News

Sun Slow to Shine on Berkeley Government By JUDITH SCHERR

Tuesday March 21, 2006

When Councilmember Laurie Capitelli introduced new elements to a draft Landmarks Preservation Ordinance at a council meeting earlier this month with no notice to the public, some community members cried foul. -more-


Oakland Police Deal Costlier Than Expected By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Tuesday March 21, 2006

An agreement between the chief of the Oakland Police Department and the powerful Oakland Police Officers Association union to put more officers on Oakland’s streets at peak crime times delivers considerably fewer officers than first proposed by the chie f, and appears to do so at considerably greater cost. -more-


BUSD to Address Flooding Issue At Alternative High School By SUZANNE LA BARRE

Tuesday March 21, 2006

Something’s foul at the Alternative High School. -more-


Gaia Building Culture Wars Head Back to Zoning Board By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday March 21, 2006

The Gaia Building, the heart of one of Berkeley’s longest-running political and cultural dramas, is heading back for another look by the same city panel that approved its construction. -more-


Police Department Sends Message with Major Pot Bust By SUZANNE LA BARRE

Tuesday March 21, 2006

Berkeley police made the biggest pot bust in the department’s recent history Wednesday, and they wanted people to know. -more-


Council Looks at Housing, Birds, and More By Judith Scherr

Tuesday March 21, 2006

The City Council meets tonight, Tuesday, first at 5:30 p.m. as the Redevelopment Agency, then at 7 p.m., in its regular role. -more-


Creeks Ordinance Nears Deadline By SUZANNE LA BARRE

Tuesday March 21, 2006

Decision time is fast approaching for the hotly debated creeks ordinance, but Creeks Task Force members are still torn over how to regulate the city’s hidden waterways. -more-


Transportation Meeting By Riya Bhattacharjee

Tuesday March 21, 2006

At last Thursday’s Berkeley Transportation Commission meeting, the board unanimously passed a motion asking for a transportation services fee (TSF) to be approved by the City Council at its July 11 meeting. -more-


Popular Berkeley Restaurant Benefits Nepalese Students By Richard Brenneman

Tuesday March 21, 2006

Aficionados of Himalayan cuisine can eat their hearts out tonight (Tuesday), knowing that they’re doing good by eating well. -more-


Berkeley Voters Would Support School Parcel Tax By Suzanne La Barre

Tuesday March 21, 2006

More than 75 percent of Berkeley voters would support a renewed school parcel tax, a new survey says. -more-


Foster Care Faces Budget Cuts By Riya Bhattacharjee

Tuesday March 21, 2006

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2006 which was passed in February 2006 by Congress and signed by President Bush included language that essentially overturned the Rosales v. Thompson decision handed down by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The decision in Rosales broadened the eligibility criteria for federal foster care funding under Title IV-E, which enabled children to be found eligible for Title IV-E. -more-


Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday March 21, 2006

Richmond-based robbers -more-


Fire Department Log By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday March 21, 2006

Car torched -more-


Remembering Mr. Charles, By: Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday March 17, 2006

No need for tears. Joseph Charles wouldn’t have wanted that. He would have wanted you to smile—or wave. And he would have definitely wanted you to cheer. On March 22, members of the Berkeley NAACP Youth & College Division are coming together to celebrate the legacy of Mr. Charles, Berkeley’s “Waving Man.” -more-


SupervisorsApproveVoting Machine Negotiations, By: J. Douglas Allen Taylor

Friday March 17, 2006

Caught between a steady chorus of warnings by local voting rights activists and a looming deadline to begin preparations for the November elections, Alameda County Supervisors voted narrowly this week to begin negotiations with two companies for the poss ible purchase of paper-verified electronic voting machines. But even supervisors who supported the negotiations cautioned that the vote does not necessarily mean that new electronic voting machines will actually be bought. -more-


Open Derby Sports Field Moves Forward, By: Suzanne LaBarre

Friday March 17, 2006

Diamonds are forever, so the Berkeley Board of Education is starting small. It will build an open field. -more-


Berkeley Police Re-Package Crime Data, By: Richard Brenneman

Friday March 17, 2006

People who turn to the Internet for information about Berkeley crimes will get both more and less information than they did before, but much more attractively packaged. -more-


Richmond Community Activist Earns National Honor, By: Suzanne LaBarre

Friday March 17, 2006

There have been many Betties. -more-


Second Mayoral Candidate Declares, By: Judith Scherr

Friday March 17, 2006

While he has little experience in city government, Zachary RunningWolf, who formally announced his candidacy for mayor on Wednesday, says he knows what Berkeley needs. -more-


Parks Board Picks Nancy Skinner To Fill Vacancy Caused by Death, By: Richard Brenneman

Friday March 17, 2006

By unanimous vote, environmentalist and former Berkeley City Councilmember Nancy Skinner was named Monday to fill a vacant seat on the board of the East Bay Regional Parks District. -more-


University Building Plan Expo Draws Public, Jocks, Officials, By: Richard Brenneman

Friday March 17, 2006

UC Berkeley officials, athletes and contractors staged a full-court press at Memorial Stadium Monday, offering soft drinks and cookies along with the reasons they said everyone should support their massive building plans around the aging facility. -more-


Race, Poverty and Neglect Dominate Casino Hearing, By: Richard Brenneman

Friday March 17, 2006

Issues of race, poverty and neglect dominated during the next-to-final hand of a high stakes gamble over the future of North Richmond. -more-



Environmentalists Speak Out Against Pacific Steel, By: Suzanne LaBarre

Friday March 17, 2006

The “backdoor agreement” that outlines pollution management of Pacific Steel Casting must be revoked, environmental groups say. -more-


Alameda Med Counts Board Votes to Fire Trustee, By: J. Douglas Allen Taylor

Friday March 17, 2006

A vote by Alameda County Supervisors this week to remove a controversial trustee from the board of the Alameda County Medical Center may not necessarily stop pending legal action against the county for her original removal from the board. -more-


Teen Violence: A Community Challenge, By: Judith Scherr

Friday March 17, 2006

They scream obscenities at the teacher during class and show up all smiles to chat after school; they defy curfews and curl up in their mothers’ laps; they’re ready to live on their own and can’t make a sandwich; they sleep with boyfriends and play with Barbies; they live on chips and cry over acne. -more-


Teen Parties Can Lead to Violence If Not Supervised, By: Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday March 17, 2006

Lauralaura is an 18YO SWF (18-year-old single white female, for the uninitiated) from Berkeley who likes Goth parties. -more-


School Board Meeting Roundup, By: Suzanne LaBarre

Friday March 17, 2006

At Wednesday’s regularly scheduled Berkeley Board of Education meeting, directors approved: -more-


Police Blotter, By: Richard Brenneman

Friday March 17, 2006

Shots fired, two found -more-


Building Education Center Provides Hands-On Experience, By: Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday March 17, 2006

On a balmy Saturday morning, a doctor, a lawyer, a software engineer, and a smattering of others gathered in a room in West Berkeley to learn how to install windows, doors, and skylights. -more-