all starts with the soil.” Inexpensive soil-testing kits to analyze soil condition range from a basic 97-cent model to an elaborate $13.54 unit. Amendments such as lime or peat are often needed to bring dirt to peak-growing ability. 

3. Buy good plant stock from reputable nurseries. Look for healthy and vibrant plants. Gettler says the gardening industry has created high-quality products such as environmentally friendly time-release fertilizers, ultra-hardy plants and water-retaining soil enhancers to take the guesswork out of caring for seeds and a variety of plants. 

Have a patio, small yard or no yard? No problem. Container gardens have sprouted in metropolitan areas thanks to plant varieties suited to small spaces. Water gardens are suddenly hot, too. 

A garden plot is part of the larger landscaping picture for many homeowners. “Most homeowners see vegetable and flower gardens as just another element in a relaxing whole-yard environment that includes patios, decks and water gardens,” says Gettler.

Native plants, though unpopular, rarely get shocked by changes in the weather 

As the saying goes: Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it. Take the coldest time of year. Do you know how low the mercury really plummets? 

This is no idle question for a gardener, because the coldest night of the year puts a major limitation on what plants we grow. And gardeners never seem satisfied growing only native plants, which are rarely caught off guard by the weather. 

For a rough estimate of how much cold to expect in winter, consult a U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone map. You’ll find this map, showing the United States overrun with squiggly lines connecting locations with the same minimum temperatures, in the back of most gardening books and magazines. 

Note that these minimums are averages. Some winters will be colder than the average, others warmer. And your plants will respond to actual temperatures, not the expected average temperature. 

Don’t fault the map if your hybrid tea rose dies when it was supposed to be hardy. The map is not detailed enough to account for microclimates that differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. Wind, elevation, change in latitude, and nearness to water or buildings can push the temperature a few degrees one way or another. All other things being equal, the temperature drops a degree — and spring arrives four days later — for every 70 miles north you travel or 400 feet you climb. But not always. When the air is calm, low-lying areas can be the coldest spots. That’s because cold air, being heavier than warm air, flows downward — perhaps right into your garden. So even if your garden and a friend’s are in the same general hardiness zone, microclimates can make actual temperatures different. 

Do you know what temperatures really are in your own garden? Glean this information by getting an accurate thermometer, then mounting it at a suitable location. Keep it off your house, where it will pick up radiating heat, and out of the sun. The north side of a gatepost to your garden is ideal. 

Because lowest temperatures typically arrive late in the night, then creep away by morning, make sure to bundle up and go outside at about 4 a.m. whenever you think the night is really cold. A better idea is to purchase a minimum-maximum thermometer, which records — until reset — the high and the low temperature.

LOS ANGELES — “South Park” leads the pack of basic cable shows bringing a new level of raunchiness and violence to television, according to a watchdog group’s new study. 

The rate of sexual references, profanity and violence in primetime cable series was found to be more than double that of broadcast television, the Parents Television Council said Monday. 

“Hollywood’s push-the-primetime-envelope mindset, it seems, has become established in the cable business,” the council said in its study. 

“South Park,” an animated show on Comedy Central, was overall the most “offensive series,” the study said, with a per-hour combined average of 126 violent or raunchy moments. 

The MTV shows “Undergrads” and “Celebrity Deathmatch” were next with, respectively, 73 and 66 such references. 

“Undergrads,” an animated series not on the current MTV schedule, had the most sexual material with a per-hour average of 28.4 references, according to the nonprofit council’s first study of cable content. 

The combined average for all shows was 21.7, while the combined average found in the council’s latest study of broadcast network programming (for fall 1999) was 9.8. 

The study examined 33 series, for a total of nearly 112 hours, that were shown between last April and September. The council focused on basic cable, which reaches about three-quarters of U.S. households, rather than less widely distributed premium services such as HBO or Showtime. 

Responding to the report, a Comedy Central spokesman contended the council failed to “provide context.” 

Comedy Central “is not designed for kids. It’s designed for adults,” said spokesman Tony Fox.  

“Eighty percent of our audience is 18 or older.” 

He noted that “South Park” was at the top of the council’s list because of an episode that used the same four-letter word 162 times as part of a satirical commentary on profanity. 

“That episode had something to say beyond the gratuitous use of swear words,” Fox said. 

A call to MTV seeking comment was not immediately returned Monday. 

PALM SPRINGS — Along an unremarkable stretch of desert on the outskirts of town, just off a road named for singing cowboy Gene Autry and tucked amid heaps of garbage raked by winds strong enough to polish granite, Jim Cornett thinks he’s found the world’s oldest living thing. 

Radiocarbon tests now under way may reveal the unassuming creosote bush sprouted 11,000 or more years ago, the scientist said, meaning it could rival in age another creosote bush growing 50 miles away in the Mojave Desert. 

The scraggly creosote pales in comparison to the grandeur of well known ancients like the gnarled bristlecone pine and majestic coast redwood. 

Seemingly more dead than alive, the bush isn’t big and certainly isn’t tall. It isn’t even very bushy. 

“They’re not very exciting,” Cornett admitted to a visitor. 

What the creosote bush is, Cornett is fairly certain, is ancient. 

If confirmed, the bush — really a 38-foot, arrow-straight line of genetically identical bushes connected at the roots — could trump another creosote bush, dubbed “King Clone.” That bush, found in 1980 to be 11,700 years old, is considered the oldest living thing on Earth. 

“I don’t think anyone ever thought a bush would be that old,” said Cornett, curator of natural science at the Palm Springs Desert Museum. 

In a species that reproduces itself through cloning, any individual is theoretically as old as the species. Take King’s Holly, a rare Tasmanian plant. In 1996, scientists found fossil remains of the plant near the holly’s only known population. 

The fossils were found to be 43,000 years old, suggesting the existing plants had grown in that location for at least that long. 

A box huckleberry colony in Pennsylvania, spread over some 10 square miles, is believed to date back as far as 13,000 years. 

In the case of King Clone and the bush now being studied, scientists traced one bush, not a population — back in time. 

University of California, Riverside botanist Frank Vasek discovered King Clone. Over the millennia, it had grown outward into a large ring. 

Vasek, now retired, said he doubted there were any creosotes older than King Clone. 

“The way human activity is devastating the area, it is unlikely they would survive that onslaught,” Vasek said. 

Tom Van Devender, senior research scientist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Ariz., said the newly found bush could well be older than King Clone. And he doesn’t believe King Clone is as old as scientists claim. He believes it is closer to 7,500 years old or younger. That’s still older than the oldest bristlecone by several thousand years. 

Cornett’s bush grows differently than the ringlike King Clone, thanks, he said, to the merciless winds that howl through the northern outskirts of Palm Springs. 

There, the wind is strong enough to smooth the granite boulders that pepper the garbage-strewn landscape and drive the blades of hundreds of power-generating windmills in the area. It also gives the creosote bush its streamlined shape. 

On this patch of federal land, the bush struggles with the wind to grow outward, but none of the sprouts that grow from roots fanning out under the coarse sand survive — save those lucky enough to come up behind the windbreak formed by the original plant. 

“Every time it puts out a sprout to the side, it gets obliterated,” Cornett said. 

Over the centuries, the bush has formed a long line of clones. When the lead bush dies, it leaves the second in the chain to take the brunt of the wind. 

Cornett and his colleagues first spotted the linear bush while flying over the northern outskirts of Palm Springs. It stuck out like a sore thumb. 

The root samples being tested by Cornett came from beneath the soil upwind of the living bush, and presumably belonged to a genetically identical predecessor that died thousands of years ago. The trace remains of roots linking the living and dead portions of the bush support that hypothesis, Cornett said. 

“This is a spectacular claim, but Cornett is a well respected scientist and I would say run with it,” said Richard Felger, executive director of the Drylands Institute in Tucson, Ariz. 

The creosote bush, Larrea tridentata, is the hallmark perennial of the warm deserts of North and South America. When crushed, or after a rainfall, its small, waxy leaves give off the pungent, petroleumlike smell that gives it its name. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Palm Springs Desert Museum http://www.psmuseum.org/ 

LAS VEGAS — The largest operator of Las Vegas Strip hotel-casinos reported Thursday that fourth-quarter earnings dropped 65 percent. 

MGM Mirage Inc. was the third major Las Vegas-based gambling company to report quarterly earnings losses this week, but the casino giant beat analysts’ estimates for the period and reported annual increases in revenue and earnings. 

Executives said MGM Mirage resort volumes steadily improved through the fourth quarter despite losses caused by the travel slump following Sept. 11. 

“It now seems clear that no city in the United States has rebounded as quickly and profoundly as Las Vegas,” said Jim Murren, MGM Mirage president and chief operating officer. 

The company, whose properties include The Mirage, MGM Grand and Bellagio hotel-casinos, reported net income of $23.7 million, or 15 cents per share, including one-time charges, for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2001. That was down sharply from $68 million, or 42 cents, a year earlier. 

Analysts’ consensus estimate was 9 cents per share. 

Quarterly revenues fell 13 percent to $896.3 million from $1.03 billion a year before, and operating cash flow was down 28 percent to $228.2 million when compared with $317.3 million in the same quarter a year ago. 

MGM Mirage executives told investors in a conference call Thursday that the company reduced its payroll costs by 10 percent during the quarter. 

Although more than 2,000 employees have been rehired, Terry Lanni, MGM Mirage chief executive, said the company intends to keep costs low. 

“Revenue and cost strategies deployed in the weeks following Sept. 11th have had the desired results,” he said. “Our focus on rebuilding our business while keeping a keen eye on costs was intended to return our operations to previous levels as quickly as possible.” 

MGM Mirage, which had its credit ratings downgraded to “junk’ status by Moody’s Investors Service, was hit harder than most of its competitors because of its concentration of resorts in Las Vegas, which depends heavily on air travel. 

Lanni said that though international high-end business fell 75 percent after Sept. 11, about two-thirds of the loss has been recovered. And domestic high-end business that was down 50 percent initially, is now off about 13 percent. 

“Our business has been far more resilient than anyone expected,” Lanni said. 

Lanni acknowledged a global economic and travel slowdown, but added that “current trends in our resorts indicate that casino and noncasino business should continue to improve throughout 2002.” 

As an example, Lanni said Super Bowl bookings are running even with last year, while Chinese New Year bookings “look very strong, but we have to wait and see who shows up.” 

Murren said the company is comfortable with a first-quarter earnings forecast of 24 cents per share. 

Industry analysts also expressed optimism that Las Vegas is on the rebound, even as gambling companies Park Place Entertainment Corp. and Station Casinos Inc., earlier reported significant quarterly losses. 

“While the quarter’s results were obviously impacted by the well-publicized decline in tourism and travel to Las Vegas following the tragic events of September 11, it is evident that MGG (MGM Mirage) made significant headway in reducing its cost structure to match a lower revenue base,” wrote Jason Ader, gambling analyst with Bear Stearns Co. of New York. 

“As trends continue to improve in Las Vegas throughout 2002, we believe the company has put enormous operating leverage in its business model as revenues ramp up.” 

For 2001, MGM Mirage fared much better with annual revenues up 29 percent to $4.01 billion and cash flow up 14 percent to $1.13 billion. Including nonrecurring expenses, the company reported net income of $169.8 million, or $1.06 per diluted share compared with $160.7 million, or $1.09 per diluted share in 2000. 

The 2001 operating results reflect a full year of the Mirage Resorts acquisition, which was completed in May 2000, officials said. 

Executives said the company also reduced its debt by $422 million, bringing total debt reduction to $949 million since the acquisition. Last year it sold $27 million in assets, bringing total assets sold since the acquisition to $256 million. 

The company’s stock was up 60 cents — or 1.9 percent — by midday to $32.12 per share. 

MGM Mirage owns or operates 19 casino properties in the United States, Australia and South Africa. 

——— 

On the Net: 

MGM Mirage Inc.: http://www.mgmmirage.com 

BRUSSELS, Belgium — European regulators on Thursday cleared the $23.7 billion merger of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp., saying the planned marriage of rival U.S. computer makers does not raise competition concerns in Europe. 

A U.S. review of the merger is still underway. The deal also faces the considerable hurdle of shareholder approval, with critics including the heirs of HP’s legendary co-founders. 

Thursday’s decision means the EU’s antitrust office gives its blessing for the companies to move ahead and signals the EU will not launch a four-month investigation into how the deal may affect competition in Europe. 

“A careful analysis of the merger ... has shown that HP would not be in a position to increase prices and that consumers would continue to benefit from sufficient choice and innovation,” an EU statement said. 

The merger plan forced the EU Commission into its biggest European antitrust decision since it blocked the $46 billion bid by General Electric Co. for Honeywell International Inc. last summer. 

The in-depth probe by the European Commission would have been especially problematic for HP as it tries to rein in rebellious shareholders who oppose the deal, observers said. Instead, early clearance in Europe could help HP win over some shareholders. 

Some analysts downplayed the importance of the European decision. 

“The probability was very high that they were going to approve it,” said Charles Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co. “It nudges up the probability of an ultimate win on part of HP in this battle with the family, but I don’t think it changes it dramatically.” 

Carly Fiorina, HP’s chief executive, said the announcement is “an encouraging step in the continuing process of satisfying regulators worldwide that this deal will provide a real stimulus for competition.” 

Compaq was equally pleased. 

“This is an important milestone, particularly given the significance of Europe to us,” said Michael Capellas, Compaq chairman and chief executive. 

Board member Walter Hewlett, the son of HP co-founder William Hewlett and the deal’s most vocal critic, said the merger is a “bet-the-company move that is not appropriate for HP.” 

In a statement, he noted few HP rivals raised objections during the EU’s review of the deal. 

“We are not surprised,” he said. “We believe Dell, Sun and IBM must be delighted at the prospect of a merger that would so greatly distract and damage two of their rivals.” 

A source close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, said all sides were involved in tough negotiations until the last days, with Germany’s Siemens pushing hard to have the European Commission extend the investigation. 

Fujitsu-Siemens Computers is among the top 10 manufacturers of servers in the world and was one of the few companies to argue against the merger. 

HP and Compaq together would account for about 22-23 percent of the European market for personal computers, but around 47 percent of the market for more powerful servers and disk storage units, according to market researchers Gartner-Dataquest. 

Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP and Houston-based Compaq have said they would await regulatory clearance before setting a date for a shareholder vote. 

The merger is expected to result in about 15,000 job cuts at the combined company, HP officials have said. 

On Jan. 23, Fiorina told employees that as many as 36,000 employees might be at risk if the merger does not go through. She did not make any specific projections but noted they belong to divisions that lost money last year, according to a document on the meeting filed Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

“If you care — which I do, which we all do — about 36,000 people, you have to figure out a way to make money,” she said. “Because without profitable businesses, you cannot preserve jobs. You cannot continue to make contributions to communities. You cannot continue to invest in R&D. It is fundamental.” 

In Thursday trading on the New York Stock Exchange, HP shares closed up 15 cents at $22.11 while Compaq shares rose 36 cents to $12.35. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Pro-merger site: http://www.votethehpway.com 

Anti-merger site: http://www.votenohpcompaq.com 

PHOENIX — America West Airlines posted a wider loss for the fourth quarter, reflecting the continued impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on air travel, the company reported Thursday. 

The Tempe-based airline lost $60.9 million, or $1.81 per share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31. The carrier reported losses of $41.7 million, or $1.24 per share, in the same quarter a year earlier. 

The results included $29.9 million in aid from the government’s airline bailout package. 

Excluding one-time items, America West lost $89.1 million, or $2.64 per share. That was in line with Wall Street analysts’ expectations. 

Fourth-quarter revenues fell 30 percent to $400 million from $572 million a year ago. 

Still, executives at the nation’s eighth-largest carrier remain optimistic. 

Earlier this month, America West closed on a $429 million loan secured by the U.S. government, ending the threat of a possible bankruptcy filing. The airline went through Chapter 11 financial reorganization in 1994. 

“Despite the difficult times facing the airline industry, we are encouraged by our improved liquidity position, our incredible turnaround in operations and the trends in revenue performance,” said W. Douglas Parker, America West’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. 

Company officials said they cut costs by returning 11 planes from the airline’s fleet, reducing annual rent by about $50 million and cutting advertising and food expenses. 

Parker said the company is gradually recovering from the travel slump caused by the Sept. 11 attacks. 

“We believe we are in a very good position to ride out this storm and be in a better position than when we started,” he said. 

After the attacks, the airline eliminated 2,000 jobs and trimmed its flight schedule by 20 percent. 

But it restored about a third of its flights in December and plans to reinstate more flights starting February through April, officials said last week. 

The airline also said it plans to recall at least 75 of its 179 furloughed pilots by March. 

America West flights arrived 82.5 percent on-time, compared with 64.1 percent during the fourth quarter of 2000. 

“It’s clear that America West is operating a far different airline than it was 18 months ago,” Parker said. 

The comments failed to rally investors. Shares of America West fell 18 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $3.80 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. 

According to the report, the company filled 68.5 percent of its planes for the fourth quarter. Capacity dropped 14.8 percent from the previous year due to cuts in scheduled flights after the attacks. 

Operating costs for the quarter fell 2.3 percent because of a 33 percent drop in average fuel price. 

For the year, America West reported losses of $147.9 million, or $4.39 per share. Revenue fell nearly 12 percent to $2.0 billion from $2.3 billion in 2000. 

Mike Boyd, an analyst with The Boyd Group in Evergreen, Colo., said he believed the government loan guarantee would give the airline enough cash to ride out current hard times. But he said consumer worries about airport security continue to plague America West and the industry. 

“I’m not worried about this airline going away. They’re doing all the right things,” Boyd said. 

“But it’s hard to do things right when you’re flying in an environment that’s scaring people away. The big question is, ’When will passengers come back?”’ 

America West is the only major U.S. airline to seek a loan guarantee under a federal plan approved after the attacks to provide airlines $5 billion in cash aid and $10 billion in loan guarantees. 

The airline serves 88 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.americawest.com 

RIVERSIDE — Bill Jones stands at a podium on the stoop of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, outlining his economic platform. 

He reads from a prepared text. The wind is whirring, a nearby tractor is roaring, and a reporter struggles to hear him. 

The only reporter struggles to hear him. 

Just one local writer has appeared for a lonely press conference that epitomizes the Republican secretary of state’s campaign for governor. 

Just two months before the primary election, Jones struggles to raise money and generate enthusiasm for his campaign. 

The only Republican holding statewide office, Jones has proved he can slice across party lines to win votes, but he is considered an underdog. Party leaders desperate to win an election have shrugged him off, showing little faith that he can collect the cash and votes to do it. 

As the Riverside event illustrates, his shoestring campaign at times seems more like a bid for a local school board than the state’s top job. 

But Jones presses on. Driven by his rancher roots, a deep seriousness and quiet determination, he traverses the state — addressing strawberry farmers in Orange County and a Kiwanis club breakfast in Clovis, Calif., in the Central Valley one day and blasting Democratic Gov. Gray Davis to Sacramento business leaders, the next. 

While his opponents crisscross California in plush chartered planes financed by powerful donors, the 6-foot-2 secretary of state sips a Diet Coke, crunched into a seat on a packed Southwest Airlines flight. He’s unruffled. 

“I’ve never run in a majority Republican district and I’ve never had the resources that my opponents have had,” Jones says. 

The 52-year-old served for 12 years, from 1982 to 1994, in the state Assembly and rose to Republican leader with the help of Republican then-Gov. Pete Wilson. 

Jones worked as a rancher for 10 years before he ran unsuccessfully for Assembly for the first time in 1976. Before that, however, he tasted politics at California State University, Fresno, where the conservative member of the agriculture fraternity was elected senior class president amid a campus of liberal, anti-war era students. 

“I’m accustomed to working as a minority in a majority government,” Jones says. 

He points to his trademark legislative achievement, co-writing the state’s “three-strikes” law while serving in a Democrat-controlled Legislature, as an example. As secretary of state, he has been recognized for helping to modernize the state elections office, clamping down on voter fraud and making campaign finance records available over the Internet. 

He has avoided the scandal and controversy that sometimes accompanies 20 years in politics, and he is often called a downright nice guy. 

But his low-key style has hurt him, some observers say. On campaign stops, Jones often lapses into long, professorial speeches that don’t engage the crowd. His shyness also makes asking donors for money more difficult. 

In the past year, he has tried to abandon his non-confrontational style, attacking Davis for alleged ethical breaches among his energy advisers and accusing him of bungling the state’s fiscal troubles. 

He also has mounted an uncharacteristically aggressive assault on Richard Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor who leads most polls, accusing him of holding liberal views and criticizing him for donating to Democratic campaigns. Jones is less pointed about businessman Bill Simon, simply saying he has no public record and would be a risky choice to run the state. 

At heart, Jones’ family and friends say, he is a shy farmer. 

“He is an individual who has no pretentiousness,” says former California Gov. George Deukmejian, who is helping with Jones’ campaign. 

Even Jones’ wife of 30 years, Maurine Jones, describes the father of two grown daughters as “very quiet, very serious.” 

“He doesn’t show his lighter side unless he knows you well,” she says. 

Jones’ family farm near Firebaugh, Calif., includes roughly 6,000 acres of tomatoes, asparagus and alfalfa, all of which are run cooperatively by relatives including his parents and 27-year-old daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law. The governor’s race is also a family affair, with Maurine often stumping with him and his 24-year-old daughter Andrea working for his campaign. 

A pilot, Jones owns a single-engine Cessna and often flies himself home from Sacramento. He has used the plane for campaigning, but he says he never flies in anything resembling bad weather. 

On the farm, Jones works mostly on the business side. He relaxes by heading to the coastal mountains to hunt wild boar and ducks. He beams when speaking of his toddler granddaughter, who has appeared at campaign events and who, he boasts, has attended more state Republican Party conventions than Riordan. 

His father, a farmer and 47-year local water board member, inspired Jones to go into public service. His lifestyle growing up, he says, helped him succeed at it. 

“I grew up pretty much in the country with a horse and a dog, where I was always working,” he says. 

Deukmejian describes Jones’ as responsible, open to advice and adept at moving on in the face of disappointment. 

On the early January press conference in Riverside, Jones’ aides are unapologetic for the disappointing turnout. It was a day before President Bush arrived for a town hall meeting in nearby Ontario, and they chalk it up to bad timing because political reporters were busy, they say, preparing for the presidential visit. 

Their reasoning also highlights one of Jones’ most discussed political blunders. In 2000, he switched his endorsement from Bush to Arizona Sen. John McCain during the California primary campaign. 

Jones says he was acting in the best interest of California Republicans, who had suffered three straight statewide losses. McCain, he says, had a better chance of winning California. 

But some party activists haven’t forgotten, and some blame the switch for Jones’ fund-raising problems. 

He hasn’t drawn the help of rich GOP donors considered critical to a statewide race in California. Both Riordan and Simon have outraised him, although neither has won statewide office. Both have deep personal wealth to tap that Jones does not. 

In all of 2001, Jones collected $2.4 million for his campaign, including several large loans. That compares to $6.6 million raised by Riordan and $5.7 million by Simon in the same time period. 

Jones has a favorite quote that he repeats when asked about his lagging finances. 

“President Ross Perot and Governor Al Checchi and Senator Michael Huffington will tell you that money is not the sole solution to politics,” he says, referring to three candidates who lost after pouring millions of their personal fortunes into campaigns. 

Analysts say Jones’ simply lacks the knack to lure dollars. 

“He’s not a good fund-raiser,” says said Allan Hoffenblum, a former GOP consultant and publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book, which tracks political races. 

Still, Jones’ strategists are counting on strong support from Jones’ home turf of the Central Valley, and from conservative primary voters put off by Riordan’s relative liberalism. In a recent independent statewide poll, Jones led his two foes in the farm-rich Central Valley, but trailed everywhere else. 

Jones says he’s confident the wounds within his own party will mend, adding that a recent trip to Washington reassured him. 

“People were trying to figure out how to win California,” he says, “and I’m the only one that has done that and I’ve done it twice.”

NAME: Bill Jones 

PARTY: Republican 

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 52. Dec. 20, 1949 in Coalinga, Calif., in Fresno County. 

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree in business and agronomy from California State University, Fresno, 1971. 

EXPERIENCE: In Assembly, wrote the three-strikes law for habitual offenders. Put campaign finance information on the Internet and worked to improve quality of voting machines. Farmer and rancher. State assemblyman, 1982-1994; secretary of state, 1995-present. 

FAMILY: Wife Maurine; Daughters Andrea, 24, and Wendy, 27; one granddaughter and one grandson on the way. 

NET WORTH: At least $400,00, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission. 

CAMPAIGN WEB SITE: www.billjones.org 

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 916-349-2002

Gov. Gray Davis officially launched construction of the new eastern span of the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge Tuesday, saying the project's primary goal was safety, and its secondary goal was to relieve congestion. 

But at a time when the employment rate is still in slumping, some are looking at the project as providing a third service – the project will create approximately 67,000 jobs. 

Other goals of the East Bay Bridge project is to protect the bay’s environment, according to statements made by Davis’ office. 

“This project is about more than just getting commuters to their jobs faster and safer. It’s about creating new jobs,” Davis said. “At least 67,000 new jobs – enough to fill every seat in the Oakland Coliseum. This project isn’t just a spark for our troubled economy. It’s a full-fledged bonfire.” 

The governor’s office stated that the project will add $8 billion to California’s struggling economy. 

But locally, the larger concern some may have is how long the construction will take – approximately 1,000 working days – how the more than 100,000 tons of structural steel will be shipped onto the bridge and the $2.6 billion price tag. 

It is the largest public works project in California and the largest ongoing bridge project anywhere in North America.  

“It’s taken us more than 10 years to get this far. It is a massive project and there has been a lot of controversy surrounding it. But right now, we’re celebrating,” said Colin Jones, Caltrans spokesperson. 

The road thus far has been paved by disputed financial projections and timelines. But the bulk of the opposition has been about the design and alignment of the bridge, and has primarily come from the city of San Francisco and the U.S. Navy. 

The construction of the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge was originally announced by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, and at the time it was the largest and longest bridge in the world. Also, during the same year, construction began on the more glamourous, much anticipated Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay Bridge opened in 1936 and the Golden Gate followed one year later.  

“The Bay Bridge is the work hours of the greater Bay Area,” Jones said. “It’s really the centerpiece of the transportation system – from the East Bay to the city or commuters from Contra Costa.” 

According to Jones, this expansion project will make the Bay Bridge the safest bridge in the world. 

“And after Sept. 11, and the hint of there being a military attack on the bridge, that is a very real concern to people,” Jones said. “The bridge will be able to withstand a major earthquake on either (Hayward or San Andreas) faults.”  

The project will link Oakland to Yerba Buena Island in the middle of the bay, where westbound motorists will proceed onto a seismically retrofitted western span to arrive in San Francisco. 

Jones said the new span, expected to be completed in 2006, will also provide bike/pedestrian lanes. 

“There’ll be bike lanes, there’ll be better views,” he added. 

The mega-project is funded by state gasoline tax money, bridge toll fees, revenue bonds and a $450 million loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

The construction plan has been in the works since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.  

The westbound roadway is scheduled for completion in 2006 with eastbound traffic on the new span in 2007.

Even before the start of Wednesday’s boys’ basketball game between St. Mary’s and Albany, it was pretty obvious that the Panthers weren’t taking their closest geographical BSAL opponent very seriously. After all, St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo didn’t even bother to show up, choosing instead to scout his team’s next opponent, Salesian. 

The game went just as expected, with St. Mary’s cruising to an 85-34 win to stay undefeated in league play. Guard Tim Fanning led the Panthers with a game-high 16 points, with forward Spartacus Rodriguez putting in 14, guard John Sharper hitting for 13 and center Simon Knight 12. 

Albany (3-17, 1-6 BSAL) was led by center Brandon Hinchee, who scored 14 points on a variety of short jumpers and post moves, but no other Cougar scored more than 4 points. 

St. Mary’s (17-2, 7-0) displayed their superiority right away, jumping out to an 8-0 lead with a jumper by Sharper and 3-pointers by Sharper and Fanning. Fanning hit another 3-pointer to make the score 11-2, and after Albany scored another bucket, the Panthers put the game away with a 21-point run that lasted well into the second quarter. Although the Cougars managed to run off 8 straight points to pull back within 37-14, the Panthers answered right back with their own 8-0 run to make the score 47-16 at halftime. 

St. Mary’s assistant coach Dave ? called off the dogs in the second half, pulling his team back into a half-court defense rather than pressure the Cougars, but Albany still matched their 18 first-half turnovers in the second half. 

“We know (St. Mary’s) is the top team in the area, so we had our work cut out for us,” Albany head coach Doug Kagawo said. “But we just saw this as a chance to see how we measure up.” 

While St. Mary’s dragged through a slow third quarter, the pace picked up for the final period when ? let his reserves run wild. Rodriguez got things going with a left-handed jam and ended up with 12 points in the quarter as the Panthers outscored Albany 22-8. 

“We got to let everyone play a lot tonight, ? said. “It was good, because you never know when you’re going to need those guys down the stretch.” 

Kagawo wasn’t surprised that his team lost big, but he was a bit off-put by Caraballo’s voluntary absence. 

“That’s (Caraballo’s) choice, and he can do what he wants,” Kagawo said. “I’ve never seen that done before, but it that’s his style, that’s his style.”

Editor: 

As a founding member of Copwatch, I feel that I must respond to the misperceptions, misinformation and false notions that appeared in an opinion piece entitled “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Cop Watch,” (January 29, 2002). 

The author of this letter seems to have given Copwatch quite a bit of consideration, but has not actually spoken with our members or read our literature. She seems to be operating in the belief that Copwatch is simply against the police on principle.  

Within the movement for police accountability, citizens who advocate for independent, civilian oversight of police have often been characterized as being “anti-police.” This simplistic representation of our analysis of police misconduct does a disservice to Copwatch and to the police. 

Within many professional law enforcement organizations nationally, there is support for civilian oversight of police. In fact, many police officers have come to believe that community involvement in oversight is essential, especially when we consider how difficult it is for officers who witness misconduct to “blow the whistle” on their fellow officers.  

I agree with the author of the letter when she says that Berkeley is “NOT Los Angeles, not even Oakland”. The citizens of Berkeley have historically taken a great interest in the functioning of its police department. Berkeley citizens voted to establish one of the first Police Review Commissions in the country in 1973, and since that time, there has been a long line of citizens who have invested countless hours into making sure that brutality and misconduct did not become common practice as it has in some other communities.  

For the last twelve years, Copwatch volunteers have dedicated themselves to the task of monitoring police conduct and reporting their findings back to the community. This kind of community oversight helps to explain why Berkeley cops are held to a higher standard of conduct.  

Copwatch is made up of volunteers. We are teachers, students, office and construction workers, doctors, artists and others.  

We train members of the public in non-violence techniques, observation methods and relevant aspects of the law.  

We train our members to deescalate situations where possible, not to interfere and to practice non-violence at all times (no verbal put downs, don’t run, keep your hands visible, etc). All of this information is in our training handbook, which we provide to the public at no expense (although we gratefully accept donations).  

I must confess that I was shocked to read the paragraph in which the author claims that some officer on the BPD had taken two of the “main leaders” of Copwatch to the hospital to be treated for heroin overdose. This claim is not only untrue, but I fear that it is an effort to “kill the messenger” for carrying the unpleasant information that yes, police misconduct persists in Berkeley to this day.  

We at Copwatch have brought incidents of misconduct to the attention of the Police Review Commission and had allegations sustained. We have challenged and ultimately changed policies that we perceived to be unjust or ill considered. We have conducted countless “Know Your Rights” workshops in an effort to educate the public and to defend our basic civil rights. We have provided support and referrals to victims of misconduct. We are currently investigating claims that the Berkeley Drug Task Force has been using excessive force as a means of carrying out drug suppression efforts. 

I am glad that the author has had positive experiences with members of the Berkeley Police Department. However, that is not the experience of all Berkeley residents. Copwatch receives many complaints of misconduct each week especially from people who live in south and west Berkeley.  

Defending the provisions of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution is not “anti-cop”? It is a disservice to the community to make libelous insinuations about the leadership of Copwatch.  

As a school teacher, a twenty year resident of Berkeley, and someone who cherishes the Bill of Rights, I will continue to observe police, speak out against injustice and work for a better Berkeley. I hope that one day I will be able to meet the anonymous author of the letter. She (and the public) are invited to attend our “Know Your Rights” training on Feb. 6 at 7pm at our office so that she can better understand our purpose and realize that Copwatch is not the enemy.

924 Gilman Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/a cme.html. 

The Albatross Jan. 31: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring. com. 

Anna’s Bistro Jan. 31: Jason Martineau & Dave Sayen; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Jan. 31: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas "A Therese" & "Les Adieux," Bruce Nalezny's "Poeme & Finale" and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers; The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be featured soloist with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616. 

Dance 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

"Human Nature" Feb. 16: 8:30 p.m., X-plicit Players, $15; Art-A-Fact, 1109 Addison St., 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.org. 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland, 239-2252, www.acteva.com/go/havefun. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” Masterworks by Guy Colwell. Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9, 2028 Ninth St., 841-4210, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387. 

Museums 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org. 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot by 40 foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821. 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley, 642-5132, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Thursday, Jan. 31

Backpacking the Diablo Trail 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seth Adams will share slides and information on backpacking this newly completed trail that stretches for 30 miles from Walnut Creek to Brentwood. 527-4140 

Permaculture in Africa 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

Tim Krupnik presents a slide show highlighing his recent travels in Africa to learn about local sustainable agriculture. This event is a benefit for the Fambidzanai Permaculture Center in Zimbabwe that trains rural farmers in organic farming techniques. $5-10. 548-2220 x233, soilfirst@tao.ca.  

Falling in Love in the Golden Years 

7:30 p.m. 

North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 

1170 The Alameda 

A lecture discussing finding and keeping love in later life. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl 

Storytelling Workshop for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Stagebridge 

2501 Harrison St. 

A workshop instructing seniors how to tell traditional and personal stories to elementary-age children. 444-4755 

BirthWays 25th Anniversary 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen’s 

2005 Berrymen St. 

Parish Hall 

BirthWays welcomes all parents, future parents, birth support professionals and members of the community to celebrate its 25th anniversary. $20. 869-2797, http://www.birthways.org/. 

Berkeley-Cuba 

Sister City Meeting 

7 - 9 p.m. 

City Hall 

6th Floor Conference Room 

2180 Milvia St. 

Be a part of this project to form a Berkeley sister-city relationship with Cuba. rebeccada@earthlink.net.  

Friday, Feb. 1

Benefit for the Chiapas  

Peace House Project 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1606 Bonita 

Live music, DJs and homemade baked goods. Sliding scale. 

Hungarian Jewry 

7:30 p.m. 

Temple Beth El 

2001 Vine St. 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj of Budapest, Hungry will present discuss his life in Hungry and his effort to bring Judaism inside the iron curtain. 848-3988 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress. com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

“Communities in Action”  

Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Church Women United 

Berkeley /Albany Chapter 

9:30 a.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

This will be the preparation day for the World Day of Prayer. 526-4303.  

A fledgling political movement that is aiming to shake up Berkeley city politics held its third meeting at the Shattuck Hotel Tuesday night. 

There, the Berkeley Party, a coalition of neighborhood activists allied with the Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations, made initial plans to run and support candidates in this year’s City Council elections.  

Members expressed their hope that the new party would eventually be able to wield the same kind of clout currently enjoyed by Berkeley Citizens Action (BCA), which has supported the “progressive” alliance on the City Council, and the Berkeley Democratic Club (BDC), which has supported the “moderates.” 

“The Berkeley Party is not about progressives and moderates,” said treasurer Tim Hansen. “It’s about a fair process and respect for neighborhoods.” 

The party’s co-founder, Carrie Olson – who ran against Councilmember Miriam Hawley for North Berkeley’s District 5 seat in 2000 – said the party aspired to support candidates who rose above traditional politics. 

“I don’t want a third force – I want a non-force,” she said. “I don’t want a City Council that’s constantly bickering. 

“We’re supposed to be an educated town. We’re supposed to love our city. But the fact is that most people here tune out of local politics.” 

Members of the party – which include a number of members of prominent city commissions as well as neighborhood activists – named transparency in city government and development as their top priorities.  

The Berkeley Party platform includes an endorsement of a ballot initiative that would place strict height limits on new buildings in the city.  

Olson said the city should discourage population growth, seeing as how it is already very crowded. 

“Berkeley is the third-densest city in Northern California,” she said. “We’ve done our growth.” 

“I believe that if we never have another building boom from here on out, we’d be doing just fine.” 

The party platform also supports a proposal by urban planning gadfly Howie Muir, which would require the city to support consistency between its General Plan and the zoning ordinance, which tells developers what can be built where. 

No specific endorsements were made at the meeting. However, several party members said the party should consider running neighborhood-friendly candidates in the upcoming election.  

“We hope the Berkeley Party will be interested in encouraging people to run, and supporting them when they do,” said Olson. 

Elliot Cohen, a member of the city’s Peace and Justice Commission, said current party politics prevented Berkeley from fulfilling its “historic role” as a trendsetter. 

He cited the Free Speech Movement and the campaign against apartheid in South Africa as two social movements that began in Berkeley. 

“We haven’t had many ideas lately that have spread across the nation lately,” said Cohen. “Why? Because the Council is too busy bickering.” 

Olson said that at its next meeting, which has not yet been scheduled, the party will formalize its procedures for endorsing candidates. 

The Berkeley Party’s Web site is www.berkeleyparty.com.

Editor: 

As a regular reader of the Berkeley Daily Planet, I am shocked by the printing in its pages yesterday of a libelous anonymous letter, “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Cop Watch.”  

Publishing anonymous letters to the editor is unacceptable journalistic practice in violation of your printed policy.  

What is yet more unacceptable is the inflammatory statement that “the author’s name has been withheld from this letter for her safety.”  

Why would the editor allow this libelous statement to accompany a libelous letter directed at Copwatch?  

There are two possibilities: 1. Oversight; or 2. Intentional libel Which is it? 

Lisa Pascopella 

Berkeley

The Berkeley High Lady Yellowjackets basketball team steamrolled the visiting Richmond Oilers Wednesday night, 82-15. 

From the outset it was difficult to determine which was colder: the frigid Berkeley gymnasium or the glacial Oiler offense. The ‘Jackets held Richmond scoreless throughout the first quarter, 14-0, and for another two minutes into the second quarter before the Oilers finally managed to reach the scoreboard. At that stage the Yellowjackets had already scored 18 points, more than enough for their eventual victory. 

“We had a rule, five passes before a shot,” said Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura of the blowout. “We’re just trying to learn. Pass the ball, teamwork, and try to get through the game as quickly as possible.” 

Berkeley, which started and finished the game with its second string on the floor, was led by 5-foot-0 freshman guard Danisha Wright, who poured in 21 points. Wright had 13 straight points to close out the fourth quarter for the ‘Jackets, including a pair of 3-pointers. 

“(Wright) had a very strong first quarter, and a very strong fourth quarter,” Nakamura said. “She’s getting better every day.” 

Wednesday’s runaway victory came without the services of another key freshman, starting center Devanei Hampton. The 6-foot-3 Hampton, nicknamed “The Hammer” by her teammates, watched the game on crutches due to a strained knee ligament. Interviewed after the game Hampton said that she was looking forward to getting back on the court. 

“I love it,” Hampton said. “I want to play college, hopefully, if I don’t go to the NBA. I don’t want to play in the WNBA.” 

Hampton intends to return to the Berkeley frontcourt next week, strengthening an already formidable Yellowjacket team. 

Richmond was sadly overmatched even before tipoff. The Oilers suited up seven players for the contest, facing a Berkeley roster consisting of five starters and nine uniformed reserves. Even the Berkeley cheerleading staff, boasting nine uniformed cheerleaders not including the giant Yellowjacket mascot, had the Oiler squad well outnumbered. 

Natasha Bailey and Michi Yamamoto each added 10 points for Berkeley, and ten Yellowjackets scored in the game.

The Berkeley Police Department presented the City Council with a crime status report Tuesday, which showed the city’s crime rates are at a 30-year low, despite three recent homicides and a general perception of higher crime. 

The report primarily focused on crime trends during the last seven years, which show that major crimes in Berkeley have declined along with the rest of the state.  

Robbery, however, is bucking the downward trend, according to the report. Robbery increased during 2001 from the previous year and occurs at a higher rate in Berkeley than the rest of the state. 

“This is a mixed message were getting,” Mayor Shirley Dean said. “We have some problems, but we also have some bright spots.” 

Dean requested the report in October after numerous UC students said they were worried about their personal safety during a public hearing on redistricting. Dean said she also requested the report in response to an a recent newspaper article that described Berkeley as having the state’s second-highest crime rate among cities with populations of more than 100,000. 

But despite three recent homicides and the recenmt article, the police department report shows that three of the four violent crimes, homicide, rape and aggravated assaults, are below the state average. Only robbery, which is defined as the taking of property through force or threat of force, is higher than the state average.  

Police Chief Dash Butler pointed out that the Dec. 30 murder of Charlotte Ortega was the first in 15 months. Although he said the double homicide of Noel Turner, Jr. and Rammar Johnson on Jan. 22 in south Berkeley has him “very concerned.” 

According to the report, since 1995 Berkeley has seen a 90 percent decrease in homicides, a 32 percent decrease in rape and 43 percent decrease in aggravated assaults. Even Robbery, which occurs in Berkeley at a greater rate than the state, has dropped by 42 percent.  

The state robbery rate for 2001 was 180 robberies per 100,000 people. In Berkeley, the robbery rate during the same year was 320 per 100,000. 

The report also showed that among 11 California universities, UC Berkeley had the third highest rate of violent crime behind UCLA and UC Irvine in 2000. UC Berkeley had 22 incidents of violent crime during the year including 10 robberies, 4 rapes and 8 aggravated assaults . The campuses with the fewest incidents of violent crime was UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis, which both had six incidents of violent crime. 

UC Berkeley is patrolled by the University of California Police Department, which is completely separate from the Berkeley Police Department.  

“There are some categories of crime that we have to take a look at,” Butler said. “We are currently considering a number of options to deal with robberies including some task force approaches.” 

Dean said there was some good news in the report although she thinks the city has a lot of work to do to reduce crime and the perception of a high crime rate further. 

“I have been going to neighborhood meetings all over the city and people are saying we have a crime problem,” Dean said. “Safety in our homes and in our streets has to be our number one concern. People have to feel safe and they have to feel their children are safe.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said now, while people are concerned about crime, is a good opportunity for the city to support residents getting involved in their communities.  

“Certainly the statistics show that Berkeley is doing a very good job in limiting the frequency and severity of crime,” he said. “But when a serious crime occurs, it makes people very afraid and while people are paying attention, we have to leverage that into community crime prevention efforts.” 

Councilmember Linda Maio asked Butler if there was a significant relationship between a downturn in the economy and an increase in crime.  

Butler said there is only anecdotal evidence that an economic downturn effects crime rates and that he is “unconvinced there’s a connection.” 

Police Captain Douglas Hambleton said that a positive aspect of the economic downturn is that the quality of police applicants increases.  

“There are now more people who are interested in becoming cops,” he said. “We have 375 applicants for a test this Saturday. We have not had that many in about 15 years.” 

Hambleton added that the September 11 terrorist attacks and a concerted recruitment effort have also added to the high application rate.  

Butler agreed. “We’re recruiting from a very broad base of the community,” Butler said. “We are advertising in newspapers we never did before as well as going to events that appeal to all segments of the community.” 

Editor: 

The second tallest structure in Berkeley—-surpassed in height only by the Campanile on the UC campus—-was recently built in a residential neighborhood.  

No neighbor had been shown a plan for it. No public meeting had reviewed such a plan. Its developer had no permit to build it. It has lowered neighbors’ property values. Its appearance has offended virtually everyone. 

This architectural monstrosity and renegade, this monument to the blatant violation of those standards of public taste and process that Berkeley nurtures so proudly, is our new Public Safety Building communication tower on McKinley Street. Purchased out of a catalog and slammed together over a weekend, it has to be seen to be believed. Citizens who value Berkeley’s thoughtful land-use standards are joining the outcry to dismantle the thing and insist that its replacement receive public review. 

Rob Browning 

Berkeley 

The trial of Lazarus Ortega, the 21-year-old man who stands accused of killing his adoptive mother, was again delayed on Wednesday. 

Attorneys for Ortega, who were scheduled to enter his plea in the case at the Berkeley Courthouse, asked the court to reschedule the hearing for Feb. 27. 

Deputy District Attorney Jason Sjoberg said that both sides are awaiting the results of several forensics tests related to the crime. 

The body of Ortega’s mother, Charlotte Ortega, was found floating in the bay near the Berkeley Pier on Dec. 30. Lazarus Ortega was arrested in connection with the case later that day.

Editor: 

I’m intrigued by the recent article and follow-up letter to the editor with regards to the political fundraising by the three candidates for the 14th Assembly District. This led me to examine the official report of the Secretary of State where I found information that did not quite jive with what I read in the planet. 

What I did see was that when we exclude loans like the $72,000 to Loni Hancock1s campaign ($67,000 from she and her husband), Mr. Ramsey has been able to raise 63% more for his campaign than Ms. Hancock ($257,364 to $157,526).  

I might also mention that Ms.Hancock1s husband recently boasted at a public gathering that when his wife wins, he1s going to make the unions pay off her debt. 

Ms. Hancock1s treasurer (Mal Burnstein) wants people to believe that Ms. Hancock has far more contributors than Mr. Ramsey but the records show that she has only 34 more contributors (out of a combined total of 879).  

He also wants people to believe that the working men and women of organized labor are as supportive of her campaign as they are of Mr. Ramsey’s.  

Once again the records would indicate otherwise as Mr. Ramsey shows endorsements from organized labor from all over the state and shows that he has received contributions from representatives of workers almost eight times more often than Ms. Hancock. 

The article pointed out that elected officials like Assemblywoman Dion Aroner had contributed to Ms. Hancock but the records show that of the eight contributions from elected leaders ($13,500) not a penny came out of their own pockets. They dipped into their campaign coffers to take money contributed by others (like labor unions) to help their old friend. 

As many of us are, I’m concerned when members of a campaign try to bamboozle the public by twisting the truth. And I really become concerned when these purveyors of misinformation make up the team heading to Sacramento to represent our interests. 

Don Gosney 

Richmond

Women decieved by the church awarded by jury  

SALT LAKE CITY — A jury awarded $290,000 to two women who said they were deceived by a fundamentalist church whose leaders promised to produce Jesus Christ in the flesh. 

The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of the Saints of the Last Days was ordered Monday to pay $270,000 to Kaziah Hancock and more than $20,000 to Cindy Stewart for fraud, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 

As a condition of church membership, Hancock gave 67 acres of her farm and shares of water rights to the church for redistribution among members. Stewart contributed money from her retirement plan, attorney Don Redd said. 

In return, church founder Jim Harmston promised payments on other property, membership in heaven’s elite and the chance to meet Christ on earth, Redd said. 

The eight-member jury threw out complaints of racketeering and unjust enrichment against the church and Harmston. 

Harmston refused to comment and referred questions to his attorney, Mark Middlemas. Middlemas did not return calls Tuesday. 

Harmston’s wife, Elaine, told The Salt Lake Tribune that she was disappointed with the verdict, adding: “God’s people have always been persecuted and right now is no different.” 

Brown-bag lunch  

EBENSBURG, Pa. — A man who brought laxative-laced brownies to work to get back at co-workers who were eating his bagged lunches is being sued by one of the men who ate them. 

John R. Anthony Sr. is seeking unspecified damages from Raymond Jastrzab for the pain and embarrassment he suffered when he ate the brownies. 

Jastrzab was fired from OMG Americas in Johnstown following the Jan. 27, 2000, incident and has been denied unemployment compensation after the Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg ruled that he was guilty of willful misconduct and “evil design.” 

Jastrzab admitted to baking the brownies because co-workers had been eating his lunches, the company said. 

Anthony ate the brownies only after they had been left on a table in the plant’s dining room, said his attorney, Terry Graffius. It was an unwritten rule of the plant that food left on the table was available to anyone, he said. 

Jastrzab stood by and watched Anthony eat them, Graffius said. 

Anthony suffered nausea, diarrhea, cramps and dehydration which required medical attention after eating the brownies. 

Jastrzab has an unlisted number and could not be reached for comment. 

——— 

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Adam Zaretsky knows what it’s like to live in a fish bowl: He’s on exhibit at the zoo. 

Zaretsky’s known as “Zed, species Homo sapiens,” in the “Workhorse Zoo” exhibit. His home is an 8-by-8-foot glass room he shares with albino frogs, families of mice, microscopic worms and yeast. 

Zaretsky, a 33-year-old San Francisco conceptual artist, says the display is a combination of art and science. He hopes it will get people thinking about their relationships with other living things. 

“I’m actually trying to blur the boundary between what is human culture and what is reality,” Zaretsky said, while stretched out on an ambulance gurney that he uses for a bed. 

Julia Reodica, who was Zaretsky’s teaching assistant while he served as a visiting professor at San Francisco State University, is the zookeeper. 

“As a serious researcher, I am finding Zed temperamental and unpredictable,” observed Reodica, clad in a Boy Scout uniform with long, zip-up black go-go boots. “When agitated, he throws rubbish against the windows.” 

Zaretsky received a $20,000 grant to stage his weeklong exhibit. 

——— 

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Less than 24 hours after their home-state teams advanced to the Super Bowl, chief executives of Missouri and Massachusetts engaged in what has become a gubernatorial tradition — a little good-natured trash talking. 

Acting Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift kicked off the round on Monday, warning St. Louis that her state’s New England Patriots shouldn’t be overlooked by the Rams, already 14 1/2-point favorites for Sunday’s title game in New Orleans. 

“Being an underdog has suited the Patriots just fine this year,” Swift said. “The Rams are going to find out very soon that these underdogs have a very painful bite.” 

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden took the high road, calling Swift an acquaintance and “very nice lady.” 

“We’ll let the players on the field do the talking,” Holden said. “The Rams are gonna win.” 

OAKLAND – Thousands of Bay Area commuters now have a new card to carry in their wallets or purses – the TransLink universal transit-fare card. On Friday, Feb.1, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and a half-dozen transit operators will kick off Phase One of a six-month pilot program of the TransLink electronic fare payment system. 

During the public demonstration phase, TransLink cards will be tested on selected routes and at certain stations of six of the region’s largest transit agencies: AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, San Francisco Muni and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. In preparation for the public launch, MTC and the TransLink Customer Service Center earlier this week mailed out TransLink cards to approximately 4,300 program volunteers. Every card has $3 loaded in TransLink Electronic Cash (e-cash). 

“Ambassadors” from MTC and the participating transit agencies will be stationed at key transit locations around the region during the first business days of the pilot program. The ambassadors will be available to answer questions from customers as needed, troubleshoot problems that might arise, and distribute information about the TransLink program. 

Announced at a late 2001 ceremony keynoted by Federal Transit Administration chief Jennifer Dorn, the public pilot program is a major milestone for TransLink and a significant step forward in the effort to create a seamless regional transit network.  

“We’re excited that so many Bay Area transit riders will have a chance to experience for themselves the hassle-free fare payment that TransLink makes possible,” said TransLink Project Director Russell Driver of MTC.  

The six transit systems participating in the TransLink pilot program offer a sampling of the Bay Area’s diverse modal mix, everything from ferries to streetcars to buses to commuter rail. Altogether, 18 rail stations, 31 bus lines, three ferry terminals and two light-rail lines have been outfitted with specialized TransLink card-reader equipment. The 4,300 volunteers who have received the cards were recruited because they routinely travel on these TransLink-equipped routes.  

The TransLink system uses “smart card” technology. Transit riders will use a plastic card embedded with a computer chip that they load with a dollar value, stored rides or monthly passes. 

They then need only tag the credit-card-sized card – without even having to remove it from their wallets or purses – at an electronic reader device located on transit vehicles, in stations or at fare gates, and the correct fare value will be deducted automatically from the card.  

TransLink will factor in a host of variables when calculating fares, including different fare structures for every transit operator, transfers, routes, lengths of trips, time of day and discounts for youth, elderly and disabled riders.  

To get ready for the public test, several hundred transit agency employees have been testing the TransLink card during their regular commutes to and from work in recent months. This smaller-scale “pre-test” gave participating transit agencies and the TransLink project staff a chance to get some hands-on experience in operating the new fare-collection system before it goes live for the public volunteers this week. 

“This is still a pilot project,” explained Driver. “The volunteers may occasionally find that some of the equipment is not working correctly, so we’re advising them to always be prepared to pay with cash, or a ticket or pass.” Information sent to the pilot program volunteers includes tips for using the TransLink on each of the six participating transit agencies.  

Participants in the TransLink pilot program can load value onto their fare cards at self-serve Add Value Machines in transit stations and some 40 retail locations throughout the Bay Area (including select Albertson’s, ACE Cash Express, Check Center and News Spot locations), or by calling the TransLink® Customer Service Center. Add Value Machines accept cash, debit cards, and 

Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards. TransLink® users can reload value automatically by subscribing to the TransLink® Autoload Program. 

….continued next page 

After the success of the pilot program is determined, MTC and the participating agencies plan to install TransLink® equipment on all 21 Bay Area transit systems, which together carry in excess 

of 1.6 million riders a day. 

MTC has contracted with Motorola, Inc. and ERG Limited to implement and operate the TransLink® fare-collection system. MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing 

agency for the nine-county Bay Area.  

For more information about the TransLink® program, visit the TransLink® Web page at www.translink.org. 

The Bay Area housing market, in decline for months, will not rebound until late 2002 or 2003, according to a new study conducted by UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. 

The study, “The Bay Area Housing Market: A Buyer’s Market,” finds that Alameda County home values have held up better than its neighboring counties, but reports a decline nevertheless. 

According to the study, written by real estate professor Kenneth Rosen and research associate Amanda Bishop, the median price in Alameda County was $350,000 for a single family home as of November 2001, matching the December 2000 median but marking a 5.9 percent decline from the June 2001 peak price of $372,000. 

The median price in Marin County, by contrast, dropped from a peak of $669,000 in April 2001 to $571,500 in November 2001. Marin’s 14.6 decline was the worst in the Bay Area, followed by 13.9 percent and 11.7 percent drop-offs, respectively, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. 

Bishop says Alameda County fared better than its neighbors because it was less dependent on the Internet-boosted economy, and therefore, was not hit as hard by the dot.com bust. She added that the county’s market was more affordable during the boom, meaning it did not feel the pinch of dramatic price drops for luxury homes when the recession hit.  

Some local realtors, while acknowledging that Bay Area prices on the whole have declined, say the local market is healthy. 

Arlene Baxter, an agent at Berkeley Hills Realty, cites statistics recently released by the Berkeley Association of Realtors, which show that in 2001 the average price for a single-family home in the city rose 2.4 percent above the 2000 average.  

“What we as agents are seeing in the market differs dramatically from what Mr. Rosen sees,” said Baxter. 

Rosen was not available for comment Wednesday afternoon. But Bishop, the co-author of the study, said the figures cited by Baxter, which focus on Berkeley in particular, do not necessarily clash with the numbers in the university study, which reflect the housing market countywide.  

She also warned that average home prices, like those compiled by the Berkeley Association of Realtors, are not as reliable as medians, like those included in the UC Berkeley study. Average figures are skewed by particularly expensive or cheap sales, while medians are not, she said.  

George Oram, owner of ERI Better Homes & Gardens, a real estate agency on College Avenue, took a darker view than Baxter. He said the declining economy has limited the number of houses on the local market, and depressed values, particularly for high-end luxury homes. But, he said there is a significant silver lining.  

“Prices have fallen,” Oram said. “But there are still multiple offers on any decent house, because there aren’t many houses listed.” 

He added that he expects the housing market to pick up in coming months when the weather improves and more people go house-hunting. 

According to the UC Berkeley report, the economic growth of the mid-to-late ’90s dramatically drove up prices in the Bay Area. In San Jose, for example, home values soared by 110 percent between 1994 and 2000, rising 30 percent in 2000 alone, in the midst of the technology boom. 

The dot.com bust, which contributed to a 117,000-person surge in Bay Area unemployment between December 2000 and November 2001, led to the fall-off in home prices, the report says. 

The number of home sales in the region also declined, according to the report, dipping 25 percent between December 2000 and November 2001. 

The seriousness of the decline, the study suggests, will mean a lengthy recovery period.  

“Due to the recent increase in unemployment and drops in home prices and home sales,” Rosen and Bishop said in the report, “we believe the prevailing opinion that the Bay Area economy, along with the housing market, will rebound in 2002 is overly optimistic. 

“The Bay Area economy,” the report continues, “will not reverse course until late 2002 or 2003.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Widening concerns about shoddy accounting practices are casting a spotlight on the gray areas that allow companies to keep debt off their books and dress up their earnings for the stock market. 

The intensifying scrutiny seems likely to pressure even more companies to explain the often-befuddling information that largely has been buried in the footnotes of financial statements. 

While the most jarring revelations of accounting mirages have been made by Enron Corp. and other energy traders engaged in byzantine transactions, companies in more conservative industries may even find their accounting practices under fire, experts said. 

That’s partly because credit rating agencies caught off guard by the Enron debacle are asking tougher questions throughout corporate America, forcing executives to own up to questionable accounting practices, said Matt Johnson, an economist with Thom Weisel Partners in San Francisco. 

The anticipated trouble ahead also reflects a deepening belief that a large number of companies have been pushing their accounting practices to the legal limit to boost their stock prices. 

“A big part of the problem is that the diversity and complexity of financial transactions in today’s business world is outpacing the ability of the accounting standard bearers to come up with new rules,” said Reuven Lehavy, an accounting professor with the University of California’s Haas School of Business in Berkeley. 

The gray areas aren’t limited to derivatives, the financial instruments widely used among energy traders — an industry regarded as a mine field of potential accounting bombshells. 

Even more mundane industries such as retailing polish their balance sheets with the way that they account for their leases, said Brett Trueman, another University of California accounting professor. 

Retailers frequently account for the rent at stores as operating leases — a legal technique that lets them keep the obligations off their balance sheets, Trueman said. If they were forced to account for those obligations as capital leases, retailers would have to recognize the future payments as debt on their balance sheets. 

In many cases, the definition of what qualifies as an operating lease and a capital lease is a fine line, but the distinction can make a balance sheet look healthier than it actually is, Trueman said. 

In banking, the way loans are classified also can make earnings look better than they really are, said Michael Stead, portfolio manager of the Sife Trust Fund, a Walnut Creek mutual fund specializing in financial services stock. 

A loan “held for sale” must be carried on the books at its current market value — a standard that can result in write-offs that reduce earnings. By classifying a loan as “held for maturity,” a bank has more leeway to carry the asset at its original cost even if it has diminished in value. 

“All those loans should be accounted for the same way,” Stead said. “We need to restore confidence in corporate financial statements.” 

All the second guessing has raised doubts about the reliability of the major accounting firms that audit corporate financial statements. 

Arthur Andersen, Enron’s auditor, is facing accusations of looking the other way while the energy trader fabricated earnings. 

KPMG LLP missed an accounting mistake that prompted Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to own up to a $1.08 billion swing in its third-quarter fortunes. 

Ernst & Young is the auditor for Williams Co., which has delayed its fourth-quarter earnings announcement to re-evaluate $2 billion in potential debt and other lease obligations. 

“It looks like we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg so far,” Lehavy said. “It seems like a major overhaul is due. Hopefully, this crisis will end up giving investors the information they need to determine which companies are applying the accounting rules aggressively and which ones are using them conservatively.” 

LOS ANGELES — A Global Crossing vice president questioned his superiors about aggressive accounting practices less than six months before the telecommunications provider filed for bankruptcy, the company confirmed Wednesday. 

Roy Olofson, vice president of finance at the time, sent a letter to the firm’s top lawyer in August, advising him that the company was using misleading accounting techniques, specifically inflating revenue and cash flow, to enhance the appearance of results. 

Olofson asked then-general counsel Jim Gorton to exclude chief financial officer Dan Cohrs and Olofson’s own boss, Joe Perrone, from any investigation. 

Gorton left the company just days after receiving Olofson’s letter and Olofson was laid off three months later. 

Global Crossing said Olofson’s charges were baseless and that Gorton’s departure was unrelated. 

“This is a situation we are very familiar with, which has been thoroughly investigated both internally and externally and is without merit,” said Dan Coulter, a company spokesman. 

Global Crossing also said Olofson threatened to make his allegations public if the company didn’t pay him to keep quiet. 

Olofson’s lawyer, Brian Lysaght, did not immediately return calls seeking comment. 

Global Crossing, which spent billions of dollars over the last five years building a global fiber optics network, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. The Beverly Hills-based firm listed $12.3 billion of debt and $22.4 billion of assets, in what amounts to one of the largest bankruptcy cases in U.S. history. 

Craig Shere, a telecommunications analyst for Standard & Poor’s in New York, said that Global Crossing’s accounting practices were particularly aggressive, even in an industry known for pushing accounting boundaries. 

In one instance, the company bought some $300 million of network space from its own customers. 

That swap led Shere to believe one of two things: either there was insufficient demand for capacity, or the demand was there, but customers couldn’t pay for it. 

Shere compared the practice to failed Internet companies booking millions of dollars of revenues for running each other’s ads. 

“It left me kind of queasy,” he said. 

Other debt rating firms agreed that Global Crossing used aggressive accounting practices. 

Egan-Jones Ratings Co., a Wynnewood, Pa., firm that provides credit ratings and research for institutional investors, downgraded Global Crossing debt to junk status in late September. 

“The company had a need to show revenues and show a profit as early as possible and therefore had every incentive to push the envelope as far the accounting practices are concerned,” said Sean Egan, managing director. 

But Randolph Beatty, dean of accounting at UCLA’s Marshall School of Business, warned against developing “hindsight bias” toward Global Crossing. 

He said asset swaps between a company and its customers can be perfectly legitimate in many cases.

Former President Bill Clinton urged the United States to invest in health care, education and economic development in the Third World as an antidote to terrorism during his speech before a packed house of 2,000 at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall Tuesday afternoon. 

“We could do America’s fair share of economic empowerment of poor people,” Clinton said, “for more or less what we would spend in a year on the conflict in Afghanistan.” 

Clinton’s speech came amid a campaign-style swing through California that included fund raisers for U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Gov. Gray Davis. 

Davis and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl provided introductory remarks before Clinton spoke, and California luminaries from San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin were present.  

Clinton, who spoke only hours before President George W. Bush gave his first State of the Union address, emphasized that he is in favor of the war on terrorism.  

“We need more of it,” he said.  

But, the former president warned that poverty and disease fuel terrorism, and he argued that America must work to help the billions of people worldwide who have not benefited from the economic boom of the post-Cold War era. 

“Half the world was left out of the economic expansion,” Clinton said, noting that 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day, 1 billion “go to bed hungry every night,” and 1.5 billion don’t drink clean water. 

The former president urged the United States to increase debt relief for poor nations, provide microloans to entrepreneurs in the Third World, play a major role in the worldwide war on AIDS, and buy more products from struggling countries. 

“It will create a world with more partners and fewer terrorists,” he argued. 

Clinton said that, ultimately, a world view which emphasizes everyone’s common humanity must prevail over the “extreme, exclusive” view of figures like Osama bin Laden who believe they possess the “whole truth,” and target those who do not subscribe to that truth. 

After Clinton’s speech, which was warmly received by the audience, Orville Schell, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, engaged the former president in an on-stage, question-and-answer session. 

During the session, Clinton argued that most Americans are surprised to learn about how little the nation spends on foreign aid, and how effective foreign aid dollars can be. He said a sustained campaign to educate the American public could make his proposals a reality, particularly in the wake of Sep. 11. 

The former president also discussed global warming at length. He said that many in the industrialized world believe they cannot create wealth unless they are allowed to emit heavy doses of greenhouse gases. Clinton said environmentalists face an uphill battle in overturning such a “deeply imbedded” notion. 

The former president also spoke at length about the media, praising journalists for informing the American public about the Muslim world in the wake of Sep. 11, but warning that a saturation of media outlets has led journalists to produce stories quickly, and stretch for their own spin on a story. 

“I think that...it is difficult for the media to do a fair and balanced and accurate and even truthful job,” Clinton said. 

Audience members gave Clinton good marks after the speech and interview session. “He was able to address complex social and global problems in language...that was immediately accessible to people,” said Genaro Padilla, a Berkeley resident who attended the speech. 

“He seems so relaxed, and he was funny and knowledgeable, and it was great to see him that way,” said Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean, adding that the former president made a compelling argument for more foreign aid. 

Clinton was the eighth president to speak at UC Berkeley, and the first since John F. Kennedy, who addressed 90,000 people at UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium in 1962. 

The event was recorded by a San Francisco organization called City Arts & Lectures, and will be re-broadcast on National Public Radio. KQED, a Bay Area NPR affiliate, will air the event April 19 at 1 p.m. and April 21 at 8 p.m. 

Kamani Hill scored his sixth hat trick of league play as the Berkeley High boys’ soccer team beat a game De Anza squad, 5-0, on Tuesday in Berkeley. 

The win kept the ’Jackets (11-2-1, 10-1 ACCAL) in first place in the ACCAL, with upcoming games against Alameda and Richmond likely to decide the league’s participant in the North Coast Section playoffs. 

“We’d better be ready when we go to Richmond on Thursday,” Berkeley head coach Janu Juarez said. “We’ll be champs or we’ll be chumps.” 

Berkeley beat Richmond earlier this season, but then took a surprise loss to Alameda, leaving them tied with Richmond in first place. 

Hill, a sophomore, now has 30 goals in Berkeley’s 11 ACCAL contests, making him by far the league leader. His first two goals on Tuesday came off of corner kicks, the first a header from a Chris Davis service. The second came off the foot of William Vega, with Hill flying through a crowd of players to volley the ball into the net. 

Hill’s final goal came when he passed the ball to Vega on the right side. Vega beat his man and took the ball all the way to the end line, where he passed the ball back to Hill for an easy score. Liam Reilly and Davis also scored goals for the ’Jackets. 

De Anza (8-6, 5-6) never really got a shot on goal from open play, but they nearly scored in the final minutes of the game, when Berkeley defender Sam Geller was called for a foul in the box. But Joao Ferreira’s penalty kick wasn’t good enough to break the shutout, as Berkeley goalkeeper Alex Goines dove to his right to save it. 

The first meeting between Berkeley and the Dons was a 4-0 Berkeley win in a mud pit in Richmond. Juarez said he wasn’t surprised De Anza was able to give his team some problems, despite the final score. 

“They have a new coaching staff over there, and they’re getting better every time we see them,” he said. “They’ve had time to scout us, so we can’t go out and score 10-12 goals every game.”

Editor: 

In the Jan. 17 article on tree hazards, Mr. Jerry Koch, forestry supervisor for the City of Berkeley is quoted as inferring “I try to tell people what trees to plant on their own property,” which is not true. 

I do believe that citizens should be fully informed on the long-term problems with different trees and that the city should take a very active part in such decisions by distributing basic material describing those problems. I feel city staff is doing a poor job in many ways with trees. We should not have tall trees in the city for all kinds of reasons. 

In my own ways I am trying to educate people about the problems of those tall trees. I will be putting a packet of material on trees in local libraries for people to examine at their convenience. 

I am proud to say I was the instigator of the Berkeley City Manager’s Directive in 1967 that local reports of all sorts should be filed in libraries for ease of access by the public. I urge the citizens of Berkeley to ask librarians for any local reports they would like to see. 

Charlie Smith 

Berkeley

Wednesday, Jan. 30

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

Public Library, West Branch 

1125 University Ave. 

A participatory program for families with children up to age 3. Stories, songs and fingerplays as entertainment and as a way for parents to learn some new material to share with their young ones. 981-6270. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART Station 

A peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to U.S. bombing of Afghanistan. Ends at MLK Civic Center Park. www.indymedia.org. 

American Political History  

Seminar 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

109 Moses Hall 

Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, will be talking about his new book, “The Best of Times: America in the Clinton Years.” 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu:8880/. 

Debtors Anonymous 

6:30 - 7:45 p.m. 

Mandana Community Recovery Center 

3989 Howe St., Oakland 

Weekly Meeting. 415-522-9099. 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

Thursday, Jan. 31

Backpacking the Diablo Trail 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seth Adams will share slides and information on backpacking this newly completed trail that stretches for 30 miles from Walnut Creek to Brentwood. 527-4140 

Permaculture in Africa 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

Tim Krupnik presents a slide show highlighing his recent travels in Africa to learn about local sustainable agriculture. This event is a benefit for the Fambidzanai Permaculture Center in Zimbabwe that trains rural farmers in organic farming techniques. $5-10. 548-2220 x233, soilfirst@tao.ca.  

Falling in Love in the Golden Years 

7:30 p.m. 

North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 

1170 The Alameda 

A lecture discussing finding and keeping love in later life. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl 

Storytelling Workshop for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Stagebridge 

2501 Harrison St. 

A workshop instructing seniors how to tell traditional and personal stories to elementary-age children. 444-4755 

BirthWays 25th Anniversary 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen’s 

2005 Berrymen St. 

Parish Hall 

BirthWays welcomes all parents, future parents, birth support professionals and members of the community to celebrate its 25th anniversary. $20. 869-2797, http://www.birthways.org/. 

Friday, Feb. 1

Hungarian Jewry 

7:30 p.m. 

Temple Beth El 

2001 Vine St. 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj of Budapest, Hungry will present discuss his life in Hungry and his effort to bring Judaism inside the iron curtain. 848-3988 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

“Communities in Action”  

Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Saturday, Feb. 2

“Communities in Action”  

Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Sunday, Feb. 3

Religious Fundamentalism in Islam and Judaism 

1 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A course that explores the ways in which some Jews and Muslims have reacted to the challenges of the modern world. $35, $30 members. 845-6420, www.Lehrhaus.org 

Monday, Feb. 4

National Organization for Women 

6:30 - 8 p.m. 

6536 Telegraph Ave. 

February meeting of the Oakland East Bay Chapter of NOW. 287-8948. 

Writing an Ethical Will  

Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

Wednesday, Feb. 6

Get Connected: The Magic of Mingling 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches mingling strategies for social occasions. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Bringing Shabbat to Life: A Shabbat Workshop 

9:30 - 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches how to bring fun and peaceful family time to Shabbat through crafts, creative ideas and family projects. $5, $4 members. 848-0237 x127 

Institute of Government  

Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gregory Curtin lectures on “Transforming Local Government – The Impact of the Internet and New Information Technology”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Thursday, Feb. 7

Backpacking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Veteran backpacker, Eric Rorer, shares slides and information on his recent adventure in the Refuge’s Franklin Mountains. 527-7377 

Saturday, Feb. 9

Earthquake Retrofitting Class 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

The Office of Emergency Services offers a free class to show how to strengthen a wood frame home by installing expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware.  

924 Gilman Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/acme. html. 

The Albatross Jan. 31: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Jan. 30: Bob Schoen; Jan. 31: Jason Martineau & Dave Sayen; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Jan. 30: Sunru, Slaptones, DJ Kurse, $10; Jan. 31: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Jupiter Jan. 30: Joel Harrison Quartet; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas "A Therese" & "Les Adieux," Bruce Nalezny's "Poeme & Finale" and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers are collective virtuoso musicians centered on vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Christina Marrs and Wammo. The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival showcase concert highlighting a diverse mix of the East Bay’s best contemporary dance. Featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater and many more. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Featuring: Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be the featured soloist playing with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also featuring: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net,  

2076 University Ave., Berkeley 94704  

or fax to 841-5694.  

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.org. 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland, 239-2252, www.acteva.com/go/havefun. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” Masterworks by Guy Colwell. Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9, 2028 Ninth St., 841-4210, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387. 

Museums 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org. 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot by 40 foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821. 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley, 642-5132, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Half a block of the south side of University Avenue, between Milvia Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, was evacuated Tuesday following a bomb scare at the California Department of Corrections office. 

The threat was called into the Berkeley Police Department around 10:30 a.m.  

Christine Moore, deputy regional administrator for the Department of Corrections, said that a parolee had come to the office carrying a strange bag. A correctional officer became concerned after talking with the parolee. 

“He was acting unusual and appeared somewhat disheveled,” said Moore. 

The correctional officer notified the BPD Bomb Squad, and the parolee was taken into custody by officers from the Oakland Police Department, who happened to be on site. 

Police arrived and emptied a number of businesses, stretching roughly from the parole office at 1950 University Ave., to the UC Berkeley Department of Capital Projects at 1936 University Ave., in the Promenade building. 

BPD officers closed off the scene and sidewalk to pedestrian traffic.  

A number of people gathered across the street to watch, while employees of the affected businesses hung out mostly along the edges of the crime scene, chatting with officers. 

The California Highway Patrol arrived to offer traffic control support, but University Ave. was never closed to automobiles.  

The BPD bomb squad entered the building through its back door on Addison St. after donning their puffy, bomb-proof suits. 

Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department said the suspicious bag, which had wires sticking out of it, proved to contain a computer and other items. 

Christine Shaff, communications manager for the UCB Department of Capital Projects office at 1936 University Ave., was standing with her office-mates at the corner of Addison St. and MLK Way. 

Capital Projects employees carried color-coded folders carrying instructions and questionnaires. 

“It’s nice to put our safety practices to the test,” she said. 

The building was cleared at around 2:15 p.m., according to Moore, and all everyone was allowed to return to work.

Thanks to their “competitive anomaly” status, the Berkeley High girls’ basketball team will face each of their ACCAL opponents only once this season. But for the De Anza Dons, one game against the Lady ’Jackets was more than enough. 

With two starters out of the lineup due to injuries, the ’Jackets still romped over De Anza, 87-24, on Tuesday. Every Berkeley player in uniform played extensive minutes as the ’Jackets quickly took control of the game and never looked back. 

The Dons actually led the game when Stacy Tanaka hit a bank shot on their first possession, and the ’Jackets looked so uninspired that head coach Gene Nakamura called a timeout before they could even get another shot off. But after the Dons tied the game at 4-4 after two minutes, the ’Jackets used their big size and quickness advantages to run off a 11-0 streak that essentially put the game away. They got offensive rebounds and easy putbacks from Kalyca Seabrook, Sabrina Keys and Shavajaie James, and steals that became layups from Seabrook, Michi Yamamoto and Joy White.  

When De Anza’s Erica Johnson hit a jumper to stop the streak, Berkeley answered right back with a 19-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters and resulted in a 34-6 lead. 

“They just didn’t have any size, and we also had a big advantage in quickness,” Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura said. “They just didn’t have enough firepower to play with us.” 

Every Berkeley player scored at least 4 points, with five players in double figures. Seabrook and Natasha Bailey led with 13 points each, while Keys pitched in 12 points in very limited playing time. Sophomores White and James scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. 

Johnson led all scorers with 16 points, but mostly because she hoisted up 16 shots, making only 5. No other Don scored more than 4 points. 

The stat sheet told the story of the game. Berkeley shot 50 percent from the field while taking 21 more attempts, while the Dons shot just 17 percent. The ’Jackets had a 47-28 edge in rebounds and an amazing 24 steals in the 32-minute game. 

Nakamura hopes to have both Angelita Hutton and Devanei Hampton back for his team’s showdown with Reno High on Saturday. Hutton pulled a back muscle picking up a child and was said to be “probable” for the game. Hampton, a 6-foot-3 freshman, suffered stretched ligaments in her knee during last weekend’s tournament at Amador Valley and is wearing a walking cast that should come off on Thursday. Nakamura said he wasn’t sure if she would be available against Reno.

Editor: 

Students claim that it is nearly impossible for them to get elected to the Berkeley City Council, and that they should receive preferential treatment via the creation of a student district (Berkeley Daily Planet Jan. 24). 

I would suggest that students take a cue from the Northern California black community which has no representation in the State Assembly. 

Instead of clamoring for their own assembly district, they are challenging the status quo with a viable candidate that has the support of both moderates and progressives such as Mayor Shirley Dean and council member Maudelle Shirek.  

He is Democratic candidate Charles Ramsey, an African-American who is running against Loni Hancock. 

The 14th Assembly District contains large – and growing – minority populations, but has been represented by white elected officials such as Dion Aroner and Tom Bates.  

Just like the African-American community in Assembly District 14, students need to field candidates for city council that are bridge builders to the community at large.  

Redistricting and gerrymandering have not been viewed favorably by the electorate as the recent referendum effort showed; what this city clamors for is good leadership, not balkanization in the form of enclaves with narrow political interests. 

Robert Cabrera 

Berkeley 

Four Claremont Resort & Spa workers, who are currently involved in union contract negotiations, were indefinitely suspended Monday for apparently handing out union leaflets at the entrance way of the exclusive hotel. 

The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 2850 has been negotiating a new union contract with the hotel, which is owned by the multi-billion dollar company KSL Recreation, since last September. The workers had been covered by an interim contract which was renewed on a daily basis. But according to union organizer Liz Oakley, the interim contract was canceled by the hotel on Jan. 18. 

In addition, 70 percent of the 140 spa workers who are not currently represented by the union, have said they want to join primarily to receive increased benefits, such as medical insurance. 

Last Saturday about 45 employees were handing out pro-union leaflets at the hotel. On Sunday, four of the employees who were handing out leaflets at the hotel’s main entrance, Yolanda Smith Leslie Fitzgerald, John Laane and Fidel Arroyo received telephone calls from the hotel’s management saying that they were on suspension pending further investigation. 

According to Arroyo, management did not give a specific reason for the suspension. 

Director of Marketing for the Claremont Denise Chapman hotel management does not comment on employee relations.  

“I can say that the hotel has been involved in good faith negotiations with Local 2850 since September,” she said. 

But Oakley said the suspensions are illegal.  

“There is no lawful reason for these suspensions,” she said. “Management has repeatedly threatened and intimidated the workers with suspensions. They’re running a really viscous anti-union campaign.”  

Arroyo, who became a father sixteen days ago, said his suspension has been particularly worrisome because his wife is on maternity leave. 

“I have been working there for eight years and my record is clear. I’ve never even come to work late,” he said. “They told me I was suspended and to wait for a call from human resources. I am waiting but the call has not come.” 

Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmember Linda Maio are supporting the hotel workers. Dean and Councilmember Linda Maio are writing competing recommendations that will appear on next Tuesday’s council agenda.  

Dean spokesperson Tamlyn Bright said Dean is “appalled” that the hotel is resisting the spa workers attempts to unionize. “The mayor is planning to offer her services as a mediator between management and the workers,” she said.  

Councilmember Linda Maio said hotel management has become harsh to the workers since the contract expired. 

“They’re playing hardball,” she said. “The management shouldn’t be fighting this. The workers are only asking for very basic things like healthcare.” 

Chapman said the hotel supports the spa workers unionizing. “The union would first have to petition for a ballot election and that has not occurred,” she said. “We support our spa employees unionizing but we believe it would be in their best interest not to unionize.” 

But suspended worker Leslie Fitzgerald said that since KSL Recreation took over the hotel in 1998 they have not respected the workers.  

“It’s the most expensive spa in the area and they pay the spa workers the least,” she said. “The first thing KSL did when they took over was to fire everybody in the spa and they only hired half of us back. It was humiliating and degrading.” 

Fitzgerald said that the workers who were hired back lost medical benefits and were also subject to a $3-5 pay cut.

Editor: 

I thought it might be helpful to share some information and thoughts with you about the direction that the traffic safety/traffic calming task force for the Willard/Bateman area seems to be going. 

This task force has met some five times now since the large meetings that again revitalized the process around the time after the College Avenue repaving. The primary focus of the meetings has been to address the safety problems at Ashby and Benvenue – apparently the worst nonarterial intersection for accidents in Berkeley. However, during the discussions many other issues come up – mostly dealing with traffic in the neighborhoods or merchant concerns such as parking and related traffic flow. 

People have been expressing concerns and meeting for years trying to get some improvement in the traffic situation in our area. 

Unfortunately, the traffic engineers have limited resources and seem to be essentially disabled when faced with modest levels of disagreement about potential solutions from citizens (residents, merchants, etc.). 

The step that seems to be now going forward is something that appears to cause the least controversy while seeming to at least provide a plausible means to improve the safety situation.  

As a temporary measure (up to nine months to get experience with it) Reh-Lin Chen has decided to put in islands to force right turns when entering Ashby from Benvenue, Hillegass, and likely Regent from the north (not yet fully decided). Since the majority of accidents at Benvenue and Ashby involve a car trying to cross Ashby, this would on the surface seem to cut out a major set of the collision accidents at that intersection.  

The thinking has been that a similar treatment for the other two intersections will stop cross traffic from just moving to them. You can see the basic idea of this approach at: http://www.healthstart.com/traffic/berkeley/calm-3.gif (using Benvenue as an example). 

Like any compromise, this approach doesn’t really make anybody happy. I know that Paul Tuleja and others from the TACTC group have been pushing very hard to get partial barriers blocking the entry to Benvenue north - e.g. as: 

This group is also very concerned about right and left hand turns into Benvenue that tend to be accelerated by the Ashby traffic flow. The TACTC group circulated a petition and gathered some 60 signatures on a petition asking for such a partial barrier. Similar petitions were circulated on Regent and Florence streets. However, there was enough concern expressed by the merchants, people in Bateman and others (though I never heard any opposition from within the Willard area nearest Ashby) that Reh-Lin Chen felt he couldn't go forward with such an approach at this time. 

In the most recent meeting of the task force it was pointed out that the right turn only treatment for Hillegass and Regent south of Ashby will force all the people on the streets closest to Ashby to turn right when leaving their neighborhood – even if they want to go west or north. They will then have little alternative if they want to go west (e.g. to downtown Berkeley) but to turn left into Benvenue – thereby increasing traffic into Benvenue.  

There has also been discussion of blocking Benvenue at Woolsey which would exacerbate this situation. 

In the end, however, after seemingly endless discussion it was decided to try the forced right turn to make an effort to determine what its long term consequences actually would be. After the islands (and related signs) are put into place some traffic counts will be done to compare traffic on the various streets to what it is without the islands (e.g. counts that have been taken relatively recently). 

Also of course it will be possible to compare accident statistics. However, I expect the main feedback will be human from the people in the area - piping up at future meetings saying we like or don't like this or that about the effects of the islands. 

James E. [Jed] Donnelley  

for the TACTC group.

You can decide M&M’s new color 

NEWARK, N.J. — Seven years after blue became a part of its chocolate rainbow, the maker of M&M’s wants the world to decide on a new color from choices the Easter bunny might like. 

The maker of the multicolored chocolate candies will add either purple, pink or aqua M&M’s to the mix by August, said Bob Gamgort, vice president and general manager of chocolate for Hackettstown-based Masterfoods USA. 

The company’s market research shows that these three colors are consumers’ top choices to add to the red, green, blue, yellow, brown and orange candies already in the bags, Gamgort said. 

Masterfoods said it was advertising in 78 countries and taking votes on its Web site to decide what the new color will be. The site and a toll-free telephone number will take votes from March 6 to May 31, and the company will announce the winning color June 19. 

Gamgort said the new color will be available in all flavors of M&M’s in August through the end of the year, when the company will decide whether to include it permanently. 

The company introduced the color blue in the same way in 1995. 

Man robs bank to stay out of jail 

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — A man arrested for robbing a bank said he only committed the crime so he could pay his bail bondsman and stay out of jail, police said. 

Donald S. Guthrie, 27, was arrested over the weekend in an armed robbery of the M&T Bank in Avis, about 70 miles north of Harrisburg. He was already facing criminal charges for an alleged burglary at a coin-operated laundry. 

Guthrie had written a check to his bail bondsman and robbed the bank to cover the check so he wouldn’t go back to jail, police said Guthrie’s friend told them. 

After allegedly robbing the bank of $9,000, Guthrie fled in his car until he hit a tree stump. A passer-by stopped to help and gave Guthrie a ride. 

Officers, who had seen Guthrie’s image on the bank surveillance tape, put two and two together after discovering that the time and location of the accident would have allowed him to rob the bank. 

Guthrie was charged with felony armed robbery, theft and receiving stolen property. He was charged with burglary, theft, and other charges in connection with the earlier burglary. 

A call to Guthrie’s court-appointed attorney was not answered Monday. 

——— 

BOSTON (AP) — A woman rummaging through papers in her attic has found a letter from a father — a founding father. 

Among the dusty documents was the two-page letter, dated Aug. 14, 1811, from Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, a former cabinet secretary. 

“Apparently it was just one of those classic moments where someone went poking into papers that had not been disturbed for 50 years in an attic and discovered Thomas Jefferson,” said Kenneth Gloss, who bought the letter recently from members of an estate in Belmont who wished to remain anonymous. 

The Belmont house in which the letter was found once belonged to a lawyer distantly related to Dearborn. 

In the letter, Jefferson, then two years out of the White House, criticizes Bostonians’ lack of appetite for the upcoming War of 1812. 

“The powers & preeminences conferred on them are daggers put into the hands of assassins, to be plunged into our own bosoms in the moment the thrush can go home to the heart,” Jefferson wrote. 

Also among the papers were letters from John Quincy Adams. Those were donated to the Massachusetts Historical Society. 

“A sensational little find,” said William Fowler, the society’s director. 

Gloss, owner of Boston’s Brattle Street Book Shop, said he expects to sell the Jefferson letter for more than $45,000. 

——— 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — It took nearly 60 years but Elbowoods High School has finally been recognized as North Dakota’s 1942 state Class B boys basketball champion. 

Elbowoods fell to Lakota 32-31 in the 1942 state championship game, but officials later discovered Lakota had used an ineligible player. 

The North Dakota High School Activities Association recognized Elbowoods as the champ in 1943 by default, but changed its mind a year later and decided that no team would be listed as champion. 

Officials said the ineligible player left the Lakota tournament games in doubt for that era, and a number of teams might try to claim their share of the crown. 

Since 1944, the phrase “No champion” has been listed next to 1942 in the state basketball record books. 

That changed over the weekend, when the High School Activities Association board voted to give Elbowoods the title. 

The whereabouts of the 1942 state championship trophy is unknown. The association took the trophy from Lakota after ruling the school ineligible. School officials do not know where it went. 

BOSTON — Jack Welch, the former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., has donated $1 million for scholarships to help students at his alma mater. 

The money will go to Salem High School graduates attending the University of Massachusetts. 

UMass president William M. Bulger announced the John and Grace Welch Endowed Scholarships on Tuesday.  

The fund is named after the executive’s parents. 

“My years at Salem and at UMass were a very important part of my life, and I hope these scholarships will allow other young people from Salem to realize their dreams, just as UMass helped me realize mine,” Welch said. 

Welch is on a promotional tour for his memoir “Jack: Straight from the Gut,” and won’t be attending the event. He retired last September after 20 years as GE’s top executive. 

Welch graduated from Salem High in 1953, and from UMass four years later. 

The class of 2002 will be the first eligible for the scholarships.  

Each year one man and one woman will receive the scholarships. 

In 1997, Welch paid for lighting for the school’s football field. 

——— 

ST. PAUL (AP) — Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has used his military record to deflect criticism and bash foes but has kept mostly mum on what he did during the Vietnam War, has disclosed for the first time that he did not see combat. 

“To the best of my knowledge, I was never fired upon,” Ventura said in an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press for an article published Monday about his years as a Navy SEAL in the 1970s. 

Ventura had suggested in an interview with the Star Tribune of Minneapolis last year that he had “hunted man,” but wouldn’t give details then or now. And he has steadfastly refused to disclose much about his two overseas deployments, which totaled 17 months, saying his commanding officer gave their unit strict orders never to talk about what they had seen or done. 

Ventura had never specifically claimed to have fought in Vietnam. 

Based at Subic Bay in the Philippines, when he was still known as James Janos, Ventura earned the Vietnam Service Medal. It was awarded to 3 million servicemen and servicewomen who were in Vietnam, in surrounding countries or on ships off the coast. 

While Ventura often brags about his SEAL background and some of his exploits while training in the Philippines as a member of Underwater Demolition Team 12, he refused to say what he did to earn his Vietnam Service Medal. 

——— 

LONDON (AP) — Twin actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are stretching their multimedia tentacles across the Atlantic Ocean by launching their clothing line in Britain. 

The Mary-Kate and Ashley clothing already is a hit in the United States, where the 15-year-old girls rose to fame in the TV series “Full House,” which ran from 1987-95. Since then, they’ve built a multimillion-dollar empire that includes movies, TV shows, videos and books. 

The clothing will go on sale later this year at Asda, a subsidiary of U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart, which has an exclusive licensing deal with the twins. 

Robert Thorne, founder with the twins of Dualstar, the company that markets them, said Tuesday he expected the clothing line to take off rapidly among the tweens — girls between ages 8 and 12. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.marykateandashley.com 

——— 

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Actors Danny Glover and Felix Justice spoke the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and poet Langston Hughes in a free performance that packed Hancher Auditorium. 

“There is something about doing this that makes me feel like I’m a part of something much larger,” Glover, star of the “Lethal Weapon” movies and “The Color Purple,” said Monday night. 

“These are words we’re all capable of embracing,” he said. 

Justice said “An Evening with Martin and Langston” is an educational performance, and no one is more educated by the piece than they are. 

“There are nuggets in every performance,” he said. 

Glover drew criticism last fall for saying at an anti-death penalty rally that Osama bin Laden should be spared the death penalty if captured. 

He said he believes King, in statements about loving your enemy and putting the value of man before money, likely would have had much to say in the wake of Sept. 11. 

OAKLAND — The most recent economic forecast for the Bay Area from the Association of Bay Area Governments suggests reasons for the region to be somewhat optimistic about an economic recovery. 

Presenting the short-term outlook to governmental budget directors and to members of the business community in Oakland today, ABAG research director and economist Paul Fassinger said the Bay Area is expected to recover from the recession by the third quarter of 2002. The recovery will be accompanied by a slight growth in jobs and household income by the end of the year, he said. 

However, Fassinger noted that the recovery will not bring the Bay Area back to the fast growth that was experienced from 1997 to 2000, the heyday of the dot-coms. Instead, the growth rates will be slower, and similar to the pace experienced before the accelerated growth of the last few years.  

ABAG figures show that in the Bay Area last year, household income dropped by 2.5 percent from the previous year. This year, a growth of 0.2 percent is predicted, while in 2003, household income is expected to go up by 1.7 percent. 

Inflation, which was 5.4 percent in 2001, is expected to reach 2 percent this year and 2.5 percent in 2003. 

In 2001, there were 53,800 jobs created, while the number is expected to grow by 10,100 in 2002 and 40,000 in 2003. 

In its report, which covers the years 2002 to 2003, ABAG predicts that the Bay Area will recover at the same time as the rest of the country, a prediction not shared by analysts who say that the region's large number of high-technology industry businesses will lead to a slower bounce back. 

Fassinger notes that the high-tech sector is too diverse for anyone to lump all the businesses it encompasses together and take the data as an economic indicator. 

Fassinger also pointed out that not all of the Bay Area's downturn can be attributed to high technology. The downturn can also be attributed to drops in tourism and finance, and those businesses are expected to recover, he said.

Methadone stolen from addiction treatment center deliveryman 

A man stole four bottles of methadone from a delivery man on at 11 a.m. Jan. 22, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. 

The victim was making a delivery to Berkeley Addiction Treatment Services, a methadone clinic located at 2975 Sacramento St. Standing outside, near his truck, he loaded a small cart with drugs to be delivered to the clinic.  

As he headed toward the clinic with the delivery, he noticed a suspicious person across the street. The victim had nearly reached the front door when the suspect rushed up to him, grabbed a box from the cart and fled down Sacramento. 

The box contained four bottles of methadone, a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction. 

The suspect is described as a 21-year-old black male with a dark brown complexion, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. He had a short afro hairdo, and was wearing dark pants and a black jacket. 

Woman robbed  

at knifepoint 

A woman was held up at knifepoint in west Berkeley also on the evening of Jan. 22, according to Lt. Harris. 

The victim had gotten off a bus at the corner of University Avenue and Sacramento Street and was walking west on Allston Way. After walking for a while, the victim said, she saw a man standing in the driveway of a house. The man reportedly said something to her, and she became frightened. 

The victim began to walk faster. Soon she felt a hand on her backpack. The suspect held a knife in front of her and demanded her money. 

The victim handed the suspect her wallet. He took the money out of it, dropped it on the ground and fled on foot. 

The suspect is described as a black male between the ages of 18 and 25. He was wearing a black ski jacket and a black knit cap. 

Foiled again 

A gunman who tried to rob to Foster’s Freeze on University Avenue was foiled by the building’s alarm system on Jan. 23, according to Lt. Harris. 

The victims, two employees of the restaurant, were closing up  

the business at around 11 p.m. They had just exited the rear of the building when they were approached by the suspect, who wielded a handgun. 

The suspect told the victims to go back inside. They began to comply, but the building’s alarm – which the victims had set prior to closing the shop – went off. The suspect fled. 

He is described as a black male between the ages of 20 and 23. He was between 5 feet, 9 inches and six feet tall. He was wearing a black jacket, dark pants and a black skull cap. 

Library construction crew burglarized 

The construction crew working on the Central Library was burglarized late last week, according to Lt. Harris. 

The crew arrived on the job Thursday morning to discover that a piece of plywood used to secure the site had been pried open. They then found that the locks on their toolbox had been broken, and a number of tools were missing. 

The Central Library renovation project, which is some $5 million over budget, is expected to be finished before April. It was originally scheduled to be completed in October 2000. 

SAN QUENTIN— Stephen Wayne Anderson, described by his defenders as the poet laureate of the condemned and by prosecutors as a stone-cold killer, was executed early Tuesday. 

Anderson, 48, was pronounced dead from lethal injection at 12:30 a.m. PST after his request for a last-minute reprieve was turned down by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Anderson was sentenced to die for killing 81-year-old Elizabeth Lyman after breaking into her house on Memorial Day 1980. Members of Lyman’s family, who had asked that Anderson’s sentence be commuted to life in prison without parole, chose not to attend the execution. 

Anderson’s attorneys had asked Gov. Gray Davis to spare Anderson’s life. They portrayed the Lyman killing as a mundane burglary gone wrong and argued that Anderson was the victim of a harsh childhood and incompetent trial lawyer. 

Prosecutors countered that Anderson was an escaped convict with a long criminal record when he broke into Lyman’s home. They pointed out that after shooting her in the face he ransacked the house, watched television in her living room and made himself a meal in her kitchen. 

Anderson would later confess to killing Lyman and two men in Utah, including a fellow prison inmate. He also confessed to six contract killings in Nevada, although there was no corroborating evidence of those murders. 

Predicting, correctly, that Davis would not grant clemency, Anderson’s attorneys fought an unsuccessful legal battle to get the clemency decision turned over to the lieutenant governor, claiming Davis was biased. 

The defense team also lost its legal challenges to the sentence, which included claims that Anderson got bad legal representation – two other clients of the same lawyer did get their death sentences overturned for that reason — and that he was jailed too long before being charged after his 1980 arrest. 

Anderson was the 10th inmate executed in California since voters reinstated capital punishment in 1978. 

In 1981, Anderson joined a death row that numbered fewer than 50 inmates. As of Tuesday, the count was over 600. 

Anderson left no official last words. But he did leave behind scores of poems that his supporters said showed a soul reformed. 

His lawyers quoted one, “Unchained Visions,” in a statement they released after the execution: 

“If no other misses you, I will:/I will sense the emptiness/where once you breathed.” 

“It has been a privilege to represent him. We will miss him greatly,” his public defender, Margo Rocconi, wrote. 

Rocconi was the last person to communicate with Anderson. 

As he lay on the gurney in the death chamber, she mouthed the words, “I love you,” three times to the condemned man. Witnesses said he responded: “Thank you.”

SACRAMENTO — Electricity deregulation could be “dead in the water” for a few years due to bad publicity from Enron’s bankruptcy, an energy market researcher said Tuesday. 

“For basically political reasons, no one is going to be pushing deregulation,” said Michael Reid, who follows the energy market for Platts, the energy market information division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. 

Enron, an energy marketer and trader, led the charge for deregulation of energy market, Reid said. “They were the biggest and the baddest. They were the company to beat.” 

The energy giant’s recent collapse is under investigation by several congressional committees, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission. California’s Legislature and the state’s attorney general have subpoenaed Enron documents in their investigations into possible price manipulation in the state’s energy market last year. 

Texas, which opened its energy market to competition this month, shows that deregulated markets can work, Reid said. Enron was expected to be a big player in that market, and despite its bankruptcy, their customers are being served. 

“It appears that the Texas market is working as planned,” he said. 

Still, he said, that probably won’t “carry much weight in the capitols of states that haven’t committed to deregulation.” 

California approved deregulation in 1996, but capped the rates retail customers would pay.  

When wholesale rates soared far above what customers paid, three utilities amassed billions of dollars in debts. The state had to step up to buy electricity when the utilities’ credit ratings were downgraded last January. 

Since that time, the state has moved further away from deregulation, even creating a state power authority that can build, buy or lease power plants to ensure that California has sufficient electricity supplies. 

Between Enron’s collapse and California’s failed attempt to deregulate, Reid said he doesn’t see any lawmakers willing to promote market restructuring. “They’ll be steering clear of this topic for a while.” 

The message consumers are getting from the coverage of Enron’s woes is that “Enron equals deregulation,” he said. “Enron equals trouble. So it’s just a short step to deregulation equals trouble.” 

Enron’s troubles could also deter investors from funding new power plants or distribution companies, further delaying restructuring since opening up the retail energy market depends on competition, Reid said. 

And Enron was “the most active and visible proponent” in pushing for more competition in energy markets, Reid said, adding that no other energy company was stepping up to do that work. 

While Enron was a dominant voice in the argument for deregulating electricity markets, it wasn’t the only one, said Jan Smutny-Jones, executive director of Independent Energy Producers. 

“There’s a large number of policy makers, economists and analysts who advocate the move to restructure the markets,” he said. “I don’t think we should confuse what happened with Enron with the wisdom of restructuring.” 

Bill Ahern of Consumers Union likes that state and federal regulators may be more cautious in deregulating energy markets. 

“It’s the reconsideration that’s badly needed,” he said. “All this restructuring needs to be rethought.” 

Before states open their electricity markets to competition, he said, they need to find a way to protect residential and small business customers. 

“They get bad information, prices are volatile and there are not enough energy providers eager to serve the small energy users’ market,” Ahern said. 

SAN FRANCISCO — The newly combined ChevronTexaco Corp. stumbled to a fourth-quarter loss of $2.5 billion as the company paid for the aftershocks of its merger and revised its outlook in the depressed energy market. 

The loss, which translated into $2.36 per share, stemmed from $3 billion in charges as the company lowered the projected value of some holdings and dealt with the costs of the October marriage between Chevron and Texaco. 

The fourth-quarter setback, announced Tuesday, contrasted with a profit of $2.04 billion, or $1.92 per share, in the prior year. That figure represents what the company estimates it would have earned had Chevron and Texaco been together in the final three months of 2000. 

This year, fourth-quarter revenue plunged 33 percent to $21.46 billion, down from $32.26 billion in the prior year’s comparable period, reflecting lower prices the company received for oil, gasoline and natural gas. 

Even without the special charges, the fourth quarter represented a letdown. 

ChevronTexaco said it earned $498 million, or 47 cents per share, excluding the fourth-quarter charges — a 78 percent drop from net income of $2.29 billion, or $2.15 per share, in the prior year. 

The dramatic decline was much worse than Wall Street had anticipated. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call expected earnings of 90 cents per share, excluding special charges. If not for gains from favorable currency exchanges, Chevron’s fourth-quarter operating profit would have been 36 cents per share, or $382 million. 

The company’s shares plummeted $3.70 to close at $85.17 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. 

“This was a pretty bad miss, but at this point, I think it would have to be considered a hiccup rather than something worse,” said industry analyst Tyler Dann of Banc of America Securities. 

ChevronTexaco’s fourth-quarter slump illustrated the drastic turnaround in energy prices. As natural gas and oil prices soared in 2000 and the first half of 2001, Chevron — then operating without Texaco — enjoyed the most prosperous period of its long history. 

But the boom ended with a thud in the fourth quarter. 

ChevronTexaco said it sold its refined oil products for an average of $24.25 per barrel in the fourth quarter, a 45 percent decrease from the prior year. Meanwhile, the company sold natural gas for an average of $2.27 per thousand cubic feet, a 60 percent decline. 

“A rising tide lifted these ships and now that the tide is receding, the ships are sinking,” said industry analyst Fadel Gheit of Fahnestock & Co. “It looks like they are going to start the new year off on the wrong foot, too. I don’t think we are going to see any good news from this company during the first half of the year.” 

ChevronTexaco CEO David O’Reilly called the fourth-quarter results “disappointing,” but reassured investors the merger is proceeding smoothly. 

The company remains on track to extract $1.8 billion in annual savings from the merger, O’Reilly said, but the cost of making the expense cuts will be $2 billion — about $500 million more than management anticipated. 

ChevronTexaco recognized $1.17 billion in merger charges in the fourth quarter, including $700 million for employee severance. The company expects to record the remaining $800 million in merger charges through 2003. 

The company also registered $1.85 billion in fourth-quarter charges as management reassessed the value of its assets and how much oil ChevronTexaco is likely to recover from its properties around the world. Nearly $1.3 billion of these charges related to lowered expectations at oil fields in California’s San Joaquin Valley and in Venezuela. 

For the full year, ChevronTexaco earned $3.29 billion, or $3.08 per share, on revenue of $106.2 billion. On a comparable basis in the prior year, the company said it would have earned $7.73 billion, or $7.21 per share, on revenue of $119.1 billion. 

——— 

On The Net: 

http://www.chevrontexaco.com 

LOS ANGELES — Hilton Hotels Corp. said Tuesday that profit fell 93.5 percent during the fourth quarter from a year earlier, citing a severe slowdown in travel after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

The company reported net income of $4 million, or 1 cent a share, in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with profit of $64 million, or 17 cents a share, a year ago. 

“The fourth quarter was a tough one,” said Stephen Bollenbach, president and chief executive, who forecast that sales will continue to decline throughout the current year. 

The Beverly Hills-based hotel operator — whose chains include Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites and Doubletree — said the impact of Sept. 11 was felt by almost all of its hotels, with those in Washington, D.C., Honolulu and San Francisco taking an extra hard hit. 

Net income slightly exceeded expectations. The consensus earnings estimate among analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call was for a break-even quarter. 

Revenue declined 24 percent to $662 million, as the occupancy rate at U.S. owned-or-operated hotels dropped 8.7 percent to 59.7 percent. Hilton also charged 11.5 percent less on room rent, an average $124.64 per room. 

“These numbers would have concerned me if you’d told me six months ago. But given the effects of Sept. 11, and the economic decline, these numbers don’t surprise me,” said Todd Jordan, an analyst with Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein Securities LLC in New York, who praised the company for paying down debt during the tough quarter. 

Bollenbach said he was “reasonably optimistic for this year,” but warned that “a significant recovery may be some months off.” 

The company said sales will decline 15 percent to 20 percent in the current quarter and end the year down 1 percent overall. But the declines will likely be offset by a 2 percent to 3 percent rise in revenue per available room, a key measurement for the hotel industry, the company said. 

Business travel should pick up in the third or fourth quarter, Bollenbach said. The biggest challenge in the interim will be controlling costs, which are under pressure from rising insurance and health care payments, he said. 

Despite weak results, Hilton added 35 new hotels to its franchise system in the fourth quarter. Another 130 properties are in the pipeline, Bollenbach said. 

The company also sold its Red Lion chain of 41 hotels to WestCoast Hospitality Corp. during the quarter, for an after-tax gain of approximately $5 million, or 1 cent a share. 

For the full year, Hilton posted a profit of $166 million, or 45 cents a share, compared with $272 million in 2000, or 73 cents a share. Revenue declined 12 percent to $3.1 billion from $3.5 billion. 

A Monday morning dispute in the 2000 block of Blake Street sent one man to the Highland Hospital with a gunshot wound to the thigh. 

According to Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Lt. Cynthia Harris, one of two women who live at the Blake Street residence was involved in an altercation with a male acquaintance sometime around 9:30 a.m. The police had already been called but had not arrived when the women yelled out for assistance. 

The woman’s roommate apparently then shot the male acquaintance. 

“The woman called for help and subsequently her roommate shot the victim in the thigh” Harris said. “The suspect surrendered immediately to police.” 

Harris said the victim was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland. Hospital officials did not return inquires from the Daily Planet regarding the victim’s condition. Harris said the BPD has no one is in custody, and that the incident is under investigation.  

Harris said that just as police were arriving at the residence they heard the gunshot and called for assistance.  

According to Robert Singer, president of Timberline Geodesics, which is across the street from the residence where the shooting took place, about eight police cars, marked and unmarked, swarmed the street.  

“There were at least 10 officers who approached the house,” he said. “The man came out first limping and then the women came out with her hands up.” 

Editor: 

In Hank Resnik’s 1/7/02 opinion piece centered on his observation that a city in France “has refused to let private auto dominate everyday life” and suggests a similar “vision” for Berkeley, Resnick ignores the major elements of life in the French city he visited and the negative impact of his vision on Berkeley’s environment. Based on my/our observations of French cities, and my discussions with someone who was born and educated in the region, I think the following are relevant: 

Most European cities manage autos, they don’t wish they would go away. Large parking structures are abundant and their existence allows redefinition of other parts of their cities. In France the abundance of small bakeries, food and produce vendors and stores allows most residents to enjoy a lifestyle that is “daily” oriented and thus shop almost daily by bicycle or on foot. By contrast, in Berkeley as well as the rest of the U.S.A we have “Supermarkets,” which have developed such innovations as the “six pack.” Needless to say this promotes “weekly” shopping and use of the car. The growing absence of local resources in Berkeley has increased and will continue to promote more auto traffic as residents drive to surrounding cities to shop. The restriction of autos will further accelerate the decline in local businesses and increase auto traffic. Not managing parking the way they do in Europe, merely increases miles driven and the sad fact is that a parked car doesn’t pollute Berkeley’s air, but the car cursing to find a parking space does.  

In letters from others it has been noted that the “car-reduction” measures in the current General Plan existed in the prior General Plan, however the next effect over time has been to increase the number of cars in Berkeley. 

We have hated cars and parking and the situation has decayed. We must manage cars and parking so our streets are safe for all and the net number of miles driven is reduced. We can get some relief from simple actions such as encouraging if not organizing “car pooling” for shopping not only reduces the “one passenger” shopping trips, but induce neighbors to find ways to further cooperate to reduce local traffic.  

John Cecil 

via e-mail

924 Gilman Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/acme .html. 

The Albatross Jan. 31: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Jan. 29: Tangria; Jan. 30: Bob Schoen; Jan. 31: Jason Martineau & Dave Sayen; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Jan. 29: Funkanauts, Len Patterson Trio, $3; Jan. 30: Sunru, Slaptones, DJ Kurse, $10; Jan. 31: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Jupiter Jan. 30: Joel Harrison Quartet; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven’s Sonatas “A Therese” & “Les Adieux,” Bruce Nalezny’s “Poeme & Finale” and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers are collective virtuoso musicians centered on vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Christina Marrs and Wammo. The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival showcase concert highlighting a diverse mix of the East Bay’s best contemporary dance. Featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater and many more. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Featuring: Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be the featured soloist playing with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also featuring: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616 

Dance 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.org. 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland, 239-2252, www.acteva.com/go/havefun. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” Masterworks by Guy Colwell. Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9, 2028 Ninth St., 841-4210, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387. 

Museums 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org. 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot by 40 foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821. 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley, 642-5132, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Tuesday, Jan 29

Berkeley High School Site Council Meeting  

4 p.m. 

Berkeley High School 

Room H105 

2246 Milvia St.  

On the agenda will be a vote on staff development and discussion of the school site plan. The meeting is open to the BHS community. www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/ssc/.  

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

Camera Club Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Weekly meeting of the Berkeley Camera Club offers the opportunity to share slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 547-4514 

Dens(c)ity: Two or Three Things  

about Architecture  

and the New World Order 

12:30 - 2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Lesley Naa Norle Lokko is a Principal Lecturer and Academic Leader in theSchool of Architecture and Interior Design, University of North London. Her research focuses on questions of race and cultural identity and their relationship to architectural and urban culture. 642-5992, bcgit@uclink.berkeley.edu. 

Wednesday, Jan. 30

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

Public Library, West Branch 

1125 University Ave. 

A participatory program for families with children up to age 3. Stories, songs and fingerplays as entertainment and as a way for parents to learn some new material to share with their young ones. 981-6270. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART Station 

A peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to U.S. bombing of Afghanistan. Ends at MLK Civic Center Park. www.indymedia.org. 

American Political History  

Seminar 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

109 Moses Hall 

Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, will be talking about his new book, “The Best of Times: America in the Clinton Years” 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu:8880/. 

Debtors Anonymous 

6:30 - 7:45 p.m. 

Mandana Community Recovery Center 

3989 Howe St., Oakland 

Weekly Meeting. 415-522-9099. 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

Thursday, Jan. 31

Backpacking the Diablo Trail 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seth Adams will share slides and information on backpacking this newly completed trail that stretches for 30 miles from Walnut Creek to Brentwood. 527-4140 

Permaculture in Africa 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

Tim Krupnik presents a slide show highlighing his recent travels in Africa to learn about local sustainable agriculture. This event is a benefit for the Fambidzanai Permaculture Center in Zimbabwe that trains rural farmers in organic farming techniques. $5-10. 548-2220 x233, soilfirst@tao.ca.  

Falling in Love in the Golden Years 

7:30 p.m. 

North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 

1170 The Alameda 

A lecture discussing finding and keeping love in later life. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl 

Storytelling Workshop for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Stagebridge 

2501 Harrison St. 

A workshop instructing seniors how to tell traditional and personal stories to elementary-age children. 444-4755 

BirthWays 25th Anniversary 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen’s 

2005 Berrymen St. 

Parish Hall 

BirthWays welcomes all parents, future parents, birth support professionals and members of the community to celebrate its 25th anniversary. $20. 869-2797, http://www.birthways.org/. 

A new, student-run class at UC Berkeley called the “Inclusion Initiative” is working to address a shortage in attendants, or “personal care assistants,” for the city’s disabled. 

The course, launched in the fall by seniors Andrew Saito and Emily Teplin, focuses on legal and social issues facing the disabled, and requires students, able-bodied or disabled, to spend five hours per week in an attendant-client relationship. 

Attendants, who do not require any special training, provide a wide range of services, from helping immobile clients out of bed, to reading to the blind. 

“Bottom line, we started the class to recruit Cal students to work as attendants,” said Saito. 

Local disability advocates say they can use the help. Sean Riedy, personal assistance services coordinator for the Center for Independent Living, or CIL, a Berkeley-based nonprofit, said there are not enough attendants to meet local needs. 

“We’ve got a pretty large community of disabled people in the Berkeley area,” said Riedy, who estimates that there are more than 500 people in the city in need of attendants.  

Currently, Alameda County provides a database of about 500 personal attendants available to work for low-income clients. The county pays those attendants, through state funding, at a rate of $9 per hour. 

CIL uses the county list to refer low-income clients to attendants, but according to Riedy, only about one-third of the attendants on the list are in the immediate area, and willing to work in Berkeley. 

“We could use 500 in Berkeley alone,” Riedy said. 

CIL also maintains a list of 50 to 65 local attendants available for private hire by people who do not qualify for county assistance. Riedy said CIL could use 70 to 100 assistants on its “private pay” list. 

Jesse Towmley, executive director of Easy Does It, a Berkeley organization which provides emergency, on-call attendants, many of them college students, said his organization is also short-staffed. Currently, there are 21 attendants on the payroll. Fully-staffed, the organization, which is funded by the city to the tune of $640,000 per year, would have 32 assistants. 

Advocates say that, despite the shortage, the situation has actually improved in recent months. “In 2000, there was an acute attendant crisis because of the dot com boom,” Twomley said. “UC students, who are traditionally the bread and butter of the attendant market, were getting $50,000 to stare at a computer. 

“Since the bust,” he said, “we’ve been seeing an increase in qualified applicants.” 

Still, Twomley said, there is a significant shortage, and the “Inclusion Initiative” marks an important step toward closing the gap. “It’s really helpful that the students are getting more and more involved,” he said. 

Saito and Teplin, co-founders of the class, met during their sophomore year when both worked as personal assistants through the university’s Disabled Students Program. 

Last year, the pair decided they wanted to do something more for the disabled community. After talking with local advocates and deciding to focus on the attendant shortage, Saito and Teplin began developing the course through a program called Democratic Education at Cal, or DECAL. The program allows undergraduates to set up classes that students can take for course credit.  

The “Inclusion Initiative” enrolled about 35 students last semester, and the course is in its second week of classes this semester. Next week, when students finalize their classes, Teplin estimates that about 60 students will be enrolled. 

Last semester, Teplin and Saito brought in a wide range of guest speakers to talk about everything from legal issues to sexuality. But they also divided the class into two sections every week, allowing students to discuss the emotional and ethical issues surrounding their attendant-client relationships.  

“It’s really a support group,” said Teplin, describing the sections. 

Saito said the class has helped to raise awareness around disability issues, and shift the attitudes of the able-bodied. He said his experience as a personal assistant, during his sophomore year, had a similar effect on him. 

“I was very conscious of a discomfort I felt around disabled people, and I didn’t want to have that prejudice,” said Saito, arguing that he was able to confront, and overcome it, through his work as an attendant. 

Ben Chater, a freshman with cerbral palsy who took the class last semester, and will help facilitate it this semester, said he was “utterly impressed with the class,” and that “a lot of what they said rang so true for me.” 

But, he added that the practical effect of the class, which provided him with three personal attendants, each working a different shift, was equally important.  

“I don’t know what I would have done without the class,” Chater said, “because it’s really hard to get attendants otherwise.” 

Thursday night, the “Inclusion Initiative” will hold a “job fair,” from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Unit 1 Recreation Room, 2650 Durant Ave., to match up students and clients.  

Last semester, most attendants served university students, but this semester, Saito and Teplin hope to reach out more to the community. Local disability services groups, like CIL and Easy Does It, will attend. 

Editor: 

You suggested that I pass on information about our neighborhood, and what goes on over here in south Berkeley. I took you at your word. I read your article in the Planet Monday on Cop Watch, and wanted to comment on that particular organization and how it truly operates. 

First of all, my general impression of the Cops Watch folks is that they would object, in principal, to anything and EVERYTHING the Berkeley Police do. While they may not like it, the laws under which the BPD operate are legally binding on everyone, not just those philosophically-disposed to obey them. The fault does not lie with the police, but with those who choose to disregard and disobey those laws, when arrests are made and laws enforced.  

No society can withstand the pressures from individual selfishness WITHOUT laws, and those who operate as if it is their “judgement call” to act in conscious disregard of those laws deserve what they get. 

Second, the Cops Watch propaganda would like to put it out, that the Berkeley police are a bunch of mindless thugs who (implied-NEEDLESSLY) harass and attack innocent Berkeley residents. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who imagines that of the Berkeley Police Department officers, simply cannot KNOW any of them. If it wouldn't be such a shock to their systems to face the reality of who these people are, I would suggest that they actually get to KNOW individual officers, rather that hide behind the misbegotten notion that cops = bad guys. I can tell you from personal experience, since I am (at least) acquainted with over half of the BPD employees, there’s not one “Barney Fife,” or good ol’-boy-Southern-Sheriff-type in the bunch. Most of them go out of their way to be MORE than tolerant, MORE than cautious, MORE than restrained, in their use of (any sort of) force. Berkeley is NOT Los Angeles, not even Oakland, and stretching notions of what is considered professional law enforcement would never be tolerated in this city. It can’t, and it doesn’t. 

Not that it would make good press, but I could name you officer after officer, who dedicates his/her free time – on a volunteer basis – to help out in Berkeley communities, even though most of them don't actually live here.  

They coach Little League, they tutor kids, they mentor, they do social services by the dozens. None of these generous acts of kindness are ever acknowledged, noticed, or lauded, except by those most directly affected by their acts. But, then again, that view of who the BPD officers are would really cause some serious discordance in the Cop Watch take on reality. 

On the other hand, Cop Watch participants, busy trying to set themselves up as some sort of social heroes for “monitoring” legitimate police activity, are actually doing something else entirely different. I have WATCHED THEM myself, as they shoved video cameras in the faces of officers in the process of affecting an arrest. The point is to intimidate and harass, not merely record process and police actions. Just that interference, alone, can prejudice the standing of the arrest. In a City that has, effectively, already legitimized drug use by making it next to impossible to make charges stick, they are interfering with justice, plain and simple. 

After one such act of interference with police activity, the so-called activists shoved a microphone in the face of one officer I know, and asked him if he wanted to “make a comment,” for the record. He declined, saying merely that he didn't think he would be the best person for them to interview. 

What he DIDN'T say, was that he had personally picked up two of the main Cop Watch leaders, and taken them to the hospital for treatment, when he found them overdosed on HEROIN. 

When Cop Watch participants come to the table with clean hands themselves, then and only then should they have a right to express an opinion about the police, and be heard and listened to by the majority of the law-abiding residents of Berkeley. 

The author’s name has been withheld from this letter for her safety.

Noel Turner, Jr. died about 5 p.m. Saturday at Highland Hospital due to complications related to a gunshot wound to the head, making him the second homicide victim in Berkeley since the beginning of the year. The incident also intensifies the police department’s so-far fruitless search for information on two men seen running from the scene of that crime. 

But the community has thus far been of little help to police in their efforts to find the suspects responsible for taking the life of 29-year-old Turner and 28-year-old Rammar Johnson at approximately 3:30 a.m. last Tuesday in the 3300 block of King Street in south Berkeley. 

“We are looking for the community’s help in this one,” said Lt. Cynthia Harris, spokesperson for the Berkeley Police Department. “This has been a very difficult one for us to go on, because we have no motive and we have no descriptions. All we have is that two people were seen running away from the scene of the crime.” 

To further complicate the BPD’s efforts is that the shooting occurred at such an obscure hour of the evening and that many southside residents have been deeply disturbed by the recent trend of violence in their neighborhood. 

“Yes, they are upset,” Harris said. “Many of them are older, and they are very concerned about the recent violence.” 

But at this point there are no leads in the investigation. 

What is known about the shooting is that the victims were found inside the front seat of either Turner’s or a relative of Turner’s car. Both victims are from Oakland and, according to Harris, are not at all familiar to the BPD. 

Police are still investigating whether the shooting may have been drug-related. Anyone who may have information about the case is urged to contact the city's homicide division at (510) 981-5741. 

PALO ALTO — At age 8, Mario Pagan might have asked for a trip to Disneyland or a visit from a professional athletes to get his mind off cancer. 

Instead, he simply wanted to play in the dirt just outside his Palo Alto hospital window. 

Mario got his wish in a big way Friday when he helped construction workers at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital carve out a foundation for a new building. 

Mario’s grandmother and guardian, Debbie Allen, persuaded the hospital and builders to let the sick boy strap on a hard hat and go to work on the new cancer treatment center due for completion in 2003. 

“I haven’t seen this smile for a long, long time,” Allen said of Mario. 

The boy’s mother, Monika Pagan, came from her home in Idaho to watch him climb on a worker’s lap and help navigate the heavy machinery through mounds of dirt. 

Mario suffers from desmoplastic cancer which fills his stomach with tumors. Mario’s grandmother said he hasn’t responded to chemotherapy. 

After trying his hand at the dump truck and bulldozer Mario accepted a few souvenirs from the crew. 

Mario told his grandmother of his day in the dirt, “It was fun. I was helping.” 

MILWAUKEE — Along with not feeding the animals comes a new request from Milwaukee County Zoo officials: Don’t throw cash at the exhibits. 

Bird curator Kim Smith said zinc poisoning from pennies killed a wattled curassow from South America last spring and a Humboldt penguin in 1997. 

A sign warning visitors that “Coins Kill” was placed outside the Humboldt penguins’ pool at the zoo a year ago, but failed to stop visitors from tossing things. 

“We caught some kids throwing coins in, and asked them why they were doing it, and they told us: ’We thought you wanted them,”’ she said. “We’re preparing a sign that can’t be misinterpreted.” 

New pennies pose a particularly high risk, Smith said, because they contain higher levels of zinc and dissolve quicker in the birds’ digestive systems. 

“Because the birds are intelligent and curious, they will examine and play with anything unusual,” Smith said. 

“When they swallow that object, it can kill them.” 

——— 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — These animals may not roar or croak, but the pair of lions and a giant frog that disappeared from their posts outside a local restaurant are sorely missed. 

The 200-pound cement lion statues and the frog flower pot have been missing from Billy’s Restaurant and Lounge for more than a week. 

Now Nader Farahbod, Billy’s owner, has offered a reward for their return. He said he’ll serve dinner for two to anyone who returns his outdoor decorations. 

“Anything they want,” said Farahbod, also the chef. “As long as we have our lions back, we’ll treat them with the utmost respect and give them the best dinner we have.” 

He even offered to cook Billy’s specialties including baked brie and Paris pork chops, or shrimp served with Chardonnay. 

The large amphibian planter and decorative lions sat outside Billy’s front entrance for more than two years. Farahbod said he drove the streets of south Lincoln trying to find them on his own. 

Farahbod said he received one tip from a lost-and-found ad he ran. He said a woman called and said she spotted the lions having a drink at a local establishment, the Zoo Bar. 

If he gets more serious tips and his prized decorations are returned, he said he’ll make sure the don’t go missing again. 

“I’m gluing them down,” he said. 

——— 

BAYFIELD, Colo. (AP) — Alton Jameson was on his way to a high school diploma when he became involved in a fracas in Europe. 

Fifty-nine years later Jameson made up for lost time, finally getting his diploma from Bayfield High School. 

Jameson left Bayfield at age 17 to fight in World War II. A year later he was fighting in Italy. 

Now 76, Jameson became the oldest student ever graduated by the school when he got his diploma Thursday at the beginning of the school’s annual awards ceremony. 

Jameson’s sister, Viola Padilla, contacted principal Ken Marang a few months ago. She asked if there was any way her brother could get a diploma. 

Marang set it up. 

Jameson arrived at the school Thursday expecting to pick up his diploma at a school board meeting. Instead, he donned a cap and gown and received his degree amid applause from hundreds of students and parents. 

Jameson said he hadn’t earned the degree, but Marang disagreed. 

“I told him he darned well earned this thing fighting for our country,” Marang said. “We appreciate it.” 

PARIS — Paris Opera’s principal conductor, James Conlon, has stepped down as director of Rolf Liebermann’s “Medea” because of illness, the opera said in a statement Monday. 

Conlon, who underwent hernia surgery on Jan. 25, will be replaced by Swiss conductor Daniel Klajner, the musical director at the Wurzburg Opera in Germany. Klajner directed the Swiss production of “Medea” at the Stadtstheater in Berne. 

Conlon will resume conducting at the end of February, according to a statement issued by his publicist in New York on Monday. 

Five performances of “Medea” are scheduled in February and on March 1 at the Opera Bastille. 

Conlon, an American citizen, has conducted about 20 operas in his six years as the Paris Opera’s principal conductor, 15 of which were new productions. He announced in September that he’s leaving his job at the end of his contract in July 2004. 

He first appeared with the New York Philharmonic in 1974, and since then has appeared with nearly every major North American and European orchestra. He also has conducted more than 200 performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera since his 1976 debut.

The city of Berkeley will foot the bill for a New York firefighter’s weekend adventure here as part of a national effort to thank the emergency workers who provided critical services to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

Mayor Shirley Dean announced the visit after returning from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which was held in New York last week.  

“The entire country has been so impressed by the selflessness and heroism of New York City’s firefighters, police officers and emergency workers,” Dean said. “I am honored to welcome a New York Hero to Berkeley, and to show him or her the best of our city.”  

The firefighter will visit Berkeley during the weekend of March 2. 

New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial announced during the conference that 300 cities will be hosting firefighters in a program called Cities Unite America and Thank New York Firefighters. A firefighter will be picked by lottery from each of New York’s fire stations.  

According to Dean, two restaurants, Chez Panisse and Downtown have offered a taste of Berkeley cuisine to the firefighter and a guest on the cuff, and the Radisson Hotel at the Berkeley Marina is providing accommodations. The Berkeley Repertory Theater is also contributing VIP tickets for a presentation of “Culture Clash.” 

Dean said she was given a tour of Ground Zero, the former site of the World Trade Center. 

“It was an overwhelming and moving experience,” she said. “The thing that got me was as we were walking around the site you would look down and see bits and pieces of recognizable rubble such as an old computer key and that’s when it hits home, you realize that 3,000 people died there.”

The brother and sister-in-law of Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy, sentenced to eight years in prison last year for transporting minors to the United States for illegal sexual activity, will not be sentenced on immigration chages until March 25. 

According to court officials, lawyers on both sides of the case filed stipulations calling for the delay in sentencing, which was supposed to take place Monday afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Oakland. 

The landlord’s brother, Jayaprakash Lakireddy, and his wife, Annapurna Lakireddy, plead guilty to conspiring to bring illegal immigrants from India to the United States last March.

S.F. a good place for criminals 

SAN FRANCISCO — Experts say diversity, transportation and high-quality social services are good reasons criminals looking to lie low choose to come to San Francisco. 

“We have the density and the diversity; you can blend right in,” said Inspector Thomas Parisi, who handles all fugitive extraditions for the San Francisco Police Department. 

Geographically central in California, San Francisco is easily accessible by plane, car, train, bus, even boat, police said. 

Another lure is the city’s well-known network of homeless shelters and soup kitchens, said Andrew Black, the FBI’s San Francisco spokesman. There are also many single-room occupancy hotels, which offer cheap, day-to-day lodging. 

Since October 2000, the city has been host to a man accused of slaying his family in Oregon, another man charged in the Florida murder of a gay man and a young couple charged with killing a Texas sheriff’s deputy and an Indiana man. 

Police say about 300 fugitives a year, or 25 a month, are captured in San Francisco. 

Ground Zero travelers get sick at home 

MENLO PARK — Seventy percent of the members of California Task Force 3 — Peninsula firefighters, physicians, engineers and dog handlers who traveled to New York’s ground zero — have complained of getting sick after coming home, according to a survey released Monday. 

Forty-seven members of the Menlo Park-based search-and-rescue reported symptoms that ranged from nagging coughs to bronchitis and pneumonia. 

The team helped from Sept. 19 through Sept. 30 and may have breathed in all sorts of harmful particles, such as pulverized glass and concrete, benzene, propylene, human remains, asbestos and smoke. 

“I think there needs to be more analytical study into this,” Menlo Park fire Capt. Harold Schapelhouman told the San Jose Mercury News on Sunday. “These guys deserve to know. They took the risks. They did it gladly, and they’d do it again tomorrow ... Somebody has a responsibility to provide us with that information.” 

Questionnaires have been sent to all members of California’s eight task forces and statewide results continue to be compiled, Schapelhouman said. 

Tech museum  

attendance down 

SAN JOSE — Attendance at the Tech Museum of Innovation has plunged by 39 percent since its opening in its new downtown building three years ago. 

In 1999, 808,686 people visited the Tech; 496,192 came last year. Although the museum is on solid financial footing, officials say they must bring in more patrons to fund exhibits and justify the public investment. San Jose, which contributed $50 million toward construction, spends $1.3 million a year to support it. 

Membership has also dropped by a third. Profits from the store have dwindled by 72 percent. Six people have been laid off and 21 positions cut. 

The museum plans to cut top administrators’ salaries by 10 percent, said Ned Barnholt, CEO of Agilent Technologies and chairman of the Tech’s board. The museum is also trying several approaches to boost attendance, including applying for grants. 

The Tech also plans to partner with local companies to reduce the price tag of new exhibits in 2003, Barnholt said.

SAN FRANCISCO — The British Broadcasting Corp. has planned to borrow from a controversial 1971 Stanford University experiment on prison life for a reality television show. 

The show, called “The Experiment,” will place two groups of volunteers in a mock prison and record what ensues. 

The 1971 experiment by Professor Philip Zimbardo divided two dozen volunteer students into prisoner and guard roles, and the “prisoners” were locked in cells in the Psychology Department’s basement. 

In the real experiment, the prisoners rebelled and the jailers responded with force and humiliation, resulting in one student being released after having an emotional breakdown. 

Zimbardo stopped the experiment after six days, and now considers the experiment unethical. But it is widely regarded as a landmark study in how social circumstances supersede such factors of class, intelligence, religion and personality. 

The BBC show is being developed by two psychologists S. Alexander Haslam and Stephen Reicher who said they will use it as research. They said they have safeguards in place to prevent the abuse that happened in 1971. 

“We believe that our research is immensely relevant to current issues in society and will advance debate about ... social behavior significantly beyond the insights afforded by the Stanford prison study — but without compromising ethical standards,” Haslam wrote in an e-mail to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

The show is due to air in March.

More winter storms were on the way for California, where a blast of Arctic air blew snow into the San Francisco Bay Area, causing treacherous driving conditions and some schools to close. 

Nearly 4 inches of snow crested the Santa Cruz Mountains on Monday and snow crept below 1,000 feet on other peaks in the Bay Area, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson. 

More snow was expected for Santa Clara County and counties in the San Joaquin Valley, while thunderstorms, hail showers and gusty winds were expected in the Bay Area counties of Sonoma, Napa, San Francisco and San Mateo. 

Flakes fell just after midnight Monday on San Francisco’s Twin Peaks, the first such sighting since 1998. 

Enough snow stuck to the ground Monday morning to close schools in Sonoma County and disrupt the morning commute from Santa Cruz County to the Sacramento Valley. Much of it melted later in the day. 

Glenda Delenstarr, a scientist for Agilent Technologies, grabbed her snow parka and pants from the garage and took a break Monday from working at her Belmont home to drive up to the northern ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains above Redwood City. 

“It’s incredible,” she said, as she watched the midday sun start to melt the inch-thick blanket of snow on the redwoods. “We’re blessed to live in such a beautiful area.” 

Some of the front yards of homes along the regular route in the Skyline Boulevard area for FedEx courier Mo Lotfy were decorated with snowmen Monday morning. 

“It’s cool to have snow up here sometimes,” he said. “It brings Tahoe to the Bay Area.” 

In Petaluma, school officials saw 3 inches of snow on the ground around 5 a.m. Monday and canceled classes for their district’s 7,800 students on the new semester’s first day. 

Though the streets were dry by midmorning, Carl Wong, superintendent of the Petaluma City Schools District, said he had worried about getting kids to class when most drivers, not least of all high school students, are unfamiliar with snow-slicked roads. 

The district might not need to schedule a makeup day because officials padded the schedule with extra class minutes in case of such an emergency, Wong said. 

Officials said they had to close Highway 9 near the Santa Clara County line because of piled-up snow. Fat flakes were falling so heavily on Highway 17 near Santa Cruz that trucks pulled off at the summit. Dustings were also reported all over the Marin and Napa county hills — and well south in San Leandro. 

It dropped several inches on Lake County Monday morning, with another 6-to-8 inches expected for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. 

“People are slipping and sliding, hitting their brakes and sliding some more,” said Jim Jones, a Caltrans worker in Clearlake Oaks. 

Jones said Highways 20, 29 and roads on Cobb Mountain have been closed. 

Forecasters said the storm would travel south and that the cold air could lower snow levels to around 500 feet overnight. 

Heavy rain in Southern California late Sunday and early Monday was followed by clearing. But the respite was brief, and a bitter wind blew dark clouds across Los Angeles as forecasters posted winter storm warnings or advisories for overnight snow in the mountain ranges from Santa Barbara County east and south to San Diego County as well as in the high desert. 

The storm hit the Pacific Northwest over the weekend and killed at least three people and left a hiker missing on Monday. Fourteen inches of snow fell Sunday on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island and at Sequim on Washington’s northern Olympic Peninsula. Six inches fell at Duvall, just east of Seattle, before the snowfall tapered off early Monday. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/ 

SAN QUENTIN — A drifter who killed an 81-year-old woman and then fixed himself a meal in her kitchen was scheduled to be executed early Tuesday. 

In the hours leading up to Stephen Wayne Anderson’s scheduled death by lethal injection, his attorneys waged a last-ditch battle for the life of the man they said had redeemed himself on death row, learning Latin and writing poems of repentance. 

Anderson’s defenders had asked Gov. Gray Davis to spare his life, saying he didn’t get a fair trial because of a bad lawyer and noting that some family members of the victim do not support the death penalty. 

Expecting clemency to be denied – the last California governor to grant clemency was Ronald Reagan in 1967 – the defense team had waged a separate legal battle arguing that Davis’ tough-on-crime platform locked him into an intractable position on clemency. 

That effort was turned down by all the courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, although on Monday Anderson’s lawyers tried again, filing a new appeal claiming Davis’ 34-page opinion showed his bias. 

U.S. District Judge Vaughan Walker held a brief hearing on that appeal Monday afternoon but rejected the arguments, saying Davis is entitled to review the record and draw his own conclusions. Anderson’s lawyers said they would appeal the ruling to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Anderson, 48, was sentenced to die for killing Elizabeth Lyman in the early hours of Memorial Day 1980. 

Prosecutors said Anderson, who had escaped from a Utah prison some months earlier, broke into Lyman’s house in Bloomington, a small town in Southern California, and shot her in the face as she sat up in bed. Anderson ransacked the house for about $100 and then made himself at home, watching television in her living room and making himself a meal of noodles, according to court records. 

Prosecutors portrayed Anderson as a callous killer with a long criminal record that included confessions to two killings in Utah, the stabbing of a fellow inmate and the contract killing of another man. Anderson also confessed to six contract hits in Nevada, although it wasn’t clear those killings really happened. 

His defenders gave a different version. They said Anderson was shaped by a brutal upbringing as the son of an alcoholic, abusive father and mentally unstable mother. They said he got a terrible defense from his court-appointed trial lawyer, who told the jury his client was guilty and didn’t bring out the mitigating circumstances of his harsh childhood. 

Two other clients of Anderson’s trial lawyer, the late S. Donald Ames, were overturned because of incompetent representation. But the courts ruled Anderson got an adequate defense. 

Anderson’s new lawyers also said the Utah confessions, which were used to bolster the death penalty case against him, should have been suppressed because officials held him too long before he was arraigned. 

Beyond the legal issues, Anderson’s supporters said his writings showed a spirit worth saving. 

In prison, Anderson had written a play, started a novel, and published a number of poems his supporters said documented his sorrow over what happened in the past and what was to come. 

“I miss leaves whispering/softly through the evening haze;/little conversations upon the breeze,/rustling giggles and hush, child, hush,” begins one poem, called “I Miss Them All.” 

In 1987, he wrote what amounted to his own epitaph in a poem called, “For My Memory.” 

It ends, “So light a chapel’s candle by the sea — hold it out as a guide for my memory.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

California Department of Corrections http://www.cdc.state.ca.us/ 

SAN FRANCISCO — An insurance executive was indicted Monday by a federal grand jury on accusations he sold fraudulent health plans and enriched himself with customers’ premiums. 

John B. Hyde, president of Interstate Services Inc., was charged in a 64-count indictment unsealed here. Hyde was arrested at his Stinson Beach home, which prosecutors now want him to forfeit. Hyde was released on $1 million bail. 

According to the indictment, Hyde, who was president of Interstate Services Inc. of Novato, did not put customer premiums into trust accounts or buy insurance from an established insurance company for his customers. 

As a result of the scheme, prosecutors said, thousands of customers were left without coverage. 

The government said that Hyde used the premiums to lease expensive cars, buy sporting tickets and to pay off his expenses. 

A message left with Hyde’s lawyer was not immediately returned. 

SAN FRANCISCO — After bedeviling California with huge power bills in its heyday, Enron Corp. is causing the state more anguish as it crumbles. 

Six of California’s largest public pension funds lost a combined $250 million when Enron’s once-soaring stock crashed and burned late last year.  

After peaking at $90.75 at the outset of California’s energy crisis in 2000, Enron’s shares have plunged below 25 cents amid allegations of accounting fraud and insider dealing. 

The University of California’s pension and endowment funds lost $145 million on its Enron stock holdings — the most in the state and the second largest setback reported so far by public investment funds across the country. 

Only Florida’s state retirement system, with $325 million in losses on Enron stock, has been hurt more. 

The losses of other major California public pension funds surveyed by The Associated Press ranged from $1.6 million to $49 million. 

As big as they are, the Enron losses represent just a sliver of the pension funds’ total assets, and aren’t expected to affect their ability to pay retirement benefits. 

The University of California’s funds, for instance, have total assets of $54 billion, meaning its Enron setback represented 0.3 percent of the total portfolio. The percentage loss was even smaller at the other large California funds. 

The California public funds burned by Enron’s collapse are joining lawsuits accusing the company’s executives of covering up accounting shenanigans that devastated the stock. 

The University of California is fighting with Florida’s state retirement system for the right to control a class-action shareholder suit accusing 29 Enron executives and its auditors, Arthur Andersen, of fraud. 

Although the class-action suit will seek damages for thousands of investors, the lead shareholder will have the greatest influence on legal strategy. U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon is expected to pick the lead representative in the shareholder suit within the next two weeks, said University of California attorney Christopher Patti. 

Some investments in the Houston-based company paid off for California pension funds. 

For instance, in 1997, the California Public Employees Retirement System, or Calpers, realized a $132.5 million profit on a $250 million investment in an Enron-led investment called Joint Energy Development Investments, or JEDI. 

That investment’s success encouraged Calpers to pour an additional $175.5 million into another Enron partnership, called JEDI II. Calpers has received $171.7 million of that money back so far and eventually expects to break even on the deal, said fund spokeswoman Pat Macht. 

The San Diego City Employees’ Retirement system pocketed a $328,000 profit during the last two years by shorting Enron’s stock, said Doug McCalla, the chief investment officer for the fund. Investors that short stocks are essentially betting that the share price will drop — a gamble that paid off when Enron imploded. 

The Enron losses sustained by California’s large pension funds represent another unwelcome financial blow from a company that has tormented the state for years. 

After using its political clout to help shape the 1996 law that deregulated California’s electricity market, Enron capitalized on soaring power prices in the second half of 2000 and the first half of 2001 to reap a windfall that left the state billions of dollars in debt and drove its largest utility into bankruptcy. 

Gov. Gray Davis and a long line of other political leaders accused Enron — then the nation’s largest energy merchant — of orchestrating an illegal scheme to drive up wholesale power prices. 

The prickly issue re-surfaced again Monday when both of California’s Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, called for a Congressional investigation into the allegations. Enron has denied any wrongdoing. 

——— 

On The Net: 

University of California: http://www.ucop.edu 

California State Teachers Retirement System: http://www.strs.ca.gov 

California Public Employees Retirement System: http://www.calpers.ca.gov 

Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association: http://www.lacera.com 

NEWRY, Maine — American Skiing Co. said Monday it was advised by the New York Stock Exchange that it has fallen below the listing criteria for market capitalization and stockholders’ equity. 

American Skiing also said it had fallen below the threshold which requires an average closing price of not less than $1 a share over 30 consecutive trading days. 

The stock closed Monday at 48 cents, down 6 cents, or more than 11 percent. 

The company said it was committed to maintaining its NYSE listing and has asked the exchange to grant 18 months to get back into compliance. 

The exchange requires a minimum market capitalization of at least $50 million, over a 30-day trading period, and stockholders’ equity of no less than $50 million. 

American Skiing’s market capitalization at Monday’s close was $15.2 million. 

Market capitalization is the number of issued shares multiplied by price per share.  

Shareholder equity is the value of the company minus its debt. 

Earlier this month, Moody’s Investors Service Inc. downgraded the debt-laden company’s credit rating, citing a reduction in skier visits after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

During the past two quarters, American Skiing posted losses totaling nearly $180 million. 

American Skiing owns Killington and Mount Snow in Vermont; Sunday River and Sugarloaf/USA in Maine; Attitash Bear Peak in New Hampshire; Steamboat in Colorado; The Canyons in Utah; and Heavenly on the California-Nevada border.

LOS ANGELES — Ticketmaster posted a $46 million loss in the fourth quarter, despite a 10.5 percent growth in sales from a year earlier to $159.6 million. 

The loss amounted to 32 cents a share, a significant improvement over results from a year earlier, when the Los Angeles-based company recorded a loss of $164.5 million, or $1.16 a share. 

Ticketmaster’s largest division, its ticket servicing business, posted revenue growth of 7.4 percent to $131.8 million. Revenue from Match.com, its online personals site, grew by 144.8 percent to $17.6 million, as subscribers more than doubled to 382,150. 

But sales from Ticketmaster’s Citysearch business, a local Internet guide to major cities, fell 27.1 percent to $10.3 million, due mainly to a decline in advertising, the company said. 

Thomas McInerney, chief financial officer, said the company would cut 111 positions in its Citysearch unit and trim spending through 2002 by $19 million. 

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, merger and other non-recurring charges amounted to $19.2 million in the three month period ending Dec. 31, or 6 cents a share. 

The median estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call was 4 cents for the quarter. 

In the same period a year earlier, the company posted EBITDA of $13.5 million. 

For the full year, Ticketmaster sales rose 11.3 percent to $675.2 million, from $606.7 million. EBITDA for the full year in 2001 was $79.3 million, compared with $38.3 million in 2000, the company said. 

Ticketmaster released the results after the market closed. During regular trading Ticketmaster shares closed up $1.25 to $22.75. 

LOS ANGELES — GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Riordan has a favorite anecdote about his approach to governing. 

Soon after he became mayor of Los Angeles, he said, a group of downtown business owners complained to him about “No Parking” signs that were getting in their way. 

Riordan delegated the problem to an aide, who produced a report explaining how the signs could be removed through a time-consuming bureaucratic process. 

Riordan asked for a simpler solution. The aide went out that weekend and tore the signs down. 

“Needless to say, I promoted him,” Riordan tells audiences and interviewers in delight, “and we came up with an axiom: that in government, it is much easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission.” 

It’s an anecdote that’s often cited by people who know Riordan — those who admire him and those who don’t. 

To fans, it demonstrates the ex-mayor’s direct approach, his impatience with bureaucracy, and his ability to seal deals and produce results by unconventional means. 

To critics, it underscores Riordan’s scorn for the institutions of government, his failure to work with colleagues to solve problems and his unwillingness to share power. 

Those conflicting assessments help define the wealthy 71-year-old, who ended two terms as mayor in July and is seeking the Republican nomination March 5 to challenge Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. 

“In a way, those are contradictory traits,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. “One, that he has no patience and couldn’t get along with the City Council and that sort of thing, and the other that he’s a consummate dealmaker. 

“They are contradictions. And sometimes it’s hard to know which Dick Riordan you’re dealing with.” 

Riordan is a New York native who studied philosophy at Princeton, served as an Army lieutenant in Korea and finished first in his University of Michigan Law School class. 

He moved to Southern California in 1956 for a law firm job and made his fortune in venture capital and leveraged buyouts. He claims he doesn’t know how much he’s worth now, but his wealth was estimated at $100 million nearly a decade ago. 

Riordan came late to politics, surprising even longtime colleagues when he abandoned his private sector success to run for mayor in 1993. 

He said he saw the need for leadership in a city still shaken by the 1992 riot and ran on a promise that he was “Tough Enough to Turn L.A. Around.” He spent $6 million of his own money, and won. 

Riordan said he sees a similar need now in the state, and he’s adopted the same slogan for his gubernatorial campaign, substituting “California” for “L.A.” 

“We have a vacuum of leadership which is getting us nowhere in Sacramento, and I feel compelled to fill that vacuum,” Riordan said in a recent interview. “I wish I didn’t. I’d much rather be playing golf right now, or maybe riding my bike.” 

It sounds like a joke, but Riordan said he’s serious. He said he decided to run for governor only after concluding that was how he could do the most to help the poor. 

“I think God put me on Earth to take care of poor people, particularly poor children ... and that this is what I’m being judged on by God every day,” he said. 

There was political pressure, too, from state Republicans seeking a candidate to beat Davis, and Riordan has said President Bush personally urged him to run. Term limits prevented his seeking a third term as mayor. 

But even Riordan’s critics don’t doubt the sincerity of a man who has donated 20,000 computers to schools around the country. 

Those who fault him question his methods and results, and wonder how they would translate from Los Angeles’ nonpartisan system to Sacramento. 

“The leadership of both houses is not going to do what he wants just because he wants them to. That’s not how it works up here. It’s partisan politics,” said Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, who served on the City Council during Riordan’s mayoral tenure and clashed with him. “Nothing will get done.” 

Riordan is credited as mayor with playing a leading role in reforming the City Charter and helping elect reformers to the school board — a body over which the mayor has no direct control. His critics say he failed to back a thorough investigation of the Rampart police scandal and fault him for poor relations with the City Council. 

Central to Riordan’s popularity as mayor was that he’s a character, a friendly charmer who cracks jokes and flubs lines, keeps business waiting while he pals around with kids, and dons spandex shorts to lead community bike rides. 

His propensity for gaffes already has gotten him in trouble on the campaign trail, for example when he confused fiberglass with fiber optics at a stop in Redding. 

“People relate to Dick Riordan,” said friend Eli Broad, a major Democratic contributor who nonetheless supports Riordan for governor. “They see him as smart, elderly, a bit bumbling, but very human.” 

Riordan’s opponents have tried to make an issue of his age and health — he was treated last year for prostate cancer — but the ex-mayor said he’s never felt better. He was recently photographed shirtless, lifting weights. 

Socially moderate and fiscally conservative, Riordan drew support as mayor from Hispanics, independents and women, just the groups the state’s weakened Republican party must attract in order to oust Davis. 

For that reason top GOP leaders have lined up behind Riordan, even though his support for abortion rights and gay rights are anathema to many party members. 

Riordan’s top opponents — Secretary of State Bill Jones and Los Angeles businessman Bill Simon — hold more traditional conservative views but trail Riordan in polls, endorsements and fund-raising. 

“At least at the leadership level, many Republicans who are more conservative than him see him as good for the Republican Party because he gives them a strong candidate at the top of the ticket,” said Democratic strategist Bill Carrick, who worked in Riordan’s 1997 re-election campaign. 

Riordan’s opponents have jumped on his history of supporting Democratic candidates and causes, noting he’s donated more money to Democrats than to Republicans over the years and questioning his allegiance to the party he seeks to represent in Sacramento. 

But Riordan is seemingly unconcerned, refusing to play it safe by taking a more traditionally Republican approach during the primary. 

In recent weeks he stumped before a gay group, mused publicly that the minimum wage is too low, and appeared with some of the state’s best-known liberals before a minority civil rights group in Oakland. 

“I was Dick Riordan when I first ran for office, and I’m going to be Dick Riordan now,” Riordan said. ”... And Republicans have to decide, am I the best one to run against Davis?” 

NAME: Richard J. Riordan. 

PARTY: Republican. 

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 71; May 1, 1930, Flushing, N.Y. 

EDUCATION: Santa Clara University, 1948-50; Princeton University 1950-52; law degree from University of Michigan, 1956. 

EXPERIENCE: Mayor of Los Angeles, 1993-2001; partner, Riordan & McKinzie law firm; partner, Riordan, Hayden & Lewis venture capital firm; established Riordan Foundation for childhood literacy and leadership development, 1981; began law career in California in 1956 at O’Melveny & Meyers, Los Angeles; Joined the Army in 1952, serving 10 months in Korea as a field artillery first lieutenant. 

FAMILY: Married third wife Nancy Daly Riordan in 1998. Adult children Patricia, Mary Beth and Kathleen. Two other children are deceased. Two previous marriages ended in divorce. 

NET WORTH: Riordan says he does not know; estimated at $100 million during first run for mayor. 

CAMPAIGN WEB SITE: http://www.riordanforgovernor.org/ 

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 213-830-5376.

Two area businesses destroyed but no one injured  

A quick-spreading fire destroyed two Telegraph Avenue business before Berkeley and Oakland fire fighters could bring the four-alarm blaze under control. 

The fire apparently started in the boiler room of Milt’s Coin-Op Laundry at 3055 Telegraph Ave. around 4:45 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, quickly spread throughout the attic and then into the adjoining business, Avenue Liquors at 3051 Telegraph Ave. 

Fire Officials estimated that the blaze, which sent up a plume of dark gray smoke visible for miles around, caused at least $700,000 damage. No injuries were reported.  

“I had just changed my clothes and was ready to go home when somebody started screaming there was smoke,” said Laundry owner Gary Kim. “Then I saw smoke coming out of the back room where the water tanks are.” 

Kim said his wife, one employee and several customers were inside the Laundry when the fire broke out. “We are very lucky everybody got out and is safe,” he said. 

Fire Chief Reginald Garcia said the flames, which took two hours to bring under control, spread so quickly that within 15 minutes of the first fire engines arriving on scene, the fire was upgraded to three alarms. 

“At that stage we essentially had all of the Berkeley Fire Department here,” he said.  

But even with all of Berkeley’s available hands on deck, the fire was not under control. Garcia said that soon after the fire was upgraded to a fourth alarm, which brought in three units from the Oakland Fire Department. 

“This was a very hard fire to fight because it spread so quickly,” he added. 

Berkeley police blocked off traffic on Telegraph Avenue between Ashby and Alcatraz avenues and about 20 police officers were on scene to control the crowd of approximately 300 people who gathered across the street from the Laundry to watch the blaze. 

On Sunday morning Assistant Fire Chief Lucky Thomas said the cause of the fire was still being investigated. “We’ll have security posted around the site tonight, and tomorrow we’ll bring in a back hoe to help us find out where the fire started,” he said.  

The two businesses burned by the fire are surrounded by single-family homes. Several neighbors on Prince Street and Dowling Place were evacuated from their homes until the fire was brought under control. 

Thomas O’Connell, who lives immediately behind the Laundry at 2413 Prince St., was watching flames shoot up from the Laundry roof about 70 feet from the rear of his home when a fire fighter asked him to evacuate. 

“I’ll think I’ll take your advice,” O’Connell said, answering the firefighter and then left his home without taking any possessions. 

Avenue Liquor owner Charlie Huh stood across the street from the fire and watched as smoke billowed out of the broken windows of his store. “Somebody came in yelling ‘call 911, call 911’ and then we saw the smoke and got out of the store,” he said.  

Regina Tolliber and her mother, Evelyn Richardson had just put several loads of laundry in the dryer and gone next door to the liquor store when smoke came billowing out the front door of the Laundry. 

“I tried to get back in to get my clothes but it was already too late,” said Tolliber who works as nurse. “Most all of my clothes and all of my uniforms are still in there.”  

Friday, Jan. 25

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Women’s Health After  

Menopause 

10:30 a.m. - noon 

Summit North Pavilion, Cafeteria Annexes B & C 

350 Hawthorne Ave., Oakland 

A comprehensive presentation on women’s health and exams after menopause. 869-6737 

 

City Commons Club  

Luncheon 

11:15 a.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Douglas R. Powell presents slides and gives a lecture entitled “A Graphic Portrait of a Tortured Land - Afghanistan”. Social hour begins at 11:15. Lunch is served 11:45 - 12:15. Speaker begins at 12:30. $11 - 12.25 with lunch, $1 otherwise. 848-3533 

 

Dr. Helen Caldicott  

8 p.m. 

Berkeley First Congregational Church 

2345 Channing Way 

Nobel Prize Nominee and spokesperson for world anti-nuclear movement speaks about peace, survival, and free speech in dangerous times. $15. 415-437-3425. 

 

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Saturday, Jan. 26

Bay Area Women in Black  

2 - 3 p.m. 

4th & Hearst Streets 

A silent vigil to oppose the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Please wear black, everyone is welcome. 486-2744, bayareawomeninblack@earthlink.net. 

Vocal Jazz Workshop and  

Jazz Jam 

9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 

Albany Adult School 

601 San Gabriel St. 

Workshops for singers and instrumentalists led by Richard Kalman to explore Jazz in a small jazz combo format. $5-$12 per class. 524-6796, richkalman@aol.com. 

Puberty Seminar for Girls 

10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

For girls 8-14. Understand why your body is changing, and celebrate your rite of passage. Refreshments. $25-$30. (Mothers free. ) 595-3814. 

Book Talk and Signing 

3 - 5 p.m. 

The Berkshire Assisted Living Community 

2235 Sacramento Way 

Victor Bogart will discuss his new book “Assumptions” and “6 steps for Shifting Gears on the Senior Highway.” 841-4844. 

Magic School Bus Video  

Festival 

10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley Campus 

Watch Ms. Frizzle take her skeptical class from outer space to inside a dog’s noise in seven different video adventures shown on the big screen and lasting for three hours. 

Youth and Race: 

Issues and Solutions 

9:30 a.m. - noon 

Elihu Harris State Building Auditorium 

1515 Clay St., Oakland 

Assemblywoman Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley/Oakland) will convene a town hall meeting of elected representatives, youth advocates, and public policy makers to identify and develop solutions for the problems facing young people. 540-3660. 

Sunday, Jan. 27

Neighborhood Clean-Up Day 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Services Center 

1730 Oregon St. 

Clean up blocks: Russell St., Oregon St., McGee, Stuart, Grant and California St. 981-6670, www.ci.berkeley.ca.us. 

School Open House 

10:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

School of the Madeleine 

1225 Milvia St. 

Applications for K-8 available. Kindergarten informational meeting at noon. 526-4744, www.themadeleine.com. 

Organ Music 

5 p.m. 

MusicSources 

1000 The Alameda 

Ron McKean performs Ferscobaldi, Froberger and Bach, and improvises in the style of each composer. Reception follows concert. $15 - $18. 528-1685. 

Japanese Traditional  

Drumming 

2 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center 

2640 College Ave. 

Emeryville Taiko presents a fun and interactive event for children and families. $10 adults, $5 children. 925-798-1300. 

Monday, Jan. 28

 

East Bay Heritage Quilters 

7:30 p.m. 

First Unitarian Church 

1 Lawson Rd., Kensington 

Guest Speaker, Alice Kolb, offers instruction on how to narrow many ideas into a focused garment. $3 non-members, free for members. 834-3706 

 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

223 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Ronald Rogowski discusses majoritarian electoral systems and consumer power. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

John Skrentny discusses “The Minoriy Rights Revolution”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

 

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Tuesday, Jan 29

Berkeley High School Site Council Meeting  

4 p.m. 

Berkeley High School 

Room H105 

2246 Milvia St.  

On the agenda will be a vote on staff development and discussion of the school site plan. The meeting is open to the BHS community. www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/ssc/.  

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

Camera Club Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Weekly meeting of the Berkeley Camera Club offers the opportunity to share slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 547-4514 

Dens(c)ity: Two or Three Things  

about Architecture  

and the New World Order 

12:30 - 2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Lesley Naa Norle Lokko is a Principal Lecturer and Academic Leader in the 

School of Architecture and Interior Design, University of North London. Her research focuses on questions of race and cultural identity and their relationship to architectural and urban culture. 642-5992, bcgit@uclink.berkeley.edu. 

Wednesday, Jan. 30

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

Public Library, West Branch 

1125 University Ave. 

A participatory program for families with children up to age 3. Stories, songs and fingerplays as entertainment and as a way for parents to learn some new material to share with their young ones. 981-6270. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART Station 

A peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to U.S. bombing of Afghanistan. Ends at MLK Civic Center Park. www.indymedia.org. 

American Political History Seminar 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

109 Moses Hall 

Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, will be talking about his new book, “The Best of Times: America in the Clinton Years.” 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu:8880/. 

Debtors Anonymous 

6:30 - 7:45 p.m. 

Mandana Community Recovery Center 

3989 Howe St., Oakland 

Weekly Meeting. 415-522-9099. 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

Thursday, Jan. 31

Backpacking the Diablo Trail 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seth Adams will share slides and information on backpacking. 

527-4140 

In a letter to the editor printed last week several juveniles were named in allegations made by one parent regarding a schoolyard altercation. 

This letter is written as an apology to these children and their families. 

We have been informed that because of this letter and our negligence in allowing it to ever be printed that these youths have been subject to criticism from the community.  

We would like to say that after speaking with the parents involved in this case, the principal of La Conte Elementary School as well as the Berkeley Police Department, it appears that the allegations written in were either false or grossly exaggerated.  

It is our policy at the Berkeley Daily Planet to never allow the names of the innocent, especially innocent children, to be marred in print. 

Our Forum Page is meant to be a community bulletin board where individuals may voice their opinions about issues, events, and other things that are important to them. 

This is a useful tool of free speech but much like any tool it can be abused.  

For this reason, we would also like to clarify that it is not our policy to allow the pages of this publication to be used to spread disparaging untruths about adults or children and the names of anyone who is accused of wrongdoing should therefore accompany substantiating proof.  

But in general, we would prefer that if you have personal issues — be that with your neighbors, the parents at your children’s school or meter maids you feel are unfairly targeting you with parking tickets — that you deal with them in the course of your own personal lives and not in print. 

We apologize for any inconvenience that letter may have caused these children or their families. 

Sincerely, 

Devona Walker 

Editor-in-Chief 

Berkeley Daily Planet 

Romanian-French playwright Eugene Ionesco’s 1959 play “Rhinoceros” is a theater-of-the-absurd fable about the conflict among human beings between impulses towards individuality and desires for conformity. 

Ionesco wrote the play in the aftermath of World War II, reflecting on the dangerous emotional dynamics of Nazism that had caught the world off-guard and wreaked so much havoc after igniting in the hearts and minds of many Germans and other Europeans. 

On Friday, Berkeley Repertory Theater opened a thoughtful production of this disturbing play on its smaller thrust stage, featuring an all-star Bay Area cast. Berkeley Rep is obviously aware that “Rhinoceros” is worthy of consideration in 2002, as our fast-moving, digital planet erupts in conflicting, chauvinistic spasms of political and religious conformity in the United States and elsewhere. 

“Rhinoceros” centers on a frazzled, put-upon Everyman in the form of middle-aged newspaper proofreader Berenger, played smoothly and ably in this production in a largely straightforward dramatic performance by nationally regarded former Pickle Family Circus clown Geoff Hoyle. 

Heavy in his soul, but light on his feet, Hoyle’s Berenger is rumpled in his a gray suit, but without the tie which he’s lost during a night of binging. A depressed character who drinks, Berenger expresses his malaise, “I just can’t get used to life.” 

Acting as Berenger’s foil is his well-dressed pal Jean (Berkeley Rep vet Jarion Monroe), a smug, self-satisfied friend who lectures Berenger on working hard, having a positive attitude, bucking up, and pulling himself together. 

As the two chat in an outdoor café, a rhinoceros suddenly appears on the street and generates a hullabaloo in town. Café patrons marvel at the event, and then debate about what just happened and what it might mean. Later there are more rhinos. Things turn ominous. 

Much of director Barbara Damashek’s Berkeley Rep production is an ensemble performance piece containing distinctive creations from the cast of twelve, several of whom play multiple roles. Jennifer Taggart is a stylish French café waitress from the 1950s. 

Gerald Hiken is a wonderful timid, confused café patron, and later a dangerous, supercilious, conspiracy-obsessed proofreader. Here he’s a man with all the answers, regardless of the questions.  

As a “professional logician,” Warren Keith manages to confuse the café rhino debate until none of the concepts are clear. 

Susan Marie Brecht is the trotting, high-heeled ingénue Daisy — who walks more slowly and deliberately by the end of the play. Andrew Hurteau is wonderful as smooth and affable business executive Dudard, reassuring Berenger that the rhinos aren’t as bad as he fears. 

The minus to “Rhinoceros” is that it is basically a simple metaphor about conformist impulses, stretched into a full-length play. Much of the dialogue is airless, philosophical debate that turns absurd. 

Such dialogue requires the director and cast to create subtexts and private, personal story lines in the characters to humanize the performance and make it interesting. The Rep production is largely successful in this task.  

In its initial lift-off, Damashek gives the ponderous dialogue a light touch and a colorful staging. The moments of chaos are well-orchestrated. 

Christopher Barreca’s lively scenic design creates a magical world that at times is like a human performance sculpture. Patches of orange paint surreptitiously appear on the ground following early rhino sightings. Stacks of newspaper fly into a printing shop. 

But “Rhinoceros” has a formulaic and predicable second half, and here the production bogs down. The play makes its basic point again and again, and tends to telegraph its turning points in advance. 

The conjugal prowl between male and female near the end is two-dimensional gender politics from an earlier era, nowadays cartoon-like at the moment when “Rhinoceros” needs a final, desperate emotional boost. 

Playwright Ionesco was born in Romania in 1909 to a French mother and Romanian father who fought and separated. He grew up in both countries. 

A literary critic, at age 40 he wrote his first play “The Bald Soprano,” which was produced in Paris in 1950. All of his playwriting from the 1950s uses a didactic writing style that seems common among former literary critics turned playwright, such as Bernard Shaw and Tom Stoppard. 

“Rhinoceros” mixes the personal and the political. Berenger suffers from depression and alcoholism, ailments that Ionesco himself experienced. 

And although it’s sometimes hard to know who, exactly, is crazy in this world of “collective hysteria,” as Ionesco described his play, its portrayal of a dangerous epidemic of social conformity is something we would be well advised to guard against today. 

Planet theater reviewer John Angell Grant has written for “American Theatre,” “Backstage West,” “Callboard,” and many other publications. E-mail him at jagplays@yahoo.com. 

“Rhinoceros,” presented by the Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison Street, through March 10. Call (510) 647-2949, or visit www.berkeleyrep.org. 

Cal can’t pull off another miracle comeback 

The Associated Press 

LOS ANGELES – Dan Gadzuric heard cheers instead of whistles, and his lack of foul trouble provided a defensive difference for No. 13 UCLA. 

For the first time in four games, Gadzuric had fouls to give in the second half when the Bruins needed his presence to beat California 64-57 on Saturday. 

“If we keep Dan out of foul trouble and play good defense, we’ll win,” said Billy Knight, who had 16 points as the Bruins avoided a three-game losing streak for the first time in two years. 

Gadzuric had no fouls in the first half. He finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes. He wasn’t whistled for his first foul until there was 8:26 remaining, drawing cheers from 12,275 at Pauley Pavilion. 

“I tried my best to stay out of foul trouble. I did a good job, I got to play a lot more and be a lot more of a presence in there,” he said. 

The Bruins (14-5) moved into a tie for third in the Pac-10 at 6-3 with No. 10 Arizona, and avoided a sweep by the Bay Area schools at the midpoint of the conference season. 

UCLA lost 86-76 to No. 17 Stanford on Thursday, and had blown a 20-point lead before losing to the Wildcats a week ago. 

“We really needed this game,” UCLA’s T.J. Cummings said. “We needed to get back on top of our game. This was our opportunity to be able to hop back on top.” 

California (14-4, 5-3) had its four-game winning streak snapped and dropped into a tie with Stanford for third in the league. 

Jason Kapono led the Bruins with 17 points. 

Joe Shipp scored 15 points to lead the Golden Bears, who tossed up several desperation 3-point attempts in the final minute. But they all missed, unlike Thursday night when the Bears surprised No. 23 Southern California 92-91 in overtime on a 3-pointer by Shantay Legans. 

The Bears, the league’s worst 3-point shooting team, were 5-of-15 from beyond the arc. Legans missed all six of his attempts. 

“People say Dan is foul-prone, but we didn’t test him,” Cal freshman Jamal Sampson said. “We didn’t get the ball inside and we didn’t hit outside down the stretch. We made so many outside shots against USC, I think we depended on that too much.” 

Gadzuric’s defense helped the Bruins hold the Bears to a season-low 20 field goals on 37 percent shooting. 

“When he plays 30-plus minutes, we’re a dominant team,” UCLA coach Steve Lavin said. “Dan did a better job of staying on his feet and not putting himself in the position where he’s off-balance or lunging or reaching or even giving an official a chance to make a call. Just stay down and be big.” 

Although UCLA led the entire second half, twice the Bears got within one point with 10 minutes remaining. Both times the Bruins answered with baskets — on a layup by Matt Barnes off freshman Cedric Bozeman’s alley-oop pass and freshman Dijon Thompson’s score off a steal. 

Bozeman scored inside to give UCLA a 50-45 lead with 8:54 remaining. Free throws by Sampson and Shipp drew California within three. 

Gadzuric missed two consecutive 1-and-1 opportunities, then Bozeman missed the front end of a 1-and-1 as the Bruins clung to their three-point lead. 

But Knight then sparked a 14-10 run with two consecutive baskets to close out a game in which the Bruins tied their second-lowest scoring output of the season. They also had 64 points in a victory over Columbia. 

The Bears had planned to attack Gadzuric, a strategy that Stanford used effectively in its win. 

“Gadzuric is the most active big man in the Pac-10. If he doesn’t get in foul trouble, he’s a real threat,” California coach Ben Braun said. “I told the guys they were settling for too many perimeter shots and not taking the opportunities to go inside.” 

Kapono’s basket gave UCLA a six-point lead and then he hit two free throws to stretch the lead to nine points with 22 seconds left. 

The Bruins fell behind by six with seven minutes left in the first half on a series of turnovers and fouls. Dennis Gates hit consecutive 3-pointers to give the Bears their largest lead of the half, 23-17. 

UCLA revived itself with a 15-7 run, including 12 in a row, to end the half ahead 32-30. Kapono hit a 3-pointer off a steal and Bozeman followed with a 3.

Looking out a café window at the stop-and-go procession of cars, trucks and buses on University Avenue, the city’s new assistant city manager for transportation sipped coffee and spoke about reducing personal automobile use. 

“My greatest challenge is to bring about a paradigm shift amongst my colleges in the transportation field away from focusing on the personal automobile,” Peter Hillier said, his English accent softened by his years in Canada. “I want to change the emphasis more towards pedestrians, cyclists and public transportation.” 

Hillier, as manager of the newly-created Office of Transportation, will be responsible for all transportation planning, traffic engineering and alternative transportation programs. Ultimately he will manage a staff of 12 planners and engineers. His office is expected to have an annual budget of $1.5 million. 

Hillier, the former Manager of Operational Planning and Policy for the City of Toronto, began work last week. One of Hillier’s primary functions will be mapping out a long-term transportation plan and traffic engineering strategy for the city as it braces for increased traffic flow resulting from greater population density and a large spurt of growth a UC Berkeley. 

“A big, big issue will be the absolute need to move some motorists into alternate forms of transportation,” he said. “It’s now a worldwide phenomenon to look at personal motor vehicle usage as becoming non-sustainable to the environment.” 

Another, and more immediate, task for his office, will be to improve safety on Berkeley’s streets.  

“The City of Berkeley has a high collision rate and that has to be addressed immediately,” he said.  

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Task Force report, released in March, 2000, found that Berkeley has four times the state average for bicycle collisions and twice the state average for pedestrian collisions as cities of similar size. 

Past planning problems 

Hillier’s arrival is expected to consolidate what has been divided and troubled effort in Berkeley to improve traffic conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists and increase ridership on public transportation. 

Some of the city’s traffic and transportation problems have been characterized by personal problems. In December, 2000, the city’s traffic engineer, Jeff Knolls, quit after being employed for only eight months. Then last May, the city’s first transportation planner, Joe Kott, quit three weeks after he was hired.  

Both Knolls and Kott cited internal conflict between the Department of Planning and Development, Public Works and at least three transit-oriented commissions as partial reasons for their departures. 

Since that time, City Manager Weldon Rucker has made transportation and traffic issues a priority. He created the Office of Transportation, which will operate out of the City Manager’s Office in the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center.  

“For the most part the city has approached transit issues in a fragmented manner,” Rucker said. “The new office is an attempt to get us all on the same page around these critical issues.” 

Many roads to Berkeley 

Hillier, 49, was born in London but is a citizen of Canada where he has lived for the last 32 years. He received a degree from the University of Toronto and has worked in transportation planning and engineering for the last 27 years. For the first 17 years of his career he worked in Guelph, a university town about the size of Berkeley. 

For the last 10 years, Hillier has worked in the City of Toronto, which has a population of 2.3 million. Hillier was head of Toronto’s Transportation Services Department, which maintained 3,100 miles of roads, 5,000 miles of sidewalks and 500 bridges. 

Hillier said that the larger Toronto, has many of the same traffic and transportation issues as Berkeley.  

“If you look at the freeway system in the Bay Area, there are a lot of the same congestion issues as in Toronto,” he said. “And the issues of pedestrian and bicycle safety and access for the disabled are common to Toronto and Berkeley.” 

Hillier, his wife, Kim, and their 6 and 10-year-old daughters, are currently looking for a home in Berkeley. He said it is essential for him to live in the same city in which he works.  

“I want to know the city intimately,” he said. “If I am going to be effective it’s important that I know firsthand the city’s transportation environment.”  

Editor:, 

In today's paper there is a story about the contributions received as of January 25 by the three Assembly candidates. I don't know where you got your numbers, but they are all wrong. According to the filings with the Secretary of State, which anyone can access on the web, the totals as of January 25 are as follows: Ramsey $250,865 (not $300,000!), Hancock $219,486, and Brown $116,764. 

Furthermore, your story ignores the fact that Loni Hancock has received significant labor contributions as well as Ramsey.  

But Ramsey's labor contributions are almost all from the building trades unions, while Loni has received many contributions from teachers unions and public employees; nor are Loni's union contributions as high a percent of her total contributions as Ramsey's approximately 40% of his total. Loni has hundreds of individual contributions, far more than Ramsey.  

By the way, Ramsey has more than PG&E to explain in his list of contributors; why is he accepting money from "The Evictors" in 

this district of small home owners and tenants?  

I know your paper has tried to be accurate and impartial in this race; but I don't know where you got the incorrect figures in your story.  

As a final point, you might research the amount of money on hand for each candidate. If you do, you will see that that, despite raising somewhat more than Loni to date, Ramsey has $15,000 less on hand. And it is what is on hand that counts. 

mal burnstein 

Treasurer, Loni Hancock for Assembly

The Cal women’s basketball team finally put up some decent offensive numbers on Saturday against Arizona. Unfortunately, they ran into a Wildcat team that was just a little too big and strong for the Bears to beat. 

Forwards Elizabeth Pickney and Lakeisha Taylor dominated the offensive glass for Arizona, combining for 34 points, most of them coming on putbacks of their teammates’ misses, as the Wildcats pounded their way to a 76-68 win. 

Amber White scored a season-high 14 points for Cal, and reserve forward Kiki Williams also put in 14 points in just 16 minutes of action. But although the Bears showed improvement in their offensive game, they couldn’t stop Arizona enough times to secure a win. 

“I feel it’s a different story, even though the outcome is similar,” Cal head coach Caren Horstmeyer said of her team’s ninth defeat in 10 Pac-10 games. “We had balanced scoring, we didn’t turn the ball over and we had 20 offensive boards. If we can continue to play as a team like that, good things are going to come.” 

Senior Ami Forney pulled down 7 offensive rebounds and scored 10 points, shaking a slump that has dogged her throughout conference play. But the big surprise was the play of Williams, who didn’t get any playing time in Cal’s loss to Arizona State on Thursday. Williams came off the bench early against the Wildcats and was aggressive on offense, taking 11 shots in her limited action. 

“When I get into the games, that’s how I expect myself to play every time,” Williams said of her offensive outburst. “I just need to get consistent and do that every day in practice and in every game I’m in.” 

The Bears started the game well, getting out to a 17-13 lead, but the game turned on a dime when Arizona guard Aimee Gryzb hit a 3-pointer, then backcourt mate Julie Brase stole a lazy inbounds pass for an easy layup. Suddenly the ’Cats were up 18-17 and had new life. Taylor and Pickney went to work on the inside, overwhelming Forney, who was Cal’s only low-post presence and fouled out late in the second half. Arizona went on a 10-0 run to grab a 32-22 lead, but White banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the deficit to seven points at halftime. 

The second half was much of the same, with Taylor and Pickney making life miserable down low for the Bears. The two were a combined 14-of-20 from the floor, not surprising since most of their shots came from within two feet of the basket, and the Wildcats shot 51 percent for the game. Pickney finished with a game-high 14 rebounds, and Taylor had 5 on the offensive side alone. Their inside presence opened up the outside for Arizona’s guards to shoot the 3, and they were 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. Gryzb hit 3-of-4 from long range on the way to a 15-point effort. 

Arizona took its biggest lead at 64-48 with seven minutes to play. Although the Bears put together an 8-0 run to get back within eight points, but Arizona guard Candice Allen answered with a 3-pointer to put down any hopes of a comeback. 

NOTES: Robin Roberson, the leading scorer from last season’s state finalist Berkeley High girls’ team and an Arizona freshman, had a disappointing homecoming on Saturday, playing just 10 minutes for the Wildcats. Roberson turned the ball over the first two times she touched it and finished with 2 points.

Copwatch: the name conjures up street battles of yore, with proud and defiant demonstrators asserting their legal rights to lunky, baton-wielding police. 

Indeed, the Berkeley branch of Copwatch prides itself on being at the vanguard of several seminal battles against the forces of oppression – the fight, in 1991, to keep the Freebox in People’s Park, and the ongoing effort to keep pepper spray out of the hands of the Berkeley Police Department, to name just two. 

Berkeley Copwatch, which has been around for almost 12 years, is best known for showing up at the scene of an arrest to document the conduct of the police. 

But sometimes, of a Saturday morning, Copwatch just likes to sit down over coffee and bagels to discuss the particulars of the California Penal Code. 

Saturday morning’s “advanced training session” at Copwatch HQ played like a literary salon, with special guest Jason Cox of the National Lawyers Guild fielding questions on car searches, anti-gang law and the legality of photographing or videotaping police officers in action. 

The eight veteran Copwatchers who came to the training didn’t protest when the conversation with Cox wandered away from Copwatching proper. They were eager to understand the finer points of various infractions, misdemeanors and felonies, because such things were interesting in themselves. 

Andrea Prichett, who co-facilitated the training, wanted to know when a police officer had the right to ask someone for their identification. 

“Cops can always ask someone for their I.D.,” Cox said, “the question is when the cops can demand I.D.” 

Cox gave an example: a policeman pulls over a car for speeding. In theory, the policeman has the right to demand the driver’s I.D., but he may only ask for the passenger’s. 

However, the issue gets sticky if the policeman has a reasonable suspicion that there may be another crime connected to the car. The officer may smell marijuana, or see a gun underneath the driver’s seat. 

In that case, the cop may ask for the passenger’s identification as well. He may even detain the passenger. 

The situation would be quite differently if the cop had found the two people walking together down the street. In that case, he would have to have a reason to suspect the non-suspect – the “passenger” – of a crime. 

“There’s a whole automotive exception to the Constitution,” Cox said. 

What if the cops found two juveniles sitting on the street with a beer between them, Prichett wondered. Would the officer have to ascertain who the beer belonged to before asking for I.D.? 

Cox said that he would not. The situation was similar to that found in many drug busts. If police enter a home and find several people and several pound of marijuana, it may not be immediately clear who owns it. They may consider everyone in the house a suspect. 

“You can have what’s called ‘joint possession,’” Cox said. 

“Literally!” interjected Copwatcher Russ Bates, to much amusement. 

Much of Cox’s information that pertained directly to Copwatching had to do with how people could record the police in action.  

He said that photographing police was always legal, as long as they were in a public place and the photographer was not interfering with the arrest. 

Videotaping was something of a gray area, Cox said, because of the audio track. California law prohibits the recording of a conversation unless both parties give their consent. 

However, he noted, the law only applied when parties in a conversation had a reasonable expectation of privacy. Given that the policeman would be expected – even compelled – to give an account of a conversation made during an arrest, there should be no expectation of privacy. 

So, Cox concluded, Copwatchers videotaping an arrest should be on solid legal ground. 

Copwatcher Karin Hilton said that she was concerned about the other side of the equation – police videotaping political activists at rallies and demonstrations. Shouldn’t there be a law?  

“As best as I can figure out,” said Cox, “cops have as much a right to videotape you as you have to videotape them.” 

Aspiring Copwatchers are asked to attend a workshop on Feb. 6, from 7 to 10 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. For more information, call 548-0425.

Editor: 

It would seem prudent to refrain from torturing Taliban prisoners so that American captives will not be similarly mistreated. 

The Enron executives, however, are another matter. 

Carol Denney 

Berkeley

Monday 

Boys Soccer – St. Mary’s vs. Piedmont, 3:30 p.m. at Piedmont High School 

Boys Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. John Swett, 7 p.m. at John Swett High School 

Girls Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. John Swett, 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s College High School 

Tuesday 

Girls Soccer – Berkeley vs. DeAnza, 3:30 p.m. at DeAnza High School 

Boys Soccer – Berkeley vs. DeAnza, 5 p.m. at Berkeley High School 

Boys Basketball – Berkeley vs. DeAnza, 7 p.m. at DeAnza High School 

Girls Basketball – Berkeley vs. DeAnza, 7 p.m. at Berkeley High School 

Wednesday 

Boys Basketball – Berkeley vs. Richmond, 7 p.m. at Richmond High School 

Boys Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. Albany, 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s College High School 

Girls Basketball – Berkeley vs. Richmond, 7 p.m. at Richmond High School 

Girls Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. Albany, 7 p.m. at Albany High School 

Thursday 

Boys Soccer – Berkeley vs. Richmond, 5 p.m. at Richmond High School 

Girls Soccer – Berkeley vs. Richmond, 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley High School 

Men’s Basketball – Cal vs. Arizona, 7 p.m. at Haas Pavilion 

Friday 

Boys Soccer – St. Mary’s vs. St. Patrick, 3:30 p.m. at St. Patrick High School 

Girls Soccer – St. Mary’s vs. St. Patrick, 3:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s College High School 

Boys Basketball – Berkeley vs. Pinole Valley, 7 p.m. at Berkeley High School 

Boys Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. St. Joseph, 7 p.m. at St. Joseph High School

Editor: 

Perhaps President Bush, the brilliant, ethical American leader of the War on Terrorism, should consider--being that he is dismayed by Palestinians' importing arms into the occupied territories--declaring to the world that the U.S. will observe a moratorium on arms and munitions shipments to Israel if the Palestinians will also abide by such a moratorium. Lacking such reciprocity the brilliance of our President's pronouncements may appear, to some, tarnished.  

On the other hand, of course, President Bush's concern for the victims of his "former" number one booster and pal Ken Lay, are unquestionably sincere. Bush had nothing to do with assuring Mr. Lay's energy deregulation agenda. Right?  

Marc Sapir, MD  

Berkeley 

SAN FRANCISCO — About 200 friends and supporters of Diane Whipple held a candlelight in a rain-soaked park Saturday to show they hadn’t forgotten the popular woman mauled to death by dogs at her doorstep last year. 

“What really happened is a wonderful, capable, loving memorable woman lost her life under circumstances that were eminently and completely avoidable,” said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. 

Whipple, 33, was attacked in a hallway Jan. 26, 2001, as she carried groceries to her luxury apartment in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. 

Kendell’s organization and several other groups, including Friends of Diane, organized the vigil. 

Several members of Whipple’s St. Mary’s lacrosse team huddled together on the park grass, hugging and sharing memories of their former coach. Whipple’s partner, Sharon Smith, remembered her as a competitive athlete and a teacher in life. 

“In the seven years I spent my life with Diane Alexis, she was most proud of her athletic accomplishments,” Smith said, referring to Whipple by her middle name. 

Whipple enjoyed poetry, long hikes, the ocean and her friends, Smith said. 

“She believed in living your life to the fullest,” Smith said. 

The two large Presa Canarios that attacked Whipple weighed more than 100 pounds each and belonged to her neighbors Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel. 

Knoller is charged with second-degree murder. Both Knoller and Noel are also charged with involuntary manslaughter and keeping vicious dogs. The murder charge carries up to 15 years in prison, the manslaughter charges up to four. 

The criminal trial starts in March in Los Angeles, a change of venue because of the national media attention the case has received. 

Knoller, who was walking the dogs when the attack happened, said she was dragged down the hall by one of the animals. Whipple’s larynx was crushed and her neck ripped open. 

In response to the dog attack last year, the city tightened enforcement of its leash laws. Citizens expressed outrage at large dogs being in public places. 

Knoller and Noel have also been outspoken in the past, calling the dogs’ behavior out of character. The media has centered on several bizarre twists in the case, including the couple’s friendship with a prison inmate who owned the dogs and possible sexual evidence in the case. 

Smith has filed a separate wrongful death suit against Knoller and Noel. 

Smith won a court ruling to allow same-sex couples to file wrongful death suits. Courts had previously considered such suits unconstitutional. The civil suit is in the discovery process. 

WALNUT CREEK — Generose Yambao is accused of stealing the identities of 22 people and nearly $400,000 in goods and services before she was arrested in Florida. 

Yambao was arraigned last week in Oakland in federal court, but has not entered a plea. 

Federal prosecutors say Yambao, 22, of San Ramon, used, among other things, information on a video store membership application to buy a sport utility vehicle and that she used information on a student loan statement to finance a shopping spree in which she allegedly spent more than $38,900. 

Her public defender and family members did not comment to the Contra Costa Times. 

A grand jury indicted Yambao on suspicion of possessing and using credit account numbers, identity theft, fraudulently using a Social Security number and transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines. While the indictment names 22 people, prosecutors believe Yambao may have used the identities of more than 50. 

OAKLAND — Deaf and hearing impaired students at two University of California campuses are suing, claiming the schools don’t adequately accommodate their disability. 

The class-action suit was filed in Alameda County Superior Court on behalf of almost 200 students at UC Berkeley and UC Davis. 

The suit claims the campuses do not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The students claim such deficiencies as videos being shown without closed captioning and an emergency phone system that won’t work for deaf people. 

The universities say they comply with the act and provide adequate services. The suit is a companion to a federal suit brought two years ago that is scheduled for trial in June. 

WASHINGTON — When Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s interim leader, meets President Bush on Monday, he is expected to seek a continuing U.S. commitment to help restore the peace in his violence-torn country, Afghan officials say. 

Karzai arrived here Sunday afternoon, the first Afghan leader to visit Washington in 39 years. 

Before leaving for the United States, Karzai told Afghan television that he would use the trip to push for the expansion of a multinational peacekeeping force into the rest of Afghanistan. 

Afghan officials believe troops are needed in the countryside to deal with regional warlords and armed gangs. They also have indicated they want American troops to participate. 

“This is the determination of the Afghan people,” Karzai said. 

The Bush administration has resisted U.S. involvement in the 2,500-person British-led international security assistance force operating in Kabul. Thousands more troops are expected. 

Karzai, 44, attended a prayer service at a mosque in suburban Virginia in the afternoon and planned an evening address at Georgetown University. 

Several hundred Afghan-Americans at the mosque were brought up to date on the situation in Afghanistan by Karzai, who spoke in one of the main languages of Afghanistan. 

The predominantly male audience applauded frequently during his 25-minute presentation. 

No translation was provided. 

The Bush administration is undecided on how long U.S. troops, currently numbering about 4,000, should remain in Afghanistan. 

Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah said in an interview Friday he believes U.S. and international forces should remain in Afghanistan beyond the six-month life of the interim government. 

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said last week that American troops will remain in Afghanistan at least until the summer. The interim government steps down in June and will be replaced by a government selected by a national council. 

The American military focus in Afghanistan has been on hunting down remnants of the Taliban regime that was deposed in November and the al-Qaida terrorist group, headed by Osama bin Laden. 

Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday he believes bin Laden, blamed for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, is still alive. 

“We haven’t seen him, obviously, in the flesh recently, and he’s been very quiet,” Cheney told “Fox News Sunday.” “He hasn’t released any videos or made any public pronouncements. But I think, if he were dead, there’d be more indications of it than we’ve seen.” 

In addition to security issues, Bush and Karzai are expected to discuss rebuilding Afghanistan, and political issues such as the role of women in Afghan civic institutions, a U.S. official said. 

Karzai will be a guest of honor Tuesday when Bush delivers the State of the Union address. 

SANTA CLARA — A long-awaited new wireless handheld from Palm Inc. was set to hit store shelves Monday, giving the world’s leading PDA maker an important weapon in the fight against encroaching rivals. 

The new i705 personal digital assistant has a built-in antenna for wireless Web access and secure, “always-on” access to business or personal e-mails and instant messages through its Palm.net service. The device is a replacement to the Palm VII models that were bulkier and did not have as many features or a rechargeable battery. 

The PDA weighs 5.9 ounces and has the same SD-expansion card and universal connector slots like that of other new high-end Palm products. To avoid the battery drain of a color screen, Palm said it is releasing only a monochrome model. 

The $449 device is targeted for the lucrative and growing corporate customer market — a segment Palm wants to dominate and one that company officials and industry observers say is critical for Palm’s long-term success. 

Palm holds the lead in worldwide market share but saw its share drop to 43.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2001 from 53 percent in the year-ago period, while shares of Microsoft Corp.’s Pocket PC-based devices, such as Compaq’s iPaq and Hewlett-Packard’s Jornada, grew, according to the International Data Corp. market research firm. Research In Motion’s BlackBerry e-mail pager, which was previously the only handheld device offering an integrated “always-on” connection, has also been popular among business customers. 

“Pocket PC continues to be a powerful and serious option for the (corporate market), but now Palm has a serious offering that takes it on head-to-head,” said analyst Tim Bajarin of market research firm Creative Strategies. 

Palm — already struggling last year to recover from operational missteps, including a massive inventory glut from the economic downturn and stalled sales from pre-announcing its m500 line — took more criticism when it twice delayed the i705 launch. 

Company officials acknowledged they needed the time to make software refinements. “We could have pushed it out the door, but it wouldn’t have been the right thing to do,” said John Cook, Palm’s senior director of technology marketing. 

The delays were probably prudent, Bajarin said. It’s better to do it right now than to have done it wrong three months ago and have egg on their face,” he said. 

WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday defended President Bush’s right to refuse to identify the executives the White House met with in formulating the administration’s energy policy. 

Amid the Enron scandal, Congress’ investigative arm will soon decide whether to sue to force the White House to turn over documents on the meetings last year with representatives of energy companies. They included the now-collapsed Enron Corp., a Houston-based company with deep ties to Bush. 

Cheney acknowledged that the dispute “probably will get resolved in court.” Last week, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer had left open the possibility of a compromise. 

The White House said recently that representatives of Enron, an energy trader that was ranked as the seventh-largest U.S. corporation, met six times on energy issues last year with Cheney or his aides. Thousands of employees and big and small investors nationwide lost fortunes in Enron’s plunging stock as the company spiraled into the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history on Dec. 2. 

MAPUTO, Mozambique — Enron Corp.’s bankruptcy has canceled plans for a natural-gas fueled factory that would have produced steel for export from Mozambique, the Mozambique News Agency reported Sunday. 

The Maputo Iron and Steel Project was supposed to be built on the outskirts of the capital Maputo and was expected to produce as much as 1.8 million metric tons of steel slabs annually. Houston-based Enron would have invested $1.1 billion in the project. 

An official from the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy said the departure of Enron all but ended the government’s hopes that a similar project could be set up in the southern African nation. 

WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday ordered a review of $70 million worth of federal contracts with Enron Corp. and the Arthur Andersen accounting firm to determine whether the embattled companies are worthy of government business. 

In a letter to the General Services Administration, which oversees government contracts, budget director Mitchell E. Daniels said charges of document shredding, manipulative accounting practices and other activities “could reflect poorly” on the companies and their ability to meet government ethics standards. 

In a somber development elsewhere on Friday, a former Enron executive was found shot to death in a car in a suburb of Houston — an apparent suicide, police said. 

The executive, 43-year-old J. Clifford Baxter, had challenged the company’s questionable financial practices and resigned last May. 

WASHINGTON — American Airlines and British Airways walked away from a proposed alliance rather than give up takeoff and landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport. 

The decision marks the second time in five years that the two airlines dropped their request to set rates and routes together and sell each other’s tickets because federal regulators insisted that they give up the coveted slots as part of the deal. 

The two airlines said Friday they would still try to work together within existing rules. 

Transportation Department spokesman Leonardo Alcivar said the airlines’ decision means the agency will not act on the carriers’ current application for an alliance. The airlines could come back with a new plan, Alcivar said. 

DETROIT — Bankrupt retailer Kmart Corp. has begun an internal investigation after receiving an anonymous letter claiming to be from employees that raised questions about its accounting. 

The nation’s third largest discount retailer, which filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, said it notified the Securities and Exchange Commission and is cooperating with the regulatory agency, which is conducting its own investigation. 

The disclosure comes amid heightened sensitivity about accounting issues in the wake of the collapse of energy trader Enron Corp. amid questionable accounting practices. 

Kmart said Friday that the letter, which it received just over a week ago, was addressed to its auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers, its board of directors and the SEC. 

The City Council will meet in closed session Tuesday to discuss a developer’s threat to sue the city over its affordable housing ordinance. 

John DeClercq, senior vice president of TransAction Companies, is threatening to sue the city if an appeal, which is currently before the City Council, is not decided in his favor. DeClercq filed the appeal against his own 175-unit project known as the Library Gardens at 2020 Kittredge St., which was approved by the Zoning Adjustments Board in November.  

DeClercq’s appeal asks that the City Council exempt Library Gardens from the Inclusionary Housing Restriction, which requires all developments of five or more residential units to include affordable housing. 

During the meeting, the council will confer with the City Attorney’s Office about the validity of DeClercq’s legal challenge. 

The basis of the threatened lawsuit is that the Inclusionary restrictions in the city’s Zoning Ordinance are inconsistent with an element in the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act that requires residential development built after 1995 not be subject to rent control. 

Neither DeClercq nor his attorney returned calls to the Daily Planet on Friday.  

Councilmember Polly Armstrong said she was unfamiliar with the particulars of the case but said the lawsuit, if successful, could potentially damage diversity in the downtown area. 

“I always thought the Inclusionary Housing ordinance was a wonderful thing for downtown diversity,” she said. “But this is something that needs to be straightened out. We need to find out what’s legal.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said if the affordable housing requirement is stricken from the Zoning Ordinance, it could have a devastating effect on the city’s affordable housing stock.  

“It’s a pretty drastic threat to the ability of Berkeley or any other city to integrate affordable housing throughout the city,” he said.  

DeClercq won approval by the ZAB to build the Library Gardens, a 176-unit apartment building with 9,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and 455 parking spaces in the heart of downtown Berkeley. The ZAB approved the project on Nov. 11 by a vote of 7-1. 

But despite having the project approved, DeClercq has taken the unusual step of appealing the ZAB’s decision. The appeal is asking the council to remove the affordable housing requirement.  

The Director of Housing Stephen Barton said the city’s Inclusionary Housing Requirement mandates that one in every five units be set aside for low-income tenants. He said half of those set asides are required to go to Section 8 tenants and the other half for tenants who earn 80 percent of the areas median income. 

According to Barton, 80 percent of the median income in Berkeley is $45,000 per year for two people, an income that would require them to not pay more than $1,045 for a small two-bedroom apartment. 

Barton said that about 64 jurisdictions in California that have Inclusionary zoning ordinances.  

“An adverse ruling on Berkeley’s Inclusionary ordinance could have negative effects on a lot of places,” he said.

Saturday, Jan. 26

Bay Area Women in Black  

2 - 3 p.m. 

Fourth & Hearst streets 

A silent vigil to oppose the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Please wear black, everyone is welcome. 486-2744, bayareawomeninblack@earthlink.net. 

Vocal Jazz Workshop and  

Jazz Jam 

9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 

Albany Adult School 

601 San Gabriel St. 

Workshops for singers and instrumentalists led by Richard Kalman to explore Jazz in a small jazz combo format. $5-$12 per class. 524-6796, richkalman@aol.com. 

Puberty Seminar for Girls 

10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

For girls ages 8-14. Understand why your body is changing, and celebrate your rite of passage. Refreshments. $25-$30. (Mothers free. ) 595-3814. 

Book Talk and Signing 

3 - 5 p.m. 

The Berkshire Assisted Living Community 

2235 Sacramento Way 

Victor Bogart will discuss his new book “Assumptions” and “6 steps for Shifting Gears on the Senior Highway.” 841-4844. 

Magic School Bus Video  

Festival 

10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley Campus 

Watch Ms. Frizzle take her skeptical class from outer space to inside a dog’s noise in seven different video adventures shown on the big screen and lasting for three hours. 

Youth and Race: 

Issues and Solutions 

9:30 a.m. - noon 

Elihu Harris State Building Auditorium 

1515 Clay St., Oakland 

Assemblywoman Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley/Oakland) will convene a town hall meeting of elected representatives, youth advocates, and public policy makers to identify and develop solutions for the problems facing young people. 540-3660. 

Sunday, Jan. 27

Neighborhood Clean-Up Day 

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Services Center 

1730 Oregon St. 

Clean up blocks: Russell St., Oregon St., McGee, Stuart, Grant and California St. 981-6670, www.ci.berkeley.ca.us. 

School Open House 

10:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

School of the Madeleine 

1225 Milvia St. 

Applications for grades K-8 available. Kindergarten informational meeting at noon. 526-4744, www.themadeleine.com. 

Organ Music 

5 p.m. 

MusicSources 

1000 The Alameda 

Ron McKean performs Ferscobaldi, Froberger and Bach, and improvises in the style of each composer. Reception follows concert. $15 - $18. 528-1685. 

Japanese Traditional  

Drumming 

2 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center 

2640 College Ave. 

Emeryville Taiko presents a fun and interactive event for children and families. $10 adults, $5 children. 925-798-1300. 

Monday, Jan. 28

East Bay Heritage Quilters 

7:30 p.m. 

First Unitarian Church 

1 Lawson Rd., Kensington 

Guest Speaker, Alice Kolb, offers instruction on how to narrow many ideas into a focused garment. $3 non-members, free for members. 834-3706 

Writing an Ethical Will  

Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

Institute of Government  

Studies 

12 p.m. 

223 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Ronald Rogowski discusses majoritarian electoral systems and consumer power. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Institute of Government  

Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

John Skrentny discusses “The Minority Rights Revolution.” 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Tuesday, Jan 29 

Berkeley High School Site 

Council Meeting  

4 p.m. 

Berkeley High School 

Room H105 

2246 Milvia St.  

On the agenda will be a vote on staff development and discussion of the school site plan. The meeting is open to the BHS community. www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/ssc/.  

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

Camera Club Meeting 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Weekly meeting of the Berkeley Camera Club offers the opportunity to share slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 547-4514 

Dens(c)ity: Two or Three Things  

about Architecture  

and the New World Order 

12:30 - 2 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

119 Moses Hall 

Lesley Naa Norle Lokko is a Principal Lecturer and Academic Leader in the 

School of Architecture and Interior Design, University of North London. Her research focuses on questions of race and cultural identity and their relationship to architectural and urban culture. 642-5992, bcgit@uclink.berkeley.edu. 

Wednesday, Jan. 30

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

Public Library, West Branch 

1125 University Ave. 

A participatory program for families with children up to age 3. Stories, songs and fingerplays as entertainment and as a way for parents to learn some new material to share with their young ones. 981-6270. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART Station 

A peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to U.S. bombing of Afghanistan. Ends at MLK Civic Center Park. www.indymedia.org. 

American Political History  

Seminar 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

109 Moses Hall 

Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, will be talking about his new book, “The Best of Times: America in the Clinton Years.” 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu:8880/. 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

High on a Berkeley hillside stands an unusual structure. Called Temple of Wings it served as the home and dance studio for Florence Treadwell Boynton and later for her daughter and son-in-law Sulgwynn and Charles Quitzow until the mid-1980s.  

Florence Treadwell Boynton grew up in Oakland and was a childhood friend and admirer of Isadora Duncan. Isadora (1878-1927) was born in San Francisco, but grew up in Oakland where she began giving dance classes as early as the age of 10. Initially inspired by the movement of the ocean, Isadora developed a theory of expressive dance which broke from the restrictive movements of classical ballet.  

Inspired also by ancient Greek sculpture and painting, Isadora found images that were the models for her flowing costumes. Isadora told her pupils in her 1927 autobiography, My Life, to “...listen to the music with your soul ... feel an inner self awakening deep within you...”  

And she described herself: “... My art is an effort to express truth in gesture and movement ...” 

According to some sources, Isadora was the main force in bringing interpretive dance to the mainstream of the creative arts and was one of the most innovative, and internationally famous, turn-of-the 20th-century modern dancers.  

Although Isadora lived her adult life in Europe, Florence Treadwell Boynton created a home and dance school that reflected Isadora’s theories and inspirations. Temple of Wings was originally designed and constructed as a Greco-Roman colonnaded open-air residence. The first drawings for the temple were done by Bernard Maybeck in 1911 and the project was completed in 1914.  

After the 1923 fire destroyed all but the reinforced concrete Corinthian-style columns, Mrs. Boynton built the present two-story house constructed within the framework of the original columns. It contains two living units on either side of an open U-shaped courtyard. On the ground floor of each unit there is a single large room designed as a dance studio. As a building, the Temple of Wings enhanced the interrelationship of art and daily life symbolizing Berkeley’s reputation at the turn-of-the-twentieth century as the “Athens of the West.” 

At the Temple of Wings generations of Berkeley children learned the theories of expressive, interpretive dance under the guidance of Mrs. Boynton or her daughter or son-in-law. Berkeley photographer, Margaretta K. Mitchell captured the dance recitals performed at Temple of Wings during the 1970s in a portfolio entitled “Dance for Life.”  

Margaret Norton of the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum referred to Temple of Wings as “one of the crucibles in which modern dance ... was forged.” 

Susan Cerny is author of “Berkeley Landmarks” and writes this in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.  

Editor: 

Until earlier today I was not going to write a letter about the sexual content broadcast time that was voted on at the last Berkeley Community Media Board of Directors meeting. Although I feel that 2-4 a.m. is extreme and likely to be taken as an act of censorship I had already stated that at that meeting when the vote was held.  

However, today I read an article in the Berkeley Daily Planet about a violent shooting in South Berkeley, very close to my home, that shocked and appalled 

me. I began to wonder how someone could consciously commit such a horrific act of violence, and then I realized that our culture encourages this through 

the violence portrayed on television, in the movies and on videogames.  

This brings me to my point about the decision made by the BCM board at this last meeting. I agree with the concerned parents who are worried about what 

their children might see while watching a TV channel that does not censor. This is why I support the 10 p.m. adult content timeslot. I can even see moving it to 11 or 12. However, if those parents are so concerned, why are their children watching television without supervision late at night? I understand that as an organization we cannot question the parenting skills of Berkeley residents. However, when I have children I will be more concerned with the amount of violence that is accessible, even during the day, on every TV channel, including B-TV. In my opinion a sexual act is far more natural then an act of gun violence. I could launch into a tirade about how I feel about the societal views of sex and violence in our country, however this is not the place.  

It seems to me that public access television is the ideal platform for issues such as these. It seems to me that public access television is instituted so that individuals are able to make their voices heard, so that we can hear the common person's views, and not just the views of those who fund national television. Isn't part of our mission to “encourage creative expression and democratic involvement”? My question is this: if we are going to separate sexual content from adult content, what happens when a producer decides to play ultra violent programming? Who are we to decide what is appropriate to play at 10 p.m. and what needs to be held until 2 a.m.? 

I understand that this decision is meant to be a temporary one until a better solution can be found. I also do not like being known as “that channel that plays porn”.  

BCM is so much more than that to our community. I understand that we all have personal opinions that need to be overlooked when making a decision such as this. I understand that this is a hot issue in the community right now that needs to be addressed. However, I urge the Board of Directors to rethink 

their decision.  

I fully support moving all adult programming to 11 p.m. or even 12 a.m. I also suggest the idea of planning some sort of informational forum where this issue 

can be discussed and aired for the community at large. I do feel that although this is an important and timely matter, time must be put into finding a solution. 

I hope that a solution can be found and thought about at length before being put into action. I am willing to share any information that I have on the legality 

of obscenity on community television with anyone interested.  

Again, I had not planned on writing this letter. I have heard numerous complaints from both BCM members, and Berkeley residents, though far fewer than 

Brian Scott has fielded. I understand that this is a tricky matter and as I said before I am willing to provide input or suggestions if anyone is interested. 

Sage Mandzik 

Assistant Director 

Berkeley Community Media

Many people think writer-director Todd Solondz’s films are about outcasts and the heartbreaking things people do to them. They’re not, and they wouldn’t be so good if they were. 

Like his previous films “Welcome to the Dollhouse” and “Happiness,” Solondz’s “Storytelling” looks unsentimentally at the heartbreaking things outcasts do to themselves. It’s better by far than “Happiness” or “Dollhouse,” both of which were remarkable. 

Divided into two parts called “Fiction” and “Nonfiction,” “Storytelling” is rich with exquisite and sad details, from the gorgeous Belle and Sebastian songs that begin and end the film to the slurpy throat-clearing actor Leo Fitzpatrick uses to convey the pain cerebral palsy brings to his character, Marcus. 

“Fiction” focuses on a creative writing class at a third-rate college in the early days of political correctness. It’s taught by Mr. Scott (Robert Wisdom), a black author whose Pulitzer Prize isn’t enough to get him a better job. 

Full of resentment, his only release is tormenting students, as he does when Marcus writes a story about a girl who helps his protagonist overcome cerebral palsy. Mr. Scott doesn’t spare Marcus’ feelings. 

“You ride on a wave of cliches so wan it almost approaches the level of grotesquerie,” he says, in one of his mellower critical pronouncements. 

The students, especially Vi (Selma Blair), are too taken with their teacher’s talent — and his race — to call him on his cruelty. 

Vi, who wanders around campus in T-shirts saying “Biko Lives” and “USA for Africa,” fights the urge to think anything bad about her professor when she finds pictures of tied-up coeds in his apartment. 

“Don’t be racist! Don’t be racist! Don’t be racist!” she tells herself. 

Desperate to avoid doing anything Mr. Scott or Marcus might find condescending, she does nothing at all. Looking pathetically for Mr. Scott’s approval, she consents to have sex with him while screaming a racial slur he tells her to use. 

To avoid an NC-17 rating, Solondz agreed to insert a large red rectangle over parts of the scene. Rather than distracting us, as might be expected, it adds to the sense of shame and exploitation. 

Only 30 minutes long, “Fiction” has the directness and shock value of a great punk song. 

Fine acting and intelligent touches also abound in “Nonfiction,” which begins with an uncomfortable but very funny what-if scenario: What would it be like to call a former high school classmate whose yearbook entries still beckon, “Keep in touch!” or “I will always love you!” 

“Nonfiction” begins with Toby (Paul Giamatti) giving in to the sentiments that better-adjusted people dismiss, phoning a girl who had a crush on him. He pitifully reveals to her that he’s failed at everything he’s attempted since his promising high school years. 

He tries to recapture his past glory by making a documentary, and finds a subject in Scooby, a New Jersey stoner he discovers lighting up in a school restroom. 

Toby tells administrators and Scooby’s parents (John Goodman and Julie Hagerty) that he wants to focus on Scooby’s decisions about college. But Toby also thinks he can milk a few laughs by mocking Scooby and his dream of hosting a talk show. 

To make a film ridiculing Scooby’s life, he has to win his trust. 

Mark Webber does a skillful job of making the taciturn and often intoxicated Scooby into the film’s most sympathetic character. Solondz, like Toby, walks a fine line between portraying Scooby’s family sympathetically and sarcastically — until he eventually makes them out to be an awful bunch. 

Several misfortunes fall their way, the worst of which involves their housekeeper Consuelo (Lupe Ontiveros). In countless stupid movies, housekeepers are played for laughs. But Consuelo’s life is hard, not funny, and the last laugh is hers. 

You know a movie’s going to be jarring when it has a cameo by Conan O’Brien, one of the funniest people alive, and he’s self-consciously unamusing. 

But “Storytelling” doesn’t just shoot down expectations for the sake of shaking up its audience — it has thoughtful and important things to say about exploitation, condescension, and telling stories both honestly and otherwise. 

And complicated as its characters and structure may be, “Storytelling” couldn’t be more honest. 

“Storytelling,” a Fine Line Features release, is rated R for strong sexual content, language and some drug use. Running time: 87 minutes. 

——— 

Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions: 

G — General audiences. All ages admitted. 

PG — Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. 

PG-13 — Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children. 

R — Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. 

NC-17 — No one under 17 admitted. 

924 Gilman Jan. 26: Mile Marker, Yaphet Kotto, Pirx the Pilot, Himsa, Confidante; Jan. 27: Bane, Over My Dead Body, Striking Distance, Breath In; Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Jan. 27: 8 p.m., Jane Rigler; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/acme.html. 

The Albatross Jan. 26: Al Guzman Jazz Quartet; Jan. 31: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Jan. 26: Robin Gregory & Bliss Rodriguez; Jan. 27: “Acoustic Soul”; Jan. 28: “Renegade Sidemen” w/Calvin Keyes; Jan. 29: Tangria; Jan. 30: Bob Schoen; Jan. 31: Jason Martineau & Dave Sayen; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Jan. 26: Dank Man Shank, TBA, $5; Jan. 27: Motivators, Funklogic, $3; Jan. 28: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band, $4; Jan. 29: Funkanauts, Len Patterson Trio, $3; Jan. 30: Sunru, Slaptones, DJ Kurse, $10; Jan. 31: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Club Jjang-Ga Jan. 26: Krenshaw, Bearing, Lucid Inc., Zodiacal Circle; 400 29th Ave., Oakland, 261-1108, savageproductions1@ yahoo.com. 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jazzschool Jan. 27: 4:30 p.m., Michael Zilber, Sons of Bitches Brew; Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Jupiter Jan. 26: Berkeley Jazz School Presents: Fourtet; Jan. 30: Joel Harrison Quartet; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

La Pena Cultural Center Jan. 26: 8 p.m., Naked Barbies: The Concert, $10-$15; Jan. 26: 10:30 a.m., Gary Lapow, $4 adults, $3 Children; Jan. 27: 7:30 p.m., Leticia Servín, $10-$8; 3105 Shattack Ave, 893-4648.  

Live Oaks Concerts: Berkeley Art Center Jan. 27: 7:30 p.m., Elaine Kreston, Laura Carmichael, $10, BACA Members $8, Students and Seniors $9. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., 644-6893. 

Oakland Symphony Chorus Jan. 26: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Conductor Tony Pasqua will lead a study of Joseph Haydn’s “Harmoniemesse” and Johannes Brahm’s “Schicksalslied.” $25, $30 door; St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 6013 Lawton St., Oakland, 465-4199. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

Berkeley Black Repertory Theatre Jan. 26: 6:30 - 10 p.m., The City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Black Repertory Theatre pay tribute to and welcome the return of “The Dru Band”; $5. 3201 Adeline St., 625-2120. 

Berkeley Art Center Jan. 26: 7 p.m., Rhythm & Muse, Rudi Mwongozi; 1275 Walnut St., 527-9753. 

Organ Music Jan. 27: 5 p.m., Ron McKean; $15 - $18. MusicSources, 1000 The Alameda, 528-1685. 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas "A Therese" & "Les Adieux," Bruce Nalezny's "Poeme & Finale" and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Featuring: Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Dance 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Jan. 23 through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.org. 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland, 239-2252, www.acteva.com/go/havefun. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 22: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 1; Jan. 23: 3 p.m., The Terms of Cinema; 7:30 p.m., Telling It, Differently; Jan. 25: 7:30 p.m., The Aviator’s Wife; 9:30 p.m., A Good Marriage; Jan. 26: 6:30 p.m., Patrick Macias; 7 p.m., Battle Royale; 9:30 p.m., Blood and Law; Jan: 27: Children’s Film Festival, 1 p.m., Ikingut, 3 p.m., Peter Pan; 5:30 p.m., Sir Arne’s Treasure; 7:35 p.m., Song of the Scarlet Flower; Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu. 

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Jan.24 - Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Jan. 16 through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Jan. 27 through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” Masterworks by Guy Colwell. Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9, 2028 Ninth St., 841-4210, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Jan. 26: Paradise; Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Jan. 22: Lee Foster discusses his new guide “Northern California History Weekends”; Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 23: Paul Hoover, Elizabeth Robinson; Jan. 27: Wanda Coleman, Austin Straus, Kate Gale; Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387. 

Museums 

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org. 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot by 40 foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821. 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

Lawrence Hall of Science Through Jan. 26: Scream Machines: The Science of Roller Coasters; “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza; Open daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org. 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley, 642-5132, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

The St. Mary’s Panthers played one of their worst games of the season on Friday night. Luckily for them, their opponent played even worse. 

The Panthers survived a myriad of turnovers and missed shots to beat Kennedy, 66-58, in Berkeley, to preserve their undefeated league record. With Kennedy’s two top players fouled out early in the fourth quarter, St. Mary’s still struggled to pull away, but guard Terrence Boyd scored 8 points down the stretch to ensure the win. 

“It’s good to get out alive of a game like that,” St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo said. “Even though we didn’t play well, we were still able to pull out the victory.” 

Caraballo got 14 points from forward Chase Moore and 12 points each from Boyd and point guard DeShawn Freeman, but shooting guard John Sharper suffered a terrible slump, hitting just 2-of-14 from the field and missing all six of his 3-point attempts. For a player who led the team in scoring during Freeman’s extended absence earlier this season due to a stress fracture, it was an uncharacteristic night. 

Sharper, Freeman and Moore combined for 13 steals in the game. The St. Mary’s press caused bunches of turnovers by the Eagles, including 10 in the third quarter alone, but the Panthers didn’t turn them into points, keeping the game close. They didn’t grab a lead of more than eight points until Kennedy stars Devin Peal and Leland Mapp both fouled out with more than five minutes left in the game. With the two forwards on the bench, St. Mary’s opened a lead of 60-47 before several baskets by Kennedy point guard Jay Doss closed the gap with seconds remaining. 

Both Peal and Mapp sat for long stretches of the first half with foul trouble, and Peal ended the game with just 4 points. Mapp had 17 points in his limited action, but it was Doss who gave St. Mary’s the most trouble, scoring a game-high 26 points on a variety of drives and pull-up jumpers. 

“It actually seemed like they played better without (Peal and Mapp). The point guard killed us tonight,” Caraballo said. 

But Doss’s heroics weren’t nearly enough for the Eagles, as their bench players contributed little and looked spooked trying to get the ball through the St. Mary’s press. Caraballo said even when his team shoots as badly as it did on Friday night, he can always count on defensive effort to give them a chance. 

“One thing my kids always do is play hard,” he said. “They’ve got experience and hustle, and that’s what got us through tonight.”

West Contra Costa County School Board member Charles Ramsey and former Berkeley Mayor Loni Hancock are so far raking in the lion’s share of campaign money for the 14th District Assembly seat according to the most recent disclosures. 

As of Friday, Ramsey reported donations of $300,000, Hancock $225,000 and Dave Brown, former chief of staff to Alameda County Supervisor Alice La-Bitker, reported $120,000. 

The three candidates are seeking Assemblymember Dion Aroner’s seat, being made vacant because of term limits. The 14th District includes sections of cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, among them Berkeley, Albany, Richmond, El Cerrito and El Sobrante. 

Ramsey’s list of contributors includes trade unions, police and fire department unions and businesses, including PG&E. Hancock’s contributors include many individuals, healthcare organizations women’s political organizations and broadcasting interests. Brown’s contributors include family members, individuals and some small businesses. 

According to Bruce Cain, the Director of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, a candidate’s contributors list is an indication of a candidate’s policy positions but not a guarantee of how they will vote on those issues once elected.  

“Contributions can tell you a lot about where a candidate already stands on certain issues,” he said. “For instance if there’s a lot of trade unions you have a good indication of how the candidate will vote on regulatory issues such as minimum wage, workman’s compensation making union labor a requirement on public projects, etc.” 

However Cain did say that Ramsey accepting money from PG&E was interesting because of the energy company’s controversial association with last summer’s energy crisis. 

“I think it’s pretty courageous for anybody to take money from PG&E in the 14th District. That’s taking a risk.” he said. “Especially with all the heat Gov. Gray Davis has taken for accepting energy money and that was before the energy crisis and the Enron debacle.” 

But Ramsey’s campaign consultant Phil Giarrizzo said it would be inappropriate to make a value judgment on any single contributor. 

Giarrizzo said that because a candidate takes money from a paticualal type of contributor it does not mean that “you are in that contributor’s pocket,” he said.  

“Most contributors don’t donate money because they think they are buying votes, they contribute because they believe the candidate will listen and give a fair hearing,” he said.  

State assembly candidates are required to submit contribution statements periodically throughout the campaign. The first filing date was Sept. 30, the second Jan. 10 and the most recent was Thursday. The Democratic Primary Election will take place on March 5th. 

Individuals, unions and businesses are limited to $3,000 contributions and certain qualified small donor pacts can contribute up to $6,000. All three of the candidates have signed a voluntary campaign spending limit of $400,000.  

Among Ramsey’s largest contributors are a wide range of trade unions including the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union #342, Sheet Metal Worker’s Locals 102 and 104 and the Sprinkler Fitters and Apprentices Union all of which contributed $3,000 each. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California contributed $6,000. 

Other contributors in the $3,000 range include PG&E, the Association of California Insurance Companies and the California African American PAC. All toll, Ramsey has 37 separate contributions of $3,000 compared to both Hancock and Brown who both have 13.  

Ramsey also lists financial backing by the Oakland Officers Association, the Richmond Police Officers and the Black Fire Fighters Association.  

“Charles has an interesting coalition of supporters,” Giarrizzo said . “He has been a hard proponent of public safety, and that’s why you see the support police and fire and working men and women.” 

Hancock’s list of contributors is predominantly represented by individuals who have contributed in the $100 to $500 range. Hancock contributed $67,000 of her own money to the campaign because she got into the race late, according to her Campaign Coordination Molly O’Shaughnessy. 

Among her larger contributors are Assemblymember Dion Aroner, the Alameda National Women’s Political Caucus and the Women’s Political Committee State Account.  

“She has a lot of support from the woman’s Caucus in the legislature,” O’Shaughnessy said. “As well as support from casual groups of women.” 

O’Shaughnessy pointed to a recent neighborhood meeting in a neighbor’s home where a group of women met and discussed issues that were important to them and a decided to support Hancock. “After the meeting they got out their checkbooks it was like a mini-Emily’s List,” she said. 

O’Shaughnessy added that two fund raisers, one hosted by Sen. Barbara Boxer on Feb. 2 and another hosted by Californian State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin on Feb. 10, are expected to raise significant donations. 

Dave Brown’s contribution list also shows mostly individual contributors. His largest contributors, those in the $3,000 range, include Pinnacle Entertainment, INC., the Burger Family Trust and the Hollywood Park Casino.  

Brown also shows support from at least two healthcare organizations, the Becton Healthcare Resources INC. and American Medical Response. 

“I have over 500 individuals who have contributed to this campaign,” Brown said. “Mostly from friends, family and people I’ve worked with on public policy.” 

Brown said he has garnered support from healthcare organizations largely because of the work he has done in recent years to provide medical insurance to working families. 

He added that he has spent a good deal of time raising money for his campaign.  

“I’ve been raising money mostly through word of mouth and many, many phone calls,” he said. “I don’t have the same institutional backing as by competitors do but we plan to raise enough to win this race.”

Editor: 

Chris Kavanagh’s recent letter about housing represents a confusion that is common in Berkeley. Dona Spring was attacked for not supporting more housing, and Kavanagh defended her by listing the publicly funded affordable housing projects she has supported. 

But we will never build enough subsidized housing to solve the crisis of affordability caused by the Bay Area’s housing shortage. 

There was plenty of affordable housing in Berkeley in the 1950s and 1960s, much of it in elegant old homes. But during the 1970s, the NIMBY movement became very influential, and there were down-zonings in Berkeley and throughout the Bay Area. Because of the housing shortage they caused, affordable units were gentrified away. 

When I came to Berkeley in 1970, I rented a room in a nice old 1920s house for $40 a month. But during the 1970s, that house shifted from rental to owner-occupancy. Recently, it sold for $500,000. 

If progressives back affordable housing but not market rate housing, the people who would have bought that market-rate housing do not disappear. 

They bid up the price of the existing housing stock. 

When there is a housing shortage, the rich are not the ones who end up onthe street. Poor people are displaced from their homes as prices go up. 

On the other hand, if progressives all over the Bay Area were strong supporters of smart growth – of new market rate housing as well as affordable housing concentrated around transit nodes and corridors – we could ease the housing shortage before it becomes bad enough to gentrify away the remaining affordable units in the East Bay. 

Unfortunately, Berkeley's progressive councilmembers have supported affordable housing, but they have been lukewarm (at best) about supporting housing in general. No city in the Bay Area makes life harder for developers who want to build housing. 

Charles Siegel 

Berkeley

BEVERLY HILLS — Robert Redford is getting an honorary Academy Award. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Friday that its Board of Governors chose Redford for an honorary Oscar with the inscription, “Robert Redford — Actor, Director, Producer, Creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere.” 

Honorary Oscars are given for “exceptional distinction in the making of motion pictures or for outstanding service to the Academy.” Previous recipients include Ernest Lehman, Stanley Donen, Deborah Kerr, Federico Fellini, Ralph Bellamy, Michael Kidd, Alex North and Hal Roach. Redford’s award will be presented during the March 24 Academy Awards. 

“Bob’s dedication to independent filmmaking has had an enormously positive impact on the motion picture industry since he created Sundance 20 years ago, and young filmmakers for years to come will continue to benefit from the training that his institute provides and the world-class showcase that his festival offers,” academy president Frank Pierson said. 

Since his acting debut in the 1962 drama “War Hunt,” Redford has appeared in more than 35 films including “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Way We Were,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Sting.” He was nominated for an acting Oscar for “The Sting.” 

Redford won an Academy Award in 1980 for directing “Ordinary People” and he was nominated twice in 1994 for producing and directing best-picture nominee “Quiz Show.”

The St. Mary’s boys’ soccer team lost its first BSAL game of the season Friday, falling 1-0 to rival Kennedy in Berkeley. 

Kennedy midfielder Daniel Perez scored the only goal of a fast, physical game in the 35th minute, taking a throw-in at the top of the St. Mary’s box and turning on one touch to hammer the ball past St. Mary’s goalkeeper Nick Osborne. 

“It was just a momentary lapse in communication,” St. Mary’s head coach Teale Matteson said of Perez’s freedom on the play. “One player though another had (Perez), and the other thought the opposite.” 

While the loss at least momentarily knocked the Panthers (10-11-1, 5-1-1 BSAL) from the top of the league standings, they still have a good shot at finishing in the top two and earning a first-round playoff bye. Last year’s team just missed a bye, finishing in third place, and were upset in the first round by St. Joseph. 

“It’s pretty important to get a bye, if just to get some extra practice and rest,” Matteson said. “But we’ve got two tough opponents to play, so nothing’s guaranteed. All the games are now crucial.” 

St. Mary’s still has games against Piedmont and St. Patrick left on the regular season schedule. Piedmont is one of the league’s top teams, while St. Patrick tied Kennedy earlier this season, so they aren’t likely to be an easy touch. 

Another reason a bye would help the Panthers is to help them get healthy. Nearly every starter on the team has missed at least one game due to injury or illness, and Matteson knows he’ll need a full squad to advance through the BSAL playoffs. 

“We’re starting to get healthy,” said Matteson, who had just two players sidelined for Friday’s game, a season-low. “But we’ve still got a couple of guys limping around out there.” 

St. Mary’s offense looked hobbled against Kennedy, getting off just five shots. They played long ball for most of the game, an ineffective strategy against Kennedy sweeper Giovanni Mejia, one of the league’s best players. Mejia constantly turned back Panther attacks, covering the field from sideline to sideline. Anything that got past Mejia ended up in the hands of goalkeeper Oscar Rivera. Following Perez’s goal, both Bryan Warren and Pat McMahon managed shots from awkward angles that Rivera saved fairly easily. 

“They have a strong goalkeeper, and he did a good job today,” Matteson said. “And Giovanni cleaned up the back the way he’s supposed to.” 

The Panthers didn’t put much pressure on Mejia and Rivera in the second half, with the goalie making two saves. McMahon had the best chance for St. Mary’s, getting a cross from Sean Rogan in the Kennedy box, but his shot went wide under pressure.

Earlier this month, at the Jan. 9 meeting of the Board of Education, board President Shirley Issel officially welcomed Jerry Kurr as the Berkeley Unified School District’s new associate superintendent of business. 

“I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the BUSD family,” Kurr replied. “And yes,” he joked, discussing his decision to take the job, “I am of sound mind.” 

Kurr, who worked as a business consultant for the district starting in July, before taking the reins as associate superintendent Jan. 2, faces quite a task.  

The Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, or FCMAT, a state agency that has been providing the district with financial advice since October, has projected a $1.6 million deficit in the district budget this year, a $7.8 million shortfall next year, and a $16.7 million deficit the following year if the board doesn’t make cuts. 

In calculating this year’s $1.6 million deficit, FCMAT included a one-time payment from the district’s general fund to its “self-insurance fund,” which is $2.5 million in debt. 

In an interview Friday, Kurr said the district may be able to eliminate this year’s deficit by spreading out payments to the self-insurance fund, which covers worker’s compensation and other liabilities, over several years. 

But, the district will still have to make substantial cuts to avoid the shortfalls predicted by FCMAT in the next two years.  

In the coming weeks, Kurr will be working with Superintendent Michele Lawrence, FCMAT and district staff to identify several million dollars in cuts for next year’s budget, and present the board with a package at its Feb. 20 meeting. 

The district must move quickly because cuts will likely include layoffs, and, according to state law, the board must inform certain classes of teachers and certificated administrators by March 15 if the district intends to lay them off next year. 

Berkeley educational leaders, and people who have known Kurr for years, say the associate superintendent of business will bring important skills and priorities to the table in identifying budget cuts. 

“He’s facing some real major budget work this year,” said school board member John Selawsky. “For someone new to the district I can imagine that would be unnerving...But he seems unflappable. There’s a calmness and steadiness to him that I appreciate.” 

Selawsky said Kurr’s experience in educational finance, including a 14-year stint as Associate Superintendent of Administration and Business Services with the Riverside County Office of Education, will also be helpful. 

Dale S. Holmes, former Riverside County Superintendent, said that Kurr has developed an appreciation for the connection between finance and the classroom over the years. 

“Jerry went from being just a business person to a person who understood what the funds in the district did to support the teacher in the classroom,” Holmes said. “He would know how to cut and he would cut from the non-instructional side first.” 

“He’s very trustworthy, very dependable, very knowledgeable, very creative,” Holmes added. “When I’d leave on a Friday night, and saw his smile, I’d be happy, because I’d know that the computers would be working and the paychecks would be out on time.”  

That sort of skill with basic systems is a hot commodity in the Berkeley Unified School District where, according to Kurr, an outdated, inadequate data system, and breakdown in basic business practices, have contributed to payroll problems, and the current budget mess. 

Kurr said one of his top priorities this year will be moving the district toward a better financial data system. The current system, he said, is not “self-balancing.” When an employee makes an entry for an expenditure, for instance, it does not automatically transfer that expenditure to the “general ledger,” which accounts for the district’s total assets and liabilities. Instead, it requires a manual entry in the general ledger, creating room for error. 

This year, Kurr will oversee a $700,000 transfer to a new self-balancing data system called Quintessential School Systems. The transfer should be at least partially complete by July 1.  

Another top priority, Kurr said, is ensuring that employees are paid accurately and on time. The faulty data system, flawed processes for entering data into the system, the complexities of employee contracts, and recent turnover in the personnel and business offices have all conspired to create payroll problems, Kurr said. 

For instance, he noted, contract changes have not been quickly reflected in employees’ actual paychecks since he has worked at the district. 

But there are not just systems problems to be fixed, Kurr said. The associate superintendent of business said he will work to build a sense of teamwork in a department with historically low morale. 

John Malone, who worked alongside Kurr as a business consultant earlier in the school year, predicts success in this area. “He’s a top notch manager of people,” Malone said. “He really makes sure the people he works with know how much they’re valued.” 

In time, Kurr said, systems and cultural reform will pay dividends. “I really think this can be one of the best school districts in the state,” he said. 

Editor: 

I’ve heard of goat milk, but goat silk? Quebec-based Nexia Biotechnologies, Inc. is trying to genetically engineer goats to produce milk that contains spider silk proteins in order to manufacture a material lighter and stronger than steel.  

Not only is this experiment bizarre, it’s cruel and worthless. Eighty to ninety percent of genetically altered animals die within hours or days, and those who do survive are frequently born with severe physical abnormalities, including missing limbs, facial clefts, and massive brain defects. Tinkering with animals’ genes often causes physiological and immune system problems that researchers can neither anticipate nor control.  

Nexia president and CEO Jeffrey Turner acknowledged that “Mother Nature spent 400 million years to perfect this process—she knows a little better than we do,” yet Nexia is still trying to “perfect” the way the goats “spin” the silk—and hoping to reap profits from the animals’ misery.  

Experiments on genetically altered animals will not be any more useful or relevant than experiments on nongenetically engineered animals. It’s just not nice to fool with Mother Nature.  

Heather Moore 

PETA 

Correspondent

Is it true that nice guys always finish last? If so, there’s something missing from “The Gold and the Blue: A Personal Memoir of the University of California (1949-1967),” by Clark Kerr, who was chancellor of the Berkeley campus from 1952 to 1958, and president of the university from 1958 to 1967… while at the same time working as a highly-respected professional labor arbitrator in some of the biggest labor-relations conflicts in America.  

Clark Kerr comes across as mild-mannered, able to deal with difficult people with infinite patience, and so modest you don’t realize right away that he’s incredibly smart.  

Clark Kerr’s meteoric rise from visiting graduate student to president of UC Berkeley makes engaging reading. Kerr describes arriving in the fall of 1932 in a Model-A Ford, and being impressed with his first view of Berkeley: the sight of the Campanile looming up at the end of Telegraph Avenue. Kerr writes that this view of the Campanile is still his favorite view on or off campus. 

Clark Kerr began his tenure in UC Berkeley’s Economics Department and at a special new division he headed called the Institute of Industrial Relations. He writes affectingly of his joy in teaching…. He was especially appreciative of the veterans who flooded the Berkeley campus after World War II as a result of the G.I. Bill. According to Kerr these students, who had faced death, were more serious about attaining their career goals, and were fearless in asking questions.  

Clark Kerr writes equally affectingly of his anguish over painful situations which surfaced during his watch. During the McCarthy era, for example, congress required all University of California faculty members to sign loyalty oaths. Faculty members with affiliations to the Communist Party were dismissed; as were those who refused to go along with the McCarthy Era oath-signing on principle. The faculty members were led to believe that they could get their jobs back if they were cleared by a special committee, but this promise was broken by the board of regents. Even though the jobs were later reinstated, Kerr remains embittered over the broken promises and dismissals. 

Kerr says less about any personal anguish. We learn little about what went on behind the scenes in 1967, when then-Gov. Ronald Reagan dismissed Kerr himself. Was the dismissal related to the 1967 riots at People’s Park? We learn little of Kerr’s nonprofessional life beyond hearing about his near idyllic childhood in rural Pennsylvania; his identity as a Quaker; his dedication to peacemaking; and a mention, here and there, of his supportive wife and children. 

“The Blue and the Gold” is a long book – 540 pages – which minutely covers many of the challenges, issues, and strategic moves made by the UC Berkeley while Clark Kerr was present. The strength of this book lies in his description of how this academic organization became one of the finest educational establishments in the world; for example, the book closely covers the growth of each of the nine campuses in the University of California system.  

Gold stands for the gold in the California hills. Blue stands for the blue of Yale, since Yale alumni initiated the university. The next volume of Clark Kerr’s memoir of the gold and the blue will cover the public life of the university.  

Sari Friedman teaches writing in local colleges and can be reached via sari2@ earthlink.net.

Electrical service in the downtown area went on the fritz for about an hour and a half Wednesday afternoon. Lights began to flicker on and off, and people rushed to their computers hoping to save files before they disappeared. 

Jason Alderman, spokesman for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., said the problem was due to voltage problems at a substation on the Berkeley/Oakland border. More than 15,000 customers in Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland were affected. 

“We’re very sensitive, especially when it hits a core area like downtown Berkeley,” Alderman said. “As far as outages go, we got this one back on pretty quick.” 

Alderman said although voltage surges can damage sensitive electronic instruments, such as computers, PG&E had not received any damaged-equipment complaints from consumers. 

He added that anyone whose gear was damaged could call the company at (800)PGE-5000. 

The outage was unrelated to brown-outs, which occurred in the same area last week, according to Alderman. He said those problems were due to work being done on underground lines along Shattuck Avenue. 

Alderman, on behalf of his employer, apologized to the Berkeley citizens for both of the service disruptions. 

“We never like outages, but we’re even more chagrined when it happens in two consecutive weeks,” he said.

Debate over the city’s proposal to build a new fire station in the Berkeley Hills erupted once again at Thursday’s meeting of the Zoning Adjustments Board. 

This time, the occasion was the certification of the final Environmental Impact Report for the proposed station, which would be located at 3000 Shasta Rd. on property currently owned by the East Bay Municipal Utilities District. 

Certification of the EIR – a document required by state law for all projects that are expected to have a significant impact on the environment – would mean that the board found the report to be complete and accurate.  

After almost three hours of public comment and debate, though, the board withheld its seal of approval.  

They asked Fire Chief Reginald Garcia and John Courtney, whose firm, Lamphier-Gregory, prepared the document, to come back to their next meeting with some minor changes. 

Board member Dave Blake asked Courtney to clear up some apparent confusion over geological studies performed at the site of the new station.  

An early study by two geologists seemed to insinuate that there could be potential stability problems at the site in case of an earthquake. 

Garcia and Courtney said that an in-house geologist had refuted the problem, but the board asked them to spell out their geologist’s reasoning.  

During the public comment period, fire station fans and detractors fired furious salvos at one another. 

Despite Board Chair Carolyn Weinberger’s oft-repeated injunction that speakers should restrict their comments to the EIR, and not the project itself, both sides used the occasion to stump for or against the station. 

“This station will give us the resources, space and ability to respond to fire emergencies in the area,” Garcia said. 

A number of neighborhood representatives echoed the sentiment, some of them, at least, making an attempt to tie it to the matter at hand. 

“I’ve read every page of this report,” one resident told the board, “and it’s a very good one.” 

Opponents argued that the new station would not satisfy the requirements of Measure G, funding from which will be used to build it. 

Measure G, passed by Berkeley voters soon after the devastating 1991 hills firestorm, called for a new station to battle wildfires that threatened to spread into residential areas.  

The measure specified that the new station would be “multi-agency” – it would be staffed by more than one jurisdiction, and it would serve as a command center in the event of such a fire. 

Peter Cukor, a hills resident opposed to the new station, argued that the EIR was inadequate because it didn’t consider a large, multi-agency facility as an option. 

The mattter will be heard again at the Feb. 14 board meeting, after which the board will consider the details of the project itself.

Q. Steve asks: We’ve put laminate flooring in the living-dining area. I have located replacement stair treads (oak) and have cut them to length, finished and varnished them. The stringer is routed for the treads and risers. The treads and risers are installed from underneath. The underneath area of the staircase is accessed from within our shop area. I can access four of the five steps and treads. I anticipate the fifth will be cut out in pieces because it is not accessible from below (due to finished wall that encloses the shop). 

I anticipate the sequence will be as follows: remove old wedges from risers, remove risers, remove wedges from tread and remove tread. I was thinking (dangerous I know) that the risers could be spared, but the more I look and ponder, I anticipate that even the tread will be difficult to remove. Any easy way to remove wedges or shims to make the replacement process easier? 

A. Sometimes a project seems so complicated we tend to overlook the simplest alternatives. Getting out old hardwood wedges with a chisel can be a bear, especially if the area is tight. You need “little” here — not “big.” Try a miniature drill motor. Several companies make really good ones for use in crafts and model building. You probably can pick one up with many attachments for under $40. Once you own one, you and your family will fight over who gets it next. Use a tiny grinding tip or an emery wheel. It acts just like a tiny reciprocating saw. 

Q. Melissa asks: The flue is rusted shut on my earth stove (fireplace insert). How can I get this unstuck? 

A. The thing that is rusted shut is called the damper. This is going to be a tough one if you can’t get to the damper itself. Rust is not uncommon at this location, and if not dealt with on a regular basis it can rust to the point where replacement will be the only way to get it open. Spraying the perimeter of the damper with cutting oil is the first order of business. We use WD-40. Spray an ample coat on and let it sit for an hour or so. Next, gently tap the perimeter of the damper with a small heavy object such as a hammer. Repeat this process as many times as necessary. If it doesn’t come loose after several hours, you might have to pull the stove and use heat. A propane-soldering torch (in a can) can be used to warm up the area surrounding the damper. Usually, once heat is applied, the metal surrounding the damper expands just enough to break the rusted connection. Whatever you do, don’t get angry. Anything other than a gentle hand here could damage the damper. 

Q. John asks: Do I need to put a floor leveler over a plywood subfloor before laying down an unfinished floor (3/4-inch x 2-1/4-inch oak). What about rosin paper? Do I need it and how do I place it on the floor? 

A. We would not use a floor-leveling compound between the subfloor and the hardwood floor. They tend to break up over time. If the floor is way out of level, the house might be due for a jack-up. In any event, we suggest that you attach the hardwood planks directly to the subfloor with only a coat of rosin paper overlapped 2 inches each way, and stapled in place. Don’t use solid plastic sheeting. 

Q. Lena asks: After flushing the toilet, when the tank is almost filled up there is a noise. It appears to be the wire and bulb vibrating. Can this be fixed or do we need to get a new valve with parts? 

A. Few things are more irritating than a noisy toilet. Fortunately, a toilet has few moving parts. And usually, only one of them will make noise as the toilet tank becomes full. That’s the ball-cock, or water inlet, valve. This valve is operated by the “wire” and “ball” mentioned in your question. The wire is called the float arm and the ball is called the float ball. During the flush cycle, water travels from the tank into the bowl. As the water level in the tank drops, so do the float ball and arm. The dropping float arm opens the ball-cock valve, letting water into the tank to refill it. As the water level nears the top of the tank, the reverse happens — the float and float arm begin to close the ball cock. This is where the noise occurs. A dry or deteriorated ball-cock valve gasket can make the valve vibrate. When this happens, the arm and ball also might vibrate. Your repair is simple: Replace either the gasket in the ball-cock valve or the valve itself. Replacing the gasket is less expensive, but replacement of the entire assembly is easier, and probably prove to be the less expensive in the long run. 

Q. Denise asks: Our basement walls have spots that freeze in the winter. The moisture has caused the paneling to discolor. Upon taking one panel off, we discovered that they did insulate with foam sheets but failed to put up a moisture barrier. Can we just add vinyl covering and new paneling on top of the old paneling or must we remove the old paneling first? We’re going to panel instead of drywall because it is a large area and will be much faster just to panel vs. drywall. What do you recommend? 

A. You can add a layer of plastic over the existing paneling but you should be aware that the moisture barrier should have been added directly to the basement walls — before the rigid insulation was added. Adding a vapor barrier on top of the insulation and paneling will put the barrier on the “warm side” of the wall and condensation will be more likely to form in the insulation and the paneling. You have no idea what kind of havoc this may create down the road. The foam sheets actually comprise a pretty good moisture barrier. However, we would take off the paneling, remove the insulation, add a vapor barrier directly to the block wall (two or three layers), reinstall the rigid insulation, add a second layer of new rigid insulation and then install your paneling. Anything less will come back and bite you. 

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Q. George asks: I need to know how much coverage an 80 lb. bag of stucco mix will provide with a 1/4-inch thickness. The information on the bag does not give coverage amount. Thank you so much for your time. 

A. Good question. Stucco is usually applied in three coats and is referred to as 7/8-inch three-coat stucco. The first coat is known as the “scratch coat,” the second is known as the “brown coat” and the final coat is known as the “color coat” or “finish coat.” There are various other processes, but the one we refer to is most common. The first coat is about a half-inch thick, the second coat is about a quarter-inch thick and the final coat is about an eighth-inch thick. The first coat is troweled onto the paper-backed wire lath and then the surface is scratched with a comb-like trowel, which results in a ribbed or grooved or “scratched” finish. The scratched surface provides an irregular plane that provides lots of “tooth” onto which the second or “brown” coat can bond. The color coat is nothing more than stucco with color in it. If you are doing patchwork just use plain old gray for your final coat and paint it to match. Anyway, the color coat is usually applied in two phases first a smoothing layer and then texture. The texture can be troweled, sprayed or splattered on. 

Each of the first two coats must cure for a minimum of seven days before application of the following coat. Also, stucco cures best at temperatures between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 

For each 80 pound bag of mix you can figure on getting about 40 square feet of coverage for your first (scratch) coat and about twice as much per bag on your second (brown) coat. Pretty logical since the second coat is exactly half the thickness of the first coat. Figure double again for the finish coat, which, again, is half the thickness of the previous coat. You will experience more or less coverage depending upon how much you spill. Oh, and once you spill it leave it for clean-up later — don’t use it on the wall. 

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For more home improvement tips and information, visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com. 

This last holiday season one Carey brother finally broke from tradition and purchased an artificial Christmas tree. Turns out to have been a good move. The tree stands 10 feet tall and comes in four sections. It has collapsible branches that are prewired with hundreds of twinkle lights. The prospect of never having to string another set of lights or add water to the reservoir, along with future annual savings, was all it took. 

The new tree survived the holidays well. In contrast to previous cut trees, it looked as good as the day it was put up. It came apart the same way that it was assembled, and in a matter of minutes, was placed neatly on the garage floor. It was only at that moment the Carey brother in question began to panic. Where was this new addition to spend the other 11 months of the year? 

The two-car garage already was cluttered to the point where it barely accommodated one vehicle. The artificial tree, only moments before a marvelous find, became the enemy, as it threatened a man’s final frontier and most sacred of all places — the garage. 

Necessity is the mother of invention, and it was time to win back the garage. Its walls were lined from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with boxes of all shapes and sizes. The mission was to make room for the tree and as many of the boxes as possible. The answer was to convert dead attic space above the finished garage into a storage area. 

This was accomplished by cutting a hole in the garage ceiling and installing a pull-down attic staircase, along with several sheets of plywood flooring atop the ceiling joist. Since the underside of a pull-down attic staircase usually consists of plywood and is, therefore, not fireproof, the fireproof configuration needed to be preserved by installing a solid-core fire door at the ceiling. 

Besides storing the tree, the space accommodated all the boxes, making room in the garage for a second car. 

Not all storage stories have such a happy ending, however. Often, a garage ceiling is either unfinished or consists of pre-manufactured roof trusses, which make it virtually impossible to use the area for storage. Recently we came across a new product that offers a storage solution for those who are space-challenged. HyLoft overhead storage (www.hyloftusa.com) converts otherwise useless overhead garage space into valuable storage real estate. 

The system consists of one 4-foot-by-4-foot wire-grid shelf unit that hangs from the ceiling of the garage. The lightweight grid sits atop two metal support bars that are fastened to four downrods. The downrods are in turn anchored to the underside of two ceiling joist. A previous homemade incarnation of this system consisted of 2-by-4s and plywood, which were, unfortunately, exceedingly heavy, thus limiting the weight of items to be stored. The four downrods on the system can be adjusted from 16 inches to 28 inches from the ceiling. One aspect that makes this system especially appealing is it can be installed immediately above a garage door, providing there is a minimum of 17 inches clearance. Properly installed, the system will not interfere either with garage doors or openers. 

One 4-foot-by-4-foot overhead storage system will provide about 35 cubic feet of storage and is warranted to hold a maximum of 250 pounds, evenly distributed. To adequately disperse the stored load, not more than two HyLoft units should be installed on any two ceiling joist. 

The installation consists of locating the ceiling joist, measuring the bracket locations and anchoring the brackets to the ceiling joist with the screws provided. Complete the job by fastening the downrods and attaching the crossbar supports. You get instant storage in a location that might otherwise have gone unused. 

For more home improvement tips and information visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com.

Avoid Scalding 

Every year thousands of people are scalded by overheated tap water. When is hot water too hot? At 120 F, 130 F, 140 F? At 130 F, serious burns occur in 30 seconds. At 140 F, it takes only five seconds. And, for the elderly and small children it happens in half the time. 

To prevent injuries, water heaters should be set between 120 F and 125 F, and, for children, bath water should be no more than 100 F. It’s a good practice to run some cold water first, then add hot water — testing it with your hand. 

Here’s how to test your water temperature: Run hot water until you’re sure it’s reached its peak, then fill a glass and use a thermometer. First fill and empty the glass a time or two to warm it so it will not cool down the tap water. Then adjust your water-heater thermostat as needed. Whenever you make a change wait 24 hours before again testing the temperature. 

– James and Morris Carey

The kitchen takes a beating during the holidays with food preparation for dinners, brunches, parties and food gifts. So now, with that season behind us, it’s a good time to take stock of what works and what doesn’t in the most-used room in the house. 

Good storage is the key to how well your kitchen functions. To help determine what kind of storage you need, answer some key questions: 

• How big is your family? 

• How much do you cook? What is your lifestyle and your cooking style? 

• Do you entertain often? 

• Do you like to do a special type of cooking? 

• Do you need cookbook storage? What appliances do you use? 

• Do you prefer utensils, small appliances and mugs within easy reach, or do you prefer uncluttered countertops? 

• How often do you shop for groceries? Do you cook mostly from the freezer or from the pantry? 

There are ways to make your kitchen more efficient without gutting existing cabinets. Carve out a pantry from a sliver of wall space. For narrow but deep space, fit the space with pullout shelving. Install shallow shelves between wall studs to store canned goods one row deep. 

Store dry staples — rice, beans, flour, sugar, cornmeal, cereal — in sealed see-through containers. Use a small container to corral packets of sauce mixes that can get lost in a cabinet. Squared containers are more efficient than round ones. 

To save time, store appliances used every day on the counter. Hang others from hooks, on pegboards or on a metal grid with S-hooks. For small items, such as mugs or salt and pepper shakers, add a small shelf above the backsplash to keep them off the counter. 

Store fresh produce in baskets for an easy reach, and consider adding a lazy Susan to a corner cabinet for more efficient use of space. If space allows, consider a freestanding cabinet or baker’s rack for display and function. 

Check home centers for racks for glasses and hooks for cups. There are other inside-the-door attachments for space-savers, too. 

If space is really at a premium, buy a multitiered plate rack to store dishes used every day.  

Use baskets with compartments to store frequently used flatware and napkins. Collect baskets in one style to arrange on the top of cabinets to hold extra tools or napkins. Kitchen storage ideas: 

—Drawer dividers: Organize everyday flatware with dividers. Laminate, plastic, wire and wood dividers are sturdy and easy to clean. 

—Double lazy Susans: Make the most of cabinet space with double lazy Susans. With an adjustable top shelf, there’s room for tall canned goods, spices and condiments. 

—Spice stairs: Staggered shelves let you see what you have on hand. 

—Wire baskets: Use attractive and durable baskets to organize nonrefrigerated produce, such as potatoes, onions and bananas, or to store linens. 

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“Better Homes and Gardens Making a Home” (Meredith Books, $29.95) 

WASHINGTON — With little worry about their own re-election, some members of California’s congressional delegation are playing active roles in party primaries for the two U.S. House districts in which no incumbent is running. 

Those districts, as well as the San Joaquin Valley seat of Democratic Rep. Gary Condit, are the only ones in which the outcome is in doubt, political operatives in both parties agree. 

Of California’s 53 House districts — the state is gaining a seat because of population growth — incumbents are widely expected to win re-election in 50 of them. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, has no major-party opponent and Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Pleasanton, faces one primary challenger who likes her record. 

The Legislature’s once-a-decade redistricting that followed the 2000 Census placed a premium on protecting incumbents and making congressional districts either safely Democratic or Republican. “After redistricting, there are no competitive congressional seats left in California,” said Dan Schnur, a veteran Republican aide. 

Even in the two districts with no incumbent running, the March 5 primary is expected to be decisive. Condit’s seat is competitive race because of the incumbent’s relationship with Chandra Levy, the 24-year-old former federal intern from Modesto, Calif., who disappeared in Washington in May. 

Many members of Congress stay neutral in primaries, reasoning little good can come from meddling. 

But Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and eight other House Republicans are backing 28-year-old Devin Nunes in the race for an agriculture-based Central Valley seat representing parts of Fresno and all of Tulare counties. Nunes was briefly a Bush administration appointee, serving as state director for rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, until he stepped down to mount his second campaign for Congress. 

Thomas’s role has irritated Nunes’ more politically experienced opponents, state Assemblyman Mike Briggs and former Fresno mayor Jim Patterson. “The last thing we need is another congressman from Kern County,” Briggs said. 

Briggs was one of four Republicans who joined Democrats last year to break a stalemate over Democratic Gov. Gray Davis’s budget. He said he seized an opportunity to extract concessions from Assembly Democrats that have aided local farmers. Patterson touts the reduction in crime in Fresno during his time as mayor. 

Briggs, 42, and Patterson, 53, have been trying to make an issue of Nunes’ age. “Voters are going to look for a serious, experienced, trusted person who’s got a few years on them,” Patterson said. 

Nunes promotes himself as the only farmer and the only Tulare County resident among the major candidates. 

In the Los Angeles area, an open seat is expected to be another gain for the state’s growing Hispanic population and for Democrats. The three major Democratic contenders are all Hispanic. 

Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, who upset Republican longtime Rep. Bob Dornan in 1996, is heavily involved because her sister, Linda, is a candidate. 

Hector de la Torre, a South Gate city councilman, is running a strong race in some polls. Assemblywoman Sally Havice, 64, who has won three competitive races for the Legislature, said she is building support among “thousands of former students” from her English class at Cerritos College. 

Loretta Sanchez has lent her sister her press secretary, Carrie Brooks, who also remains on the congressional staff in a reduced role. The congresswoman’s popularity has been a big boost to her younger sister, who is 32. 

“The message is not, ’Vote for me because I’m Loretta’s sister,”’ Linda Sanchez, a lawyer, said. “Vote for me because I happen to be very qualified and passionate about Democratic issues. The fact that Loretta has high name ID helps convey that to voters.” 

Emily’s List, a Washington-based organization that raises money for women who support abortion rights, has endorsed Sanchez. 

De La Torre, 36, is a former Clinton administration aide, who has picked up the endorsements of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte. “I’m the only candidate with any Washington experience,” said de la Torre. 

In Condit’s district, the embattled incumbent from Ceres is holding a series of sidewalk chats, presenting himself as the most experienced and knowledgeable of the candidates, said Chad Condit, the congressman’s son and campaign manager. 

His major primary opponent is Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza, a one-time protege who has secured support from prominent Democrats who say Condit’s saga has embarrassed them. Republicans say they will focus on this Democratic-leaning seat in the fall if Condit survives the primary. 

SACRAMENTO — Gray Davis has donated money to GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Riordan’s campaign, but it’s not exactly how it looks. 

A Southern California computer consulting firm owner — who happens to share the name of the Democratic governor Riordan wants to unseat — donated $1,000 to Riordan’s campaign in November. 

“It’s definitely not us,” said Roger Salazar, the governor’s re-election campaign spokesman, Friday. 

Davis and Riordan, considered the front-runner for the GOP nomination in November, are locked in a fund-raising race in which each has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars weekly. 

The “Davis” donation to Riordan, however, is particularly ironic because Riordan has been criticized by fellow Republicans for donating $12,500 to Davis and thousands to other Democratic candidates in the past. 

Davis, the non-governor, said he knew it would raise eyebrows when he wrote the check to Riordan at a Beverly Hills fund-raiser on Nov. 5. 

“I thought it was going to be funny,” he said. 

He said he does, in fact, support Riordan. Davis, the computer firm owner, said he worked for the former Los Angeles mayor’s business team before he began his own company, he said. 

His full name is Wade Gray Davis, but he goes by his middle name and owns a computer consulting firm called Gray Davis & Associates in El Segundo, Calif. He said he is registered to vote as “declined to state,” and that he has supported Davis, the governor, in the past.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — For some Alaska Natives, Gravina Island equates to the Costco of traditional food. A short skiff ride from Ketchikan, the island feeds families with abundant deer, salmon, Dungeness crab and goose tongue seaweed. 

“We call it our food locker,” said Joe Williams, tribal president of the Organized Village of Saxman. 

Located in the southern tip of the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska, Gravina Island is also a storehouse of commercially valuable trees and a popular spot with non-Native hunters, fishermen and locals seeking a wilderness getaway. 

Gravina has become the eye of a national political storm over the future of one-third of national forests, and it has thrust Alaska Natives into a battle where loggers and environmentalists are the usual warriors. 

It’s a bitter dispute sparked by a year-old Clinton-era initiative to protect 58.5 million acres of wild forest from logging, road building and mining. By failing to defend the so-called “roadless” policy in court and by issuing a series of modifications, the Bush administration over the past year has been diluting the reach of the plan as well as other environmental initiatives put in place in the waning days of the Clinton administration. 

The spotlight is on Gravina Island because the U.S. Forest Service is proposing a timber sale there next year, one of the first nationally since the roadless order was unveiled. 

Under the Clinton rule, the timber sale could not occur because roads would be needed for the logging. But the Bush modifications allow the sale and 22 miles of logging road on the primitive 200-square-mile island wedged between Ketchikan and Metlakatla. 

The Forest Service is targeting a swath of spruce, hemlock and cedar trees, enough lumber to build about 35,000 homes. 

The timber sale would give a much-needed boost to the region’s ailing logging industry. Besides cutters, road engineers and heavy equipment operators would also get work and a virtually impenetrable forest would be opened to home builders, hikers and Winnebagos. 

Ketchikan political leaders are squarely behind the project. Companies that have suffered since the town’s pulp mill — the major private employer — closed four years ago are salivating at the prospect. 

“It would be more than a season’s work for our crews. Probably in the neighborhood of a $3 million project,” said Jan Paulson, vice president of South Coast Inc., a Ketchikan company that builds roads. 

Besides the usual players in Tongass timber wars, Natives have weighed in heavily, with many speaking out against the sale in public comments and at hearings. Two tribes have gone on record opposing the sale in its entirety. Other Natives have said they wouldn’t mind the logging so much as long as the Forest Service watches out for the fish, wildlife and plants that fill their plates, said Jerry Ingersoll, district ranger in Ketchikan. 

Among those guarded advocates is Sol Atkinson, a Tsimshian Indian and former mayor of Metlakatla, who has gathered food in Gravina since World War II. As a Boy Scout in the 1940s, Atkinson used to camp on the island and catch steelhead trout in Bostwick Inlet. 

“I don’t really care about the logging as long as subsistence is protected,” he said. Atkinson doesn’t want to see a road or log dump in Bostwick Inlet. 

“History tells us that subsistence dies after that,” he said. 

A final environmental review of the Gravina sale is expected in four months, with a sale in 2003, Ingersoll said. 

Some 5,000 to 6,000 people nationwide have written comments about the project, most of them opposing it, Ingersoll said. That’s a high number of comments for a Tongass timber sale, he said. 

Conservationists say it shows that environmental protection, and national forests in particular, are close to the hearts of Americans. They point to the 1.6 million comments the Forest Service received on Clinton’s roadless plan. 

“There were over 600 public hearings and a record number of comments from 50 states on the roadless policy,” said Jane Danowitz, director of the Heritage Forests Campaign. The vast majority of comments supported the road ban. 

Of all the country’s national forests, Alaska’s Tongass has the largest block of roadless terrain — about 9.4 million acres. The Tongass is the biggest national forest, roughly the size of West Virginia. 

The roadless rule was considered one of the most ambitious forest conservation efforts since Teddy Roosevelt set aside vast tracts of forest and parkland for conservation some 100 years ago. 

The Bush administration quickly froze the rule, saying it required more review and public input, especially from people who live near national forests. The policy also became the subject of nine lawsuits by the timber industry, off-road vehicle groups and state governments including Alaska. An Idaho federal judge blocked the roadless plan with a preliminary injunction last May. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing that decision and is expected to rule any day. 

Although both Attorney General John Ashcroft and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman publicly pledged to uphold the rule in the early days of the Bush presidency, the administration didn’t appeal the Idaho injunction, although environmental groups did. And it has chipped away at the policy through a handful of densely worded directives that roll back many of the environmental safeguards. 

Forests such as the Tongass, for example, with newly updated long-term management plans, are excluded from roadless protections under Bush modifications.  

So the Forest Service is free to offer timber sales in areas that otherwise would have been protected. 

Bush administration officials deny that they’re eviscerating forest preservation. They say the Clinton policy went too far and didn’t adequately consider local, tribal and state concerns. 

“The president believes there needs to be a new way of thinking when it comes to protecting environment,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. “He recognizes that we can encourage job creation and economic growth while finding innovative ways such as using 21st century technology to safeguard and protect our environment.” 

In the Tongass, businesses and communities that depend on logging are applauding Bush’s position on the roadless rule. 

“At least the arrogance that we saw in the previous administration is gone and there’s a willingness to listen,” said Errol Champion, vice president of Juneau-based Silver Bay Logging. The company employs 40 people year-round and up to 300 seasonally. 

If the appeals court reverses the Idaho injunction and allows the roadless rule to go forward, the company probably would not survive, he said. 

Another black cloud for the logging industry is a separate lawsuit in Anchorage federal court involving another injunction on logging in the Tongass’ unroaded lands. Last year, U.S. District Judge James Singleton found that the Forest Service should have evaluated Tongass roadless acres for possible wilderness status when it updated the forest management plan. 

He imposed an injunction that halted most logging on the Tongass. Responding to industry and local pressure, Singleton lifted it pending a review of the injunction’s harm. The next hearing in the case is slated for next month. 

If Singleton reinstates the logging ban, two of the five operating mills in Southeast, including Silver Bay, said they will close. 

If those shutdowns happen, the Alaska logging industry would become even more a shadow of its past. In the logging heyday of the 1970s and 1980s, as much as 600 million board feet of timber were cut off the Tongass annually. Logging restrictions, lawsuits and changing markets have pummeled the industry. Last year, just shy of 50 million board feet were harvested, the lowest level since 1942, according to Owen Graham, executive director of the Alaska Forest Association. 

Among the hard-liners on both sides of the Tongass wars, there’s often little room for compromise. On the Gravina timber sale at least, there could be common ground. The biggest concern of Natives who use the area is that Bostwick Inlet not be touched. There’s archaeological evidence that the area has been used for subsistence food gathering for thousands of years, according to Natives and the Forest Service. 

With relics of smokehouses, fish camps and tribal houses in and around the inlet, most area Natives consider Bostwick an important place. 

But the rest of Gravina, at least for some, isn’t quite as sacred. 

“We don’t have a problem with logging,” said Victor Wellington, mayor of Metlakatla, an Indian reservation just across the water from Bostwick. “We oppose logging in a subsistence area.” 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., which operates the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, is laying off an unknown number of its 1,025 workers as it reorganizes amid flat North Slope oil production. 

The oil consortium also said it plans to cut spending by about $10 million, for a budget of about $520 million this year. 

Alyeska has been looking at ways to be more efficient and found it can reduce its work force while still safely running the 800-mile pipeline and Valdez tanker port, said Dan Hisey, Alyeska’s chief operating officer. 

During the next three to four months, Alyeska will decide how many jobs it will cut.  

The layoffs could hit managers and supervisors, engineers and business analysts, office workers and administrators, he said. Maintenance and other front line workers won’t be affected. 

“We will not diminish in any way our focus on pipeline integrity, safety and maintenance,” Hisey said. 

Anchorage-based Alyeska, a consortium owned by six major oil companies, has about 240 staff and contract workers in Anchorage, with the rest mainly in Fairbanks, Valdez and along the pipeline.

HOUSTON — A former Enron Corp. executive who reportedly complained about the company’s questionable accounting practices and resigned last May was found shot to death in a car Friday, an apparent suicide. 

J. Clifford Baxter, a 43-year-old former vice chairman of the energy giant, was discovered dead in a Mercedes-Benz parked on a median not far from his home in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land. He had been shot in the head. 

Police said a suicide note was found. Its contents were not disclosed. 

Baxter resigned several months before Enron’s collapse in the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history. Enron’s sudden downfall and accounting practices are being investigated by federal prosecutors, the FBI, securities regulators and 11 congressional committees and subcommittees. 

The House Energy and Commerce committee had asked to interview Baxter.  

He had not been subpoenaed, and no date had been set for an interview. He had also been named in a federal lawsuit accusing him and other Enron executives of reaping huge profits on Enron stock before its collapse. 

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, Cliff Baxter. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends,” the company said in a statement. 

Enron spokesman Mark Palmer had no additional comment. 

Baxter was identified by name in the explosive warning that Enron executive Sherron Watkins wrote last August to company chairman Ken Lay. 

“Cliff Baxter complained mightily to (then-CEO Jeff) Skilling and all who would listen about the inappropriateness of our transactions with LJM,” Watkins wrote. LJM is one of the partnerships that were used to keep half a billion dollars in losses off Enron’s books. 

Watkins’ letter to Lay warned that “we will implode in a wave of accounting scandals” unless the company changed its ways. 

Thousands of Enron workers eventually lost their jobs and watched their retirement savings all but evaporate after the company disclosed the losses. Enron chairman Kenneth Lay, one of President Bush’s strongest supporters, resigned this week. 

Baxter was one of 29 former and current Enron executives and board members named as defendants in a shareholder lawsuit that alleges they made $1.1 billion by selling Enron stock between October 1998 and November 2001. The lawsuit said Baxter had sold 577,436 shares for $35.2 million. 

His body was found around 2:30 a.m. by a police officer checking on a car parked in a residential area. He was in the driver’s seat, shot with a revolver. The ID he was carrying indicated he worked for Enron. 

Jim Richard, a Fort Bend County justice of the peace, ruled Baxter’s death a suicide but ordered an autopsy as a precaution. 

Baxter’s family could not be reached for comment. A woman answering the telephone at the home hung up. 

At the time his resignation was announced, Enron said Baxter’s primary motive was to spend more time with his family. 

Skilling himself abruptly resigned in August, citing personal reasons. Skillling was “absolutely devastated at the loss of a very good friend,” said his spokeswoman, Judy Leon. 

Baxter had joined Enron in 1991 and was chairman and CEO of Enron North America before being named chief strategy officer for Enron Corp. in June 2000 and vice chairman in October 2000, the company said. 

He was born in Amityville, N.Y., and graduated from New York University. He was a captain in the Air Force from 1980 to 1985 and received an MBA from Columbia University in 1987, according to the company. 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The father who beat another man to death at their sons’ hockey practice was sentenced to six to 10 years in prison Friday after the dead man’s 13-year-old boy urged a judge to “teach him a lesson.” 

“Let the world know that a person can’t do what he did to my family,” Michael Costin said in an unwavering voice. “No matter how much of a sentence that you give to Thomas Junta, my dad got more.” 

Junta, 44, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this month for beating Michael Costin, 40, on July 5, 2000, in one of the country’s most shocking episodes of a parent losing control at a child’s sporting event. Junta and Costin argued after Junta got angry over rough play on the ice. 

Junta testified at his trial that he tried to avoid a fight and only struck Costin in self-defense. A medical examiner said Costin suffered severe brain injuries, and others said Junta pounded Costin’s head and was red-faced with rage. 

The burly truck driver could have gotten up to 20 years in prison. 

Judge Charles Grabau followed the prosecutors’ recommended sentence, though it called it “most generous” and said he had considered exceeding it. 

Junta made only a brief statement, saying in a low, barely audible voice: “I’d just like to apologize to both families and thank my family for all their support for me.” He did not call any character witnesses. 

Junta sat handcuffed, his head hung low, as Costin’s children, sister, mother and father told the judge how the slaying had affected their lives. 

“I can still remember being hysterical trying to wake him up as the blood streamed down his face,” said Brendan, 14, Costin’s oldest son. 

Junta sobbed as his lawyer read from letters Junta wrote to his two children. Junta’s 12-year-old son, Quinlan, witnessed the fight and testified for his father at the trial. 

“Remember, you told the truth,” Junta wrote. “Remember, hockey is supposed to be fun, but it’s just a game.” 

Before being led away, Junta raised his shackled hands, waved and blew a kiss to his family. One of his sisters sobbed as other siblings tried to comfort her. 

Junta must serve at least six years before he becomes eligible for parole. Defense attorney Thomas Orlandi Jr. said he will appeal. 

Costin’s sister, Mary Barbuzzi, and prosecutors said they considered the sentence fair. “We believe justice has been served,” Barbuzzi said. “Our prayers will be with the Junta family, and our family will try to move beyond this tragedy.” 

During the trial and sentencing, prosecutors painted Junta as a 270-pound bully who picked on a much smaller man. Junta’s supporters described him as a “gentle giant,” a devoted husband and father who fell victim to “a very bad set of circumstances.” 

But the judge cited Junta’s own words to explain his sentence. Moments after the deadly fight, Junta told a police officer: “I got the better of him. I got in a few more shots.” 

The judge said he also considered a previous incident in Junta’s life, which was not brought up at trial: Junta’s wife was granted a restraining order in 1991 after accusing him of beating her in front of their children. 

Costin, who had four children, ages 11 through 14, had had a drinking problem and had been in and out of prison for much of his adult life, but had been working as carpenter and painter, according to his father. 

The defense brought up Costin’s past in letters submitted to the court, prompting criticism from the judge, who called it an “attempt to shift the focus to the victim as the culprit.” Grabau said the references “cheapen the value of human life.”

BALTIMORE — King Herod, the bloodthirsty Judean ruler who reputedly tried to kill the infant Jesus, died an excruciating death, brought on by kidney disease and finished off by gangrene, a medical sleuth said Friday. 

“It’s a very unpleasant way to die,” said Dr. Philip Mackowiak, the director of the Historical Clinicopathological Conference at the University of Maryland medical school. 

At the annual conference, doctors apply their diagnostic skills to historical figures whose deaths have not been satisfactorily explained. Previous conferences concluded rabies killed Edgar Allan Poe and that the Roman emperor Claudius died from eating poisonous mushrooms. 

Before his death in 4 B.C., Herod suffered an array of symptoms — intense itching, painful intestinal problems, breathlessness, fever, swelling in the feet, convulsions and, finally, gangrene of the genitalia. 

Peter Richardson, a religion professor at the University of Toronto, found the description of Herod’s ailments in the writings of the first-century historian Flavius Josephus. 

Fournier’s gangrene, rare today, probably killed Herod, said Dr. Jan Hirschmann of the University of Washington medical school, who examined Herod’s case history. The disease would have killed the king in a week or less. 

The symptom of itching led Hirschmann to conclude Herod suffered from kidney disease. Itching might have led to the gangrene as well, causing Herod to scratch his skin and open it to infectious bacteria. 

Many have speculated that Herod had gonorrhea, but Hirschmann said there’s no evidence to support that. Debunking such popular theories is the point of an intensive, clinical approach to Herod’s death, Mackowiak said. 

Kidney disease may also explain some of Herod’s brutal acts — including the executions of several family members. The untreated accumulation of bodily wastes can result in mental illness. 

“He had some mental changes — depression and a suicide attempt, as well as paranoia,” Hirschmann said. “These may be part of the disease, or they may be extensions of what he was like before.” 

According to religious tradition, Herod, fearing the coming of a Messiah after Jesus’ birth, ordered the execution of infant boys in Bethlehem, forcing Mary, Joseph and the child to flee to Egypt. 

Federal judge to decide who oversees the energy utility and handles its rates 

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s largest utility argued in bankruptcy court Friday that a federal judge should shift its power plants and transmission systems out of the state’s control, a move that could free Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to raise rates. 

Nine months after PG&E’s $13.2 billion bankruptcy, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali soon will determine who will oversee the utility’s activities and how much it charges for energy in California. 

Bankruptcy experts say Montali’s decision will make or break PG&E’s plan to emerge from bankruptcy, because the plan relies on overriding dozens of state laws and regulations that govern its operations. 

The state Public Utilities Commission and the attorney general vehemently oppose PG&E’s plan, in part because PG&E is asking Montali to relieve it from buying electricity for its 4.5 million customers beyond what the state buys and its own power plants provide. 

“Under state law, PG&E has an obligation to provide safe and reliable service to all the customers in its service area,” said Gary Cohen, PUC counsel. “PG&E’s basically saying, ‘It’s not our problem, it’s the state’s problem.”’ 

The bankruptcy’s resolution will have broader consequences beyond whether customers pay more for energy or thousands of creditors get paid: 

— Farmers, environmental groups and campers worry that a post-bankruptcy PG&E might sell some of the nearly 140,000 acres it owns. That could block grazing and public recreation in the wilderness due to logging, and compromise access to irrigation and drinking water that pours through the utility’s dams in the Sierra Nevada. 

— Shareholders wonder if PG&E is a solid investment, and whether shares of the nearly 100-year-old utility will return to pre-bankruptcy heights. 

— Consumer advocates fear a federally regulated PG&E would control much of California’s power market and use the advantage to drive up prices, just as officials allege out-of-state power companies forced prices skyward last year. 

In the hearing Friday, PG&E told Montali that legal precedent indicates the transfer of multibillion-dollar lands and assets away from state environmental reviews and regulation is not illegal so long as PG&E obeys the law after it comes out of bankruptcy. 

The utility wants to form three new companies to handle transmission, generation and natural gas, borrow against its assets to pay debts, then resume buying electricity for its customers — all without a rate increase. 

“We don’t think the state has a right to say just because we weren’t born this way — in several companies — doesn’t mean we can’t become this way,” said Laurence Tribe, a Harvard law school professor representing PG&E. 

The utility says customers won’t see rates rise under the plan because it plans to lock in a price for energy over the next 12 years. 

But consumer advocates and state regulators say it’ll still be more than customers pay now, and that PG&E is using the bankruptcy court to rejigger itself into a deregulated entity. Instead of transferring away its most valuable assets, it should use its available $4.9 billion and borrow money to pay creditors instead, they say. 

The Utility Reform Network says PG&E’s plan would cost ratepayers $20 billion extra over the next 12 years, based on its analysis of PG&E’s bankruptcy plan and financial figures. PG&E disputes that assertion. 

No one’s sure of the outcome, but Lynn LoPucki, a UCLA bankruptcy professor, said he doubts Montali would let PG&E bypass so many state laws because it would set a precedent for future utility bankruptcies. 

It would prove “that a debtor in bankruptcy can sell anything regardless of what state law might say about it or why state law says it. Imagine a debtor saying they want to sell alcohol to minors?” LoPucki said. 

Before PG&E can emerge from bankruptcy, it must win support for its reorganization plan from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Judge Montali, and a majority of its thousands of creditors, which have included America’s largest banks, as well as ice cream shops, home builders, power sellers and the state. 

So far, the official creditors committee backs the plan. Other agencies have not yet responded. 

Most creditors are just waiting and watching. 

“We’re all hoping for the best, that we do get all our money back,” said Aline Varanese, an accountant with Oakland-based Bay Rubber Company, which is owed nearly $4,000 for items such as gaskets and fittings.

GLENDALE — The beverage division of Nestle USA and Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. have agreed to share production and purchasing operations in order to trim costs. 

Over time, Nestle will shift manufacturing of its Libby’s Juicy Juice and Libby’s Kerns Nectars to Ocean Spray facilities, the companies said Friday. 

The two companies will pool their resources to buy raw ingredients, such as sugar, packaging materials and other supplies and are talking about sharing warehousing, transportation and other resources. 

No jobs are expected to be lost as a result, a Nestle spokeswoman said. 

“By bringing Nestle’s juice production into our plants and joining forces with them on purchasing and distribution, we will establish an economy of scale that will boost the profitability of both companies,” said Ocean Spray president and chief operating officer Randy Papadellis. 

The alliance makes sense, especially for Ocean Spray, which saw its single serving juice box business decline by 66 percent in 2001, said John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest, a trade publication. 

ImClone Systems Inc.’s woes mounted Friday and its stock tumbled to the lowest level in a year after the company disclosed two federal agencies are investigating the biotechnology firm. 

The New York City company said in a regulatory filing Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are probing allegations that ImClone executives misled investors about troubles surrounding its highly anticipated cancer drug Erbitux. 

A congressional panel announced last week it would investigate insider trading at ImClone, as well as the company’s handling of its failed application for Food and Drug Administration approval. 

“The company intends to cooperate fully in response to these inquiries,” ImClone spokesman Jason Farber said Friday. 

ImClone also announced that Peter Peterson resigned from the company’s board. Peterson, chairman of The Blackstone Group and secretary of commerce under President Nixon, was appointed in November. 

He did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. Farber said Peterson cited “time constraints” as his reason for resigning. 

ImClone’s stock was down 16 percent to $16.49 at the close of trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, its lowest level in a year. 

“It’s more of the same,” said Jason Kantor, an analyst with JP Morgan. “This thing has taken on a life of its own.” 

The company’s stock has plummeted more than 70 percent from $55.25 a share since Dec. 28, when it disclosed that the FDA refused to consider its application to market Erbitux. At the time, the executives said they could overcome the FDA’s concerns and expressed confidence Erbitux could be approved by the end of this year. 

Earlier this month, information released by a trade publication indicated problems with the application were more serious than ImClone had led investors and analysts to believe. 

Analysts who follow ImClone still believe the FDA will approve Erbitux, but no earlier than the end of 2003. 

“I think the drug is a viable drug and cancer patients would benefit,” said Brian Rye, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates Inc. “Unfortunately, the way it has been handled leaves a lot to be desired.” 

Angry shareholders have filed at least two dozen federal class action lawsuits alleging fraud. 

On Thursday, Bristol-Myers Squibb wrote off $735 million of the $1.2 billion it recently invested in the company.  

In September, Bristol-Myers Squibb announced it would pay $1 billion to purchase 19.9 percent of ImClone, valuing the biotechnology firm at $71 a share. In addition, it paid $200 million to ImClone to share in the future profits of Erbitux and promised another $800 million in payments once the drug cleared FDA hurdles. 

“We couldn’t be more disappointed with the turn of events since the filing,” Bristol-Myers Squibb chief executive Peter Dolan told investors on a conference call Thursday. 

A Bristol-Myers Squibb spokeswoman couldn’t be reached for comment Friday. 

Dolan said the company was doing everything it could to refile the application without conducting additional tests and that bringing the drug to market was a top priority. He also said Bristol-Myers Squibb would pursue “all options” to protect its shareholders. 

Bristol-Myers Squibb’s share price was down slightly at the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange to $46.25, its lowest level in a year. 

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On the Net: 

ImClone: http://www.imclone.com 

SEC: http://www.sec.gov 

Justice Department: http://www.usdoj.gov 

FDA: http://www.fda.gov 

Is Stephen King retiring for real? 

NEW YORK — Is Stephen King REALLY going to retire? 

The author recently stated that he had five more books to write and then, “That’s it. I’m done.” 

“You get to a point where you get to the edges of a room, and you can go back and go where you’ve been and basically recycle stuff,” said King, whose many best sellers include “Bag of Bones,” “Dreamcatcher” and “Hearts in Atlantis.” 

“You can either continue to go on, or say I left when I was still on (the) top of my game. I left when I was still holding the ball, instead of it holding me.” 

His comments appeared in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. 

But King, 54, has said he’d quit before and since 1997 has included a message on his official Web site.  

Under a link for “The Rumors,” King addresses the question, “Is it true that he has retired?” 

“That hasn’t happened yet,” he responds. “There are still books coming out through both Scribner and Pocket Books and plans to complete The Dark Tower series, so there will be new books for several more years to come.” 

His agent, Arthur Greene, was skeptical about King’s recent statements. 

“He’s spoken about retiring many times in the past,” Greene told The Associated Press Thursday. “In my own mind, I think it’s unlikely he’ll stop working.” 

A spokeswoman for King said the author had not yet read Sunday’s article and would have no immediate comment. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Official Stephen King Web site: http://www.stephenking.com. 

Lay’s wife gets p.r. makeover 

HOUSTON — The wife of ex-Enron Corp. chairman Kenneth Lay spent a week under the tutelage of a public relations expert before her teary-eyed appearance this week on NBC’s “Today” show, her sister-in-law said. 

Linda Lay defended her husband as honest and ethical and said she and her family were selling their possessions to try to head off personal bankruptcy. 

Kenneth Lay’s sister, Sharon, told the Houston Chronicle for Wednesday’s editions that she received a call from her friend, M.A. Shute, who had worked for the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton and represented Enron. When she called, Shute was sailing in the Caribbean with her husband. 

’“Get back here right now,”’ Sharon Lay said she told her. ’“We need your help.”’ 

“We wanted M.A. to give us some suggestions and insight as to how to handle all of this,” Sharon Lay said, complaining that frequent use of the words “arrogance” and “greed” in describing top Enron executives “would never have come to mind in describing my family.” 

Baby Madonna comes out 

LONDON — Madonna took the rare step of bringing her daughter, Lourdes, to a public event when she joined other stars to celebrate the opening of an exhibition by fashion photographer Mario Testino. 

Five-year-old Lourdes features in at least one of Testino’s photos of Madonna. 

The mother and daughter mixed with a host of other stars, including models Helena Christensen and Kate Moss and singer Natalie Imbruglia, at Tuesday night’s launch at the National Portrait Gallery in London’s West End.  

The exhibit, which runs Feb. 1-4, brings together more than 120 color and black-and-white pictures by Testino, who was Princess Diana’s favorite fashion photographer. 

Images taken of Diana shortly before she died in August 1997 will be shown alongside portraits of icons from fashion, film and music. Other sections are devoted to images of Madonna, Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow. 

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On the Net: 

National Portrait Gallery, http://www.npg.org.uk 

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DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — U2 is giving way in a battle to save its Dublin recording studios from being pulled to the ground. 

After submitting written objections Tuesday to the redevelopment of their Hanover Quay site, the band said it would join in talks with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. 

“Although they are very happy in their present studio, and would very much like to stay, they appreciate that change is inevitable and often for the best,” the band members said through a statement. 

The millionaire rock musicians initially argued that the musical heritage of their Hanover Quay site should be enough to save it from being demolished to transform the area into a major new leisure development. 

They cited the multimillion-dollar record sales and musical heritage that have resulted from their use of the Hanover Street premises, in the south of the city, since 1994. They’ve recorded in the docklands area since the early 1980s. 

In its written submission to the planning board, the band argued that the studio deserved preservation as an element in the “recognized music-recording heritage of the area.” 

“The recording studio of an internationally acclaimed Irish rock band fits this profile and would complement any objective of the Authority to convert the area to an amenity space with leisure and entertainment uses,” U2 added. 

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BOSTON (AP) — Keith Lockhart says he’s a lapsed football fan, but on Super Bowl Sunday, the Boston Pops conductor plans to root for the New England Patriots. 

Lockhart will lead the orchestra when it performs a selection of American classics at the Super Bowl pre-game show. 

“Who could have known that the Patriots would have ended up as AFC champions?” Lockhart said Tuesday. “We’re glad we’re not the only team from Boston there.” 

Lockhart spoke from Salt Lake City, where he’s scheduled to conduct the Pops during opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. 

The 15-minute program at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans will feature Mariah Carey singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” accompanied by the Pops. 

The orchestra also will perform “America the Beautiful,” and two selections by composer Aaron Copland, “Fanfare for the Common Man,” and the “Lincoln Portrait,” which will feature four former presidents narrating — Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. 

The Super Bowl is expected to draw 130 million viewers in the United States and 800 million worldwide. 

U2 will perform during halftime. 

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Ocean’s Eleven” co-star Andy Garcia is a father for a fourth time. 

Andres Antonio Garcia-Lorido weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces when he was delivered Monday at a Los Angeles area hospital, publicist Stan Rosenfield said Tuesday. 

This is the first son for the Cuban-born actor and his wife, Marivi Lorido Garcia. The couple have three daughters, ages 18, 14 and 10. 

The baby and mother are reportedly healthy. 

Garcia, co-star of 1990’s “The Godfather: Part III,” portrayed the sinister casino owner in Steven Soderbergh’s remake of the heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven.” 

——— 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s No. 5 for Eddie Murphy and his wife, Nicole. 

Bella Zahra Murphy arrived Tuesday night at a Los Angeles area hospital weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces, publicist Arnold Robinson said. She joins three sisters Bria, 12; Shayne, 7; and Zola, 2; and brother Myles, 10. 

“We are overjoyed about this newest addition to our family,” the couple said in a statement that Robinson released. 

“Everybody’s doing great,” Robinson added, adding mother and child were healthy. 

Murphy is filming the comedy “I Spy,” and will next be seen with Robert De Niro in the cop comedy “Showtime.” 

——— 

LONDON (AP) — Eighties pop star Boy George welcomed a new phase of his career with the launch of a musical based on his life. 

“Taboo” follows the former Culture Club lead singer’s journey from a wannabe pop star through his chart success, heroin addiction and discovery of Eastern spirituality. 

After the opening night Tuesday at London’s Leicester Square, Boy George admitted to being nervous but said he was delighted with the way “Taboo” had been received. 

“I was very quiet before the performance which is unlike me, but now it’s over I’m thrilled that everyone seems to have enjoyed it so much,” said the 40-year-old performer, who sang on hits including “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” and “I’ll Tumble For Ya” with Culture Club, and later performed the theme to the film, “The Crying Game.” 

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LONDON (AP) — The British girl band Atomic Kitten has signed a deal to promote Avon cosmetics. 

The trio will receive an undisclosed sum to endorse products from the “Color Trend” range, said a spokeswoman on Wednesday for New York-based Avon Products Inc., the world’s leading direct seller of beauty products. News reports said the sum ran to six figures. 

The band members will appear on packaging and feature in Avon catalogues, the spokeswoman said. 

The $5.7 billion company, which has built its business on direct sales, recently moved into retail with BeComing, a new, pricier cosmetics range. 

A handful of organizers from the Berkeley group If Americans Knew turned out Tuesday night to raise concerns about a new course and public lecture series being offered at UC Berkeley called “Issues in U.S. Foreign Policy After 9/11.”  

The course, which includes lectures by former Clinton White House officials, UC Berkeley professors and visiting scholars, does not include any speakers of Middle Eastern descent on its current roster. 

“That’s like holding a course on race in America, and having 14 speakers, and not including any African-Americans,” said Alison Weir, founder of If Americans Knew, a public education group, which is currently filing for nonprofit status. 

Harry Kreisler, executive director of the Institute of International Studies at the university, and coordinator of the lecture series, said Weir is taking the series out of context. 

The course is just one of several classes and events happening on campus this semester that will focus on the Middle East and the fallout from Sept. 11, he said.  

Kreisler said the university holds a similar course and lecture series on Afghanistan and its neighbors, which includes several Middle Eastern speakers, a class on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will host a panel discussion on the India-Pakistan conflict in February and a speech by Amre Mussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States in April.  

“The course has to be understood in the context of all that is happening on campus,” Kreisler said. “And, in that context, there is not an issue.” 

“The more the better,” Weir said, noting that she was happy with the wide range of offerings, “but I still don’t think that absolves them of responsibility.” 

Weir said the U.S. foreign policy course should include a diverse range of views, regardless of anything else that is happening on campus, because some might attend the lecture series and nothing else. 

Kreisler said one problem with Weir’s argument is that it fails to acknowledge that the course is covering much more than America’s relationship with Islamic nations. The lecture series will also examine relations with Russia and Europe, and larger issues of geopolitics, he said. 

“There are many, many topics we have to cover that are unrelated to our relations with Middle Eastern countries,” he said. 

The series is still a work in progress, he added. 

“The course is still evolving,” he said, “so in some way, these concerns could be included, in terms of the larger context of what is happening on campus.” 

A few speaking slots are still open for the course, which is held from 7 to 9 p.m on Mondays in Room 100 of the Genetics and Plant Biology Building. Kreisler said he would have to “wait and see” whether Middle Eastern lecturers might be tapped to fill the slots.

During the City Council’s special quarterly meeting tonight, the police department will present the council with information about city crime trends and police staffing issues.  

Mayor Shirley Dean said she requested the presentation three months ago because of a perceived increase in crime rates.  

“My sense is that we’ve got some problems,” she said. “I have heard from neighbors in south and north Berkeley who say there’s been an increase in certain types of crime.” 

Dean pointed to a recent double homicide that occurred on 64th Street on Jan. 22. and a recent residential robbery and assault that occurred in the 3700 block of Claremont Avenue on Jan. 17. 

City Clerk Sherry Kelly will also demonstrate new Council Electronic Voting and Parliamentarian Equipment. 

The council will set aside 30 minutes for public comment at the beginning of the meeting. 

The council will hold a closed session meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Sixth Floor Conference Room at 2180 Milvia St.  

The council will confer with he City Attorney’s Office about the city’s potential suit against UC Berkeley over planned development in the Northeast Quadrant Science and Safety Projects. 

And council will also discuss the threat of a lawsuit by a developer over the city’s affordable housing ordinance in relation to the Library Gardens at 2020 Kittredge St. 

The council has set aside 10 minutes prior to the meeting for public comment. 

The City Council special quarterly meeting will be held tonight at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting will also be broadcast live on the KPFA Radio, 89.3 and Cable B-TV, Channel 25

A year later, many families have not been compensated in $1.3 million fraud, breach of contract lawsuit against landlords 

NAPA — A legal group that helped 120 low-income Napa families win $1.3 million in a lawsuit against their landlord has sued another law firm that was supposed to administer the trust fund from which the families were to be paid. 

Legal Aid of Napa’s suit against San Francisco’s Tehin and Partners accuses the San Francisco firm of fraud, breach of contract, negligence and converting client money to other uses. The Napa group says that a year after the victory, most of the residents still have not gotten their money. 

James Krieg, an attorney representing Tehin and Partners, said he thinks the suit has no substance to it. 

Krieg said Tehin decided to dispense the settlement checks directly to families instead of using Legal Aid, and that families who go to the Tehin law office in San Francisco can get their money and that some have. 

The settlement agreement called for Legal Aid to hand out the checks, which range from $3,000 to $13,000, with the average slightly more than $10,000. 

The full settlement was $2 million, and about $700,000 of that was for attorneys fees, which went to Tehin, and Tehin in turn gave Legal Aid a donation. Legal Aid is asking that Tehin give up the fees as well as pay punitive damages to Legal Aid. 

The families sued landlord Ed Keith in 1999 alleging some of his apartment complexes violated state habitability standards. Keith admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement with the tenants. 

Proposition 40: 

“The California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Act.” 

• Issues $2.6 billion in debt to pay to improve water and air quality; protect beaches; improve parks; and preserve open space, farmland and wildlife habitat. 

• Estimated cost: $4.3 billion over 25 years, including $1.7 billion in interest, or $172 million a year from the state’s general fund. Potential annual cost of tens of millions of dollars to maintain or operate parks. 

• Supporters include the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, League of Women Voters of California. 

• Opponents including the National Tax Limitation Committee say the state can’t afford more debt in a faltering economy, and that the money will be spent “on more pork, not ... parks.” They note voters approved $4 billion in bonds for parks and clean water efforts in 2000. 

Proposition 41: 

“Voting Modernization Bond Act.” 

• Issues $200 million in debt for grants to counties to buy modern voting equipment to replace punch card (“chad”) systems such as caused problems in Florida in the 2000 presidential election. 

• Estimated cost: $255 million over 10 years, including $55 million in interest, or $26 million a year from the state’s general fund. Annual operating cost estimated at tens of millions of dollars. 

• Supporters including California Common Cause, the League of Women Voters of California and the secretary of state say California needs to eliminate the punch card systems. 

• Opponents including the National Tax Limitation Committee and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association say existing tax money could be used to buy new voting machines. 

Proposition 42: 

“Transportation Congestion Improvement Act.” 

• The state’s 6 percent sales tax on gasoline traditionally goes into the state’s general fund, but a law last year dedicates the money to transportation improvements from 2003-2009. Proposition 42 would write that law permanently into the state Constitution. 

• Estimated revenue: $1.4 billion in 2008-2009. Of that, 40 percent would go to local street repairs, 40 percent to major road projects and 20 percent to public transit. 

• Supporters, including the California State Automobile Association and California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, say roads, bridges and mass transit systems badly need repair that should be supported with a dedicated gasoline sales tax. 

• Opponents, including the California Teachers Association and California State Firefighters’ Association, say the money is needed more for education, health and public safety. 

Proposition 43: 

“Right to Have Vote Counted.” 

• Explicitly guarantees the right of a voter to have his or her vote counted, letting county elections officers petition the Superior Court to extend postelection deadlines so votes can be counted or recounted. 

• Supporters, including California Common Cause and the League of Women Voters of California, say California could find itself in the same predicament as Florida, where postelection deadlines stopped recounts during the 2000 presidential election. 

• Opponents, including the Voter Information Alliance, say the measure could prompt lawsuits or invalidate elections by requiring that every vote be counted even when those votes have no chance of affecting the outcome of the election. 

Proposition 44: 

“Chiropractors. Unprofessional Conduct.” 

• Bars chiropractors from employing others to procure patients; revokes a chiropractor’s license for 10 years upon two or more insurance fraud convictions; and requires the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners to investigate insurance fraud charges against chiropractors unless the district attorney objects. 

• Supporters, including the California District Attorneys Association, say the measure would deter insurance fraud. 

• Opponents say license revocation should be reserved for chiropractors who harm patients, and there should be no limit on methods chiropractors employ to attract patients. 

Proposition 45: 

“Legislative Term Limits. Local Voter Petitions.” 

• Voters could petition to let their incumbent legislator run for re-election and serve a maximum of four years beyond the current two four-year terms allowed for state senators and three two-year terms permitted for Assembly members. The provision could be used just once by each legislator. 

• Supporters say the proposition would keep the term limits adopted by voters in 1990, while letting voters extend the terms of extraordinary lawmakers. 

• Opponents say the measure would destroy term limits, reinstating career politicians and special interests who are backing the proposition.