News

BAM Architect Listens to Community Ideas

By Richard Brenneman
Friday December 22, 2006

Tuesday morning Berkeley met the man who will help transform the face of downtown. -more-


The Planet Takes a Holiday

Friday December 22, 2006

The Daily Planet will not publish on Tuesday, Dec. 26, but will be back on Friday, Dec. 29, with the annual holiday readers’ contribution issue. Thank you to all who sent in material for the issue. -more-


Temblor Punctuates Debate Over Stadium

By Richard Brenneman
Friday December 22, 2006

Raked by a legal broadside, the University of California beat a temporary retreat Wednesday, agreeing to halt development at Memorial Stadium pending a hearing in Alameda County Superior Court. -more-


How Berkeley Voted in the November Elections

By Rob Wrenn
Friday December 22, 2006

There were no big surprises in the way that Berkeley voters cast their votes this year. As usual, Berkeley led the state in opposition to Republican candidates while showing continued support for abortion rights, public education, the environment and affordable housing. -more-


Hancock to Vie for Senate Seat

By Judith Scherr
Friday December 22, 2006

With the November 2006 elections recently certified, candidates are already pushing at the gate for 2008. -more-


Downtown Plan, Landmarks Committee Near Compromise

By Richard Brenneman
Friday December 22, 2006

While preservationists worry that a new downtown plan could give short shrift to landmark buildings in the city center, the planner hired to draft the document says not to worry. -more-


District 4 Challenger Wilson Moves Out of Berkeley

By Judith Scherr
Friday December 22, 2006

To some—especially incumbent Councilmember Dona Spring who clobbered him in a nasty District 4 race in November—Raudel Wilson looks like a carpetbagger. The 30-year-old banker moved to Berkeley just two years ago and now, after being shut out by Spring’s win with 71 percent of the vote, has moved out of town. -more-


Oak-to-9th Lawsuit Will Move Forward

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday December 22, 2006

As was expected, a California Superior Court judge dismissed the City of Oakland’s early attempt to throw out the Oak To Ninth referendum lawsuit late last week, with both sides downplaying the significance of the judge’s ruling. -more-


Oakland Schools Mislabel Some Teachers Unqualified

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday December 22, 2006

Earlier this fall, in compliance with a provision of the national No Child Left Behind Act, the Oakland Unified School District sent out some 13,000 letters informing parents of the names of teachers who do not meet the “highly qualified” standards required by the act. -more-


Report: Local Bus Riders Shortchanged

By Judith Scherr
Friday December 22, 2006

A study released Wednesday asserts that Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission funding policies maintain “separate and unequal” transit systems. -more-


Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Friday December 22, 2006

Not sham pain -more-


A Guide to Finding Green Gifts This Holiday Season

By Judith Scherr
Friday December 22, 2006

’Tis the weekend before giftmas -more-


10 Questions for Darryl Moore

By Jonathan Wafer, Special to the Panet
Friday December 22, 2006

1. Where were you born and where did you grow up, and how does that affect how you regard the issues in Berkeley and in your district? -more-


Give of Yourself This Holiday Season

By Marta Yamamoto, Special to the Planet
Friday December 22, 2006

Each of us approaches the idea of gift-giving according to our own set of standards. We consider needs, desires, cost and degree of closeness. For family we solicit suggestions, for friends we debate possibilities, for “duty” gifts we head to Sees or BevMo. We purchase, wrap and present our offerings, awaiting response. In this sense we have given a bit of ourselves. -more-


Cheerful Crowd Celebrates Stadium Grove Tree-Sitters

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Though the thermometer hovered in the upper 40s and seemed even cooler beneath a mantle of oak leaves and an overcast sky, the crowd that gathered near Memorial Stadium Saturday was anything but cold. -more-


Zoning Board Approves Trader Joe’s Building, Project Foes Planning Lawsuit

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Rejecting the pleas of angry neighbors and threats of a lawsuit, the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) voted 5-3 early Friday to approve the “Trader Joe’s Building.” -more-


Drayage Demolition Moves Forward; ZAB OKs Bus Yard, Condos

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday December 19, 2006

A marathon Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) session Thursday ended with approvals for two major housing projects, new bus yard, a new home for Freight & Salvage and demolition of the Drayage. -more-


Oakland School Takeover Investigation Gets Key Support

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Oakland’s newly elected state assemblymember, Sandré Swanson, has proposed setting up a Select Assembly Committee to investigate state takeovers of California schools, and the idea has already gotten support from key legislators from the affected districts. -more-


Army Subpoenas Oakland Journalist in Watada Court Marshal

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Freelance journalist Sarah Olson does not want to testify at First Lt. Ehren Watada’s court marshal in February. At around 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, she received a subpoena from the U.S. Army telling her to do so. -more-


Woodfin Workers Protest Pre-Christmas Suspension

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Woodfin Suites housekeeper Alma Cruz has spoken out at City Council meetings, walked picket lines and talked to co-workers about the need for Emeryville’s Living Wage Law for hotel workers to be enforced. Voters approved the law—Measure C—in November 2005. -more-


Problems With Measure A, Says Former Peralta Counsel

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday December 19, 2006

The former bond counsel to the Peralta Community College District says that the list of projects in the Peralta’s troubled Measure A bond ballot statement last June may not be specific enough to have qualified the measure under the Proposition 39 requirements under which it was passed. -more-


Curt Flood: 10 Years Later and No Closer To the Hall of Fame

By Bill Fletcher, Jr., New America Media
Tuesday December 19, 2006

2007 marks 10 years since the passing of baseball legend Curt Flood. Many of today’s sports enthusiasts, including those who follow baseball, have little sense of the man and his contributions to the sport of baseball. -more-


Law Students Help Score Win for Immigrants in Supreme Court

By Rene P. Ciria-Cruz, New America Media
Tuesday December 19, 2006

Immigrants whose lives are upended by unfair rules and arbitrary law enforcers should thank the day electrical engineer Jayashri Srikantiah decided to leave Intel to become a lawyer. -more-