When one door shuts another opens, they say. 

The cruel attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 may bear witness to this. The event has in many instances spurred positive civic action. 

Pastors, imams, rabbis and priests reacted to the hate and ignorance that emerged from 9-11 by focusing on teaching tolerance. The police department initiated hate crime education. Action taken in the face of the anthrax scare, which right or wrong has been linked to the events of Sept. 11, could strengthen local public health infrastructure. And the city’s disaster planning efforts have been stepped up.  

At the same time, the U.S. Congress reacted to Sept. 11 by passing the PATRIOT Act, which the American Civil Liberties Union, among others, says tramples on constitutional freedoms. Local organizations such as Copwatch and the Middle East Children’s Alliance have held workshops to educate the public about the act. 

On Tuesday night the Berkeley City Council passed a resolution opposing parts of the PATRIOT Act and encouraging the protection of civil rights and liberties. 

Casting blame on innocents 

Anecdotal reports of harassment of Muslims and Middle Easterners began soon after the attacks. At a UC Berkeley vigil on the evening of Sept. 11, one speaker reported that two women wearing headscarves were verbally assaulted on Sproul Plaza and that other students had received “racist and threatening phone calls.”  

The Associated Press reports after Sept. 11 described hate mail sent to UC Berkeley’s Muslim Student Association.  

An Egyptian man was found murdered at the store he owned in San Gabriel. In San Francisco someone left a bag filled with pig's blood on the doorstep of a community center that serves Arabs. Maha Elgenaidi, executive director of the Islamic Network Group in San Jose, reported that callers told her to “get the hell out of this country.” And that, “You people have done nothing but ruin this country, and you will all die. You don't belong here. Your religion is vile and evil.”  

A cartoon in the UC Berkeley newspaper, denounced as racist by the student government and a number of student groups, added fuel to the flames. The cartoon showed what some said were Muslims celebrating Sept. 11, because they would go to heaven for their attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The cartoonist, Darrin Bell, argued that the cartoon was intended to portray the specific hijackers and not Muslims in general. 

Wajahat Ali, a member of the UC Berkeley Muslim Student Association, was quoted in the UC paper saying: “Some sisters did not want to go to college [as a result of the cartoon].”  

Anti-war demonstrators included calls to end “the racist backlash against Arab-Americans,” according to Stop the War Coalition leader Hoang Phan. 

Heightened tensions in Palestine and Israel added to an already charged atmosphere, with a brick thrown through a glass door of the Berkeley Hillel and bomb-threat hoaxes made to a number of Berkeley synagogues.  

In April, letters with phony anthrax were sent to members of the Hispanic community. 

The rise in reported hate crimes in Berkeley has been dramatic. In 1996 there were three; there were five in 1997 and 1998, six in 1999, 10 in 2000, and 23 in 2001. Of the 23 incidents of hate crimes in 2001, 16 occurred after Sept. 11, according to a city staff report. As of mid-June of this year, there had been 28 reported hate crimes. 

Attacking hate crime 

And so, the city put a plan into action that include training police officers to recognize hate crimes. 

The city attorney’s office updated a training manual about hate-crime law, and the mental health division is working to sensitize police to the victims they may encounter. It is important for officers to understand why some people may hesitate to report hate crimes, said Matthew Mock, director of the Family, Children and Multicultural Services for Berkeley Mental Health. It has to do with power inequalities. Victims of hate crimes may have the experience of being treated as lesser individuals by those who have power, such as the police, he said. 

Moreover, some people may fear the police as a result of experiences in their home countries, Mock said, underscoring the importance of good police-community relations. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he’d like the city to take the next step and create a hate crimes unit within the police department, like Los Angeles and San Francisco have done. A separate unit “gives you a very specialized expertise,” Worthington said, noting that investigation of a hate crime requires officers to determine the perpetrator’s motivation. “It takes very sophisticated experience,” he said. 

Using police officers already on duty, however, means no additional costs are generated, said Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz. 

What is Islam? 

After Sept. 11, many people began asking questions about Islam. While hate crimes are relatively rare, it became apparent to many members of the community that Islam was not well understood. Various community organizations and religious institutions stepped in to provide forums for better understanding. 

Khalil Bendib, a Berkeley resident of Algerian origins, a sculptor and cartoonist who co-hosts a weekly program on the Middle East on KPFA-radio spoke at the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center in the spring. 

“How did I feel about the talk?” he asked. “I always welcome such interest in my culture and background. … That night at the JCC, I felt as though I had accomplished something, touched a few souls.” 

BRJCC Executive Director Joel Bashevkin said programs such as the one in which Bendib participated are “tailored toward tolerance, toward building trust.” Such programs “draw from Jewish values of tolerance and co-existence,” he said. 

Another of many cultural exchanges took place at a Sunday morning service at the Berkeley Methodist United Church, where Imam Yassir Chadly was invited to speak. The largely Japanese-American congregation had particular concerns about the “war hysteria,” said Naomi Samouthard. During World War II, Japanese Americans on the West Coast were forcibly interned in camps. Samouthard said the parishioners were concerned with people “vulnerable to hate crimes.”  

“Like most Americans, most members of the congregation did not know about Islam,” Samouthard said. 

Libraries under attack 

One city department spurred to action after the events of Sept. 11 was the Berkeley Public Library, which sponsored a series of lectures: one on Islam, another on the history of Afghanistan and a third on peaceful conflict resolution. Through its foundation, the library also purchased a collection of books on these topics. 

But that’s not all the library has done. It has had to face the USA PATRIOT Act. In an effort to get information about terrorists before they strike, the act allows agents of the federal government to get details from public libraries about what patrons are reading. 

Because of her life’s lessons, library Director Jackie Griffin values the privacy of her patrons.  

She’s directed her staff not to respond to questions or subpoenas from the federal government, but to turn such queries over to her so she can address them with the city attorney. Meanwhile, Griffin has ensured that patrons’ records are limited. The computer server is erased daily, so that a patron’s Internet searches cannot be followed. Records of materials that library users check out are kept until the material is returned or fines are paid. After a book is returned, the name of the patron is kept with the book for 30 days or until another patron checks out book. This is so that one could look up Qu’ran, for example, to see who has checked it out. 

The library’s measures “may sound a little paranoid,” Griffin said. However, the FBI has contacted 85 libraries since the Patriot Act was approved. “I want us to be prepared.” 

Health Department  

addresses bioterrorism 

The fear of a bioterrorist attack took hold across the nation in the fall of 2001, when 22 people were sickened and five died from anthrax poisoning. These incidents were never directly linked to the attacks of Sept. 11 yet they disrupted the nation. The postal service and health departments dealt with 40,000 samples of white powder that contained fewer than 10 grams of anthrax, said Dr. Poki Namkung, Berkeley’s health officer and president of the California Conference of Local Health Officers. 

In response, the federal government allocated $1 billion to shore up the public health infrastructure.  

“This is the first significant money we’ve received to rebuild public health,” Namkung said. California’s share has been $100 million with $10 million going to hospitals, $30 million to Los Angeles County and $50 million divided among local public health departments. Berkeley’s share, determined on a per capita formula, was $240,000. The money will pay for programs aimed at improving communication with local clinics, bettering the clinics’ efficiency and educating the public.  

Namkung pointed to the May, 2001 meningitis scare in which one child died in Berkeley. The local health department’s job was to talk with local medical facilities and the public so that any other cases might be immediately recognized and treated, yet to avoid throwing the population into panic. “People must be informed, but not frightened,” Namkung said. 

The new funding will permit the Berkeley Health Department to address bioterrorism in a similar manner, but on a much larger scale, Namkung explained, underscoring that an improved local health department would better attack more common health problems such as the flu, which kills 20,000 in the nation each year. 

A more secure city  

Preparedness training in case of future attacks has taken place in a number of departments. The Fire Department has trained in “weapons of mass destruction,” which includes training its first responders, handlers of hazardous materials and ambulance personnel, according to a staff report.  

The city has held joint emergency preparedness exercises with UC Berkeley, Bayer Corporation, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories. One of the critical questions to come out of a June 6 joint exercise – still unanswered – is “Who calls the shots?” said Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz. Communication is key, among various jurisdictions and among city departments. “People still have to talk to each other,” Kamlarz said. “We have to connect all the dots.” 

In the works is an update of the city’s emergency radio channel, 1610 AM. Kamlarz called it “primitive and laborious.” Staff should be able to update it quickly and easily, he said. 

Mayor Shirley Dean says she is comforted by added security at City Hall. People must now sign in with a secretary before they mount to the council offices and must check in with a secretary once they’ve reached the fifth floor. After Sept. 11 the mayor said she received “a couple of explicit death threats,” and a bulky letter addressed to the mayor of Kabul. More recently, she got a death threat from a former UC Berkeley student, saying “I have a gun with three bullets with your name on it.” The student is now in a Seattle jail waiting extradition to California. The case has nothing to do with the Sept. 11 attacks, the mayor said, but does highlight the overarching need for enhanced security at City Hall.  

And so, despite the ominous threat of a terrorist attack, Berkeley has emerged from Sept. 11 as a safer city – more prepared to face earthquakes, wildfires or epidemics as well as terrorists – and more determined to protect civil liberties and understand one another. 

The anniversary of Sept. 11 is upon us. The day we remember was dramatically significant in the life and soul of our America. Ground Zero is now sacred ground consecrated by our tears, our grief, our tremendous pain and suffering. It is the place where we became we and us and stopped being the almighty American ego. We, finally, as a culture, grew up. 

First we walked a mile in the shoes of the heroic firemen helping and encouraging everyone to exit the twin towers as quickly as possible. They might have known that there was a very strong likelihood they would not return. Then we watched as people jumped from windows and saw others who made it miraculously, safely, thankfully and God-willing, to the ground before the towers collapsed. Our collective imaginations walked the last 60 seconds of their lives. It was a powerful moment of no turning back, no interpretation, just rare raw truth and grief. There were more than 2,000 people who didn't get out at all. 

Meanwhile, we began to walk a mile with the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Then there was the mysterious plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.  

That plane had been hijacked by suicide pilots that were heading for Washington, the White House or the Senate. Heroically the passengers learned by cell phone, that the attack on the twin towers was also the work of hijackers like the ones they were, at that moment, dealing with. Knowing then that their destiny would be death, they decided to go for a heroic martyrdom that would save the capital. This knowledge and this choice that they made more than likely saved the capital and in doing so saved the United States of America. 

Back in New York, so many people's lives became a story to be told by another, by a surviving friend, co-worker, relative, in the small community newspapers and national dailies where journalists did their walking the last mile in the shoes of those lives lost. Ground Zero brought forth again the heroic, the grief ridden, those with determined or faint hope, searching for survivors. Then there were those who out of great generosity, adventure and genuine compassion, were willing to volunteer and came from all over the country, as far away as California and Florida. Willing to do whatever it took ... moving dirt and debris, serving food, extending support and prayers to the tired and grieving. 

We walked a mile with incredible rescue dogs who came from California. In Wisconsin a whole town raised money to build and replace a fire engine that had become worn out, unusable. People all over the country and the world were walking a mile in their shoes by giving donations. All of this walking had to do with what we call in the Peace Empowerment Process, the water element of peace.... identification, empathy, genuine compassion and praise. These powers were generously, tirelessly and selflessly used to express our gratitude, and genuine compassion for the families of those we lost. The power of their collective courage resulted in a genuine martyrdom of the innocents.  

September 11, 2001, resulting in Ground Zero, was all about interdependence. Power in the weeks and months that followed had nothing to do with capitalism and everything to do with a community transcending opposites and differences, to express their creativity and genuine compassion. Their collective organic powers were peace, natural developed powers. 

September 11, 2002, has everything to do with the sacred responsibility of remembering, with genuine compassion and praise, for New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. We are compelled once again to answer the question "Why do they hate us, the US?" Their truthful answer will take genuine humility on our part and the courage to ask and to receive. The answer will be found if we listen with our minds open. This answer is vital to our survival as a nation and can only be found by asking, listening and by walking a mile in their shoes. 

Carolyna Marks is a Berkeley-based artist and sculptor and teaches her Peace Empowerment Process (PEP) to schools and community centers all over the world through her organization World Wall for Peace.

Despite an encouraging start to the season, the Cal football team played to a tiny crowd of 24,619 fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday against New Mexico State, a fact that surprised several Bears players. 

“I definitely expected more people to show up,” senior safety Bert Watts said Tuesday. “I guess we can only hope to win more games and get more fans out there.” 

The crowd, which barely filled one-third of Memorial Stadium’s seats, was concentrated in the alumni sections and student section on the sidelines, with some of the corner sections barely populated at all. When the Cal chant leaders tried to get the two sides to coordinate on a cheer, it took several tries to get things going. 

Remarkably, Saturday’s attendance was lower than any of the Bears’ home games last season, a 1-10 disaster that may still be keeping fans away. Other factors include a lack of parking in the stadium area, with fraternities nearby charging $20 or more for a spot, and lack of enthusiasm over watching the Bears play low-profile New Mexico State. 

“I can understand why people didn’t come,” said wide receiver LaShaun Ward. “When you think about it logically, they didn’t know what to expect. They probably thought the opposition wasn’t too tough, but a win’s a win for us.” 

The Bears face a sterner test this week against No. 15 Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. Wideout Geoff McArthur thinks an upset of the Spartans will prove to fans that Cal might be a team worth watching in person. 

“I think if we come back off the road with a win, they’ll understand it’s not a fluke,” he said. 

Even the orgy of scoring in Cal’s 70-22 opener against Baylor didn’t attract additional fans. In fact, the attendance dropped nearly 3,000 from the first game to the second. Apparently a 48-point win wasn’t impressive enough to draw people away from their television sets. 

“I hope everyone was home watching the game on television,” Watts said. “That’s what I’ve been telling myself. I’d hate to think no one saw us win.” 

Head coach Jeff Tedford, who came to Cal from football-crazy University of Oregon, wasn’t convinced the crowd was actually smaller in his second game with the school. 

“When I looked upduring the game, it looked like there were more people in the stands,” Tedford said. “I was surprised to hear there were actually less than the first week. It’s not something we worry about during the game, but I was hoping there would be more people there.” 

Tedford said the home-field advantage was a big factor in the Ducks’ rise to prominence while he was an assistant in Eugene, and he hopes to build the same kind of fan base in Berkeley with some success on the field. 

“If you can create that kind of atmosphere, it can help your team a lot,” he said. “I think we’ve given the fans every reason to be optimistic at this point. We just have to do our jobs and hopefully we can win some support back.” 

One encouraging sign was the spirit of the student section. Chants of “We love Tedford!” and “Undefeated!” have rung out late in games as students get used to cheering for a winning team. 

Watts said he has gotten plenty of support from fellow students on campus. 

“I’ve talked to a lot of other students who seem really excited about us,” he said. “I talked to people who watched the Baylor game on television and went out and bought season tickets.” 

Senior defensive end Tully Banta-Cain, who gave the crowd something to cheer about with 4 1/2 sacks against the Aggies, admitted puzzlement over the reduction in crowds despite the team’s winning ways. 

“Even last year when we were losing we were getting big crowds, and now that we’re winning we’re not. That’s pretty wierd,” Banta-Cain said. “Not to diss the fans who are up there, because that shows who the true fans are.”

City Council voted Tuesday to clamp down on brothels that masquerade as massage parlors. 

The unanimous vote places strict restrictions on massage parlors, which are commonly fronts for prostitution, and gives the city greater latitude to shut down the its 18 established parlors if they offer sexual favors to clients. 

After police shut down two parlors on prostitution charges last year, the police department and the city attorney determined that Berkeley needed to tighten its massage parlor ordinance to more thoroughly root out prostitution.  

The new ordinance comes as merchants on San Pablo Avenue say that street walkers are at their highest level in years. Police have pledged to remedy that problem and have reported 72 prostitution arrests on that block from January through June. 

The ordinance passed by council requires that parlor employees and applicants wishing to obtain or renew a massage parlor permit undergo a criminal background check. Massage workers also must provide documentation that they have completed 500 hours of training at a licensed massage school.  

If the background check shows that an operator has a history of crimes that are of a sexual or violent nature, a permit will be refused. Additionally, the city can close a parlor after just one violation instead of two. 

The previous ordinance failed to provide a strict standard to restrict prostitution at massage parlors, said Assistant City Attorney Zach Cowan. 

He noted that after a police sting uncovered prostitution at the Golden Gypsy Massage Parlor last fall, the city’s efforts to close the shop ran into red tape. Because the sting operation was the parlor’s first recorded violation, the city had to wait several months and rely on the Zoning Adjustment Board to shut down the parlor due to zoning violations.  

Massage workers were concerned about the bill’s ramifications. One worker at Tiki’s Hawaiian Massage on University Avenue said that she did not have 500 hours of schooling and that massage school was too expensive for some massage workers to complete. “Most of us here are working moms, it would cost $5,000 to get 500 hours of massage school,” she said. 

Tuesday’s vote is the latest council effort to regulate massage parlors. Last year council passed a moratorium on massage parlors on University and Shattuck avenues saying that they did not fit in with a family oriented atmosphere. 

Councilmembers said they did not expect law-abiding massage parlors to face harassment under the new ordinance. 

“We have a live and let live attitude,” said Councilmember Donna Spring. “I can think of two parlors that might be connected to prostitution, but no one has complained.” 

To the Editor: 

Linda Maio's recent letter (Forum, Sept. 7-8) attempts to make a case that Berkeley needs to develop high density housing. But her emotional plea is poorly thought out. She laments that many people who work in Berkeley cannot afford to live here and that much of the traffic and parking problems result from people commuting here to work. She asks that Berkeley develop affordable housing for everyone who works here or grew up here. But she doesn't bother to consider the flip side of her argument: A very high number of Berkeley residents commute to work in San Francisco, Marin, Silicon Valley and other parts of the East Bay. She also doesn't consider that traffic congestion is caused by the many residents of other local cities who commute to Berkeley for the cultural events, stores and restaurants. 

Linda Maio maintains that the imbalance between jobs and housing in Berkeley necessitates developing more housing. But she fails to consider our many neighboring communities, most of which provide more housing than jobs. More importantly, I suspect that examining the statistics will show that as many as 50 percent of Berkeley residents work elsewhere. This too creates traffic and congestion. And many people who work in Berkeley also choose to live elsewhere, in more suburban settings like Lafayette, Moraga, Albany and El Cerrito. 

Fundamentally it is a mistake for Berkeley to look at itself in isolation. We need to look at the entire Bay Area as a region which should provide sufficient housing for the people who work here. But people live one place and work in another for a great variety of reasons. And Berkeley is already quite dense compared to other neighboring cities, and does provide more residential housing for its size than any other city in the Bay Area (with the exception of San Francisco). There is a genuine need for appropriate development in Berkeley but it is preposterous to demand that our city provide housing for everyone who works here or grew up here, unless we are also willing to demand that those Berkeley residents who work in other cities leave and move elsewhere. 

Clearly that is a ridiculous proposition. While reasonable people may differ on the desirable degree of density, I think we all agree that there is an upper limit to development in Berkeley beyond which it will cease to be an attractive place to live.  

Michael Goldberg 

Berkeley

Hundreds of cheering supporters gathered at St. Joseph’s the Worker Church this morning to bid farewell to Father William O’Donnell as he left to begin a six month sentence at Atwater Federal Prison in Merced County. 

O’Donnell, the 72-year-old pastor at St. Joseph’s, at 1640 Addison St., was convicted of civil disobedience and trespassing last year after leading 46 demonstrators around a chain link fence into the Fort Benning military base in Georgia. They were protesting the School of the Americas (SOA), a training facility for Latin American military personnel. 

The scene on the steps of the Berkeley church was far from somber. In fact, it resembled a festive rally more than a farewell. Laughing and smiling as he greeted the crowd, O’Donnell joked about the experience ahead. 

“God help the warden,” he said, “That judge is just silly to put a saint like me in jail.” O’Donnell acknowledged that having a jubilant crowd send him off raised his spirits. 

Dolores Huerta of the United Farmworkers was among those who showed up to wish O’Donnell farewell and to build support for further protests against the military school. “We have learned from the farmworkers movement that it only takes a few people to get organized. We must give our time and our resources to shut down the SOA.”  

The crowd, which spilled out of the church and onto Addison Street, included mayoral candidate Tom Bates. Bates said he was looking forward to praying with O’Donnell on Election Day and collecting his absentee ballot.  

Parishioners of St. Joseph’s are known for social activism. Many who attended the rally have served time in jail for civil disobedience. “One of our main missions is social justice,” said religion teacher Thea Hicks, standing among a group of students from the parish school. “We like to expose the kids to that. This is their community.” 

The congregation hopes to send 100 people to Fort Benning this year for what has become an annual protest. Each will wear shirts reading “We are here in place of Father Bill.” 

“He is a great example to live by,” said activist Owen Murphy. “He works the gospel among the people. That is what Jesus Christ did.” 

O’Donnell, who has been arrested 224 times because of his activism, is one in a long line of religious leaders who have protested U.S. military involvement abroad. 

Central America became a focus for religious leaders following the 1989 deaths of six Jesuit priests and two housekeepers in El Salvador. A 1993 Congressional investigation linked the murders to the SOA. 

Over the years, protests against the SOA were often organized to assure civil demonstrations. However, after Sept. 11, the SOA heightened security and tightened down on the demonstrations. 

“We tried to explain that 10,000 people at the school was a prime target for any suicide bomber,” said Pentagon spokesperson Kenneth LaPlante.  

Despite warnings, protesters on Nov. 1 marched as planned and many were arrested for crossing military boundaries.  

Today, the SOA is officially closed. In its place is the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, which opened in October 2000. Officials say that much has changed in the military training at the institute, but activists disagree. 

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, currently has 111 co-sponsors for a bill that would close the institute. 

SACRAMENTO — The nation was placed on its second highest terror alert level for the first time Tuesday, and Gov. Gray Davis ordered extra security at state buildings and memorial events. 

“The reality is, all the things we could have done we’re a step ahead by doing it all last night,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner D.O. “Spike” Helmick. 

The CHP began its heightened state of alert Monday night, and will remain at that level until early Friday morning. 

“So far it’s business as usual,” Helmick said. “Do all the things we’ve been practicing for the last year.” 

Davis ordered the CHP to beef up security at state buildings and to work with local police to safeguard Sept. 11 events, though he said “there is still no credible threat to the United States, as I understand it.” 

Ceremonies at the state Capitol on Wednesday will include heavy security, said press secretary Steve Maviglio, including flyovers by three combat-ready F-16 fighters, both as part of the ceremony and to provide security. 

Travis Air Force Base officials said all Air Force bases were increasing security as a precaution. 

Davis joined other governors in a conference call with Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge before Ridge and Attorney General John Ashcroft said the nation would go to an “orange” alert signaling a “high risk” of attack. It was the first time the heightened alert was imposed since the system was developed after the terrorist attacks a year ago Wednesday. 

The threats appeared most directed against “U.S. interests overseas,” said Ashcroft, but Davis said the government was wise to take no chances since the domestic attacks a year ago. 

One of the official guidelines for an orange alert calls for government officials to be prepared to move their operations to alternate locations. California shifted its state operations to the CHP Academy in West Sacramento for a day after last year’s attacks, and is ready to do so again if needed, Helmick said. 

However, “there’s been no indication the governor wants to do that,” Helmick said. 

As part of the stepped up state actions, about 5,400 of the CHP’s 6,000 officers are working during the higher state of alert, Helmick said. That’s about 50 percent more officers on duty than usual, he added. 

Truck weigh stations are open around the clock to monitor large trucks. Local police departments also are on alert. 

Mechanical problems had grounded most of the highway patrol’s airplanes, but the manufacturer has lent the state enough planes to bring the department back to full strength, Helmick said. 

Those planes, and the department’s helicopters, will be flying around the clock to watch bridges, roads, power plants and transmission lines, aqueducts and other potential targets, Helmick said. Ground patrols also are being increased. 

Patrols by National Guard troops and other agencies will continue at the Golden Gate Bridge, which has showed up in terrorist videotapes and in threat warnings passed on by the federal government, Davis said. 

State, federal and local law enforcement will continue sharing information through the California Anti-Terrorism Information Center, and CHP officers flying on in-state flights will continue providing an extra layer of security, Davis said. 

Though there are no guarantees, Davis said, “I believe we’re doing everything conceivable to provide safety to our 35 million Californians.” 

He asked residents to go about their lives even as they remember the victims and heroes of the attacks, “but to remain vigilant” and call police if they see something unusual. 

The governor also asked residents to be especially tolerant of other religions and nationalities during the memorial period. 

“This was a searing experience for all Americans,” Davis said Monday. “We hope and pray it never happens again.” 

Davis is scheduled to speak at a 45-minute ceremony at the Capitol Wednesday morning. Davis will call a statewide moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. PDT, during the ceremony. 

Also, roughly 30 relatives of Sept. 11 victims from California, and five who survived the attacks on the twin towers, are scheduled to attend the ceremony.

n Armed Robbery 

Police are still looking for an adult male who allegedly robbed a woman at gunpoint last Thursday. Police said a woman returned home in her car at 9:17 p.m. on the 1800 block of Stuart Street. When she exited her car a male put a gun to her head a demanded her wallet and cell phone. The woman complied and the male was seen running westbound toward Grant Street. The suspect is described as a black male, late 20s about 6 feet tall and 210 pounds. The gun was described as a black pistol. 

n Drunk Driving 

Miguel Cervantez Diaz, 22, was arrested for driving under the influence outside 1099 San Pablo Ave. at 3:51 a.m. Sunday. 

n Stolen Laptops 

A burglar stole two laptop computers from an apartment on the 2200 block of Haste Street about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Police believe the burglar entered the home through a kitchen window. 

n Car Thefts 

A metallic blue 1966 Ford Mustang, license plate 4ACT771, was reported stolen at 12:12 p.m. Sunday from the 1900 block of California Street.  

A dark gray 1998 Toyota Camry, license plate 4AMG369, was reported stolen at 3:11 p.m. Sunday from the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Sept. 11, 2001 Berkeley residents awoke to find that the country they believed impenetrable had been attacked. Mayor Shirley Dean was among those who stared in shock and disbelief as the TV news played and replayed the brutal assault on the twin towers and the Pentagon. The vision of planes crashing into buildings and people hurling themselves from windows high above Manhattan seemed unreal, more like a made-for-TV drama. “At first you don’t believe it,” Dean said. 

Soon reality set in. An enemy had penetrated U.S. soil and killed thousands. For some the dead included family and friends. To most of us the dead were strangers; but the media quickly acquainted us with their identities. 

One was Mark Bingham, the openly gay 31-year-old former UC Berkeley rugby player. The Associated Press reported that Bingham and others allegedly fought off the terrorists, causing United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco to crash outside Pittsburgh, thus preventing the assailants from reaching a target. 

To ease their grief, people in Berkeley and across the nation turned to loved ones, places of worship and public memorials such as the ceremony held on the night of the attacks at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. 

“I felt so helpless at home and wanted to be with other people, to have a community to share this tragedy with,” said Nadja Lazansky, who with her 9-year-old daughter  

was among some 300 people attending the vigil. “It was very uplifting and personally I feel better,” she said that night. 

The event brought together public officials and leaders from many faiths – Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Catholic and Buddhist. Prayers and speakers warned against a rush to retaliate.  

“There will be turbulent days ahead and whatever action is taken it has to be with humanity,” Marvis Peoples of the Liberty Hill Baptist Church said. “You can’t fight evil with evil.” 

City out of sync  

Such thoughts proved to be out of step with the national mood. 

On Sept. 11 The Associated Press reported a senior administration official saying that President George W. Bush was considering a range of military options targeting Osama bin Laden and perhaps Afghanistan. 

“We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them,” the president said. 

His rhetoric in the following months became increasingly militaristic: “Every nation now must oppose this enemy, or be, in turn, its target,” he said in an October speech.  

“Those who hate all civilization and culture and progress, those who embrace death to cause the death of the innocent, cannot be ignored, cannot be appeased. They must be fought.” The reaction in Berkeley in the weeks following Sept. 11 and the bombing of Afghanistan was predictable. In the city where pacifist Lew Hill had founded KPFA radio a half-century earlier, where professors had refused to sign a loyalty oath avowing they were not communists, where the Free Speech Movement was born and the anti-Vietnam War movement was powerful, it came as no surprise that the local response to the war against terrorism would be against a military solution. “Our grief is not a call to war,” became the mantra. 

And while Bush asserted that the attack was the result of foreigners’ hatred of American freedoms, others said the United States was hated because its policies hurt poorer nations.  

Councilmember Linda Maio was among those who searched for more complex answers: “We need to ask how the perpetrators could have reached such levels of hatred and frustration that they would plan such acts and give their lives,” she wrote. “Such anger can only have been constructed over time, through a combination of historical events resulting in a deep sense of threat and sustained exclusion. Our nation's response has everything to do with whether we reinforce this alienation and thus provide the soil, seeds, and nutrients for future cycles of revenge and violence. Or whether it changes.” 

And so the memorial vigils of the first weeks gave way to anti-war demonstrations in which thousands of protesters turned out on campus, in town and across the bay in San Francisco.  

At every rally, however, protesters faced pro-war demonstrators, many aligned with UC Berkeley’s Young Republicans. Tony Banks, then a sophomore, was among the counterdemonstrators at an October rally. 

“No country is perfect,” he said, “and there are things in the U.S. I disagree with, but now is not the time for that because there was a strike against our country and we need to unite as a people.” 

The war against terrorism has been, in fact, far different from Vietnam and demonstrations in its opposition proved to be much smaller. Not only was there no draft to enrage young people, there were few casualties among U.S. troops. Body bags returning have not become an issue. And, as Banks and others pointed out, this time U.S. soil had been violated.  

Flag flap 

So even in this counterculture city, flags sprung up. Most bore the standard stars and stripes but many were altered to include a peace symbol. 

Meanwhile, the fire department quietly hung large U.S. flags on its trucks. Berkeley firefighters felt a strong connection with the New York firefighters who suffered. The flags were a clear message of their solidarity.  

To the city, however, the flags were potential targets. Because the city manager feared that demonstrators at a campus anti-war rally would vandalize the flags and the trucks, he ordered their temporary removal. 

The message, it seems, was poorly communicated to the firefighters, who grew furious and took their anger to the media. This would prove to be the first of many Berkeley stories over the next year that the national media would pick up on.  

Michael Barone of USNEWS.com (the on-line magazine for U.S. News and World Report) posted this: “Berkeley is a city whose government banned pictures of flags on its fire trucks on the theory that they would provoke hate crimes.”  

Boot to the Skull Productions, which claims to be “America’s hottest conservative website” posted this: “What is up with this town? … I find it hard to believe that any red-blooded American firefighter would refuse to fly the flag. … I am looking forward to when we start dropping some bombs on the terrorists who helped plan this tragedy. But if there are any left over, can we drop them on Berkeley? Believe me we will come out ahead if we do.”  

The city issued statements and held press conferences defending its actions, but in the minds of the nation, the wacky, politically correct Berkeley had banned the flags for political reasons. 

Lee stands alone 

The Sept. 15 vote by U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D, who represents Berkeley and Oakland, to oppose the resolution to authorize the president to use force, drew similar fire from across the nation. Sept. 27, Conservative pundit David Horowitz blasted her vote in a piece posted on the Web site Americans for a Republican Majority: 

“Representative Barbara Lee, democrat of Berkeley, was the only member of Congress who refused to defend her country under attack. ... Barbara Lee is not an anti-war activist, she is an anti-American communist who supports America's enemies and has actively collaborated with them in their wars against this nation,” the site said. 

Less vitriolic, Mayor Shirley Dean also took issue with Lee’s vote: “It appears as if this country is taking its time to establish who did this and those people need to be brought to justice,” she told the Daily Planet. “I don’t think we should be bombing the heck out of another country and I don’t think that’s on the table. But terrorism has got to be stopped.” 

Still, letters pouring into the Daily Planet from local residents expressed overwhelming support for Lee’s vote: “During these past tumultuous weeks much of the country has been whipped into a pro-vengeance, pro-war fervor. Lee’s vote does not undermine justice for the victims and their families, rather she is asserting that Congress should retain its right to check Bush’s power and maintain limits on the military’s actions,” Berkeley resident Stephanie Don wrote. 

While threats against her life meant Lee had to surround herself with federal security agents, more than 3,000 people turned out in mid-October to a “thank you” event honoring her in Oakland; the city of Santa Cruz proclaimed Barbara Lee Day; despite Dean’s initial concerns, the Berkeley City Council voted a unanimous commendation for the congresswoman’s “courageous” vote. And in the March Democratic primary, Lee took 85 percent of the vote.  

Council resolution takes heat 

The media also made hay with Berkeley’s resolution to “ask our representatives to help break the cycle of violence, bringing the bombing to a conclusion as soon as possible, avoiding actions that can endanger the lives of innocent people in Afghanistan, and minimizing the risk to American military personnel.”  

The resolution had been watered down from its original call to elected officials “to take whatever action they can to cease the bombing of Afghanistan and to seek a legal, nonmilitary resolution.” 

The resolution passed a divided council vote of 5-0-4 with centrists Mayor Shirley Dean, and councilmembers Miriam Hawley, Polly Armstrong and Betty Olds abstaining and the five progressive councilmembers voting in favor of the measure. 

E-mails directed to the mayor and council from around the country ran strongly in opposition to the resolution. (Measured in inches, there were about 3 inches of e-mails in opposition, to 1 inch in support.) Councilmember Linda Maio counted 600 in opposition. 

“I hope the Islamic fundamentalists direct their next attack against your community,” wrote Scott Wright in an Oct. 24 e-mail.  

“It’s sad to think that the only reason you are able to express your opinion is the fact that many people fought and died for your right to be wrong,” wrote Rick Lester of Minneapolis.  

Then came the campaign to boycott the city’s businesses, raising the ire of the local business community. “I too will be joining the boycott of your city,” wrote Maria Raso of Santa Barbara. “I will not spend money in a city that does not support our federal government.” 

Others wrote to support Berkeley, promising to go out of their way to buy in Berkeley to thwart the boycott. 

And while John Gullickson’s e-mail stated simply: “You people disgust me,” Pamela Michael of Berkeley wrote: “Such courageous and principled actions on the part of our elected officials are one of the reasons I’m proud to live in this community.”  

Michael Losonisky of Fort Collins, Colo., said: “You should know how much it means to many of us that we are not alone in our vision of peace and a better United States with an enlightened foreign policy.”  

Maio attributed the strong nationwide reaction to media distortion. She said that a statement on the mayor’s Web site characterizing the council resolution as one “condemning U.S. anti-terrorist activity in Afghanistan,” helped fuel the nation’s emotions. 

The councilmember pointed to a Contra Costa Times-UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey that showed 59 percent of Berkeley residents expressing support for the resolution once they had been told what it said.  

Amidst the horror and confusion of the events of Sept. 11, Maio said she looked for something positive to come from the grief. 

“Let us have the wisdom and strength … to seize the opportunity to construct a better future for ourselves and, indeed, the world,” she said. 

And in fact, while the federal government has moved to restrict some individual freedoms, local citizens and the city have been working to increase tolerance and to prepare for the possibility of a future attack.  

(These steps will be examined in a story on Wednesday.) 

To the Editor: 

Though many in our community knew of Ted Rosenkrantz and of the In Dulci Jubilo foundation, many more didn't have a clue until Mayor Shirley Dean last year proclaimed Sept. 10 “Ted Rosenkrantz Day” in Berkeley. On that day, the Daily Planet featured a great article honoring Ted for a lifetime of accomplishments.  

Many had no idea that with no children of his own, Ted created In Dulci Jubilo Inc. (IDJ) to fulfill a lifelong dream of helping to inspire our kids. And of those who were aware of how much IDJ has done for Berkeley public schools and teachers over the past 23 years, many did not know of its founder, Ted Rosenkrantz.  

Ted, a retired merchant marine, was diagnosed with melanoma cancer 23 years ago and did not expect to live long. Remembering all of the joy that he had received growing up in Berkeley schools, Ted wanted to give something back before he died. With that in mind, despite his many health problems, he worked hard as the executive director of IDJ until the year 2000. Ted Rosenkrantz accomplished more than most could ever dream of. He spent over $500,000 of his own money to enrich the lives of our kids.  

A humble man, Ted Rosenkrantz was deeply touched when Mayor Dean came to his bedside in last September to present him with the Ted Rosenkrantz Day proclamation. Ted had always insisted on remaining out of the limelight, refusing to take any credit for all that he had done for Berkeley kids. He was equally moved when the school board declared Sept. 19, Ted Rosenkrantz Day in the Berkeley Unified School District.  

A few days before he died, on Nov. 9, Ted told me that only wished that he had been able to do more to inspire and excite kids. I laughed and reminded him of all that he had accomplished. And I assured him that his legacy would continue to make dreams come true, inspiring teachers and students for the next 23 years.  

At a time when we pause to remember how the events of September 2001 changed our lives forever, let Ted Rosenkrantz Day remind us of the hope that exists in our world, our community, and our neighborhoods because of people like Ted.  

Mark A. Coplan, 

president, In Dulci Jubilo

Tuesday, September 10 

Brown Bag Career Talk 

Noon to 1 p.m. 

YWCA Turning Point Career Center  

2600 Bancroft Way 

Cynthia Weekly, Senior Recruiter with UC Berkeley Office of Human Resources will provide information on the process of seeking temporary and permanent employment at UC Berkeley. 

848-6370 

Free 

Michael Newdow: Lecture 

8 p.m. 

2050 Valley Life Sciences Building,  

UC Berkeley Campus 

Michael Newdow is a Sacramento physician with a law degree whose case against the common procedure of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools fueled national uproar last summer.  

USE-SANE, sane@ocf.berkeley.edu, http://www.BerkeleySANE.org 

Free 

Wednesday, September 11 

One Year Later,  

a Peace Vigil and Meditation 

6 to 7:30 p.m. 

West entrance of UC Berkeley Campus near the corner of University Avenue and Oxford Street. 

The Buddhist Peach Fellowship invites people of all traditions to bear witness to the continued suffering related to Sept. 11. 

223-0683, www.bpf.org 

Thursday, September 12 

The 14th Small Business  

Development Trade Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Pauley Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, near Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way, UC Berkeley 

The event will introduce small businesses to the UC Berkeley community and give campus departments a glimpse of the services and products small businesses have to offer.  

Caterina Rando discusses her new book “Learn to Power Think: A Practical Guide to Positive and Effective Decision Making” 

Boadecia’s Books, 398 Colusa Ave. 

559-9184, www.bookpride.com 

Lecture by Rev. Richard Gilbert 

Noon 

UC Berkeley Faculty Club on UC Berkeley Campus 

Visiting professor at Starr King School for the Ministry will speak on “The Difficult Art of Being Gentle in a Violent Time” 

leehenalawrence@yahoo.com 

Friday, September 13 

Lecture by Dr. Paul Farmer 

7:30 p.m. 

St. Joseph the Worker Church  

1640 Addison St. 

Dr. Farmer will speak on Health Care and Human Rights: Solidarity with the Haitian People. Benefit for Partners in Health. Music by Vukani Mawethu Choir. 

558-0371 

$5 to $15 donation 

Saturday, September 14 

Basic Personal Preparedness 

9 to 11 a.m. 

Fire Department Training Center  

997 Cedar St. 

Learn five critical steps to take care of yourself, your family and your home. Classes open to those 18 or older who live or work in Berkeley. 

981-5605, www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes.html 

Free 

Congressman Dennis Kuchinich  

7 p.m. 

Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley Campus, near University Avenue 

Chair of the House Progressive Caucus will speak. Keith Carson, Country Joe McDonald and performance artist Shelly Glaser will also be on hand. 

http://www.bfuu.org/rscongress 

$10 in advance, $12 door 

Heritage Day 

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Fourth Street and University Avenue 

International BBQ and beer festival 

Free 

Spin for the Stars Fund-raiser 

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Spieker Aquatics Complex, Recreational Sports Facility on UC Berkeley campus 

Noncompetitive swimming and stationary cycling event. Proceeds will help Cal STAR enhance its facilities and programs for the disabled. 

$20 registration fee, $35 for biathlon  

Sukkot Holiday Workshop 

7 to 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

Join Dawn Kepler, director of Building Jewish Bridges, for hands-on crafts, food projects, creative sukkah decorations and tips for making your own sukkah (hut). 

848-0237, Ext. 127 

$10 BRJCC members/$12 public 

“Standing Together for Trees” 

9 a.m. to noon 

Fellowship Hall, Cedar St. near Bonita St. 

Updates on local and world forestry issues. Presentations by Kevin Koenig of Amazon Watch, and Kristen Kirk or Forest Forever. 

636-7659 

Free 

West Berkeley Open Air Market 

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

University Avenue between  

Third and Fourth streets. 

West Berkeley celebrates Neighborhood Heritage Day with crafts, food, live music, art and family entertainment. 

841-8562 or sfbayshellmounds@yahoo.com 

Sunday, September 15 

Knowledge of Freedom/Undoing Negativity 

6 p.m. 

The Tibetan Nyingma Institute  

1815 Highland Place 

Nyingma Institute instructor Abbe Blum reads from “New Beginnings” 

843-6812 

Free 

Monday, September 16 

Berkeley Ecological and Safe Transportation (BEST) Coalition  

meeting, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Central Library, Kitteredge Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

Group joins pedestrians, bicyclists, mass transit users and land-use advocates. Topics of discussion include: Berkeley height initiative, pedestrian issues and employer incentive plans. Potluck. 

652-9462, imgreen@jps.net 

Tuesday, September 17 

“How to Grow Dahlias” 

1 p.m. 

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. 

A presentation by Dr. Erik Gaensler, vice president of the California Dahlia Society. 

524-4374 

Free 

Breast Self Exam for Seniors 

10 to 11:30 a.m. 

Maffley Auditorium, Herrick Campus, 2001 Dwight Way 

Workshop to educate women with physical limitations about accessing breast health care and do-it-yourself exam education. 

869-6737 

Free 

Freedom From Tobacco 

6 to 8 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center  

2939 Ellis St. 

A quit smoking class. First of six Thursday evenings through Oct. 24.  

981-5330, quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Free to Berkeley and Albany residents, students and employees. 

Simplicity Forum 

7 to 8:30 p.m  

Claremont Branch Library  

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

A panel of people who will share their experiences and ideas for living inexpensively but richly.  

549-3509, www.simpleliving.net 

Free 

Wednesday, September 18 

Kick Off Party for the Berkeley Coffee Initiative 

7 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center  

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Music, speakers and events in support of the Berkeley coffee initiative, Measure O. 

(415) 575-5338 

$5 at door 

Saturday, September 21 

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (BANA) 

9:15 to 11 a.m. 

St. John’s Church, 2727 College Ave. 

mtbrcb@pacbell.net 

Free 

Do-It-Yourself all-Natural  

Body Care from Your Kitchen 

Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Learn how to make your own all-natural skin care from products you might already have in your own kitchen. 

548-2220, Ext. 233, erc@ecologycenter.org 

$10 for members, $15 for nonmembers 

Third Annual David Brower  

Youth Awards 

6 p.m. 

Schwimley Theater, 1920 Allston Way 

Celebrate the next generation of environmental activists at Earth Island Institute’s award ceremony. R.S.V.P. 

(415) 788-3666, Ext. 260  

www.earthisland.org/bya 

Coastal Cleanup Day 

10 a.m. 

Work at the outflow of Strawberry Creek to clean up the San Francisco Bay coastline. 

info@strawberrycreek.org or 848-4008 

Fall Plant Sale 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

200 Centennial Dr. 

Annual plant sale featuring rare and unusual plants. Members-only preview and auction from 9 to 11 a.m.  

643-2755, www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ 

Free  

Sunshine Workshop 

10 a.m. to noon 

Sixth floor, City Hall, 2180 Milvia St. 

Get up to speed on open records laws, open meetings laws and sunshine ordinances. Experts, including Terry Francke of the California First Amendment Coalition, will speak. 

BerkeleySunshine@Yahoo.com 

Free 

Wednesday, September 25 

“Healing Our Hearts for the Sake of the World” 

7:30 p.m 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way 

A reading by Sylvia Boorstein. Proceeds support The East Bay Dharma Center. 

595-0408 

$5 to $10 

Saturday, September 28 

Free Legal Workshop:  

“Crossroads: Health and the Law.” 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

514 58th St. at Telegraph Avenue 

Navigate your way through legal issues when living with cancer or any serious illness. Panel presentation on employment, insurance and public benefits and one-on-one sessions with attorneys. Please, pre-register. 

601-4040, Ext. 102 for information  

or Ext. 103 to register 

Free  

Saturday, October 5 

East Bay Solar Home Tour 

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Cedar Rose Park (first stop) 

Attendees collect a map to guide them on the self-guided tour—eight homes in Albany, Berkeley and Oakland in all. 

531-1184 

$15 per carload 

Saturday, October 12 

Indigenous People's Day Pow Wow, Indian Market & Fall Fruit Tasting 

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Free 

Tuesday, October 15 

Fall Fruit Tasting 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

2 to 7 p.m. 

Derby Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way  

Free 

Saturday, October 26 

Pumpkin Carving & Costume Making 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Free 

Sunday, October 27 

Spirit Day 

11 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

Fourth Street and University Avenue 

Construct altars in a day of reflection. 

Free 

Saturday December 7, 14, 21 

Holiday Crafts Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Free 

Saturday December 14 

Holiday Crafts Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Free 

Saturday, December 21 

Holiday Crafts Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Free 

By Chris Nichols 

Special to the Daily Planet 

When Khemnes Fisher’s eyesight deteriorated after high school, the three-sport athlete from San Pablo worried he would never enjoy the thrill of competition again. With the help of the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program, however, a new world has opened up to Fisher. Participating in innovative and challenging sports and recreation programs for local disabled and visually impaired residents, Fisher and many others have found a home at BORP, a Berkeley-based nonprofit. 

“I hesitated at first,” said the 35-year-old Fisher of joining BORP’s program six months ago. “I still had enough sight to play sports. But as my sight got worse I needed some kind of release.” 

Providing such release and a community network for disabled athletes since 1976, the nonprofit is one of a kind in the Bay Area. The teamwork, competition and independence generated by the organization’s programming was showcased Saturday, as BORP celebrated the 17th annual Opening Day of its Youth Sports Program. 

Dozens of disabled athletes sweated it out during the daylong event at the James Kenney Recreation Center in north Berkeley, playing a wide array of competitive and contact sports. The morning’s first competition pitted visually impaired athletes against one another in the innovative Goalball. In the game, athletes zip a 3-pound leather ball across a wooden court in hopes of scoring a goal against defenders lined up on the opposite side of the gym. In order to stop the ball, which makes a ringing sound as it whizzes along the floor, defenders rely on their hearing to position themselves for a block.  

Though he’s still learning the sport, invented in 1946 in Germany for World War II veterans to provide a game for those blinded in combat, Fisher says he’s picked up a few of Goalball’s strategic points.  

“There’s definitely a technique for blocking the ball,” he said. “The center has to work the hardest, directing the rest of the team and sliding all over the place.” 

The second competition of the action-packed day featured a game of wheelchair basketball. The sport, which is played internationally by disabled athletes, largely follows the same rules as able-bodied hoops except that players may push their wheelchair forward twice in between dribbles.  

As member of BORP’s Bay Cruisers wheelchair basketball team, 14-year-old Matt Escamilla says the fast-paced sport provides both fun and competition. Escamilla noted, however, that many able bodied individuals do not realize the competitive nature and skill possessed by disabled athletes.  

“A lot of people think we can’t play. That gets on my nerves sometimes but we just use it as motivation,” Escamilla said. 

BORP organizers and participants are quick to state that they are not a part of the Special Olympics program that organizes events for mentally and physically disabled athletes. 

“A lot of the physically disabled kids in the area complained that the Special Olympics were not meeting their needs as athletes. BORP provides them with a separate and more challenging option for their different needs,” said Tim Orr, a Youth Coordinator with BORP since 1984.  

Perhaps the most important part of the nonprofit’s programming, according to many participants and parents, is the sense of community and confidence developed among the athletes. Many of BORP’s older athletes assist BORP’s younger members with tips and advice learned long ago.  

“The kids share things between themselves, their struggles and their challenges. Even the parents do the same thing,” said Laura Marks, whose daughter Sarah has been playing basketball with BORP for several years.  

While providing a place to meet and compete, BORP also works to open doors for disabled athletes in mainstream society. Currently, the outreach program has started working to initiate policy change for disabled athletes within California’s high school sports programs.  

Ideally, says BORP Director Rick Spitler, disabled athletes would be a part of high school sports programming and contribute to the success of the team. According to Spitler, disabled athletes could compete as a part of the track team, for example, facing off in a separate category against disabled athletes from other high schools but contributing to the total points of the overall meet.  

Though the dynamic outreach program provides a haven for disabled athletes young and old, Spitler says gaining support from the mainstream is still a challenge. 

“There’s nothing else like this in the Bay Area, which is a real problem. It [disabled sports programming] hasn’t been institutionalized yet,” Spitler said. 

For now, a dedicated set of staff and volunteers keep the nonprofit thriving in north Berkeley. Staff members say they hope to expand their programming and possibly open a new center in Oakland with support from the city. Right now, the program receives a grant of $25,000 each year from the city of Berkeley along with access to the James Kenney Recreation Center, a cherished prize in a region with high demands on recreation facilities.  

While balls bounced on the court and smiles beamed on the faces of the athletes at Saturday’s Opening Day, parent Laura Marks noted that there is an even larger purpose to the confidence building program, a sentiment expressed by staff, parents and participants alike. 

“In the end, the goal is complete independence,” Marks said.

Residents of Berkeley’s UA Homes left stranded by the Aug. 26 fire at 1040 University are on the move again. 

After 49 of the 69 displaced residents spent nearly two weeks in $84 rooms at the nearby Ramada Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Golden Bear motel, the Red Cross relief tab is maxed. Management of the subsidized housing complex, Resources for Community Development (RCD), is now legally obligated to pick up the bill, and the company is expected to begin moving residents to less expensive accommodations.The four-story building, which fire officials say burned after a pile of clothes accidentally caught fire, is estimated to need about a month for repairs. 

That means about $100,000 in monthly lodging for RCD until the residents can move back into their homes. 

The residents will be housed at less expensive rooms at the Nash Motel, Budget Inn and Twin Peaks Motel in Berkeley, as well as single resident occupancy hotels owned by RCD in Oakland. 

“We’re going to make sure everyone has a roof over their head, but we need spend a reasonable amount that won’t deplete our resources” said Kerry Williams, head of RCD. 

He estimated that the Red Cross spent $80,000 to house and feed UA Homes tenants during the last two weeks. 

Residents seemed content with the change of address as long as they were assured a spot in one of the Berkeley hotels. 

“As long as they can provide me with a place in this city from now until the building is ready, I’ll be happy,” said Carl Johnson, a UA Homes resident. Johnson didn’t want to go to the Oakland RCD homes – the California Hotel and the Harrison Hotel – because they are known to house people who abuse drugs. 

But if Williams is accurate with his guesswork, the residents will be able move back to UA Homes during the first week of October.  

On Monday, an RCD architect submitted plans to renovate all but the six most-damaged rooms within William’s timeframe. The architect is waiting for city approval, expected within the week. Construction can begin soon after that. 

If the building is not ready by early October, RCD will have difficulty supporting the tenants. According to Williams, RCD has a cash reserve to cover the first month, but if the renovation work is delayed, RCD will have to scale back services.  

RCD is currently providing residents with far more than the law requires, city officials say. Under Berkeley’s relocation ordinance, RCD is responsible for paying a tenant the difference between the rent paid at UA Homes and rent at a temporary home. However, instead of asking the tenants – many who receive counseling for substance abuse or emotional issues – to find temporary accommodations, RCD has offered to pay for motels. 

For UA Homes residents the most immediate concern is not homelessness, but hunger. RCD does not have enough money to continue the Red Cross food voucher program. Unlike the hotels where they had been staying, most of their new hotel rooms will not have a microwave to cook inexpensive food. 

“I can’t afford to buy food every day,” said Mark Shimada.

To the Editor: 

It is a year later, and we still face the memories of Sept. 11 horrors by honoring our heroes. I suspect the terrorists felt they were laying down their lives for their nations or families as well. Some of us are no less tearful about these memories, or actual losses, but perhaps we are more ready to ask questions about the reasons behind the terrible prices that were paid. 

All wars create heroes, even those that are tragically misguided and senseless. 

Gerta Farber, 

Oakland

The Greeks are parched. But relief is on the way.  

Since April, UC Berkeley has forbidden alcohol at fraternity parties along what is known as Greek row after a spate of underage drinking, fire code violations, injuries and near-brawls last year. 

But this summer a group of about 30 students, staff, alumni and community members developed a reform plan that if approved will bring an end to the six-month moratorium. 

Last week, UC Berkeley’s Dean of Students Karen Kenney signed off on the plan. Tonight the Inter-Fraternity Council, which represents UC Berkeley’s 35 fraternities, is expected to give final approval.  

If the plan passes, the beer could be flowing within two weeks. That moment couldn’t come too soon for many fraternity members. 

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Adam Jaffe, a sophomore and member of Zeta Beta Tau. 

Before the April moratorium, fraternities faced a series of stringent rules. Security guards and guest lists were required, and partygoers had to bring their own beer or wine coolers, hand the alcohol over to a third-party vendor hired by the fraternity and wait for the vendor to check their identification before getting the beer or wine coolers back. 

The new plan tightens the existing rules and adds a new one, according to Kenney. Effective immediately, fraternity leaders will give each house a score for its past adherence to the university’s drinking rules. Those that score well will be allowed to throw off the April moratorium, and begin partying with alcohol. The rest will have to wait. 

The scoring system, under the new plan, will continue into the future. Those fraternities that make a poor showing will face possible discipline from the Inter-Fraternity Council as well as traditional sanctions from the university. 

Kenney said she approved the plan, largely crafted by the students, because she was impressed by its “thoughtfulness.” She also said the university plans to crack down on fraternities that don’t live up to the new standards. 

“We will move swiftly to revoke recognition of chapters,” she said. 

But several fraternity members interviewed Monday said the plan amounted to little more than window dressing. 

“I think it’s just propaganda to please the university,” said Jessie Dosanjh of Zeta Beta Tau. 

Dosanjh said that the fraternities have engaged in “underground drinking” since the ban went into effect and, in a sentiment echoed by several other fraternity members, said that drinking will continue no matter what policies are in place. 

But, he continued, lifting the moratorium and bringing alcohol consumption back to the surface will allow for better monitoring and a safer environment. 

Matthew Kaplan, vice president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, said he hopes the new rules, combined with open, responsible parties will allow Greek row to polish its reputation. 

“This gives us an opportunity to show our true colors as a community,” he said. 

Still, some say the university never should have put a blanket ban in place to punish the sins of a few wayward houses. 

“I actually thought the ban was pretty severe and undemocratic,” said City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who has several fraternities in his council district. “I assume the university meant well, but I think it was done with a club instead of a ... fine-tuned instrument.” 

Worthington acknowledged that some of his other constituents may have concerns about the resumption of rowdy fraternity parties, but he said plenty of students and older people unaffiliated with fraternities create similar problems. 

About 2500 UC Berkeley students participate in the university’s Greek system.

To the Editor:  

Former President Richard Nixon famously said “Watch what I do, not what I say.” If the United States attacks Iraq, other nations will surely watch what we do. If the United States can attack Iraq on the speculation that it might one day acquire weapons of mass destruction, why can't India attack Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons today? The U.S. government estimates that nuclear war between India and Pakistan would immediately kill 12 million people – and many more as the long-term radiological effects took toll. 

Starting a war with Iraq is simple. The consequences are not. 

Susan Rudolph, 

Berkeley

BERKELEY — Northern California’s Tibetan community cautiously welcomed a visit to China’s capital by a special envoy of Tibet’s spiritual Leader, the Dalai Lama. 

Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama’s special envoy, was scheduled to arrive Monday in Beijing. He’s also expected to visit Tibet’s erstwhile capital, Lhasa, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters in Washington. Lodi Gyari, the director of the International Campaign for Tibet, has an office in Washington. 

Boucher said President Bush and other U.S. officials have encouraged Chinese leaders to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives. 

While welcoming Gyari’s visit, Tibetan activists in Northern California said the Bush Administration ought to be doing more to help Tibet. 

“If the Chinese respond positively to the visit, it’s a good sign,” said Tenzin Woser, a shop owner in Berkeley. “But any real changes in the relationship between China and Tibet will take a long, long time.” 

Tibet — once an independent kingdom in the Himalayan plateau within China’s boundaries — was annexed by China in 1950. 

The Dalai Lama fled his homeland in 1959 after Chinese soldiers crushed a popular uprising against Beijing’s rule. Since then he has lived in India, where he runs a government-in-exile in Dharmsala. The Dalai Lama has become a global advocate for Tibetan self-rule. 

China, however, says Tibet is a province that it reclaimed in the 1950 annexation. Tibetan activists accuse China of systematically eliminating the Tibet language and restricting religious freedoms. 

“We need to open a dialogue with China,” said Berkeley-based Tibetan activist Tashi Norbu. “But I’m not sure that China is genuine.” 

Like many Tibetans living in the United States, he said Bush was neglecting the plight of Tibet. 

“He’s more interested in doing business with the Chinese than helping Tibet,” said Tashi Norbu, who was born in Eastern Tibet, but has lived in the United States since he was a teenager. 

Of Tibet’s approximately 6 million people, about 200,000 live in exile around the world. 

Woser, a former Board member with the Berkeley-based Tibetan Association of Northern California, urged all exiled Tibetans to visit their homeland “to see the real situation.” 

To the Editor: 

Your recent story, “UC Berkeley defends it patriotism,” (Sept, 6) was truly an amazing tale. It seems that to memorialize the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the UC administrators decided to hand out white ribbons instead of the more traditional red, white and blue ribbons. They first claimed that this bizarre move was to “save money.”  

The UC administrators, in their infinite sensitivity, were apparently concerned that a traditional tri-color ribbon might offend or exclude student supporters of the Taliban, the al-Qaida and the “hate America first” crowd. I can just see the headlines now: “UC student Bin Laden buddies offended by red, white and blue ribbons at UC 9-11 memorial service.”  

Actually, to pick white as a color for a mourning or a memorial service is a little odd. Black is the traditional color for the expression of mourning or grief. White is the color typically associated with surrender.  

Just imagine if our politically-sensitive UC administrators had been leading the American Revolution back in 1776. First off, Betsy Ross would have been unemployed; the American flag would have been a simple white sheet. At the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston, the Americans would have simply raised their spiffy white flags and just surrendered on the spot to the British redcoat soldiers and we Brit-Americans would still be singing “Hail to the Queen,” driving on the left side of the road, eating bangers and smoking fags.  

James K. Sayre, 

Oakland

KATMANDU, Nepal — Royal Nepalese Army soldiers launched a counterattack Monday after Maoist guerrillas killed at least 57 soldiers and policemen in a mountainous area overnight, a government minister said. 

Devendra Raj Kadel, the junior interior minister, said the army was fighting near Sandhikhara, about 190 miles west of Katmandu, where rebels killed 40 police and 17 soldiers hours earlier in their deadliest assault since the government lifted a state of emergency two weeks ago. 

“We have reports that a group of rebels who were fleeing from Sandhikhara have been found and we have sent additional forces to combat them,” Kadel said. 

Also Monday, an army bomb squad defused an explosive device planted in Katmandu’s main market. No one was injured but traffic was blocked for hours. Rebels have been blamed for a series of recent explosions in Katmandu that killed at least one soldier. 

Reports from the scene of the latest attack said the rebels struck government offices in Sandhikhara around midnight Sunday as part of their increasingly bloody campaign to topple Nepal’s constitutional monarchy. 

The rebels assaulted the police station and army base and then burned other government offices, including the district administration offices. 

Sandhikhara has an army base with 64 soldiers and two police stations with 160 policemen stationed there, officials say. 

Defense Ministry spokesman Bhupendra Poudel said the rebels also kidnapped two police officials and an assistant chief district official identified as Baburam Khatiwada, the highest-ranking government official in Sandhikhara. 

The incident came a day after rebels attacked a remote mountain outpost southeast of the capital, killing at least 49 police officers. 

The latest attacks began after the government on Aug. 28 lifted a state of emergency in place since late last year. 

The emergency was lifted to prepare for parliamentary elections set for November. Opposition politicians expressed concerns that candidates would not be able to campaign freely during the state of emergency, which gave security forces sweeping powers to curtail civil liberties.

OAKLAND – An Alameda County prosecutor said Monday that a one-time distinguished Fremont teacher has pleaded guilty to a single felony count of possessing child pornography. 

Michael Schoop, 51, of Pleasanton, was arrested in early October and originally charged with four counts of child molestation and one count of possessing child pornography. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on $150,000 bail in late November. 

As part of the plea deal struck Aug. 29, Schoop will be placed on five years' probation and will have to register as a sex offender, according to Deputy District Attorney Kevin Murphy. Murphy said the plea deal was made with the “understanding and knowledge” that Schoop will shortly plead guilty to similar charges in federal court. 

Murphy said Schoop will probably serve at least 18 months in federal custody in that case. 

Oakland police started investigating Schoop when a man who was then 45 years old alleged that Schoop – a distinguished teacher and one-time foster parent – had allegedly molested him for several years, beginning in 1972. 

Oakland police investigators said at the time of Schoop's arrest that the accuser came forward after reading a laudatory newspaper article on Schoop's teaching methods. 

Murphy said today that justice has been served by the plea deal. 

“The victim in the case was aware of everything that was going on and is satisfied with the disposition,” Murphy said. 

“Our primary goal was to have Mr. Schoop register as a sex offender so he cannot teach in California public schools and hopefully not in any other schools,”' he said. 

Bruce Nickerson, Schoop's attorney, did not return a message seeking comment. 

Schoop is scheduled to be sentenced in Alameda County Superior Court on Oct. 17.

Scientists at Lawrence National Laboratory in Berkeley recently completed a millennium-long simulation of global climate changes, further closing the accuracy gap in weather prediction. 

For more than 200 uninterrupted days climate researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research completed the 1,000-year run on their new Community Climate System Model (CCSM2) IBM supercomputer in Berkeley. 

According to Jeff Kiehel, a climate researcher scientist at NCAR who heads the CCSM2 effort, the recent simulation cuts down on temperature variations, which ultimately jeopardized the success of previous models. 

“This simulation will enable climate scientists to study the variability of the climate system on decade to century time scales, which is an important aspect of climate change detection and attribution studies,” Kiehel said. 

Developed by a group of climate researchers that includes scientists and software engineers alike, the CCSM2 simulates a varying degree of weather phenomena including El Nino, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation.

With the need for more housing and economic growth in apparent conflict with the need to protect the environment, Berkeley has developed a new program for commercial and multi-family building projects that promotes sustainability and energy conservation that will also help meet the housing and commercial needs of Berkeley residents. 

The Berkeley’s Best Builders (BBB) is a free program that helps developers remodel or construct buildings that use less energy and water, provide better lighting and indoor air quality, and are generally better for the environment than traditionally-constructed buildings. The BBB consultants’ expertise includes nontoxic material specification, renewable energy, advanced daylighting technologies, solid waste management, indoor air quality, water conservation, transportation, and several other topics.  

More than two dozen development projects have already come through this program that is managed by the not-for-profit organization the Green Resource Center. Free design assistance is available from many of the country’s leading experts on indoor air quality, non-toxic building materials and furnishings, renewable energy and conservation. The intent is to create buildings that have a healthier indoor environment, with lower occupant turnover and operational costs.  

The BBB program is the city’s first step in its new Green Building Initiative, which is intended to make green building the “business as usual” choice for all remodels and new construction in Berkeley. Green buildings have the advantage of using fewer of the world’s resources while being overall more comfortable and healthy to live and work in than traditionally constructed buildings.  

Contractors and developers who are not familiar with green building, and are working on a new project in Berkeley may use a free BBB consultation to gather some new ideas that may save them operational costs in their development project, and improve the indoor quality and energy costs for its occupants.  

For those developers already familiar with green building, a BBB consultation may be used to consult a specialist about a particular environmental problem with the project, including advanced daylighting designs to reduce overall lighting costs, such as the number of fixtures or the wattage of lamps. In order to make the best use of these consultations, they should be done very early in the pre-design phase of a project, before building design has been started. 

To qualify for the BBB program, the project should not yet have been submitted for permits. Rehabilitations, new construction and gut/rebuilds are all acceptable types of projects. 

Berkeley staff, in consultation with leading green professionals have developed the Green Building Primer, which introduces basic green building concepts and techniques, plus, the Reference Guide to Existing Green Building Regulations, which fully describes all environmental building requirements from federal, state and local authorities in one package, and gives helpful tips on compliance. Both are available to developers intending to build in Berkeley. Copies may be obtained through the Office of Economic Development, 2118 Milvia St. 

The BBB program is fully subscribed at the moment, attesting to the desire for green design assistance. All interested designers, architects, and developers who would like to know more about the program should contact Edward Guilig, program manager, at 845-5106.  

Berkeley’s Green Building Initiative, developed in consultation with the local design and construction community, has set the goal of making green building the business-as-usual choice in Berkeley. With more than two dozen successful consultations carried out to date, Berkeley’s Best Builders is our first step in that direction.  

- Alice La Pierre is an energy analyst for the city of Berkeley. She promotes green building and energy conservation in Berkeley. 

Bay area Indians denied  

federal recognition 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs has decided not to grant federal recognition to the San Francisco Bay area’s Muwekma Ohlone Indians. 

Neal McCaleb, the Interior Department assistant secretary who runs BIA, said the tribe failed to document that it is a distinct community and represents a continuing government back through history. The decision was issued late Friday. 

Federal recognition brings with it federal money, access to health care and the opportunity to have the government hold land in trust for tribes. 

The Muwekma held early discussions with Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown to open a casino at the old Oakland Army Base. But only federally recognized tribes can take part in casino gambling. 

The Muwekma had complained about the slow pace of the recognition process. Two years ago, the tribe won a federal court order to speed a decision on their status 

The tribe can appeal BIA’s decision to the Interior Department’s Board of Indian Appeals. 

Point Reyes seashore  

celebrates 40 years 

POINT REYES – Point Reyes National Seashore is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month with tours, cultural demonstrations and history presentations. 

President John F. Kennedy signed legislation on Sept. 13, 1962 establishing Point Reyes as a National Park. It is the only National Seashore on the Pacific Coast. 

Point Reyes receives 2.5 million visitors a year and its 80 miles of coast line is one of the top 30 visited units of the National Park system. 

This weekend's events include a presentation Saturday on the birth of the Point Reyes National Seashore and a ranger-led, two-day tour of native plant and animal habitat in the area of Point Reyes Lighthouse and the dunes at Abbots Lagoon.

SAN JOSE — Using molecules as building blocks, Hewlett-Packard Co. researchers have created memory circuits 10 times more dense than today’s silicon chips under a process that could be faster and cheaper than current technology. 

The advance announced Monday could lead to more memory within a smaller space than what is now possible. 

“We believe molecular electronics will push advances in future computer technology far beyond the limits of silicon,” said R. Stanley Williams, director of Quantum Science Research at HP Labs. 

The high-tech industry’s growth has been driven by packing more transistors — or switches — into smaller slivers of silicon. Within the next decade, however, current technology is expected to reach physical limits. 

Researchers are looking for approaches that could continue the pace of innovation with silicon or alternatives. 

Williams, who presented his findings at a symposium for the 175th anniversary of the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, said the high-density memory his team created fits inside a square micron. That’s so small that 1,000 of the circuits could fit on the end of a strand of human hair. 

The memory is rewritable and can preserve information even after voltage is cut. The behavior is similar to today’s flash memory, commonly used in digital cameras, music players and cell phones to store information even after a device has been turned off. 

The difference is that the new memory could be much cheaper to make. 

Conventional semiconductor products are created by etching transistors into silicon by shining light onto light-sensitive chemicals. Williams’ approach is more akin to contact printing used in creating vinyl records — but at a very small scale. 

The masters were created in about a day. They were then pressed into a polymer layer on a silicon wafer, and then into a single layer of electronically switchable molecules on top of the silicon. 

“It took just a few minutes to make an imprint,” Williams said. 

Still, the technology is at least five years from being commercially available, Williams said. 

“Things are moving along faster than we anticipated,” he said. “Even given that, we’re just now demonstrating feasibility, and it’s a long way from feasibility to product.”

Oakland 

7 p.m. East Bay peace groups have come together to sponsor a vigil at Lakeside Park. Meet at The Pillars at Lake Merritt to make peace lanterns and to join in a walk around the lake. Participants are encouraged to wear white and to bring names, photos, or images to incorporate in the memorial. This event is organized by American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism, Berkeley Interfaith Women for Peace, California Peace Action, Ecumenical Peace Institute, East Bay Coalition Against the War, Global Exchange, Inochi/Plutonium Free Futures, Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, A Jewish Voice for Peace, Not In Our Name, Peoples' NonViolent Response Coalition, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Western States Legal Foundation. For information contact Eve Lindi at elindi@msn.com or go to http://www.pnvrc.net 

San Francisco 

7:30 to 10 p.m. Dance Brigade presents Women Against War: A Vision For Peace, an artistic intervention of women's voices and visions. Some of San Francisco Bay Area's most respected women artists and leaders will come together for a ritual blending of art and politics at SF War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, 401 Van Ness at McAllister. Tickets are $20 in advance. $25 at the door. For information go to www.CityBoxOffice.com. Call 392-4400. 

Berkeley 

7 a.m. A commemoration ceremony in honor of the firefighters, police officers, and civilians who died in the attacks at fire station No. 2, 2029 Berkeley Way, at the corner of Henry Street. The ceremony is sponsored in collaboration with the Alameda and Contra Costa County municipal and county fire departments.  

9 a.m. A ceremonial bell ringing at Martin Luther King Civic Center Building, 2180 Milvia St., between Allston Way and Center Street, will signal a moment of silence in all city offices.  

6:30 p.m. Berkeley’s faith community will conduct an Interfaith Candlelight Vigil at the Martin Luther King Civic Center Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Way between Allston Way and Center Street. All community members are invited.  

UC Berkeley 

5:45 a.m. Campanile bells will toll for five minutes to mark the moment of the first attack in New York. The bells will toll three more times in the hours that follow to mark each subsequent attack. 

9 to 10 a.m. Interfaith Circle of Remembrance. Words, music and ritual invoking the spirit of prayer and unity of all people at the Sproul tree line.  

Noon. After the chiming of the hour a moment of silence will be observed campuswide followed by the tolling of the Campanile bells. 

12:10 to 1 p.m. The University Chorus, Chamber Chorus and University Symphony will perform. Reflective music from various cultures and centuries at Hertz Hall. Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl will speak at the beginning of the concert. Seating in Hertz Hall is limited. 

12:10 to 1 p.m. Student government leaders will host a program of music, poetry and reflection on the steps of Sproul Hall. Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl will share his thoughts. Twelve students will be selected randomly to represent diverse views.  

6 to 8 p.m. Share your thoughts on Sept. 11. Open mic on Sproul steps.  

9 p.m. Candlelight vigil. A memorial including musical performances and readings.  

Mount Diablo State Park 

7:30 p.m. Tower atop Mount Diablo to be illuminated by spotlights. The tower houses a museum and a ceremonial beacon that is switched on every year on the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

Oakland 

10 a.m. Interfaith Prayer Service and Peace Pole Planting, St. Mary's Center, 635 22nd St. For information call Cindy Pile at 893-4723 Ext. 209. 

7:30 p.m. “To Mourn, to Reflect, to Dream: An Interfaith Commemoration of 9/11” at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, 1433 Madison St. Sponsored by the Oakland Coalition of Congregations. For information contact Rev. Roger Scott Powers at MPCRPowers@aol.com. 

San Francisco  

5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Peace gathering and concert at Justin Hermann Plaza (Market Street at the Embarcadero) culminating in a large spiritual/cultural program. Free. 

Noon to 1 p.m. Break for Peace Bread Lunch Program. Music and words of truth from diverse communities that have experienced violence Community speeches and performances by Copper Wimmin, Tibetan Song and Dance Performance Group, Eth-Noh-Tec and Tibetan Monks.  

Oakland 

1 to 5 p.m. Join Youth Space, Destiny Arts Center and other Bay Area youth organizations for spoken word, music, and performance about how youth have been victimized by the war on terrorism through cuts in education spending, the crackdown on dissent, hate crimes against Arab youth and youth of color, and more. Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th Street and Broadway. Invited performers include the Coup, Company of Prophets, MC Tommy Goodwin, local break dancing crews, and YouthSpeaks poets. Information: (415) 255-7296, Ext. 263, Email: peace@globalexchange.org

Many Berkeley residents got frightening wake-up calls Sept. 11, 2001 from friends and family across the country. 

Councilmember Betty Olds couldn’t remember who called her. Her first instinct after getting the news, though, was to turn on the TV “It was so horrible I couldn’t really take it in,” she said. “I still feel [the attacks] occurred somewhere else, not in this country.” 

The city’s Chief Health Officer Dr. Poki Namkung got a call from a colleague who told her to turn on her TV, which she did. “It still held a veil of unreality,” Namkung said, adding that the magnitude of the event didn’t sink in until she visited the site of the former World Trade Center in February. 

Arrietta Chakos’ story was very different. Chief of staff to the city manager, Chakos was returning from a three-week vacation in Europe with her 18-year old daughter. 

On the airplane some two hours outside of San Francisco, she noticed that the plane’s digital maps had stopped operating. It was about 11 a.m. when flight attendants said the plane was being rerouted to Calgary, Canada: Air space in the United States was full, they told the passengers. 

That seemed bizarre to Chakos, a seasoned traveler. But she didn’t worry. The flight crew appeared cheery.  

On their arrival at Calgary, however, Chakos saw Mounties with shotguns on the tarmac. “We were there for one hour before we deplaned,” Chakos said. “They would not tell us what happened.” 

Other passengers were calm and cheerful. They helped seniors off the plane, Chakos said.  

“No one complained,” she added. 

The passengers were led into a part of the airport where there were no television sets and were kept there for about 40 minutes. Finally a security officer told Chakos that the American borders had been closed: “There was some kind of attack on the U.S.” 

The passengers were held for another 45 minutes, searched thoroughly and finally told what had happened. 

Chakos, whose work includes helping with the city’s emergency planning, said she thought the situation was handled well. “It’s best to maintain security,” she said. “The Canadians were so kind.”  

SAN FRANCISCO — California museums are commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with photography exhibits, film screenings and in Silicon Valley, a huge American flag made of red, white and blue CDs. 

With images of the attacks still emblazoned in people’s minds, museum curators say they’ve made an effort to approach the event from different perspectives. 

The precise moments of the attacks will be marked at the libraries for Presidents Nixon and Reagan in Southern California with candle-lightings, bell-ringings, the Pledge of Allegiance, national anthems and even a helicopter fly over. 

The Oakland Museum is taking a look back at California disasters over the past century and examines the state’s level of disaster preparedness in their exhibit, “State of Emergency.” 

In Sacramento, the Golden State Museum will waive its admission fee on Sept. 11 and will feature an exhibit on the role of the state in responding to the attacks, said Ross McGuire, the museum’s director. 

“We are somewhat uniquely prepared for this,” McGuire said. “We are a museum about democracy.” 

The museum focuses on California, including a display about its inherent natural disasters, such as earthquakes, McGuire said. The state’s preparedness to respond to natural disasters helped it respond to the man-made crisis. 

Muslims are the focus of an exhibit at the Arts Commission Gallery in San Francisco’s city hall titled “Freedom and Fear” with black and white photographs by Rick Rocamora of local Muslim residents coping with racial backlash after Sept. 11. The exhibit is presented in conjunction with “Hall of Reflections” by photographer Taraneh Hernarni that records the experiences of Iranian immigrants in America. 

San Francisco’s Exploratorium is showing a series of independent films, highlighted by a screening of “Underground Zero,” a collection of 13 short films by artists that were frustrated by what they call the “superficial rhetoric” of media and government after the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Also included in the film series is a 1945 documentary short, “In the Street,” by writer James Agee and “Kristallnacht,” a 1979 experimental short by Chick Strand that reflects on the night in 1938 when Nazi youths burned and looted thousands of Jewish synagogues and businesses throughout Germany. 

Liz Keim, the Exploratorium’s film director, said the films allow audiences to reflect on Sept. 11 in different ways. 

“There’s references to other things that allow us to think about the events around us without didactic narratives,” she said. 

The city’s Legion of Honor plans on hosting an “Interfaith Night” on the eve of the anniversary. The event features its current exhibition, “Eternal Egypt,” presenting an ancient civilization in which a variety of faiths coexisted. It offers a unique lesson for today’s society, said Pam McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Legion of Honor. 

The Tech, San Jose’s technology museum, chose to commemorate the event by displaying an American flag made of 1,000 CDs on which local schoolchildren wrote their hopes for the future of technology. On them, they envisioned the ability to convert garbage to fuel, flying cars and a cure for AIDS. 

“We wanted to do something that reflected who we are with a visual statement about being part of the community,” said Kris Covarrubias, a spokeswoman for The Tech, who added that they used CDs because “they’re reflective of technology and Silicon Valley.”

LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros. has become the latest studio to offer some of its films for a limited time for download over the Internet. 

The studio will offer some of its biggest recent titles, including “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” as well as older titles such as “Mars Attacks,” over CinemaNow, a video-on-demand service that offers films for viewing on computers. 

CinemaNow offered films from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in a 30-day trial earlier this year. The current arrangement with Warner Bros. will run until the end of the year and may be extended. 

While Warner Bros. has offered its films for viewing on demand before, this is the first time they will be offered for download. 

Films such as “Harry Potter” can be downloaded for a fee of $3.99 for 24-hour viewing. Older films from the Warner Bros. home video library can be downloaded for $2.99 for the same period. 

The studio said a key factor in allowing people to download digital copies of its films was CinemaNow’s anti-piracy technology, supplied by Microsoft Corp. 

“As we would with any entrant into the area, we investigated their technology and found it to meet our digital rights management requirements and reached reasonable economic terms,” said Jeffrey Calman, executive vice president of video on demand and pay per view for Warner Home Video. 

Neither side disclosed the financial terms of the agreement. 

The individual files are as large as 700 megabytes and can take as long as two hours to download even over high-speed broadband connections. They contain digital locks that prevent the files from being copied. The license expires after 24 hours, rendering the file useless unless the license is renewed. 

CinemaNow Inc., based in Marina del Rey, is majority owned by Lions Gate Entertainment. 

Warner Bros. is also one of five studios that formed a separate company, MovieLink, that will offer movies on demand over the Internet. That venture is expected to launch by the end of the year. 

Berkeley may become the first California city to protect consumers from financial companies that sell personal information. 

Councilmember Linda Maio is recommending that the city manager develop an ordinance that would prohibit banks, insurance companies, stock brokerages and other financial institutions that do business in Berkeley from sharing confidential consumer data without written permission from customers. 

“I was quite appalled to hear that some companies could sell information to other companies to look for a pattern of buying” said Maio. She said it’s wrong for credit card companies, for example, to sell financial statements about drug purchases to the customer’s potential insurance company. 

Maio’s proposal comes in response to the defeat of a state privacy ordinance Aug. 31. Drafted by state Sen. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, Senate Bill 773 would have made California the first state in the nation to require financial institutions to ask customer permission before sharing information. 

Lobbyists for financial companies reportedly spent more than $20 million to defeat the bill. 

Under the 1999 federal Financial Services Modernization Act, financial institutions may share or sell consumer information, including credit card purchases, spending analysis and account balances unless the consumer requests in writing to keep the information private. 

Maio’s proposal, which is scheduled for consideration at the Sept. 10 City Council meeting, would instead put the onus of safeguarding privacy on finance companies. Companies would be prohibited from using consumer information for profit unless they received written permission to do so. 

A company that fails to comply would be subject to city fines. Although Maio said she will rely on city staff to propose penalties, she said the bill will be modeled after a recent San Mateo County ordinance that imposes fines from between $2,500 and $250,000 depending on the number of offenses. 

Maio envisions a complaint-driven system enforced by a new arm of the Berkeley Police Department. The city would likely have to hire new staff to run the program she said, but fines would cover the cost of implementation. 

Industry leaders argue that sharing information allows finance companies to better serve clients, but consumer advocates counter that the information is often used to sell unnecessary or inferior products to less sophisticated consumers. 

Berkeley is now one of several California cities considering privacy legislation. San Mateo County passed the first-ever privacy ordinance Aug. 6, and the cities of Daly City, Burlingame and Belmont are considering ordinances as well. 

Maio expects her fellow city council members to support her proposal. “I don’t see how anyone could oppose safeguarding people’s privacy,” she said. 

Contact reporter at 

matt@berkeleycitycouncil.net 

To the Editor: 

Smart growth has come to the Bay Area. Smart growth means designing development to minimize environmental impacts. It focuses development near transit centers to decrease auto use, traffic and air pollution. It emphasizes high density urban “infill” development to preserve open space. These are laudable goals. The Association of Bay Area Government is now trying to apply smart growth to planning the Bay Area. 

Undoubtedly, smart growth is less damaging than suburban sprawl. However, that doesn’t mean it’s environmentally benign. Smart growth, like any development, puts pressure on regional infrastructure – the roads, water lines, sewers, transit facilities, etc. And Infrastructure costs money. Expanding development generally means expanding infrastructure – building more roads, water and sewer lines, etc. ABAG’s analysis assumes such expansion can and will occur, though cost isn’t considered. However, infrastructure needs can’t always be met that simply. 

For example, water is a limited resource. The East Bay is already near the limits of its water supplies, as we are reminded every drought. Supplies can be stretched through conservation, but fisheries are already suffering from current river diversions. Our water supplies are running out. Similarly, BART is approaching its capacity. The only way to add capacity is to build new lines – exorbitantly expensive if feasible. Many East Bay sewer mains and treatment plants are also nearing capacity. Adding sewer capacity is also not a trivial matter. 

In short, the Bay Area has only limited capacity to handle growth. Infrastructure limits need to be taken into account in planning the future. Otherwise, we will bring upon ourselves very avoidable future crises. 

Unfortunately, ABAG’s planning hasn’t considered infrastructure limitations. It just accepts local governments’ growth projections, which are driven by the quest for tax revenue. ABAG’s smart growth plan may be better than unrestrained sprawl, but it will still make the Bay Area an unpleasant place to live. It’s up to us to decide if that’s what we want for our future. If not, we must insist that ABAG consider the Bay Area’s carrying capacity. 

Stuart Flashman, 

Emeryville

With an opportunistic offense and a bend-but-don’t-break defense, the Cal Bears improved to 2-0 with a 34-13 win over New Mexico State on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. 

The Bears were actually outgained by the Aggies, 330 yards to 300, but took advantage of some great field position thanks to the defense and special teams. Cal’s four touchdown drives covered a total of 113 yards, including efforts of 15 and seven yards. 

The Cal defense, led by rush end Tully Banta-Cain’s 4 sacks and forced fumble, kept the Aggies (0-2) out of the endzone until a last-minute consolation touchdown with the game all but over. Four times the visitors drove inside the 20-yard line, but two field goals were all the Aggies could muster before the final drive in front of a crowd of 24,619. 

“Our defense did a good job keeping them out of the endzone,” Cal head coach Jeff Tedford said. “They really stepped up when they had to.” 

The Bears forced two turnovers, both on fumbles, that led to Cal scores, and the special teams setup two second-half touchdowns. Wideout LaShaun Ward, who caught a 15-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Boller for the Bears first score, returned a kickoff 43 yards in the third quarter, leaving just 47 yards for Boller and the offense to cover. Eight plays later, tailback Joe Igber cut back for a four-yard touchdown run and a 24-6 lead. 

Cal’s final touchdown came courtesy of defensive tackle Lorenzo Alexander, who blocked a New Mexico State punt to give the Bears the ball on the 7-yard line. Boller dove over the top of the line from the 1 to seal the win. 

The Bears were handed a short field to start the game, as New Mexico State head coach Tony Samuel tried a little trickery with an onside kick. One of Samuel’s players touched the ball before it went the requisite 10 yards, giving Cal the ball on the New Mexico State 44. After Boller converted a 4th-and-1 with a 15-yard naked bootleg run, he hit Ward between two defenders to open the scoring. 

After the teams traded field goals, Cal defensive tackle Josh Beckham wrapped up fullback Rambo Fiaseu on a plunge into the line, then ripped the ball out of his hands with Josh Gustaveson recovering on the 15-yard line. Igber picked up nine yards on a draw, then Boller found tight end Tom Swoboda on a play-action pass for a six-yard score, putting the Bears up 17-3. 

With all that good field position, the Cal offense was productive without producing a lot of yardage. Boller threw for just 190 yards on 19-of-32 passing, but he also didn’t throw an interception for the second game in a row, a first in his Cal career. His long passes were either well-covered or dropped by his receivers, so Boller settled for throwing short hitches to his receivers, screens to Igber and play-action passes to Swoboda, who had a career-high six catches for 45 yards. 

“You always want to make the big play, but the defense was playing off my receivers,” Boller said. “The deep balls just weren’t there.” 

Tedford was impressed by his quarterback’s patience against an Aggie defense that was content to sit back and wait for a mistake that never came. 

“Kyle was pretty sharp today. He made good decisions and ran the huddle and the offense very efficiently,” Tedford said. “He’s going to get better every week.” 

The Bears’ defense looked shaky to start the game, as Aggie quarterback Buck Pierce ripped off some big gains on option keepers on the opening drive. But after a 33-yard keeper the Cal defense started to figure out how to defend the option, a good sign for a team that will face option-heavy Air Force in two weeks. Pierce finished the day with just 62 yards on 20 carries, although those numbers were deflated by the Bears’ four sacks, and left the game late in the third quarter with a bruised shoulder. 

The Aggies didn’t help themselves with eight penalties for 85 yards, including a holding penalty that wiped out a 55-yard touchdown pass from Pierce to Chris Lumpkin. New Mexico State ended up with no points to show for that drive. Another drive that made it down to the Cal 8-yard line stalled when a personal foul on offensive lineman Shalimar Jackson and a Banta-Cain sack drove them back to the 33, forcing kicker Dario Aguiniga to launch a career-long 50-yard field goal just to salvage three points for a 17-6 deficit. 

“We had too many penalties and mental mistakes,” Pierce said. “When playing a Pac-10 school like Cal, you just can’t make those kind of mistakes.” 

It’s been quite a while since an opposing player gave Cal that kind of respect, but the Bears will face a much stiffer challenge this Saturday against No. 15 Michigan State. Tedford knows the Spartans will be a formidable foe, but he sees plenty of room for improvement from his own team. 

“The good news is that we’re 2-0 and we haven’t played our best yet by any means,” he said. “We’ve still got a long way to go. We have a major challenge coming up to go on the road and play a great Michigan State team.” 

Banta-Cain, who had recorded 9 1/2 sacks in the last three games going back to Rutgers last season, said the Michigan State game has been circled on his calendar for a long time. 

“It’s going to be our first real test of the season,” he said. “Our goal was to be 2-0 going into that game, and we’ve done that. We’re pumped up and confident.” 

Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series exploring local reaction to last year’s terrorist attacks. Look for part II in tomorrow’s Daily Planet. 

Shahaub Roudbari, who graduated from Berkeley High School this summer, got word of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks before he arrived at school that day. But it took some time for the news to settle. 

“The mood, at first, was curiosity,” he said. “It took a long time for it to dawn on people what actually happened.” 

For Oliver Meyer, who also graduated in June, the news hit suddenly with an announcement in physics class. 

“People didn’t know what to say,” Meyer noted. “The teacher was almost crying.” 

With the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania arriving Wednesday, Berkeley’s school community is reflecting on the horrors of last September and planning to commemorate the attacks this week. 

Activities will range from the traditional moment of silence to a special first grade art project at Malcolm X Arts & Academic Magnet School. Students, according to Principal Cheryl Chinn, will build lanterns, attach messages of peace and float them on Lake Merritt in Oakland during a peace march Tuesday evening. 

This sort of approach strikes a chord in a city long associated with the peace movement. 

“I think it would be great to see this as an opportunity for kids to bring peace to the world,” said Cynthia Papermaster, parent of a Berkeley High student and Board of Education candidate, describing her hopes for the district’s commemoration. 

Peace was a concern for some students in the immediate aftermath of the attacks last year. On Oct. 17, members of a group called Students Halt Revenge and War Under Bush, or SHRUB, held a small anti-war rally in Civic Center Park. 

Then-sophomore Mollie Dutton Starbuck read a letter to President George W. Bush that said, in part, “The terrorists want holy war, and that is what you want to give them. Holy war, an oxymoron from the oxiest of morons: you.” 

Students also raised concerns about racial profiling of Middle Eastern students in the wake of the attacks. Members of two youth groups, Cultural Unity and Youth Together held a series of workshops on the topic in late September. 

In the classroom, according to Berkeley High art teacher Sally Woolfer, the terrorist attacks came out in students’ work. 

“We had a lot of amazing art,” she said. “That was a great outlet.” 

But students interviewed Friday said that, after an initial burst of activity, the issue faded into the background quickly. 

“It didn’t come up too often,” said Sean Dugar, who graduated from Berkeley High this summer and is making a run for the Board of Education this November. 

Joan Edelstein, president of the Berkeley High School Parent Teacher Student Association, said she was surprised by the lack of engagement on campus last year. 

“We’d hope to see more of an active response among our kids,” she said. “It’s a little disconcerting.”  

Board President Shirley Issel said Berkeley’s geographic distance from Ground Zero may have played a role. 

“We’re very far away from New York City,” said Issel, who is a psychotherapist. “We’re really protected from the impact of 9/11.” 

She said that sense of distance may explain why the board, which will meet Wednesday night on the one-year anniversary of the attacks, has no grand commemoration planned. 

“I think our need to do something on the anniversary is not as great as it is for those who are closer to Ground Zero,” she said. 

Still, Issel predicted in a Friday interview, members will have something solemn to say about the terrorist attacks Wednesday night – just one day after first graders from Malcolm X Elementary are scheduled to push small missives of hope across a lake in Oakland.

To the Editor: 

Does Howie Muir expect anyone to take him seriously when he says (Forum, Sept. 6) that he not only wanted to scale down the proposed apartment building on San Pablo Ave., but also wanted it to be “as high as 100 percent” affordable housing? Scaling down the building would make it less feasible economically, and requiring that much affordable housing would make it totally infeasible economically.  

Maybe Muir should have used the same tactic in the height initiative. The initiative is such a drastic “down-zoning” that virtually no housing would be built if it passes. He could have added a provision to the initiative requiring developers to make 100 percent of their units affordable – which would guarantee that absolutely no housing would be built. 

In his suit against the city, Muir is using the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) against the environment. By working against smart growth in Berkeley, he is working for worse sprawl, worse auto dependency, worse air pollution and worse global warming.  

Charles Siegel, 

Berkeley 

The only goal of Sunday’s Cal-Texas A&M women’s soccer game came off of an Aggie foot, but the Bears got the 1-0 victory at Edwards Stadium. 

Texas A&M defender Shannon Labhart scored an own goal in the 50th minute to give Cal a split of the weekend’s games against top-10 teams. The Bears fell to Texas, 2-1, on Friday. 

Labhart’s flub was a result of a nicely placed pass by Cal’s Kassie Doubrava and some high-speed pressure by freshman forward Tracy Hamm, who was racing Labhart for the ball. As A&M goalkeeper Kati Jo Spisak came out to challenge, Labhart dove to try and divert the ball. She succeeded, but only in sliding the ball into her own net. 

“One more step and I would have put the ball in the net, but she kicked it in for me,” Hamm said. “She was so close to the goal, she didn’t have an angle to get it away.” 

Although the Aggies outshot the Bears 10-6, the home team had better offensive chances, especially in the second half. Hamm had two opportunities to score goals of her own after the own goal but mishit both shots past open nets. Freshman Dania Cabello also had a good shot in front of the net but put it over. 

“If you look at the shots, it looks like (the Aggies) were better,” Cal head coach Kevin Boyd said. “But we had good chances, including two sitters that we missed entirely.” 

Gaining a split with No. 10 Texas and No. 3 Texas A&M was a decent result for the 11th-ranked Bears, especially since they were missing top scorer Laura Schott, who is out with a knee injury. Schott may be available for next weekend’s games against Santa Clara and St. Mary’s. 

Boyd chose to start junior Sani Post in goal rather than freshman Ashley Sulprizio, who had started the Bears’ first three games. Post, a transfer from Notre Dame, is less athletic than Sulprizio but has better field presence and is more vocal than the younger player. Post didn’t have to make any difficult saves, but she came out strong on some through balls and kept the defense in order. 

“Sani is outstanding in her communication and organization, and we decided to go with the experience today,” Boyd said. “We wanted to have an organized back line and not give up any one-on-ones, and we did that.” 

Boyd wanted the Texas schools to give his team a serious test early in the season, and he felt his players came through despite the absence of Schott. the Bears have made four straight postseason tournaments but have lost in the opening round each time. 

“I felt like last weekend were teams we had to beat to get into the playoffs,” he said. “But if we do get into the playoffs, it’s this type of team we’ll have to beat once we’re there.” 

The Bears close out a five-game homestand with a match against No. 14 Santa Clara on Friday. The match will kick off at 4:30 p.m. at Edwards Stadium. Cal then travels to St. Mary’s on Sunday for a noon kickoff.

At Civic Center Park, which appropriately sits above Berkeley’s underground waterway Strawberry Creek, poets and activists celebrated the importance of watersheds at Saturday’s seventh annual Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival. 

“Watersheds are the mainstream drainage patterns and define the contour of our hills and water,” said event director Mark Baldridge. “In addition to defining plant life and animal life, it defines our cultural life.” 

But as organizers reflected on how far efforts to protect watersheds have come, they acknowledged that environmental challenges lay ahead. 

“Technology has made people less aware of the physical world in which they’re living,” said Robert Hass, UC Berkeley professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate who founded the festival in 1996. 

Upstream of Civic Center Park, above the route of Strawberry Creek – which was diverted for the sake of road construction – folks waiting for the bus on Shattuck Avenue wondered what a watershed was. 

Further upstream on the UC Berkeley campus, where Strawberry Creek flows above ground before dipping beneath the downtown, yellow signs warn of a sewage spill contaminating the waterway. 

Saturday’s festival aimed to educate people about the sensitivity of watersheds and advocate for their protection. Local environmental organizations, their booths ringing the park, worked hard all day to find new recruits. 

Watershed as an idea, as a place is much better understood than it was in 1995,” said Pamela Michael, who founded River of Words along with Hass eight years ago. Events like the festival represented “sort of a stealth approach to watershed protection,” she said. 

“People take care of what they love and know,” Michael explained. 

The festival began with a three-block tour of Strawberry Creek as it flows under the concrete of the city’s downtown, its path marked by a blue line placed by creek restoration advocates. 

The advocates are working to “daylight” the creek – or remove the concrete and restore it to its natural state. Similar efforts created what is now Strawberry Creek Park where culverts once buried the running water. 

“There’s such a momentum behind creek daylighting and protection and restoration,” said Juliet Lamont, an environmental consultant who fielded questions behind the Urban Creeks Council table Saturday. “It’s the type of momentum you don’t want to ignore.” 

Lamont said she was disappointed that Berkeley’s City Council this summer opted to leave an initiative proposing fees for education on storm water runoff off the November ballot. 

She said the small tax would have funded a lot of environmentally beneficial programs – programs that might have prevented the pollution in Strawberry Creek. 

UC Environmental Specialist Steve Maranzana said backed up pipes caused sewage to spill into Strawberry Creek on the UC campus during the Labor Day weekend. 

“This is an urban watershed. It’s very different from a natural creek with all this development,” Maranzana said. “It’s really a challenge to keep an urban creek running clean.” 

Among the pollutants fouling the water on a semi-regular basis are automotive fluids leaking out of cars, lawn fertilizers and pesticides and solvents and soaps people use to wash their cars, he said.  

“If you go out to see the creek during the first rainstorm, you’ll see it soapy from all these cleaners,” Maranzana added. 

To the Editor: 

Pundits like William Safire and White House insiders like Vice President Cheney are setting the stage for a preemptive strike on Iraq, against the advice of key military leaders and the State Department. Without strong support from our allies, without a clear end game and with tensions running high around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, events in the region could easily spin out of control. 

Why isn't President George W. Bush listening to the people in his administration who have real military experience and depth in international affairs like his joint chiefs of staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell?  

In Afghanistan, the Northern Alliance provided the nuts and bolts of the offensive, but in Iraq no equivalent indigenous force exists, meaning Americans would suffer much heavier casualties. What's more, the loss of life might be in vain, since there is no viable successor for Saddam waiting in the wings. In short, the joint chiefs of staff think a war against Iraq is an all-around bad idea. Bush should listen to his generals, and do his homework, when deciding how to deal with Saddam Hussein in the coming months.  

Furthermore, the United Nations inspectors’ probably can do the job that needs to be done: Inspect any war weapons manufacturing sites, real or suspected. If Saddam is the target, then go one-to-one with him using special forces, the UN or President Bush himself. The notion that United States military forces should mount an aggressive assault on Iraq is totally irresponsible and reprehensible. 

M. Breunig 

Berkeley 

OAKLAND – Oakland Raiders coach Bill Callahan had an impressive debut Sunday. 

Callahan, who replaced Jon Gruden after he left for Tampa Bay, saw Rich Gannon and Charlie Garner lead the Raiders to a 31-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. 

Gannon completed 19 of 28 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns while Garner amassed 187 total yards and scored two touchdowns. 

The Raiders tallied 24 straight points to beat the Seahawks for the fifth straight time in the Coliseum since 1997. 

Because NFL realignment has separated the longtime AFC West rivals, Seattle is not slated to return to Oakland for a regular-season game until 2010. The Seahawks enter their first season in the NFC West this fall. 

Sunday’s meeting was much like last year’s game here, except this time Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck played well. 

Hasselbeck, filling in for injured starter Trent Dilfer, completed his first eight passes and led the Seahawks into the end zone in their first offensive series with a 1-yard TD throw to Itula Mili. 

As the starter last season, he was sacked six times before getting benched with the Seahawks trailing 38-0 in an eventual 38-14 loss. 

In Seattle’s 1-3 preseason, Hasselbeck threw five interceptions and only one touchdown. 

Rookie Maurice Morris set up Mili’s touchdown when he returned a kickoff 66 yards to start the Seahawks’ drive on the Oakland 36. 

But then Seattle fell apart, struggling to convert third downs and allowing the Raiders touchdowns on their first three drives of the second quarter. 

Perhaps this win was enough for the Raiders to rid themselves of their bad memories from their embarrassing loss in Seattle last season, when Shaun Alexander ran all over them. 

Alexander’s name came up all week at the Raiders’ practice facility. He ran for 266 yards and three touchdowns, including an 88-yarder, as the Seahawks won 34-27 last November. 

Oakland’s new defensive front led by John Parrella and Sam Adams made sure to shut down Alexander. He was limited to 36 yards on 13 carries, but he added an 11-yard touchdown reception in the final minutes. 

Garner was the running back of the day. He carried 15 times for 123 yards and had five catches for 64. 

Gannon, who did not throw a touchdown pass the entire preseason, hit Tim Brown for an 8-yard TD pass on Oakland’s opening possession. 

Backup Raiders running back Zack Crockett was carted off the field late in the first quarter after injuring his neck while covering a punt. He was able to move his arms and legs but was taken to a local hospital for tests.

CAMP DAVID, Md. – President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday the world must act against Saddam Hussein, arguing that the Iraqi leader has defied the United Nations and reneged on promises to destroy weapons of mass destruction. 

“We owe it to future generations to deal with this problem,” Bush said as he greeted Blair at Camp David for a hasty brainstorming session on Iraq. 

“The policy of inaction is not a policy we can responsibly subscribe to,” Blair said as he joined Bush in trying to rally reluctant allies to deal with Saddam, perhaps by military force. 

“A lot of people understand that this man has defied every U.N. resolution. Sixteen U.N. resolutions he’s ignored,” Bush said. 

The meeting came five days before Bush addresses the United Nations. The president is expected to challenge the international community to take quick, tough action to disarm Saddam, saying that without allied help the United States will be obligated to act on its own to remove Saddam, according to advisers involved in writing the speech. 

Bush will tell the U.N. there is no time to waste; one early draft refers to Iraq as a “ticking time bomb.” 

Senior Bush advisers acknowledge that Bush is setting the stage for a confrontation with Saddam, with the U.N. speech a last-ditch attempt to build an international coalition. The president assumes the showdown eventually will lead to military action, aides said. Key allies – including France, Germany and Russia – oppose the use of force against Iraq. 

Bush said U.N. weapons inspectors, before they were denied access to Iraq in 1998, concluded that Saddam was “six months away from developing a weapon.” He also cited satellite photos released by a U.N. agency Friday that show unexplained construction at Iraq sites that weapons inspectors once visited to search for evidence Saddam was trying to develop nuclear arms. 

“I don’t know what more evidence we need,” Bush said. 

Still, more information will be presented as the president continues his effort to rally support at home and overseas for his views on Saddam, a senior White House official said Saturday. The official stressed the administration’s view that Saddam’s weapons capabilities have been consistently underestimated in the past. 

After less than four hours of one-on-one talks, as well as larger discussions and dinner at the compound’s Laurel Cabin – which included Vice President Dick Cheney – Bush walked Blair on a wooded path back to his helicopter and the British premier headed off for London. 

The session was an excellent one that focused on “the importance of rallying the international community” behind dealing with the threat Saddam poses, said Bush spokesman Sean McCormack.

Cal men fall 1-0 to Southern Methodist 

The California men’s soccer team (1-2-1) took their second loss of the season this afternoon against #7 (Soccertimes) Southern Methodist (2-1-1) at Edwards Stadium.  

SMU’s Diego Walsh scored the only goal needed in the game less than two minutes into the second half off of an assist by Duke Hashimoto. The 10-yard shot fired into the left corner of the box, out of reach for senior Bear goalie Josh Saunders. Saunders recorded four saves for the day, to SMU’s keeper, T.J. Tomasso’s five.  

Cal was out shot in the match, nine to the Mustangs 14, yet both teams managed to get off five shots on goal in the effort.  

Cal field hockey shuts out Indiana 

The California field hockey team (4-1) celebrated their third victory of the season Sunday afternoon in Bloomington, IN as they beat Indiana (1-3) 1-0.  

Cal got the on the board at the 57:51 mark. Hoosier goalkeeper Molly Pulkrabek came out to stop Cal’s Stephanie Lyons, but Lyons dished it off to senior Michelle Wald. Wald took advantage of the empty net and lifted it high into the back of the cage. The goal was Wald’s second of the year.  

The Hoosiers would not go down without a fight though and had numerous opportunities in the final minutes of the game, but could not capitalize.  

The Hoosiers got a penalty corner at the 63-minute mark. Sophomore Ryan Woolsey made the stick-stop, and sophomore Kayla Bashore took the ball and moved right. Her shot was on goal, but Cal’s Kelly Knapp came up with one of her eight saves as she dove to push the ball out.  

Wald led Cal in shots as she took five of Cal’s 12 on the afternoon. Others collecting shots include juniors Nora Feddersen (4) and Erin Booth (1) and freshmen Kiely Schmidt (1) and Alana Smith (1).  

The first half was one mark by missed opportunity for both squads. Both Knapp and Pulkrabek came up big in goal. Knapp denied five Hoosier shots, while Pulkrabek was able to knock away three Golden Bear shots.

SAN FRANCISCO – Californians say a lot of good and bad changes have occurred in the United States since Sept. 11, and many believe more terrorist attacks are imminent with California as a likely target, according to a Field Poll released Sunday. 

Ninety percent of the voters surveyed said last year’s terrorist attacks made Americans more patriotic, while 82 percent said the country also is more fearful. 

Other positives included Americans becoming more united, more determined, more family-oriented and more secure. The negatives included the country being less tolerant, more belligerent in its foreign policy, less optimistic and less democratic. 

Eighty-three percent of those questioned this September said they believe more attacks are likely to occur somewhere in the United States. Of those asked whether they believe California is a likely target, 66 percent said they believe it is. 

Californians surveyed said positive work has been done to help the country’s security in some areas, while improvements are still needed elsewhere. 

-The Associated Press

One of Cal head coach Jeff Tedford’s main points of emphasis has been positive reinforcement for his players. He put that into practice twice on Saturday when wide receivers LaShaun Ward and Geoff McArthur committed drops. 

Ward dropped a wide-open third-down pass in the third quarter, and Tedford called the same play on fourth down, with Ward catching the second chance for a first down. For Ward, who has been knocked for having shaky hands in the past, the immediate show of faith was important. 

“I believe in coach Tedford and his system, and he believes in us,” Ward said. “There was no doubt in my mind that I’d catch the next one.” 

Tedford knows Ward is his best deep threat and any loss of confidence could be devastating to a player who only became a receiver midway through last season after playing cornerback. 

“I had no problem going right back to LaShaun,” Tedford said. “We know he’ll make the play, and the coverage just happened to have us throwing the ball to him again.” 

McArthur dropped a long post pattern in the middle of the field in the second quarter. On the next play McArthur hit New Mexico State defensive end Tommy Laborin so hard on a crackback block that the 318-pound lineman had to be helped from the field. 

“That was probably the best thing (the coaches) could have done, call a play that was designed to let me get a crackback,” McArthur said. “I’m not comfortable with dropping the ball, I was more aggressive from that point on.” 

McArthur said the fact that Tedford continues to give players chances to make plays after mistakes forces them to keep their focus on the game, not on their errors. 

“It just shows that coach Tedford has a real good grip on what he’s doing,” he said. “He knows how to deal with players. He treats us like men, not like kids. Every team has something go wrong during a game. It’s about what you do after that.” 

– Jared Green

OAKLAND — The police department and the FBI have asked a judge to set aside the $4.4 million a jury awarded to two Earth First activists earlier this year. 

Activists Darryl Cherney and the late Judi Bari sued the police department and the FBI saying their civil rights were violated in the investigation of a 1990 bombing that injured them both. 

Police arrested the two hours after the blast. Investigators said they were carrying the bomb for an act of environmental sabotage, but the case fell apart weeks later when prosecutors said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to bring charges. 

In papers filed in U.S. District Court on Friday, the Oakland Police Department said three of the officers involved deserve new trials. They said the previous trial relied on improperly admitted evidence and testimony, and the plaintiffs’ attorneys committed misconduct. 

The FBI also filed papers Friday making similar claims for three of its agents. 

In June, a jury awarded Cherney and Bari’s estate compensatory and punitive damages. Police and FBI officials said the award amounts were inappropriate. 

Last month, the U.S District Court confirmed the June ruling which opened the door for last week’s appeals. The court is expected to weigh in on the appeals sometime in November.

Car chase ends in Oakland 

OAKLAND – Two burglary suspects were arrested Saturday evening in Oakland after a car chase that began in Marin County. 

The pursuit began when Twin Cities police attempted to stop the men's vehicle on East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at about 7:20 p.m. The men were wanted in connection with the burglary of a Marshalls department store in Corte Madera. 

The chase reached speeds of 100 mph and covered about 20 miles. The suspects stopped on the 1000 block of Seventh Street in Oakland and fled on foot. The driver and one passenger were stopped after a short foot chase. 

Police arrested two Oakland men: 23-year-old Joshua James Richardson Jr. and 27-year-old Damian Grayson Britt. A third suspect was not found. 

Richardson and Britt were booked into the Marin County Jail on several charges including suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property. 

Tobacco lobbyists pleased 

Tobacco lobbyists are proclaiming victory after the state Senate voted down a $2.13-per-pack cigarette tax increase in the recently passed state budget. 

“The proposed tax would have hurt people that are least able to pay it,” said John Singleton, the director of public affairs for R.J. Reynolds, who said the median income of Californian smokers is only $26,500. 

“It's picking on an unpopular minority to pay a disproportionate share of taxes,” he said. 

A 50-cent cigarette tax increase was first proposed by Gov. Gray Davis in his budget revision in May and then the state Senate upped it to a 63-cent tax, according to Krik Kleinschmidt of the American Heart Association. 

Assembly speaker Herb Wesson, D-Los Angeles, then proposed a $2.13-per-pack cigarette tax as a way to make up a budget shortfall, but the measure fell four votes short when Republicans stuck to a no-new-taxes pledge, Kleinschmidt said.

SAN FRANCISCO – A unanimous jury has handed Genentech Inc. a complete win in its $1 billion patent fight with San Francisco Bay area rival Chiron Corp. 

After nearly two days of deliberations, a federal jury of 10 people on Friday said Chiron of Emeryville has no claim to any profits from Genentech’s blockbuster breast cancer drug, Herceptin. 

Chiron unsuccessfully claimed it was entitled to as much as 30 percent of Herceptin’s sales because Genentech illegally used technology patented by Chiron to develop the drug. 

After a 16-day trial, the jury found the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office improperly granted Chiron its patent to some genetically engineered antibodies, the cancer-fighting proteins that scientists turned into Herceptin. 

Using a process it patented in 1997, Genentech produces the antibody by splicing a human gene into Chinese hamster ovary cells, which it brews in giant batches in “bioreactors.” Genentech also received a patent on the antibody itself. 

Through a series of filters and chemical reactions, the human antibodies created in the hamster cells are sucked out, purified and turned into Herceptin as well as two other protein-based therapies. 

In the mid-1980s, scientists at several different labs were racing to find, patent and produce cancer-fighting antibodies in mass quantities. 

Cetus Corp., a small biotech company acquired by Chiron in 1991, filed the first of a long series of Herceptin-related monoclonal antibody applications in 1984. But Genentech was granted the first patent. 

“It was Genentech scientists and our collaborators who invented Herceptin,” said Arthur Levinson, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive officer at Genentech. 

While Genentech was first to receive patents to technology key to Herceptin’s development, Chiron successfully argued that it applied for the patents first, which would give it a claim to some of the drug’s profits. U.S. District Court Judge William Shubb of Sacramento agreed with Chiron and put the burden on Genentech to prove the patent office made a mistake — an argument it successfully made. 

“Chiron continues to believe that its patent covering the anti-HER-2 monoclonal antibodies is valid,” Chiron spokesman John Gallagher said. “The evidence clearly showed that Chiron was the first to invent these antibodies. Chiron intends to pursue multiple courses of action to overturn the verdict, including an appeal should that be necessary.” 

Gallagher added that Friday’s verdict still won’t end the patent battles between the two biotechnology titans. 

The patent office in August agreed to independently review Chiron’s infringement claim. Chiron also filed another lawsuit in March alleging that Herceptin violates yet another one of its patents. That case is scheduled to go to trial next year. 

Last year, Genentech sold a record $347 million worth of the drug, which has racked up nearly $1 billion in sales since the Food and Drug Administration approved Herceptin in late 1998. 

Genentech is appealing an unrelated $500 million verdict in Los Angeles involving the City of Hope Medical Center, which said the company refused to share profits of drugs developed with help from the hospital.

Known as one of the Bay Area's biggest and best block parties, Sunday’s Solano Stroll is expected to draw 150,000 strollers to Albany for a day of food, fun and wholehearted fulfillment. 

The event comes just three days before the one-year anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11 – a once inconspicuous date marked by the end of lazy summer.  

Event organizer Lisa Bullwinkel said that Sunday’s Solano Stroll will open itself up to the tragic day.  

This year’s theme – the making of origami cranes, a Japanese tradition of sending wishes for peace – was inspired by a Sept. 11 memorial that Bullwinkel came across during a trip to New York’s Ground Zero last Christmas.  

Bullwinkel was impressed by the colorful peace cranes attached to the memorial fence around the site. She immediately thought of bringing the concept home.  

“They're a perfect symbol and graphically beautiful,” she said. “Our idea is that everyone at the stroll will be decorating with the cranes – crane puppets, hats, booths, clothes.” 

Origami cranes as a form of calming began in Hiroshima, Japan, when a child injured from nuclear radiation made 1,000 origami paper birds with a wish that they would bring healing and peace. 

Alison Tully, with the Beacon School in Oakland, said local students have been working diligently to prepare birds for the festival. 

“They love origami, they could make them forever,” she said. “There's no cutting, pasting or drawing and you end up with a functional dimensional object,” Tully said. 

“It's a positive way to approach past events and give thanks to people who acted heroically, so to not dwell on the sadness, but on the positive,” she added. 

There will be three grand marshals at this year’s Solano Stroll parade, including former Berkeley police Chief Dash Butler, who retired this summer after 28 years of service. 

Berkeley firefighter Darren Brobosky and his German Shepard rescue-dog Dylan are the other two leaders. Both Brobosky and Dylan served at Ground Zero. 

The trio will ride an antique fire engine at the parade’s kick-off at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Colusa and Solano avenues.  

A lineup of performers and activities are also planned: stilt walkers, face painters, horses, art cars, carnival games, Kidtown, Teentown, belly dancers and more than 75 entertainers, 50 food booths, 100 crafts and 200 community organizations. 

The day begins at 8 a.m. with the traditional pancake breakfast at Veterans’ Memorial Park. Stroll booths open at 10 a.m. Madame Ovary uses egg puppets, puns and performances in a show for all ages which she calls, “an all day grazing thing, a movable feast.”  

Free shuttles are scheduled to run from the North Berkeley BART station and along the parallel Marin Avenue. 

For more information visit: www.solanostroll.org.

To the Editor: 

I am dismayed by the increasingly familiar claim that Berkeley is “already too dense.” The fact is that while the rest of the Bay Area was exploding with growth over the past decades Berkeley actually lost population. The U.S. Census clearly shows a drop of 8,000 people since 1970.  

There are many, many people who work here and would like to live here (teachers, store clerks, office workers, librarians) but cannot afford to. Would-be residents are forced to be commuters, driving through our streets and our neighborhoods in high volumes, looking for parking spaces, increasing noise and air pollution, compromising our safety. We have lost population but gained cars and traffic. 

Berkeley used to be a place where artists, musicians, and writers could find a place to live. No longer. Children born and raised here cannot afford to live as adults in their hometown.  

It should be possible for people to live near their work, for Berkeley’s artists to continue to be residents, for our seniors and the next generation to live in their hometown. If indeed as a city we want all of that, and I believe we do, we need to be purposeful about creating safe, attractive, affordable housing. While we are too dense in traffic, we are not too dense in affordable housing. If anything, we are under-dense in the kind of housing that will keep Berkeley the city we want it to be. 

Several measures on the November ballot will determine whether Berkeley will circle the wagons around itself or welcome as residents those who have been forced to become commuters. Measure P, the so-called “height initiative,” would cripple our ability to create new affordable housing on our major streets (San Pablo, University, Telegraph), the only places where affordable housing is a realistic possibility. In the electoral debate over Measure P you will hear over and over that Berkeley is “already too dense” as if it were a fact. The U.S. Census clearly shows that Berkeley has lost thousands in population over the last few decades. The “too dense” argument was created to alarm us and distract us from the main point, which is Berkeley’s profound imbalance between jobs and housing that is affordable to the people who hold those jobs. The kind of city we will be in the future depends upon our ability not to resist change but to imagine and create those changes that will mean a better city for all of us.  

Linda Maio, 

Berkeley City Council, 1st District

Without public transportation in the form of trains and streetcars the fast paced urban development of the Bay Area, 1863 to 1915, would not have been possible. The first railroad in the Bay Area opened in 1863 and ran from San Francisco to San Jose. The transcontinental railroad opened in 1869, and soon there were rail lines around the state. The railroads made development possible and created a network of towns and cities.  

When the University of California opened its first campus in Berkeley in 1873, the only way to reach the campus by public transportation from Oakland was by a horse-drawn trolley and is reported to have taken about 1 1/2 hours. However, only three years later a steam train began operating on a spur line from Oakland to Berkeley Station at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street. Horse drawn trolleys continued to make the shorter runs.  

After electric streetcars began operating in Berkeley in 1891, property near the new and convenient streetcar lines was quickly subdivided. The earliest lines ran along Grove Street (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Way) and Shattuck Avenue. In 1892 an electric streetcar line was running along Telegraph Avenue. By 1912 there were so many train and electric streetcar lines crisscrossing Berkeley that no one was more than three blocks from some sort of public transportation.  

The AC Transit System that today operates in Alameda and Contra Costa counties is the legacy of the Key System (originally called the Oakland Transit Company.) Starting in 1893 the wealthy Death Valley borax miner, Francis Marion “Borax” Smith (famous for his “20 Mule Team” borax products), began acquiring railroad and streetcar companies in Alameda County. By 1903 he had unified and modernized these companies and then expanded them into a coordinated transit system that eventually included ferries. Smith had laid the foundation for today's transit system.  

When the Key System streetcars began running on College Avenue in 1903, the farmland along the route was subdivided for housing and small commercial districts. Although busses replaced electric streetcars in north Berkeley as early as 1941, the streetcars on College Avenue were not removed until 1947.  

In 1946 after many of the electric streetcar and rail systems had been abandoned, the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association was formed to preserve and interpret the history of electric railroad equipment. The association maintains the Western Railway Museum and Archive Center at Rio Vista Junction in Solano County (www.wrm.org) where a visitor can not only see historic electric streetcars but can actually take a ride on them.  

Susan Cerny is author of Berkeley Landmarks and writes this in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.  

Gina Rose Halpern’s paintings are colorful, often exuberant works that incorporate references to many spiritual traditions, from Christianity to Buddhism to the nature religions of the world’s indigenous people. For Halpern, her work is not simply decorative or expressive but a form of healing. The 51-year-old El Cerrito artist has a career as vibrant and colorful as her paintings. She is an interfaith minister, teacher, and therapist who believes in the literal healing power of art.  

The spiritual dimension in Halpern’s art goes back to her youth. In 1976, at the age of 25, she was well on her way as an accomplished visual artist with a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design when her career came to an abrupt halt. She was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. 

During that time of terror and confusion, she underwent a near-death experience and had the first of what she came to call her “transformational” dreams. The joyous figure of a child appeared to her, laughing and dancing.  

Halpern set about capturing the dream on canvas. It was the beginning of a spiritual journey for her, and of a career dedicated to art as a healing medium. “My dream life has informed everything I do,” she explains. “The intention of all my work is healing.” 

“Dreams Manifest: Manifest Dreams,” an exhibit opening Sept. 8 at Seventh Heaven Yoga Center, offers a 20-year retrospective of Halpern’s work. The watercolor, gouache, and pastel drawings range from geometric mandalas to fantastic images of human, animal, and plant life.  

Some viewers may detect echoes of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist who depicted her physical and mental sufferings with images of bodies riven by thorns, or opening up to expose internal organs. Halpern’s “Animal Allies” shows the figure of a kneeling woman whose body seems cleaved by jagged lines. In fact, Halpern’s work comes out of her own experiences with illness and death. But Halpern’s paintings are not driven by psychological anguish. They reflect a more optimistic, spiritual approach that embraces life and death, suffering and joy. The figure in “Animal Allies” has a nerve line that runs up her spine and out her hand, where flowers bloom from her fingertips. She is attended by the ministering figures of an owl, a coyote, and a rabbit. 

A non-practicing Jew, Halpern began her spiritual quest by “reading the Bible from page one all the way through,” eventually being baptized as a Catholic. In time, she migrated to the Episcopal Church and was ordained as a minister. Later she expanded her studies to all the world’s religions. Today, she is the director of the Chaplaincy Institute, an interfaith seminary based in Fairfax in Marin County that encourages people to integrate their religious beliefs and their work. 

Along the way, Halpern worked with hospitals and health care facilities, creating art for cancer patients and teaching art to the sick. She traveled and taught in India and toured Russian pediatric hospitals with maverick doctor Patch Adams. A series of mandala paintings she created in 1987 is still used for meditation and healing at the Commonweal Center, a facility that offers alternative treatments for cancer patients.  

The Chaplaincy Institute, which Halpern co-founder with two other ministers in 1998, is the culmination of her mission to integrate the healing arts and spirituality. Halpern’s dreams take substance as art; for others, she says, the call may be to political or social action. It’s not just individuals who need healing, Halpern observes; it’s the world.  

With the anniversary of Sept. 11 looming, Halpern says, she feels her work to be increasingly important. Lately her dreams have been of “healing the world through beauty.” 

“In our culture people often look at art as decoration,” she says. “I’m going back to the original purpose of art as spiritual service.”  

Halpern’s work serves as the backdrop next Wednesday for a Sept. 11 commemoration at Seventh Heaven, featuring meditation and yoga. On Sept. 13, poet Tamam Kahn will read from her collection “Al Kishaf: The Unveiling.” On Sept. 22, the gallery hosts an equinox celebration and fund-raising reception for the Chaplaincy Institute, featuring music and dance. All events are open to the public by reservation.

Saturday, September 7 

Freedom Song Network’s Twentieth Birthday Benefit Concert 

8 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 

$10 to 50 (sliding scale) 

Hirax, Phobia & Lack of Interest 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Mark Growden’s Electric Pinata, Amor 

9:30 p.m. 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$6 

Rachel Garin CD Release Show 

8 p.m.  

The Freight and Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.thefreight.org 

$15.50 in advance/ $16.50 at the door 

Mystic Roots, Sangano, Elijah Emanuel & the Revelations 

9:30 p.m. 

Blakes on Telegraph, 2367 Telegraph Ave. 

848-0886 

$6 

Sunday, September 8 

Kulture Schock 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Darryl Purpose 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Women Baring Soles 

7:30 p.m. 

Rose Street 

Featuring Irina Rivkin, Lorna Hunt and Lisa Sanders 

594-4000, ext. 687 for info. and directions 

$5-$20 

Monday, September 9 

Kris Delmhorst, Noe Venable 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Tuesday, September 10 

DP & Rythym Riders 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

The Creation of People’s Park 

Through Aug. 31, Mon. - Thurs., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri. 9 to 5 p.m.; Sat. 1 to 5 p.m. Sun. 3 to 7 p.m. 

The Free Movement Speech Cafe, UC Berkeley campus 

A photo exhibition, with curator Harold Adler. 

hjadler@yahoo.com 

Free 

"New Work: Part 2, The 2001 Kala Fellowship Exhibition"  

Through Sept. 7, Tues.-Fri. Noon to 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m. 

Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 

Featuring 8 Kala Fellowship winners, printmaking 

549-2977  

“If These Walls Could Talk” 

Through Sept. 8 

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California Campus (just below Grizzly Peak Blvd.) 

See how various civilizations built all kinds of structures from mud huts to giant skyscrapers at this building exhibit. 

642-5132 

Admission: $8 for adults; $6 for ages 5-18, seniors and disabled; $4 for children 3-4; Free for children under 3, LHS Members and full-time Berkeley students. 

"Poems Form/From the Six Directions" 

Through Sept. 15 

Pusod: Center for culture, Ecology & Bayan, 1808 Fifth St. 

A visual poetry exhibition and presentation of a wedding happening, a Filipino tradition. Poetry workshops presented by Eileen Tabios 7 to 9 p.m., Aug. 14, 21 and 28. 

883-1808 

Free 

“Virtually Real Oakland - The Magic, The Diversity and the Potholes” 

Through Sept. 21, Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., Berkeley 

Exhibit by Ken Burson; digitally enhanced photos of Oakland. 

644-1400 

Free 

Richard Misrach, Berkeley Work 

Though Oct. 13 

UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way 

On view in Gallery 2, presents two photographic series by this internationally recognized Berkeley-based artist.  

642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

$7, $5 BAM/PFA members, $4 UC Berkeley students 

Misch Kohn - Celebrating Sixty Years of Printmaking 

Sept. 12 through Oct. 16: Tues.-Fri., Noon to 5:30 p.m.; Sat., Noon to 4:30 p.m. 

Kala Arts Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 

549-2977, kala@kala.org 

A Thousand and One Arabian Nights 

Through Sept. 28, Fri. - Sun. 8 p.m.; Sun. 4 p.m. 

Forest Meadows Outdoor Amphitheater, Grand Avenue at the Dominican University, San Raphael 

Marin Shakespeare Company’s presents this classic story with original Arabic music. 

415-499-4488 for tickets 

$12, youth; $20 senior; $22 general 

Henry IV: The Impact Remix 

Through Sept. 8, Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 7 p.m. 

Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St. 

Sept. 13 through 21, Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 7 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 

Impact theatre’s first Shakespeare production staring Rich Bolster as Prince Hal and Bill Boynton as Falstaff. 

464-4468, www.impacttheatre.com 

$15 general/$10 students 

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar 

Sept. 5 through Oct. 12 

Thurs. through Sat. 8 p.m. 

LaVal’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

234-6046 

$10 

The House of Blue Leaves 

Sept. 11 through Oct. 27 

Berkeley Rep's Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. Berkeley 

647-2917 or 888-4BRTTIX 

$10 - $54 

The Shape of Things 

Sept. 19 through Oct. 20 

Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 

Play by writer/director Neil LaBute's spins a morality tale of a young art student, his art major girlfriend, and the Pygmalion-like changes that bring into question how far one should go for love. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35  

Alarms and Excursions 

Nov. 15 through Dec. 22 

Aurora Theatre Company,  

2081 Addison St. 

Michael Frayn's comedy about the irony of modern technology. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35  

Saturday, September 7 

Bay Area Poets Coalition Open Reading 

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

West Branch Berkeley Public Library, 1125 University Ave. 

527-9905, poetalk@aol.com 

Free 

September 7, 12 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival 

Noon to 5 p.m. 

Civic Center Park, Center St. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Poetry readings, presentations by environmentalists, interactive events and more. 

526-9105  

Sunday, September 8 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Ivan Arguelles reads “Tri Loka and Carolyn Grassi read “Transparencies.” 

845-7852  

$2 

Wednesday, September 11 

Poetry for Peace Benefit Reading 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Proceeds will benefit refugee relief agencies. Readings by Frances Payne Adler, Ivan Arguelles, Ellen Bass and Judy Grahns. 

845-7852  

$2 

Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik 

8:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

Featured poets: George McKibbins and Sean Shea.  

841-2082 

$7 door, $5 w/ student I.D. 

Saturday, September 7 

Vertical Pool presents Three Experimental Narrative Videos 

8 p.m. and 10 p.m. 

TUVA, 3192 Adeline St. 

A screening of “Requiem For a Friend”, “Inertia” and “Roadkill” by Antero Alli. Filmmaker will be present. 

464-4640 

$7 

Saturday, September 7 

Watershed Environmental  

Poetry Festival 

Noon to 5 p.m. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Park 

A day of poetry, music and environmental activism. Exhibits. Open poetry readings.  

Strawberry Creek Walk starts at 10 a.m. at Oxford and Center streets. 

526-9105 or www.poetryflash.org 

Free 

Sick Plant Clinic 

9 a.m. to noon 

University of California Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. 

UC plant pathology and entomology experts will diagnose what ails your plant.  

643-2755 

Free 

Travel Careers Seminar 

8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Vista Community College  

2020 Milvia St., Room 306 

The day’s program will include travel industry speakers covering a variety of career possibilities: Cruise specialists, tour leaders, tour operators, adventure operators, home-based travel agents and more.  

981-2931 

$5.50 for California residents 

Sunday, September 8 

Lifelong Medical Care First Annual 5K Fun Run/Walk Fundraiser 

9 a.m. to noon 

West Berkeley 

Individual and team participation. Event includes a health fair, food, prizes, live music and free insurance eligibility screening. 

704-6010 

28th Annual Solano Avenue Stroll 

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Solano Avenue 

A mile-long block part featuring “Journey of a Thousand Cranes’ Parade” at 11 a.m.  

527-5358 or www.solanostroll.org 

Free 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King Prostate Cancer Lecture 

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Maffly Auditorium, Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Understand the risk of prostate cancer and how to detect early symptoms from a survivor. 

869-6737 

Free 

Tuesday, September 9 

Arts Education Network 

6 to 8 p.m. 

James Irvine Foundation Conference Ctr., 353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza 

208-0842 

Free 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Home Owners Meeting 

3 p.m. 

1403 Addison St. 

All welcome. 

548-9696 

Free 

Tuesday, September 10 

Brown Bag Career Talk 

Noon to 1 p.m. 

YWCA Turning Point Career Center, 2600 Bancroft Way 

Cynthia Weekly, Senior Recruiter with UC Berkeley Office of Human Resources will provide information on the process of seeking temporary and permanent employment at UC Berkeley. 

848-6370 

Free 

Michael Newdow: Lecture 

8 p.m. 

2050 Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley Campus 

Michael Newdow is a Sacramento physician with a law degree whose case against the common procedure of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools fueled national uproar last summer.  

USE-SANE, sane@ocf.berkeley.edu, http://www.BerkeleySANE.org 

Free 

Wednesday, September 11 

One Year Later, a Peace Vigil and Meditation 

6 to 7:30 p.m. 

West entrance of UC Berkeley Campus near the corner of University Ave. and Oxford St. 

The Buddhist Peach Fellowship invites people of all traditions to bear witness to the continued suffering related to Sept. 11, 2002. 

223-0683, www.bpf.org 

Thursday, September 12 

The 14th Small Business  

Development Trade Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Pauley Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, near Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft Way, UC Berkeley 

The event will introduce small businesses to the UC Berkeley community and give campus departments a glimpse of the services and products small businesses have to offer.  

Caterina Rando discusses her new book “Learn to Power Think: A Practical Guide to Positive and Effective Decision Making” 

Boadecia’s Books, 398 Colusa Ave. 

559-9184, www.bookpride.com 

Friday, September 13 

Lecture by Dr. Paul Farmer 

7:30 p.m. 

St. Joseph the Worker Church, 2640 Addison St. 

Dr. Farmer will speak on Health Care and Human Rights: Solidarity with the Haitian People. Benefit for Partners in Health. Music by Vukani Mawethu Choir. 

558-0371 

$5 to $15 donation 

Saturday, September 14 

Basic Personal Preparedness 

9 to 11 a.m. 

Fire Department Training Center, 997 Cedar St. 

Learn five critical steps to take care of yourself, your family and your home. Classes open to those 18 or older who live or work in Berkeley. 

981-5605, www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes.html 

Free 

Congressman Dennis Kuchinich Appearance 

7 p.m. 

Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley Campus, near University Ave. 

Chair of the House Progressive Caucus will speak. Keith Carson, Country Joe McDonald and performance artist Shelly Glaser will also be on hand. 

http://www.bfuu.org/rscongress 

$10 in advance, $12 door 

Heritage Day 

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

4th and University Ave. 

International BBQ and beer festival 

Free 

Spin for the Stars Fund-raiser 

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Spieker Aquatics Complex, Recreational Sports Facility on UC Berkeley campus 

Noncompetitive swimming and stationary cycling event. Proceeds will help Cal STAR enhance its facilities and programs for the disabled. 

$20 registration fee, $35 for biathlon challenge  

West Berkeley Open Air Market 

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

University Avenue between 3rd and 4th St. 

West Berkeley celebrates Neighborhood Heritage Day with crafts, food, live music, art and family entertainment. 

841-8562 or sfbayshellmounds@yahoo.com 

Free 

Sukkot Holiday Workshop 

7 to 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

Join Dawn Kepler, director of Building Jewish Bridges, for hands-on crafts, food projects, creative sukkah decorations and tips for making your own sukkah (hut). 

848-0237 Ext. 127 

$10 BRJCC members/$12 public 

Monday, September 16 

Berkeley Ecological and Safe Transportation (BEST) Coalition meeting 

6 to 8 p.m. 

Central Library, Kitteredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

Group joins pedestrians, bicyclists, mass transit users and land-use advocates. Topics of discussion include: Berkeley height initiative, pedestrian issues and employer incentive plans. Potluck. 

652-9462, imgreen@jps.net 

Thursday, September 19 

Berkeley Path Wanderers’ Meeting 

Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 

Annual fall meeting, titled “The East Bay Waterfront: Visions for the Future” will include a panel discussion introduced by Sylvia McLaughlin, founder of Save the Bay. 

524-4715 

Free 

Breast Self Exam for Seniors 

10 to 11:30 a.m. 

Maffley Auditorium, Herrick Campus, 2001 Dwight Way 

Workshop to educate women with physical limitations about accessing breast health care and do-it-yourself exam education. 

869-6737 

Free 

Freedom From Tabacco 

6 to 8 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center  

2939 Ellis St. 

A quit smoking class. First of six Thursday evenings through Oct. 24. Free to Berkeley and Albany students, residents and employees. 

981-5330, quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Free 

Simplicity Forum 

7 to 8:30 p.m  

Claremont Branch Library  

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

A panel of people who will share their experiences and ideas for living inexpensively but richly.  

549-3509, www.simpleliving.net 

Free 

Saturday, September 21 

Do-It-Yourself all-Natural Body Care from Your Kitchen 

Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Learn how to make your own all-natural skin care from products you might already have in your own kitchen. 

548-2220, ext. 233, erc@ecologycenter.org 

$10 for members, $15 for non-members 

Third Annual David Brower Youth Awards 

6 p.m. 

Schwimley Theater, 1920 Allston Way 

Celebrate the next generation of environmental activists at Earth Island Institute’s award ceremony. R.S.V.P. 

(415)788-3666, ext. 260, www.earthisland.org/bya 

Coastal Cleanup Day 

10 a.m. 

Work at the outflow of Strawberry Creek to clean up the San Francisco Bay coastline. 

info@strawberrycreek.org or 848-4008 

Free 

Saturday, September 21 

Fall Plant Sale 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

200 Centennial Dr. 

Annual plant sale featuring rare and unusual plants. Members-only preview and auction from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.  

643-2755, www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ 

Free admission 

Saturday, September 28 

Free Legal Workshop: “Crossroads: Health and the Law.” 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

514 58th St. at Telegraph Ave. 

Navigate your way through legal issues when living with cancer or any serious illness. Panel presentation on employment, insurance and public benefits and one-on-one sessions with attorneys. Please, pre-register. 

601-4040 ext. 102(info.), ext. 103(reg.) 

Free  

A depleted Cal women’s soccer team fell to 10th-ranked Texas, 2-1, Friday afternoon at Edwards Stadium. The Texas win avenged a 2-1 loss to Cal in Austin last year. 

The Golden Bears played their second straight game without All-American forward Laura Schott and Kim Stocklmeir, arguably the best defender on the Cal team. The latter is out with a broken collarbone sustained in the season-opening win over Ohio State. Schott missed the Texas game and will likely miss the Texas A&M game on Sunday due to a sprained MCL in her right knee, which she suffered Wednesday in practice. 

Against the Longhorns, Cal started freshman Sierra Garthwaite in place of Stocklmeir and freshman Tracy Hamm, Cal’s leading scorer this year with two goals, in place of Schott. 

But the game’s brightest star was Texas forward Kelly Wilson, who scored twice. The first goal came in the 53rd minute when Texas defender Laura Kram launched a free kick from near midfield into the Cal penalty area. The ball glanced off of a Golden Bear defender and fell at the feet of Wilson, who scored past Cal goalkeeper Ashley Sulprizio. 

Wilson scored her second in the 75th minute, running onto a long pass as Cal defender Lucy Brining challenged her. Wilson shed Brining and slid the ball past an onrushing Sulprizio to make the score 2-0. 

While Cal was unlucky to lose its big-time goalscorer for yet another game, Texas was glad to have Wilson back. The young All-American missed the Longhorns’ wins over New Mexico and Duke last week because she was helping the U.S. under-19 national team win the U-19 World Championship in Canada. 

“We’re so happy to have Kelly back,” Texas coach Chris Petrucelli said. “She saved us. We didn’t play very well. We were fortunate to win. But when you have a great player like that, she gets two chances and she scores two goals.” 

Cal pulled a goal back in the 86th minute, when a handball in the Texas penalty area led to a Bears penalty kick. Midfielder Carly Fuller easily converted the PK to cut the lead in half, but Cal soon ran out of time. 

The absence of Schott was glaring, as Cal outshot Texas, 10-5, with seven shots on goal. But the only shot the Bears could finish was the penalty kick. 

Texas goalkeeper Alex Gagarin made five saves, though none were that difficult.  

“We didn’t put any away that we needed to put away,” Cal coach Kevin Boyd said. “We just didn’t put any good chances on goal. Most of our strikes went right at the keeper, so that she didn’t even have to move. She just had to hold the ball.” 

Boyd said he isn’t sure if Schott will be available for next weekend’s games against Santa Clara and at St. Mary’s. Schott, who needs just six goals and 24 points to become Cal’s all-time goalscorer and scorer, respectively, has played just 70 minutes this season. All those minutes came against Ohio State, against whom she also received a red card. The ensuing one-game suspension kept her out of the last Sunday’s win over Purdue. 

Stocklmeir’s return date is also unclear. She will miss at least six weeks and may return sometime in October. If the senior can’t return this year, she may redshirt and come back next season as a fifth-year senior. 

“If I’m strong and able to come back and know that I can contribute to the team in the NCAA tournament this year, then I’ll definitely do it,” Stocklmeir said. “If not, if I need to take some time, then I’ll definitely wait till next year.” 

“Either way, Stock out, Laura out, I think we outplayed them,” Boyd said. “It got ugly for a while there, but it had to. We were down 2-0 and we had to catch the game. We had to just launch numbers forward. It’s early in the season. If we can correct those little mistakes, we’ll be okay down the line.” 

The Bears face No. 3 Texas A&M on Sunday at Edwards Stadium. The game will follow the men’s match, which will start at 1 p.m.

Michael Israel had been living in subsidized housing at 1040 University Ave. for only a week when fire swept through his building and put him out of a home. Like many of the 69 residents who were ousted by the Aug. 26 blaze at UA Homes, Israel had been a drifter, living in the streets of the East Bay, before rooting himself with the help of social service workers in the now scorched west Berkeley residential hotel. 

“I was looking for a new and brighter future,” Israel said. He had started taking classes at Merritt College in Oakland and was trying to get his life together, he said. But progress was marred when the flames hit. 

The residents were escorted without serious injury from the early morning blaze with only the clothes on their backs. They won’t be allowed to return to the partially-damaged complex for at least another five weeks. And now, in addition to personal problems the residents might be trying to deal with, many of them are again facing homelessness. 

“It took a lot of work to find housing for a lot of these people in the first place, and we don’t want to lose them now,” said Drew King, an analyst with the city’s housing department.  

The city is one of many groups working to find transitional housing for the fire victims.  

After the victims spent two days living in a gymnasium at the James Kenney recreation center on Eighth Street, the American Red Cross moved in to assist, providing residents with private motel rooms in Berkeley and Oakland. 

But with accommodation expenses costing about $30,000 a week, after Monday night the Red Cross cannot afford to pay for rooms. 

“We still don’t have a plan for what’s going to happen Tuesday,” said Matt Rosenberg, relief operation director for the Red Cross. Finding a large facility, like the old Oakland army base, or cheaper rent-by-the-week motels, are housing options, but nothing has been secured, he said. 

So the search continues. 

Working to the benefit of the displaced residents is a section of the Berkeley Municipal Code known informally as the relocation ordinance. The uncommon city law puts the burden of finding housing on the landlord, in this case, Resources for Community Development (RCD). 

RCD is “going above the call of duty” in their effort to find housing for the former tenants, according to one city official, but finding housing for 69 people is going to be difficult. The reason is cost. 

RCD could not be reached for comment, but city officials said that insurance reimbursements for the fire were not coming through as RCD had hoped. 

Though managed by RCD, the building is owned by UA Housing Inc., a nonprofit developer specializing in federally-subsidized housing. 

City fire officials estimate that the blaze, which is thought to have been started accidentally when a pile of clothing caught fire, caused about $500,000 of damage to the building, mostly by water during the suppression effort. 

All but eight of the building’s 74 units are expected to be repaired and made inhabitable next month. 

This weekend, the displaced residents have moved into five west Berkeley hotels, down from nearly a dozen earlier this week and all much closer to home. 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” said former UA resident Carl Johnson in the lobby of the Ramada Inn on San Pablo Avenue. Johnson receives government subsidies for housing and to treat medical conditions and said that considering his circumstances Red Cross and city officials have made the last two weeks easy. 

The same can not be said for displaced resident Pat Boushell. 

Boushell is the third and lesser-known candidate in this year’s high-profile mayoral race in Berkeley. He says the fire has been a setback for his campaign. 

“This is a real inconvenience, but we’ve been a grassroots effort all along and will be able to get over this,” he said. 

To the Editor: 

Whenever I see an article in the Daily Planet signed by Will Youmans I can easily predict the nature of it, i.e. anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. Although he always interjects that “some of my best friends are Jewish,” probably the far-left self-hating Jews. Mr. Youmans has the same problem that the FBI has in labeling the killing of two innocents at the El Al desk at the Los Angeles airport. The FBI believe that the Egyptian Muslim who carried his weapon into the airport was bent upon a killing spree and his act was an act of terror. So Mr. Youmans, I believe it is safe to say that the incident at the Hillel was also an act of terror in the fact that it has unnerved the many Jewish students on campus. With your letters and the Moslem student groups haranguing Jewish students, it has made life very unpleasant and unacademic for them. 

Aubrey Lee Broudy, 

UC Berkeley alumnus

The Cal men’s soccer team got its first win of the season in dramatic fashion against Portland on Friday, tying the game with three minutes left in regulation before scoring a golden goal in overtime for a 2-1 victory. 

The Bears’ goals, scored by sophomores Noah Merl and Mike Muñoz, respectively, were also their first two goals of the young season. Cal (1-1-1) was shut out in both games at the Loyola Marymount Tournament last weekend. 

Merl’s goal came in the 87th minute. A Cal freekick deep in Portland (2-1-0) territory bounced around and was cleared to Merl at midfield. He juked past one defender and launched a shot from 25 yards out that deflected off of a Pilot foot and skimmed past goalkeeper Curtis Spiteri, who may have been shaken up after being kicked in the head by one of his teammates moments earlier. 

Merl’s goal sent the game into overtime at 1-1, and the Bears ended the game in the first 10-minute extra period. Sophomore Calen Carr, a Berkeley native, took a ball on the left wing and hit a cross that Muñoz flicked into the side-netting. Muñoz raced behind the goal and ripped his jersey off in celebration, the first of the year for the Bears. 

“That’s all we’ve been doing in practice, working on crosses,” Muñoz said. “Caleb put a great ball in, and I was lucky enough to go up and get it.” 

Cal head coach Kevin Grimes said he wasn’t too worried about his team’s ability to score despite the two shutouts last weekend. 

“Goals are streaky, they come and they go,” Grimes said. “We’ve traditionally started slowly, and the goals start to come later for us.” 

Portland came into the game ranked No. 7 in the country, while the Bears dropped out of the rankings after the LMU Tournament. Although Cal is a young team (just two seniors and five juniors), the Bears felt a need to get back on track quickly. 

“We try not to pay attention to the rankings,” Merl said. “But when it comes down to it, we killed our reputation last weekend. We had to come out strong this weekend and get a win, maybe two.” 

The Bears face No. 22 Southern Methodist on Sunday. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. at Edwards Stadium.

With the ink still drying on the state’s 2002-2003 budget, Berkeley Unified School District officials say the impact on the local school system is far from clear. 

“Everybody is asking that question,” said Board of Education President Shirley Issel. “I don’t think we’ll know for a while.” 

But statewide observers said that local districts like Berkeley Unified will fare relatively well given that the budget includes a $3.3 billion spending hike over 2001-2002 levels, while funding in other areas, like health care and social services, declined significantly in the face of a $24 billion budget shortfall. 

“There’s no question that education was the winner in a bad budget year,” said Kevin Gordon, executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials. 

Still, there are some strings attached. Critics note that the $3.3 billion increase in public school spending is actually less than it appears because it includes $1.15 billion in education money borrowed from the 2001-2002 budget year. 

Furthermore, Gov. Gray Davis made several education-related line item vetoes when he signed the budget Thursday. Adult education programs, which are administered by local districts like Berkeley Unified, took a $23 million hit and Davis cut $17 million from nonprofit Healthy Start, which funds academic and health support services. 

Still, observers agree that public education fared well overall, with per pupil spending increasing 6.9 percent over last year from $6,610 to $7,067. 

Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, said urban school districts like Berkeley Unified will fare even better in 2003-2004 when a new formula for “equalization” funding, aimed at ensuring equal funding from district to district across the state, goes into effect. 

The old formula favored suburban districts, she said.  

Contact reporter at scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

To the Editor: 

All of this talk about the BTV show “Unlimited Possibilities” fails to address the real issue here – it's dreadfully boring. I would bet the surveillance video tape at the DMV information counter would have more human interest than the monotonous drone of this show. That said, the Berkeley City Council is squandering an opportunity to inspire youth about true possibilities. I suggest the council assemble a group of youth to view the show, provide them with video cameras and see what happens. For any child that can sit through he show (without falling asleep) will surely come to the conclusion that they could do much better with an precious hour of public access cable. Who knows, the next young Antonio Fellini might be living right here in Berkeley – the possibilities are endless! 

Joshua Polston, 

Berkeley

SAN FRANCISCO – As a judge framed it Friday, the lawsuit over who owns Barry Bonds’ record-setting 73rd home run ball boils down to simple definitions: “A catch is a catch – if it’s a catch.” 

Judge James J. McBride’s musings matter because he will decide whether the case goes to trial, or whether one of the men with claims to the million-dollar memento should get it outright. 

After an hour’s worth of arguments Friday, McBride didn’t rule who owns the ball: Alex Popov, the man who gloved it but lost it in a scrum, or Patrick Hayashi, the man who emerged from the tussling tangle with the big grin. 

Though Hayashi initially took it home, the ball has since been placed under lock and key. The judge has 90 days to rule, but won’t likely take that long. 

The case has reached a legal logjam since Oct. 7, when the San Francisco Giants’ slugger whacked the single-season record ball into the bleachers of Pacific Bell Park. Popov says Hayashi is trying to keep what’s not his while Hayashi insists he found the ball on the ground because Popov never caught it. 

Popov’s lawyers asserted it’s indisputable he caught the ball – he had it in his glove and brought it to his chest, they said, before being consumed by what McBride called “a low-grade mosh pit” of fans. 

Hayashi’s lawyers preferred the major league baseball definition of “catch,” which they said proves Popov neither possessed nor owned it.

Mayoral candidate Tom Bates and Councilmember Donna Spring were the big winners at Wednesday’s Berkeley Green Party nomination event. Both candidates won overwhelming support in preliminary votes and are now all but assured the official endorsements, to be named Sunday. 

For Bates, who represented Berkeley in the state Assembly for 20 years, the support of Berkeley’s 5,000 registered greens is pivotal. His race against incumbent Mayor Shirley Dean is expected to be close, and Bates says having progressive factions behind him is necessary to win. 

“I really do value you guys,” Bates told party members at a member’s home on 2000 block of Blake Street, adding that he would seek their counsel on policy issues if he were elected mayor. 

Although other environmental organizations have endorsed Bates, he is considered a centrist by most progressives, and several greens worry that he is too conservative on issues such as the environment, development and human rights. 

“I want a sense of how the city is going to be different other than nicer city council meetings,” said Laura Stevens, expressing concern that Bates’ positions weren’t much different than Dean’s. 

But most greens voiced support for Bates. “Tom has done more since he returned from the Assembly than a lot of elected officials who are getting paid,” said Pam Webster. 

Green party members faced an unprecedented choice in having two green candidates to choose from in the city’s 4th District race. Community activist L A Wood has challenged the party’s standard-bearer, Councilmember Donna Spring.  

Party members had no difficulty deciding who to endorse as Spring won 16–2 in the preliminary vote. 

“I’m deeply concerned about two greens running in the same district,” said Tom Kelly. “We’re putting ourselves in jeopardy.” 

Bob Migdal, an attorney and former rent board commissioner, is supported by the council’s moderate faction and is expeted to mount a strong campaign. David Freeman a former Zoning Adjustment Board member is also running for the council seat. 

Wood, though expecting the endorsement to go to Spring, wasn’t happy about the decision. 

“The [green] power structure is in the hands of so few people and the county party is not working to overcome it,” he said. 

Wood sparked controversy recently when he claimed green party leaders purposely excluded him from a meeting Aug. 26 to plan to give the endorsement to Spring. Spring supporters, though, maintain that the meeting was publicized and held in the public library for anybody to attend. 

There was one surprise endorsement by the greens. 

In the 8th District, Green Party member Carlos Estrada was shunned in favor of Peace and Justice Commissioner Anne Wagley. 

According to party members, Estrada gave disappointing answers on a questionnaire provided to the candidates. He was was too concerned with UC Berkeley rather than with city issues, said Elliot Cohen. Wagley’s endorsement was made at an earlier meeting. 

While the greens were united on nearly every issue, the height initiative drove a wedge through the party. The controversial initiative will appear on the November ballot and, if passed, would decrease allowable building heights in several neighborhoods. 

Party members decided not to offer an official opinion on the initiative after a preliminary poll showed that six members supported height limits and seven opposed them. 

Those against the initiative said limiting building heights would lead to more urban sprawl and more cars on the road. “We are becoming the laughing stock of the smart growth movement,” said Stuart Cohen. 

Supporters said the initiative was the only way to stop developers from forcing out-of-scale development on a compliant City Council and planning staff. 

Bob Marsh, Berkeley Green Party treasurer said he would probably vote for height limits, but understood the divide. “This is an emotional idea,” he said. “People are going to vote on what they think Berkeley should look like.”  

With 5,000 members, Berkeley’s chapter of the Green Party constitutes 8 percent of the city’s registered voters. Donna Spring is the only party member in City Council, but greens are represented on the Rent Board and School Board. 

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles County woman has tested positive for West Nile virus in what is believed to be the first case of a person contracting the illness in the western United States, health officials said Friday. 

The results of further tests won’t be known for another week, but based on preliminary tests county health officials called it a probable case of locally acquired West Nile virus infection. The victims of four other confirmed cases in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho contracted the virus in states east of the Rocky Mountains. 

The diagnosis in Los Angeles surprised health officials because ongoing monitoring of chicken flocks, dead wild birds and mosquitoes had shown no trace of the virus in California. 

“The virus’ arrival in California is anticipated, but unexpected at this time since it is not present in any contiguous states,” said Dr. Thomas Garthwaite, director and chief medical officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. 

The unidentified woman had a mild case of meningitis, which is associated with the virus, in early August and later recovered. 

She had not traveled outside the region for several months, county Department of Health Services spokeswoman Maria Iacobo said. Officials provided no further information about the woman, including her age or where in the county she lives. 

Since West Nile was first detected in New York in 1999, the virus has been found in humans in 27 other states and the District of Columbia. While its push westward had been expected, until Friday there had been no confirmed cases of humans contracting the disease west of the Rocky Mountains. 

Nationwide this year, there have been 854 confirmed human cases of the virus, including 43 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

In the four other western cases of confirmed West Nile virus, the victims are thought to have been infected in states where the mosquito-borne virus is already known to be present. 

In Salem, Ore., a Grand Rapids, Mich., woman also tested positive for the virus Friday, although state officials said she didn’t contract the disease in Oregon. 

Heather Aldridge, 29, was in critical condition undergoing treatment for brain inflammation. 

“She did not acquire the infection here in Oregon. She came from a place where we know that the West Nile virus is circulating quite a bit,” state epidemiologist Mel Kohn said. 

Earlier, a Washington man was diagnosed with the virus, which health officials said he contracted in Louisiana. 

In Idaho, officials said a 47-year-old man had been diagnosed with the virus but said they believe he contracted the disease during a recent trip to the East Coast. The man did not need to be hospitalized and is recovering well, health officials said. 

Montana state epidemiologist Todd Damrow said a 23-year-old Sweet Grass County women began showing symptoms of West Nile after returning to Montana from Ohio. He said the woman is doing fine and was not admitted to a hospital. 

West Nile virus is closely related to St. Louis encephalitis, already present in California and other western states. It typically causes flulike illness or no symptoms at all in humans. In rare cases, it can lead to deadly inflammation of the brain. The young and the elderly are especially at risk. 

Officials estimate there could be 110,000 to 150,000 people who have been infected in the United States, most of whom will never suffer its effects or know they have the virus. 

Infected mosquitoes carry the West Nile virus in their saliva and pass it on when they bite. Several mosquito species act as vectors for the virus, and more than 110 North American bird species can serve as hosts, according to the CDC. 

A dispute over a leaky roof has made finding authentic south-of-the border cuisine considerably more difficult for west Berkeley residents and has roused the mayor while forcing at least one single mother to lose her livelihood. 

Berkeley police officers on Tuesday served Pepito’s Deli owners an eviction notice, and police and sheriff’s deputies escorted employees out. On Wednesday a barbed wire fence was erected around the deli at the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Allston Way. 

The deli’s owner, Maria Magana who has a 17-year-old daughter, said she refused to pay rent in April after landlords Leo and Helena Chen, of San Francisco did not repay her the money she gave them for a new roof. Magana said the Chens asked her to pay for the $10,000 repair herself and promised to reimburse her with interest. 

The Chen’s son, Nelson, would not comment on specifics of the case but said that Magana’s claims are “untrue, unrealistic and blown out of proportion.” 

“I think she feels that she’s been victimized and it’s not true,” he said. 

After Magana withheld the $3,300 monthly rent – $300 more than what she said is on her lease – the Chens filed a complaint with the Alameda Superior Court. 

On Tuesday, a judge denied Magana a 30-day extension of her eviction. 

Magana said she was “heartbroken.” 

“I couldn’t believe our system wouldn’t protect small businesses that are providing jobs for people and helping the community,” she said. 

Standing outside the closed business with her one-and-a-half year old daughter, local resident Leticia Maciel said she was stunned to find the business that she has frequented for 15 years closed. 

“Now where can we go?” Maciel said, throwing her hands in the air. “It’s the only Mexican food here.” 

Gordon Choyce of Jubilee Restoration, a nearby nonprofit organization, said the problems between Magana and the landlord had gotten so bad that Magana was seriously considering relocating her business. Magana had discussed with him the possibility of moving to a mixed-use site being built at 2700 San Pablo Ave. 

Local residents lamented the loss of a neighborhood fixture. Long lines frequently greeted hungry patrons at lunchtime. The Latino community was particularly fond of the business because a portion of the eatery carried hard-to-find Mexican specialty groceries and magazines. 

Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean expressed sympathy. She said Magana was the victim of “bad legal advice” and emphasized that Magana is a single mother who often worked late at night to keep her business running smoothly. 

Dean said she tried to stave off the eviction by making calls over the weekend to judges, attorneys and the landlords on Magana’s behalf. Unfortunately, Dean said, she was not able to reach an agreement that would save the business. 

“It’s a crying shame,” she said. “This is the kind of minority-owned business we want to protect.”  

Henk Boverhuis of Britalia, Ltd., a nearby auto shop, said that Magana was a popular business owner and “is greatly missed in the neighborhood.” 

But the closure of the deli struck Boverhuis on a more personal level. 

“I’m hungry,” he said. 

OAKLAND – Alameda County officials announced Thursday that the contractor working on the new critical care building at the Highland Hospital campus has been pulled off of the job. 

County officials blame the Minneapolis-based contractor, M.A. Mortenson, for repeated problems with the five-story building's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. 

The county notified the company of its intentions to find a new contractor for the job last week after several attempts to resolve problems with the system and numerous work delays. Mortenson was removed from the job late Wednesday. 

The $68 million project is 14 months behind schedule. 

“We took this action to ensure that the remaining work is done quickly and correctly,” said Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. “We want to make sure this facility is available as soon as possible to the thousands of patients who seek care at Highland each year.” 

Meanwhile, Mortenson has filed a breach of contract suit against the county, said senior vice president Paul Cossette. The lawsuit seeks $10 million the company said it is owed and additional unspecified damages. 

Cossette disputed the county's claims Friday, insisting that the plans for the building's air system were flawed from the start. 

“The allegations made by the county are completely unfounded,” Cossette said. “The problems with the HVAC system are clearly design-related.” 

He said that work has continued on the hospital project even though the county hasn't paid Mortenson since March. He added that the county is dumping the contractor with the job “99.5 percent'' complete. 

Cossette maintains the blame for delays in the job lies with the county. 

“From virtually the first instant we showed up on the job site they started dumping changes on us,” Cossette said. “Virtually every drawing in the documents has been changed, some of the pages have been changed a dozen times.” 

He said the fundamental problem is that the design calls for “pushing a huge amount of air through a duct system that isn't designed for it.” 

Aki Nakao, director of the county's General Services Agency, denied that the system's design is faulty. 

“As far as our opinion goes there is no design flaw,” he said.  

“We believe that the design can work. It just needs to be properly installed.” 

He said the company has been running behind schedule for some time and most recently missed a “self-declared” deadline of June 13. 

Nakao said the project could still be completed by the end of the year although a news release issued by the county said the project would be completed in the spring. 

A new contractor is expected to be chosen in the next week.

SANTA CRUZ — Medical marijuana advocates outraged by a raid at a local prescription pot supplier protested at federal offices in several cities in Northern California and across the country Friday. 

“Medical marijuana patients and advocates around the country realize what’s happening in California is absolute terror,” said Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, who was heading to the Drug Enforcement Agency office in Oakland to protest. 

DEA spokesman Richard Meyer in San Francisco said his agents simply were doing their job. 

“Federal law says marijuana is illegal,” he said. “We have no choice. We’re enforcing the law.” 

On Thursday, federal agents raided a small pot farm located on a quiet coastal road about 55 miles south of San Francisco, pulling up about 100 plants and arresting the owners — Valerie and Michael Corral. 

The couple, leading activists for medical marijuana, were the latest high-profile advocates to be arrested in a series of sweeps during the past year in California. 

State law in California, as well as Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, allows marijuana to be grown and distributed to people with a doctor’s prescription. Federal law, on the other hand, prohibits marijuana use under any circumstances. 

California medical marijuana growers and distributors work closely with local law enforcement, and are quite open about their programs. In fact, the farm raided Thursday morning by DEA agents had been featured in national media, and the program is listed in the local telephone book. 

But in recent months, federal agents — working strictly without local support — have been busting pot clubs and farms in Northern California. 

News of the Santa Cruz raid spread quickly across the country 

“This is an issue that faces all of us,” said Karen Heikkala, holding a “Arrest Pain, Not Patients and Caregivers” in front of the federal building in Austin, Texas. 

“It’s a sad day in the United States when the federal government goes after the sick and dying in direct violation of states’ rights,” she said. 

In Washington, D.C., 15 people protested in front of the Justice Department. In Northern California, protesters gathered at DEA offices in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. 

“The only way to explain this is in a truly fanatical, inhumane ... spirit that this was carried out,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. 

Back at the Corrals’ farm, where users had been preparing their annual harvest, a sign “Love Grows Here” still stood but there were only a few large stems and leaves scattered on the ground. 

Prosecutors said the Corrals, who helped write the provision in California’s Proposition 215 that allows patients and their caregivers to cultivate their own medicine, had not been charged by Friday morning. But their attorney said they could be indicted at any time. 

This was not the first arrest for the Corrals. 

Before state and local laws allowed their program, they were arrested in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, Valerie Corral was prosecuted, but was found innocent after being the first person in California to challenge marijuana laws by arguing it was medically necessary. When they were arrested again in 1993, local authorities decided not to prosecute. 

Valerie Corral said Friday she was deeply pained by the raid. 

“They cannot know how many people’s lives they are causing suffering in because, if they did, they would not do this,” she said.

SANTA ROSA — As the insurance industry tries to offset rising costs and poor investment returns, leading providers are raising rates and denying renewals to people who’ve filed claims. 

Insurance companies are raising rates for California homeowners by 20 percent this year and next year rates could go up even more, The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa reported Friday. 

“Virtually every major carrier has asked for some sort of increase,” said Nanci Kramer, deputy press secretary for the California Department of Insurance, told the newspaper. “It’s a very hard market for homeowners.” 

In addition to raising rates, many insurance providers are refusing to renew policies for consumers who have filed more than one claim in a three- to five-year period, Kramer said. 

“Most consumers have no idea what a claim can do to them,” Kramer said. 

The rate increases and stricter renewal standards are stunning consumers and have started an onslaught of complaints to state regulators in California and nationwide. 

There are multiple reasons for soaring rates and tightening underwriting standards, according to Robert Hartwig, chief economist at the Insurance Information Institute, a New York insurance industry research firm. 

The industry has been hit by multimillion-dollar claims for catastrophic events and the cost of home construction and repairs has increased, Hartwig told the newspaper. 

Also, U.S. housing stock is getting older and claims for mold damage cost insurers more than $1 billion last year. Ultimately, carriers had to pay more in claims and claim expenses than they made in premiums. 

Insurers had been able to cover the shortfall with good investment returns, but the current economic downturn has made it harder for companies to make up the difference.

NEW YORK — The smoke hangs thick at Pete’s Tavern, swirling through the 138-year-old pub as the lunch-hour conversation turns to the mayor’s plan to ban smoking in thousands of bars and restaurants across the city. 

“They did it in California, but everybody out there is a health nut,” said Phil Kraker, an accountant and a Pete’s regular. “They’re out jogging at four in the morning. Those people are crazy. This is New York.” 

Depending on which smoker you ask, the proposal — which must still clear the City Council — is either a personal affront or an attack on the appeal of New York itself. 

Bar patrons say they should have the option of savoring a cigarette with their cocktails, especially in a city that prides itself on its independence, not to mention its nightlife. 

“New York is the capital of the world,” said Audrey Silk, founder of the smoker-rights group NYC CLASH. “The charm of New York is our differences. Now you want to create this bland, faceless city?” 

Mayor Michael Bloomberg stirred up the controversy a week ago in calling for the ban. The former smoker said bars and restaurants have to protect their employees from harmful smoke, just as they do from toxins like asbestos. 

New York already outlaws smoking in restaurants with more than 35 seats, but there is no restriction against smoking in bars or the bar area of any restaurant. 

A ban would cover about 13,000 establishments and would be the most visible tobacco restriction since California issued a similar rule four years ago. About 400 communities nationwide have adopted smoking bans in restaurants, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. 

Anti-smoking groups have sided with Bloomberg, but proprietors of bars and restaurants worry his plan will chase business away with the smoke. 

Gerard Meagher, who manages the Old Town Bar near Union Square, tells customers cell phones are not welcome because they disturb the friendly pub atmosphere. But he said a smoking ban would be a mistake. 

“The do-gooders are winning out,” Meagher said. “This is people who never had a fun time trying to take all the fun out of life.” 

The debate is as much about culture as health, smokers say. 

“People just like a smoke with their drink,” said Buster Smith, the white-haired manager at Pete’s. “Now they’re going to have to go outside. What do they do in the rain and snow?” 

They might seek refuge in private clubs, or “smokeasies” as one puffer described them to The New York Times. Private clubs would be exempt from the proposed ban. 

Ingl Kehrens, a visitor from Amsterdam who was puffing a cigarette at Connelly’s bar, questioned the logic of a ban. “How come you sell cigarettes but you don’t let people smoke them?” he asked. 

Bloomberg is trying to discourage tobacco sales, too. Earlier this year, the city hiked its cigarette tax by more than $1, sending the price of a pack to $7.50 in some places. The city says the increase cut cigarette sales nearly in half. 

Legislation aimed at improving the quality of life in the nation’s largest city has been a steady staple since 1994, when Rudolph Giuliani became mayor. He waged war against sex shops, panhandlers, squeegee men and even jaywalkers. But even Giuliani didn’t take on smoking. 

Under Bloomberg’s plan, smokers who break the law may be fined $10 to $100 or be jailed up to 30 days. 

City health inspectors would be responsible for enforcing a ban. There are no specific penalties for proprietors or employees. 

The New York State Restaurant Association said it was reserving judgment on the plan until surveying its members. 

After California’s ban took effect, many proprietors complained of lost business. But supporters of the measure pointed out that tax figures have not reflected a significant drop in business, and polls showed a majority of patrons backed the ban. 

Johnny Stavern, a patron at Dave’s Tavern near Times Square, applauded Bloomberg’s proposal. “In restaurants especially, you’re there to eat and the smoke gets on everything — your clothes, your bags, everything.” 

The mayor contends the ban will save employees and customers at bars and restaurants from secondhand smoke. He said an eight-hour shift for a bartender or waitress can be like smoking half a pack of cigarettes. 

Smith, who has paced the floors of Pete’s greeting customers for more than three decades, doesn’t buy it. 

“I just had an examination,” he said, “and my lungs are clear as a bell.”

SAN FRANCISCO — As many as 76 million people — mostly children — could die from water-related diseases by 2020 if changes aren’t made worldwide in the way communities develop their water systems and policies, according to a California think tank. 

If those projections are correct, the deaths would exceed the number of people expected to die from AIDS over the same span. 

According to a report released Friday by the Oakland-based Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security, even if the world meets a United Nations Millennium Goal of halving, by 2015, the proportion of people who cannot reach or afford safe drinking water, between 34 million and 76 million people could still die in the next 18 years. 

The diseases that the report says will afflict these people include cholera, malaria, dengue fever and dysentery. More people die of diarrheal diseases than other water-related diseases, and children are extremely vulnerable to them. 

“All of these diseases are associated with our failure to provide clean water,” said Dr. Peter Gleick, director of the institute. “I think it’s terribly bleak, especially because we know what needs to be done to prevent these deaths. We’re doing some of it, but the efforts that are being made are not aggressive enough.” 

The problem is many people, especially those in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, don’t have access to clean water or basic sanitation, Gleick said. 

While most of the deaths are projected to occur in developing nations, Joan Rose, professor of water microbiology at the University of South Florida, said every country is vulnerable. She pointed to a recent outbreak of E. coli in Canada that came from a contaminated well and killed some people. 

“We look at our political agreements like NAFTA, and they’ve been economically beneficial to South America because we have allowed them to export their vegetables to the United States,” she said. “But none of that finance has been reinvested in sanitation, and in fact, we may be getting vegetables — we already have — that bring diseases into the United States.” 

Protection of the water supply is a global and environmental issue, as well, Rose said. 

“What we’ve forgotten is the water they’re getting, if it’s, say, from a river, is really part of a watershed,” she said. “If your upstream neighbor is polluting your water supply, there needs to be some coordination beyond the community in terms of protection.” 

There aren’t good numbers to determine how many people die each year due to water-related diseases, because medical reporting varies in different parts of the world, and the diseases sometimes aren’t diagnosed, Gleick said. The World Health Organization estimated in 2000 that 2.2 million people die each year from diarrheal diseases alone. Other estimates that include various water-related diseases put that number higher than 5 million a year. 

U.N. figures say 1.1 billion people worldwide live without access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion lack proper sanitation. 

And in January, at the request of the U.N. Environment Program, the institute completed a study that found the world’s freshwater resources are more threatened now than they have ever been. 

NEW YORK — It makes an eye-opening story: knives, razors and pepper spray easily passing through supposedly beefed-up airport security. But it also raises troubling ethical questions: In particular, are journalists justified in breaking a law to expose weaknesses in enforcing it? 

The New York Daily News, in an investigation published this week, revealed that its reporters had taken prohibited items through airport security 14 times at 11 different airports. Not one of them was caught. 

The potential weapons were concealed in carry-on bags. Contraband was slipped past security at all four of the airports where terrorists boarded planes last Sept. 11, the News revealed. 

A “CBS Evening News” story this week exposed similar weaknesses. CBS didn’t smuggle prohibited items, but tried to pass lead-lined film bags that block X-rays through security. In 70 percent of the cases, scanners didn’t notice or check the bags. 

The stories, and the prospect of more of them, infuriate federal officials — not just, they say, because the results are embarrassing. 

“It’s bad for the country,” said Department of Transportation spokesman Chet Lunner. “That these stories are helping the bad guys seems to be completely obfuscated by the rush to get attention or notoriety for your newspaper or broadcast.” 

The Air Transport Association, the airline industry’s largest trade group, said reporters who try to test security this way should be prosecuted. Federal law prohibits both passing banned items through security and taking them on airplanes. 

The Daily News story followed a similar investigation done last October, said Edward Kosner, the paper’s editor in chief. 

Given the crucial part security lapses played Sept. 11 and the increased spending on improving the system, the Daily News believed it was important to check how the system is working. 

“No one breaks any law lightly,” Kosner said. “In a way, I guess you could look at it as civil disobedience. We were willing to take the consequences.” 

It would be different if reporters created a hazard by, for example, testing airline security by rushing a cockpit, he said. 

CBS thought it could probe the system without smuggling prohibited items. If security didn’t see a large black blob that indicated their X-rays couldn’t get through, they wouldn’t see a concealed knife, said correspondent Vince Gonzales. 

CBS would never break the law to get the story, he said. 

“We didn’t believe it would be a good idea to try that,” he said, “especially when you had the National Guard standing with guns at a lot of those checkpoints.” 

A code of ethics published by the Society of Professional Journalists doesn’t specifically address law-breaking. It advises that undercover or other surreptitious methods not be used unless there is no other way to get a story of compelling public interest. 

“I don’t condone breaking the law just for the sake of doing it, just to get great footage for sweeps week,” said Jane Kirtley, a professor on media ethics at the University of Minnesota. “But the question always comes down to, how else are you going to test these things out?” 

The federal government says these systems are checked by independent inspectors, with the results shared with Congress. 

Reporting publicly on their weaknesses is like Pentagon reporters publishing news of troop movements, Lunner said. Potential terrorists could learn which airports have the weakest security and the best way to conceal weapons, he said. 

“It shouldn’t be the media’s job to undermine the national security of the United States by increasing the risk to passengers and airline personnel,” said Michael Wascom, spokesman for the Air Transport Association. 

Kosner said he understands the unhappiness, but the News considers the information important. 

Similar stories have been done by a handful of local CBS affiliates, after CBS News first tested security earlier this year. Federal authorities conceded they’re in an awkward position when it comes to prosecuting reporters, since it may look like sour grapes because of an embarrassing story. 

Plus, they’d have to catch them in the act. 

“My own view is that security ought to be grateful to have these weaknesses exposed,” Kirtley said. 

SACRAMENTO — A survey of California students released Friday found that more than 10 percent of high school students have tried the drug Ecstasy, prompting the state to create a media campaign to target use of the drug. 

The biennial survey by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer’s office found that Ecstasy was the third most popular drug among the 7th, 9th and 11th graders questioned. 

Alcohol and marijuana topped the survey, Lockyer said. This was the first year students were asked about their use of Ecstasy. 

Though alcohol remained the most popular illegal substance, its use dropped more than other drugs, especially in the 7th and 11th grade, the survey found. 

The previous survey, from 1999-2000, found that 35 percent of 7th graders had used alcohol in the previous six months, 52 percent of 9th graders and 66 percent of 11th grade students had used alcohol. 

This year, 30 percent of 7th graders, 50 percent of 9th graders and 63 percent of 11th graders reported drinking in the past six months. 

“The good news is that 7th graders are not drinking and smoking as much as they have in the past,” Lockyer said. “But we are concerned that heavy drinking and drug use among older high school students remain unacceptably high.” 

The survey found 4 percent of 7th graders said they had smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days, down from 7 percent the year before. 

Marijuana use remained at similar levels to the previous study, with 7 percent of 7th grade students saying they had smoked it in the last six months, a drop of 2 percent. Use among 9th graders and 11th graders remained at 19 percent and 34 percent, respectively. 

Though Ecstasy, an illegal hallucinogenic drug popular at all-night parties, ranked third for drug use, it was at a much lower rate. Six percent of 9th graders and 11 percent of 11th graders reporting that they had tried the drug. Two percent of 7th graders, 5 percent of 9th graders, and 9 percent of 11th graders reported using Ecstasy in the past six months. 

The survey’s results prompted the state Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to focus a statewide media campaign on Ecstasy and other “club drugs,” said Kathryn P. Jett, the department’s director. 

The attorney general’s study is conducted every two years, and is co-sponsored by the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and the Department of Education. The 2001-2002 study questioned 8,238 randomly selected students in 113 middle and high schools. 

Student activists criticized UC Berkeley’s admission practices and launched a campaign to boost minority student enrollment, at a press conference Thursday. 

“UC Berkeley is the most elite campus in the state,” said Yvette Felarca, a graduate student and affirmative action advocate. “It cannot be the most reactionary and segregated campus in the state.”  

Overall, UC Berkeley admitted fewer African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans this year than it did last year, with acceptances dipping slightly from 1,303 to 1,291. 

But the decline in “underrepresented minority” admissions coincided with a drop in studentwide admissions, from 7,601 last year to 7,393 this year, and minority representation actually climbed as a percentage of the overall total, up from 17.1 percent last year to 17.5 percent this year, according to university statistics. 

Activists rejected talk of a percentage increase, arguing that any decline in the actual number of minority students on campus is a problem. 

They also noted that UC Berkeley admitted fewer minorities than other universities in the UC system this year. The 17.5 percent figure put UC Berkeley behind the 19.1 percent average for the nine-campus University of California system. UC Berkeley officials did not return calls for comment. 

This year marked the first admissions cycle governed entirely by “comprehensive review,” a system activists hoped would draw more minority students.The system considers nonacademic factors like community service, leadership and overcoming adversity in addition to traditional academic factors like grade point average and SAT scores. Prior to this year, the university admitted 50 percent to 75 percent of students based on academic factors alone and used comprehensive review to admit the rest. 

Activists at the Monday press conference argued that GPA and SAT standards are inherently biased against minorities and said campuses should heavily weigh nonacademic factors to boost minority acceptance rates.  

Activists acknowledged that they have no direct proof of the weight that UC Berkeley admissions officers gave to nonacademic factors, but argued that officials must have undervalued those factors since they admitted fewer minorities than other UC campuses. 

“The proof is in the pudding,” said Felarca. 

Officially, the UC system does not view comprehensive review as a tool for boosting minority enrollment. UC spokesperson Hanan Eisenman said the process simply provides a fuller picture of all applicants. 

“It allows us to go deeper into our applicant’s full record than ever before,” he said. 

Conservatives have argued that comprehensive review is an attempt to get around a 1997 voter-approved ban on considering race in admissions.  

But Eisenman argued that the systemwide jump in minority admissions, from 18.6 percent last year to 19.1 percent this year – with comprehensive review in full swing – indicates that the procedure has had only a modest impact in swelling the ranks of underrepresented minorities. 

The student activists, including graduate students, undergraduates and members of the student government, said their campaign to boost minority enrollment will include a march and rally Oct. 24.  

The students will also seek to gather 10,000 signatures for a petition calling for “full integration of UC Berkeley.” The activists, who said they already have 2,000 signatures, including that of City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, plan to present the petition to UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl by spring. 

Contact reporter  

at scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

To the Editor: 

There are apparently some people who think we can turn back the clock to when civilization did not exist and the land belonged to wild animals, such as deer and raccoon. I would like to point out to these people that in those days, these animals had natural predators with which to contend. Now they have none, at least in the cities, so instead of there being a balance, we have raccoons getting into garbage cans, raccoons killing other forms of life, and raccoons spreading disease. 

Cases in point: Two weeks ago my leashed dogs were attacked by a raccoon that just kept on coming, although my husband repeatedly pulled the dogs away. Vet bill: $110. Today my fish pond is a mess because the raccoons scrabble in the water, tearing up the plants, trying to get the fish (who have just as much right to their lives as the raccoons have to theirs), causing financial loss and the expenditure of time of two very busy people. Some raccoons in this area carry a roundworm that can kill dogs and people. It is passed through their feces, so small children and pets are definitely at risk. 

Come on, people, if mice and rats come into your house, do you just move aside and try to make them comfy? Raccoons have no place here in the city. They are not an endangered species. If the city council wants to sterilize them, I say Right On! 

Jenifer Steele, 

Berkeley

The 20-somethings in slacks breeze into a café on University Avenue, hardly taking notice of a woman sitting hunched with her back to the sunlit doorway. They don’t know that she lived for 12 years in a cave smaller than the café’s restroom or that she has come here to help them along the path to enlightenment and happiness. 

The woman removes her hands from the folds of her crimson robes only to whisk away the flies that swoop down from the café’s high ceiling toward her close-shorn head. He pale blue eyes are piercing.  

“We never step back and look at what’s going on inside because we’re so captivated with what’s going on outside ourselves,” the Venerable Tenzin Palmo said, her hands now shooting from her sleeves to grasp the forearms of her tablemate.  

Tenzin Palmo, a nun in the Kargyu order of Tibetan Buddhism, will discuss that idea 7 to 9:30 tonight at the Berkeley Shambhala Center on Fulton Street, as part of a 12-day Bay Area tour that started Thursday in San Francisco. A seven-hour workshop at the center Saturday is entitled “Compassion in a Violent World.”  

It’s 1:50 p.m. Thursday, and the Venerable Tenzin Palmo has 10 minutes to sip down a latte before she begins her daily fast. The 59-year-old Buddhist nun was accompanied by the two Bay Area residents who were waiting to bring her back to San Francisco, where she held the first talk of the series. 

Tonight Tenzin Palmo will discuss the importance to Tibetan Buddhists of extended spiritual retreats, and how Easterners can balance the need for retreat with the pressing demands of daily life. 

“The people we’re facing are not monks and hermits and nuns,” she said. 

Tenzin Palmo, however, is a hermit and she always knew it. She was born Diane Perry in 1943 and grew up happy in the East End of London, but said she knew from the beginning that she was different. 

“I always felt that I was in the wrong place since I was a child,” she said. 

She would beg her mother to take her to London’s Chinatown, where she loved the food. She would draw Japanese Geishas in elegant Kimonos, she told biographer Vicki Mackenzie in “Cave in the Snow,” an account of Perry’s spiritual development. 

She boogied down to the tunes of Elvis Presley, but in the daytime she read the likes of “The Mind Unshaken.” She dated only Asian men at a time when interracial relations were still uncommon in Britain. 

When she read “Seven Years in Tibet,” one Austrian’s account of the mountain kingdom, something jelled in her, she said. In 1964, at the age of 20, she packed her bags and headed for the Himalayas of northern India, where Tibetan communities were growing in the wake of Communist Chinese repression. 

In the summer of 1964, Perry became the second Western woman to be ordained as a nun in the Kargyu order. She took on a Tibetan name.  

When Tenzin Palmo began her isolation in 1976, she didn’t set a specific time frame. But a cave at 13,200 feet became her home and a three-foot box became her bed. She continued her life there until 1985, leaving the cave for a couple of weeks each summer. During her final three years there, she neither spoke to nor saw anybody. 

But that silence, she said, fills her even now with a certain peace. Part of her mission tonight and during the rest of the tour is to bring the peace of the crisp, shimmering air of the Himalayan cave to the people of the workaday United States. 

“When I’m in the middle of great chaos, that’s when the clarity comes, and with that clarity comes great compassion” for people who feel only confusion, she said. 

“People are interested in hearing about how to live their lives skillfully. Everybody has this desire to be happy, but despite our best efforts, we wind up being miserable nonetheless. It could just be that we’re looking for happiness in the wrong places.” 

The nun leaves the Himalayas each year during the three-month monsoon season for a series of speaking engagements, workshops and meditation sessions. Entry to tonight’s talk is $20. Saturday’s workshop, which begins at 10 a.m., will cost $70. 

The money, she said, is going toward building a nunnery near Dharamsala big enough for 160 girls and women, along with a nearby retreat. Now, she said, she has 24 nuns living in a three-room mud-brick house. So far, her efforts have raised about half the money she needs. 

The nun declined through a spokeswoman to specify how much the total project will cost.

Tuesday, September 3 

Bebelekov Family  

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

525-5024 or www.ashkenaz.com 

$8 door  

Free for 12 and under 

Red Mountain & White Trash 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$14.50 in advance, $15.50 at door 

Wednesday, September 4 

Carlos Oiveira & Ventos do Brasil 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Rum Diary, Rubymar & The Cusion Theory 

9:30 p.m. 

Blakes on Telegraph, 2367 Telegraph Ave. 

848-0886 

$6 

Thursday, September 5 

Jimmy LaFave 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$16.50 in advance, $17.50 at door 

The Mekons 25th Anniversary Show 

9:30 p.m. 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$15 

Friday, September 6 

Caribbean All-Stars 9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$11 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Gehenna, Brainoil & Blown to Bits 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Tempest 

9:30 p.m. 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$10 

Saturday, September 7 

Freedom Song Network’s Twentieth Birthday Benefit Concert 

8 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 

$10 to 50 (sliding scale) 

Hirax, Phobia & Lack of Interest 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Mark Growden’s Electric Pinata, Amor 

9:30 p.m. 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$6 

Rachel Garin CD Release Show 

8 p.m.  

The Freight and Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.thefreight.org 

$15.50 in advance/ $16.50 at the door 

Mystic Roots, Sangano, Elijah Emanuel & the Revelations 

9:30 p.m. 

Blakes on Telegraph, 2367 Telegraph Ave. 

848-0886 

$6 

Sunday, September 8 

Kulture Schock 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Darryl Purpose 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Women Baring Soles 

7:30 p.m. 

Rose Street 

Featuring Irina Rivkin, Lorna Hunt and Lisa Sanders 

594-4000, ext. 687 for info. and directions 

$5-$20 

Monday, September 9 

Kris Delmhorst, Noe Venable 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Tuesday, September 10 

DP & Rythym Riders 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Wednesday, September 11 

The Rolling Requiem 

Doors open at 8 a.m.; performance begins precisely at 8:46 a.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Dana St. and Durant Ave. 

A sing-along performance of Mozart’s Requiem in every time zone to commemorate the events of Sept 11, 2001. All singers welcome and non-singers are welcome to listen. 

ucalumnichorus@ucchoral.berkeley.edu, www.ucac.net 

Free 

Lunasa 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$17.50 in advance, $18.50 at door 

Thursday, September 12 

The Clumsy Lovers 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$6 

Slaid Cleaves 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Friday, September 13 

Dope Sick, Mommy’s Friend and Cellofane 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$5 

From Ashes Rise, Manifesto Jukebox & Submachine 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Garmarna 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$16.50 in advance, $1.50 at door 

Moodswing Orchestra 

9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$11 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Saturday, September 14 

Amandla Poets 

9 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$11 door/ Free for 12 and under 

The Cheap Suit, The Serenaders 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$18.50 in advance, $19.50 at door 

Tipsy House Irish Band  

9:30 p.m. 

The Albatross Pub, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 

THE-BIRD (843-2473) 

$3 

The Good Life, Denail & The Velvet Teen 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Lisa’s Birthday Party: The Wore, Lemon Lime Light 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$5 

Sunday, September 15 

Fairport Convention 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

Monday, September 16 

Anouar Brahem 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Tuesday, September 17 

Cortableu 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Wednesday, September 18 

John Dobby Boe & the Steve Slagle Trio 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

Red Archibald and the International Blues Band 

9 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Thursday, September 19 

Houston Jones 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

The influences, Plus Ones and The Simple Things 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

841-2082 

$5 

Friday, September 20 

Cris Williamson, Teresa Trull & Barbar Higble 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

Double Fling Ding, The Crooked Jades & Bluegrass Intentions 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$12 door/ Free for 12 and under 

New End Original, Counterfeit and Lo Lite 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Saturday, September 21 

Memorizing Windows 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut Street 

Dancer Lucinda Weaver and Writer Alan Bern present an evening of dance, poetry, and stories.  

526-7901, abbern@sbcglobal.net  

Free 

Jody Stecher & Kate Brislin 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

Fernando, Garrison Star and Old Joe Clarks 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-2082 

$7 

Jack Wembly, Phemomenauts and Rock N Roll Adventure Kids 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

West African Highlife Band 

9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$11 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Sunday, September 22 

Broceliande 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Dick Hindman Trio 

4:30 p.m. 

Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. 

845-5373 

$10-$15 

Les Yeux Noirs 

8 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$12 door/ Free for 12 and under 

BACA National Juried Exhibition 

Through Sept. 21, Wed.-Sun. Noon to 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park 

40 artists from across the U.S. including 28 Bay Area artists. 

644-6893 

Free 

"Before and After"  

Reception 4 to 6 p.m.  

Through Sept. 19  

Albany Community Center and Library Galley 1249 Marin Ave. 

Jim Hair's photographs of the San Diego Hells Angels motorcycle chapter from the 1970s.  

524-9283  

Images of Love and Courtship 

Through Sept. 15 

Gathering Tribes, 1573 Solano Ave. 

Ledger paintings by Michael Horse. 

528-9038 

Free 

"Balancing Acts" 

Through Oct. 10 

Gallery 555, 555 12th St. in Oakland City Center 

Oakland's 'Third Thursday' art night features Ann Weber's works made of cardboard. 

http://www.oaklandcitycenter.com.  

Free 

The Creation of People’s Park 

Through Aug. 31, Mon. - Thurs., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri. 9 to 5 p.m.; Sat. 1 to 5 p.m. Sun. 3 to 7 p.m. 

The Free Movement Speech Cafe, UC Berkeley campus 

A photo exhibition, with curator Harold Adler. 

hjadler@yahoo.com 

Free 

"New Work: Part 2, The 2001 Kala Fellowship Exhibition"  

Through Sept. 7, Tues.-Fri. Noon to 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m. 

Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 

Featuring 8 Kala Fellowship winners, printmaking 

549-2977  

“If These Walls Could Talk” 

Through Sept. 8 

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California Campus (just below Grizzly Peak Blvd.) 

See how various civilizations built all kinds of structures from mud huts to giant skyscrapers at this building exhibit. 

642-5132 

Admission: $8 for adults; $6 for ages 5-18, seniors and disabled; $4 for children 3-4; Free for children under 3, LHS Members and full-time Berkeley students. 

"Poems Form/From the Six Directions" 

Through Sept. 15 

Pusod: Center for culture, Ecology & Bayan, 1808 Fifth St. 

A visual poetry exhibition and presentation of a wedding happening, a Filipino tradition. Poetry workshops presented by Eileen Tabios 7 to 9 p.m., Aug. 14, 21 and 28. 

883-1808 

Free 

“Virtually Real Oakland - The Magic, The Diversity and the Potholes” 

Through Sept. 21, Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., Berkeley 

Exhibit by Ken Burson; digitally enhanced photos of Oakland. 

644-1400 

Free 

Richard Misrach, Berkeley Work 

Though Oct. 13 

UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way 

On view in Gallery 2, presents two photographic series by this internationally recognized Berkeley-based artist.  

642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

$7, $5 BAM/PFA members, $4 UC Berkeley students 

Misch Kohn - Celebrating Sixty Years of Printmaking 

Sept. 12 through Oct. 16: Tues.-Fri., Noon to 5:30 p.m.; Sat., Noon to 4:30 p.m. 

Kala Arts Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 

549-2977, kala@kala.org 

Threads: Five artists who use stitching to convey ideas 

October 6 through December 15, Wed.-Sun., Noon to 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

Live Oak Park, 1275 Walnut St. 

For more information: www.berkeleyartcenter.org, (510) 644-6893 

Free 

A Thousand and One Arabian Nights 

Through Sept. 28, Fri. - Sun. 8 p.m.; Sun. 4 p.m. 

Forest Meadows Outdoor Amphitheater, Grand Avenue at the Dominican University, San Raphael 

Marin Shakespeare Company’s presents this classic story with original Arabic music. 

415-499-4488 for tickets 

$12, youth; $20 senior; $22 general 

Henry IV: The Impact Remix 

Through Sept. 8, Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 7 p.m. 

Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St. 

Sept. 13 through 21, Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 7 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 

Impact theatre’s first Shakespeare production staring Rich Bolster as Prince Hal and Bill Boynton as Falstaff. 

464-4468, www.impacttheatre.com 

$15 general/$10 students 

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar 

Sept. 5 through Oct. 12 

Thurs. through Sat. 8 p.m. 

LaVal’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

234-6046 

$10 

The House of Blue Leaves 

Sept. 11 through Oct. 27 

Berkeley Rep's Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. Berkeley 

647-2917 or 888-4BRTTIX 

$10 - $54 

The Shape of Things 

Sept. 19 through Oct. 20 

Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 

Play by writer/director Neil LaBute's spins a morality tale of a young art student, his art major girlfriend, and the Pygmalion-like changes that bring into question how far one should go for love. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35  

Alarms and Excursions 

Nov. 15 through Dec. 22 

Aurora Theatre Company,  

2081 Addison St. 

Michael Frayn's comedy about the irony of modern technology. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35  

Saturday, September 7 

Bay Area Poets Coalition Open Reading 

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

West Branch Berkeley Public Library, 1125 University Ave. 

527-9905, poetalk@aol.com 

Free 

September 7, 12 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival 

Noon to 5 p.m. 

Civic Center Park, Center St. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Poetry readings, presentations by environmentalists, interactive events and more. 

526-9105  

Sunday, September 8 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Ivan Arguelles reads “Tri Loka and Carolyn Grassi read “Transparencies.” 

845-7852  

$2 

Wednesday, September 11 

Poetry for Peace Benefit Reading 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Proceeds will benefit refugee relief agencies. Readings by Frances Payne Adler, Ivan Arguelles, Ellen Bass and Judy Grahns. 

845-7852  

$2 

Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik 

8:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

Featured poets: George McKibbins and Sean Shea.  

841-2082 

$7 door, $5 w/ student I.D. 

Saturday, September 14 

Shirley Imura 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 

527-9753, sheflerium@earthlink.net 

Free 

Wednesday, September 18 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Readings by Meg Kearney and Cornelius Eady. 

845-7852  

$2 

Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik 

8:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

Featured poet: Anthony R. Miller 

841-2082 

$7 door, $5 w/ student I.D. 

Sunday, September 22 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Readings by Piri Thomas and Max Schwartz. 

845-7852  

$2 

Sunday September 29 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Readings by Margaret Kaufman and Robert Funge. 

845-7852  

$2 

Saturday, September 7 

Vertical Pool presents Three Experimental Narrative Videos 

8 p.m. and 10 p.m. 

TUVA, 3192 Adeline St. 

A screening of “Requiem For a Friend”, “Inertia” and “Roadkill” by Antero Alli. Filmmaker will be present. 

464-4640 

$7 

Saturday, September 7 

Watershed Environmental  

Poetry Festival 

Noon to 5 p.m. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Park 

A day of poetry, music and environmental activism. Exhibits. Open poetry readings.  

Strawberry Creek Walk starts at 10 a.m. at Oxford and Center streets. 

526-9105 or www.poetryflash.org 

Free 

Sick Plant Clinic 

9 a.m. to noon 

University of California Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. 

UC plant pathology and entomology experts will diagnose what ails your plant.  

643-2755 

Free 

Travel Careers Seminar 

8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Vista Community College  

2020 Milvia St., Room 306 

The day’s program will include travel industry speakers covering a variety of career possibilities: Cruise specialists, tour leaders, tour operators, adventure operators, home-based travel agents and more.  

981-2931 

$5.50 for California residents 

Sunday, September 8 

Lifelong Medical Care First Annual 5K Fun Run/Walk Fundraiser 

9 a.m. to noon 

West Berkeley 

Individual and team participation. Event includes a health fair, food, prizes, live music and free insurance eligibility screening. 

704-6010 

28th Annual Solano Avenue Stroll 

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Solano Avenue 

A mile-long block part featuring “Journey of a Thousand Cranes’ Parade” at 11 a.m.  

527-5358 or www.solanostroll.org 

Free 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Berkeley Farmers' Market 

Center Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Prostate Cancer Lecture 

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Maffly Auditorium, Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Understand the risk of prostate cancer and how to detect early symptoms from a survivor. 

869-6737 

Free 

Tuesday, September 9 

Arts Education Network 

6 to 8 p.m. 

James Irvine Foundation Conference Ctr., 353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza 

208-0842 

Free 

Berkeley Gray Panthers Home Owners Meeting 

3 p.m. 

1403 Addison St. 

All welcome. 

548-9696 

Free 

Tuesday, September 10 

Brown Bag Career Talk 

Noon to 1 p.m. 

YWCA Turning Point Career Center, 2600 Bancroft Way 

Cynthia Weekly, Senior Recruiter with UC Berkeley Office of Human Resources will provide information on the process of seeking temporary and permanent employment at UC Berkeley. 

848-6370 

Free 

Michael Newdow: Lecture 

8 p.m. 

2050 Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley Campus 

Michael Newdow is a Sacramento physician with a law degree whose case against the common procedure of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools fueled national uproar last summer.  

USE-SANE, sane@ocf.berkeley.edu, http://www.BerkeleySANE.org 

Free 

Wednesday, September 11 

One Year Later, a Peace Vigil and Meditation 

6 to 7:30 p.m. 

West entrance of UC Berkeley Campus near the corner of University Ave. and Oxford St. 

The Buddhist Peach Fellowship invites people of all traditions to bear witness to the continued suffering related to Sept. 11, 2002. 

223-0683, www.bpf.org 

Thursday, September 12 

The 14th Small Business  

Development Trade Fair 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Pauley Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, near Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft Way, UC Berkeley 

The event will introduce small businesses to the UC Berkeley community and give campus departments a glimpse of the services and products small businesses have to offer.  

Caterina Rando discusses her new book Learn to Power Think: A Practical Guide to Positive and Effective Decision Making 

Boadecia’s Books, 398 Colusa Ave. 

559-9184, www.bookpride.com 

Friday, September 13 

Lecture by Dr. Paul Farmer 

7:30 p.m. 

St. Joseph the Worker Church, 2640 Addison St. 

Dr. Farmer will speak on Health Care and Human Rights: Solidarity with the Haitian People. Benefit for Partners in Health. Music by Vukani Mawethu Choir. 

558-0371 

$5 to $15 donation 

Saturday, September 14 

Basic Personal Preparedness 

9 to 11 a.m. 

Fire Department Training Center, 997 Cedar St. 

Learn five critical steps to take care of yourself, your family and your home. Classes open to those 18 or older who live or work in Berkeley. 

981-5605, www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes.html 

Free 

Congressman Dennis Kuchinich Appearance 

7 p.m. 

Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley Campus, near University Ave. 

Chair of the House Progressive Caucus will speak. Keith Carson, Country Joe McDonald and performance artist Shelly Glaser will also be on hand. 

http://www.bfuu.org/rscongress 

$10 in advance, $12 door 

Heritage Day 

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

4th and University Ave. 

International BBQ and beer festival 

Free 

Spin for the Stars Fund-raiser 

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Spieker Aquatics Complex, Recreational Sports Facility on UC Berkeley campus 

Noncompetitive swimming and stationary cycling event. Proceeds will help Cal STAR enhance its facilities and programs for the disabled. 

$20 registration fee, $35 for biathlon challenge  

West Berkeley Open Air Market 

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

University Avenue between 3rd and 4th St. 

West Berkeley celebrates Neighborhood Heritage Day with crafts, food, live music, art and family entertainment. 

841-8562 or sfbayshellmounds@yahoo.com 

Free 

Sukkot Holiday Workshop 

7 to 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

Join Dawn Kepler, director of Building Jewish Bridges, for hands-on crafts, food projects, creative sukkah decorations and tips for making your own sukkah (hut). 

848-0237 Ext. 127 

$10 BRJCC members/$12 public 

Monday, September 16 

Berkeley Ecological and Safe Transportation (BEST) Coalition meeting 

6 to 8 p.m. 

Central Library, Kitteredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

Group joins pedestrians, bicyclists, mass transit users and land-use advocates. Topics of discussion include: Berkeley height initiative, pedestrian issues and employer incentive plans. Potluck. 

652-9462, imgreen@jps.net 

Thursday, September 19 

Berkeley Path Wanderers’ Meeting 

Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 

Annual fall meeting, titled “The East Bay Waterfront: Visions for the Future” will include a panel discussion introduced by Sylvia McLaughlin, founder of Save the Bay. 

524-4715 

Free 

Breast Self Exam for Seniors 

10 to 11:30 a.m. 

Maffley Auditorium, Herrick Campus, 2001 Dwight Way 

Workshop to educate women with physical limitations about accessing breast health care and do-it-yourself exam education. 

869-6737 

Free 

Freedom From Tabacco 

6 to 8 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center  

2939 Ellis St. 

A quit smoking class. First of six Thursday evenings through Oct. 24. Free to Berkeley and Albany students, residents and employees. 

981-5330, quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Free 

Simplicity Forum 

7 to 8:30 p.m  

Claremont Branch Library  

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

A panel of people who will share their experiences and ideas for living inexpensively but richly.  

549-3509, www.simpleliving.net 

Free 

Saturday, September 21 

Do-It-Yourself all-Natural Body Care from Your Kitchen 

Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Learn how to make your own all-natural skin care from products you might already have in your own kitchen. 

548-2220, ext. 233, erc@ecologycenter.org 

$10 for members, $15 for non-members 

Third Annual David Brower Youth Awards 

6 p.m. 

Schwimley Theater, 1920 Allston Way 

Celebrate the next generation of environmental activists at Earth Island Institute’s award ceremony. R.S.V.P. 

(415)788-3666, ext. 260, www.earthisland.org/bya 

Coastal Cleanup Day 

10 a.m. 

Work at the outflow of Strawberry Creek to clean up the San Francisco Bay coastline. 

info@strawberrycreek.org or 848-4008 

Free 

Saturday, September 21 

Fall Plant Sale 

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

200 Centennial Dr. 

Annual plant sale featuring rare and unusual plants. Members-only preview and auction from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.  

643-2755, www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ 

Free admission 

Saturday, September 28 

Free Legal Workshop: “Crossroads: Health and the Law.” 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

514 58th St. at Telegraph Ave. 

Navigate your way through legal issues when living with cancer or any serious illness. Panel presentation on employment, insurance and public benefits and one-on-one sessions with attorneys. Please, pre-register. 

601-4040 ext. 102(info.), ext. 103(reg.) 

Free  

There is a full slate of college soccer this weekend in Berkeley, with Cal’s men and women’s teams both playing two games against nationally-ranked teams. 

The women have a tougher pair of games, with No. 10 Texas and No. 3 Texas A&M coming into Edwards Stadium. This weekend is a rematch of last season’s trip to the Lone Star state by the Golden Bears (2-0). 

Texas (2-0) is led by forward Kelly Wilson, who recently returned from playing for the U.S. National Team at the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship. The Longhorns fell to Cal 2-1 last year in Austin. 

The Bears will be looking to avenge their first loss of last season against Texas A&M (2-0). The Aggies won 3-1 in College Station. 

Cal will welcome back senior forward Laura Schott, who missed last Sunday’s game against Purdue after drawing two yellow cards in the previous game. The Bears got some scoring punch from their freshmen last weekend, as winger Tracy Hamm scored two goals while classmate Dania Cabello racked up a goal and an assist against the Boilermakers. 

The Cal men will also face a team from Texas, No. 7 Southern Methodist, which is Cal head coach Kevin Grimes’ alma mater. The Bears will also face Portland, which outscored its opponents 9-1 at last week’s Nike Portland Invitational. 

The Bears started with a disappointing showing at last weekend’s Loyola Marymount Tournament in Los Angeles, falling 3-0 to Cal State Northridge before tying the host team 0-0. The youthful Cal squad is 75 percent underclassmen, led by the talented trio of Mike Munoz, Angel Quintero and Carl Acosta. 

Both the men will play before the women both Friday and Sunday at Edwards Stadium. The men take on Portland at 2 p.m. on Friday with the women facing Texas afterward, while Sunday’s action will kick off at 1 p.m.

The University of California fared well in the final state budget signed by Gov. Gray Davis Thursday, taking a relatively minor $108 million cut systemwide.  

The reductions include a $32 million cut in research dollars and a $67 million cut in university-run professional development academies for elementary, middle and high school teachers. 

But with the governor set to make $750 million more in state funding cuts by the end of the fiscal year in June 2003, university officials fear that the nine-campus UC system could face further reductions. 

“The bottom line for us is a lot of uncertainty,” said UC spokesperson Brad Hayward. 

Davis must make more cuts by June because democrats and republicans in the state Legislature, faced with a $24 billion shortfall, were unable to decide on the final $750 million in cuts and agreed to pass the responsibility on to the governor. 

Hans Hemann, legislative director for Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, said that Davis has spared the university from heavy cuts so far, and predicted that he will do the same when it comes to the $750 million in future reductions. 

“Considering how well the university system fared in the rest of the budget process, they will do well in that process as well,” he argued.  

The cuts approved Thursday drop UC’s state funding from $3.3 billion last year to $3.2 billion. State dollars account for about one-quarter of UC’s overall budget. 

The reductions include:  

n a $32 million, or 10 percent across-the-board cut in state funding for research 

n a $67 million cut in professional development programs, operated by the university, for K-12 teachers  

n a $10 million cut to a $32 million university-run program that installs high-speed Internet connections in K-12 schools  

n a $7 million reduction in outreach programs to K-12 schools  

n a one-time, $29 million cut from the university’s $150 million budget for equipment, library materials, deferred maintenance and instructional technology. 

The impact of the $108 million in cuts on UC Berkeley is unclear because the reductions apply to universitywide programs. But Hayward said the local campus will be affected. 

“There will be some impact,” he said. 

Hoku Jeffrey, a senator in UC Berkeley’s student government, raised concerns about the cuts in K-12 outreach programs, which are aimed at preparing students to attend UC. Jeffrey said the cuts could hamper the ability of the university to reach out to minority communities and develop a diverse student body.  

The Davis Administration and University of California hope to keep the professional development programs for K-12 teachers up and running by replacing state dollars with new federal funding from President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” legislation. 

But according to Jennifer Kuhn, senior fiscal and policy analyst for the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises the Legislature, the federal money in question will go to K-12 school districts across the state, not the university. It will be up to those districts, she said, to decide if they want to spend the money on UC-run professional development programs. 

To the Editor: 

Your Sept 1. article “More trouble over housing,” might equally have been headlined “Citizens sue over city's violation of environmental laws.” Our lawsuit is primarily about the city's failure to abide by our state's strong environmental laws, principally the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). California courts have emphasized that the public holds a “privileged position” in the CEQA process “based on a belief that citizens can make important contributions to environmental protection and on notions of democratic decision making.” I regret that in a moment of frustration I should have suggested any link between the city and developers, for that is not the problem. 

As a matter of record, neighbors, supported by a petition signed by 400 residents, have consistently and repeatedly made clear to the developers that we had no objection to an appropriately scaled project with no more than three stories, in conformance with the West Berkeley Plan. Moreover, we challenged the developers to dramatically increase the amount of affordable housing, even to as high as 100 percent. The developers declined to accept this challenge of lower height but greater affordability. 

After the application's withdrawal last summer, and in expectation of its renewal, neighbors repeatedly asked both the developers and, in a special meeting, Mayor Dean, to send this matter to a qualified professional mediator. This request was made most recently in our appeal to City Council. With the city's July denial of a public hearing of the neighborhood's appeal, it rejected our request for mediation as well. Neighbors were left with no recourse but legal action. A score of inconsistencies with zoning ordinance, multiple conflicts with the area and general plans, 12 potentially significant and five significant environmental impacts, all inadequately considered. Any one of those impacts would trigger a full environmental impact report, and it is unavoidable that one should be performed for this project. 

We preferred citizen participation through dialogue and mediation, but the city left us with no alternative but the courts.  

Howie Muir, 

Berkeley

Winona LaDuke has used nearly every form of writing to tell the story of Native Americans through their eyes. Via essays, speeches, poetry and fiction, she’s been telling the tale of a wounded culture trying to restore ancient patterns of life, and how 19th and 20th century consumerism and militarism undermine those efforts. An overview of her oeuvre, The Winona LaDuke Reader, was published by Voyageur Press this year and will be discussed by the author at Black Oak Books on Sunday evening.  

While coming to the fore of national consciousness as Ralph Nader’s running mate in the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns, 42-year-old LaDuke has been in the political arena her entire adult life. As a spokesperson for Native Americans – she is half Anishinaabe, and lives on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota – LaDuke has connected causes such as environmentalism, women’s rights and cultural restoration.  

“She has so much good writing, we wanted to collect it,” said Margret Aldrich, the editor who worked with LaDuke on the compilation. Voyageur Press also published LaDuke’s novel Last Standing Woman in 1997. “She writes on lots of different subjects, so we thought it would be a worthy project.”  

The book includes a preface by Ralph Nader, and is divided into five sections: native environmentalism, native traditions, women’s issues, politics and the presidency, and fiction and poetry. But no matter what genre or topic, to LaDuke it’s all about the long-term preservation of a native heritage.  

“One of her philosophies is that we should be thinking about the next seven generations,” said Aldrich. In the speech announcing her Green Party candidacy with Nader in 2000 LaDuke said, “Until we have an environmental, economic and social policy that is based on the consideration of the impact on the seventh generation from now, we will still be living in a society that is based on conquest, not on survival.”  

In an essay on restoration of the sturgeon, a fish sacred to the Ojibwe, she writes, “I thought about how most of them (the fish) were twenty years my senior… and that this whole effort was not about my generation.”  

LaDuke also writes about what Native Americans consider a blood kinship with other living things. She begins the essay on sturgeon with the Ojibwe traditional tale of a grandmother becoming a fish, and concludes “[We] will come to know the fish again, the fish who are our relatives.”  

In an address to architects called “Building With Reservations” she quotes a Northwest native who said: “Our people hang the umbilical cords of our children from those trees. They are our relatives.”  

The pun in the title “Building With Reservations” displays a wry sense of humor often evident in LaDuke’s work, no matter the seriousness of the subject matter. Her essay entitled “The Diaper Problem” is full of humor, while still making the point that plastic, disposable diapers pose a myriad of health and environmental risks. Similarly, in the address to architects, she said, “The Creator did not say ‘Go forth Ojibwes and go to Safeway.’ ”  

One element of cultural pride is the maintenance of language, and LaDuke’s writing is sprinkled with Native American words and phrases. In fact, the final chapter of her novel “Last Standing Woman” is written in the Ojibwe language. She talked about the effect of language in a speech called “Honor the Earth: Our Native American Legacy.”  

“We are a language of eight thousand verbs,” she said. “That’s a lot of verbs. That’s what I always say, though. We’re a people of action.”  

The commitment to action led LaDuke into the U.S. elections of 1996 and 2000, and her glimpse into the most recent presidential race is enlightening. “We started working on this book right after election when it was at the forefront of her mind,” said editor Aldrich. LaDuke wrote several new election-themed pieces for this collection. She laments the Bush election in “Reflections on the Republic of Dubya,” an essay that skewered the 43rd president even before scandals like Enron hit.  

The fiction and poetry section includes an excerpt from “Last Standing Woman” entitled “Coming Home.” It is the story of an Ojibwe man named Moose who is charged with moving Native remains from the Smithsonian Institute to their original burial grounds in Minnesota. Here LaDuke is on familiar ground; the driver’s destination is White Earth reservation, where she now lives. The author’s inclusion of a somewhat patronizing DeadHead and a surprisingly cooperative state trooper add levity and poignancy to the tale.  

The Winona LaDuke Reader concludes with poetry. In “Song for Moab, Utah” she decries the use of native lands for both World War II internment camps and subsequent nuclear bomb test sites:  

And the earth screamed 

And the wind screamed 

And the people of the creation 

Lived with those radiation poisons 

And screamed in the night.  

She continues to expose historic truths like this, employing a variety of writing, as this collection demonstrates. As the poem concludes: 

And the earth never moved, 

Offended, pained, 

She was still in need of company and prayers.

n Freshman surprise: Redshirt freshman Chris Mandarino got his first start at fullback last week and made a good impression with three catches for 41 yards, including a great catch on an 18-yard touchdown reception. 

A quarterback, tailback and linebacker in at Newport Beach High in Newport, Mandarino has gained 20 pounds to make himself a more effective blocker as a fullback. A former walk-on, he earned the starting job and a scholarship this summer when senior Ryan Stanger was injured and took a medical redshirt. 

“Some things happened at the fullback spot, and I had the opportunity to win the job,” Mandarino said. “I won it, and I was fortunate enough to keep it in fall camp.” 

Head coach Jeff Tedford praised Mandarino for his all-around performance against Baylor. 

“He’s very dependable,” Tedford said. “He makes very few mental mistakes and he blocks well. If you’re a fullback in this system, you have to be able to catch the ball.” 

n A new tradition: Tedford called for fans to turn up early before Saturday’s game against New Mexico State. The team will arrive at Maxwell Family Field (formerly Kleeberger Field) at 1:30 p.m., two hours before kickoff, and march to Memorial Stadium. Tedford would like fans to line the route to cheer for the team. 

“I’ve seen it in other places and it can give you goose bumps. It would be great to walk and see the people show their support,” he said. 

n Injury report: Wide receivers Chase Lyman and Junior Brignac are both doubtful for Saturday’s game against New Mexico State. Lyman has been cleared for a broken finger but is still battling a hamstring injury, while Brignac has yet to recover from a sprained ankle. Defensive tackles Daniel Nwangwu and Josh Beckham, both starters before coming up injured before last week’s game, should both be available on Saturday although neither is listed as a starter. Lorenzo Alexander and Tom Sverchek started in their places against Baylor and should keep their positions again on Saturday. 

n Tricky: Tedford pulled out two trick plays against Baylor, both successful. He said trick plays will be part of the game plan every week, although whether to use them will depend on the game situation. The Bears used only one quarter of the game plan last week.

UC Berkeley again found itself in the hot seat Wednesday when plans to stop the distribution of red, white and blue ribbons on campus Sept.11 were blasted as un-American. 

“The allegation is an insult to everyone at this university,” said Chancellor Robert Berhahl in a statement released Wednesday night. “I deeply resent the implication that... we are unpatriotic.” 

University officials said that plans to issue white ribbons at campus memorial services next week instead of the more traditional red, white and blue, were meant to save money. Printing three colors instead of one is cheaper. 

However, after members of campus College Republicans criticized the white ribbons at a student government meeting Wednesday, the university decided to incur the expense and go with red, white and blue after all. 

“The campus is patriotic,” insisted Janet Gilmore, university spokesperson. “There will be red, white, and blue ribbons. There will be red, white and blue flags.” 

University officials expect thousands of students to take part in activities on Sept. 11, in remembrance of last year’s terrorist attacks. At the center of the ceremonies will be a campuswide moment of silence following the noon chiming of the Campanile bells.Campus republicans, though victorious in the recent color conflict, chided the university for wanting to “skimp” and have white ribbons at next week’s ceremonies. 

“For a school that spends so much money on political issues, like the Middle East... it’s ridiculous that they won’t spend money on some pro-America things as well,” said senior Seth Norman, managing editor of a student-run conservative journal. 

Others suggested that politics, not cost-savings might not have been the reason for the white ribbons. A white ribbon would not exclude students who disagreed with U.S. policy or were not from the country, some said. 

“They’re trying to keep a large majority of the students from participating because they didn’t want to isolate a small majority,” said Dave Galich, vice president of campus College Republicans. 

Student republicans alleged that white ribbons would have watered down the sanctity of the Sept. 11 ceremonies and prevented most students from expressing patriotism as they would want to – with American colors. 

University officials said the republican hype was merely an attempt to stir up right-wing media, admitting that the university had been an easy target in the past. 

“I will not allow the quiet moments from noon to 12:30 p.m., moments of prayer, grief, mourning and reflection... to be misused for political purposes,” Berhahl said. 

University officials said that memorial services held last year, six days after the terrorist attacks, drew 15,000 people and was symbolic of the campus’ patriotism.

To the Editor: 

A recent article in the Daily Planet (Aug. 28) seems to have left the impression in some quarters that I am “anti-growth.” For the record, I think Berkeley needs to grow – in certain ways: We need a lot of well-designed, well-built affordable housing, and a lot of well-run, accessible public transit. 

Councilmember Linda Maio's forum on gentrification last year made vivid what is happening in our town: Soaring land values have priced many longtime residents out of the market. With the state legislature’s weakening of our rent control law, Berkeley tenants have become especially vulnerable. Unless we provide a substantial amount of affordable housing in the near future, we are going to lose a prized aspect of our common life: our social, economic and cultural diversity. At the same time, we need to counter a mounting threat to our city's livability: paralyzing traffic congestion. 

Addressing these concerns is among the foremost goals of the city's new General Plan. The plan ties these goals together; it says that the best place for new housing is along major transit corridors. It also says that we need to increase massively the amount and quality of public transportation in the city. 

I will do what I can to support new transit-oriented development and expanded public transportation that, in the words of the General Plan, will help “preserve Berkeley's unique character and quality of life.” 

Zelda Bronstein, 

Chair, Planning Commission

OAKLAND – The Oakland Athletics have won 20 straight games, yet they all know they haven’t won anything yet. 

One look at the standings reveals what manager Art Howe reminds his players: Despite their thrilling charge to baseball’s longest winning streak in 67 years, Oakland is just 3 1/2 games in front of Anaheim for the AL West lead. 

With one poor series in the A’s final 23 games, the longest winning streak in AL history could become a memory. 

“That’s one of the most amazing parts of all this,” left-hander Barry Zito said. “We’ve been the hottest team in years, and we’re still one bad series away from second place. It just reminds us to treat every game the same way and not think about the streak.” 

The A’s, winners of every game on their schedule since Aug. 12, open a three-game series at Minnesota on Friday night with a chance to make their streak the second-longest in major league history. The Chicago Cubs of 1880 and 1935 both won 21 straight; the major league record is 26, set by the 1916 New York Giants. 

The AL Central-leading Twins, who lost three tough games at the Coliseum last weekend, will break out the famed Homer Hankies at the Metrodome to boost their fans’ enthusiasm as they attempt to end Oakland’s run. 

A’s right-hander Cory Lidle, the AL Pitcher of the Month for August after allowing exactly one earned run in six outstanding starts, faces Brad Radke in the first game. 

“These three games coming up will be the toughest we’ve played during the streak,” said first baseman Scott Hatteberg, whose pinch-hit homer in the ninth gave Oakland a 12-11 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night. “That’s a division-leading team playing at home. We’ll have to get a little lucky to come out of there with all three games.” 

No matter when it ends, the streak has given Oakland the push it needed to move ahead in baseball’s toughest three-team division race. 

When the streak began, Oakland was 4 1/2 games behind Seattle in third. The A’s needed seven straight wins to claim a share of the division lead, and they didn’t have sole possession until their 10th straight victory on Aug. 23. 

But not even a wild card berth is a certainty for Oakland. The struggling Seattle Mariners are seven games behind the A’s – but everybody in baseball learned what manager Lou Piniella’s players can do last season, when they won 116 games. 

The A’s have six games remaining against Seattle, including a three-game series in Oakland next weekend. The A’s final 20 games are against division opponents.

Two Berkeley High School students were injured during a brawl involving roughly 50 students Wednesday afternoon at Civic Center Park. 

“We’re investigating the incident right now,” said Co-Principal Mary Ann Valles, who refused to give details about the fight. 

Police took witnesses into the school for questioning but had not released any information at press time.According to witnesses, at approximately 3:40 p.m. a band of students left Berkeley High School and entered the park. One member of the group immediately began assaulting a male student at the northwest corner of the park, while the others cheered him on. The victim did not try to fight back, a witness who did not want to be identified said. 

A female student tried to break up the fight, but was also attacked. 

“Someone sweared at her and then a group of girls jumped her,” said Berkeley High School student Jared Amgott-Kwan. Several males also assaulted the girl, Amgott-Kwan added. 

The attack lasted five minutes, he said, and ended before police arrived on the scene. 

Both victims were visibly wounded from the fight, Amgott-Kwan said. “The guy had several welts and the girl had hair missing.” A witness said the girl was on the ground, crying and shaking and complained of an injured jaw. Student fights at Civic Center Park are fairly common, the witness said. 

Wednesday’s brawl was the first significant incident of this school year, said Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. “Relatively, it’s been a quiet start of the school year.” 

Contact reporter at matt@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

To the Editor: 

Longfellow School parent volunteer Sue Dickey sings the praises of the school staff as triumphing over adverse conditions to bring a great education to her son. 

We need more of that kind of positive recognition of the daily heroic efforts of administrators, teachers, volunteer parents, staff aids, para-educators, garden coordinators, master gardeners, before and after school child care providers, food service personnel and others who mentor our children on a daily basis, school year after school year. 

Gardens on Wheels Association, a nonprofit, is a new local and regional organization devoted to preventing burnout among these helping constituencies by presenting comprehensive, inspirational awards ceremonies complete with music, speeches, testimonials and vide services. Once the legion of champions are recognized, many will forge on and new recruits will come on board. 

Thank you, Sue Dickey, for pointing up the need for more recognition. Trophies, plaques, certificates, service pins, gardening smocks, volunteer uniforms... all of these are available through Gardens on Wheels Association. 

Wendy Stephens, 

Berkeley

With a ballot initiative vote to improve pedestrian safety still two months away, the Berkeley Police Department Wednesday got a jump on dangerous drivers. 

Police dished out tickets to 34 drivers rolling through the intersection of Adeline and Fairview streets during a sting operation to protect the rights of pedestrians. 

Five officers on motorcycles crashed down cars that failed to yield to a pedestrian decoy during the one hour 45 minute operation. 

“I think it went pretty well,” said the operation’s supervisor, Officer Matt Meredith of the Berkeley Police Department Traffic Division. “When [drivers] see multiple officers patrolling an intersection it makes you think twice about racing through the crosswalk.” 

Pedestrian and cyclist safety is a growing concern in Berkeley. According to Meredith, one pedestrian and one cyclist have been killed on Berkeley streets this year, and the annual number hurt from collisions with cars is on the rise.  

To better protect nondrivers the BPD instituted the Pedestrian Right-Of-Way Enforcement Program in July 2001. Including Wednesday’s sting, the police have performed seven crosswalk operations throughout Berkeley, citing 223 drivers for not yielding to a pedestrian. Penalized drivers receive a $115 fine and one point on their license. 

Meredith said the program is being expanded to include two operations every month, and will address other blocks notorious for pedestrian injuries. So far police have patrolled the intersections of Addison Street and Martin Luther King Way, Telegraph Avenue and Oregon Street, Dwight Way and Acton Street and University Avenue and Grant Street. 

The start of UC Berkeley’s fall semester is the most dangerous time of year for pedestrians, said Officer Bob Rollins, who participated in Wednesday’s sting operation. 

A lot of students who just arrived from Southern California tend to be more lax about pedestrian right-of-way laws than locals, he said. “They move up here and they’re not used to the tight, cramped lanes and slower speed zones, so we end up teaching them the rules that have to be followed.” 

Rollins said that between February and May, he issued 400 pedestrian right-of-way tickets at the intersection of Oxford and Addison streets. 

Some residents, though, say the city still needs to do more to protect pedestrians and cyclists.  

Belmont police make first arrest with electric car 

BELMONT – Less than a week after the Ford Motor Company announced it would discontinue its Think electric car, the Belmont Police Department made its first arrest with the high-tech vehicle. 

Belmont police officer Chris Ledwith was cruising around the Twin Pines Park on Wednesday afternoon in the Think car--which police say resembles a golf cart both in appearance and performance--when he noticed smoke coming from the west end of the park. 

With a nearly silent motor and wide tires, Ledwith was able to drive over a dirt path and sneak up on a man who was stoking an illegal fire in a barbecue pit with leaves and sticks. 

“I never heard you coming,” protested 51-year-old Christopher Strei, who was arrested after police discovered that he was wanted for a theft in his hometown of Redwood City. 

Hayward Ford donated the car to Belmont Police last Thursday, a day before Ford Motor Company announced that it was giving up on the Think car after an investment of $123 million. 

Oakland woman surrenders  

on workers’ comp fraud 

OAKLAND – A 52-year-old Oakland woman who collected $41,000 in workers' compensation benefits after an allegedly illegitimate claim that she injured her back on the job has surrendered to authorities. 

Jeanette Deran surrendered Wednesday on a $70,000 arrest warrant charging her with committing workers' compensation insurance fraud, according to Scott Edelen, a spokesman for the state Department of Insurance. Deran is charged with six counts of felony insurance fraud, two counts of perjury, and two counts of grand theft. 

If convicted, Deran could face up to five years in state prison or a maximum fine of $50,000, or both. 

Deran allegedly reported to her employer that she injured her back on Oct. 28, 1997, Edelen said. She allegedly made false statements as to the severity of her injury to obtain additional benefits to which she would not have been entitled. 

Deran was videotaped doing activities she claimed she was unable to do as a result of her injury, Edelen said, and allegedly made false statements at her sworn deposition. 

Port talks yield benefits accord 

SAN FRANCISCO — Shipping lines and West Coast dock workers tentatively have agreed to a new benefits package, a sign that even as contract negotiations drag on neither side is ready for crippling labor unrest. 

Both sides signed the benefits agreement Wednesday evening, a day after rhetoric from shipping lines and the longshoremen’s union made trouble on the waterfront sound imminent. 

Spokesmen for both sides confirmed the agreement, but would not discuss its details Thursday. 

“Nothing is finalized until the whole package is done, but the idea is that the issue is resolved,” said Steve Stallone, spokesman for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. 

The union and the Pacific Maritime Association reached a similar accord during the weekend before a dispute over arbitration led to a breakdown in talks and a lapse in the contract. Brinksmanship followed — the union said it could stage a work slowdown, and the shipping lines promised a lockout in response. 

On Thursday, Stallone reiterated that because the union was not renewing the contract on a short-term basis, it legally could take a job action such as a slowdown. 

SF activists say  

Navy sonar kills whales 

The San Francisco-based Earth Island Institute stepped up its attack against the Bush Administration with a full-page ad in the New York Times protesting a whale-killing sonar system. 

The ad appeared in Wednesday's Times with the following question and answer: “How do whales tell us we're doing something wrong? They swim up on the beach and die.” 

Institute director David Phillips said the U.S. Navy's Low Frequency Active Sonar, which detects enemy submarines by sending sound pulses through the ocean, has killed whales in the Bahamas with a noise that he compares to “standing next to a Saturn V rocket on takeoff.” 

The Bush Administration has approved the sonar as long as certain modifications are made that Phillips say will not make a difference for the whales. 

“The Bush Administration's proposed ‘mitigation’ plan for the sonar is a complete sham,” Phillips said. “The Navy is trying to whitewash the deadly effects of LFA sonar by proposing an ‘If we don't see it, we don't harm it,’ approach to blasting the oceans with deafening sounds.”

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis signed a $98.9 billion hard-times state budget Thursday that makes $9 billion in cuts, trims the state payroll by 7,000 jobs and leaves Capitol budget players open to criticism they did too little too late to prevent worse cuts next year. 

Davis signed the budget two months and five days into the 2002-2003 fiscal year, which ends next June 30 — the latest budget signing in California’s recorded history. 

“Completing this budget was an arduous and difficult task and there’s more work to be done,” the governor said. “But any time you can bridge a $24 billion gap you have to feel you’ve taken a positive first step and I feel we have.” 

Davis’s fourth budget is $2.4 billion less than last year’s $101.3 billion spending plan and includes $41.6 billion in state and federal funding for elementary and high school education — more than 40 percent of all spending. Davis said it reflects a $3 billion increase over last year for schools, now totaling $7,067 per student. 

The budget also contains a $1 billion reserve fund and $235 million in vetoes. Among them, the governor nixed a proposed $50 million increase in the state’s Healthy Families program, which provides medical care for poor Californians. 

“The governor feels we can’t afford to expand it,” said Tim Gage, Davis’ top budget official. 

Other vetoes stripped $70 million from transportation funding, $13.8 million from children’s’ mental health services, $5 million from local air districts and $3 million from farmworker housing grants. The governor also cut $2 million from dairy waste-to-energy programs and $5 million each from local trauma centers and emergency medical services providers and $800,000 for family court services. 

The new budget reflects the continuing downturn in the state’s economy, which wiped billions of dollars off the state’s books, as taxes from stock options and capital gains evaporated with a stock market plunge. State lawmakers passed it last weekend after a record two-month impasse, using cuts, loans, and “revenue enhancements” to help fill a $23.6 billion gap. 

Gage said the administration will target state agencies for another $750 million in cuts by next June. The budget plan also calls to eliminate 7,000 positions among the state’s current 9,500 job vacancies. 

During a brief ceremony in his office, Davis signed the spending plan, which pays for schools, prisons and health care for the poor, while building highways and paying salaries of more than 250,000 state workers. Afterward, he took only a handful of questions from reporters, including one about possible election-day consequences from a budget 65 days late. 

“I regret the inconvenience it caused people,” Davis said. “I knew when I proposed this budget it would challenge both Democrats and Republicans.” Davis added that his budget cuts caused grief among Democrats and his “modest increase in taxes” made Republicans balk. 

“It took a while to work through that process,” he said. 

Davis also refused to speculate about raising taxes for the 2003-2004 budget year beginning next July 1. 

“I have no expectations one way or another,” he said.

SACRAMENTO — Crime in California increased 3.7 percent last year over 2000, the state attorney general said Thursday, though violent crime dropped 0.8 percent over the same period. Total property crime was up 6 percent. 

It’s the second consecutive increase after historic declines in the 1990s. 

The arrest rate dropped by 2.3 percent per 100,000 population — the 12th consecutive decline.  

Felony arrests among adults dropped 1.7 percent, and by 5.8 percent for juveniles. 

“California is at a crossroads,” Attorney General Bill Lockyer said in releasing the report. “The slight increase in the overall crime rate in 2001, after years of steep decreases, suggests that the long period of impressive annual decreases in crime has ended, at least temporarily.” 

But there’s no consistent trend, Lockyer said: While rates for four of the six major crimes increased, one dropped and one stayed steady. 

Homicides were up 5 percent, robberies up 4.2 percent, burglaries up 2.6 percent and motor vehicle thefts up 10.2 percent, according to the California Crime Index. However, aggravated assaults dropped 3.1 percent and rapes stayed unchanged.

SANTA CRUZ — Federal agents raided a marijuana farm Thursday and arrested the owners, who grow the pot for a medical users club, surprising community members and local law enforcement. 

Officers seized more than 100 marijuana plants, three rifles and a shotgun in the pre-dawn raid, said Drug Enforcement Agent spokesman Richard Meyer in San Francisco. 

Valerie and Michael Corral were arrested on federal charges of intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy, he said. 

“These are incredibly compassionate people who’ve worked closely with law enforcement to help the sick and dying in our community,” said Ben Rice, an attorney for the Corrals. “This is absolutely outrageous.” 

Suzanne Pfeil, a patient at the club who was arrested during the raid and later released, said federal agents stormed her room around 8 a.m. in full assault gear, including helmets and semi-automatic weapons. They arrested everyone and uprooted the marijuana plants, she said. 

Zero-percent it and they will come. 

This seems to be the motto of mid-range car dealers in the East Bay who for several months have been offering free financing in hopes of boosting car sales. The Labor Day week was no exception, as final-clearance sales lured in customers. 

“Our wives are sunbathing and kids are asleep and we heard about this great deal with zero-percent financing,” said Archan Joshi, one of the hundreds who showed up at the Fremont Auto Mall last weekend. 

Mid-range dealers in the East Bay said sales over the holiday almost measured up to what they’ve seen in previous years. But year-to-date totals have been low compared to prior years. 

Some dealers suggested that the East Bay has been relatively lucky during the recent economic slowdown and that automobile sales have suffered less than in other areas of California. 

Billy Tave, a sales representative at McKevitt Volvo on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, said auto retailers in Berkeley have fared better than their counterparts around the bay.  

David Zaman, a sales representative at Auto Warehouse of Oakland, agreed that the East Bay was better off and said San Jose and Silicon Valley had been hit harder. 

“Sales are fine,” added Mark Fitzgerald, general manager at the Val Strough Company on Auto Row in Oakland. The economy “obviously affected us, but now [sales are] maybe a little below average,” he said. 

The small slump in car sales this year follows three years of record-high sales, according to the National Automobiles Dealers Association. Still, the weak economy is reflected in sales that are slightly lower than during the late 1990s economic boom.  

About 1.7 million new cars were sold nationwide in August, a high car sales month, according to NADA. That’s just over 17 percent more than cars sold in August 2001. 

The dealers association forecasts sales of 16.8 million this calendar year, a projected drop of almost 2 percent from the 17.1 million sold last year. 

Mike Ahmadi, a sales consultant at Connell Auto Center on Broadway Avenue in Oakland, said his dealership, too, has seen a slight dropoff this year. 

“The economy’s been bad for six months, but has picked up the last three weeks,” Ahmadi said. 

Labor Day played into the recent upswing in sales. 

“The Labor Day weekend is almost a traditional day to buy cars in America,” said Shacon Shokoor, a sales manager at Fremont’s Autowest Honda who has been in the business for 15 years. 

“Sales double over the Labor Day weekend. Look at our deals,” said Marcus Rahimi, looking over his fleet of new Mitsubishis on a lot in Fremont. “This last year has been very, very slow, but summer time it increased. Because of the special deals, the manufacturer does suffer in terms of profits but we get much more traffic.”

LOS ANGELES — Federal prosecutors announced a 36-count grand jury indictment Thursday against four executives charged with defrauding investors in a public technology company of $140 million in a “cook the books” scheme. 

Prosecutors allege three senior officers and an outside director of NewCom Inc. illegally inflated sales before Westlake Village firm’s 1997 initial public offering. 

In one case, a $3.7 million purchase order was allegedly recorded from a nonexistent company. 

“This case illustrates the serious and corrosive nature of crimes committed by corporate insiders, crimes which have affected too many companies in America and have shaken the nation’s faith in the securities markets,” U.S. Attorney Debra Yang said.

LOS ANGELES — EBay Inc. said Thursday it is considering legal action against a parody Web site called E-Gray that lampoons Gov. Gray Davis and is produced by his opponent’s campaign. 

“Obviously it has the look and feel of eBay without our permission,” said eBay spokesman Chris Donlay. “Whenever we see a situation like that we always take a good hard look at it.” 

“We are exploring our options and we’ll decide whether to take legal action or not,” Donlay added. 

E-Gray parodies the popular Web auction site by purporting to sell favors from Davis. It’s meant to illustrate one of Republican Simon’s principal accusations against the Democratic incumbent, that he runs a “pay-to-play” administration that favors those who make large political contributions. 

With its logo and color scheme it is clearly meant to mimic ebay. Simon staff said they intend to leave it online. 

“We think there are numerous differences, one of them being E-Bay clearly sells products to the public, while Gray Davis clearly sells public policy,” said Simon press secretary Mark Miner. “The only similarities there are is they’re both sold to the highest bidder. We stand by the Web site.” 

“This is once again another example of Bill Simon’s legal problems,” responded the Davis campaign’s press secretary, Roger Salazar. “He’s got several court dates over the next couple of months. I’m not sure they want another.” 

Simon is scheduled to testify Nov. 8 in the trial of a lawsuit in which he and other investors accuse the government of improperly seizing a savings and loan and costing them millions of dollars.

LOS ANGELES— A police officer arrested last week for alleged drunken driving was charged Thursday with manufacturing the “date-rape” drug GHB, prosecutors said. 

Officer Heather Sinock, 25, was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence after she arrived for work last Friday at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart station near downtown. 

Prosecutors said the GHB and other drug charges were filed after a search of her home and car. The three-year veteran of the department was jailed Wednesday in lieu of $600,000 bail. 

Deputy District Attorney Valerie A. Rocha said Sinock was charged Thursday with manufacturing and transporting GHB and possessing cocaine and methamphetamine, all felonies. She also was charged with driving under the influence, a misdemeanor. 

Sinock, who faces up to 13 years in prison if convicted, was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. 

Ten Berkeley police officers assembled outside headquarters in the dark, early hours Wednesday. 

They’re trained to handle shoot-outs, armed robberies and domestic disputes but none of that prepared them for what they were about to face – three days, 216 miles and 18,000 feet uphill, all on bikes. And all for charity. 

The 17th annual Turkey Ride, when it concludes Friday in the mountains of South Lake Tahoe, will have raised about $10,000 to help feed needy families this Thanksgiving Day and during the winter holiday season, say the participating officers from the city and UC Berkeley police departments. 

“The great joy is handing out the food baskets during the holidays,” said Lt. Bruce Agnew, who along with Sgt. Alec Boga founded the charity ride in 1985.  

“A couple of us went for fun in 1983 and during the trip we talked about turning it into a fundraiser.”  

The route is challenging. Day one takes them 125 miles into the Central Valley. Although the terrain is relatively flat there, the cyclists must withstand 100-degree temperatures and a breakfast at Jack in the Box. 

“It’s probably the worst breakfast you can have, but it’s open,” said Doug Hambleton of the BPD. Day two includes 68 miles and two grueling climbs as high as 8,000 feet into the Sierra Nevada. Day three consists of a 26-mile ride through mountain passes, ending at cabins in South Lake Tahoe. 

The rigors of the journey foster camaraderie. “After riding all day in up mountains, we get together for beers, slump against a wall and razz each other,” said Frank Onciano, a bike officer in downtown Berkeley. 

Some cyclists get heckled more than others. Onciano recalled one sergeant who acted a little too macho before his first ride. 

“He found out it’s not so easy when the sun’s at your back at 113 degrees,” Onciano said. “We haven’t seen him since.” 

Wednesday’s rookie was Lt. Adan Tejada from the UC Berkeley Police Department. Although he was unsure how he’d hold up, he expected the ride to be a relaxing alternative to his day job. 

“This is fun,” he said. “At work whenever you answer a call you never know if you will end up fighting for your life or somebody else’s.” 

In the months preceding the ride officers ask friends, neighbors and local merchants to sponsor them with 5-cent to $1 donations for each bicycle mile.  

Last year the cyclists raised enough money to give away 500 food baskets to needy Berkeley families. Each basket has food for about eight people. The food distribution is arranged by the Berkeley Boosters, a charitable organization affiliated with the BPD. 

The officers don’t just sacrifice their legs for the hungry; they forfeit something from their wallets. Each officer pays $125 to cover the costs of food and lodging during the trip. And the riders use three vacation days to make the trek. 

Lt. Mike Freeman, a retired UC Berkeley police officer and competitive cyclist, says the most fun comes November. “The best part of the ride is delivering the food on Thanksgiving and Christmas,” he said. “That’s why we do it.” 

Contact reporter at  

matt@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

To the Editor: 

Councilmember Betty Olds says “When they bring a camera close to a woman’s crotch and try to insert a disabled man’s penis into a vagina – if you don’t call that bad taste, I don’t know what is,” (Daily Planet, Sept. 3). Well, now I’m intrigued, as a disabled person. I would love to watch a demonstration of the fact that disabled people lead full lives! I read this comment in Braille on the Internet, and I assume the speaker was making an assumption that disabled people wouldn’t bother reading it or be able to read it. Guess again. 

In all seriousness, however, it greatly saddens me that this kind of condescending tone is still used when referring to disabled people, as if our very lives are in bad taste. Hopefully this is a reminder that there is still a lot of awareness to be raised, and in that spirit, the ACLU is right on the button. 

Teresa Cochran 

Berkeley

Mekons front man John Langford did not expect his band to last 25 days let alone a quarter of a century when he started the Mekons along with Tom Greenhaigh in the late ’70s. But low and behold the band that hails from England is on the first leg of its 25th anniversary tour. The Mekons will bring their signature brand of English country rock to the The Starry Plough Pub tonight. 

Since emerging from the same Leeds University scene that produced post-punk legends Gang of Four in the late 1970s, the Mekons have undergone countless lineup changes. Langford and Greenhaigh are the backbone of the Mekons, and the only members to stay in the band throughout its history. Throughout the band’s existence critics have strained to pigeonhole them, comparing their music to diverse genres – from punk to traditional folk. Rather than waste time with comparisons some critics, such as legendary rock ’n’ roll critic Lester Bangs, who wrote the liner notes to the reissue of “The Mekons Story,” have simply called their music “important.” 

The lineup they are presenting on this tour piles an accordion and a Turkish instrument called a Saz on top of drums, bass, guitar and fiddles. 

“It's a wall of sound,” Langford said. 

The Mekons are touring to support their latest album called “Oooh! (Out of Our Heads),” released this May on Quarterstick Records. Along with the new songs, the Mekons will play some oldies that audiences have not heard for quite some time including “Lonely and Wet” of their 1979 debut album “The Quality of Mercy is Not Strnen” and “Teeth” a song off of a rare single released on Virgin records that the band has never before played live. 

“[These songs] didn’t sound the way they originally sounded,” Langford said. “I'm surprised how good they are.”  

The Mekons will aslo play on Friday at Slim's, 333 11th St., in San Francisco.

Thursday, September 5 

Jimmy LaFave 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$16.50 in advance, $17.50 at door 

The Mekons 25th Anniversary Show 

9:30 p.m. 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$15 

Friday, September 6 

Caribbean All-Stars 9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$11 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Gehenna, Brainoil & Blown to Bits 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Tempest 

9:30 p.m. 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$10 

Saturday, September 7 

Freedom Song Network’s Twentieth Birthday Benefit Concert 

8 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 

$10 to 50 (sliding scale) 

Hirax, Phobia & Lack of Interest 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Mark Growden’s Electric Pinata, Amor 

9:30 p.m. 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$6 

Rachel Garin CD Release Show 

8 p.m.  

The Freight and Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.thefreight.org 

$15.50 in advance/ $16.50 at the door 

Mystic Roots, Sangano, Elijah Emanuel & the Revelations 

9:30 p.m. 

Blakes on Telegraph, 2367 Telegraph Ave. 

848-0886 

$6 

Sunday, September 8 

Kulture Schock 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Darryl Purpose 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Women Baring Soles 

7:30 p.m. 

Rose Street 

Featuring Irina Rivkin, Lorna Hunt and Lisa Sanders 

594-4000, ext. 687 for info. and directions 

$5-$20 

Monday, September 9 

Kris Delmhorst, Noe Venable 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Tuesday, September 10 

DP & Rythym Riders 

7:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Wednesday, September 11 

The Rolling Requiem 

Doors open at 8 a.m.; performance begins precisely at 8:46 a.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Dana St. and Durant Ave. 

A sing-along performance of Mozart’s Requiem in every time zone to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001. All singers welcome and non-singers are welcome to listen. 

ucalumnichorus@ucchoral.berkeley.edu, www.ucac.net 

Free 

Lunasa 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$17.50 in advance, $18.50 at door 

Thursday, September 12 

The Clumsy Lovers 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$6 

Slaid Cleaves 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Friday, September 13 

Dope Sick, Mommy’s Friend and Cellofane 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$5 

From Ashes Rise, Manifesto Jukebox & Submachine 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Garmarna 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$16.50 in advance, $1.50 at door 

Moodswing Orchestra 

9:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$11 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Saturday, September 14 

Amandla Poets 

9 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$11 door/ Free for 12 and under 

The Cheap Suit, The Serenaders 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$18.50 in advance, $19.50 at door 

Tipsy House Irish Band  

9:30 p.m. 

The Albatross Pub, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 

THE-BIRD (843-2473) 

$3 

The Good Life, Denail & The Velvet Teen 

8 p.m. 

924 Gillman St. 

525-9926 

$5 

Lisa’s Birthday Party: The Wore, Lemon Lime Light 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

841-1424 

$5 

Sunday, September 15 

Fairport Convention 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

Monday, September 16 

Anouar Brahem 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$15.50 in advance, $16.50 at door 

Tuesday, September 17 

Cortableu 

8:30 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Wednesday, September 18 

John Dobby Boe & the Steve Slagle Trio 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

Red Archibald and the International Blues Band 

9 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

$8 door/ Free for 12 and under 

Thursday, September 19 

Houston Jones 

8 p.m. 

Freight & Salvage, 1111 Addison St. 

548-1761 or www.freightandsalvage.com 

$19.50 in advance, $20.50 at door 

The influences, Plus Ones and The Simple Things 

9:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

841-2082 

$5 

BACA National Juried Exhibition 

Through Sept. 21, Wed.-Sun. Noon to 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park 

40 artists from across the U.S. including 28 Bay Area artists. 

644-6893 

Free 

"Before and After"  

Reception 4 to 6 p.m.  

Through Sept. 19  

Albany Community Center and Library Galley 1249 Marin Ave. 

Jim Hair's photographs of the San Diego Hells Angels motorcycle chapter from the 1970s.  

524-9283  

Images of Love and Courtship 

Through Sept. 15 

Gathering Tribes, 1573 Solano Ave. 

Ledger paintings by Michael Horse. 

528-9038 

Free 

"Balancing Acts" 

Through Oct. 10 

Gallery 555, 555 12th St. in Oakland City Center 

Oakland's 'Third Thursday' art night features Ann Weber's works made of cardboard. 

http://www.oaklandcitycenter.com.  

Free 

The Creation of People’s Park 

Through Aug. 31, Mon. - Thurs., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri. 9 to 5 p.m.; Sat. 1 to 5 p.m. Sun. 3 to 7 p.m. 

The Free Movement Speech Cafe, UC Berkeley campus 

A photo exhibition, with curator Harold Adler. 

hjadler@yahoo.com 

Free 

"New Work: Part 2, The 2001 Kala Fellowship Exhibition"  

Through Sept. 7, Tues.-Fri. Noon to 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m. 

Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 

Featuring 8 Kala Fellowship winners, printmaking 

549-2977  

“If These Walls Could Talk” 

Through Sept. 8 

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California Campus (just below Grizzly Peak Blvd.) 

See how various civilizations built all kinds of structures from mud huts to giant skyscrapers at this building exhibit. 

642-5132 

Admission: $8 for adults; $6 for ages 5-18, seniors and disabled; $4 for children 3-4; Free for children under 3, LHS Members and full-time Berkeley students. 

"Poems Form/From the Six Directions" 

Through Sept. 15 

Pusod: Center for culture, Ecology & Bayan, 1808 Fifth St. 

A visual poetry exhibition and presentation of a wedding happening, a Filipino tradition. Poetry workshops presented by Eileen Tabios 7 to 9 p.m., Aug. 14, 21 and 28. 

883-1808 

Free 

“Virtually Real Oakland - The Magic, The Diversity and the Potholes” 

Through Sept. 21, Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., Berkeley 

Exhibit by Ken Burson; digitally enhanced photos of Oakland. 

644-1400 

Free 

Misch Kohn - Celebrating Sixty Years of Printmaking 

Sept. 12 through Oct. 16: Tues.-Fri., Noon to 5:30 p.m.; Sat., Noon to 4:30 p.m. 

Kala Arts Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 

549-2977, kala@kala.org 

A Thousand and One Arabian Nights 

Through Sept. 28, Fri. - Sun. 8 p.m.; Sun. 4 p.m. 

Forest Meadows Outdoor Amphitheater, Grand Avenue at the Dominican University, San Raphael 

Marin Shakespeare Company’s presents this classic story with original Arabic music. 

415-499-4488 for tickets 

$12, youth; $20 senior; $22 general 

Henry IV: The Impact Remix 

Through Sept. 8, Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 7 p.m. 

Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St. 

Sept. 13 through 21, Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 7 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 

Impact theatre’s first Shakespeare production staring Rich Bolster as Prince Hal and Bill Boynton as Falstaff. 

464-4468, www.impacttheatre.com 

$15 general/$10 students 

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar 

Sept. 5 through Oct. 12 

Thurs. through Sat. 8 p.m. 

LaVal’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid 

234-6046 

$10 

The House of Blue Leaves 

Sept. 11 through Oct. 27 

Berkeley Rep's Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. Berkeley 

647-2917 or 888-4BRTTIX 

$10 - $54 

The Shape of Things 

Sept. 19 through Oct. 20 

Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 

Play by writer/director Neil LaBute's spins a morality tale of a young art student, his art major girlfriend, and the Pygmalion-like changes that bring into question how far one should go for love. 

843-4822, www.auroratheater.org for reservations 

$26 to $35  

Saturday, September 7 

Bay Area Poets Coalition Open Reading 

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

West Branch Berkeley Public Library, 1125 University Ave. 

527-9905, poetalk@aol.com 

Free 

September 7, 12 

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival 

Noon to 5 p.m. 

Civic Center Park, Center St. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

Poetry readings, presentations by environmentalists, interactive events and more. 

526-9105  

Sunday, September 8 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Ivan Arguelles reads “Tri Loka and Carolyn Grassi read “Transparencies.” 

845-7852  

$2 

Wednesday, September 11 

Poetry for Peace Benefit Reading 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Proceeds will benefit refugee relief agencies. Readings by Frances Payne Adler, Ivan Arguelles, Ellen Bass and Judy Grahns. 

845-7852  

$2 

Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik 

8:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

Featured poets: George McKibbins and Sean Shea.  

841-2082 

$7 door, $5 w/ student I.D. 

Saturday, September 14 

Shirley Imura 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 

527-9753, sheflerium@earthlink.net 

Free 

Wednesday, September 18 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave.  

Readings by Meg Kearney and Cornelius Eady. 

845-7852  

$2 

Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik 

8:30 p.m. (21 and over) 

The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave. 

Featured poet: Anthony R. Miller 

841-2082 

$7 door, $5 w/ student I.D. 

Saturday, September 7 

Vertical Pool presents Three Experimental Narrative Videos 

8 p.m. and 10 p.m. 

TUVA, 3192 Adeline St. 

A screening of “Requiem For a Friend”, “Inertia” and “Roadkill” by Antero Alli. Filmmaker will be present. 

464-4640 

$7 

The Mersey Hot Shots, a Berkeley club soccer team, recently made the journey to Europe to take part in two of the world’s biggest soccer tournaments. The players kept a diary of their travels and experiences. The conclusion of the diary: 

Day 10 

After dancing all night at the disco, we emerged from our rooms rather tired and groggy. I think everyone wishes that we could stay here in Denmark another day, rather than keep traveling. From the ferry terminal we were taken to the Seacrest Hotel in Whitley Bay, England. The place is a little funky but very cute, and the people are extremely good to us.At the beach, the water was chilly but after running around in a scrimmage, some of the girls took a little swim. I think we’re all relaxed and have high hopes for the Newcastle Tournament. 

Rose Lockwood-Holden 

Day 11 

We walked to the train station to go touring in Edinburgh, Scotland. Three other American teams went as well. Our tour guide showed us beautiful buildings. After the tour, we went to the shops and ate lunch. The weather began to change from being foggy and chilly to rain. When we got back to Whitley Bay, dinner was being served just for us. It was the best dinner!  

Maritza Martinez 

Day 12 

Today was our first game at the Newcastle Tournament. We won 2-1 even though everyone on the sidelines was cheering against us. We are the only American girls team here and they all want to beat us. It was nice to go back to our beloved Seacrest Hotel where they congratulated us and we sat down to a delicious dinner made by Karen. Dennis and Karen are the owners of the Seacrest and they’re like our parents here in Whitley Bay. 

Mercedes Ruiz 

Day 13 

We had our worst game in terms of sportsman-like conduct. At one point in the game, a girl was hurt and the game was stopped for around 15 minutes. At the same time, it was a triumph because we won after being down 1-0 and then again 2-1. Well, so far we have kept up the expectations of Dennis since he said that every year the winning team stays in his hotel. I hope we can keep this up! 

Stephanie de Sousa 

Day 14 

Most of us woke up this morning grumpy and uninterested in visiting the Newcastle United Football Stadium, but once we got a view of the field, we became bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The grass was immaculate and the brightest shade of green. I guess seeing a professional footballers’ workplace gave us some inspiration to kick some English ass. 

As goalie, I can see what’s going on in the whole field. What I saw in today’s game would flabbergast you. Our opponents kicked, pulled, pushed, scratched, and swore the whole first half. Unfortunately, I got to experience that in the second half because I moved to my old position as forward. Fortunately, I scored twice, and our back-up goalie, Grace, saved a penalty kick! Overall the game was an interesting experience and I hobbled home and took some Advil. 

Perry Kramer 

Day 15 

Our first game wasn’t until 2:40 so we had the entire morning to relax and prepare for the game. Since it was the semi-finals, there were lots of people watching the game. The other team scored a lucky goal in the first half and that was the only goal of the game. We played very hard and controlled most of the game; we just couldn’t get a goal. It was very disappointing. The people who worked at the hotel came to watch and support us, too.  

We had dinner at the hotel, then went to a birthday party for the coach of the Idaho team who were staying in a nearby hotel. Karen baked us two huge chocolate chip cookies that said “Mersey Hot Shots” in frosting on them. 

Elise McNamara 

Day 16 

Today we left Newcastle for the long-awaited London. We woke up and ate our last breakfast with our favorite server Michael. Isn’t he just adorable? After loading all our stuff onto the bus, we were ready to take the eight-hour bus ride to London with the Idaho boys’ team. 

After a long drive, we arrived in London and, boy, were we happy to get there. 

Anya Schwin 

Day 17 

After breakfast, we set out on our tour. We boarded the underground towards Buckingham Palace to see the once-every-other-day changing of the guard. We walked through St. James Park towards Westminster Abbey. Then we made our way to the House of Parliament and the Thames River. It was beautiful. We walked towards St. James Palace and past Tony Blair’s residence. Some of the girls took pictures with a very solemn guard. We made our way to Harrod’s by double-decker bus, then we went to Oxford Street. I have never been so overwhelmed by shopping. 

Catherine Charpentier 

Day 18 

Oxford Street: A shopping mecca for women and men alike. As our tour guide said, “You could easily shop for days on this street alone.” And we might have done just that if it weren’t for our departure the next morning. As it was, most of the team shopped all day. I’d say the only setback we had today was the realization that we were no longer in our cozy B&B in Seacrest. No warm dinners would be waiting for us after a long, hard day of shopping. Poor us. 

Katie Lieberman 

Day 19 

Today has been very frustrating. We all awoke early, preparing ourselves for the last leg of our trip. Lines were long and tensions high, everyone was exhausted. We arrived at Gatwick Airport with only a short time before our flight to Minneapolis and from there to SFO. At the gate we received the news that our flight was delayed for 45 minutes. Then, we were informed to our disbelief that our flight was delayed 24 hours. Northwest put up the entire flight in hotels with free meals and breakfast vouchers. We were happily surprised when we found the hotel to be comfortable. We each had our own very spacious room, there was a swimming pool, gym, and the food was delicious. Although we haven’t forgiven Northwest, the hotel helped a lot, and we’ll try to put the morning behind us. 

Rose Lockwood-Holden 

Epilogue 

We eventually caught our return flight and everyone arrived home safe and sound, where we were met at the airport by parents and friends. Being a part of the Dana Cup was amazing because we interacted with teams from all over the world, which gave us a sense of belonging to a global soccer community. People were nice and very approachable and the tournament was well organized and ran smoothly. The Hot Shots conducted themselves very admirably throughout the trip whether under competitive pressure or while traveling. Overall, it was a wonderful trip and a great experience. Many thanks to coach/chaperone Laura VanWart.  

Steven Morrison, Coach

California’s majestic coast redwood and Douglas fir trees are susceptible to a pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death, UC researchers have confirmed. 

The discovery adds two more plant species to a growing list of 17 that can host the pathogen – Pythophthora ramorum – which has killed tens of thousands of oak and tanoak trees in California and Oregon since 1995, with no cure in sight for infected trees. 

UC researchers said it is unclear if the pathogen is fatal for coast redwoods and Douglas fir and that years could pass before its effects on the two species might be discovered. 

The long-term impact on the state’s ecology and economy, particularly its timber, nursery, landscape and construction industries, is also cloudy, the researchers said. 

But concern is growing outside the research community. Gov. Gray Davis said that in light of the new findings he sent a letter to President George W. Bush requesting $10 million in federal aid to fight Sudden Oak Death.  

The money would buttress the $2 million in state funding included in the 2002-2003 budget that Davis is expected to sign today. 

“Today’s announcement about Sudden Oak Death in Douglas fir and coast redwoods significantly raise the stakes,” Davis said in a statement Wednesday. “As a state, we will continue to tackle this serious economic and environmental problem but we need federal resources as well.”  

Additionally, the California Department of Food Agriculture announced Wednesday that it will restrict movement of coast redwood and Douglas fir from 12 California counties, including Alameda County, where the pathogen has been found. The restrictions already apply to the existing 15 plant species that are confirmed hosts. 

Researchers first discovered evidence of the pathogen on redwoods in January, but did not verify its presence until this week. 

UC Berkeley adjunct assistant professor of ecosystem science Matteo Garbelotto and UC Davis associate professor of plant pathology David Rizzo, the nation’s two leading researchers on Sudden Oak Death, made the confirmation after checking diseased trees in the wild and conducting tests in the lab. 

The scientists found infected redwood saplings in Jack London State Park in Sonoma County and Henry Cowell State Park in Santa Cruz County.  

They also found strong DNA evidence of diseased sprouts growing from the base of mature redwood trees in Marin, Monterey and Alameda counties – including a redwood tree on the UC Berkeley campus.  

Researchers first confirmed the presence of the problem on campus in November 2001, in other plant species. 

Garbelotto said that in recent months wherever researchers looked they found evidence in redwood trees, which suggests that the species has been susceptible to the pathogen for years. 

By contrast, researchers only confirmed its presence in one set of Douglas firs, in Sonoma County, suggesting that infection of that species may be new. 

Garbelotto also warned that there may have been something unique about the placement of the affected set of Douglas firs, found under a patch of heavily infected bay laurel trees. 

“We don’t know if there was something unique about that site that made the Douglas fir more susceptible to infection than in other areas,” he said.  

David Bischel, president of the California Forestry Association, an industry trade group in Sacramento, said timber companies have not yet found evidence of Sudden Oak Death on commercial land.  

Bischel said the industry’s chief concern will be preventing the spread of Phytophthora ramorum from urban and recreational areas to commercial logging territory. 

The organism spreads through cysts and spores that some of the affected species release during wet weather. The spores can travel in moist soil or through the air. People and animals can also track spores to uninfected areas. 

Ninety-five percent of the redwoods and 45 percent of the Douglas firs commercially harvested in California come from the 12 infested counties, according to Louis Blumberg, spokesperson for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 

Citizens who believe they have an infected tree on their property should not chop down a tree or add water or fertilizer to a tree’s base, Garbelotto said, as these practices might just exacerbate the spread of the infection. 

There is no known cure but initial research shows that chemicals used to treat a similar pathogen in Western Australia may have prevented the pathogen’s spread there. 

Contact reporter at  

scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

To the Editor: 

Someone give Berkeley Councilmember Kriss Worthington a job as a standup comedian. While his poem on Iraq was shoddily written and had poor meter, his comments concerning BCMTV brought the laughing lunatic in me to the forefront. The Daily Planet reported (Sept. 3) that Worthington said that if Berkeley implements the most restrictive censorship in the state its passage would send a message to other cities to do the same. Other cities have city councils full of adults who can make their own decisions, and we really should spend more time worrying about what happens in this city than in other cities that might decide to emulate, rather than maintain this Cold War era fear of the domino effect. Further, why is Mr. Worthington more worried about sending the wrong message to other cities than he is about sending the wrong message to children in Berkeley? Besides, is showing a bunch of naked people doing sexual acts expressing an opinion? And if so, what opinion? 

Your business is here, Mr. Worthington

An independent arbitrator ruled in favor of the local teachers’ union in a contract squabble with the Berkeley Unified School District over the new six-period class schedule at Berkeley High School. 

The ruling could force the district to dramatically reconfigure its high school schedule, which took hold last week at the start of the school year. But district officials hope to win the union’s blessing on the new schedule in exchange for concessions on other contract matters. 

Berkeley Federation of Teachers President Barry Fike said the union will likely go along with the district and agree to the six-period day in exchange for other concessions. Fike would not elaborate on the concessions BFT will pursue. 

“We certainly have some ideas,” he said. “[But] we don’t want to be rigid going into negotiations.” 

Negotiations start Monday and a second session is scheduled Sept. 12. 

The contract squabble is rooted in a February decision by the Board of Education to shift from a seven- to a six-period day at the high school starting this school year.  

Because the move allowed the school to cut a handful of teaching positions district officials called it a cost-saving measure for a cash-strapped district. The change also allowed the school to expand the length of classes from 45 to 55 minutes. 

But the union argued that the school board could not unilaterally move to a six-period day because the shift would violate its contract. The contract, which operates on a seven-period model, provides that teachers will instruct five periods, prepare during one period and supervise for a seventh period. 

The union contended that the move to a six-period day eliminated the supervision period, violating the contract and requiring formal negotiations. 

But the district argued that a “supervision period” could refer to any period of time, not just a traditional, full class period. Under this interpretation, the district could move to six periods, assign a teacher to supervise the front gate before school and still fall within the parameters of the contract. 

After the two sides failed to reach an agreement they went before independent moderator Morris E. Davis of Oakland on Aug. 2. 

That day Davis issued a preliminary ruling favoring the union. A final ruling, expected to mirror the preliminary finding, is expected soon. 

Associate Superintendent of Human Resources David Gomez said the district is prepared to abide by the arbitrator’s decision and looks forward to productive negotiations. 

“The district wants to continue to meet with the union in a non-adversarial mode,” he said. 

Gomez said the district does not have any proposals for contract concessions to offer BFT in exchange for support for the six-period day, and is curious to hear the union’s suggestions.

To the Editor: 

I was reading your Tuesday front page story about the ACLU warning to the City Council that the proposed ordinance censoring our public access channel is unconstitutional. My mind was blown, but not by what the ACLU said. The ordinance is clearly unconstitutional. How only a few complaining people are the cause of all of this hullabaloo is troubling.  

Although the fact that just two people actually complained to BTV about the two targeted shows puts the issue in a frame; it is giving the complaining people the power to limit free speech, which this ordinance does, that is unacceptable. But being the producer/host of the targeted Unlimited Possibilities and the sponsor of the targeted Susan Block Show, I knew how bad this ordinance is. 

What blew my mind is what Councilmember Betty Olds says in the article. It wasn't her admitting that “protecting the children” is just an excuse to get rid of shows she doesn't like. She has been quite up front about this. 

But my mind was blown when she made this outrageous statement: “When they bring a camera close to a women's crotch and try to insert a disabled man's penis into a vagina - if you don't call that bad taste, I don't know what is.” 

Wow! Disabled people making love is “bad taste”!? To get how offensive this statement is, substitute “black” or “gay” for “disabled” in her quote. She actually said that in Berkeley, with our large active sexy disabled community. It just shows how out of touch she is with the Berkeley community values. 

And Olds must have a very active imagination. I've racked my brain. But I can't remember such a scene in my show. Sure. I'm a disabled man. Sure. There is human eroticism on my show. But what Olds describes hasn't been on my show. And as far as I know, I've been the only noticeably disabled male appearing on Block's show. Enough to say, I haven't penetrated on BTV. Only in Olds' imagination. But I do plan to show for people such as Olds, the beautiful documentary by the famous Canadian film maker Linda Feesey about people with cerebral palsy as sexual beings. 

Frank Moore, 

Berkeley

Air pollution in west Berkeley is jeopardizing construction of a state-of-the-art homeless shelter and community space near Harrison Park. 

The pending 140-person Ursula Sherman Village project was put on hold earlier this year after the developer learned that repeated air monitor tests by the city’s Department of Toxics found high levels of Particulate Matter 10 in air at the site. 

City officials say that the pollution is caused by a nearby garbage transfer station and by automobile and train traffic.  

It can bring on asthma and other respiratory diseases in people living at the site. Users of adjacent sports fields have in the past raised health concerns.  

Delay in constructing the planned shelter stalls hundreds of homeless Berkeley families in their effort to re-enter society, said Boona Cheema, executive director of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS), the nonprofit development group. 

“We will not put housing for the poor in a detrimental area, but there is no other place in the East Bay where we can do this,” Cheema said. “We have a crisis in this community.” 

The city has commissioned further air quality tests to make sure the readings at the site were accurate. However, if the latest readings stand, the project could be dumped. 

If it is built, however, the Village would be a “national model” for homeless shelters, Cheema said. 

The plan calls for three buildings: a renovated emergency care shelter at the site – the Harrison House, a transitional home for families – the Picante House, and a mixed-use community center and housing co-operative – the Village Center. 

The project would also include a three-step program aimed at getting residents back on their feet. 

New residents would enter the new Harrison House, currently a shelter with limited space, to get food, shelter and drug detox and have access to mental and physical counseling. 

The Picante House would serve as a transition center where residents would acclimate to increased responsibility. Here they would prepare meals and do domestic chores. 

Residents would then move into shared housing in the Village Center where they would live indefinitely in a supportive communal environment. They would work jobs outside of the Village to save money and to prepare for re-entry into society. 

The Village would house 140 residents including 45 children. All residents would have access to art, health and educational programs at the site. 

The project is both blessed and cursed by its location. 

Nestled in an industrial zone on city property, there is no nearby neighborhood organization that exists to oppose development. However, the lot is across from the Berkeley transfer station, a stopover for garbage on its way to landfills. Pollution there, with car emissions from nearby freeway traffic and trains, has contaminated the air, said Beck Cowoes of the Berkeley-based Ecology Center. 

Cheema said the dire lack of housing for Berkeley’s poorest residents should encourage finding a creative solution to the pollution problem. 

“Most of the affordable units built here are geared for people making just below median incomes, but there isn’t anything being developed for the very poor.” 

Cheema has already considered scaling down the project if the pending air quality reports turn out unfavorable. She may have to eliminate permanent housing at the Village Center. 

“I’m determined to build the village,” she said. “We’ve worked too hard and too long not see it through.” 

The city has given BOSS a favorable long-term lease as well as $650,000 toward construction. But the longer the air quality is in doubt, the higher BOSS’ expenses climb, Cheema said. Construction on the Picante House was scheduled to start this fall but has been postponed until spring. The delay has added to construction costs, she said. 

Meanwhile, BOSS stopped its fundraising drive because of uncertainty surrounding the project. BOSS has raised about $2.4 million of the estimated $6.6 million needed to complete construction. 

To the Editor: 

I just read your article on BTV's programming (Sept. 3) and I would like to point out a few things. 

Berkeley's proposed ordinance, if passed, would not be the most restrictive in the state. Many other cities in the stare flat out do not and will not allow programming like “Frank Moore's Unlimited Possibilities” and “The Dr. Susan Block Show.” Call the manager of the city of Pinole's community access channel. He can tell you how and why they don't allow this kind of programming. They have yet to be challenged in court. 

Why don’t you bring up the fact that most residents of Berkeley don’t know that we the tax payers are footing the bill for his crap? Should we pay for this crap? 

Dr. Susan Block and Frank Moore point out that their shows are the number one programs watched by Berkeley High Students and that they are doing the community a service. I believe it is still against the law to distribute material like this to minors. Where are the police in this? Who would they arrest, the city attorney for allowing this to go on? 

Have you watched the “worst” of these programs? Dr. Susan Block had one with women playing with themselves while urinating. (You see everything.) This show and others by Frank Moore clearly meet the FCC's definition of “obscene” material. Will the residents of Berkeley have to also pay any fines imposed? 

Call other cities and see how they keep control of their community access channels. 

Jim Hultman 

Berkeley

Berkeley police closed off traffic through the intersection of Ashby and Telegraph avenues for nearly two hours while they investigated a suspicious suitcase that turned out only to contain a sweater. 

The suitcase was reported at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday outside of a flower shop and police immediately cordoned off the area and restricted access to a nearby supermarket. 

Traffic was reopened at 8:24 p.m., police said, after “specially trained” officers found only a sweater inside the suitcase. 

No one in the area could provide information about the suitcase, though police are still searching for the owner.

The state Department of Fair Employment and Housing announced Tuesday that it has finalized a conciliation agreement with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory after an investigation based on a complaint filed in 1999 by nine Asian-American workers. 

The department said the laboratory will contract with an independent performance management expert who will examine the salary and promotion structure in place for engineers and scientists. Guidelines will be developed to ensure a non-discrimination policy and, one year after the guidelines are implemented, the lab's processes will be audited to verify whether or not the recommendations have been achieved. 

Specifically, the independent consultant will examine whether “racial stereotypes have been part of promotions, salaries, rankings and assignments,” the department said. 

Department Director Dennis Hayashi commended the laboratory on moving to reform its employment practices. 

“This agreement represents a true partnership between DFEH and the laboratory to ensure that any discrimination against Asian-Americans will be quickly and firmly addressed and resolved,” Hayashi said.

The Oakland Police Department's Homicide Division was at the scene of an apparent homicide Wednesday morning at the 1600 block of Adeline Street in West Oakland. 

At 7:15 a.m., patrol officers in the immediate area discovered a single victim with apparent gunshot wounds, a police spokesman said. 

A representative for the Alameda County Coroner's Officer reports that investigators were called to the scene at roughly10:30 a.m. 

Also Wednesday morning, Oakland Police questioned a man who attempted to shoot his wife but was tackled by her family members before he could pull the trigger. 

At the 2900 block of Fruitvale Ave. police arrived shortly after the 911 call at 10:36 p.m. and family members pointed out the husband's car as he left the scene. 

After a short pursuit, police took the man into custody for questioning. 

The man apparently tried to shoot his wife with a pistol but did not realize the weapon was on safety, police say. 

Before he could take the safety off, however, the woman's family members wrestled the gun out of his hands and forced him out of the house.  

Police say the pistol fired during the tussle but no one was injured. 

“It was a serious attempt,” said an Oakland police officer. “He was trying to finish her off.”

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis said Wednesday he will eliminate another 1,000 government jobs on top of the 6,000 already slated to be cut so that the “size of government reflects the revenues that are coming in.” 

Davis is set to sign the budget on Thursday, more than two months after the state spending plan was to go into effect. The $98 billion budget uses a combination of borrowing, program cuts and taxes to cover a record $23.6 billion deficit. 

The Legislature passed the budget Sunday after a two-month standoff over proposed tax hikes. 

Davis said Tuesday that he plans to “veto some additional money,” but he has not said how much it will be or where it will come from. He was asked by the Legislature to cut $750 million from state agencies and departments rather than programs. 

“I won’t have the specifics of it until late tonight or early tomorrow morning, but the bottom line is, this year’s budget will be less than last year’s budget,” Davis said Wednesday. 

State lawmakers say they are already gearing up for future budget battles. Last week, Controller Kathleen Connell said that revenue for June, July and August were below expectations, meaning the $23.6 billion deficit could jump to $27 billion before the state’s fiscal year is over. Critics have said this year’s budget does nothing to solve the future budget shortfalls. 

“The budget did little to address declining revenues and nothing on a permanent basis,” said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, a nonpartisan policy research group. 

Assembly GOP leader Dave Cox said he plans to ask Democrats to allow an equal number of Republicans on the conference committees the produce the budget proposals, which he says would make it easier to negotiate a budget early on. 

“Most Republicans believe they are involved in the process too late,” Cox said. “It’s a situation where we have to get started as early as possible.” 

As part of the budget agreement, the Legislature will also create a committee of lawmakers to study ways to improve the budget process. 

LOS ANGELES — Bill Gates introduced Microsoft’s newest multimedia software in Hollywood on Wednesday, promoting his company’s bid to make its technology central to tomorrow’s digital home entertainment center. 

The Microsoft chairman took the wraps off a preliminary version of Windows Media 9, whose technical improvements make online video look more like television and boost audio quality. 

The launch is the latest salvo in an intensifying battle for control of the market for multimedia players, software that runs and organizes entertainment files on consumer PCs. 

The upgraded product represents Microsoft’s latest attempt to win the support of the entertainment industry and dethrone Seattle-based RealNetworks as the leading provider of media player software. 

RealNetworks held a slim lead in the market with 30.8 million home users in June, compared with 30.1 million home users of Microsoft players, according to the research firm comScore Media Metrix. The numbers do not include media players embedded in Web browsers. 

“This is a hugely significant release, but it’s not game over yet for anyone,” said Michael Gartenberg, research director of Jupiter Research in New York. “RealNetworks is not going home.” 

Rob Glaser, chief executive of RealNetworks, said in an interview that Microsoft multimedia software is “emotionally unsatisfying” because it only plays content designed for the Windows standard.

SACRAMENTO — California teachers and health insurance companies are teaming up to get more kids enrolled in the state’s public insurance programs. 

The California Teachers Association and the California Association of Health Plans announced Wednesday they are launching an outreach campaign to let more low-income and minority families know about the state’s no-cost Medi-Cal and low-cost Healthy Families programs. 

Roughly 1 million California kids are uninsured even though their families are eligible for public insurance, said Walter Zelman, president of the California Association of Health Plans. 

“We have made some progress, but not enough,” Zelman said. “One reason, we realized, was that virtually all outreach programs — ours and those of others — were missing one major link: California teachers.” 

The associations hope to train teachers about public health insurance programs and provide materials that can be handed out to students and parents. 

The programs are open to low-income and working families that earn up to 250 percent past the federal poverty limit, which is about $42,000 a year for a family of four. Entire families can get medical, dental and vision coverage for about $30 a month. 

The campaign is funded by a $500,000 grant from The California Endowment, a health foundation formed when Blue Cross of California converted from a nonprofit into a for-profit company. 

Educators and health officials hope the one-year campaign will lead to healthier kids and better performance in school. 

“We can’t teach to an empty desk, but we also know every kid deserves a healthy chance to learn,” said Wayne Johnson, president of the California Teachers Association.

OAKLAND – The Oakland Fire Department reports that a large brush fire in the hilly Oak Knoll neighborhood was contained Tuesday afternoon after burning 10 to 15 acres. 

The fire just off Interstate Highway 580 began burning at 11:30 a.m., had threatened several homes in the area and even burned one home’s roof. 

According to Battalion Chief James Williams, more than 150 firefighters and a dozen aircraft were still working the blaze, which is concentrated in a grove of eucalyptus trees rich in oil content. Williams said oil from the leaves is producing a spectacular effect with large flames and heavy, black smoke. 

“The fire blows up quickly and then it dies down after consuming the fuel,” Williams said.

A Berkeley High School sophomore broke his right leg in two places Friday morning after leaping down a staircase to escape a small group of gang members, police said. 

The incident came one day after several students took part in an unrelated fight after school in Civic Center Park, adjacent to the high school. 

Police declined to release the names of the victims or alleged perpetrators in either attack since they are minors. But department spokesperson Inspector Arnold Lui said police planned to make a pair of arrests Monday afternoon. Lui could not confirm whether the suspects were involved in the first or second incident. 

The attacks, just two weeks into the school year, came on the heels of several well-publicized attacks last year. 

Berkeley High co-principal Laura Leventer expressed concern about last week’s events, but said that security at the school has improved since officials put a new safety plan in place last spring. 

“I see a much more positive environment,” she said. 

But Richard Crum, whose daughter dates the sophomore who broke his leg Friday, said the events of last week raise serious questions about security at Berkeley High School. 

“This is a public school,” Crum said. “I think students have a right to attend school and get an education in a safe place.” 

Crum said he might move his family out of the city so his two high school children can attend a new school. 

According to Lui, the assailants in the Friday incident are from a Latino gang called the “Fourteens,” from west Berkeley, and believed that the victim, also a Latino, was from a rival south Berkeley gang called the “Thirteens.” 

Crum said the victim is “in no way, shape or form” a member of a gang. 

“He is at my house everyday studying,” Crum said. 

The victim, who declined to discuss the details of the case, called the Daily Planet to say that he is not a gang member. 

According to Crum, the victim underwent four hours of surgery to repair his leg at Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center Friday. An Alta Bates spokesperson said that he was discharged Sunday. 

Lui said the Thursday fight in Civic Center Park stemmed from a verbal fight in a science class between two students. After school, a student backed by three or four friends approached the classmate and attacked him. 

A female friend of the victim who tried to break up the fight took several blows from other female attackers but never saw their faces, Lui said. 

The victim suffered a bruise and several cuts but declined medical treatment, Lui said. His female friend reported no injuries. 

In anticipation of the opening of its new service to San Francisco International Airport early next year, BART is adjusting train schedules effective today. 

Most departure times will change by three minutes, except on the Dublin/Pleasanton line, where departure times will change by up to six minutes. 

On the Richmond line, timed transfers at MacArthur Station in Oakland will occur only during evening hours. At other times, passengers should board direct trains bound for their final destination. 

Another principal change under the new schedule will be that the Dublin/Pleasanton trains, which now terminate in Daly City, will go all the way to Colma. 

For specific information on the new timetables, visit BART's web site at www.bart.gov or pick up a copy of the new “All About BART” brochure. 

The new airport line requires modification of current BART train schedules to ensure that the addition of new services goes smoothly and efficiently, according to a transit system news release. 

-Compiled from staff and wire reports

No. 20 UCLA 30, Colorado State 19 

PASADENA – Bradlee Van Pelt led a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter but fumbled the two-point conversion attempt with 92 seconds left as 20th-ranked Colorado State lost at UCLA, 30-19. 

The Rams pulled within 21-19 on Van Pelt’s six-yard keeper with 1:32 left. Van Pelt tried to run for the tying conversion but found little room and tried to pitch the ball to running back Cecil Sapp as he was hit by several defenders. 

Van Pelt’s toss missed Sapp and the ball was picked up by Bruins safety Ben Emmanuel, who returned the fumble for two points.  

Boston College 34, Stanford 27 

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College spoiled Buddy Teevens’ homecoming and debut as Stanford coach. 

Derrick Knight scored on a 12-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds remaining as the Eagles rallied for a 34-27 victory over the Cardinal. 

No. 13 Oregon 28, Fresno State 24 

EUGENE, Ore. – Onterrio Smith’s two-yard touchdown run with 1:07 remaining rallied 13th-ranked Oregon to a 28-24 victory over pesky Fresno State and its 17th straight home non-conference win. 

Oregon State 35, Temple 3 

PHILADELPHIA – Derek Anderson threw for 286 yards and four touchdowns - two to James Newson - leading Oregon State to a 35-3 rout of Temple in the first-ever meeting between the schools. 

No. 14 Washington 34, San Jose State 10 

SEATTLE – Cody Pickett threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns, including a school-record 89-yard strike to Reggie Williams, as the 14th-ranked Huskies bounced back from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat San Jose State, 34-10. 

No. 12 Washington State 49, Idaho 14 

PULLMAN, Wash. – Jonathan Smith and Jason Gesser accounted for six touchdowns as the 12th-ranked Cougars routed Idaho, 49-14, in the 84th “Battle of the Palouse.” 

Smith rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries, while Gesser completed 11-of-15 passes for 178 yards and three scores in limited action.

UC Berkeley is offering its first course taught entirely over the Internet this year. 

“Gems and Gem Materials” is an undergraduate course that is offered by the earth and planetary science department. It targets non-science majors who want to satisfy their physical science requirement. 

Taught by professor Jill Banfield, the course will post all of its materials – from quizzes to texts to video presentations – on the web.  

The site, located http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~eps2/, is open to everyone. 

Banfield and her teaching assistant will be available to meet face to face with students during office hours, and students must show up in person to take the midterm and final examinations, but most of the interaction will take place through e-mail. 

While the UC Berkeley Extension school already offers online courses, and some classes at UC Berkeley incorporate the Internet into studies, this is the first course to completely abandon the confines of a building. 

Physics professor Robert Jacobson, who reviewed the course materials as part of the academic senate panel that approved the course's test run, says that the course could be just the tip of the iceberg for cyber-education at UC Berkeley but adds that there are still many lessons to be learned. 

“Changing the way we teach is a progression, we have to learn what works best and what doesn't,” Jacobsen said. “I think this has started the snowball rolling.” 

Statistics professor Philip Stark, who is assistant in education technology for the university's Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs, said that the university supports using technology when appropriate, but added that technology will never fully replace the classroom. 

The favored method, he said, is as part as a “hybrid” approach that incorporates technology to supplement lectures and other personal interactions between professors and students. 

“Neither the administration nor the faculty think that a UC Berkeley undergraduate education should consist of sitting in front of a computer in lieu of face-to-face contact with an instructor,” Stark said.  

“As I see it, Berkeley is a research university, and this course is an experiment – it's research into teaching – to see how well the approach works.”

A Berkeley-based nonprofit group announced the availability this week of a second edition of its free guide that provides information to disabled people trying to navigate sites around San Francisco. 

Access Northern California's 32-page guide includes information about accessing more than 150 hotels, public transportation locations, shopping centers, museums and restaurants. Staff members visited each place included in the guide to inspect such features as bathrooms, roll-in showers, parking lots and accessible entries. 

Director Bonnie Lewkowicz said, “Access information is often inaccurate, unreliable and hard to come by, making it difficult for people with disabilities to travel.” 

Comments are meant to be detailed and frank so people living with disabilities can know exactly what they should expect when visiting a particular location, the group said. 

One such comment reads, “Path of travel from the street to the entrance is rough paving.” 

The guide can be viewed at the group's Web site, www.accessnca.com, or a free copy can be obtained by calling the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau at (415) 391-2000. 

Large print versions and audiocassettes are available.

WALNUT CREEK — The chief nursing home and hospital inspector in Contra Costa and Alameda counties was fired for what the state Department of Health Services called an “inexcusable neglect of duty,” the Contra Costa Times reported. 

Other reasons cited for the firing of Gilbert Martinez, 52, of Oakley, include dishonesty, misuse of state property, conflict of interest and embarrassing his employer, according to State Personnel Board records. 

Martinez has appealed the dismissal, said Richard Burton, his lawyer. 

“He’s being accused of things at this time that have yet to be proven,” Burton said. 

The records, released at the request of the Contra Costa Times, indicate Martinez was fired from his $71,000 a year job on Aug. 14. 

The records allege Martinez worked for a company owned by his wife that offered consulting services to nursing homes. They also allege he used his state-owned computer to access sexually explicit Web sites during normal business hours. 

Burton said the state has no proof a conflict of interest existed between Martinez and his wife, and it has denied his requests to produce evidence that Martinez used his computer to look at pornography.