Shortly after John Moriarty opened his Elmwood District jewelry shop nearly three decades ago, the two-block shopping district on College Avenue had a cobbler, pharmacy, gun store and the most restrictive business regulations in Berkeley. 

Those shops have all since closed, and now Moriarty, head of the Elmwood Merchants Association, is at the forefront of a neighborhood-merchant alliance working to undo the quota system designed to protect neighbors from losing shops they rely on and merchants from rising rents. 

“It just didn’t work,” Moriarty said. “The city has never enforced the quotas, several of the neighborhood serving shops have closed and rents have gone up.” Moriarty pays $3,500 a month for the storefront he rented for $400 in 1978. 

The Elmwood Business District Advisory Committee, comprised of merchants and leaders from surrounding neighborhood associations, has proposed scaling back the quota system from nine business categories to two: food service and beauty salons. The group also recommends barring businesses from expanding into neighboring shops as the clothing store Jeremy’s did earlier this year. 

“We believe in the free market,” said Kimberly Tinawi, owner of the Elmwood Market and the co-president of the Claremont Elmwood Neighborhood Association (CENA). “The quotas didn’t allow businesses to adapt to changing needs of customers.” 

Tonight (Tuesday) the City Council will vote whether to send the group’s recommendations to the Planning Commission for review.  

The most vocal opponent is Tad Laird, who recently bought the struggling Bolfing’s Elmwood Hardware Store. “Eliminating the quota system will force my business out,” Laird said.  

He predicted that open competition would lead to higher rents that would make a neighborhood-serving hardware store on College Avenue unfeasible. Laird, who owns the building housing his shop, also called for easing zoning restrictions so he could build condos above the store to help him underwrite the hardware business. 

“I bought this store under the premise that the community supported neighborhood-serving stores,” Laird said. “Now the feedback I get is that maybe we’re not supposed to be here anymore.” 

Laurent Dejanvry, co-president of CENA, said the notion that Elmwood stores should primarily serve local residents was “a very old view of Elmwood. I think it’s a combination of neighborhood-serving stores and a regional destination area—much like Fourth Street,” he said. 

Quotas Never Enforced 

Jason Wayman, owner of Elements, an Elmwood District clothing store, said he refused to participate in crafting a new quota system out of frustration with the city. “In reality, there has never been a quota system because the city refused to enforce it, he said. “This is like closing the door after the cow done left.” 

Last year Wayman was one of several merchants who fought unsuccessfully to keep Jeremy’s from expanding its Elmwood clothing store into neighboring storefronts. Even though the quota for clothing stores had been filled, the city allowed the expansion, which Wayman said has cut into his bottom line. 

“If Jeremy’s is going to expand to five units, then the quotas don’t matter,” said Desiree Alexander, owner of the Elmwood clothing store Dish.  

Dave Fogarty of the city’s Office of Economic Development acknowledged that “the city has misadministered quota system permits.” He said that by simplifying the system, city officials would be better able to enforce the rules. 

According to Moriarty, the district already is beyond its quota for full-service restaurants. He said restaurant owners got around quotas by opening as take-out restaurants when there were open quota slots in that category. Then, once they were established, they went to the Zoning Adjustments Board to get a variance to install tables, Moriarty said. 

Rationale of Recommendation 

The proposed system has been written primarily to prevent a repeat of Jeremy’s expansion and to close the restaurant loophole. Instead of dividing restaurants into three categories—carry-out, quick-service and full-service—the new system will have food service as a single category, in theory preventing full-service restaurants from starting out as take-out establishments. Twenty-one restaurants will be allowed in the district.  

For many Elmwood merchants, restaurants pose the biggest threat to their businesses because they typically can pay higher rent and attract patrons at night when other shops are closed.  

As an example of the lucrative restaurant business climate in the Elmwood, Tinawi said that the deli counter at her market, which features Middle Eastern products, constitutes about 80 percent of her business. “People aren’t supporting a neighborhood grocery store here,” she said. Under the new rules, Tinawi, who already has a quota slot as a carry-out restaurant, could turn the business into a full-service restaurant if the changes pass. 

Moriarty said the Elmwood committee chose to eliminate shop expansions because they feared it would lead to a few dominant retailers and the loss of diverse stores.  

“If Jeremy wanted to sell his shop, its big enough now for something like The Gap to move in,” he said. “That’s not the kind of store we want here.” 

Elmwood shops have held up fairly well during the recent economic slowdown, Fogarty said. City reports show that sales tax revenue from the district has remained virtually unchanged over the past two years. The only commercial vacancies are in a building at College and Ashby avenues being refurbished by Berkeley Real Estate Developer John Gordon. 

Why Now? 

The Elmwood committee is hoping to fast-track the changes so they are in place before Gordon rents out all of his spaces. The committee reasons that if the new quota system is in place, Gordon will probably have an easier time finding non-restaurant tenants and will have less incentive to seek variances to bring in more restaurants. Gordon has already contracted for an ice cream parlor to rent one of the spaces in the new building. 

“I think the new rules will help me get my building rented,” Gordon said. “I’ve gotten a lot of calls from clothing stores and shoe stores and I’ve had to tell them that I can’t put them in because the quota is full.” 

Councilmember Laurie Capitelli will probably have to recuse himself from the council vote tonight because he owns commercial property in the Elmwood District. 

Plans for a strike at the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center hospitals in Berkeley and Oakland were canceled Monday morning. 

The walkout, called by SEIU-United Healthcare-West, was part of an action threatened against 13 Sutter Health medical facilities in the Bay Area. 

The union’s Sutter Health bargaining union voted Sunday to call off the planned strike against 10 of the Sutter hospitals and to strike only the three San Francisco Sutter facilities of the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), said union representative Thea Lavin. 

Federal mediator David Weinberg had proposed a settlement at CPMC on Aug. 28 which he also distributed to the other 10 hospitals facing strikes. CPMC turned it down, leading to the union’s strike decision. 

When the union announced its willingness to accept the proposal, Democratic lawmakers joined the call for a quick settlement. 

Citing Weinberg’s report, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer sent a letter Thursday to Sutter Health CEO Patrick E. Fray expressing “my strong hope that Sutter and its affiliates accept this compromise settlement proposal.” 

She was joined by California’s other senator, Dianne Feinstein, and by state Treasurer Phil Angelides. 

The war of words between the union and Alta Bates Summit had heated up over the past week. 

After the union released Weinberg’s proposal for CMPC and told of its submission to the other hospitals, Alta Bates Summit released a scathing Sept. 6 “Local 250 Update” declaring that they had “received no proposal from the federal mediator.” 

Three days later, in a memorandum to trustees, staff and volunteers, Alta Bates Summit CEO Warren Kirk acknowledged receiving the document, then dismissed a large part of Weinberg’s recommendations as “simply SEIU’s proposals by another name.” 

That same day, CMPC spokesperson Christine McMurry called the document a “discussion document” for the center, rather than a formal recommendation. 

In addition to strike woes, Sutter learned last week that it has become the target of an legislative inquiry into its tax-exempt status led by Johan Klehs, chair of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation. 

Two U.S. House committees and one Senate committee have also been looking into Sutter. 

In an unsigned statement released Monday evening, Alta Bates Summit greeted the decision not to strike their hospitals as a union move made because of “overwhelming” opposition of union members to the planned walkout.›

Two Berkeley firefighters are back from emergency duty in hurricane-ravaged Mississippi, while a third remains on duty in New Orleans, following a dramatic rescue of a young girl. 

The rescue workers are part of a five-member Berkeley contingent working under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

Deputy Chief David Orth said firefighter Dave McPartland’s Swift Water Rescue Team discovered the girl when searching through a flooded neighborhood which had already been subjected to a preliminary search. 

“They were pounding on roofs to see if anyone was trapped inside,” Orth said. “They use sophisticated acoustical gear.” 

Tapping on one roof, they picked up a faint sound. 

“They cut through the roof the way firefighters are trained to do when there’s a fire, and they found this young girl who had been alone in the house since the hurricane began and retreated into the attic as the water rose,” Orth said. 

The team’s tour of duty was extended through Friday, but Orth said that the chiefs of their departments are “pretty adamant that they come back Tuesday (today) because they’re worn down.” 

Currently, he said, the team is working on recovery of bodies, “which is not their mission.” 

In exchange for their early return, Urban Search and Rescue Team Task Force 4 would send replacements.  

Mississippi 

For Lt. Darren Bobrosky of the Berkeley Fire Department, Hurricane Katrina was embodied in the 14-square-block neighborhood of Biloxi, Mississippi. 

“Our job was to clear the area for the local fire department,” he said Monday, the day after he returned from a week’s tour of duty on the hard-hit coast. Searching in 90 degree heat and 90 percent humidity, the rescuers on Bobrosky’s team found four bodies in the rubble. 

It wasn’t the firefighter’s first encounter with massive disaster—he was dispatched four years ago to New York. 

“Having rolled up on the World Trade Center, anything after that seems anti-climactic,” he said Monday. 

The two things that impressed him most about Katrina were the scale of the disaster—90 miles of coast versus the one square block of the World Trade Center—and the sense of displacement. 

“The destruction was pretty much the same,” he added. “There weren’t many houses standing, and those that were had been blown intact off their foundations and carried about five blocks,” he said. “But mostly, there were just foundations, swept clear of everything. And then you’d look up and see a boat in a tree. There was a huge amount of displacement.” 

Bobrosky said his team encountered very few local residents. 

“Once in a while a few people would drift by and ask us what we were doing and what we knew, but not many,” said the firefighter. 

Morale among emergency workers was high, he said. 

Also returning Sunday was Firefighter David Sprague, who served as the information systems specialist for Bobrosky’s team. The firefighters were greeted with a small reception at the airport. 

The pair remains under FEMA control through two mandatory time-off days, after which they’ll have more time off granted by the city. 

Two other members of the Bay Area team left Sunday morning to drive emergency vehicles back from Houston, the city from which Bobrosky and Sprague flew home later in the day. 

Health workers 

Berkeley Public Health Nurse Barbara Morita—whose normal assignment is Berkeley High School—remains on duty in the South. 

The fifth person called up, social worker David Wee, who is nationally recognized for his work in stress debriefing, remains in Berkeley, Orth said. Morita and Wee are members of the FEMA’s disaster Medical Aid Team.

As families from the Gulf Coast continue arriving in the Bay Area, Berkeley began mobilizing Friday to provide hurricane victims with homes and services. 

As of Thursday 122 families rendered homeless by Hurricane Katrina have arrived at the Red Cross’ Oakland center, said Helen Knudson, a Red Cross worker at Berkeley’s relocation summit, on Friday. In total, 513 families have arrived in the six Bay Area counties as of Monday, said Joyce Perry, a Red Cross spokesperson.  

“Many have come to be with family members, but several of them don’t have support systems here,” she said. 

On Friday, Berkeley officials, affordable housing providers, local nonprofits and churches gathered to coordinate Berkeley’s response to additional evacuees coming to the East Bay. 

Whether Berkeley becomes a major base in the relocation effort remains uncertain. Last week, federal officials, citing that many hurricane victims saw California as too far from home, rejected California’s offer to host up to 1,000 of them. Over the next month, Bay Area officials are anticipating accepting pets hundreds of pets made homeless by Katrina. 

To help evacuees that come to Berkeley, the Rotary Club announced Friday that it is setting up a charitable trust for hurricane victims living in Berkeley. The group has raised $15,000 for the fund, said Rotary Club president Pate Thomson. 

Mayor Tom Bates said the fund would give the city the opportunity to take in hurricane victims without seeking aid from the major relief organizations. A $100-a-plate fundraiser to contribute to the Rotary fund and other hurricane relief efforts will be held at HS Lordship restaurant Sept. 25. 

So far the city has offered food and services only to the family of Shirley Thompson, who last week welcomed 13 family members into her North Berkeley home. But other hurricane victims are trickling into the city. Ursula Morris, 52, who grew up in Berkeley, returned on Thursday to stay with an aunt. “The bottom line is I need money and vouchers for clothes and food,” she said. 

Elsewhere, the school district enrolled three hurricane victims into Berkeley High last week, said District Spokesperson Mark Coplan. 

UC Berkeley has enrolled 138 students from the Gulf Coast, said Irene Hegarty, UC’s community relations director. She added that the university is searching for available studio or in-law apartments near campus to house the students for the semester. 

Steve Barton, Berkeley’s housing director, said that Berkeley has 40 Section 8 housing vouchers that could be used to shelter hurricane victims who intended to remain in Berkeley. Also, Susan Friedland, executive director of Affordable Housing Associates, said AHA had 10 units that could be made available to hurricane victims. 

Amy Dawson, executive director of Rebuilding Together, said the organization, which upgrades homes and community centers in low-income neighborhoods, was open to working with homeowners or affordable housing agencies to fix up rooms and apartment units to house hurricane victims. 

The city is still working out details on a team of city workers and nonprofit agencies to intake evacuees and set them up with services while they wait for federal relief funds. The YMCA is seen as a possible candidate to serve as an intake center. “Since we’re right downtown, we’re a natural location for that process to take place,” said Fran Galatti, who cautioned that plans for the intake center remained incomplete. 

Local church leaders said their parishioners would be open to housing evacuees, but that they were focusing charitable efforts toward victims still in the Gulf Coast. Rev. Marvis Peoples, pastor of Liberty Hill Baptist Church, said his congregation had raised money to help victims taking refuge in Lake Charles, LA. 

“We’re taking supplies to where the people are,” he said.  

With concerns over Berkeley High School’s Academic Choice program not quite the hot-button issue it was a year ago, elections to this year’s School Site Council (SSC) last week were decidedly less volatile than they were last September. 

SSC parent members Marilyn Boucher and Regina Simpkins were re-elected to seats on the council, while Federal District Judge Claudia Wilken and parent Janet Wise won this year after being defeated in last year’s elections. 

Two members of last year’s council, Janet Wise and Da’Rand Shariah, did not run this year. 

Berkeley High’s 16-member site council plays a large role in setting the academic direction for the school and in deciding how some school funds are allocated. Four of the council’s members consist of parents elected at the first PTSA meeting of the school year, with runners-up serving as alternate members. 

Academic Choice began in 2001 as a program that allowed Berkeley High School students to attend accelerated academic programs while still participating in the school’s popular elective classes. It soon fell into controversy amidst charges that it was becoming a segregated, mostly-white conclave within Berkeley High, leading Berkeley Unified School District Board Vice President Terry Doran to once ask if the program “leads to a better Berkeley High School or a better Berkeley High School for some students.” 

Marilyn Boucher, an Academic Choice supporter and an SSC member, later argued in support of the program in a Daily Planet op-ed article, writing that “A better Berkeley High ... is a Berkeley High that offers many excellent choices so that every student can find a program or school that meets their personal needs.... We don’t claim that Academic Choice is the best option for every student... But we do believe that it is an excellent option for any student who plans to go to college.” 

A year ago before the SSC elections, members of a Berkeley group identifying itself only as “Parents and Families in Support of Marilyn Boucher, Regina Simpkins, Juliann Sum, and Janet Wise” circulated leaflets announcing that “Academic Excellence at BHS Is Threatened!” and called on the election of the slate of four candidates to save the program. Boucher, Sum, and Simpkins all won seats on the council, along with parent Da’Rand Shariah who declared himself an Academic Choice supporter. 

Federal District Judge Claudia Wilken was defeated for a seat on the council in that election, although she often served during the year as an alternate. Wilken had served as SSC president for the past five years and had expressed concerns that Academic Choice was leading to segregation at Berkeley High. 

While excitement over the Academic Choice issue made last year’s election a standing-room only affair, this year’s election had only roughly one-fourth the participants. 

“There really wasn’t any issue over Academic Choice this year,” said Berkeley PTA Council president Wanda Stewart. The PTA Council is separate from the Berkeley High PTSA. “What I heard was a number of people saying that what was needed was equal representation on the council by all sides.” Stewart said she believed there was a lessening of concerns because “we’re not hearing the kinds of complaints about class assignments that we heard last year. My impression is that 90 percent of the students got one of their top three class choices, and that relieved a lot of the angst.” 

In addition, in part to answer the concerns about segregation, the Berkeley High Board of Directors approved a reorganization of the BHS Academic Choice program last year. In one of the provisions approved, incoming Academic Choice students will be brought into the program with the same diversity mix as the high school as a whole.›

Members of Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustments Board approved the use permits that would allow construction of the David Brower Center on the city’s Oxford Street parking lot. 

Bob Allen was the only member who voted against the permits for the two-building complex. 

Allen said he would support what was otherwise “a wonderful project from the ground up” if his fellow board members would send the project to the City Council with a call for two levels of underground parking instead of one. 

Deborah Badhia of the Downtown Berkeley Association, which wanted two levels of parking, said her group endorsed the project with either one or two levels. Similarly, bicycle activist Jim Doherty—an outspoken opponent of any parking at the complex—gave his blessings. 

By the time the hearing closed, no one from the audience had spoken against the project, and the board approved it, subject to the addition of a note to the council that members preferred—but did not insist on—two levels of parking. 

Board member Jesse Anthony noted that the poor often need cars to commute to work. 

“Not everyone can ride bicycles and motorcycles and certainly not everyone can walk. We saw in New Orleans what can happen when people can’t get out of town,” he said. “But I’m going to vote for it, though I hope you keep in mind what I said.” 

The project consists of two buildings. One, the four-story David Brower Center itself, would house offices of environmental organizations, a restaurant and a Patagonia outdoor gear shop. The second structure, the six-story Oxford Plaza housing component, would include 96 housing units—many with two and three bedrooms—reserved for lower-income tenants. 

Funding issues still remain, particularly with the housing structure. 

2538 Hillegass Ave. 

David Meyers, the landlord who is seeking approval of his plans to add three units and a third story to the two-floor, four-unit student housing building he owns at 2358 Hillegass Ave. was back before ZAB Thursday in a more conciliatory mood than in his last appearance in August. 

“I realize I could be a better neighbor,” Meyers said. 

And to prove it, he offered to meet one of the demands of members of the Willard Neighborhood Association (WNA), who had called for a resident manager they could contact in the event of loud parties. Meyers also said he would post hours at the expanded apartment house as well as at the four-building complex he owns at 2609 Hillegass. 

Cell woes 

Members also voted to delay a decision on Cal Com Systems’ request to install four wireless cell phone antennae and a series of ground-level equipment cabinets at the Phillips Temple at 3332 Adeline St. 

Betty Jay Gray, who lives next to the building, objected, saying that cell equipment already installed at the building wakes her up in the middle of the night. 

“It’s like having a refrigerator running in the corner of your bedroom,” she explained. Cal Com representative Linda Spranz agreed to a request to conduct a noise test on site before the equipment was installed. 

The proposal was tabled until the Sept. 22 meeting to allow time for testing.

If the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees were a college football team, we would be saying that “Peralta’s crop of rookie recruits enters its second season tonight with high hopes, after a tumultuous year filled with both fumbles and mastering team fundamentals.” 

Trustees hold their first meeting following the summer break tonight (Tuesday) at the district’s headquarters, 333 East Eighth St. in Oakland. 

Agenda highlights are two issues that have been carried over from last year: construction change orders and the upgrade to the district’s management software. 

Trustees will be asked to approve more than $94,000 in change orders for site demolition and preparation at the new Laney College Art Building, bringing the total change orders requested for the project to 38 percent of the original $360,000 cost of the job. District officials say the extra work is needed because the actual on-site conditions encountered by the contractor differed from the drawings provided by the district. 

In addition, trustees will be presented with a request for a $90,000 version upgrade for its PeopleSoft Human Resources software. The district is in the middle of a conversion of its management software to PeopleSoft. 

Last November, the seven-member Peralta board witnessed a virtual makeover, with four new trustees elected to take the place of retiring members. Newcomers Cy Gulassa, Bill Withrow, Marcie Hodge, and Nicky Gonzalez-Yuen took their seats at the end of the year alongside veteran board members President Bill Riley, Vice President Linda Handy, and Alona Clifton. 

By the time they took their summer break, trustees had implemented a number of new initiatives that increased trustee oversight over district operations.  

Controversy over cost overrun change orders were a main theme of the new board’s first year, many of them concerning the ongoing construction of Vista College of Berkeley’s $65 million new campus. The Peralta board eventually passed a new board policy giving trustees more oversight over alterations to construction contracts. In addition, the board passed a new policy that required the district’s fiscal manager and general counsel to sign off on many proposals before they come to the board. 

And concerns over the district’s Internet technology operations led trustees to order an independent assessment of IT operations. Last June, the board approved a $30,000 contract with Hewlett-Packard for the study, scheduled to start this month. 

The district’s new PeopleSoft information management system is being installed in portions, with full implementation scheduled for October 2006. 

Peralta’s biggest controversy of the new board’s first year is not expected to be repeated. Shortly before the outgoing board left office last November, they directed Peralta Chancellor Elihu Harris to enter into negotiations with Oakland developer Alan Dones to produce a development plan for certain district and Laney College lands. Controversy over the proposal simmered throughout the year, and was so high that Harris suspended negotiations with Dones for several months, and Dones himself withdrew the project from consideration last May. 

But two other issues are expected to carry over into the new board year. 

Last January, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) warned Peralta that its four colleges—Merritt, Laney, College of Alameda, and Vista—were in danger of losing their accreditation because of a lack of a districtwide strategic educational and financial plan, the failure of the district to implement a plan to fund the district’s long-term health liability, and what WASC called “interference of the district’s trustee board in the day-to-day operation of the district.” 

The district has hired Berkeley’s MIG Corporation to assist its strategic plan development. MIG facilitators met with faculty, staff, administrators, and students at individual colleges last week, and expects a draft strategic plan to be produced by the end of the school semester. 

Another holdover issue is Peralta’s new policy of switching from temporary staff workers to 19-hour-a-week workers, a move designed to keep those employees below the threshold needed to qualify for health benefits. Representatives of Local 790 of the Service Employees International Union demonstrated against the policy at a trustee meeting last July.

Berkeley announced Monday that it has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases from city operations by 14 percent since 2002.  

By contrast, the Kyoto Protocol requires nations to reduce greenhouse gases by 7 percent between 1990 and 2010. 

The analysis, performed by auditors for the Chicago Climate Exchange, found that in 2004 the city emitted 2,066 fewer metric tons of carbon than in 2002—the equivalent of planting 52,000 trees or removing 450 cars from the road.  

“We pride ourselves on being leaders in the environment; now we have the data to prove it,” said Mayor Tom Bates at a Monday press conference. Bates added that programs to reduce carbon emissions had saved the city $370,000 in lower energy bills. 

Since 1998, Berkeley has reduced carbon emissions from city vehicles by 48 percent and from heating and cooling city buildings by 16 percent. At the same time, the city has seen carbon emissions rise 5 percent for electricity use. Bates attributed the increase to opening the renovated public library and the new city offices at 1947 Milvia St. Both buildings, he said, needed to be made more energy efficient. 

Another source of concern for the city is its program to power its fleet with 100 percent biodiesel, a derivative of soybean oil. The program was the biggest contributor to the reduction in carbon emissions from city vehicles, but earlier this year, Berkeley returned to using mostly regular diesel after a bad batch of the fuel damaged truck engines. 

Although city staff had proposed using a fuel blend with 50 percent biodiesel, Mayor Bates Monday pledged the city intended to return to 100 percent biodiesel after supply issues were resolved. 

The greenhouse gas emissions study was done as part of Berkeley’s entrance into the Exchange, which consists of more than 100 members, including corporations and government entities. Berkeley is the fourth city to join; the other cities are Chicago, Boulder, Colo., and Oakland. 

The exchange binds its members—which include Bayer Corp., Amtrak and the American Coal Ash Association—to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 percent every year from its base study year. Members that fail to meet requirements must buy credits from those that have achieved or surpassed their goals. 

Although the biodiesel issue could result in higher carbon emissions this year, since Berkeley has already reduced greenhouse gases 14 percent since 2002, Cisco De Vries, chief of staff to Mayor Bates, said the city doesn’t have to worry about being made to buy credits on the Chicago Climate Control Exchange in upcoming years. 

In the last two weeks, getting ready for the Big One has suddenly engaged many Bay Area residents. With the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina serving as a heads-up, people are replenishing their stock of water, batteries, canned foodstuffs and first aid kits. Those who live in or frequent the Berkeley hills would do well to add another item to their earthquake preparedness lists: the recently published third edition of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association’s popular map of all city-owned footpaths and stairways.  

During the Berkeley-Oakland firestorm of 1991, paths were important evacuation routes in areas where streets had become impassable.  

According to a letter sent to Berkeley hills residents last week by Fire Chief Debra Pryor, the city has spent part of a $413,000 Fire Prevention and Safety grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a grant supplemented with $177,000 in city funds, to improve the upper Glendale path by adding steps and a handrail. 

But Berkeley’s paths are much more than emergency evacuation routes. They also offer quiet beauty, historic interest, recreation and convenience—all made even more accessible by the Path Wanderers map. First published in 2002, the paths map soon appeared on the local Top Ten List of Nonfiction Bestsellers. A second edition followed in 2003. Twelve thousand maps have already been sold, a figure that the BPWA cites with understandable pride.  

In preparing the third edition, the association’s all-volunteer Map Committee walked and researched the mapped area to check for accuracy. The latest version includes 75 changes, most of which clarify features that were absent from or confusing in earlier editions, or that correct known errors.  

The most noteworthy revisions, says BPWA Boardmember Will Schieber, are those that show 10 newly completed paths. They include two segments of Stevenson Path, which with Stoddard Path, extends from Keeler Avenue to Grizzly Peak Boulevard; and three segments of Glendale Path. 

Those additions reflect the Path Wanderers’ extensive path-building efforts in the past two years. Built under the general direction of the Berkeley Department of Public Works, with the help of BPWA volunteers, local Boy Scout troops and other civic groups, the new paths are located on some of the approximately 40 city-owned rights of way that were set aside for paths but never completed.  

When the Berkeley hills were first developed in the early 20th century, the city was a streetcar suburb. The original developers deeded to the city 136 rights-of-way for paths. The paths that were built provided ready access to the streetcar lines that then wove through the city. After the Key Route line was dismantled in the 1950s, and people increasingly depended for transport on the private automobile, the momentum to finish the planned paths waned. In many places, projected pedestrian routes were overtaken by weeds and brambles, and by encroachments from neighboring properties. Indeed, some homeowners have been surprised to learn that a strip of what they regarded as their land is actually a city-owned right-of-way destined for a footpath.  

The newly revised path map sells for $4.95 and can be purchased directly from the BPWA by mail or on one of the organization’s walks. It’s also available at bookstores around the city, as well as other shops that sell maps and outdoor gear. Members of the Path Wanderers get a $1 discount if they buy maps directly from the association. See the BPWA website at www.berkeleypaths.org.  

If you’d like to get a firsthand introduction to the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association—now 500 members strong—and its activities, consider attending the BPWA annual general meeting on Thursday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m., at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 

The featured speaker will be Jonathan Chester, local photographer and author most recently of Berkeley Rocks—Building with Nature. Illustrated with color photos, the book highlights the prominent rock outcroppings that stud the city’s Northside parks and neighborhoods and discusses the ways in which pioneering architects, landscape designers and developers artfully incorporated the local geology into their plans and works. 

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http://www.jfdefreitas.com/index.php?path=/00_Latest%20Work

THE HAND OF GOOD 

Last week Professor David Baggins at Cal State East Bay valiantly toed the conservative line in the face of facts to the contrary.  

In his sarcastic rebuttal to a Daily Planet article about the dangers of letting housing prices rise above the reach of most Americans he asserted: “As middle-income families increased ...” Has the good professor missed the recent news (to some) that poverty in this country is on the rise? The middle class has been shrinking ever since the Republican Party de-emphasized formal education and political experience for its candidates—though you probably don’t see the effects if you live in Orinda.  

At Cal State East Bay, where the comical Doc works, Adam Smith’s “mysterious hand of good” (unproved “economic science” used to shove “Reaganomics” down our throats) is still being drilled into first-year business students—presumably to allay any remnants of social conscience that may impede their progress in the business world.  

Glen Kohler  

• 

DEPLORABLE 

I find the substance of Professor David Baggins’ letters morally deplorable.  

Professor Baggins regards Berkeley as a bastion reserved for relatively high-income people. Inside this bastion, none of the problems afflicting the rest of the country should be permitted to manifest themselves. 

The professor believes that the foremost threat to the ability of BUSD to provide an excellent education is its failure to bar children who live outside the bastion. These “outsiders” doom BUSD’s efforts to boost test scores. The reason the alleged non-residents have such a damaging impact is unstated but nonetheless clear: It is their less-than-affluent backgrounds. 

On the other hand, he welcomes housing developments with few units affordable to low- and moderate-income people. The high economic status of those who are able to pay what it costs to live in the new apartments and condominiums assures that they will spend money downtown and not commit street crimes. 

Despite occasional attempts to suggest that he is a leftie like the rest of us, Professor Baggins shows little concern for economic fairness or diversity in his vision of Berkeley. 

There should be nothing exceptional about Berkeley’s commitment to social justice; it should be a universal goal. I would be sympathetic if Professor Baggins rejected Berkeley’s fighting the good fight alone, and called for equitable nationwide funding of public schools or creating an effective mix of public investment and regulation to ensure that every community provided its proper share of affordable housing. But in his letters he is concerned only with well-off people within the bastion. 

Professor Baggins seeks to shut this city’s doors to the rabble. He wants Berkeley to be as exclusive as Piedmont. Fortunately, most of the people who live here disagree with him. 

Randy Silverman 

• 

DIVERSITY 

“Does Berkeley Still Believe in Diversity?” Yes! Does the Daily Planet believe in Berkeley? Apparently not. 

Berkeley today is the most diverse it has been in its history. By ethnic group, Asians have become the second largest at 17 percent, Latinos have risen to 10 percent, Blacks have fallen to the national average of 12 percent. The New York Times recently rated our city as the second most diverse economically in the country. Fear of absence of diversity in Berkeley can only be interpreted as masking another agenda. 

Berkeley had 40 years ago a non-diverse segregated concentration of low-income African-Americans. This community helped to sponsor the spirit of revolution pronounced in Berkeley’s 1960s politics. It also became crime ridden, violent, downwardly mobile, and ultimately dispersed itself out of a need to survive. African Americans growing up in Berkeley today enjoy a much better chance of thriving than the prior generation did. Their odds would improve further if the School Board allowed the schools to reflect the diversity of Berkeley rather than trying to achieve a concentration of poverty borrowed from other districts. 

We the residents of Berkeley can enjoy a city of intelligence, diversity, artistry and beauty. Developers with their condominiums and apartments are playing a role in the renaissance of Berkeley. The university taking an interest in long beleaguered downtown is also a blessing for the city. It would be nice if the Daily Planet was sometimes on the city’s side. If this is out of the question then it is just as well that other papers have emerged to provide the most meaningful form of diversity: perspective. 

Professor David Baggins 

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SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS 

Thank you, J. Allen Douglas-Taylor, for your article on Oakland School for the Arts. My son was at OSA for his ninth-grade year and half of his tenth-grade year. There was constant turnover, among staff and students alike. Twenty-six families didn’t return after the winter break our first year, many more than that didn’t re-enroll for the following school year. We lost count of how many teachers came and went.  

The problem at OSA is the administration. We never heard of any staff or student body changes from Mr. Berry or his staff. Calls were rarely returned and all the news came from the kids. (This was in a school with a student population of 200 and an administrative staff of eight! Most public schools have a principal and a secretary; they return calls!) The impression was that anyone, teacher or student, who didn’t toe the line was out. It was very disheartening in many ways. Obviously we were disappointed that it didn’t work out for our family.  

More than that, I am still heartbroken by the squandering of such a wonderful idea and so much money by an autocratic and inexperienced administration. Many unhappy families have contacted Mayor Brown about this; I don’t know of any responses from his office. Mayor Brown has talked about wanting this school to be his legacy to Oakland. If he continues to ignore the problems with the administration at OSA, he’ll be leaving a very compromised legacy indeed. If it survives. 

J. Hurth 

Oakland 

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VENDETTA 

May I inquire as to whether your reporter J. Douglas Allen-Taylor or the Daily Planet has a particular vendetta against the Oakland School for the Arts? On Sept. 3, you published an article based heavily on the views of one Oakland parent who transferred her daughter to Skyline High School after only one semester at OSA. Why her and her child’s undoubtedly unhappy experience from nine months ago is news today as the new school year begins is not evident in the lengthy article. This attack comes on the heels of another article by Mr. Allen-Taylor from Feb. 4, which was based substantially on an anonymous “report card” that was said to be available in local coffee shops. The portion of the story featuring information from the anonymous flyer was buttressed by quotes from an anonymous source. Comparing the two articles, the anonymous source from February is evidently the same parent who was the impetus for this week’s story (i.e., a parent of a ninth-grader wanting to transfer her daughter to ...?) 

Perhaps I missed it, but I have yet to see Mr. Allen-Taylor or any other Daily Planet reporter do a story featuring either the fabulous artistic performances or the strong test scores of OSA students. This week’s article mentions the scores, but only briefly in the fourth paragraph; needless to say, the paragraph does not compare the scores to the considerably lower ones of Berkeley High or Skyline High, the two schools mentioned in the article. OSA is getting these results with a student population that is majority African-American. I have also yet to see an article discussing the current state of the plans to renovate the Fox Theater as the permanent home of the school. Once completed, this will be a fabulous home for the school, as well as a keystone in the revitalization of that area. 

As a parent of an OSA student in the theater department, I readily acknowledge that the school has felt its growing pains. The school is not every child’s cup of tea, nor is the demanding schedule for every teacher. I deeply regret the loss of some of the students and teachers who have left, but at least some were clearly poor fits for the OSA environment. However, my child—as is true for many, many others—is thriving, happy, and learning in a highly diverse environment. In sum, I hope that the Daily Planet will find a little space to write the good news stories about OSA as well as the snarky ones based largely on one disgruntled source.  

David Levine 

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SEX OFFENDERS 

Open season on sex offenders. Two registered sex offenders who had their addresses listed on the Internet were executed in Bellingham, Wash.; they had committed transgressions, but their killer committed an even greater transgression by exacting an eye-for-an-eye vengeance. These former sexual predators, who had become law-abiding citizens, were murdered by some holier than thou vigilante. For the less close-minded of you is there any doubt who is worse? 

Ron Lowe 

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ISM 

It saddens me to read letters in the Daily Planet calumniating wonderful human rights organizations like the International Solidarity Movement. These same young people who risk their lives in courageous efforts to nonviolently remind us all of our common humanity are those who, if they had been born in a different era, would have been the ones risking their lives to hide or rescue Jews in Nazi Germany, not because of religion or ethnicity but simply because of our common human rights.  

Vivian Zelaya 

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DERBY STREET PLAN 

The Sept. 8 letter from members of the East Campus Neighborhood Association regarding the Derby Street plan is a perfect example of why planning for this facility has been such a difficult process. First, in the current planning there hasn’t been one single public planning meeting discussing a closed Derby plan—not one. According to the consultants running the planning process the topic of closed Derby was not to be discussed. Why aren’t they letting your readers know about that important “issue”? 

Second, the people supporting the open Derby plan have written and said things that are not factually correct, thus misleading people who are not really involved in what is going on. In the most recent letter they stated that the costs do not include soft costs such as construction contingencies, which they state, “will add 30-40 percent to the cost of the project,” but in fact, the budget figures include 45 percent in soft cost charges including a design contingency of 20 percent.  

Third, and most importantly, when you actually ask these people, “OK, so what is the real issue about closing Derby?” you get these blank stares and vague answers. Uh, it will destroy the Farmers’ Market. Well, actually, no that’s not the case because in the closed Derby scenario, the Farmers’ Market will actually have a physically better facility with higher visibility and more space. Uh, closing Derby will cause overwhelming traffic problems. Well, actually, no that’s not what the traffic studies done for the initial EIS found and anyone who has a detached perspective on urban traffic would find the amount of east west traffic down Derby and the adjacent streets to be extremely light. Uh, it’s too big a scale for the neighborhood. Well actually no because Derby open has about 175,000 square feet of field space and 27,000 square feet of pavement for a total of 202,000 square feet. Derby closed has 166,000 square feet of field space and 36,000 square feet of pavement for a total of 202,000 square feet.  

But saving the best for last they ask the mayor to seek a “more suitable” non-residential site. More suitable for whom? For the athletes and coaches who could just walk from school to the Derby site but would be forced to bus or drive to this mystery non-residential site? For the non-athlete students who want to see their high school team play but will now have to drive to get there? Every single public high school in this area has a baseball field in a residential neighborhood. 

The question here is what is the real issue? Why is closing Derby such a big deal? Facts please. Not hysteria, not factually unsupported statements of doom and gloom, not concerns about various groups and programs who don’t seem to feel the need to express the same fears that you do, and not issues of cost which will be something for the BUSD board to assess.  

Doug Fielding 

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BERKELEY HONDA 

The ongoing labor dispute at Berkeley Honda has provided an abundance of copy for this newspaper. The chronicling of the protest is a regular subject in the letters section. One letter however has put this entire affair into perspective. 

Donna Mickleson implores all your readers to “come on down and join the party” because “it’s fun.” She likens the entire affair to a neighborhood potluck. Well Donna, there is nothing “fun” about a labor dispute. There is nothing “fun” about technicians not being able to bring a paycheck home. There is nothing “fun” about the effect that the protest has on the dozens of employees who work at Berkeley Honda. There is nothing “fun” about trying to destroy one of the major generators of revenue for the City of Berkeley. 

Perspective is very important and can only be achieved with an understanding of all sides of an issue. I doubt that Donna or any of the other “partiers” have taken the time to find out what the issues really are. I am not suggesting that she needs to agree with any one particular side, but I am suggesting that knowing the whole scenario before picking up a sign is more important than knowing who’s bringing the chips next Thursday. 

How sad it is to see so much energy expended by people to enjoy a party only 10 feet from where homeless people can be found sleeping at night. It begs the question, “Is there perspective in Berkeley?” Sadly, the answer is no. 

Thank you Donna, for giving us the perspective that the caricature that comes to mind when most people think of Berkeley is not a misrepresentation. People clearly care more about the protest (read: party) than they do the issues at stake. Likening this dispute to a social gathering is not only demeaning to business in this community, it is demeaning to the employees who may actually like to work again. 

How sad it would be for the labor dispute to be settled, and for Berkeley Honda and it’s employees to prosper, because then where will Donna go for her party? 

Chris Regalia 

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REBUTTING LUBECK 

It’s a good thing that Assistant Manager Tim Lubeck is doing so well at Berkeley Honda because he sure couldn’t make it as a reporter. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has not held any “meetings” or hearings over the Berkeley Honda situation. Rather, there is an ongoing investigation into the company’s unfair labor practices. 

While the union did withdraw one set of charges, new evidence has come to light and the board is investigating those charges. They have certainly not found that “the hiring practices at Berkeley Honda were fair and conducted without bias.”  

I find it very interesting that Berkeley Honda management is telling people that “the only issue that clearly remains” is the pension plan, because that’s sure not what they are saying in negotiations. We agreed to accept the company’s medical plan, which includes full family coverage. They now claim that was only “temporary” and used as a hiring inducement (also known as bait and switch). Management’s new proposal is to cover the employee only. 

The union agreed to the pay scale Berkeley implemented on June 1. Management now says that “won’t be the norm” and is proposing pay cuts of $6 to $8 per hour.  

Contrary to Mr. Lubeck’s claims, the pension fund is not in any danger of bankruptcy. It is currently 91 percent fully funded. IRS regulations require employers who leave plans that are not fully funded to pay their withdrawal liability. This ensures that the plan will not be dumped in the government’s lap like United Airlines. There is a five-year “safe harbor” for new employers that precludes them from paying anything if they leave the plan. We offered Berkeley Honda the right to opt out automatically within four years, so there would be no possible liability. They summarily rejected the idea. 

Clearly, the Beinkes of Blackhawk are not interested in a union contract under any circumstances. But, what seemed like a good idea at the Country Club isn’t playing in the streets of Berkeley. 

Don Crosatto  

Machinists Local 1546 

Oakland 

• 

CIVIL MARRIAGE 

State civil marriage licenses are not a religious nor even majority issue. They are a simple fact of civil rights to all sovereign citizens as guaranteed in our Constitution. Allowing the religious beliefs of one particular faith to deny the rights of the minority citizens would be unconstitutional, wouldn’t it? 

Holly Blash 

Pleasanton 

• 

WHY LIE? 

Even after Gerald Schmavonian in his Aug. 16 commentary rebutted John Gertz, David Altschul, and Lawrence White for their purposeful distortion of history, John Gertz and David Altschul are at it again. They obviously can’t help themselves from lying. Gertz writes (Sept. 2) “The War (1967) began when Nassar sent his armies into Sinai.” But as Mr. Schmavonian pointed out Sinai was then and is now part of Egypt. To say what Mr. Gertz is saying is akin to saying that WWII began when the U.S. stationed troops in California. 

David Altschul (Sept. 6) writes that after the U.N. Partition Resolution of 1947 “The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq invaded Israel.” In fact, those armies never entered Israel but only the land taken by Israel from the Palestinian state that was supposed to be created by that same U.N. Partition Resolution of 1947 (but never was due to Israeli aggression against it).  

I cite the Encyclopedia Britannica that the Israeli army learned that the British planned to withdraw ahead of the scheduled date of May 14, 1948, and the Israelis attacked first in order to “gain strategic objectives in advance” conquering much of what was to become the new Palestinian state. The “Arab hordes” of five nations, that Gertz and Altschul want to frighten and alarm readers with, numbered less than 10,000 poorly-equipped soldiers in total who fought bravely against a Western-equipped Israeli army of 50,000 soldiers. 

Gerald Schmavonian urges readers to consult any encyclopedia, including the Jewish Encyclopedia, for the facts. Why don’t Gertz or Altschul ever ask readers to do that? How is it that the U.S. public alone, among all the world’s publics, is under these misimpressions and deceptions? Dare we call it conspiracy? Because Gertz and Altschul and their pals know as Anne Cromwell pointed out (Aug. 23) that if you can control the sound bites, you can control the message.  

Otherwise why would they continue lying? Would it weaken Israel’s claim that its armed forces are ludicrously called IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) if people knew they always attacked first (Israeli Offensive Forces) in all their wars. 

Janet Sakamoto 

Albany 

• 

PERFECT STORM 

If storms were animated—as many prehistoric peoples believed—Katrina was perfect. She bobbed, she weaved, and she parried her opponent (us) as she picked the perfect place—a city below sea level, picked the perfect time—when other suitors were off fighting a war, and she had the perfect mate—a man without a clue. 

Gerald Shmavonian 

Fresno 

• 

NATURE ON RAMPAGE 

And it came to pass that the people insisted on building their homes, their dreams, yeah, their very lives in the city of — known far and wide for its social amenities and its joys of living. Alas, this was a place where mother nature was statistically certain to come roaring through every few generations, destroying everything in her path. Experts warned the inhabitants time after time after time: “There is no question that nature will huff and puff and turn this town into ruins...the only question is WHEN.” 

New Orleans? Oops, I’m just thinking about our beloved city of Berkeley and our inevitable upcoming earthquake(s). And whose fault will that be? 

Victor Herbert 

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GLOBAL WARMING 

Of course Hurricane Katrina is a terrible tragedy with all the deaths, suffering and destruction right in our own country. It is beyond comprehension. And we need to help in whatever we can, which Americans are known for doing, especially for the people who are still suffering or at risk of dying. But at the same time we need to wonder why only half-way through the hurricane season there has all ready been such huge hurricanes, especially this recent very destructive one. The answer for the most part is two words: global warming. The biggest threat to this country and to the world is not terrorism but the destruction we are doing to the environment, and now it is coming back to haunt us. As a society we need to live in a more sustainable way, but instead we’ve been consuming and polluting like there is no tomorrow. Well, tomorrow is coming and unfortunately Katrina may be just the beginning. And forget about the present administration doing anything about this environmental crisis or any crisis for that matter; for the most part they are in denial of it all and are just contributing to the crisis. There is that famous old saying “Don’t mess with Mother Nature,” and we sure have been messing with her.  

Thomas Husted 

Alameda 

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EARTHQUAKE 

I was pleased to read Mr. Townley’s impassioned article reminding us of the natural hazards we face here in the Bay Area. There is clearly an opportunity for us to learn more about what we can do to minimize the social and economic impacts of our own looming losses from future earthquakes. We need to take action—sustained, consistent action—so that with every week that goes by we are a little bit more prepared.  

In that sense, I fully support the steps outlined in his article, not the least of which is support of the proposed soft-story ordinance that will soon be placed before the City Council. 

In reading Mr. Townley’s article, though, I noted a small factual error regarding the magnitude of our estimated seismic risk. The article states, “A major quake is coming on the Hayward fault (66 percent chance in the next 30 years).” It appears that the statement is a misinterpretation of an on-going USGS project prepared by the “Working Group On California Earthquake Probabilities” (see 

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/seismology/wg02/). The USGS recently estimated that there is a 62 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake occurring on one or more of the many faults in the Bay Area (between Monterey and Santa Rosa). Of all of the faults, the risk is greatest on the Hayward fault. The estimated risk, however, of a large earthquake on the Hayward fault is 27 percent, not 66 percent, between 2003-2032. 

I think it is important to be realistic about such information. While the problems with complacency are greater, we should not overstate when and where the next large earthquake will occur. There may be a catastrophic earthquake that strikes the Bay Area before this letter is read or there may not be a large earthquake in the Bay Area for another 50-years. 

As a structural engineer who is constantly assessing these risks for building owners and helping them with the design and construction of seismic upgrades, I know these numbers are not precise and discussions of risk often lead to inaction, in part because it seems unreal and confusing. Situations like the hurricane in the Southeast and other earthquakes in California often have the positive effect of getting us to take some action locally. 

In the long run, though, I think the best thing to do to take sustained and consistent action so that with every week that goes by we are a little bit more prepared. 

Michael Fretz 

• 

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE 

“The Berkeley public schools have been almost unique in that they offer an excellent public education in a multicultural environment.” 

How can you possibly call it “excellent public education” when tests have to be altered to accommodate the lack of intelligence of those being tested? 

If you are interested in presenting an accurate view of the issue then another perspective is necessary.  

Don’t you understand that Negros are being used as scapegoats for an evil agenda of the people who brought them here originally? 

Use the Internet: truth is just a few clicks away and your readers would be wiser. 

Google keyword search: slave trader. 

Ronald Branch 

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DIEBOLD 

I am baffled. In his response to my Aug. 16 op-ed entitled “How Many Diebolds to Screw up an election?” why would Diebold Vice President Dave Byrd mischaracterize the tests held in Stockton in late July?  

The testing wasn’t designed as a simple process of tabulation in which the outcome must be entrusted to Diebold. How do we know that “not a single ballot was lost?” 

The purpose of the testing was to demonstrate whether Diebold’s electronic voting machines could accurately provide a paper receipt for voters to verify their votes, which is now required by state law. As I had pointed out, his company’s machines failed at the rate of 20 percent, not the 10 percent reported by Secretary of State McPherson’s office (19 out of 96 machines).  

We have known that Diebold’s touchscreen voting machines can record 10,000 votes. The question at hand is whether the votes go to the voter’s intended selection and if this can be verified in print. From the latest testing, at least we now know beyond any doubt that Diebold can take a handful of voters and generate 10,000 votes. 

Peter Teichner 

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BIG BUSINESS 

This not the first time that Diebold has been discussed in the news. They have acquired quite a notoriety in the matter of both monopolizing the market and screwing up services, thanks to friends in high places. 

I agree with your article by Richard Steinfeld in as much that yes, our government has done plenty of laudable work for us all and yes our government should work hand in hand with corporations to deliver needed services. 

I am one who has had enough of the old Reaganite contention of “getting big government off our backs.” Successive Republican administrations have replaced “big” government with big business and we are seeing the results of it all. 

As a physician, I have found for 20 years the government-operated Medicare program has functioned well for patients as well as the vast majority of doctors. Those doctors who initially complained about it later found private insurance to be more draconian and intractable. 

Besides there are many western democracies that have and are doing well with many government-run services; the Scandinavian countries, the U.K. and Canada for example. 

Byravan Viswanathan 

• 

SPACE OF THEIR OWN 

The work of schooling is to develop the latent ability of the child. To do that we have to provide a safe environment for the child where interactive play and imagination can be at work without danger. In such a classroom or home situation all children will feel interconnected and visible; they will also feel stress-free and happy. Thus the school or home will have fewer administrative problems. I think we must place more emphasis on art and music in our curriculum to build self-confidence in our children. When we sing or play musical instruments, we feel relaxed. We reveal our emotions. We allow our true selves to be creative and we feel optimal energy. 

As teachers or parents we must have informal conversation with children about their day. Our attentive, non-judgmental listening will allow children to be honest about their feelings. Such a link to the true experience of our children will be beneficial for parents as well as teachers. At the same time we should also have group discussions in the classroom about current issues with which children can relate. Group discussions build social connections and develop the student’s capacity for critical thinking. 

When children get frequent opportunity to decide what to do, they become independent thinkers. Child development centers should provide children every opportunity for making choices, allowing them to work with peers, allowing them to roam around their favorite stations till they find a site that stirs their curiosity. In order to strengthen their interest in science, art, reading, mathematics and computers, children should be allowed time to explore and experiment. Educators should not disturb the attention of children when they are deeply involved in a project. 

Children love this kind of freedom to choose. They feel empowered and happy. We as educators have to create a very friendly environment so children love to learn. When we read to the children a literary bond is established with them. Children seek a connection between the story and their own selves. They exercise their imagination. In their minds they explore the new pathways opened out by the story. 

Parents should try to be motivators and great role models for developing a child’s natural curiosity. They should share with their children their own sense of wonder at the cycles of nature and at the mystery of creation. I would like to request all teachers and parents to create this link of sharing their sense of wonder. Such a link will help their children to become lifelong learners. Such children will become an asset to the family and to the nation. 

Romila Khanna 

• 

NATURE AND WILDLIFE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding Mike Vandeman’s odd Aug. 19 letter about a mountain bicyclist’s injury five years ago: Mr. Vandeman, a self-appointed wildlife fanatic, is quite familiar to readers of local letters pages. 

His past missives have viciously attacked cyclists, wheelchair users, and any other human who dares to venture onto a trail. He once even gloated about a cougar’s fatal mauling of a jogger. 

This nasty conduct may have earned Mr. Vandeman the first-ever expulsion from the Sierra Club. And his claims are willfully ignorant of scientific research. 

His notion that mountain bicyclists do any more damage to trails than hikers do was disproved by a 2001 Canadian study and a 1994 Montana study. You can find summaries at www.uoguelph.ca/mediarel/01-08-16/biking.html and http://www.imba.com/resources/science/impact_summary.html. 

I’m happy that at least his latest letter implies empathy—whether sincere or not—for someone else who “ended up brain damaged and divorced.”  

Marcia Lau 

• 

SMOKING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I recently attended the James Taylor concert at the Greek Theater and sat on the lawn and was horrified to find that the facility allows smoking! 

1. There is a fire danger (late summer). 

2. There is a health danger (secondary smoke). 

3. Some of us are allergic (this caused me three days of severe coughing). 

4. This is state property and as a taxpayer I deserve to have smoke-free facilities. 

One cannot smoke at the Oakland Coliseum. One cannot smoke at SBC Park. Why allow smoking at the University of California facility? 

Mary Ciddio 

• 

DAN SPITZER’S PLANET 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Welcome to Berkeley, new readers. Permit me to introduce you to the Daily Planet. You hold in your hand what purports to be a publication covering the local scene. In reality, the Daily Planet is a reflection of publisher/editor Becky O’Malley’s simplistic ideological posturings and overt bias. Some of us have come to call it “The Daily Jihad.” 

While there are innumerable important local issues to cover, this publication, in its reportage, editorials, and op-eds, is obsessed with bashing Israel. Indeed, you will eventually see that it crosses the line from reasonable criticism to something far darker, the mirror image of its publisher’s anti-Jewish prejudices.  

The most recent example of the above is O’Malley’s hiring of Henry Norr to convey his observations about the Palestinian territories. Asking Norr to provide yet the slightest pretense of objective reportage on this issue is akin to believing that you might find honest commentary on the Third Reich by Joseph Goebbels. 

Those unfamiliar with Mr. Norr should know that once employed by the Chronicle, he was fired for plying his mindless propaganda in countless public forums. Norr, you see, is a member of the International Solidarity Movement, a pro-Palestinian organization which—-according to Mother Jones and other progressive publications—has aided and abetted the cause of Palestinian terrorist organizations. Hence, O’Malley’s hiring of Norr to write about the Israeli/Palestinian situation has about as much credibility as George Bush’s claims that Saddam had WMDs!  

What next, Ms. O’Malley? An embrace of the Palestinian Authority’s charter which still calls for the destruction of Israel? 

Dan Spitzer 

Kensington®

If we measured news coverage the way we measure hurricanes then Katrina’s Category 4 destruction of New Orleans would rate a Category 5. Everything imaginable and much that is not imaginable is said, repeated and illustrated. Print and electronic media stuff the public with countless graphic morsels of courage, fortitude, resilience, tenacity, evil, looting, anger, neglect, mendacity, incompetence, finger pointing and blame aplenty—a full rainbow of emotions, a microcosm of the American psyche, a mesmerizing surreal orgy of humanity in extremis.  

New Orleanians above a certain resource level had the wherewithal to heed the evacuation order (equate “resource level” with “class” if you prefer.) My three brothers and their families are displaced; their homes and all they own are either destroyed or severely damaged; they suffer but they are safe. My youngest sister lived below that imprecisely drawn resource line and consequently had to endure five days in indescribable misery before she was rescued.  

New Orleans is loaded with history—pre-U.S.A. slave auctions, pirate hangouts, voodoo magic, Cajun myths, quadroon balls and post-U.S.A. military triumph in the war of 1812, art and culture center, world admired cuisine. Its nicknames—Crescent City, Big Easy, Fun City, Jazz City—indicate a rich diversity of life. It existed apart from the rest of America and yet on two levels it epitomized America’s soul, a schizophrenic world that is fittingly symbolized by two climactic parades on Mardi Gras Day: the floats of Rex metaphorically parading the white life and those of Zulu boasting the black life. New Orleans was never “the white man’s burden.” For at least two hundred years before Katrina New Orleans changed from being a place where people were separate but equal to being the quintessential American Dilemma.  

Katrina effectively and forever washed away the thin veneer that covered America’s boastful noble ideals; it resolved that dilemma. Category 5 news helped the world see the shabby incompetence of government and the uncaring hypocrisy of officials. The flag we so proudly hail does not wave; it droops heavily soiled with delta mud. We are not one nation under God, but a house divided.  

America was hated for invading Iraq and the aftermath validated that hatred. Today America is revealed to contain within its borders a sub-world populated by mostly black faces where poverty is endemic. Today the world’s disaffection takes a new turn. Today the world looks on incredulously as Americans who had nothing before Katrina are reduced to having less.  

Their slave ancestors survived in a netherworld world, a world alive in the biological sense but marginally so in the human sense. French, Spanish and African cultures intermingled. From desperation slaves escaped using jungle methods, recreated themselves after the days‚ grinding labors combining African music with Christian lyrics, hopelessness was defeated by jubilation “laisez le bon temps roulez!” producing new art. New Orleans is more a people than a place.  

In his journey through Hell and Purgatory Dante described in poetry how God punished sinners but he could not have imagined and even less describe the hellish inferno that must have existed for five days in the New Orleans Superdome. What sins were those hapless descendants of slaves guilty of?  

Michelangelo’s wall fresco in the Sistine Chapel depicts divine judgment in horrifying images of twisted, naked bodies, tortured, screaming writhing in pain. Category 5 news transmitted to our living rooms a sort of electronic update of The Last Judgment: tens of thousands of real people isolated inside a state of the art sports arena that was transformed before our eyes into a huge container sealed and cut off from everything that makes human life possible. Many were children. What did they do to deserve this judgment? 

Lincoln was largely responsible for the survival of our divided house but Katrina may have posed a critical test of whether and for how long it will continue to stand.  

If it does, then the Category 5 news should begin to report the story of government agents going among the survivors, taking their names, ages, education, work experience, skills, aspirations, etc. The small screen should report how resumes are matched with employment opportunities. So far there have been anecdotal stories but nothing resembling a policy. FEMA is more than a fraud, it is a deceit; it applies a very expensive bandage where the prognosis calls for surgery. 

No one wants to live off the largess of others. Everyone wants a life they can control. Those above a certain resource level have had their lives interrupted but the very resource that enabled them to evacuate will probably enable them to get their lives back. My three brothers will get their lives back; it will not be the same but they’ll be in control again. Whether my sister will get hers remains to be seen.  

Those below that level have gone through hell and now reside in a Diaspora. If our government is not strong enough to get them out their unmerited Limbo condition, to save them from punishment for sins they did not commit then I fear that our divided house will not long stand. They don’t want their lives back; what they want is a life stolen from their ancestors, a life they never had, an ordinary human life. 

Marvin Chachere 

San Pablo

Friday morning, when they arrived at the opening plenary session of the first-ever Sierra Club convention held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, several thousand activists got a surprise. Instead of an address by Executive Director Carl Pope, they heard a rousing speech from former Vice President Al Gore. (The schedule change arose because Gore was to have given a speech to state insurance commissioners in New Orleans.) 

Many in the audience remembered that Gore once had a reputation as an impassioned defender of the environment and an eloquent spokesman for human rights. Somewhere during the Clinton presidency, Al Gore went into hibernation; his unsuccessful 2000 presidential campaign featured robot Al—the mechanical policy wonk best known for putting crowds to sleep, rather than stirring their emotions. Gore joked that he now is a “recovering” politician; perhaps the role of an outsider empowered him to be unusually candid. Whatever the reason, the “old” Al Gore showed up on Friday. 

Gore’s theme was based upon the quote from Proverbs, “When there is no vision, the people perish.” He dwelt at length on the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina observing, “It is important that we learn the right lessons from what happened, or else we will repeat the mistake s that were made.” Gore identified three basic lessons that the American people must grasp. The first is deceptively simple: Presidents should be expected to pay attention. The former vice president recalled that on Aug. 6, 2001, President Bush received a n intelligence briefing, “Bin Laden determined to strike in U.S.,” but took no action since “it was vacation time.” Four years later, the Bush administration received dire warnings of the damage that would be done to New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast if Hur ricane Katrina kept to its projected course. Nothing was done. “It was, once again, vacation time.” 

The second lesson, according to Gore, involves presidential accountability: “There has been no accountability for horrible misjudgment and outright falseh ood … [leading to] the tragedy of Iraq.” The former VP argued that this has produced an atmosphere, in the White House, where “there is no fear of accountability” for the federal missteps surrounding Hurricane Katrina. Gore opined that the management phil osophy of the Bush administration has been dictated by conservative lobbyist, Grover Nordquist, who famously boasted, “my goal is to get [government] down to the size where we can drown it in a bathtub.” Gore indicated that, as a result, the president del iberately shrunk the size of FEMA, rendering it “weak and helpless.” 

The former vice president’s third lesson is that presidents ought to heed warnings. The Bush administration ignored distress signals about Al Qaeda and the frailty of the New Orleans le vees, and continues to disregard warnings about global warming. “The average hurricane will get stronger because of global warming, he said, noting a scientific study, recently reported in Nature magazine, that concluded, “Since 1970, the average hurrican e has been 50 percent stronger,” specifically because the oceans have grown warmer. 

Gore passionately compared present-day America to Great Britain on the eve of World War II. He recalled the words that Winston Churchill spoke after Prime Minister Nevill e Chamberlain’s infamous 1938 appeasement of Hitler: “They are decided to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all powerful to be impotent … This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigor, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.” 

Noting the chilling similarities between the crisis-management style of Bush and Chamberlain, the former VP declared that it is time that Americans, “recover our moral health and demand accountability.” 

Buoyed by a prolonged standing ovation, Gore concluded his speech by observing that the United States is at “a moral moment … This is not about scientific debate or political dialogue, but about who we are … [It’s about] our expectation to rise to this new occasion, to see with our hearts as well as our heads.” 

Gore remembered that, after the end of the civil war, Abraham Lincoln remarked, “As the problems are new, we must disenthrall ourselves from the past.” Gore implored his audience to help America be similarly disenthralled, “to shed our illusions that have led us to ignore the consequenc es of the global warming that has already begun.” 

Those present at the opening of the Sierra Club convention got much more than they expected—a rousing speech by the old Al Gore. He urged members, as they deliberate on Sierra Club priorities, to make glo bal warming a central theme. The former vice president ended with a rallying cry, “We know what to do. We have everything we need save the political will—which is, after all, a renewable resource. This is the time. This is our moral moment and [I am confi dent] we will rise to the occasion.”  

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer and activist. He can be reached at bobburnett@comcst.net. 

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Washington, D.C.—As an in-tractable and hopeless war in Iraq continues, a nightmare famine in Darfur lingers, and a post-hurricane catastrophe scenario plays itself out at home along comes a campaign to initiate a United States cabinet-level Department of Peace (DOP). 

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) will take to the floor of the 109th Congress and put forward a Department of Peace bill. It will be the third time this bill, H.R. 1673 (number from the 108th Congress) has been read. It has never gone to a committee and therefore has never actually been voted upon on the floor of Congress. But maybe, just maybe, this time the outcome will be different.  

Never before in the bill’s existence have more than 1,800 Americans died in a foreign land, nor have hundreds of thousands been left homeless in a major American city, nor has the president ever had approval ratings lower than Richard Nixon had in 1974 at the height of Watergate. The mood of the country has changed since July 2001 when the bill was first introduced, and clearly the fervor and numbers of DOP activists supporting the bill has changed too.  

The Department of Peace will address all of the above—war, homelessness, and poverty—and even more, according to Dorothy Maver, executive director of the Peace Alliance and former national coordinator of Rep. Kucinich’s (D-Ohio) long-shot 2004 run for the Presidency. 

The Peace Alliance is based in Michigan, and under Maver’s leadership turned out more than 500 pro-DOP activists, post-new-agers, politicos and celebrities for this, the third Department of Peace Conference. Even as a bizarre contingent of Pentagon-organized, pro-Bushies paraded through this nation’s capitol on their way to hear country musician Clint Black’s Patriot’s Day (“Iraq and Roll”) post-march concert, the pro-DOPers’ patriotism was practiced in laborious sessions of honing their lobbying message.  

Among the conference’s pro-peace contingent were Walter Cronkite, Dr. Patch Adams, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), writers Jonathan Schell and Marianne Williamson, former U.S. Ambassador John McDonald, and futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard. Clearly “love, understanding, and peace” were the themes, but organizing and training the activists to lobby their congressional representatives to support the Kucinich bill was the immediate task at hand. While California had the most representation with 84—Michigan was second with 48—the overall gathering hailed from some 46 states and 265 congressional districts, just three shy of a U.S. House of Representatives majority. But hold on! While all present held varying degrees of hope about when a DOP would become a reality and actually displace the current GOP war agenda, all of those interviewed did not see anything but a protracted, long-term campaign struggle.  

Currently, 54 Congress members are signed on to the Kucinich bill proposing a Department of Peace. The list reads like a who’s who in what passes lately as the liberal-progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Of course Barbara Lee has signed it and so have the Bay Area’s George Miller, Lynn Woolsey and Fortney “Pete” Stark, but San Francisco’s Nancy Pelosi and San Jose’s Zoe Lofgren and Anna Eshoo are conspicuously absent from the bill’s co-sponsorship list. And these are precisely the types of Congressmembers which The Peace Alliance’s training of citizen-activists wants to target. 

The crowded Grand Ball Room at L’Enfante Plaza Hotel saw a credible organizing strategy imparted throughout the sometimes grueling 2-day organizing conference—with sessions running past 10 p.m. each night—in an attempt to reach out and make the case to U.S. Representatives not already co-sponsoring the bill. The conference was presided over by the Peace Alliance’s co-founder and post-new age pragmatist and author Williamson. 

Part cheerleader and part sermonizer, Williamson is noticeably skilled in cajoling, coddling, and politicking. With her head on a cloudy prayer wheel, (“Current policy does not reflect the better angels of our nature”) and both her feet planted firmly in Washington political lobbying reality, (“We will not prevail unless we become a serious political constituency”), she presided over sessions like, “Creating a New Priority for Congress—Tips on Talking About the Department of Peace with Your Congress member,” “Practicing Speaking About the Bill (with Burt Wides, Senior Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee),” and “Group Dialogue and Best Practices.” 

She was at her best when quoting the poetry and prose of the Rev. Martin Luther King and the rational, get-it-done politics of Rep. Conyers from her home state of Michigan. 

While this gathering was perhaps overly serious and extremely hopeful, it became at times a bit raucous, especially when Williamson invoked the uphill struggles of the Abolitionists and Suffragettes. “The first Abolitionists would have thought abolition not possible, the first women suffragettes too,” she said. Then she declared from the ballroom podium with an air of guarded optimism, “This (creation of a DOP) is doable within the next five years.”  

There was a pervading message of optimism as well as an if-not-now-then-when attitude among conference participants. Many of the activists see the period the country finds itself in—post-hurricane Katrina—as a strategic time to organize for a Department of Peace (DOP) and to make right many of the social and political wrongs which the current administration in this town has wrought. Maver said the realization of a DOP would be, “a shift in consciousness that will bring forth the vision of our founding fathers.”  

Yesterday following their conference preparation, the peace activists took to the streets to lobby their Congressmembers to vote tomorrow to send the DOP bill to committee. In the words of Executive Director Maver, the creation of the DOP is an institutionalized, serious, and “fiscally responsible effort to end poverty, hunger, and homelessness,” with the U.S. taking the lead at home and around the world. 

Christopher Krohn is the former mayor of Santa Cruz. 

Former Berkeley student slain 

Armon Green, an 18-year-old man who Oakland Police said had attended Berkeley schools, was fatally shot Saturday night in the West Oakland neighborhood where his family lives. 

The young man was gunned down about 8:40 p.m. at the corner of 12th and Peralta streets. Multiple shots were fired, several striking two cars parked in the area. Police said they have not been able to determine the motive for the slaying in a neighborhood which has seen several shootings in recent weeks, though none with injuries. 

September 2 

Three bandits, one of them armed with a pistol and another with a crowbar, shoved a cyclist off his wheels in the 1200 block of Peralta Avenue just before 8 p.m., relieving him of his cash and backpack, said Officer Okies. 

At about the same time as the Peralta Avenue crime, a rat pack of four or five young men kicked and robbed a 20-year-old man in the 2300 block of Channing Way. 

Another suspect was apprehended that evening. A man who had hit another fellow on the head with a stick in the 1200 block of Ashby Avenue was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon shortly after the incident which occurred an hour after the first two crimes. 

September 3 

Two large men punched a pedestrian from behind in the 2400 block of Prince Street at about 1 a.m. and fled eastbound on Prince with his wallet, said Officer Okies. 

An attempted purse snatch about 8 p.m. near the corner of Parker and regent streets turned into an attempted strong-arm robbery when the 25-year-old victim refused to let go, setting off a tug of war she eventually won. 

An argument that escalated into a fracas near the corner of Fairview and Sacramento streets shortly before 11:30 p.m. took a more dangerous turn when one of the young men pulled a knife, inflicting what proved to be a minor injury on another young man. 

The alleged knife-fighter, a 19-year-old, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. 

September 4  

Police arrested a 22-year-old woman on suspicion of strong-arm robbery at 3:21 p.m. after she allegedly robbed and assaulted a 15-year-old youth near the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Center Street. 

September 5  

Crime didn’t take a holiday on Labor Day.  

When a drug peddler kicked off the holiday by approaching a pedestrian near the corner of Solano and Tacoma avenues at 1 a.m., he wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

After his offer to sell intoxicants was spurned, the dealer whipped out a knife and robbed the fellow, said Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies. The suspect remains at large. 

Another holiday bandit, described as between 19 and 20 years of age, punched a 61-year-old man near the corner of Stanton and Russell streets 12 hours later, making off with his valuables. 

He too was not apprehended. 

A third Labor Day thief was less fortunate. A citizen called 911 to report that a fellow was breaking into cars on Ellsworth Street near the corner of Durant Avenue. 

The arrival of the black-and-whites prompted the 41-year-old suspect to attempt to make “foot bail” with a computer he’d swiped from one of the cars. 

Officers set out in pursuit, and quickly caught their man, who sustained a minor injury to one hand as he attempted to avoid capture. The computer was saved for its rightful owner. 

Though the two men who robbed and assaulted a 21-year-old motorist near the corner of Seventh and Addison streets shortly before 1 a.m. weren’t able to complete their attempted carjacking, they did make off with their victim’s wallet, cash and credit cards, as well as some of his stereo equipment, said Officer Okies.  

Two bandits in their early 20s robbed a man in his early 40s in the 2200 block of San Pablo Avenue just before 8 p.m., dislocating his shoulder in the process. They remain at large.  

September 6 

Burglars entered a home in the 2500 block of Regent Street sometime before 7:30 p.m. and made off with $1,400 in cash, a $340 money order and $2,000 worth of jewelry belonging to a 23-year-old Berkeley woman. 

September 8 

Arriving for work at a construction site near the corner of Eighth and Gilman streets Thursday morning, workers discovered that someone had broken into locked storage containers and made off with their tools. 

The owner of Berkeley Tanning at 2359 Telegraph Ave. called police at 2:39 p.m. to report his suspicions that an employee had been embezzling cash from the business. 

September 9 

A 50-year-old Berkeley woman called police from a gas station at Ninth Street and Ashby Avenue at 6:48 a.m. to report that she had been attacked by a man in his late 20s about a half hour earlier who had grabbed her from behind, exposed himself and briefly held her. 

A 42-year-old woman was accosted by a strong-arm robber in the 2100 block of Ninth Street about 3:30 p.m. and relieved of her cash. 

Berkeley Police arrested two boys, ages 14 and 15, after the police were flagged down in the 1900 block of Allston Way outside Berkeley High School by a citizen who reported a fire in a trash can. A quick investigation turned up to the two teens, who were booked on suspicion of arson. 

A gang of six youths aged between 13 and 15 accosted a 19-year-old man near the corner of Channing Way and Fulton Street just after 9 p.m., punched him with their fists and made off with his wallet, said Officer Okies. 

A 26-year-old San Francisco man sustained critical injuries when he was shot in the face and thigh outside the Designer Brands 4 Less Shop at 3014 San Pablo Ave. about 10 p.m. Friday night. Witnesses told officers that two men had fled the scene in a black Mercedes station wagon. Police were keeping secret both the victim’s name and the location of the hospital where he is being treated. 

September 12 

Police arrested a 25-year-old man for burglary and possession of methamphetamine after a 5 a.m. pedestrian stop in the 2000 block of Kittredge Street. 

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For a few days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the Bush White House doled out the sort of upbeat rhetoric with which it customarily responds to disasters that are at least partly of its own making. The public was advised by Vice President Cheney that “tremendous progress” was being made in Louisiana. On Sept. 2, the president told FEMA Director Michael Brown, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” 

Spin is what we’ve come to expect from the Bush administration. But it’s not what we expect from civic leaders in Berkeley. 

That’s why Councilmember Linda Maio’s op-ed in the Sept. 6 Daily Californian comes as something of a shock. On its face the article is a fulsome tribute to the UC Berkeley chancellor and the “new partnership” between the campus and the community that he allegedly helped to forge during his first year at Cal. But once you know enough to read between the lines, you see the piece for what it really is: an attempt to whitewash the awful settlement of the city’s lawsuit against the university administration, approved by the City Council in May on a secret 6-3 vote. 

The object of the city’s suit was the University’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) and its environmental impact plan (EIR). Maio herself describes the LDRP as “deeply flawed.” But its flaws are never specified in her essay. Neither is a single detail of the city’s lawsuit or the May settlement agreement. 

Instead, we’re offered feel-good verbiage. The settlement, we’re told, “was a powerful statement of good faith on both sides.” It laid the foundations of “our mutual and equal partnership.” Addressing the paramount issue of off-campus university development, the “settlement sets up a model joint planning effort that, if successful, will protect the community’s interests.” 

These claims are fanciful. Far from establishing a “mutual and equal partnership,” the settlement handed over control of future planning for the city’s downtown to the university administration. The agreement calls for the preparation of a so-called Downtown Area Plan (DAP). 

Referring to the plan’s preparation, Maio writes: “we will be looking for the chancellor to fully engage the community as partners. This means regular meetings with elected officials, neighborhood associations, community groups and the business community.” 

She neglects to say that the settlement itself cuts the community out of the planning process. It puts city and campus planning staffs, notorious for their exclusionary procedures, in charge of drafting the DAP (Section II.B.3 - 4). The Planning Commission, designated by the city’s charter as the lead agency in land use policymaking, isn’t even mentioned. Though the settlement makes no provision for involving any downtown property-owners except the city and UC, the DAP “shall encompass the entire scope of future downtown development, including all private and public sector landowners and developers” (Section I.L). 

Here’s the topper: the university administration will not be bound by the DAP. “UC Berkeley reserves the right to determine if the DAP or [its] EIR meet the regents’ needs. The basis for making such a determination would be that the DAP or EIR does not accommodate UC Berkeley development in a manner satisfactory to the Regents” (Section II.B.7). 

In another mind-boggling passage, Councilmember Maio asserts that “the creative solutions” developed by the chancellor, council and mayor “kept us from spiraling into a never-ending cycle of litigation and recriminations.” Reading Maio’s op-ed, you’d never guess that five days before it appeared, a group of Berkeley citizens sued her, the mayor and the four other councilmembers who voted for the settlement (Anderson, Capitelli, Moore and Wozniak), the city manager, the city attorney and the UC Regents. The plaintiffs asked the California Superior Court in Oakland to void the settlement because “it contracted away the City Council’s right to independently exercise its police power in the future.” So much for having put an end to litigation and recriminations. 

If, as Maio says, she wants to make “a powerful statement of good faith,” the best thing she could do at this point is to admit openly that in voting for the settlement, she opted to surrender the city’s rightful sovereignty to the university administration. Indeed, she implicitly admits as much in her laudation of Chancellor Birgenau. 

The City Council, she writes, “made a decisive and controversial choice” to give the chancellor “an opportunity to change our relationship from one rooted in conflict to one based on cooperation.” (We are left to wonder: if the settlement was as advantageous as Maio claims, why was its approval controversial?) Because he seized that opportunity, we now have a chance to work “through cooperation, collaboration, ... relying on the good offices of our leaders, especially Chancellor Birgeneau.” 

To designate Chancellor Birgeneau as the foremost among “our leaders” is to disregard the fact that every UC administrator, no matter how personally solicitous of the larger community, is ultimately accountable not to the public but to the regents. 

But if the settlement is upheld in court, and the DAP is instituted, the community will indeed have no choice but to rely on the Regents’ offices, good or bad. Unhappily, the LRDP is only the most recent of many precedents suggesting that, as far as university expansion in Berkeley is concerned, those offices will not be beneficent ones. 

Whether the settlement is upheld or struck down, Berkeleyans will be able to choose whether to continue relying on the offices of the six elected officials who voted for it. (Three of them—Mayor Bates, Councilmember Wozniak and Maio herself—will be up for re-election in November 2006.) After acknowledging that their support for the settlement was a mistake, these six should join the three councilmembers who voted against the agreement—Olds, Spring and Worthington—and sue the university for the $1.2 million to $2.4 million in sewer fees that city staff have determined the campus owes the city. Such a suit would automatically terminate the settlement (“Settlement Agreement,” Section VI). Then, working with their elected and appointed colleagues in City Hall, the mayor and council should persuade Chancellor Birgenau to commit the university administration to a long range development plan for UC that, unlike the current LRDP, respects city and state law and honors the community’s needs and democratic traditions. 

Whatever else they do, our city officials should level with us. This is Berkeley, not Crawford, Texas. 

The text of the UC-City settlement agreement is online at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

2005citycouncil/closed/pdf/2005-05-25LDRPsettlement.pdf. 

Last Tuesday was the fourth anniversary of the death of my neighbor Mrs. Gerstine Scott. I think about her a great deal, but during this time of year she is especially on my mind.  

Mrs. Scott died five days before the collapse of the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon. I often wonder what she would have thought about those events had she been alive. Even in death, she was affected by the trauma. Her coffin, en route to her family home in East Texas, sat on a tarmac at Oakland Airport for several days waiting for air travel to resume. 

Mrs. Scott came into my life at a time when I desperately needed a friend, someone who wasn’t afraid to tell me what to do, and who was willing to stick around to make sure I did it. There were times when I literally wanted to crawl into her soft lap and go to sleep, but she wouldn’t allow it. Mrs. Scott was all about confrontation, not avoidance.  

She was a very big woman and she carried a large kitchen knife “for protection” in her enormous black pocketbook. Additionally, she always walked with a cane, and I don’t doubt for a second she would have used it as a weapon if she had felt threatened, or if she thought someone she loved was in danger.  

She told me she once hit a burglar on the head with a frying pan full of hot grease, and another time she chased an intruder over her back fence. When Mrs. Scott heard our out-of-town guests had been mugged on the corner of Dover and 54th streets, she came over to our house and gave a rousing lecture on the parts of a man’s body a woman should grab, squeeze, and twist in self-defense. Thirteen years later, the details of the mugging are forgotten, but Mrs. Scott’s speech is seared into our collective memory.  

Last night our housemate Andrea brought home collard greens grown in a neighbor’s garden. The leaves were as big as a small child and so luminously green, I wondered if we could turn off the overhead lights and cook by the glow of their iridescence.  

“Comfort food,” said Andrea, as she set about removing the stalks and tearing the leaves into small pieces. “We need it after all the bad news comin’ out of Louisiana.”  

The house became engulfed with a sweet, loamy pungency, and I was once again reminded of Mrs. Scott. Collard greens were a staple in her diet. She grew them in our backyard and cooked them for us, along with biscuits and gravy, and red beans. 

Andrea put the shredded greens in a pot and filled it with water. She left it on the counter to soak overnight, and by morning the house smells different. The water has drawn the acidity out of the leaves and the kitchen is filled with sharp, earthy fumes.  

“Andrea,” I say, “can we cook these greens for breakfast?” 

“No,” she answers. “We’ve got to wait ‘til all the dirt and spider webs are gone, and then we’ve got to cook ‘em down until they’re soft.” 

I take the dog for a walk. I run into my neighbor Floyd, who points out to me collard greens growing in the sewer culvert at the corner of 54th and Dover streets. “The seeds from Ramone’s garden must’ve run wild,” he says.  

I bend down and look closer at the plant. It is strong and sturdy despite its precarious attachment to a clump of hard dirt.  

“What do you make of it?” asks Floyd. I think of Mrs. Scott, of the greens soaking in the pot back at my house, and of the mugging that took place on this very corner thirteen years ago. 

“I don’t know,” I tell Floyd. “But I’m taking it as a sign that something good is about to happen.” 

And it does. Tonight we’re having greens for dinner. 

Marc Sapir’s op-ed in defense of KPFA’s General Manager Roy Campanella II (“Coup Crystallizes Inside KPFA—Again?” Aug. 19) abandons reasoned analysis for a one-sided polemic, riddled with errors and hyperbole. Sapir appears to be singularly misinformed about the facts of the disturbing labor dispute at KPFA—a conflict that should concern all who care about this crucial 56-year-old institution and the vitality of the left in the Bay Area and Central Valley. If Sapir had bothered to check his facts, instead of repeating Campanella’s spin almost verbatim, he would have found that he was being sold a bill of goods. 

Here are the charges, compiled from multiple sources: 

• Within weeks of being hired, Campanella propositions women workers at the station, makes sexual and inappropriate comments to women, offers one the job of her colleague while making sexually suggestive remarks to her, spreads rumors about plans to fire a woman who stands up to him, and creates a pervasively hostile work environment for KPFA women. (Only one woman even alleges that Campanella invited her to the movies, contrary to Sapir/Campanella’s claims.) When challenged about his actions, he claims that the women came on to him, and then retaliates against women who organize themselves at the station. He publicly belittles women who turned him down and participated in an investigation into his conduct, threatens to cut their funding, criticizes their work to their supervisors, and other retaliatory behavior. 

• Pacifica conducts an investigation into the multiple complaints about Campanella by the women at the station; unfortunately the investigation is full of errors and the women involved see it as a whitewash. While Pacifica states it is unable to “determine conclusively” whether sexual harassment has taken place, it finds that Campanella has acted a manner not consistent with “Pacifica’s expectations of a general manager” and he is told that he must change his behavior or could face consequences up to termination. 

• Campanella allows a woman worker to be forced off a program where she was facing a hostile work environment, saying that he could do nothing to protect her, despite her pleas to him as manager of the station. 

• On May 5, Campanella threatens Hard Knock Radio executive producer Weyland Southon and follows him out of the building to the sidewalk to fight, in violation of Pacifica’s “Zero Tolerance for Violence Policy” which states: “Any employee engaging in any type of threatened or actual violence against any employee, or the Pacifica Foundation itself, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. 

• Eight women workers at the station file with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation by Campanella. The women specifically choose to go to the DFEH because it will not monetarily harm the station. If the state agency finds their claims to be correct, the DFEH will demand the station take action to rectify the problem, rather than awarding a cash settlement to the women. 

• The union of the paid staff, CWA Local 9415, files with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of seven male and female workers at the station for Campanella’s multiple violations of labor law, which guarantees workers the right to organize and assemble freely, as well as guarantees a safe and violence-free workplace. 

• The Local Station Board, which hired Campanella last November, employed a lawyer to investigate the allegations. As board member Joe Wanzala has told the press, the lawyer recommended that Campanella be terminated. Shockingly, in spite of this, the highly politicized board votes to keep Campanella in the job, despite the mounting liability in which he has mired the station. Even before the board completed its investigation into Campanella’s conduct, three board members publicly attack workers’ motives and dismissed their complaints. 

Unfortunately, despite the struggle to save KPFA from hijacking by Mary Frances Berry and the Pacifica National Board in 1999, the station has been left with another out-of-control board. Members of the Local Station Board were elected with as few votes as 400 each—out of a listener-membership of 25,000 and an estimated listenership of 200,000—and as a consequence, the board is made up of many people who have narrow political agendas and regularly attack the workers that produce KPFA’s programs (for example, circulating an e-mail suggesting that one long-time programmer used to be on the payroll of the CIA). Animosity to the staff is veiled by sweeping claims that KPFA workers are resistant to change and participation by the listeners. 

Sapir’s odd tale about coup plots and hostility to listener input raises some basic questions: Why would 91 workers on whom the progressive community of northern and central California rely daily for news and analysis on injustice, labor struggles, war and empire, as well as diverse music and arts programming, conspire collectively to ask for the termination of a manager without cause? How would that even be possible in a group known for healthy differences in opinion? How is it that 80 percent of the paid staff and 20 percent of the unpaid staff make up a “dissident group” at the station? And if opposition to Campanella at KPFA is really motivated by an aversion to diversity and change at the station, then why are the central characters in the dispute younger people and people of color? Could it be possible that the workers claims are valid? 

Sapir’s commentary also gets other facts wrong, including the number of workers at the station (approximately 225, not 300) and the financial health of KPFA. Contrary to Sapir’s claims, expenditures do not exceed income. Sapir claims that KPFA has 42 full-time workers when in fact the accurate number for full-time equivalences (FTEs) is 38. Of those, 1.8 FTEs are funded by grants and cost KPFA nothing, bringing the number of FTEs paid for by KPFA to about 36.2. Additionally, Sapir alleges that the number of FTEs increased dramatically by comparing an inflated version of today’s numbers to the artificial low following the 1999 lock out, when there was an exodus of workers from KPFA and a hiring freeze was imposed on the station by Pacifica. It’s also worth noting that KPFA workers currently raise twice the money that they did before the lockout. 

We believe that Pacifica should not allow workers and women to be treated by the manager in ways that justifiably outrage progressives when they happen to workers at Mitsubishi or Denny’s. The Pacifica National Board has the power to overturn the Local Station Board’s vote and remove Campanella, but it needs to hear from concerned listeners. To contact the National Board, or to find out more about the workers‚ allegations, go to www.kpfaworker.org. 

KPFA Union Stewards: 

Lisa Ballard, Webmaster 

Sasha Lilley, Against the Grain 

Philip Maldari, Morning Show 

Mark Mericle, KPFA News 

This is the story of my foster child who I’ll call “Katrina.” Like many of the hurricane victims, she too has been jerked around by a bureaucratic system rife with finger-pointing and incompetence.  

Only in this case it’s not the U.S. government (or the county social services system) that’s failed her, but the Berkeley Unified School District.  

It’s a warm morning, the second week into the school year, and we’re on a noisy elementary school playground. 

Katrina is sucking nervously on the collar of her dress, hiding behind me. She doesn’t want to meet her new teacher in what will become the fourth school she’s attended in two years. She doesn’t want a whole new crop of curious grade school kids to question the physical affliction that causes her limp, or to ask about the brace she wears. She’s tired of responding to the same questions that children at her former schools always asked: “Where’s your real mom?” “Why don’t you have a dad?” Katrina would prefer to talk about things like the pet hamster her sister (my daughter) bought her.  

It’s likely the kids at the new school will ask about me, who she refers to as “Miss Annie,” and then she’ll think she has to explain about being a foster kid all over again. I’ll bet she’ll answer all the questions as patiently as she can even so, because Katrina’s mighty resilient as foster children are apt to be. She’ll probably charm her teacher in no time flat, just as she charmed me when she joined my family this past April. Eventually her classmates’ curiosity will be sated and perhaps by the time her birthday rolls around this winter she’ll even have a few friends to invite to a party. 

In April when Katrina moved in, possibly for the long-haul, it was a no-brainer that she’d go to the same school my daughter attends. It’s public school—right? After I filled out the requisite paperwork it wasn’t long before I was waving goodbye to the girls each morning as they climbed onto the school bus. They’d come home all smiles and inside jokes, talking about kids they knew, teasing about boyfriends.  

When I’d enrolled Katrina in April, the manager of the Admissions and Attendance Office told me that he couldn’t guarantee her a spot in the same school for September. There’s that 20-student-per-class limit that we’d all voted for, see. Yet by allowing her to attend the same school as my daughter from April through June, she became the twenty-first child in her class even so. At the time, I assumed that the sibling-preference rule would continue to supersede the class size rule in her case, and that by September Katrina would be firmly anchored in the school’s community—accepted, and gradually shedding the stigma of being a foster child with a disability. 

Wishful thinking. Just before the start of this school year, I learned that Katrina would not be able to stay where she was, but would be assigned to a school that starts an hour earlier—promising extra-chaotic mornings. 

I couldn’t believe it. I kept Katrina out of school for the first three days in hopes of space opening up at the school she longed to return to. That first afternoon I listened as my daughter told us about the many questions she’d fielded from students who’d asked where Katrina was. On Friday I went to the Admissions office and talked to the district’s Public Information Officer. He spewed numbers and statistics at me but what I remember most is the thousands of dollars a week he said the district would lose if Katrina were to stay at the same school she’d been permitted to attend in the Spring. 

Why was Katrina booted out of a public school she was allowed to attend before? 

An image came to mind, of children as dollar signs—faceless, but with arms and legs. I wanted to scream, but I restrained myself and finally spoke to the Manager of Admissions who assured me that he was doing all he could for Katrina. 

Really? 

So now here we are in the second week of school—and my foster daughter’s fledgling friendships that began to blossom last Spring are likely to wither. Most people believe that foster kids’ stability is tantamount to their success, but now Katrina has to start all over again thanks solely to bureaucratic blundering. 

At her newest school, I explained our saga to a sympathetic teacher who claims it’s illegal for Admissions to “de-enroll” a student from public school. He suggested I talk to the Superintendent and sue the district if I had to, but the Public Information Officer had insisted that the Superintendent wouldn’t be able to change anything. 

After Katrina’s first day at the new school I had to throw away the dress she had on. Its collar was all chewed up. 

Freelance writer Annie Kassof lives in Berkeley with the two children in this story as well as her teenage son and a foster baby.›

As summer comes to a close, musicians from up and down the Pacific coast will converge on Berkeley for a series of shows at the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse, Jupiter, Ashkenaz and the downtown Saturday farmer’s market. 

The four-day Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, Sept.15-18, includes numerous performances and musical workshops in honor of the odd, craggy acoustic style known as “old time” music, which is sort of like bluegrass music’s cranky, elderly inlaw, full of squeaky fiddles, plangent banjos and odd, twisted rhythms. The event includes the second annual Berkeley Farmer’s Market Stringband Contest, held Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. with up to 20 bands competing in a no-holds-barred twangfest that is the centerpiece of the festival. 

Just what constitutes “old time music” is often a matter of contention. Generally speaking, it refers to Appalachian mountain music from the 1930s or earlier, and is seen as the precursor to the sleeker, more commercial bluegrass style pioneered in the 1940s by artists such as Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers. Some old-time purists still view bluegrass as an apostasy; others, like volunteer organizer Suzy Thompson, are more flexible and forgiving. 

“I don’t think there’s as big a separation as some people seem to think,” she said. “Certain kinds of bluegrass are old-time music, but other kinds are not. It all depends on who you talk to.” 

Thompson, a veteran fiddler who’s been in a number of Bay Area bands over the last three decades, feels that the definition should be expanded to embrace other ethnic styles beyond the Appalachian music it has been identified with. 

“To me, old-time is music that you might have heard in the 1920s or ‘30s (including) the Memphis Jug Band or Amade Ardoin, or Belf’s Romanian Orchestra,” she said. “It has something to do with real actual regional music, that has a real accent and personal feel and hasn’t gone through the maw of the commercial music industry.” 

To that end, this year’s event has been broadened to include non-Appalachian music, including Mexican, Balkan and Canadian music—whatever style, just as long as there’s at least one fiddle or banjo per band, and no amplification. Thompson sees the appeal of this old-fashioned acoustic music as being something that hasn’t been repackaged by the corporate media—and isn’t likely to be anytime soon. 

“One of the things that appeals to younger people about this music is that it’s basically noncommercial,” she said. “It’s hard to play it really, really well, but it’s easy to play it, and it’s something you can do with other people. The community aspect of it is really appealing. People are tired of the television and tired of everything being controlled by some huge corporate entity—and this isn’t.” 

The current event came about when the Berkeley Ecology Center, which sponsors three weekly farmer’s markets, asked Thompson to help organize musical events for the Saturday markets. At first Thompson focused on Cajun music—another of her interests—but soon she turned her attention to old-time stringband music. The idea expanded when Steven Baker of the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse asked her to organize similar concerts at the club, and slowly the idea of a festival emerged. Thompson and her cohorts reached back into Berkeley’s musical past to link the new festival to an older, odder, event from the misty past of the local acoustic music scene. 

The original Berkeley Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention was held three times—in 1968, ‘69 and ‘70—and featured ragtag talent shows respectively labeled as the 35th, 17th and 22nd “annual” event. The conventions were puckish, anarchic events—paperwork filed with the city to obtain permits listed “Nobody” as the event’s official organizer—and offered absurd, fanciful prizes for the talent contests. The first contest enticed contestants with a grand prize five-pound sack of rutabagas, the following year awarded contestants with homemade pies and the final fiddler’s convention, held in 1970, boasted a grand prize of a free trip to Emeryville. These days the prizes are more prosaic—a $150.00 Farmer’s Market gift certificate, which can still get you a lot of rutabagas ... if they’re in season. 

The Bay Area, and Berkeley in particular, has long been recognized as a haven for bluegrass and old-time music. Some of the finest acoustic musicians in the country hang their hats here, and some, like songwriter Larry Hanks and Thompson’s husband, guitarist Eric Thompson, were even in attendance during the original convention over three decades ago, and will perform onstage at the Freight later this week. Also appearing are newer local bands such as the Stairwell Sisters, Mercury Dimes (from San Francisco) and the Government Issue Orchestra, from Portland, Ore. Headliners include Fresno-based bandleader Kenny Hall and old-time elder Mike Seeger, one of the founders of the folk revival of the late 1950s and early ‘60s. 

Even with all the high-powered locals and out-of-town talent onstage, the convention organizers see to it that the event’s true emphasis is on the front porch, do-it-yourself amateurism that is the hallmark of the old-time music scene: the real fun is getting people to learn to make the music themselves. 

Several small workshops are being held in conjunction with the concerts: old-time fiddling, regional banjo techniques, harmony singing and square dance calling will be taught. There’s also a youth category, looking for tomorrow’s stars singing the songs of yesteryear. Details about the concerts, contest and various workshops can be found online at www.berkeleyoldtimemusic.org, or through the Freight and Salvage website at www.thefreight.org. 

Thurday, Sept. 15:  

The Stairwell Sisters, The Roadoilers, Larry Hanks at Freight and Salvage, 1111 Addison St., 8 p.m. $15.50 adv. $16.50 door 

Friday, Sept. 16:  

Mike Seeger, Kenny Hall Band, Eric & Suzy Thompson at Freight and Salvage, 8 p.m. $15.50 adv. $16.50 door 

Saturday, Sept. 17:  

Berkeley Farmer’s Market will hold a stringband contest. Downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center Street between Milvia Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, 11a.m.- 3 p.m. 

Square dance with the legendary caller Bill Martin, of Portland, Ore., with music by the Government Issue Orchestra, the Mercury Dimes, Rafe Stefanini with Amy and Karen at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., 8 p.m. $15 (12 and under free). Clogging workshop with Evie Ladin, 6:30–7:30 p.m., $10, at Ashkenaz. 

Sunday, Sept. 18:  

Old-time Cabaret at Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Ave., 4-8 p.m. 

Music and dance workshops at various locations, check convention website or call.›

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13 

FILM 

Margaret Tait: Subjects and Sequences “Islands” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Anthony Shadid, author of “Night Draws Near, Iraq's People in the Shadow of America’s War” at 12:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Joe Conason describes “The Raw Deal: How Bush Republicans Plan to Destroy Social Security and the Legacy of the New Deal” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Laura Joplin offers some insight into her older sister in “Love, Janis” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

The Whole Note Poetry Series with Randy Fingland and Bert Glick at 7 p.m. at The Beanery, 2925 College Ave., near Ashby. 549-9093. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Samarabalouf, music inspired by gypsy jazz, from France, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dred Scott, solo jazz piano, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Ellen Hoffman Trio and Singers’ Opn Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Brandi Carlile at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. 

Carla Bley & Her Lost Chords at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Barbara Linn at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Kazakh: Paintings by Saule Suleimenova” opens at the Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities, 220 Stephens Hall, UC Campus. Appointments recommended. 643-9670. 

“CCA Faculty New Work” Reception at 5:30 p.m. at Oliver Art Center, California College of the Arts, 5212 Broadway, Oakland. 

“Taisho Chic: Japanese Modernity, Nostalgia and Deco”opens at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant Ave. 642-0808. 

FILM 

Artificial Expressionism: Semiconductor at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

THEATER 

Berkeley Rep, “Our Town” opens and runs through Oct. 23. Tickets are $45-$59. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Michael Kimmelman describes “The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Jacques Leslie discusses “Deep Water: The Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People and the Environment” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Berkeley Poetry Slam at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082.  

Café Poetry at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, New Traditions in American Indian Music and Dance at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

TapRoots and New Growth: Contemporary Ghazal singer Kiran Ahluwalia. Lecture and demonstration at 8 p.m., concert at 9:15 p.m. 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

Horacio Franco, recorder, at 8 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $32. 642-9988.  

Calvin Keys Trio Jam at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

La Verdad, salsa, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low.Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Will Blades Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Carla Bley & Her Lost Chords at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Dress: Clothing as Art” reception at 6 p.m. at Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. 620-6772.  

Third Thursdays Open Studios between 4 and 8:30 p.m. at 800 Heinz Ave. 

FILM 

Films from Along the SIlk Road: “Revenge” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

“Raise the Red Lantern” film and discussion in conjunction with the performances of the National Ballet of China, at 7 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. 642-2809. 

Cine Documental: “El Dia Que Me Quieras” a documentary deconstructing the myth of Che Guevara at 7 p.m. in the CLAS Conference Room, 2334 Bowditch St.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Yosemite in Time” Gallery talk with Rebecca Solnit at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

“African Material Culture Between Everyday and Ritual Contexts” with Mariane Ferme at 5:30 p.m. at Phoebe Hearst Museum, Bancroft and College. 643-7648.  

Victor Navasky, publisher The Nation magazine, discusses his new book “A Matter of Opinion” at 7:30 p.m. in Room 105, North Gate Hall, UC Campus. Co-sponsored by the Mass Communication Dept. and the Grad. School of Journalism. 642-3383. 

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 6 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Arnaud Maitland describes “Living Without Regret: Growing Old in the Light of Tibetan Buddhism” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Word Beat Reading Series with Juan Sequeira and Jan Lewis at 7 p.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 526-5985. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra “Musical Tribute to Laurette Goldberg” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Free. 528-1685. 

Albany Music in the Park with Mark Russo and the Classy Cats, swing music at 6:30 p.m. at Albany’s Memorial Park. 524-9283. www.albanyca.org 

Lost Bayou Ramblers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Live AndUnplugged Open Mic, acoustic music by local artists, at 7 p.m. at Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. 703-9350.  

Berkeley Old Time Music Convention with the Stairwell Sisters, the Roadoilers, and Larry Hanks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50-$16.50. 548-1761.  

Fourtet Jazz Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is. $5. 841-JAZZ.  

The Other Side, Dora Flood, The Mandarins at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082 .  

Dave Matthews & Peter Barshay, piano and bass, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Hurricane Katrina Benefit at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $25. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Selector, lap-top funk, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “The Price” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m., through Oct. 9, at 2081 Addison St. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Impact Theater “Nicky Goes Goth” at 8 p.m., Thurs.-Sat. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid, through Oct. 1. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

Shotgun Players, “Owners” at 8 p.m., Thurs.-Sun. through Oct. 16 at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Reservations suggested. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Wilde Irish Productions “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” Thurs. -Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m., at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through Oct. 2. Tickets are $18-$22. 644-9940. www.wildeirish.org 

FILM 

Films from Along the SIlk Road: “Taskir and Zukhra” at 7:30 p.m. and “Tenderness” at 9:20 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Gallery Talk on “Wholly Grace” works by Susan Duhan Felix at 1 p.m. at Bade Museum, 1798 Scenic Ave. Free. 

“Art, Activism and the New Hip Hop Aesthetics” A night of performance and conversation with Adam Mansbach, Aya de Leon, Keith Knight and Craig Watkins at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Opera “La Belle et la Bete,” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. through Oct. 2 at the Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway at 2nd. Tickets are $18-$32. 763-1146. www.oaklandopera.org 

Amy Likar, flute, Miles Graber, piano at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Cost is $12-$15. 848-1228. giorgigallery.com 

National Ballet of China “Raise the Red Lantern” at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Community Action Series with Fuga at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Hal Stein Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Dick Hindman Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373. www.jazz 

school.com 

Izum, world-beat and jazz-groove, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

O-Maya at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Faith Winthrop Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Sila and the Afrofunk Experience at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-13. Benefit for Save the Children Fund in Niger. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Corrine West at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Berkeley Old Time Music Convention with Mike Seeger, Kenny Hall and Eric & Suzy Thompson at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50-$16.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Gomer Hendrix at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Collisionville, Love Like Fire at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Lights Out, Life-Long Tragedy, Jealous Again, Never Healed at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

Hurricane Benefit at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $25. 238-9200.  

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Darkroom Drawings” black and white photographs and mixed media by Robert Tomlinson. Reception for the artist at 6 p.m. at Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Exhibition runs to Oct. 22. 644-1400.  

THEATER 

California Shakespeare Theater, “Nicholas Nickleby” Parts 1 and 2 Sat. and Sun. at 8 p.m. at Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tickets are $10-$55. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

FILM 

Rediscovering British Silent Cinema: “The Triumph of the Rat” at 7 p.m. and “Downhill” at 9 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Charles Mann describes “1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Jon B. Eisenberg looks at “Using Terri: The Religious Right’s Conspiracy to Take Away Our Rights” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

String Band Contest including a Youth Showcase, and over 20 competing string bands from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Civic Center Park. 548-3333.  

Richard Koski, Finnish-American master of two-row accordion, at 3 p.m. at Finnish Kaleva Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. at University. 524-6217. irmatj@aol.com 

National Ballet of China “Raise the Red Lantern” at 2 and 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

San Francisco Early Music Society “Lute Concertos of Karl Kohut” at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$25. 528-1725. www.sfems.org 

Broceliande “Songs of Autumn and Harvest” at 7:30 p.m. at the Emil Melfi Clubhouse, 555 Pierce St., Albany. Donation $10-$15. 569-0437. 

Jazz Foundation of America Hurricane Benefit at 2 and 5:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. 

Robin Gregory & Rudy Mwongozi Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Art Maxwell Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Dynamic, jazz, funk, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Lunar Heights, The Attik, Illa-Dapted at 10 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 548-1159.  

Dance Naganuma “Voices of the Powerful Child” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $12-$15. 925-798-1300. www.juliamorgan.org 

Araucaria, traditional songs and dances from Chile, at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org  

Faith Petric, 90th birthday celebration, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Old Time Square Dance with caller Bill Martin and music by the Government Issue Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Megan McLaughlin with cellist Patty Espeth, at 7 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

7th Direction, AJ Roach, Claire Holley at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Dr. Know, Naked Aggression, Retching Red, New Earth Creeps at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18 

CHILDREN  

Asheba at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

Matrix 218: Carla Klein “Scape” opens at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Artist’s talk at 4 p.m. 642-0808. 

“Exquisite Corpse Show” collaboratively made art pieces opens at the North/South Gallery, 5241 College Ave. at Broadway. www.geocities.com/ 

exquisitecorpseshow 

FILM 

“8 1/4” A film by Claire Burch at 2 p.m. at at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Free. 547-7602. 

Dutch Voices: Jos de Putter and Peter Delpeut “The Making of a New Empire” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Found Footage Festival at 6 p.m. at The Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $6. 814-2400.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

California Poets in the Schools with Linda Elkin, Grace Marie Grafton, Tobey Kaplan, and John Oliver Simon at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320, pegdowntown@sbcglobal.net 

Poetry Flash with Karen Benke, Kathy Evans and Prartho M. Sereno at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852.  

David Zirin reads from “What’s My Name Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Hurricane Benefit with Taj Mahal at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $35. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Chanticleer “Earth Songs” at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. www.chanticleer.org 

National Ballet of China “Raise the Red Lantern” at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Live Oak Concert with Cuban pianist Almaguer Martinez at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. ww.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Broceliande “Songs of Autumn and Harvest” at 4 p.m. at Montclair Presbyterian Church, 5701 Thornhill Drive, Oakland. Donation $10-$15. 339-1131. 

Organ Recital with Jonathan Dimmock, organ and Christine Brandes, soprano at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $15. 845-8630. 

Rudolf Buchbinder, piano, at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42, available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Andy M. Stewart & Gerry O’Beirne at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Joan Getz & Ellen Hoffman Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Kim Nally Quintet with Allen Smith at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazz- 

school. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Old Time Cabaret from 2 to 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

MONDAY, SEPT. 19 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kay Trimberger looks at “The New Single Woman” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Zigi Lowenberg and Raymond Nat Turner from the jazzpoetry ensemble UpSurge! at 7 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland. 527-1141. 

Aurora Script Club, moderated by Paul Heller with guest director Tom Bently, at 7:30 p.m. at Aurora Theater. 843-4822. 

Poetry Express with Kirk Lumpkin at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Trovatore, traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Doug Wamble at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $6-$12. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

?

The informal consensus among the plant folks I know is that we’re having an unusually early autumn. That might be true; that poor plum tree that hangs over our fence is bald already, and started dropping leaves in early August. It’s been badly stressed though, since it was butchered so ineptly last year, so I’d thought it was an exception. 

But the native-plant cabal’s e-mail correspondents in the Sierra and the foothills said the aspens and maples were turning early, and some local street trees seem to be jumping the gun a bit too. People are tossing assorted theories around—warm wet spring, hot fog-poor summer, bug populations, water table … I’ll stay agnostic for a while, myself. I’m pretty sure that there are lots of reasons.  

The poor street sycamores, the London planes and their kin, are losing leaves fast and unglamorously and I suppose that’s because it’s been such a prosperous year for anthracnose, a leaf fungus they’re susceptible to. They’ve looked gray in the leaf all summer. 

But what goes on in a leaf in autumn is a complicated chemical dance, and it’s ruled mostly by day length. Its intensity, in some places and species, is influenced by sunny or cloudy days, cool nights, the arrival of frost and freezing weather. But the great change itself is kicked off by shorter days, longer nights, a critical point in the amount of light a tree gets. 

We have only a few native deciduous trees here, species like California buckeye (Aesculus californica, which normally starts undressing in late summer) and bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) and the alders and willows that grow along wild creeks. But some of our street trees, the various ashes, mulberries, and especially the sweetgums (Liquidambar styraciflua) have been flashing gorgeous colors at us for the past few weeks. These species are giving us an exotic treat, a précis of what goes on in the deciduous forests back east. When I visited Pennsylvania last in autumn, I realized I’d forgotten how saturated those colors are, how intensely sweet to the eye. 

What’s going on inside those leaves is as amazing as the beauty on the surface. Some of the new colors have been present in the leaves all along: yellow xanthophylls and orange carotenoids. They’ve been overshadowed by the chlorophyll that the tree uses to make food, in a chemical process fueled by sunlight’s energy. Chlorophyll is delicate; it breaks down fast in sunlight, and the leaf is replacing it constantly.  

The waning days signal less usable light, and in many deciduous trees’ homelands, the coming of freezing weather. Among other effects, freezing makes groundwater unavailable to be absorbed by the trees’ roots—an effective seasonal drought. Deciduous leaves typically transport a lot of water out of the tree through their stomata, and get expensive to keep in a drought.  

The tree starts making its abscission layer, a corky band of cells between the leaf’s petiole and the twig. It slows and stops traffic between the leaf and the rest of the tree: as less food (carbohydrates) flows out of the leaf, less mineral and water support flows in. Chlorophyll stops being made, and the sturdier xanthophylls and carotenoids are unmasked.  

Another pigment set, the red and purple anthocyanins, forms in autumn in some trees, made of the sugars left over in the leaf. These show as reds where the leaf’s cell sap is very acidic, purples where it’s closer to neutral. (Anthocyanins are responsible for apples’ red skin, the purple of grapes, and some flower colors too. The result from a reaction between plant sugars and light, which is why an apple is redder on the sunny side.) 

Anthocyanins are a bit more responsive to the tree’s prosperity than other pigments: if it’s been a good summer, with enough water and sun to make lots of sugars, there will be more leftovers to make more red or purple colors.  

Domestic sweetgums are good showcases for all these pigments right now. Their varieties and cultivars show assorted color habits: ‘Burgundy’ is almost purple; ‘Festival’ is gaily multicolored. Some hold their bright leaves all winter in our climate. You can pick up a brilliant boutonniere from the sidewalks anytime from now to March, free and freely given.w

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 524-9992. 

WriterCoach Connection Training Sessions Tues. Sept. 13 and 20 from noon to 3 p.m. Help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. To register call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

“Hetch Hetchy Valley: Water and California’s Future,” a panel discussion on the feasibility of dismantling the O’Shaughnessy Dam to restore the Hetch Hetchy River Valley, at 5:30 p.m. at Goldman School of Public Policy, Room 150, UC Campus. 642-2666. 

Youth Arts Studio Demonstration Class in visual arts for ages 10-13 at 3:15 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church, 2220 Cedar St. Youth Arts Studio is a non-profit after-school program. 848-1755. 

Day Hiking with Your Dog with Thom Gabrukiewicz and dog trainer Jen Worth at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Elections in Crisis” documentary films on voter fraud from noon to 5 p.m. followed by a speaker event at 7 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $6 for the afternoon, $10 for the evening. Sponsored by the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club. 848-6767, ext. 609. 

“Race, Racialization and Colonialism” with Steve Martinot, Tues. at 7 p.m., through Oct. 3, at Unitarian Fellowship, Education Building, 1606 Bonita St. 528-5403. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 1 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Community Media, 2239 MLK, Jr. Way. To schedule an appointment call 848-2288, ext. 13. www.BeADonor.com 

Kundalini and Meditation Therapy with Dr. Hari Simran Singh Khalsa at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. at Cedar. 549-9200. 

“Medicare: Understanding Your Drug Coverage” at 4 p.m. at Center for Older Adult Services, 828 San Pablo Ave. To register call 558-7800. 

“Applied Buddhism” a workshop led by Marilee Baccich and Lynette Delgado, Tues. at 12:15 p.m. through Dec. 6 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Donation $40. To register call 526-8944.  

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14 

“Quilters Comfort America” Help make quilts at the quilt-a-thons, Wed. and Thurs. from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at New Pieces 2, 1605 Solano Ave. New Pieces will provide the tables, chairs, irons and ironing board. Please bring anything else you have that could be of use. All quilts will be hand delivered to Red Cross Volunteers at evacuee shelters in Houston. To reserve a place please call 527-6779. 

“Himalayan Quest” book-signing with Ed Viesturs, the first American to successfully climb all 14 of the world’s highest peaks without supplemental oxygen, at 1 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Lori Berenson: Convicted by an Image” and “La Noche de los Lápices” two films from Latin America at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. 393-5685. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. at the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Youth Arts Studio Demonstration Class in dance for ages 10-13 at 3:15 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church, 2220 Cedar St. Youth Arts Studio is a non-profit after-school program. 848-1755. 

Pain Free Movement Learn exercises to rehabilitate joints and muscles at 1 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. at Cedar. 549-9200. 

Eco-Medicine: Greening Primary Health Care A free presentation at 7 p.m. at the Teleosis Institute, 1521B 5th St. 558-7285 www.teleosis.org  

Poetry Writing Workshop led by Alison Seevak at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

“The Day I Died” BBC documentary on near-death experiences at 7:30 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. 395-5684. 

East Bay Genealogical Society with Barbara Smith, docent at Mountain View Cemetery at 10 a.m. at the Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Ave. Oakland. 635-6692.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. 548-9840. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Action St. 841-2174.  

“Mindfulness Meditation” a workshop led by Kendra Smith, Wed. at 9:30 a.m. through Nov. 2 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Donation $30. To register call 527-4816.  

Prose Writer’s Workshop An ongoing group made up of friendly writers who are serious about our craft. At 7 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. georgeporter@earthlink.net 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15 

The LeConte Neighborhood Association meets at 7:30 p.m. at the LeConte School cafeteria. Discussion topics will include our request to be represented on a committee to study the Downtown Area Plan, the “flying cottage” status. 843-2602. 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, “Berkeley Rocks, Naturally” with Jonathan Chester on the movement to “design with nature,” at 7 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 848-9358.  

“Cuba Today: Achievements, Roadblocks, Failed US Policy” with Lee Zeigler, Stanford Univ., at 7:30 p.m. in the Home Room, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $5. 642-9460.  

“Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary: Research and Resources” with Jennifer Stock on one of the most biologically rich areas of the West Coast at 12:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Golden Gate Audubon Society “Why Do Birds Sing and How?” with George Bentley at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 

Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative Potluck and meeting at 6 p.m. at the Edible Schoolyard Garden, Rose and Grant Sts. 883-9096. 

Communication for Caregivers Ongoing free Berkeley Adult School class meets Thurs. at 1 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5170. 

“Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia: Current Treatment” at 4 p.m. at Center for Older Adult Services, 828 San Pablo Ave. To register call 558-7800. 

Puppy Prep, socialization skills, a four week class, at 6:30 p.m. at Rabbitears, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Cost is $100. 525-6155. 

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Andrew E. Barshay, PhD on “Japanese POWs in the Gulag,1945-56” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925. 

“Redemption - The Stan ‘Tookie’ Williams Story” a special screening with Barbara Becnel, hosted by the Fr. Bill O’Donnell Social Justice Committee, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Donations accepted. 482-1062. 

Berkeley Folk Dancers begins a 13-week course of beginners’ lessons at 7:45 p.m. at Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck. Cost for the series is $40. 655-9332. www.berkeleyfolkdancers.org  

Spirit Walking Aqua Chi A gentle water exercise class at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Cost is $3.50 per session. 526-0312. 

Environmental Science Activities for Children from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Whole Foods, Telegraph Ave. at Ashby. www.kidsforthebay.org 

Movement: Chi Gung to improve energy and health, at 1 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Scottish Country Dancing Enjoy the traditional social dances of Scotland at a free introductory party at 6:30 p.m. for youth, 8 p.m. for adults at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. 234-8985. 

“The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear” a BBC docmentary at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. 528-5403. 

“The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” a workshop led by Mac Lingo, Fridays at 1:30 p.m. through Nov. 4 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Donation $30. To register call 525-1881.  

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

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

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17 

California Coastal Cleanup Day in Berkeley, from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet behind the Seabreeze Market. Everyone needs to sign waivers. We give you trash /recycle bags, pencils, tally cards and a map of the areas we need to clean. There are seven sites, most within walking distance. There are also clean-up sites in Emeryville and Albany. 981-6720. www.ci.ber 

keley.ca.us/marina/marinaexp/cleanup.htm For Oakland venues call 238-7611. www.oaklandpw.com/creeks 

Cerrito Creek Coastal Cleanup Meet at at 10 a.m. at the south end of Yosemite St. (two blocks west of San Pablo Ave., south of Central Ave.) in El Cerrito. Bring your own picnic. Sponsored by Friends of Five Creeks. 848-358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Marina Bay Beach Cleanup Meet at 9 a.m. at Shimada Friendship Park in Richmond. Wear old clothes, sturdy shoes and work gloves. Followed by BBQ at noon. 374-3231. 

Discounted Bay-Friendly Car Wash from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kaady Car Wash, 400 San Pablo Ave., Albany. 452-9261, ext. 130. www.savesfbay.org  

Berkeley Firefighters “Three-Alarm Barbeque” A fund-raiser for Berkeley Rep at 11:30 a.m. at 2015 Addison St. Tickets are $15-$25. Additional cost to see matinee of “Our Town.” 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Back to School - Not War A day of workshops on peace and social justice at Laney College, Oakland, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with an Anti-War Rally at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20-$40, $10 for students, includes breakfast and lunch. Sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County. www.BackToSchoolNotWar.org 

String Band Contest and Crafts Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Civic Center Park. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Celebrate Berkeley’s New Rail Stop at University and 3rd St. from 1 to 4 p.m. with music, food, speeches, tours and the ribbon-cutting. Sponsored by Berkeley Redevelopment Agency. For more information, contact Marti Brown at 981-7418. 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of the Claremont - Elmwood to discover a variety of early 20th century houses, estates and paths, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $10. 848-0181. www.cityofberkeley.info/histsoc/ 

“Hot Tips: A Fire Safety Program” from 10 a.m. to noon at the Tilden Nature Center. 981-5506. 

Friends of the Albany Library Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Most items are priced at just 50 cents and include fiction, mysteries, children’s books, library discards, magazines and records. The sale will be held at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 536-3720, ext. 5. 

California Writers Club Berkeley Branch meets with Joshua Braff, author of “The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green” at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland. 482-0265. www.berkeleywritersclub.org 

Untraining White Liberal Racism introductory workshop from 1to 5 p.m. at the Berkeley High School Library, 1980 Allston Way. Donation $10-$50, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. 

“Salud!” A Celebration of Latino Art, Health and Community from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave. 420-7900. 

Klezmer and Yiddish Culture Festival at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $12-$15. 415-789-7679. 

Peace Corps Cultural Festival Learn about different cultures with Returned Volunteers. Displays, crafts, live performances and games. Bring a picnic. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Peacock Meadows, Golden Gate Park, SF. peacecorpsfestival@yahoo.com  

Walking Tour of Historic Oakland Churches and Temples Meet at 10 a.m. at the front of the First Presbyterian Church at 2619 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Luna Kids Dance Open House with free parent/child dance class at 11:30 a.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. 644-3629.  

Feng Shui for Home and Office at 10 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. at Cedar. 549-9200. 

“Untold Stories: Baseball and the Multicultural Experience” at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Historical and Botanical Tour of Chapel of the Chimes, a Julia Morgan landmark, at 10 a.m. at 4499 Piedmont Ave. at Pleasant Valley. Reservations required 228-3207.  

“Making a Backyard Wildlife Garden” with Glen Schneider at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

Oakland Outdoor Cinema “The Station Agent” at 8 p.m. on Washington St. between 9th and 10th Sts. Limited seating, bring chairs and blankets. 238-4734. www.filmoakland.com 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18 

“Feed the Nation” Concert with Jennifer Johns. Support black farmers from the Mandela farmers’ market, at 10 a.m. at Splash Pad Park, Grand Ave. and Lakeshore Blvd., Oakland. 415-454-0174. www.mobetterfood.com 

Klezmer and Yiddish Culture Festival from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $18-$20, teens and children free. 415-789-7679. 

Bike Tour of Oakland A leisurely-paced tour covering the history of Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. at the 10th St. entrance of the Oakland Museum of California. Registration required, 238-3514. 

“Viva Chile!” Views and Voices, a slide show by photographer Thea Bellos at 6 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568. 

Omulu Capoeira Annual Children’s Batizado at 2 p.m. at the Malonga Casquelord Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Donation $5. 286-7999. www.omulu.org 

Family Exploration: Shadow Puppets at noon at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. 238-2200. 

Sycamore Japanese Church Bazaar from noon to 5 p.m. at 1111 Navellier St., between Schmidt and Moeser Aves., El Cerrito. Japanese food, baked goods, BBQ, handcrafts, door prizes and games for children. 525-0727. 

International Women’s Writing Guild with Jordan Tircuit at 3 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com 

Hands-on Bike Maintenance Learn how to do a bicycle safety inspection at 10 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Bring your bike and tools. 527-4140. 

Shamanic Journeying: Meeting Your Spirit Animal Allies at 1 p.m. at Rabbitears, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Cost is $60. Registration required. 525-6155. 

Alternative Healing, using the Inner Dowsing Method, with Cea T. Hearth, at 2 p.m. at Changemakers, 6536 Telegraph Ave. Cost is $5. 415-282-2287. 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

“Odessey: My Spiritual Quest and the Violin” with Donna Lerew at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Kol Hadash Brunch Program Bernie Rosen on “Jewish Viewpoint in Medical Ethics” at 9:30 a.m. at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Donation of $5 requested. programs@kolhadash.org 

“Martin Buber’s A Land of Two Peoples” re-release party at 2 p.m. at Kehilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave., Piedmont. 547-2424. 

MONDAY, SEPT. 19 

Berkeley Progressive Alliance meets at 7 p.m. at Unitarian Fellowship, Cedar and Bonita. Choose a work team: City Gov. Watch; Elections-precinct work; Labor Support; Religious Liason; Outreach; or your choice. 540-1975.  

“What’s My Name, Fool?” Sports and Resistance in the United States with author Dave Zirin at 7 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak St. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Critical Viewing An ongoing group to examine the art/craft(iness) of short films and television productions and its effects on our daily lives, at 1 p.m. at the BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Free. 848-0237. georgeporter@earthlink.net 

Tibetan Qigong for People Living with Parkinson’s Disease at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Everyone is welcome. 528-8853. 

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

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., Sept. 13, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Tues. Sept. 13, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Angellique De Cloud, 981-5428.  

Commission on Disability meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Don Brown, 981-6346. TDD: 981-6345.  

Homeless Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jane Micallef, 981-5426.  

Planning Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Janet Homrighausen, 981-7484.  

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. Cliff Marchetti, 981-6740.  

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Peter Hillier, 981-7000. ›

East Bay progressives, politicians, celebrities, and business and religious leaders rallied this week in front of the Federal Building in Oakland to alternately denounce the Bush administration and urge aid for the Louisiana and Mississippi residents displaced by last week’s devastating storm and floods. 

And all across the East Bay this week, organizations and agencies raced to hold events or announced plans for future actions to support hurricane victims. The ad hoc coalition that assembled at the Federal Building demonstrated the sudden marriage between the anti-war movement and Hurricane Katrina victim relief. 

More than 100 activists gathered for more than an hour and a half Tuesday afternoon, many holding up signs expressing anger at the lapse in the federal government’s initial response to Katrina and linking the Gulf Hurricane with the war in Iraq. 

Included in the signs were “Full Funding For Disaster Relief,” “No More Lies—No More Excuses—Troops Home Now,” and “It’s Not A Horse Show. It’s A National Tragedy” (a reference to the fact that before joining the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is heading the Katrina federal relief effort, FEMA Director Mike Brown was fired from his longtime job with the International Arabian Horse Association). Another sign read, simply, “Homeland Security My Ass!” 

The rally was held on the sidewalk after Homeland Security officers said that representatives of the Oakland office of the federal General Services Administration, the caretaker for the Federal Building, had not signed off on a permit to hold the rally on Federal Building grounds. 

Pamela Drake, a former Oakland City Council candidate, former aide to Councilmembers Desley Brooks and Nate Miley and one of the original organizers of the rally, said that a representative of Rep. Barbara Lee’s office had submitted the permit request to the GSA office several hours before the rally, but said that apparently no one was in the office all afternoon who could sign off on it. 

Rally sponsors included Code Pink, the John George Democratic Club and the Oakland Black Caucus. 

“Thank God we weren’t homeless and hungry and thirsty and surrounded by water when we needed a government official to be around,” Drake told the crowd. She called the permit mix-up “illustrative of the situation that’s going on in Mississippi and Louisiana.” 

FEMA, Brown, and President George Bush came under attack by speaker after speaker for what was repeatedly called bungling and callousness in its relief effort. 

Alameda County Board of Education member Gay Plair Cobb said she was “shocked, subdued, and saddened by the response of our government,” while Oakland School Board member Greg Hodge said that “the blood of our people is on the hands” of the Bush administration, and Oakland City Councilmember Nancy Nadel said that “FEMA’s response to the tragedy was a tragedy in itself.” 

Nadel was also one of many speakers who noted the ties and similarities between the East Bay and Louisiana. 

“The demographics of Oakland are not much different from New Orleans,” she said. “Many Oakland citizens emigrated from there, and many have families who are still in the area.” 

Nadel also said that the East Bay was “as vulnerable to earthquakes as New Orleans was to hurricane and flood.” She announced that Oakland City Council was meeting in emergency session Thursday afternoon to decide what it could do to help hurricane victims. 

Informing the community of how it could help took up the bulk of the rally’s time. Among the announcements: 

• Rep. Lee’s office as accepting donations. 

• Oakland hip hop artist and entrepreneur Dwayne Wiggins said he was organizing an all day Oct. 1 jazz and hip hop benefit at the Kaiser Convention Center in conjunction with the office of Oakland Councilmember Desley Brooks. 

• AC Transit Amalgamated Transit Union bus drivers had announced plans to adopt New Orleans bus drivers and their families and relocate them to the East Bay until they could get back on their feet, said Sharon Cornu, executive director of the Alameda County Central Labor Council. 

• A representative of the Ella Baker Center announced a jazz concert and spiritual event fund raiser at the First Congregational Church in Oakland on Saturday at 10 a.m., and Board Member Greg Hodge said that the Oaktown Jazz Workshop and resident dance companies at Oakland’s Malonga Casquelord Center would hold a fund raiser on Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. at Sweets Ballroom in Oakland. 

• Oakland School Boardmember Dan Siegel said that at a community meeting held last Saturday at Allen Temple Baptist Church, a coalition of Oakland civic and religious leaders were working on a proposal to ask for the opening up of unused housing at the Oakland Army Base to relocate as many as 1,000 hurricane victims. In addition, Siegel said the group is asking the Port of Oakland to work with airlines flying out of the Oakland Airport to provide free transportation for the families to be relocated. Siegel also said that they were working with Congressmember Lee’s office to secure emergency Section 8 vouchers for hurricane victims relocating to the East Bay. 

• Bill Patterson of the Oakland NAACP said his organization had set up a National Disaster Relief Fund to coordinate financial contributions to the area hit by the hurricane. Patterson said donations could be sent to the NAACP Disaster Relief Fund, 663 35th Street, Oakland, California 94609. 

• A representative of Santiago de Cuba, Oakland’s Cuban sister city, urged residents to contact the Bush administration to accept Cuba’s offer to send 1,500 physicians into the disaster area. “We need to put aside politics,” she said. “We could be there in two hours.” 

In other disaster relief action across the East Bay: 

• Veterans for Peace and U.S. Tour of Duty will present “Direct from Camp Casey,” featuring military families and Bay Area neighbors for two appearances: Sept. 12 at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland, and on Sept. 13 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 405 South 10th St., San Jose. Both events will benefit hurricane relief efforts. 

• At a fundraiser last weekend at Ashkenaz in Berkeley, the Aux Cajunals band and Tom Rigby raised more than $9,000 for flood victims. 

• Berkeley’s Shotgun Players donated proceeds from their Labor Day performance of the play Cyrano to hurricane relief. 

• Members of Berkeley Rep’s Teen Council announced a six-hour benefit of staged readings from plays set in New Orleans, to be held at the Berkeley Rep School of Theater on Sept. 25. 

• The City of Berkeley announced a number of disaster relief activities, including coordinating temporary housing for displaced people from the disaster area and sending emergency and cleanup personnel to Louisiana and Mississippi. 

• Many businesses around the area are collecting donations for hurricane aid.›

Sixty-two years ago Shirley Thompson left her family in New Orleans behind to start fresh in Bay Area. Last week, 13 members of her family, their homes underwater and with little left besides the clothes on their backs, joined her. 

Ranging in age from 8 to 88, Thompson’s relatives from New Orleans now reside in Thompson’s three-bedroom house on Hopkins Street where before last week Thompson slept alone. Three of the family members are sleeping in Thompson’s mobile trailer parked in her driveway. 

“This isn’t luxury, but I feel blessed that we can have this time to be together as a family,” said Edna Marchand, Thompson’s 88-year-old sister whose home in New Orleans was flooded above the upstairs porch, her neighbors told her. 

Hurricane Katrina’s imminent landfall last Monday sent Marchand and her family scurrying for shelter across the South. After a day in a relative’s overcrowded home in Shreveport, La., they packed into a Honda Accord and an Accura Legend and headed to Arlington, Texas, where they spent four nights in a hotel as their money dwindled. 

Thompson, an 80-year-old widow, said nearly her entire family lived in New Orleans and that her Berkeley home was their best option to escape the ravaged city. 

She said, “I told them, ‘look you guys can come here and we’ll make provisions for you. We’ll be one happy family, just come.’” 

The family bought tickets for Edna Marchand and two other relatives to fly to Berkeley, while the rest of them drove across country, five people in each car. 

“When they got here on Sunday, I swear I was so thankful that they made it safely,” Thompson said. She added that she had recently tried to sell her trailer on EBay, but couldn’t find any takers. 

“I think God knew I’d need some extra room,” she said. 

Living under one roof isn’t easy for the family. Thompson has two people sleeping on an air mattress in the living room, two people on beds in all three bedrooms, and three people sleeping in the den on fold-out mattresses that neighbors gave to the family. 

“It’s a lot different than having your own three-bedroom house,” said Dana Lewis, a distant niece of Thompson’s who is sleeping with her son and daughter in the trailer. The Lewises are one of three nuclear families staying with Thompson. The others are the Marchands and the Cuneos. While Thompson is close with the Marchands and the Cuneos, she had never met the Lewis’ who are related by marriage through an uncle. 

“My uncle is the kind of person who always has a plan to evacuate and we were fortunate he brought us along,” Dana Lewis said. “Everyone has been so welcoming, we feel like we’ve know each other for years.” 

The crowded living arrangement won’t last much longer. The Lewises are heading back to Texas, where Dana Lewis has family, Thompson said in a telephone interview Thursday. She said the Cuneos and Marchands have rejected the Red Cross’s offer of apartments on Seventh Street in Berkeley, which she said were substandard. 

“For now they’re going to stay with me,” Thompson said. 

The Red Cross has offered each family member $320 spending money per person, they said. They are still waiting to see how much aid they will receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or when their they will be able to file a claim with their insurance companies. 

“It’s hard to get an insurance check when you can’t get to your house to document your losses,” said Freda Marchand, who said neighbors told her flood waters had risen nearly to the top of her ceiling. 

City officials have sought to help the family as they wait for federal aid. On Sunday, Berkeley social workers arrived at the home, and Julie Sinai, an aide to Mayor Bates, took the family food shopping with money from a city’s program for the homeless. 

Devin Sanders, Thompson’s granddaughter and a Richmond resident, said her boss’s family at In and Out Burger was raising money to buy supplies for the family. 

“We just thought we’d be gone for a night or two,” said Freda Marchand, who packed just a few outfits. “We never dreamed we would not be able to go home or that all of our vital records and personal belongings would be destroyed.” 

Jessica Cuneo said that on the Monday that when Katrina struck, she had planned to stay in New Orleans with her mother, who was scheduled to work in the emergency room of a New Orleans hospital. “We got up at 5:30 a.m. and when the news said it was going to be bad my mom told me to pack my bag and be ready to get on the road,” she said. “It took us about eight hours to get to Shreveport.” 

With their houses under water and their hometown off limits for at least four months, the evacuees are struggling to settle down in Berkeley. 

On Wednesday, Cuneo attended her first classes as an eighth-grader at Albany Middle School, where her cousin also goes to school. “Going to school helped me get my mind off everything,” said Cuneo. She said she hopes to return to New Orleans for ninth grade.  

Jessica Cuneo’s sister Sydney, a fifth-grader, and her cousin Ariel Lewis, a third-grader, are attending Berkeley Arts Magnate School. G’nai Marchand, 18, and her distant cousin Chad Lewis, 19, started classes this week at Vista College.  

Dana Lewis, who had worked in a dry cleaners, and Nicole Cuneo, a hospital technician, said they were both looking for work in the East Bay. 

Marchand, like several family members, said a close friend of hers was still missing. Lewis said his friends were all accounted for, but they had been spread out across the country. 

“A lot are in Northern Louisiana, but one is in Chicago, one in Atlanta,” he said. “It seems like I went the farthest.” 

While most of his family members said they would like to return home, Lewis said he was hesitant to go back to New Orleans. 

“I don’t think it can ever be the same,” he said. “What’s bothered me more than anything is watching what’s happened. It was just like a third world country. Everything is destroyed. It’s unbelievable to think we were one step away from being there too.”›

The landmark UC Theatre on University Avenue in Berkeley could soon be the home of a jazz club, but just when remains a question. 

If Gloria Mendoza and her spouse Michael Govan, who operated Kimball’s East in Emeryville until it closed earlier this year, win all the necessary approvals, the long-vacant movie theater will be transformed into a supper club offering live music four nights a week. An adjoining restaurant will also open in the storefront immediately to the west currently occupied by Universi ty Nails. 

According to their application filed with the City of Berkeley, Mendoza and Govan plan to reconfigure the theater, replacing the row seats with fixed U-shaped booths seating 596. Additional movable tables and chairs along the sides and by the b ar in the rear of the showroom could bring the total up to 900. 

Because the theater has no columns or structural supports to block views, each seat will offer an unrestricted sightline to the stage. 

“This puts the UC Theatre back into play as a major entertainment forum,” said John Gordon, the commercial real estate agent who is negotiating the lease. “It will be a big shot in the arm for University Avenue.” 

The 15,215-square-foot building, which also includes some second-floor office space, ended its 84-year run as movie palace four years ago when its operators were unable to pay for an extensive earthquake retrofit. 

“The retrofit is now complete, and there will be very little construction involved” with the changes necessary for its new incarnation as a jazz club, Gordon said. 

Name glitch? 

While Gordon said the new club would be called Kimball’s Berkeley, there’s still some question if that will prove to be the case. 

The Kimball’s name comes from Kimball Allen, now 86, who has been operating musi c clubs in the Bay Area with his spouse, Jane Allen, for decades. 

At one point in the 1990s, the couple operated jazz clubs under the Kimball’s name in San Francisco, Emeryville and at Jack London Square in Oakland. 

The original Kimball’s was located be hind the San Francisco Opera House, while Kimball’s East was one of two clubs the Allens operated in the Emery Bay Public Market in Emeryville. Downstairs was the less formal Carnival, which specialized in salsa, and Kimball’s East, a more traditional jaz z showroom, was located upstairs. 

Kimball’s East opened in 1989 and Jane Allen said they sold Kimball’s East to Gloria Mendoza in 1999, a year and a half after they moved Carnival to 522 Second St. in Oakland’s Jack London Square area, offering salsa and pool. They recently acquired an adjacent space that will be run as a sports bar featuring three projection screens and 18 pool tables, she said. 

Allen said that when they sold their Emeryville club, the deal included the use of the Kimball’s name only a t that location. The club continued under their name until it closed in July. 

Told that their name would be attached to the new Berkeley operation, Allen said, “I have no knowledge of that at all. You took me by surprise. That’s something we’ll have to d iscuss.”  

Elusive operators 

Despite repeated requests by Gordon and calls from a reporter, the Mendozas and Govan declined to be interviewed for this article. 

“I don’t know why,” Gordon said. He called them “the most unusual clients I’ve ever worked w ith. He’s [Eric] the only guy who’s ever called me ‘Babe.’” 

Gordon said the site’s proximity to the downtown BART station and the accessibility of other forms of public transportation played a key role in picking the site. “They were also excited about t he hotels now in play for downtown,” he said. 

Gordon also said that when major acts played the club in Emeryville, many fans would book rooms for the weekend in local hotels. The Mendozas were delighted at the pending transformation of the Shattuck Hotel into the Berkeley Westin and UC Berkeley’s plans to build a new hotel nearby, he said. 

Jane Allen, who knows the Mendozaa and Govan, said “they’re wonderful people, really, and I wish them all the best.” 

Landmark status 

Designed by venerable Berkeley a rchitect James W. Plachek and opened in 1917, the move palace once seated up to 2,200 patrons during the golden age of silent film and witnessed the birth of color films and talkies. 

The lobby features unique terrazzo floors and tile work in the blue and gold colors of the university and the walls of the showroom are adorned with distinctive architectural flourishes.  

Though the building was designated a Berkeley landmark on May 6, 2002 by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the renovations now under consideration probably won’t probably won’t require any formal review by the LPC because no changes to the exterior are planned, Sage said. 

“We may provide a copy of the completed application to the commission as a courtesy so that they can review it,” Sage said Thursday. 

Daniella Thompson, an outspoken member of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA)—the city’s most active preservationist group—said she welcomes a new jazz club to Berkeley. 

“Better here than in Emeryville,” she said. 

While the landmark status offers protection for the exterior of the building, she said she hopes the new operators will preserve the unique character of the interior. 

“The interior is pretty much intact,” said Anthony Bruce, who works for BAHA.  

Gordon said “the kitchen will be the project’s one major piece of new construction, and may be built after the club opens,” Gordon said. It will serve both the showroom and the adjoining restaurant. 

In addition, new dressing rooms complete with showers a nd bathrooms will be built for performers at both ends of the stage and what is now the theater’s lobby area will become the full-service bar. 

ABC review 

In addition to the requisite city approvals, the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (AB C) must also approve the transfer of the liquor license from Emeryville to the Berkeley location—and that may pose additional problems. 

The license is currently held by Ego Entertainment, a limited liability corporation with Gloria Mendoza and her son Er ic as the managing partners. 

Andrew Gomez, the Oakland-based district administrator for the ABC, said that the owners were required to surrender their license within 15 days after the Emeryville club closed. The operators have a year in which they can ei ther reopen at the same location or apply to transfer the license to a new location which would have to open within a year of the surrender. The proposed opening of the Berkeley club next fall could require the owners to start the full licensing procedure over from scratch, leading to further delays before the club could serve alcohol—a financial mainstay of the supper club business. 

Approval of the transfer requires permission of the City of Berkeley, as well as a separate vetting process by the ABC, wi th notices to resident who live within 100 feet of the new location as well as to schools and community and civic organizations within 600 feet, as well as public notices that must be posted for 30 consecutive days. 

If there are no delays, the transfer could be approved as soon as 60 to 90 days after city approval. 

Should any individual or designated group within the noticed area raise objections, the process can take considerably longer—as happened with Anna De Leon’s Jazz Island on Allston Way in the Gaia Building. 

“Because one resident (of the Gaia Building) raised concerns that music from the club might affect him, it took four months to reach a settlement,” De Leon said. “The issue wasn’t even liquor.” 

Strong support 

Mayor Tom Bates and City Man ager Phil Kamlarz have expressed support for the project and named Dave Fogarty, a city economic development specialist, as the city’s representative working with Gordon and club operators Gloria Mendoza, her husband Michael Govan and her son Eric S. Mend oza. 

Fogarty said the jazz club is a perfect fit for the location and for downtown Berkeley’s Arts District. 

“Upper University Avenue hasn’t really benefited yet from much revitalization,” Fogarty said. “There isn’t much foot traffic now, and that’s wha t Kimball’s will do. It will bring a nighttime anchor, and I think it will make a huge difference.” 

Deborah Badhia, executive director of the Downtown Berkeley Association, said the proposal is “very exciting, a great addition to the Arts District. And b ecause it’s a bigger venue, it will be able to draw the top name acts.” 

Even Anna De Leon, the owner of Berkeley’s newest and largest existing jazz club, Anna’s Jazz Island, said she’s thrilled with the project. 

“I think it’s terrific. I welcome anythin g that brings more people into downtown Berkeley at night,” she said. 

Both Badhia and De Leon said that such a strong jazz presence in downtown Berkeley could help create a critical mass that could earn the city a national reputation as a major jazz cent er. 

Anna’s Jazz Island is one of four venues in downtown Berkeley that offer live jazz, the others being the Jazz School at 2087 Addison St., Jupiter at 2181 Shattuck Ave., and Downtown at 2102 Shattuck Ave. 

If all goes well, said Gordon, the club could hold its grand opening next fall, just as the Berkeley Repertory and Aurora Theaters open their new seasons.  

“The club will be a real bonus for the Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival,” added Gordon. “This year they played at 12 or 14 different venues. Jus t imagine how it will be when they open.” 

Badhia said she was concerned that the project doesn’t include parking, nor did the building’s prior cinematic incarnation 

“It’s not reasonable to expect them [the new operators] to supply it,” she said, “and we’re relying on the municipality to provide the infrastructure to support the growing Arts District.”  

Aaron Sage, the senior planner assigned to the project, said Thursday that the project is currently “in the earliest possible stage, with many questions remaining to be answered.” But he added that he’ll examine the parking issue in the staff report he’s preparing for submission to the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB), which plays the central role in authorizing project permits. 

ZAB must also issue formal approval before the club will be allowed to serve alcohol, a process that involves notification of property owners and residents in the area.n

Renovations to Berkeley’s Civic Center Park, in the works since 1996, have been delayed once again after the city learned that the project would cost at least $400,000 more than anticipated. 

The city will redesign the project so that it can be completed for the $981,000 it has budgeted for renovations, said Berkeley Director of Parks and Recreation Marc Seleznow. The lowest bid for the project came in at $1.4 million, he said. 

“When you’re talking a $400,000 shortfall, I’m sure some things will be taken out of the design,” Seleznow said. 

The city had hoped to start the project this summer and complete it by the end of the year. Seleznow said it would take the city’s consultants about three months to redesign the project and then seek the City Council’s approval. He added that the city no longer had a timetable for when renovations would be completed. 

The planned renovation for the park just north of Berkeley High School between Milvia Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way included a new children’s play area, a refurbished west end of the park, including a stage and rails for skateboarders, pedestrian lighting, sidewalk renovations, new benches, drinking fountains and an upgraded irrigation system. 

Voters approved money for the project in 1996 as part of Measure S, a city bond for downtown improvements. Councilmember Dona Spring said the project was then delayed though 2002 as preservationists and advocates for Native Americans battled over a proposal to replace the park’s fountain with a new fountain design which would be a monument to local indigenous peoples. A compromise was eventually reached to leave the fountain design substantially unchanged and to install a monument for Native Americans elsewhere in the fountain plaza. 

“What a terrible shame that the process took so long and the money has lost so much of its value,” said Spring, whose district includes the park. 

A city engineering study performed this spring estimated that the full project would cost just under $1 million. But Seleznow said that rising construction costs resulted in the three bids from contractors all coming in over budget. “Concrete, steel and labor, everything is going up,” he said. 

Seleznow said that the monument honoring Native Americans would remain part of the plan and that the new lighting would probably remain as well. A children’s climbing structure, designed to resemble a creek flowing from the hills to the Bay, might have to be simplified, he added. 

In April, the City Council voted against spending $600,000 to repair and maintain the functionality of the existing fountain, which has been dry for the past four decades. 

Spring said that despite the city’s fiscal shortfall, she would try to squeeze more money for the park, including funds for the fountain. 

“There’s just something morbid about this dried out cement hole,” she said. 

While rising construction costs have jeopardized other projects in the city, most notably the planned David Brower Center, Seleznow said that contractor bids for upgrades in four other park have come in within the city’s budget. The parks are Cedar Rose Park, King School Park, Live Oak Park and Shorebird Park. 

Seleznow said the other projects only required new play equipment and didn’t need electrical or irrigation work. “They were more focused and didn’t require a lot of steel or concrete,” he said. 

f

The Berkeley City Council meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. after an eight-week recess. Items on the agenda include: 

• A request from Councilmember Gordon Wozniak to have the Planning Commission revise the Elmwood Business District quota system. Wozniak, who represents the district, is calling for prohibiting businesses from expanding into adjacent spaces, as Jeremy’s did this year. Also he has proposed to scale back the quota system from seven categories of quotas to two—barber shops and food service establishments. 

• A resolution calling on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to demand that President George Bush and Congress withdraw California National Guard troops from Iraq. The non-binding resolution is sponsored by Mayor Tom Bates and councilmembers Kriss Worthington and Max Anderson. It is nearly identical to a resolution that failed to win a majority of the Peace and Justice Commission earlier this year. 

• A proposal to approve an $80,000 grant from the state Department of Alcohol Beverage Control to help police enforce alcohol laws pertaining to minors. 

• A proposal to spend $204,000 for pedestrian safety improvements and the installation of a traffic signal at Hearst Avenue at Arch Street and LeConte Avenue. UC Berkeley has agreed to pay one-half of the project cost ($102,000) upon completion of the project. 

• A resolution from Councilmember Worthington calling on Alameda County to work with electronic voting machine vendors to help Berkeley begin instant runoff voting in 2006.  

• Consideration of the appeal of Zoning Board ruling to grant the owners of the lot at 2615 Marin Ave. permission to construct a house on the property. Last summer, the council split 4-4 on the appeal from neighbors who contend the home will obstruct views. 

• A proposal by Kriss Worthington to amend city law to specify that an elected official is also eligible to serve as an appointed member of a city commission. Worthington’s appointee to the Housing Advisory Commission, Jesse Arreguin, is also an elected rent board member. The city attorney’s office recently published an opinion that holding both types of positions violated city law, according to Michael Wilson, president of the Berkeley Property Owners Association. 

• A proposal to approve $177,600 for traffic circles at Seventh Street and Allston Way, Ninth Street and Addison Street, Ninth Street and Allston Way, Ninth Street and Bancroft Way, Tenth Street and Bancroft Way, California and Derby streets, California and Parker streets, Chestnut Street and Hearst Avenue, Hillegass and Webster streets, The Plaza and Nogales Street, and San Fernando and San Ramon avenues.›

The drive to make Berkeley the first city in the country to charge a fee for grocery bags at city supermarkets hit a snag this week when results were released of a recent unscientific online survey conducted by the mayor’s office. 

Out of 165 responses, 43 percent were in favor of a fee for grocery bags and 44 percent were opposed. When respondents were then given information about the environmental impacts of plastic grocery bags, their opinions shifted slightly: 46 percent approved the fee and 41 percent opposed it. 

“The results show there is no clear consensus in the community about how to move forward with this,” said Cisco De Vries, chief of staff to Mayor Tom Bates. 

De Vries said the survey did not necessarily herald any future legislation, but posed a useful question as the city works towards Alameda County’s mandate that it reduce its waste going to landfills by 75 percent by 2010.  

“We want to put forward ideas about how to reduce waste overall as well as specifically cut down on the use of plastics,” De Vries said. “This is one in a series of ideas that we need to look at.” 

Martin Bourque, executive director of the Ecology Center, which handles Berkeley’s curbside recycling program, called for a more extensive survey. “I’m not totally convinced that is how people see this issue,” he said. 

Dona Spring, the only Green Party member of the City Council, said she had been approached about introducing a grocery bag fee, but said any legislation would need a mobilized group of supporters to back it. 

“It’s something that would take a lot of work,” she said. “We’d have to explain it to grocery stores.” 

Currently Safeway allows customers to recycle plastic bags and Whole Foods offers customers credit for not using store bags. 

While Berkeley recycles paper grocery bags, the plastic bags present a landfill problem. 

According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, last year, 1.7 million tons of thin plastics were sent to state landfills—20 percent more than five years before. Of the thin plastics disposed, 147,038 tons were grocery and merchandise bags—roughly eight pounds per person. 

Bourque said that plastic shopping bags slow down recycling because workers have to separate the bags from materials that the city does recycle. 

Although about 5 percent of the bags nationwide are recycled to make plastic lumber, Bourque said the Ecology Center “hasn’t found a consistent good market for them.” 

Bourque said that thin plastics accounts for roughly 20 percent of Berkeley’s waste, which is trucked to Livermore, Calif. at $50 a ton. 

Cities in Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia, China and Taiwan, among others, have instituted grocery bag fees, but so far no U.S. city has followed suit. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors this year rejected a 17 cent fee. A lesser fee is still being considered as the city completes studies to determine the true cost of disposing of plastic grocery bags. 

Bourque said that a 15 cent grocery bag in Dublin, Ireland, has reduced the use of plastic bags by 80 percent. He’d like to see Berkeley institute a similar fee. “It needs to be at least 20 cents to make people stop and think,” he said. “If I was walking away with five bags and it cost me a buck, I would think twice about that.” 

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Hundreds of dead fish floated to the surface of Strawberry Creek Tuesday morning, the apparent result of chemicals dumped in the stream, according to a group of residents who reported the incident. 

Asa Dodsworth, who lives on the bank of Strawberry Creek on Acton Street, called the Fire Department after he began feeling dizzy investigating the suddenly cloudy water flowing through the creek in his back yard. 

“I noticed that the water in the stream was cloudy, and there were dead fish floating in the stream,” Dodsworth said. 

He and some of his friends headed upstream to locate the source of the spill. They found that the creek was running clear and odor-free off the UC Berkeley campus into the entrance of the culvert at Oxford Street. 

0pening a manhole cover at Civic Center Park, they noticed a strong bleach-like smell, they said, though the water was running clear. 

Dodsworth and friends collected 87 dead fish—identified by a state game warden as mostly members of the carp family. They also found a koi that was hanging onto life. 

Geoffrey Fielder, hazardous materials specialist for the city, said that the spill probably originated from a commercial source. 

“It flushed completely through in about an hour, and I would guess the contamination had occurred somewhere between Oxford and Acton streets,” he said. “If I had to guess, I would say the contamination probably resulted from cleaning at a commercial establishment.” 

Captain Tim Dillon of Alameda County Fire Department Station 19, based at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said the water was clear by the time he arrived at Dodsworth’s house. 

His company is trained in handling hazardous materials spills, and the infrared testing equipment they brought identified ammonium chloride, Lysol cleaning solution and an optical lens cleaner in the water samples Dodsworth provided. 

“I have no clear idea what killed the fish,” Dillon said Wednesday. 

Dimethyl amine, used in production of fungicides, herbicides and rocket fuels, was also found in the samples—again at low levels. 

Lt. Robert Perez, a hazardous materials specialist with the Berkeley Fire Department, had arrived earlier, when the stream was still milky. 

“He told me that initially he couldn’t see the bottom of the stream,” Dillon said. 

Todd Ajari, a warden with the California Department of Fish and Game, took the dead fish Dodsworth and his friends had collected, along with water samples. 

Like Fiedler, Ajari said he suspected someone had dumped cleaning solution into a storm drain that emptied into the creek. “It’s hard to say whether it was intentional or unintentional,” he added. “While it was probably a small amount” that was dumped, Ajari said that “in a small creek the effect was great.” 

Fielder said that beginning with Tuesday’s incidents, his office would start reporting spills to the police. 

“We had another incident in Strawberry Creek two months ago, where we suspect latex paint was dumped into the creek, but that didn’t kill the fish,” he said. 

Detecting the source of creek contamination is difficult at best, Fielder said. “The only way you can get at it is a really quick response and you would have to stop traffic so you can pull the manhole covers” in city roadways. 

Officials urged anyone who suspects creek contamination to call 911 or the Fire Department as soon as possible. The Department of Fish and Game maintains a 24-hour toll-free reporting number for spills and poacher reports at 888-334-2258. 

At least one-quarter of unionized workers at Bayer Corp.’s Berkeley facility were barred by their union from voting on a new contract Wednesday because they had refused to pay a $40 surcharge after an embezzlement scheme had depleted union coffers of more than $100,000. 

The workers at Bayer who remain in good standing with the union voted by a ratio of 2-1 to approve the new three-year contract, said Donald Mahon, business agent for the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union Local 6.  

The new contract, which will give most of Bayer’s 551 unionized employees incremental raises, goes into effect Monday. 

“I don’t have a problem with the contract, but I think the union is crooked,” said Deborah Burr, a maintenance worker at Bayer. 

According to Local 6, about 150 employees refused to pay the surcharge, but Burr and other Bayer workers said that the number is closer to 300. Local 6 refused to release the exact vote tally to the Daily Planet or workers interviewed on Thursday. 

“I don’t think it’s right for the union to charge us $40 because someone in the union stole money,” Burr said. 

Local 6 voted to assess the extra fee in 2003 to its members after former president Robert Flotte could not account for union dues. 

Mahon said Local 6 has filed a lawsuit against Flotte, his brother, and the union’s former secretary treasurer to recoup the funds, but added that the lawsuit is on hold because the defendants have filed for bankruptcy. 

No criminal charges were filed against the three men. Mahon said the Department of Labor didn’t aggressively pursue the case. “If the investigator they have now was working for them in 2003 there might have been charges filed,” he said. 

Still, Mahon said the union was fully within its rights to bar Bayer employees from voting on the contract. “To be able to vote you have to be a member in good standing, which means you have to be current on dues and assessments,” he said. 

Mahon added that nearly all of the local’s 3,000 workers paid the $40 and that Bayer was the one shop that resisted the surcharge. 

“Bayer is different,” Mahon said. “They have a lot of people who are working at their first jobs and are from a white collar background. It takes some people a while to figure out what a union is all about. They want the benefits of a union without paying for it.” 

Hector Prado, a maintenance worker, who paid the $40 surcharge, disagreed with the union’s stance. “I don’t think it’s right for the union to charge us $40 because the former president ran away with our money,” he said. Prado pays $67 a month in union dues. 

Last week, union members rejected a contract that would have left janitors facing a pay cut from $20.29 to $18 an hour, while most other employees would have received annual raises of 3.5 percent in the first two years and four percent in the third year, plus a $750 signing bonus.  

Under the contract approved by the union Wednesday, janitors will continue to make $20.29, but no employees will receive the signing bonus and non-janitors will now get a 3.8 percent raise in the third year. 

›

Berkeley Unified School District leaders pledged this week that even though the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team has left the building, the district itself will continue the organization’s work. 

In the meantime, the BUSD board approved the hiring of three safety officers to replace the Berkeley Police Department’s school resource officers who have been withdrawn from the district’s middle school for financial reasons. 

Following a BUSD fiscal crisis in 2001, FCMAT spent three years setting financial and program goals for the district and publishing performance evaluations. The state-funded school intervention organization published its final BUSD report in July, praising the district for making “good progress over time,” but cautioning it to “remain vigilant to avoid fiscal insolvency.” 

FCMAT rated the district in the areas of community relations and governance, personnel management, pupil achievement, financial management, and facilities management. 

At Wednesday night’s BUSD board meeting, board directors and Superintendent Michele Lawrence said that evaluation of those areas should go forward, though now by the district itself, rather than by an outside agency. 

“The value here is that we have the template which has been implemented for the past three years,” Director John Selawsky said. “We don’t have to invent it. Carrying this work forward enhances our efforts and adds to our credibility as a district.” 

Selawsky said that the areas of pupil achievement and fiscal and personnel management should be the top priorities in a continued district evaluation program. 

“It took a lot of hard work by people throughout the district to get us back to a stable, albeit fragile, financial situation,” said Board President Nancy Riddle. 

The board directed Lawrence to add the FCMAT-developed performance evaluations to the district’s regular calendar of performance indicator reports. 

But while directors and the superintendent expressed pleasure at the district’s reported progress under FCMAT’s goals, some also expressed reservations about using FCMAT ratings to judge BUSD’s standing in relation to other districts in the state. 

With BUSD averaging a little over six points (out of 10) on the FCMAT scale, Director Joaquin Rivera said that “no one knows if a fully-functional district would be able to get tens all across the board.” 

Noting that the “standards in this report are subjective to the individual evaluators that came to the district” and that different evaluators at other districts may have used other standards, Rivera said that “the real value of the report is how we made progress internally.” 

Even those results came under some criticism, with Rivera pointing out that since FCMAT only looked over a different, selected list of district programs each time it issued an evaluation, “it is possible that progress was made in areas that FCMAT didn’t specifically look at in a given period, and therefore that progress wasn’t noted in the report for that period.” 

And School Board Vice President Terry Doran said that while he was “glad that FCMAT was here,” he thought some of the organization’s criticisms were out of place for Berkeley. 

Doran pointed out that the FCMAT report noted a “high level of special education [expenditure] encroachment [on the BUSD budget] compared with statewide averages” and that the district’s 12.75 percent special education population was also “above current state averages.” It was a situation FCMAT called “of concern to the review team.” 

Doran said he saw that as a positive rather than a negative. 

“This community has been known for years to attempt to provide a positive environment for students with special needs,” he said. “Many parents bring their special needs children to the district, just for that. I don’t want to discourage special needs students from coming here.” 

Doran also took issue with FCMAT’s assessment that “the district will not be able to stop deficit spending [in its nutritional services fund] unless the food restrictions are eased to permit the high school to serve a wider variety of foods.” 

“We pioneered the elimination of junk food, sodas, and sugary snacks while other districts balanced their budgets by serving crap,” Doran said. “There was no acknowledgment in the report that we provide more nutritious and better tasting food to students than almost any other district in the state.” 

On the middle school safety officer issue, the board voted to hire three district safety officers using money that had been budgeted for administrative positions that have not been filled. The three city police officers assigned to the district’s middle schools since 1998 were withdrawn by the city because the grant that funded the officers ended. 

Lawrence said the district did not learn of the city’s decision until after this year’s budget was passed. 

Wednesday’s meeting was the first for newly rehired fiscal manager Eric Smith, who replaced the outgoing Glenston Thompson. Thompson had replaced Smith a year ago after Smith left the district for personal reasons. 

Berkeley High School senior Teal Miller was also sworn in as the board’s new student director, replacing Lily Dorman-Thomas, who graduated from Berkeley High School in June.›

As Tuesday’s strike deadline nears for the East Bay’s Summit Alta Bates hospitals, a state legislator announced plans Thursday for hearings on the tax-exempt status of their corporate parent. 

Johan Klehs, chair of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation, notified Sutter Health CEO Pat Frey that his committee is “particularly interested in conducting a detailed examination of Sutter Health, given the scrutiny it has received from the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.” 

The Oakland and Berkeley facilities are among 13 Sutter units facing the Tuesday strike deadline from SEIU-United Healthcare-West, which represents licensed vocational nurses and other hospital workers. 

The California Nurses’ Association, which recently signed a contract with Summit Alta Bates, has announced plans to walked out in sympathy with SEIU-UHW, as have several other unions who have also signed contracts. 

In his letter to Sutter, Klehs said that he would be following up with a request for information and documentation on a variety of subjects, including: 

• Charity care. 

• Executive compensation. 

• Billing and pricing practices. 

• Treatment of the uninsured. 

• The chain’s tax exempt status. 

• Affiliations with for-profit entities. 

• Financial performance. 

“In addition, you and other corporate officers should be prepared to be prepared to publicly testify,” wrote Klehs.

One of the most heart-wrenching facts of Hurricane Katrina’s horrific destruction is that so much of the death and devastation was completely avoidable. Another sobering fact is that the means to avoid so much pain and loss was well known and technologically low-tech. 

University of New Orleans geologist Shea Penland said, “It’s not if it will happen, It’s when.” (National Geographic, October 2004.)  

If the catastrophe we’re witnessing right now along the Gulf Coast was expected, how come funding and manpower to fight it was either drastically cut or never available? It’s popular to bad-mouth President Bush for cutting Army Corp of Engineering funding, FEMA grants, National Guard readiness, and wetlands preservation programs. However, he and his fellow far-right Republicans are not the only politicians to stick their heads in the sand in denial of pending natural disasters.  

This Gulf Coast hurricane is not the largest natural disaster destined to strike us. The July 18 issue of New Orleans City Business wrote, “A land-falling hurricane in New Orleans is the No. 3 biggest natural disaster for the United States. The first is an earthquake on the San Andreas [fault].”  

The Bay Area is built on two very active faults—the San Andreas and the Hayward. The latter is parallel to the Bay in the East Bay hills and runs through Memorial Stadium on the UC Berkeley campus. According to the California Geological Survey (www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs), a 6.5 earthquake solely on the northern Hayward fault (Berkeley’s section) would cause $9 billion in building damage—and that is not counting job, education, infrastructure, or medical costs, nor the number of dead and maimed residents. A combination of the northern and southern Hayward at 6.9 would cost $23 billion, while a repeat of the 1868 southern Hayward 6.7 quake would cost $15 billion (again, both costs are solely building damage, not total damage). 

A major quake is coming on the Hayward fault (66 percent chance in the next 30 years). There will be billions of dollars in damage and thousands of human casualties. What are we doing to minimize the inevitable destruction and death from this quake? The answer is heart-stopping: almost nothing. In fact, we’ve been doing less and less every year! 

Berkeley’s Office of Emergency Services, which coordinates disaster planning and disaster mitigation, has been mercilessly slashed to one part-time employee from a barely-adequate four employees in 2002. Those four employees were very overburdened but were able to get a lot of vital tasks accomplished, including much of the following:  

OES teaches us laypeople how to survive and to take care of ourselves and our at-risk neighbors after a major disaster. Residents should plan on being isolated from the rest of the state for one to two weeks after a major quake. The delay in outside help that happened in New Orleans will occur after a major quake. Our first responders—police, fire, and medical—will be concentrating on major structure failures (like the Nimitz and the Bay Bridge in 1989) so we will all be on our own.  

Each passing disaster teaches us that a coordinated response means less death and less damage, yet there is no functioning central office of disaster professionals who can plan, train, and practice this coordination among city, county, BUSD, U.C., and private entities like Bayer, Community Agencies Responding to Disaster (CARD), and the Red Cross.  

OES provides government and citizens with a destination point for new initiatives and on-going safety concerns. The current work on a soft-story ordinance echoes the earlier unreinforced masonry ordinance that OES helped coordinate with the Planning Department. The on-going planning for city-run disaster shelters, currently in limbo due to overburdened staff, must be completed. New initiatives, like convincing the Berkeley Unified School District to incorporate a flexible multi-grade disaster curriculum like the Red Cross’s “Masters Of Disaster,” should be coordinated by OES. 

Over the years, the city commission I serve on, the Disaster Council, has worked tirelessly with the OES and other city offices on bringing neighborhood volunteers into the process, saving precious staff time and adding new ideas like the almost-completed emergency caches at each Berkeley public school. 

The real tragedy is that none of this takes a lot of money. The cliché of an ounce of prevention equaling a pound of cure applies triply to disasters. The city has allowed a once-adequate OES to be slashed apart in 3 successive budget blood-lettings, leaving all of us at greater risk of avoidable death and injury.  

We need an OES that is firmly insulated from budget cuts and is adequately staffed. Otherwise everyone reading this will have less and less of a chance of surviving our pending “Katrina.” After Earthquake Katrina, will the current mayor and council be hailed as far-thinking protectors or as short-sighted inadvertent killers?  

Jesse Townley is the vice-chair of the Disaster Council and former executive director and board member of Easy Does It Disability Assistance. 

NEW DELHI—Even as the United States struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that has destroyed New Orleans, there is a sense of shock in India. Pictures of victims begging for food, reports of looting, rapes, racist attacks, an ineffective disaster management routine has revealed the innards of America that many believed never existed. After all, making it to America, the land of opportunities, freedom and quality lifestyle, remains one of the abiding Indian dreams. New Orleans is a modern city and a tourist destination. 

It makes matters all the more worse when the prediction about the hurricane had already been made but the necessary precautions not taken. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced with thousands probably dead. Damage is estimated at $25 billion and disruption to U.S. refineries has pushed oil prices to record highs above $70 a barrel. 

The visuals being beamed in and reports of desperation are generally associated with Africa or less developed countries in Asia. Two pictures displayed prominently by newspapers here speak of the tragedy. A black woman is lying dead on the roadside while a police car whizzes past. Another photograph is of a large group of women lunging for food being distributed.  

Some of the voices that resonate: “I really don't know what to say about President Bush,” said a 60-year-old Vietnam veteran. “He showed no lack of haste when he wanted to go to Iraq, but for his own people right here in Louisiana, we get only lip service.” 

“They di ed right here, in America, waiting for food,” said another affected person. 

Many have been talking about the recent natural disasters in India—the tsunami in December and the unprecedented rainfall in Mumbai in July which was perhaps dealt with much bett er, now that one can compare with New Orleans. In Mumbai, the government agencies were found severely wanting, but there have been innumerable tales of people pitching in to help citizens with food, shelter and transport that checked higher casualties. There have been some reports of vehicles stalled in water being burgled, but no arson and looting to the scale that happened in New Orleans. A couple who spoke to this correspondent talked about the help they received when their car was flooded. The locals in the area arranged for their night stay and assured that nobody would harm the car. Two days later, the couple went back to find their car intact. There have been many many such stories which have been covered on TV as well as print media. Similar was t he case with tsunami, though the governments of the coastal states did a better job in providing relief, apart from the citizen and private initiatives.  

Comparisons have also been made to the response to the London blasts in July this year. The emergenc y services in the city responded with a zeal that was commendable. Ordinary people chipped in. Although the police got it horribly wrong by shooting the Brazilian youth, by and large the response of the government agencies has been quite good. Just like n atural disasters, it is near impossible to prevent suicide attacks of the kind that the al Qaeda propagates that cause maximum damage to a peaceful civilian population and outrage in the electronic media. It is reactions post-tragedy that can go a long wa y in mitigating suffering. 

In a reversal of usual roles, India has offered a comprehensive assistance package to the United States, the world’s largest relief donor. An estimated 70 nations, from Azerbaijan to Venezuela, Afghanistan and Thailand have off ered cash contributions to the Red Cross totaling more than $100 million, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said. The American people too are responding with massive donations.  

India’s three pronged package attempts to export a combination of materials and expertise, given the experience in handling large scale disasters. Apart from a $5 million contribution to the American Red Cross, India has offered to send Army medical teams, rather than civilian, given the law and order problems. This is apart from expertise in water purification and consignments of medicines.  

The questions 

Many questions are being asked post-Katrina: Has America become too obsessed with other countries to ignore the interests of its own? Has the administration gone too far in pursuing its war on terror, the battles in Iraq and geo-strategic games to stamp its might, at the cost of its own people? Is something wrong with America that has been missed by people elsewhere? Has President George W. Bush committed too many resources in the battlefield which many consider unnecessary that has led to the absence of adequate manpower to protect American citizens? Have Bush’s tax cuts to please the rich and corporate America harmed the nation? 

A news agency has analyzed census data that shows that the residents in the three dozen worst affected neighborhoods in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were disproportionately minority and had incomes $ 10,000 below the national average.  

However, issues of poverty and racism have be en debated for long in every society. Mumbai has its share of poor and caste/regional/religion barriers exist. It is within such a structure that the respect for law and individual dignity has to exist, especially during a crisis.  

“What we are seeing in U.S.A. is complete chaos,” said Farida Lambe, a social worker involved in relief during the Mumbai floods. “My assessment is that many of the problems arose as the people are not used to facing calamities. They expect complete efficiency and find it difficult to cope if it does not come about.” 

The fingers thus point to Bush and his policies. When such a tragedy gets out of hand, it is natural to blame the government which has the responsibility to maintain law and order as well as ensure relief to the people affected fast enough.  

The question is, had not the Bush government been so embroiled in the war in Iraq as well as keeping an eye on suspected nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea, would matters have been better sorted? They should have been. At least there would have been no Cindy Sheehan with her sad story demanding attention. 

The question being asked is whether national resources that feed on American taxpaying public should be better deployed to ensure the people of Iraq or America. Sept. 11, 2001 changed the United States. It forced the country to look for the enemy out there, with Saddam Hussein the convenient scapegoat. Most agree that terrorism in the name of Islam has influenced youth around the world, whether in Britain, Europe or A merica and the solution does not lie in going for more wars. The world is grappling with the rise of Islamic terrorism which is a product of the Cold War that was played out in countries such as Afghanistan. 

The terrorists were never holed up in Iraq and the worst of them are still somewhere in Afghanistan/Pakistan. Bush won the first election as people backed him on the supposed war on terror. The terrorists continue to multiply while Americans die in Iraq and New Orleans. The effects of Hurricane Katrina will be felt for long. It will make American policy makers look inwards. As many experts have predicted the Republicans will have to answer for a lot when elections happen again in the United States in 2008. 

Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist.  

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A CLARIFICATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks for publishing my article, “Listeners Marched to Support KPFA” (Sept. 2). 

I want to correct a wrong impression readers might get, due to a misprint plus an edit of the title of the piece, which together give the impression that I disrespect the staff’s contribution to KPFA. 

The station is pretty polarized, at this point, but will be trying to reconcile differences so that we can work together towards our common goals, which are considerable. (I believe the LSB has committed to be implementing Mr. Campanella’s “Six-point Plan for Reconciliation and Transformation”.) 

It was not my intention to say things in such a way as to exacerbate divisiveness at the station and I did not write the piece that way! I want the station to heal and personally, to be able to work on committees with staff who won’t prejudge me as their enemy! 

The third paragraph should have read like this—except that I’m putting in brackets the section which the Daily Planet accidentally omitted: 

“It was an amazing victory when we won the station back and won democratic participation for the listeners, who were instrumental in the victory. Our governance was changed from a general manager and an advisory board, who did not represent us or the staff, to an elected board composed of 18 listener representatives and 6 staff representatives, and reclaimed the] five stations’ representation on the National Board.” 

The other change was in the title, which I wrote as “[A Listener] Marched to Support the Station, not (Just) the Staff.” The “Just” was left out to shorten it, but it gives the impression that I or we did not support the staff!  

We do support the staff; the only thing I do not support is those attempts on the part of some of the staff to deny some 30,000 listener-supporters their voice in station affairs. 

I look forward to us all working together using our station to strengthen our communities in bringing about a better world. 

Mara Rivera 

• 

SUSAN PARKER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Newsflash! Everything isn’t about racism! Suzy Parker wrote an intelligent column about a teenager who was taking advantage of her hospitality and a grandmother who was able to teach Suzy a thing or two about maintaining control. The column was amusing and instructive—and not at all about the teenager’s being black, as at least one of your readers seemed to think. 

Susan Parker’s column is the reason I almost never miss picking up the Tuesday edition of the Daily Planet. 

Carolyn Bradley 

• 

PARKER FOR PREZ 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Dear Madeline Smith: Well I am a black person and I love Susan Parker and I think about all the things that are wrong in the world you would be on the top of my list. Suzi, as we call her around our neighborhood, has helped so many people. You read her articles and misinterpret what she says as being racist. But that is not the case. She is around African-Americans 24/7, and for you to just write bad things makes me feel sorry for you, because you don’t know her and you have never been in her company to actually know what she is really like. So, my friend, you should take a look the mirror.  

Susan Parker for president! 

Kisha Scott 

• 

UNSOPHISTICATED? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The people Susan Parker wrote about liked her articles. But Madeline Smith Moore says they were “unsophisticated.” So their opinions don’t matter? Just who appointed Ms. Moore to decide what African Americans should and should not enjoy? 

Nancy Ward 

• 

HURRICANE KATRINA 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Lack of preparedness on the part of the U.S. Government is as much responsible for devastation in the hurricane region as is the poor response in the aftermath. 

The levees located near the region were no secret. Why wasn’t there a plan for repairing broken levees, and why weren’t they shored up before the storm hit, in preparation for the worst? 

If the U.S. can airlift supplies and food to foreign countries, by plane and helicopter, why wasn’t that response prepared for a natural disaster in its own country? 

I don’t buy for a minute the excuse that flooding has kept supplies from arriving on the ground to the people in the devastated regions. Not when millions of dollars are being spent for equipment and machinery that has created so much devastation on foreign lands. Why doesn’t the U.S. put taxpayer dollars to good use instead of destruction? 

These questions need to be answered. This lack of preparedness and pathetic response is unconscionable.  

Get the people that are there what they need now. If they need water and food, drop it to them before they die. Get them out of there before disease takes hold. Bring all the troops, planes and helicopters deployed to Iraq and around the world home now to help with this effort. 

This is nothing short of parental neglect on a national scale. What example is being set for good people in the U.S. and world-wide? 

The current conditions in New Orleans are American Apartheid in action, for all the world to see. 

Marcy Greenhut 

• 

COLOR BLIND 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I think those who claim that George W. Bush doesn’t care about poor people who are black are mistaken. Actually Bush doesn’t care about poor people regardless of race or ethnic background. 

Meade Fischer 

Watsonville 

• 

AMERICAN HOLOCAUST 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

With a formerly unthinkable American Holocaust horrifying the whole world, it should be clear to the most obtuse right-wing fundamentalist “Christian” that the George W. Bush administration has no business being in the White House to “lead” the American people. 

If the Democrats can’t rise to an occasion such as the one evolving in Louisiana with a filibuster on the John Roberts nomination, an Alberto Gonzales nomination, and any other nominee to the Supreme Court named by this disastrous president, it is over as a party. I have voted Democratic all my very long life, and never hear a peep from them except a “survey” that elicits no response whatsoever and to which is always attached is a request for funds.  

We are living right now the “exceptional circumstances” agreed on in the Dems’ ill-conceived “compromise”! 

Nancy Chirich 

• 

PATRONIZING PLANET 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing in regard to Becky O’Malley’s Aug. 26 editorial, “Welcome Back, Part Two.” I have watched with alarm for some time your editorial page’s uncompromisingly negative attitude toward the university, and I had been hoping that you were at least able to differentiate between the administration and the many thousands of individual people associated with the university. I now see that hope was in vain. 

I was quite shocked to read that a newspaper that considers itself a publication for everyone in “Greater Berkeley” would deride and exclude every single UC Berkeley student as a “guest.” I am a UC Berkeley graduate student, and as such I have chosen to make my home here for a rather long time. I pay quite a lot of rent to my landlord, a “long-term” Berkeley resident, and that money goes to paying city taxes on his property. I eat meals in many Berkeley restaurants, and buy the rest of my food in the city, supporting these local businesses. I volunteer for and contribute money to local causes. And, yes, I am a student and employee of one of the world’s finest universities—which, for all its faults, enriches the cultural life of the city tremendously. I am most certainly not anyone’s guest! 

I am unconvinced by your moderating, tacked-on final paragraph, and I am not interested in being told that I am an exception or that it is really the undergraduates who are the problem. By all means, ask your fellow citizens to keep the noise of their parties down, if that is what you really wanted to say. But don’t patronize us as “guests!” 

Seth Zenz 

• 

SOUTH CAMPUS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Richard Brenneman’s article on South Campus noise complaints seemed thorough and interesting. But his second sentence raised my eyebrows: “If you crowd a handful or two bright young students into one-bedroom off-campus apartments, parties are pretty much a given—as are the complaints of the more sedate ‘civilians’ who live nearby.” 

In any context the word “sedate” connotes stiff formality; in Berkeley it is a definite put-down. People of any age and any role in Berkeley—even students—might resent being put down because they don’t want to be kept awake by noise at 4 a. m. 

Perhaps we should all, as a community, question some of the other assumptions implicit in that sentence. For instance, that living independently, away from home, to pursue “higher education” does not include learning to live as an adult, instead of like a 13-year-old whose parents went out of town for the weekend.  

We should also question the assumption that blasting loud music throughout a neighborhood at 4 a.m. is a sign of youthful high spirits; on the contrary, it is an act of aggression. We have several students, in groups of one to four, living on our South Berkeley block in houses also occupied by the owner, who has set rules for reasonable behavior. By reasonable, I mean that we all expect and endure one noisy, late party at the beginning of the semester, and another at the end. The rest of the time, the students generally keep their parties like our own—size and noise with consideration for the neighbors. 

Recently one large house on our block, not owner-occupied, was enlarged to house I’m not sure how many students. We had to leave polite little notes: “Please don’t block sidewalk with your car.” And, “Please don’t put packing cartons etc. on the curb until pickup days. We all keep our garbage inside until then.” Our block captain made a couple of calls to the owner. 

We got lucky—for now. (Maybe someone in the house took charge.) The last time there was a big ending-semester party, we all got a letter in our mailboxes, warning us there might be loud music, inviting us to join in if we liked, and giving their phone number to call “instead of police” if the noise was too much. (We are, at least six of us, instant callers of police for excessive noise problems.) I left a note in their mailbox complimenting them on their classy attitude and wishing them a good time. 

Brenneman quotes Jesse Arreguin: “My sense is that the university is putting the neighbors before its own students.” I don’t understand this statement. Does it mean that the university should defend and promote behavior by students that their neighbors would not tolerate from each other? Does it mean that there are two “opposing sides” here, one to be favored over the other? 

We are all—students and long-term residents—one community. Responsible consideration for one another is beneficial, not only for the permanent residents, but for the young people who come here for “higher education.” 

Dorothy Bryant 

Imagine that you are young and poor and nursing your beautiful new baby (brown and dimpled, with a head full of hair) while looking after your sister’s children and thumbing through the newspaper looking for a job. Your mother, who has been your rock, is in the next room tending to your ailing father who is suffering from diabetes. Your little brother walks in from school, hungry as usual. You butter the last slice of bread and try to help him with his homework which, at the seventh grade level, is already beyond you. 

Your family subsists on your sister’s minimum-wage paycheck and the meager government assistance your father receives as a Vietnam War veteran. Your boyfriend helps out when he can but he is also young, unemployed and undereducated. He is angry much of the time, frustrated that he cannot do more. It is the end of the month, that time when food, milk, meat and diapers run out and you thank God that the checks are due tomorrow. But tomorrow doesn’t come. Instead, the water is rising. The water is rising and you have no food, no money and no place to go. 

This is the kind of human interest story we should have heard about in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans. But we didn’t. The media could well handle coverage of the overall devastation. The shocking visuals spoke for themselves, not unlike the kind of footage gathered when covering the aftermath of a war. But, in terms of the human side of the story, the media seriously failed, beginning with its constant referral to the mostly poor, mostly black survivors as “refugees” as though they were Third World aliens who didn’t belong here anyway.  

I first visited New Orleans, my Creole husband’s hometown, in 1981. After we wined and dined our way through the French Quarter, making certain to save enough room for Mama’s gumbo, we drove through the surrounding dilapidated neighborhoods, a stark contrast to the picturesque Vieux Carre. As we drove on, I noticed that many of the homes had little shacks adjacent to them, too small to be garages and too large to be storage units. “Those were the slave quarters,” I was told. Close enough so that you could hear your mistress hollering but separate enough to render yourself invisible until needed. I was shocked. As a second-generation Californian, I had never been to the South, never seen any plantations or physical remnants of overt segregation—much less slavery—until that moment. The reality of it all, up close and personal, brought tears to my eyes. 

I also noticed the class divisions among New Orleans’ white, black and Creole citizens, much like those in South Africa between the wealthy whites, the poor, working-class blacks and the middle income, mixed-race “coloreds.” Most of the whites and Creoles are well-educated professionals, property and business owners. The majority of the blacks are poorly educated, low-income wage earners or unemployed.  

It is these folks whose ancestors lived in those shacks. It is these folks whose ancestors worked Louisiana’s prosperous sugar, cotton and rice fields, even after slavery. And it is these folks who were left to rot for four days while FEMA, Homeland Security and the rest of the Bush administration ignored the local government’s pleas for help. FEMA director Michael Brown admitted that the federal government didn’t even know that there were evacuees at the Convention Center, stranded without food or water, until they had been there two days! Three babies died there, of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Three babies.  

One young mother who had just given birth and been separated from her newborn in the hospital, was given about five seconds on the news, her baby’s photo in hand, her eyes pleading for help. We weren’t even given her name. Perhaps if she had looked like Natalee Holloway, Laci Petersen or Chandra Levy those cameras would have been ordered to follow her until that baby was found. We would have seen: Heart-Wrenching Search, followed by Touching Reunion, Tears of Joy, then Cut to Diaper Commercial and it’s a Wrap! 

Instead, we were subjected to continuous media focus on “looters.” Particularly galling was the now infamous photo from the Associated Press depicting a young black man making his way through the water with a bag of food. He was described as having “looted” the food while a white couple pictured in an Agence France-Presse photograph with a similar bag of food was described as having “found” their food. The distinction was glaringly racist, indefensible.  

Most of these distraught evacuees—exhausted, hungry and still reeling from shock—were herded into arenas that were no more than holding pens, eventually locked in as though they were prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, prevented from joining relatives aching to rescue them and unprotected from criminals who had been thrown in there with them. Families were split apart, put onto buses and not told where they were being taken. According to Barbara Bush, these folks are doing just fine. In yet another demonstration of “conservative compassion”—I mean, “compassionate conservatism”—she made the following comment on Tuesday while touring relief centers in Houston: 

“What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas—so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this—this (chuckle chuckle) is working very well for them.” 

What planet is she from? Unbelievable. No. What’s worse is that it is believable. Here we are in 2005 and to many, black folks are still viewed as not quite human, as only three-fifths of a man.  

According to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and local activist Malik Raheem (as reported on KPFA) the federal government should have commandeered Greyhound buses, trucks and vans from nearby dealerships, empty high-rises and hotels, boats and medical supplies—anything they could get their hands on to save lives. Instead, FEMA was turning away water and fuel and cutting communication and emergency lines. When the National Guard finally arrived, fresh from Iraq, Gov. Kathleen Blanco gave them orders not to help or protect people but to “shoot to kill” looters and protect property. What about gas company “looters,” taking advantage of this disaster to price gouge? Should they be shot, too? 

Thank goodness there were many private citizens who didn’t reflect the attitudes and behaviors of our elected leaders. Many stories will be told of individual heroism, of people risking their lives and opening their homes to save others. I hope that the fast-food chains are helping out. It is poor people like these flood survivors—many of whom are suffering from obesity, heart disease and diabetes—who are the fast-food industry’s most loyal customers. Where you at, Mickey D? And what about the right-wing Christian ministers who have been all over the airwaves preaching about saving American families? What are they doing to help these Americans who are now “the least among us?” What would Jesus do?  

Nor is Berkeley off the hook. During this past week I have visited more than a dozen stores—coffee shops, supermarkets, drug stores, bookstores, clothing boutiques—all around town. Only one (Whole Foods) had set up a jar by the cash register seeking donations for the hurricane victims. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the other stores weren’t doing anything to help, however they missed a great opportunity to raise perhaps thousands of dollars from spontaneous giving immediately after the disaster struck. What a shame. 

The handling of this entire event has been shameful. Individual rescuers succeeded in spite of the bureaucracy, not because of its assistance, organization or direction—all of which have been sorely lacking. But then, this part of America, where you find “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses,” has been neglected for a long, long time. As one unidentified woman eloquently put it: “I had nothing before the hurricane. Now I have less.” 

What’s next? Will these displaced Americans ever be allowed to return home? Or will they be turned out in scenes reminiscent of the emancipation of slaves following the Civil War—left to wander wherever their feet will take them while developers turn their former homes into golf courses, high-priced condos and shopping malls. 

Wherever they settle, once their families are reunited and their souls begin to heal; once their children are back in school, their elders are being treated, their dead are buried and they begin to rebuild their lives, the number one thing on these folks’ list should be to go on down to the nearest county courthouse and register to vote. 

›

Watching the Bush administration’s bumbling response to Hurricane Katrina, one felt a chilling sense of déjà vu. American has seen this ineptitude before: first with 9/11—George frozen while reading The Pet Goat and meandering across the country on Air Force One; and then the “liberation” of Baghdad—chaos fanning the fires of insurgency. History will remember that George Bush had three chances at crisis leadership, and struck out each time. 

There are disturbing similarities between all three failures. In each case, the White House was warned that if they pursued their policies, there was the potential for great harm to the nation. Before 9/11, the administration was cautioned by the bipartisan Hart-Rudman Commission on National Security and their own counter-terrorism adviser, Richard Clarke, about the possibility of a terrorist attack on the United States. While the Department of Defense planned the invasion of Iraq, the State Department advised the president of ominous problems with an occupation. Early in 2001, a FEMA report identified hurricane damage to New Orleans as one of the three likely catastrophes facing the U.S. and the Army Corps of Engineers begged for money to bolster the New Orleans levees against such an event. 

In all three instances the administration ignored the warnings. The basis for their refusal was not factual, but ideological. Before 9/11, Bush and company stubbornly clung to the view that the greatest danger to the nation came from rogue states—such as Iraq and North Korea—and downplayed the threat of Al Qaeda. Before the invasion of Iraq, White House Neo-Cons argued that the occupation would be a cakewalk; Vice President Cheney famously predicted that U.S. forces would be “greeted with open arms, as liberators.” Before Hurricane Katrina, the administration maintained that the greatest danger to America was from terrorists located in Iraq, and diverted money targeted for New Orleans to the military and the Department of Homeland Security. 

It was not sufficient for the Bush administration to ignore these warnings; it punished those who delivered them. Richard Clarke was demoted and then driven out of the administration. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld forced the retirement of General John Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after he argued that that the United States did not have enough troops for the occupation. Similarly, Mike Parker, assistant secretary of the Army and director of the Corps of Engineers, was forced to resign after complaining to Congress about budget cuts that effected New Orleans levee projects. 

As each event occurred, there were massive communication failures within the f federal government. Before 9/11, there were botched information exchanges between the FBI and the intelligence community; on the day of the attack there were coordination issues between the FAA and the military. When American troops seized Baghdad, there was a failure to establish a command and control system; as a result there was widespread looting, which resulted in severe damage to the Iraqi infrastructure. When Katrina rolled over Louisiana and Mississippi there was, once again, an inability to construct a command and control system; this produced the chaos in New Orleans. 

In all three cases, the implosion of the Bush administration can be attributed to their personnel policies—rather than hire the best-qualified individual for key jobs, they assigned them to the most loyal or best connected Bush supporters. Before 9/11, the counter-terrorism adviser to the National Security Council, Richard Clarke, was demoted at the request of Bush favorite Condoleezza Rice, who was threatened by Clarke’s competence. In Iraq, much of the disarray of the U.S. occupation was due to the poor judgment shown by ill-qualified Bush appointees assigned to the Coalition Provisional Authority. The head of FEMA, Michael Brown, was selected because of his connections and had no relevant management experience, which was made painfully obvious by his failed leadership in the wake of Katrina. 

Finally, in each instance the Bush administration fought Congressional efforts to study what happened. The White House resisted the formation of the 9/11 Commission for more than a year. So far, the Bush administration has successfully bucked all attempts to review the disastrous occupation of Iraq. On Sept. 6, President Bush resisted the call for an independent commission to study the administration response to Hurricane Katrina. 

Since his celebrated speech to the nation, on Sept. 20, 2001, George Bush has enjoyed bipartisan support largely because of his solemn promise to keep America safe. Despite the problems of the Iraqi occupation, the most recent Gallup poll indicated that Americans continue to believe that the President has done a good job defending our country.  

The reality is that the Bush administration has had three opportunities to lead during a national crisis, and has failed each time. Experts say that the response to hurricane Katrina indicates that our defenses have actually grown weaker since 9/11. In baseball, one gets three strikes and then is out; national politics is not as simple a game and, therefore, George Bush is still standing at the plate, swinging wildly. How many strikes can we afford to give him? 

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer and activist. He can be reached at bobburnett@comcast.net. 

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Do you know what it means, what happened in New Orleans? To understand it, we must look to the nation’s past. 

In the beginning years of the Civil War, many union soldiers were ambivalent about slavery, and did not think its abolition was a cause worth dying for. 

“Father I want you to write and tell me what you think of Lincoln’s proclamation setting all of the Negroes free,” Weymouth, Ohio volunteer Chauncey Welton wrote from Frankfurt, Kentucky in early 1863. “I can tell you we don’t think much of it here in the army for we did not enlist to fight for the negro and I can tell you that we never shall or many of us any how. No never.” 

Later, as the union army marched deeper into the South, those attitudes began to change. As soldiers came more and more in contact with African captives, slavery grew human form—women with babies at their breasts as they worked the fields, old men crippled and bent from years of toil, people with backs horribly scarred by an overseer’s whippings. Slavery was no longer some abstract, faraway policy in a distant land. Its consequences were real, and immediate. Its victims were human, and could no longer be ignored, or rationalized away. 

Thus, so, looking today into the anguished eyes of those we left behind in New Orleans in our rush to higher ground, we have come face to face with the human consequences of a generation of national politics and policy, and we are sickened and horrified for the moment by the revealed sight of what the nation has so long sought to keep in the dark. 

Do you know what it means? 

New Orleans in the wake of Katrina is the underside of America, my friends, what we find when we turn over the pretty rocks lining our national garden. New Orleans after Katrina, rotting, writhing, tearing at its breast, crying out in its anguish “How could you leave us like this, so long, we who are your family and fellow citizens? What is it that we have done to you, to be abandoned, so?” Madam Katrina, with her black waters and howling stormwinds, has torn down all the curtains that covered our back rooms, exposing our national shame, leaving behind for all to see the bodies left rotting in the flooded streets, putrefying pillars that prop up the nation that is, not the nation that we pretend it to be. Let us linger long and burn the ghastly images into our brains before we are sucked back into the mindless carnival that is our “mainstream” national cultural life, before the “reality” we see on the “reality” shows begins, once more, to obscure what is actually real. 

New Orleans was one of our national playgrounds, where people came to hear Louis and the Nevilles and throw quarters into the hats of skin-legged boys doing their sidewalk taps. Wandering home late from the all-night jazz clubs or steamboat rides on the river, folks didn’t bother to watch where the prostitutes went to spend their hours when the sun was up. Not caring, in fact. Folks slept in during the early morning hours while the old men swept the bright paper and bottles and colored beads from streets left befouled and littered in the night’s casual revelry. Who parked the cars while the tourists wandered up the ramps into the floating casinos? Who put fresh linen on the motel beds while the occupants were downstairs eating cajun or creole? Who was up at five in the morning to sweat in the kitchen, cooking those delicious dishes? Who’s asking? Who cared, before this week? Not enough of us, my friends. Not enough. 

Out of sight. Out of mind. Do you know what that means? 

It has been asked how the Christian could countenance slavery, since God clearly could not approve such treatment of his own created children. The solution was for many to pretend that the African was something other than human, better off for the American experience, suited for plantation labor. “They do not feel pain and suffering as we do,” it was argued. “Did you not see how they were living, naked and savage in the jungle?” Or, as Mr. Jefferson succinctly justified the accumulation of his family wealth in “Notes On Virginia”: “They seem to require less sleep.” 

What man seeks to brutalize, he must first minimize. 

And so, in the last quarter century, from the Reagan years on, while the Movement slept, we have seen the marginalization of a whole section of the American population. It is the “underclass,” our leaders are fond of saying, stripping people of their faces and names and identity and making them anonymous, so that we do not have to look into their eyes as we eat our supper. The backwash of success from the civil rights struggles obscures our vision. Michael Jordan makes millions selling basketball and underwear. Rappers give us televised tours of their palaces, flashing the bling on their fingers. The Huxtables become iconic, the model American family. Blacks travel into space. Run international corporations. Sit on the High Court. 

But behind it all, rarely mentioned in our national dialogue, entire communities of color are being swept constantly and steadily backwards, like so much unwanted dust into a trash bin. 

Do you know what that means? God hates the poor, so, the South Carolina joke used to go. That’s why he sends tornadoes to trailer parks. Today, that joke has no humor, not at all. 

In New Orleans, it is now being said in louder and louder voices, “they” might have saved themselves, had they only heeded the warnings to evacuate the city before Katrina came calling. 

So, too, we are told it is the fault of this “underclass” themselves that they have not kept up, these dark ones left further and further behind as the rest of the nation rolls on ahead. 

We have coddled them too long, with these welfare checks and social programs. What they need, now, “tough love,” or “benign neglect,” so that they can learn to make it on their own, as “we” have. 

Of course, perhaps some of “them” are incapable of learning. There are, after all, no more barriers to their advancement, as there were in the distant past. 

The Irish did it. The Italians did it. The Jews did it. Even many of their own kind have done it, as well. So if “they” cannot do it, these dark ones who have been left in our lurch, it must be something in their own character that holds them back. Some flaw. Some lack of social organization. Some edict of God. Mustn’t it? 

This week, in our moment of bright revelation, all that sounds so hollow. 

For a moment, just the briefest of moments, Katrina laid us all bare, washing away our national justifications in the stinking tide that settled over the Crescent City’s streets. We—many of us—too many of us—left our friends and family members and fellow citizens and fellow human beings to suffer and to die, while we scrambled to safety, and if you think I am simply talking about the days of the hurricane, you have already missed the point. This week, the administration of George W. Bush scrambles to make up for the lost three days while it vacationed in Texas and shopped for shoes in New York. This week, America pours out its heart to the survivors. But why and how were they left behind in the first place? Left behind in New Orleans. Left behind in the nation, these last thirty years. 

Do you know what that means? 

Do you know what that means? 

Do you know what that means, about us, about who we are, about what we have become in our nation? 

If you don’t, you better ask somebody. 

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There is no blotter today because repeated calls to Officer Steve Rego were not returned. Officer Shira Warren of the Community Services Bureau said Rego was filling in during the absence of Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies.

A new progressive coalition is growing in Berkeley, and you are invited to our second meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19 at the Unitarian Fellowship at Cedar and Bonita.  

Our mission statement is simple, although perhaps not yet complete: “The Berkeley Progressive Alliance has been created in order to unite progressive citizens and organizations in Berkeley. Our goal is to promote a more equitable economic and social life in our city, and to enhance democracy and solidarity on every level.” 

We see ourselves working on two levels; first, politically to elect candidates and to hold them accountable to a people’s agenda, and second, to work with Berkeley’s communities and labor unions, to help with their communications, and perhaps with their organizing. At the present time Progressive Alliance people are out on the picket line with the Honda strikers on Shattuck Avenue. 

Politically in Berkeley we have been watching our progressive democracy slip away. Berkeleyans do not have the government we think we elected, and the policies of City Hall are increasingly escaping our control or even our knowledge.  

Consider, for example, the Downtown Plan. Negotiated in total secrecy with the university, it gives UC veto power over planning in central Berkeley, and exempts them from millions of dollars in taxes and fees (sewage fees to the university are a fraction of what they are worth). The city is doing million-dollar favors for the university, while services to seniors, the disabled, the homeless and youth are being cut, as Kriss Worthington explained to us in our first meeting on Aug. 8. (Twenty-nine people were present.) 

Berkeley Youth Alternatives has been hit with a meat ax. Before May it was able to hire 20 high school students—poor, “at risk” and mostly minority—to do organic gardening, landscaping, and culinary arts. These students also received mentoring and training for permanent employment. Now, according to Director Mark Gambala, BYA is only able to hire six, and the culinary program in which high school students cooked for and fed elementary students, has been cut entirely. 

Isn’t Berkeley supposed to have a “liberal” or “progressive” City Council? The fact is that although six councilmembers (including the mayor) were elected with the support of progressives, only three voted against the Downtown Plan, and only three can be consistently counted upon to vote for the poor and the powerless. The Peace and Justice Commission, appointed by the present council and School Board, cannot even agree to recommend a federal Department of Peace, which is simply an embarrassment. In fact, there have been many progressive ideas which have originated in Berkeley, but which are implemented in other cities when they cannot get passed here. One example is Community Choice Aggregation for energy, by which homeowners and businesses can buy power directly from producers, bypassing the PG&E middleman. 

Why does Berkeley government fail to enact the ideals of its people? Mainly because we have allowed our progressive coalition, which used to transmit our needs and desires to the city, to decay and fall apart. The objective of the Berkeley Progressive Alliance is to re-create that coalition. 

In the 1970s and most of the ‘80s we had conventions which attracted up to 600 people. We wrote lengthy platforms. And the candidates we elected usually stayed true to progressive principles, and built up our nationally admired services, unique in small cities; our health department, our three senior centers, our powerful rent control (undermined by state legislation), our library system (now, alas, in decline). Our resolutions against apartheid and for U.S. withdrawal from Central America were models to the nation. 

Berkeley is still a progressive city. Republicans here often run as a third party behind the Greens, and in some flatlands precincts they run fourth behind Peace and Freedom. George Bush won 7 percent here in 2004. If we can host a coalition convention which will draw 5-600 people, who will then stay active in holding our candidates true to their word, we can again become a national model. It can be done. But only if we organize, not just for elections, but throughout the entire Berkeley community, in neighborhoods, schools, businesses, churches, and in the streets. Later we’ll talk about some community organizing ideas of the Berkeley Progressive Alliance.  

Laurence Schechtman has been a Berkeley activist since 1964. He can be reached at laurenceofberk@aol.com or 540-1975. 

It is interesting that it is often anti-development proponents who complain of insufficient low- and middle-income housing being built in Berkeley. It is 

also true that the demand for this same housing comes without demonstrating a way to provide that housing. 

It seems that Zelda Bronstein, in her Aug. 30 column, without saying it, wants absolutely nothing built. If one only wants low-income units then we are likely to get nothing. We could build Soviet-style low-income projects but as a model these have proven to be flawed and deeply depressing to inhabitant and town alike. Better we increase the minimum number of low-income and middle-income units in new mixed-income buildings. This might make better politics/communities all around. There is also the benefit of integration instead of segregation amongst the income levels of citizens. 

Mixing low-income housing into private development might make better buildings more economically feasible too. Making it more difficult or impossible to profit by building in Berkeley is not the same thing as city planning. Where Zelda sees “flagrant rogue builder” building “outsized projects” creating “municipal crises” and “exacerbating gentrification,” one could see happy vertical perhaps even more communal or ecological sound communities. It is possible to imagine more sharing of cars, more riding bicycles and BART. More mixed-use buildings could inspire going out of your home late at night for a little live jazz music or a cup of coffee. Municipal crisis indeed. This is called urban living. 

As for the worry that up on the hill looking down all you see is concrete, with the right incentives the rooftops could be basketball courts, swimming pools, running tracks or public parks, benefiting these dwellers and the community at large. 

How to get more low- and middle- income units built? Supply and demand and economics rule at the end of the day. Yes we will have to allow more density and more height in appropriate places. At the same time we do need to demand more esthetically pleasing and more function/service from each building like minimum percentages of low- and middle-income units. We will also have to build along our corridors, University Avenue and San Pablo Avenue, with perhaps taller buildings. What about those neighbors? We could re-zone the blocks along the backsides of these corridors to allow smaller but multiple housing units instead of single family dwellings. Wonderful new communities will congregate, adding to our middle class ranks. Single dwelling landowners could sell for handsome profits and move up the hill or off the major corridors. The greater good will be served. 

Developers are a part of the solution. There are those who lambaste developers like Patrick Kennedy because he makes a profit or because his developments did not start out as beautiful as they have become. However, I feel with the lights on at Gaia and the jazz and theater downstairs, that part of Shattuck has come alive. Driving to the end of Shattuck the Backenheimer Building stands proudly for all and a new community looks east to the hills where once graffiti-riddled billboards used to stand. 

Smart urban development has never been more important. The coming years will only bring more people back to the cities as fuel becomes more scarce and expensive. Failure to plan and build will only exacerbate concern for low- and middle-income housing. Let us have a plan that allows for housing that provides incentives for the developers to stay within that plan and make a profit and make beautiful buildings.  

Peter Levitt is the the proprietor of Saul’s Delicatessen.

Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace has been working since 2001 to establish a U.S. Department of Peace. In partnership with the Peace Alliance we were successful in getting the cities of Berkeley and Oakland to endorse resolutions in support of that initiative. 

After the resolution passed in Berkeley it was attacked by Jonathan Wornick, Gordon Wozniak’s appointee to the Peace and Justice Commission. In a series of letters published in the Daily Planet, he not only criticized the Department of Peace legislation, but the very mission of the commission itself.  

I called for Councilmember Wozniak to reconsider his appointment because Wornick was acting as an obstructionist to any meaningful resolutions dealing with national or international issues 

At the last meeting he voted down Code Pink’s resolution calling for the recall of the California National Guard from Iraq. 

I urge citizens of Berkeley to attend the next Peace and Justice Commission meeting Monday night at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Express your opinion on a proposed resolution to get Bush to answer the secret Downing Street Memo that exposed his reasons for invading Iraq and another resolution supporting the withdrawal of our National Guard. 

Alan Moore is a member of Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace and a former member of the Peace and Justice Commission.?

Just into Ron Jones’ monologue/solo show, adapted from his book, When God Winked, the protean Jones—who takes on the mannerisms and voices of his charges and colleagues from the Recreation Center for the Handicapped in San Francisco—blows out through the exit, into the lobby of The Marsh’s new Berkeley theater in the Gaia Building, and shepherds in (like a Border Collie) late arrivals, with high-pitched admonitions: “Don’t be tardy! Have you seen Carol?” 

But neither the latecomers nor those seated feel particularly institutionalized. Jones, who will retire this year after 30 years at the center (now named after its founder, Janet Pomeroy, one of the play’s characters), has said the show is his answer to a retirement party. 

It’s certainly not very retiring. Anecdotes from his rollercoaster career are mixed with the crazy life of the center. Raconteur gives way to mimic, punctuated by Jones’ remarkable video clips of basketball games with celebrities playing his challenged team (which always wins, he says, “because we cheat!”). He also includes movement theater workshops and performances led by a blind woman with dreamlike inspiration, as well as the breakfast club regulars at John’s Ocean Beach Cafe cutting up, and a freaky solidarity rally when the center’s workers go on strike. 

Pulitzer Prize nominee Jones has been hailed by Studs Terkel, who has called Jones “perhaps the most important story of our time,” and the late San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, who called him “one of my favorite San Francisco heroes.” 

When God Winked, a work-in-progress, showcases Jones’ many talents. Sometimes his monologue is a little too literary, like he’s reciting from the page. But the “constant improvization” of his job breaks through, and his ironic observations are hijacked by the acting out—often just a split-second—of his clients’ acting out. 

Jones himself is a valedictorian who gets lost in the episodes he brings back to life, both a Don Quixote and a Sancho Panza—even acting out some of the windmills. He refers to the center as a kind of heaven or paradise, and he wanders through it in memory, a Walden of human nature that he contemplates. 

But just as he ushered in the “tardies” with a bang, he’s a guide who constantly shakes up the audience’s reveries—and his own—with laughter and the harsh realities of life that progressively encroach on the Utopian life of the center. 

Hysterical highs of improbable victories over disability and convention are undercut by budget cutbacks and layoffs, driving some of the center’s stars back into a homebound existence, onto the street or to suicide attempts. Fantastic stories of the playful “inappropriate behavior” of Carl, “The Pope of The Sunset,” who kisses hands outside St. Ignatius, end with his funeral. The solemnity is broken up by “Aka God,” a woman from the center (who answers questions to the divinity, even in Spanish) approaching the casket and pouring in the contents of her purse, followed by the other challenged Centerite ladies, while the Irish priest struggles to keep up by speaking of “this act of kindness.” 

The story of the Wildcats, the center’s “undefeated” basketball team, ends in a blaze with Jones torching their uniforms on Ocean Beach. 

It’s a sidelight to his extraordinary presentation of day-to-day offbeat experiences in a very special community that Jones’ sometimes rapt monologue is also a paean to the improvised conviviality of postwar San Francisco, as it fades beyond recognition. He is a native of the Sunset, where his family owned a burlesque theater. 

“There’s no frame of reference for it now,” Jones remarked afterwards, answering questions in the lobby, backed by a drum solo next door at Anna’s Jazz Island. 

As he says, “After all, it’s showtime!” 

When God Winked plays at the Marsh Berkeley in the Gaia Building, 2120 Allston Way, 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday through Sept. 16. $10 Thursdays, $15-22 Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call 1-800-838-3006 or see www. themarsh.org.›

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “The Price” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m., through Oct. 9, at 2081 Addison St. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

California Shakespeare Theater, “Nicholas Nickleby” Part 2 at 8 p.m. at Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., between Berkeley and Orinda, through Sept. 18. Tickets are $10-$55. 548-9666.  

Impact Theater “Nicky Goes Goth” at 8 p.m., Thurs.-Sat. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid, through Oct. 1. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468.  

The Marsh Berkeley “When God Winked” by Ron Jones. Thurs.-Sat. at 7 p.m. at the Gaia Building, 2120 Allston Way, through Sept. 16. Tickets are $10-$22. 800-838-3006.  

Shotgun Players, “Owners” at 8 p.m., Thurs.-Sun. through Oct. 16 at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Reservations suggested. 841-6500.  

Wilde Irish Productions “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” Thurs. -Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m., at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through Oct. 2. Tickets are $18-$22. 644-9940.  

Woodminster Summer Musicals “Jesus Christ Superstar” at 8 p.m. at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd., Oakland, through Sun. Tickets are $20-33. 531-9597.  

EXHIBITIONS 

Arie Furumoto, color etchings inspired by landscape, ocean and plants. Reception at 6 p.m. at The Scriptum-Schurman Gallery, 1659 San Pablo Ave. 524-0623. 

“Contemporary Traditions in Clay: The Pottery of Mata Ortiz” reception at 5 p.m. at the Phoebe Hearst Museum, College and Bancroft. 643-7648.  

Recent Work by Jon Nagel and Loren Purcel Reception at 7:30 p.m. at Boontling Gallery, 4224 Telegraph Ave., Oakland.  

The Big Brush Off featuring works by Berkeley artists Gael Fitzmaurice and John King at Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission, at E St., San Rafael. Reception at 5:30 p.m. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Images of America: El Cerrito” will be introduced by the El Cerrito Historical Society at 5:30 p.m. at the El Cerrito Library.  

Bret Easton Ellis introduces his new novel “Lunar Park” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sheng Xiang & Band, Taiwanese folk music, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22. 642-9988.  

Mamadou Diabate & Walter Strauss, African, contemporary at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

E.W. Wainwright’s Elvin Jones Birthday Celebration at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

Duamuxa, CD release concert at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568.  

Houston Jones at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

House Jacks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Times 4 at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Plays Monk, Ben Goldberg at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Dani Thompson Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

DJ & Brook, jazz trio, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Dick Hindman Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373.  

Brown Baggin’ at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

Times 4, contemporary jazz, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Time Flys, Top 10, The Gimmies, High Vox at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

The Zawinul Syndicate at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $18-$22. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10 

THEATER 

Living Arts Playback Theater Ensemble “Immigrant Stories” at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $12-$18 sliding scale. 595-5500, ext. 25. www.livingartscenter.org 

Shotgun Players, “Cyrano de Bergerac” at 4 p.m., Sat. and Sun. through Sept. 11, at John Hinkle Park. Free with pass the hat donation after the show. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“All Dolled Up” A exhibition of works by California doll makers to Sept. 30 at ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. www.accigallery.com 

China’s Vanishing Heritage: Heirloom Embroidered Textiles from the Hill Tribes of Southwestern China. Reception from 4 to 6 p.m. at Ethnic Arts, 1314 10th St. www.redgingko.com 

“Retrospect: 199-2003” Photographs by Kiyo Eshima. Reception at 4 p.m. at Albany Arts Gallery, 1251Solano Ave. Exhibition runs through Oct. 8. 526-9958. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Yuri Kochiyama and her biographer, Diane Fujino, will speak at 2 p.m. at Heller Lounge, MLK, Jr. Student Union, UC Campus. 642-6717.  

“Music, Community Politics and Environmental Justice in Taiwan” with Shen Xiang at noon at 145 Dwinelle, UC Campus. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Juris Jurjevics reads from “The Trudeau Vector: A Novel” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Chalis Opera Ensemble “The Magic Flute” at 2 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $5-$10, children free. 415-826-8670.  

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, “Atalanta” by Handel at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $28-$62. 415-392-4400. www.philharmonia.org 

Trinity Chamber Concerts: The Beth Custer Ensemble at 8 p.m. at 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. http://trinitychamberconcerts.com 

”Sing Against the Odds” a Breast Cancer Fund fundraiser with Shelley Doty, Green & Root, and Irina Rivkin at 8 p.m. at Rose Street House of Music, 1839 Rose St. Donation $5-$10. 594-4000, ext. 687. 

Tom Huebner Band, country, folk-rock and blues, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Bay Street Plaza, (near Old Navy) Emeryville. 

Wayward Monks, jazz, progressive rock and new age, at 8 p.m. at Epic Arts Studios, 1923 Ashby Ave. Donation $5-$10. All Ages. 644-2204. 

Wadi Gad & Jahbandis at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Reggae dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Ed Reed and Laura Klein Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Dani Thompson at 9 p.m. at Cafe Van Kleef, 1621 Telegraph Ave. Cost is $5. 763-7711.  

Katherine Peck and Terese Taylor at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Big Skin at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

House Jacks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Pickpocket Ensemble at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473.  

Quanti Bomani at 8 and 10 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15-$17. 849-2568.  

Chuck Steed, musical suite “Manfish” at 7 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Big Skin at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Tarbox Ramblers, The Cowlicks at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Sherri Roberts Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

What Kids Want, Madeline, Whiskey Sunday, Gypsy at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 11 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Pleasure” by Susan Danis Opening Reception at 2 p.m. at The Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Gallery hours are Wed. through Sun. noon to 5 p.m. 

“Ascension” photographs by Shoey Sindel. Reception at 4 p.m. at Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Works by Fran Roccaforte Opening reception at 4 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

FILM 

“Security” A film by Rob Nilsson that examines vulnerability in dangerous times at 5:30 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive. Tickets available from 642-5249. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“The Danube Exodus” artist talk with Larry Rinder and Larry Abramson at 2 p.m. at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. www.magnes.org 

Rabbi Alan Lew describes “Be Still and Get Going” at 2 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Poetry Flash with Alicia Suskin Ostriker and Anita Barrows with Joanna Macy at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Solstice, female a cappella group in a benefit for the victims of hurricane Katrina at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$20. 

Davitt Moroney, harpsichord, performs J.S. Bach Inventions and Sinfonias at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-9988. 

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, “Atalanta” by Handel at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $28-$62. 415-392-4400.  

Organ Recital by Robert McCormick at 6:10 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Donations accepted. 845-0888.  

Jazz and Spoken Word with Philip Greenlief, Lisa Mezzacappa, and Noah Phillips at 6 p.m. at Kimball’s Carnival, 522 Second St., Oakland. Cost is $5. 

Mark Levine Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

The Saddle Cats at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Rafael Manriquez at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Trout Fishing in America, folk originals, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Brook Schoenfield at 10 a.m. at Nomad Cafe. 595-5344.  

MONDAY, SEPT. 12 

EXHIBITIONS 

Jerome Carlin’s Landscape Paintings Imaginary landscapes and small plein air oil sketches. Reception at 5 p.m. at The Musical Offering, 2340 Bancroft Way. www.jeromecarlin.com 

“Revisions” Larry Abramson: Searching for an Ideal City opens at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poets for Peace poetry reading featuring Dan Bellm, John Burgess, Ilya Kaminsky, Alicia Ostricker, and Meredith Stricker at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Actors Reading Writers ”Coming Home” Stories by Garrison Keillor, Kurt Vonnegut and Wu Zuxiang at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave.  

Karl Soehnlein reads from his latest novel “You Can Say You Knew Me When” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Tram Nguyen describes “We Are All Immigrants Now: Untold Stories from Immigrant Communities After 9/11” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Poetry Express with Karen Pojmann and John Burgess at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Trovatore, traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Sara Gazarek at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $6-$12. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13 

FILM 

Margaret Tait: Subjects and Sequences “Islands” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Anthony Shadid, author of “Night Draws Near, Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War” at 12:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Joe Conason describes “The Raw Deal: How Bush Republicans Plan to Destroy Social Security and the Legacy of the New Deal” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Laura Joplin offers some insight into her older sister in “Love, Janis” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

The Whole Note Poetry Series with Randy Fingland and Bert Glick at 7 p.m. at The Beanery, 2925 College Ave., near Ashby. 549-9093. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Samarabalouf, music inspired by gypsy jazz, from France, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dred Scott, solo jazz piano, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Ellen Hoffman Trio and Singers’ Opn Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Brandi Carlile at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. 

Carla Bley & Her Lost Chords at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Barbara Linn at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Kazakh: Paintings by Saule Suleimenova” opens at the Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities, 220 Stephens Hall, UC Campus. Appointments recommended. 643-9670. 

“CCA Faculty New Work” Reception at 5:30 p.m. at Oliver Art Center, California College of the Arts, 5212 Broadway, Oakland. 

“Taisho Chic: Japanese Modernity, Nostalgia and Deco”opens at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant Ave. 642-0808. 

FILM 

Artificial Expressionism: Semiconductor at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

THEATER 

Berkeley Rep, “Our Town” opens and runs through Oct. 23. Tickets are $45-$59. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Michael Kimmelman describes “The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Jacques Leslie discusses “Deep Water: The Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People and the Environment” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Berkeley Poetry Slam at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082.  

Café Poetry at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, New Traditions in American Indian Music and Dance at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

TapRoots and New Growth: Contemporary Ghazal singer Kiran Ahluwalia. Lecture and demonstration at 8 p.m., concert at 9:15 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

Horacio Franco, recorder, at 8 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $32. 642-9988.  

Calvin Keys Trio Jam at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

La Verdad, salsa, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Will Blades Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Carla Bley & Her Lost Chords at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Dress: Clothing as Art” reception at 6 p.m. at Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. 620-6772.  

Third Thursdays Open Studios between 4 and 8:30 p.m. at 800 Heinz Ave. 

FILM 

Films from Along the Silk Road: “Revenge” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

“Raise the Red Lantern” film and discussion in conjunction with the performances of the National Ballet of China, at 7 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. 642-2809. 

Cine Documental: “El Dia Que Me Quieras” a documentary deconstructing the myth of Che Guevara at 7 p.m. in the CLAS Conference Room, 2334 Bowditch St.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Yosemite in Time” Gallery talk with Rebecca Solnit at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

“African Material Culture Between Everyday and Ritual Contexts” with Mariane Ferme at 5:30 p.m. at Phoebe Hearst Museum, Bancroft and College. 643-7648.  

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 6 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Arnaud Maitland describes “Living Without Regret: Growing Old in the Light of Tibetan Buddhism” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

LiveAndUnplugged Open Mic at 7 p.m. at Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. 703-9350.  

Word Beat Reading Series with Juan Sequeira and Jan Lewis at 7 p.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave., near Dwight Way. 526-5985. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra “Musical Tribute to Laurette Goldberg” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Free. 528-1685. 

Albany Music in the Park with Mark Russo and the Classy Cats, swing music at 6:30 p.m. at Albany’s Memorial Park. 524-9283. www.albanyca.org 

Lost Bayou Ramblers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Berkeley Old Time Music Convention with the Stairwell Sisters, the Roadoilers, and Larry Hanks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50-$16.50. 548-1761.  

Fourtet Jazz Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is. $5. 841-JAZZ.  

The Other Side, Dora Flood, The Mandarins at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082 .  

Dave Matthews & Peter Barshay, piano and bass, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Gato Barbieri at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $15-$22. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Selector, lap-top funk, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

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The carefree days of summer have slipped through our fingers, making time spent outdoors all the more crucial. Make a commitment today to walk, hike, bike, play or just sit enjoying the nature around you. There’s still time to participate in the 2005 East Bay Regional Park District’s Trail Challenge and hike number five offers a number of options for an outdoor adventure.  

Before venturing out into the post-summer landscape it’s good to be informed about a few unwanted hiking companions, rare but present. Warm temperatures, dry grasses and low water levels might lead to encounters with ticks, yellow jackets or, less common, rattlesnakes.  

In California, the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is a vector for the bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi) that causes Lyme’s disease. Teardrop in shape with a dark head and a reddish-brown flattened body and only 1/8-inch long; the adult tick is easy to mistake for a speck of dirt.  

Grasses, shrubs and leaf litter throughout the regional parks are ideal environments for Ixodes so precautions when hiking are a must. Stay on trails and check pets and person frequently. Light colored clothing with pants tucked into socks and shirt into pants reduce your exposure on narrow paths or off-trail.  

Crawling ticks can be brushed off. If they become embedded, pull out steadily without twisting, using tweezers close to the skin and then clean with antiseptic. Save for identification if the tick resembles Ixodes and be aware that Lyme’s disease can affect both people and pets.  

Ticks want your blood, yellow jackets want water for their nests, protein for their young and sweets for themselves. Your picnic is their Shangri-La. They’ll sting if threatened so gently blow them away and keep your foods covered.  

Like Greta Garbo, snakes just want to be left alone, especially the Western rattlesnake. In all my years hiking in the parks I’ve yet to encounter this poisonous reptile but it never hurts to be informed and careful.  

Snakes are not aggressive. Their color and pattern camouflage them against the rocks and soil, their rattle warns you of their presence. Using loreal pits on each side of their broad, flat head to sense heat, they can locate warm-blooded prey in the dark or amid many confusing scents.  

Common sense can prevent negative encounters. Again, stay on trails where snakes can be seen more easily. Don’t use hands or feet to explore where you can’t see. If you sight a snake give it plenty of room and don’t disturb it. Remember, the parks ensure its protection as well as your enjoyment.  

Informed, enthusiastic and anxious to get outdoors, we’re ready for the next hike.  

Trails Challenge No. 5: Wildcat Canyon Regional Park  

This loop hike takes you from Wildcat Staging Area at the north end of the canyon to Tilden Park at the south end via canyon and ridge trails. If 11 miles is too much of a challenge, you can utilize two cars or public transportation and hike one direction only. Since Tilden Park is my second home, I decided to explore the unknown—Wildcat Canyon and Alvarado Park.  

Like many of our regional parks, the story of the Alvarado area begins with Native Americans utilizing the natural bounty of the woodland and coastal environments. In the late 18th Century, Spanish explorers reached the mouth of Wildcat Creek and opened the way to ranches and missions. Two centuries later the war of the waters raged over Wildcat Canyon’s springs and streams, only resolved in 1920 when the Bay Area’s water source was switched to the Mokelumne River. The final chapter takes place between 1967 and 1976 when the Park District acquired over 2000-acres to create Wildcat Canyon Regional Park.  

From the Staging Area, Wildcat Creek Trail, a wide, paved road, climbs steadily uphill providing an instant aerobic workout. Amid thick stands of eucalyptus, coast live oak, madrone and pine I listened to the calls of songbirds, the squawk of jays and cry of a hawk. Plant invaders were in full profusion; scotch broom, six-foot tall wild fennel and thorny yellow star thistle easily outnumbered natives. Open flower heads and garlands of pods thick with seeds spelled trouble for the coming year. This trail had the air of a neglected sibling; there were few signs of any effort toward plant control.  

I followed Wildcat Creek Trail well into the canyon but it felt more recreational than aesthetic. Though wide enough for multiple side-by-side exercisers, the open terrain made me long for the lush riparian forest in the canyon below. Late in the season, the creek was neither visible nor audible. 

Aesthetics kicked in when I climbed Belgum Trail and reached a cattle gate, Wildcat Canyon being a grazing park. Like Alice, entering that gate brought me to a true hiking environment—late summer ranchland. Among drying oat, rye and barley I spied remnants of the park’s previous lives—an agave cactus with a 10-foot flowering spire circled by bees, full-fronded palm trees, solitary fence posts wrapped in barbed wire and small sections of fencing going nowhere.  

An attractive, illustrated panel marked the spot of Belgum’s Grand Vista Sanatorium for the treatment of nervous disorders. In 1914, San Francisco’s upper class used this remote outpost to keep afflicted relatives out of sight. Looking at the pictures of the two-story mansion in its peaceful, park-like setting, I had no doubt about who had the better deal.  

Shawls of fog covered the hills, but glimpses of the sun signaled a warm day ahead, making me glad I had come early. The trail undulated across the hills to the ridge past low-growing wildflowers like lavender puff-balls on flowering mint, tiny white daisies and yellow ceaonothus, but few trees.  

At the top of a small hill I found an inviting bench, obviously a spot favored by the park’s grazers. Before me spread grand vistas of Richmond and the bay, behind me El Sobrante. The breeze refreshed and my water tasted great. I watched a hawk hover then dip down into the shrubs. Cows were content and so was I. The creases of the hills were thick with bay laurel and oak. As the sun emerged, wafts of licorice infused the air.  

These Trail Challenges embody more than getting outdoor exercise. They’re about taking the time to absorb the beauty around us, even in a dry field. A hill of parched grasses revealed rippling contours and dabs of color: the orange of a poppy, the white of a morning glory and the violet of lupine. The challenge is to make the time to see the features of nature.  

There’s no better ending to your adventure than a picnic at Alvarado Park. Like a secret treasure, you’ll want to hoard this site all to yourself. Beautifully landscaped with lush lawns, mature trees and attractive flowers, the unique feature of this park is its rustic architecture of wood and stone that blend with the environment.  

A gathering place for over 200 years, Grand Canyon Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. Stonework greets you at every turn, in chest-high walls lining pathways, the bridge across Alvarado Creek and in solitary light standards among the lawns, picnic areas and trees.  

A welcoming pavilion with benches looks out over a huge lawn and the native flowers of Jean and Vern’s garden. Rather than one large picnic area, sites are scattered throughout the park in nooks under spreading trees and along the creek. Though the open-air dance pavilion and roller rink are long gone, the old-time atmosphere of a neighborhood gathering place remains, awaiting your pleasure.  

East Bay Regional Park District Trail Challenge: 562-PARK www.ebparks. org. 

Getting there: Take Marin Ave. to Arlington Boulevard. Follow the Arlington into Richmond and turn east on McBryde Avenue. Alvarado Park is on your left. Continue on McBryde to the Wildcat Canyon Staging Area and parking lot. AC Transit Line number 67 runs between Tilden and Wildcat Parks. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m., no fees. Alvarado Park group picnic reservations: 636-1684.  

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Peter Haurus, author, “Resurgence of China: Whither?” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

Free Emergency Preparedness Class in Disaster First Aid from 9 a.m. to noon at 997 Cedar St. To sign up call 981-5605. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

fire/oes.html 

Spirit Walking Aqua Chi A gentle water exercise class at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Cost is $3.50 per session. 

Town Hall Meeting on RFID (Radiofrequency ID) tracking tags in Berkeley Public Library materials at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. 843-2152. 

Womansong Circle a musical gathering for women at 6:45 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way, at Dana. 525-7082. 

By the Light of the Moon Open Mic and Salon for Women at 7:30 p.m. at Changemakers, 6536 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $3-$7 sliding scale. 655-2405. 

Berkeley Critical Mass Bike Ride meets at the Berkeley BART the second Friday of every month at 5:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

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

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Waterfront Walk to explore the history and future of Berkeley’s waterfront, led by Susan Schwartz. Meet at 10 a.m. at Sea Breeze Delicatessen, south side of University Ave. just west of the I-880/580 Freeway. Bring water, snack, and, if you want, binoculars to enjoy shorebirds on their fall migration. 848-9358. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Point Richmond Day Long Summer Festival starting at 11 a.m. Featuring 360, The Irrationals, Two Feet Tall Norma Blase, Jeb Brady and many more. Plus classic car show, vendors, children’s activities, food and drink. www.pointrichmond.com/prmusic/ 

Oakland Wetlands Restoration Project Help Save the Bay remove invasive plants and collect native seeds along the MLK, Jr. Restoration Marsh, from 9 a.m. to noon. For information and meeting place call 452-9261. www.saveSFbay.org 

Walking Tour of Oakland City Center Meet at 10 a.m. in front Oakland City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Progressive Democrats of the East Bay Chapter meets at 1 p.m. at Temescal Library, 5205 Telegraph, Oakland. The agenda includes a discussion of the propositions for the special election on Nov. 8, and the anti-war, pro-choice Ret. Lt. Col. Charlie Brown, who is planning to contest the 4th congressional seat of very conservative Republican John Doolittle. 526-4632. www.pdeastbay.org 

Free Emergency Preparedness Class on Basic Personal Preparedness from 9 to 11 a.m. at 997 Cedar St., between 8th and 9th. To sign up call 981-5605. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

fire/oes.html 

East Bay Athiests meets at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 3rd flr meeting room, 2090 Kittredge St. Videos from “Theo- 

cracy Watch” will be shown. 222-7580. 

Free Sailboat Rides between 1 and 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club in the Berkeley Marina. Bring warm waterproof clothes. www.cal-sailing.org 

“Music, Community Politics and Environmental Justice in Taiwan” at noon at 145 Dwinelle, UC Campus. 642-2809. 

Piedmont Choirs Fall Tryouts for children age six to 18, from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Piedmont and 10 a.m. to noon in Alameda. Call for appointment 547-4441. www.piedmontchoirs.org 

Tet Trung Thu: Mid Autumn Children’s Festival Celebrate the Vietnamese full moon festival from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Yuri Kochiyama and her biographer, Diane Fujino, will speak at 2 p.m. at Heller Lounge, MLK, Jr. Student Union, UC Campus. 642-6717.  

Free Quit Smoking Class for pregnant and parenting women from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Alta Bates, first floor auditorium, 2450 Ashby Ave. Childcare provided. Free but registration requested. 981-5330. quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

East Bay Chapter of the Great War Society meets to discuss “Military Revolutions Since 1600” and “Napoleon and WWI” at 10:30 a.m. at 640 Arlington Ave. 527-7118. 

Studio 12 Open House from 4 to 7 p.m. to meet the teachers and see what classes and workshops are coming this fall, at 2525 8th St. www.movingout.org 

“Salvias and Companion Plants” with Gail Yelland at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 11 

Solano Avenue Stroll “Don't Rain on My Parade” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with entertainment, food booths, crafts, art cars, kidtown and more. 527-5358. www.solanostroll.org 

Run for Peace with the United Nations Association A 10k run or a 5k run/walk at 9 a.m. at Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina. Cost is $15-$20. To register call 849-1752. www.unausaeastbay.org 

Solar Electricity for Your Home Learn how to design your own solar electrical generator, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 525-7610. www.bldgeductr.org  

Bike Ride to the Solano Stroll Leave from the North Berkeley BART at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. and the El Cerrito Plaza BART at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Valet bike parking at the Stroll. Sponsored by the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition. 549-7433. 

Free Hazardous Waste Drop-Off of computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones, and batteries at Solano at Evelyn St., near the BART tracks, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Cities of Berkeley and Albany and the Ecology Center. 981-5435. 

Mercury Thermometer Exchange Liquid mercury from broken thermometers is harmful to the Bay. Exchange them for a Bay-safe digital thermometer. Bring mercury thermometers in two plastic zipper bags from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 1241 Solano Ave., Albany. 452-9261, ext. 130. www.savesfbay.org 

Pancake Breakfast on the Red Oak Victory Ship in Richmond Harbor from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1337 Canal Blvd., Berth #6. Exit at Canal Blvd off 580. Cost is $6, children under 5 free. 237-2933. 

Montclair Flea Market and Community Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6300 Moraga Ave. Activities include safety fair, health fair, food and Astro Jump. Benefits the Montclair Lions Club. www.montclairlions.org 

“Understanding the Collapses of the World Trade Center Towers” Official Theories Versus Controlled Demolition at 5 p.m. at the Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland. Sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County. 

Benefit Film Festival for 9-11 Truth Alliance and Project Censored from 1 to 11 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $6-$9. 1-866-268-2320. www.ciommunitycurrency.org 

“Reconciling Differences” A film and dialog festival from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Parkway Speakeasy Theater, 1834 Park Blvd. 654-9114. www.adrnc.net 

“A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time a Fear” with Paul Rogat Loeb at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 486-0698. 

Music in the Park at Arroyo Viejo Park with Toni, Tony, Tone at 3 p.m. at 7701 Krause St., Oakland. 

“Friends of Roman Cats” a slide show and presentation on the Torre Argentina Roman Cat Sanctuary at 3 p.m. at Rabbitears, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Donation $10. 525-6155. 

Free Sailboat Rides between 1 and 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club in the Berkeley Marina. Bring warm waterproof clothes. www.cal-sailing.org 

“Christianity for Unitarian Universalists” with Huston Smith at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

“New Faces of Israel” with Donna Rosenthal at 7 p.m. at Oakland Hebrew Day School, 5500 Redwood Rd., Oakland. RSVP to 531-8600, ext. 26 

Weekend Healing Workshops with Rabbi Goldie Milgram at the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $50-$65. 655-8530. 

MONDAY, SEPT. 12 

National Organization for Women Oakland/East Bay Chapter meets from 6 to 8 p.m. at the San Leandro Public Library, 300 Estudillo. The topic will be Teen Safety: The Importance of Defeating Proposition 73. 287-8948. 

“Direct From Camp Casey” with Iraq vets and miltary families at 7 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Donation $10. 452-3556. www.ustourofduty.org 

Berkeley-Albany YMCA Golf Tournament at 12:30 p.m. at Tilden Regional Golf Course. Fee is $150 per player, which includes green fees, tee bags with promotional items, lunch and dinner. Proceeds support the South Berkeley Learning Academy. To reserve a place call Amy Golsong at 486-8406. agolsong@baymca.org 

“Voluntary Simplicity” a workshop with David McFarlane, on Mon. eves. at 7 p.m., through Nov. 14 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Cost is $25. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

“Get Rid of Physical and Emotional Clutter” with psychotherapist Jill Lebeau and organizer Stephanie Barbic at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Free. 524-3043. 

Critical Viewing An ongoing group to examine the art/craft of short films and television productions and effects on our daily lives, at 1 p.m. at the BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Free. 848-0237. georgeporter@earthlink.net 

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 524-9992. 

WriterCoach Connection Training Sessions Tues. Sept. 13 and 20 from noon to 3 p.m. Help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Commit to 1-2 hours per week during the school day. To register call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

“Hetch Hetchy Valley: Water and California’s Future,” a panel discussion on the feasibility of dismantling the O’Shaughnessy Dam to restore the Hetch Hetchy River Valley, at 5:30 p.m. at Goldman School of Public Policy, Room 150, UC Campus. 642-2666. 

Youth Arts Studio Demonstration Class in visual arts for ages 10-13 at 3:15 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church, 2220 Cedar St. Youth Arts Studio is a non-profit after-school program. 848-1755. 

Day Hiking with Your Dog with Thom Gabrukiewicz and dog trainer Jen Worth at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Elections in Crisis” documentary films on voter fraud from noon to 5 p.m. followed by a speaker event at 7 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $6 for the afternoon, $10 for the evening. Sponsored by the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club. 848-6767, ext. 609. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 1 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Community Media, 2239 MLK, Jr. Way. To schedule an appointment call 848-2288, ext. 13. www.BeADonor.com 

Kundalini and Meditation Therapy with Dr. Hari Simran Singh Khalsa at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. at Cedar. 549-9200. 

“Medicare: Understanding Your Drug Coverage” at 4 p.m. at Center for Older Adult Services, 828 San Pablo Ave. To register call 558-7800. 

“Applied Buddhism” a workshop led by Marilee Baccich and Lynette Delgado, Tues. at 12:15 p.m. through Dec. 6 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Donation $40. To register call 526-8944.  

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14 

“Quilters Comfort America” Help make quilts at the quilt-a-thons, Wed. and Thurs. from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at New Pieces 2, 1605 Solano Ave. New Pieces will provide the tables, chairs, irons and ironing board. Please bring anything else you have that could be of use. All quilts will be hand delivered to Red Cross Volunteers at evacuee shelters in Houston. To reserve a place please call 527-6779. 

“Himalayan Quest” book-signing with Ed Viesturs, the first American to successfully climb all 14 of the world’s highest peaks without supplemental oxygen, at 1 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Lori Berenson: Convicted by an Image” and “La Noche de los Lápices” two films from Latin America at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. 393-5685. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. at the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Youth Arts Studio Demonstration Class in dance for ages 10-13 at 3:15 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church, 2220 Cedar St. Youth Arts Studio is a non-profit after-school program. 848-1755. 

Pain Free Movement Learn exercises to rehabilitate joints and muscles at 1 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. at Cedar. 549-9200. 

Eco-Medicine: Greening Primary Health Care A free presentation at 7 p.m. at the Teleosis Institute, 1521B 5th St. 558-7285 www.teleosis.org  

Poetry Writing Workshop led by Slison Seevak at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

“The Day I Died” BBC documentary on near-death experiences at 7:30 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. 395-5684. 

East Bay Genealogical Society with Barbara Smith, docent at Mountain View Cemetery at 10 a.m. at the Library Conference Room, Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Ave. Oakland. 635-6692.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes. 548-9840. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Action St. 841-2174.  

“Mindfulness Meditation” a workshop led by Kendra Smith, Wed. at 9:30 a.m. through Nov. 2 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Donation $30. To register call 527-4816.  

Prose Writer’s Workshop An ongoing group made up of friendly writers who are serious about our craft. All levels welcome. At 7 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. georgeporter@earthlink.net 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15 

“Redemption - The Stan ‘Tookie’ Williams Story” a special screening with Barbara Becnel, hosted by the Fr. Bill O’Donnell Social Justice Committee, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Donations accepted. 482-1062. 

“Cuba Today: Achievements, Roadblocks, Failed US Policy” with Lee Zeigler, Stanford Univ., at 7:30 p.m. in the Home Room, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $5. 642-9460.  

“Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary: Research and Resources” with Jennifer Stock on one of the most biologically rich areas of the West Coast at 12:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Golden Gate Audubon Society “Why Do Birds Sing and How?” with George Bentley at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 

Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative Potluck and meeting at 6 p.m. at the Edible Schoolyard Garden, Rose and Grant Sts. 883-9096. 

Communication for Caregivers Ongoing free Berkeley Adult School class meets Thurs. at 1 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5170. 

“Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia: Current Treatment” at 4 p.m. at Center for Older Adult Services, 828 San Pablo Ave. To register call 558-7800. 

Puppy Prep, socialization skills, a four week class, at 6:30 p.m. at Rabbitears, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Cost is $100. 525-6155. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Creeks Task Force meets Mon. Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Erin Dando, 981-7410.  

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon., Sept. 12, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Mon., Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Gisele Sorensen, 981-7419.  

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., Sept. 12, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Manuel Hector, 981-5510.  

Youth Commission meets Mon., Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Philip Harper-Cotton, 981-6670.  

City Council meets Tues., Sept. 13, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Tues. Sept. 13, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Angellique De Cloud, 981-5428.  

Commission on Disability meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Don Brown, 981-6346. TDD: 981-6345.  

Homeless Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jane Micallef, 981-5426. Planning Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Janet Homrighausen, 981-7484.  

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. Cliff Marchetti, 981-6740.  

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Peter Hillier, 981-7000.

The cover photo of this week’s issue of the French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur shows an armored vehicle labeled “state police tactical unit,” manned by grim-faced booted and helmeted figures with clenched jaws, wearing dark glasses, and carrying big guns, staring straight ahead. In the lower right-hand corner, we see two middle-aged African-American women looking up at the truck. One, wearing a red floral muu-muu, hair in curlers, raises her arm in supplication to the men, who ignore her. The headline is stark: “L’Amérique mise a nu”—America laid bare (literally, nude). The sub-head says that “The hurricane reveals the fissures in the society of everyone for himself.”  

You don’t have to read the articles inside or see the wrenching photos which accompany them to get the analysis. The cover pretty much sums it up. That’s how our American society looks these days to the rest of the world. BBC coverage painted a similar picture.  

Even conservatives, even the ones quick to condemn the shots of poor people commandeering merchandise (“looting,” if they were poor black people) are able to understand that those women on the magazine cover are not the enemy. Even Republicans agree that such people should not have been left to their fate while better-off residents evacuated themselves in their private vehicles. Everyone concedes that plans should have been made for people without cars, regardless of race.  

But what the events in New Orleans have shown the world most clearly, most graphically, is who America’s urban poor still are: the descendants of African slaves, those who haven’t managed to extricate themselves from their historic underdog status. And America’s vulnerability has been laid bare before the world. Jean Daniel’s editorial in the French magazine sums it up: “Since Sept. 11, 2001, Americans have known that they were not masters of all humanity. Since Aug. 29, 2005, they know that they can’t master their own society.” Daniel compares the huge New Orleans tragedy in the United States with a smaller scale but still wrenching series of fires in France, which claimed the lives of many poor black immigrants. He speculates that a rich state, a super-power, might just be a country where the poor people have gotten even farther behind than they used to be.  

In a much less dramatic way, the statistics coming out of UC Berkeley’s freshman class also reveal that we’re failing to achieve our announced social goals. According to an Associated Press story on Friday, the 4,000-student freshman class this year has just 129 black students. Chancellor Birgeneau is quoted in the story expressing distress at this poor showing, as well he should.  

The Ward Connerly why-can’t-they-pull-themselves-up-by-their-bootstraps-like-I-did school of sophistry is given the lie by the statistics in Jonathan Kozol’s invaluable new book, previously mentioned in this space, The Shame of the Nation (he’ll be in town to talk about it this month). He charts spending in six big mostly-black cities and their mostly-white suburbs. Students in the suburbs get up to twice as much money spent on their education as inner city kids—and then we wonder why there aren’t more outstanding black applicants for prestige colleges like UC Berkeley. The cliché is that people who don’t even have shoes can’t pull themselves up by their bootstraps. 

It’s nice, of course, to know that voluntary immigrants and their children are doing well. The AP story says that about 11 percent of the freshmen class will be Hispanic, about 47 percent Asian-American. But we owe the descendants of our involuntary immigrants, whose ancestors were brought here as slaves and kept as slaves for many generations, more than that. Their kids should be getting the best schools, and instead they’re getting the worst.  

And I don’t want to hear from whiners who will say that their immigrant ancestors came to America too late to be slaveholders. That’s not the point, never has been the point. Some of my own ancestors were slaveholders, others abolitionists, but it doesn’t matter. It has always been in the best interest of this country to give people on the bottom what they need to move up the ladder: that’s what settlement houses for immigrants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were all about.  

Fragmentary well-meaning attempts have been made to extend a measure of economic justice to the descendants of slaves, but they’ve been too little, too late. The new UC/Bill Gates charter school in Oakland is intended to produce some college applicants in a few years, but the numbers are so small as to be meaningless. What’s really needed is a massive effort, on the scale of the post-World War II Marshall Plan, to build the institutions which serve African-American citizens so that they can take their proper place in American society.  

Some have suggested that restitution payments, like those made to Japanese-Americans who were wrongfully imprisoned during World War II, are the answer. That’s fine, but similar per-person dollar amounts won’t begin to rectify the economic damage done to African-Americans by generations of slavery. Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty was on the right track, but it never really got off the ground. It’s sometimes said that it was a failure, but in fact it was never really tried except in a few isolated programs. And it didn’t make a distinction between poverty caused by the residue of slavery and poverty from other causes. That’s what we have to face squarely as a nation, and soon. Don’t, however, expect the current administration to take the lead. What we have now, as Le Nouvel Observateur succinctly puts it, is the government for the society of everyone-for-himself.  

—

A curious development in Berkeley’s social evolution has recently surfaced in these pages. Despite the fact that the official city logo is derived from the multi-hued faces which are part of the mural Romare Bearden created for the City Council chambers, it’s apparent that the city has a residual population of pull-up-the-ladder cultural isolationists. Embedded political commentator Zelda Bronstein’s recent column documented and lamented the fact that Berkeley’s building boom has still produced almost no housing for low-income people (anticipated more than a year ago in an article by Rob Wrenn). It has elicited responses from seemingly well-educated and articulate residents who ask why anyone would want to live with such people anyhow.  

The hardy little band of citizens who both appreciate population diversity and deplore mindless densification-for-profit has been aware of this attitude for a while now. They have been embarrassed by those residents who initiated a legitimate CEQA challenge to the city’s secretive land-use decision process, but chose as their target an innocuous all-affordable senior citizens’ apartment complex. They think the same environmental issues could and should be raised about the wall of luxury condo developments going up on University which have little space for low-income people. 

The savvy speculators who make their fortunes from building projects have gleefully exploited all the loopholes in the affordable housing bonus laws, gaining allies for their enterprises from well-meaning liberals who don’t realize that the building boom has actually reduced the city’s population diversity rather than enhancing it. But the elephant in the middle of the room is the question of whether most Berkeleyans actually want a mix of income levels in the city. Corollary (if elephants can have corollaries) is the lack of open discussion of the fact that having racial and ethnic diversity still requires income diversity, since people of color still make less money than those of all-European origin.  

I’ve been reading away lately at a pair of books which look at the diversity question from different interesting angles. Kwame Anthony Appiah is a Princeton philosophy professor, the son of a marriage between British and Ghanaian intellectuals who were prominent members of their respective countries’ political elite. He was educated in England, later chose U.S. citizenship, and is also gay. His book, The Ethics of Identity, explores the philosophical question of whether diversity is a value in itself.  

Jonathan Kozol has spent his life exposing the way that the children of the poor—predominantly African Americans—are condemned to dismal segregrated schools as the more affluent of all races choose to remove their children from admittedly appalling public school environments. His new book is fittingly titled The Shame of the Nation—The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America.  

The two approach the same topic from opposite perspectives. Appiah considers the positive aspects of multiculturalism balanced against the virtues of individuality, and seems (I haven’t finished the book yet) to be coming down on the side of a cosmopolitan culture whose members retain some of the virtues of their unique roots. That would be the ideal Berkeley, probably for most of our current residents. Kozol, on the other hand, points out the stark consequences of the failure to create a viable integrated society for those who have been left behind in cities. The recent scenes from New Orleans graphically depict the worsening plight of the have-nots in this country. The underfunded and abandoned public schools in many of our cities have become an ever-present demonstration of how majority society has stopped caring for the poor. 

Berkeley has a certain number of optimists who believe Berkeley would be paradise if it could just limit its diversity to the well-behaved middle classes of all hues. As long as those people of color can afford to live here, they seem to be saying, we’re delighted to have them on our block. We’re pleased to invite them to our parties—they can even join our religious institutions and our social clubs. Patricia J. Williams in The Nation this week has a mini-review of a book that satirizes this mentality, Damali Ayo’s How to Rent a Negro. She calls it “a kind of Miss Manners for the racially isolated yet yearning to connect.” She says it offers “handy tips on how to enliven your parties with a little integration, how to impress your friends you’re not a racist and how to compliment your Negro on the articulateness of his speech.”  

But when it’s a question of their own kids, even the hardiest multi-culturists of any race will bend their principles. Very few parents who can afford it are willing to sacrifice their own children to what passes for public education in many parts of this country today. I doubt if African-American Columbia Law Professor Williams sends her son to her neighborhood New York City public school, unless she happens to live in one of the few “right” neighborhoods.  

The Berkeley public schools have been almost unique in that they offer an excellent public education in a multicultural environment. That’s why many of us chose to live here, and why the non-white parents who now can’t afford to live here figure out ways to send their children to our schools anyhow. They register the kids from Grandma’s house, or from the home of a sympathetic friend, and they take advantage of, yes, lax enforcement of residency requirements. A better solution would be for Berkeley to reserve its small amount of remaining infill space for projects which produce a substantial number of suitable homes for lower-income families. Those who genuinely value the city’s historic diversity shouldn’t go on kidding themselves that building lavish condos for upper-middle class buyers has anything to do with maintaining it. That’s just not true. Of course, for those who want the city to become even more of an enclave for the presumably well-behaved well-off, the status quo is just fine.  

B