Posted Wed., Feb. 21—Cody’s is leaving Fourth Street for downtown Berkeley. 

“We love Cody’s,” Fourth Street developer Denny Abrams told the Planet through spokesperson Luma Cortez. “We hate to see it go.” 

While the move may hurt the upscale Fourth-Street area’s careful mix of home furnishings and restaurants, with its toy, music and specialty shops, it will be a plus for downtown, said Michael Caplan, the city’s economic development director. 

Cody’s plans to remain open on Fourth Street during most the transition, and will re-open March 24 at the corner of Allston Way and Shattuck Avenue, the site of the former Eddie Bauer’s.  

“This isn’t a move that we fully anticipated,” says a Cody’s press release. “Our Fourth Street rent skyrocketed, making it impossible for us to stay after 10 lovely years in West Berkeley.”  

Melissa Mytinger, Cody’s store and marketing manager, told the Planet they started renegotiating a new 10-year lease. The rate asked was “not quite double what we were paying,” Mytinger said. Cody’s made counter offers, but the owner would not relent. 

Still, she said, “What started out as bad news ended really well.” 

While the move will be a loss for Fourth Street, “it will connect to the arts district development efforts,” with book readings and cultural events in the evening, Caplan said. 

The new space will be smaller than its present location. “Cody’s will be more intimate than our Fourth Street store,” says the press release.  

Cody’s on Fourth Street is just under 10,000 square feet. The new space is about 7,000 square feet. The smaller space “will force us to fine-tune our inventory,” Mytinger said. 

They’ll go back to what Cody’s was best known for—history, politics, current affairs, literature. “We’re not going to do as many baby-toddler board books,” Mytinger said, adding that they will cut out computer books. 

Cody’s was founded in Berkeley in 1956 by Fred and Pat Cody, then sold to Andy Ross in 1977, who opened the Fourth Street store in 1998 and added a San Francisco store in 2005. 

Ross closed the flagship store on Telegraph Avenue in mid 2006 and soon thereafter sold Cody’s to Yohan, a Japanese book distributor. In April 2007, the new owner closed the San Francisco store, 18 months after its opening. 

In December, Ross, who had stayed on as Cody’s president, stepped down and at the same time Hiroshi Kagawa left Yohan where he had been CEO and took Cody’s with him to the IBC Publishing Group, the current owner. 

Last year, Barnes and Noble closed its store in downtown Berkeley. Pegasus Books, Half Price Books, the Other Change of Hobbit and Comic Relief are located downtown. 

Cody’s is taking the unusual step of holding a community meeting—7 p.m., Feb. 27 at the Fourth Street store—to get input from the community. “We don’t pretend to know what downtown customers want,” Mytinger said. 

Posted Tue., Feb. 19—The 444-day-old battle of attrition between UC Berkeley and the Memorial Stadium tree-sitters flared again Tuesday morning, with the university claiming the victory. 

The casualties were limited to one fallen arboreal crash pad and some rope lines that enabled protesters to move from one tree to another high above the ground. 

The branch-borne protest is aimed at protecting the grove, where the university plans to ax a venerable collection of Coastal Live Oaks, a redwood, and other species to make way for a high tech gym and office complex. 

“We’re taking the opportunity today because there are fewer numbers in the trees to take out the lines and any materials that put people at risk, and also one platform,” said Mitch Celaya, deputy chief of UC Berkeley Police. 

“We are not planning to remove any protesters today,” he added. 

“This is not a prelude to a change in stance,” said Dan Mogulof, executive director of UC Berkeley’s public affairs office. He said the raid was done for safety reasons, and wasn’t part of any effort to evict the tree-sitters. 

Performing the work in the branches was an arborist who scaled the oak where tree-sitter Karuna had been residing on a platform beneath a large plastic tarp. Armed with a pair of long-handled branch cutters, he snipped lines and the platform’s support as other tree-sitters and watchers on the sidewalk called out taunts. 

“Don’t mind me. I’m just doing my job,” called out one tree-sitter in a mockery of the bureaucratic mantra. “Shame,” called a voice from the sidewalk. 

Meanwhile, one protest supporter was walking through the small crowd gathered along the sidewalk on the eastern side of Gayley Road, carrying a cardboard tray of coffee cups and asking reporters and uniformed university police if they wanted some. 

And there were journalists aplenty, with TV camera operators aimed either at the action in the fenced-in grove or at reporters doing live stand-ups and interviews. 

Doug Buckwald of Save the Oaks and veteran tree-sit supporter said he doubted the university’s rationale for the raid. 

“We don’t know what safety issues were being addressed by removing supplies and safety lines,” he said. “That doesn’t make any sense. And how can they justify the increased police presence at the grove when there has been an increase in violent crime near the campus?” 

On the legal front, the battle of the grove is heading toward a climax, with a March 7 hearing in a Hayward courtroom slated for the final arguments in the lawsuit filed by the City of Berkeley, Councilmember Dona Spring, the California Oak Foundation and city neighbors. 

A final decision in that case should follow within 30 days. 

That suit seeks to overturn the action by UC Regents approving the critical environmental document needed before the university can build the Student Athlete High Performance Center at the site of the grove as well as an underground parking lot and other nearby construction projects. 

The university has already won a restraining order against the tree-sitters, and has made frequent arrests of the sitters and their supporters. 

Mogulof and Celaya said the action Monday had no connection to the recent tree-sitter protest against the radio station KPFA. Both said they weren’t aware of the campaign until a reporter asked them about it. 

Zachary Running Wolf, who launched the protest on Big Game Day 2006, said the station was being targeted because they weren’t covering the tree-sit. 

Meanwhile, supporters of the tree-sit have scheduled their next rally for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, where they will send up new supplies to those remaining in the branches.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyfxiVCVSEM

For Rev. Andre Shumake Sr., head of a faith-based community alliance in the East Bay’s most troubled city, Richmond’s Green Party mayor has proved a strong ally. 

“Thank God we have someone who’s listening,” said the man who heads the Richmond Improvement Alliance (RIA). 

“The work they do on a case-by-case basis is very good,” said Mayor Gayle McLaughlin. 

While Shumake says the addition of California Highway Patrol officers and cars to city streets may be a temporary necessity in the wake of the unprecedented violence that has wracked the city in recent months, more police aren’t the long-term solution. 

“We need jobs,” he said. 

The RIA is tackling the problem on multiple fronts: job training programs for men and women who have gone through the criminal justice system, sponsorship of a residential housing project for former inmates, training programs in restaurant, barber and beautician skills and a new affordable senior housing complex. 

But Shumake said one additional measure could provide a needed incentive: a formal city policy requiring incentives for hiring local contractors who hire locally. 

One major accomplishment of Shumake’s efforts is the new Macdonald Place Senior Housing complex now rising across from Nevin Park on Macdonald Avenue between Third and Fifth streets in the heart of the city’s troubled Iron Triangle neighborhood. 

The project is a joint effort of the Richmond Redevelopment Agency, Richmond Labor and Love Community Development Corporation (RLL) and The Related Companies of California. 

Rev. Raymond Landry, executive director of the community development corporation and a Richmond native, said he wouldn’t have conceived of the project without Shumake’s constant prodding. 

“One thing I really appreciate about the Richmond Improvement Association and its work is that it’s never been about the RIA,” Landry said. “It has been about getting the resources to do social services, about getting young men out of the prison system and into the community and doing something about violence in the youth community.” 

As well as being an ordained minister, Landry holds a bachelor’s degree in planning and a master’s in social work. 

For Landry, an associate minister at the Independent Holiness Church on 16th Street, the key moment came when he and his spouse were getting ready to head to Lake Tahoe and a celebration of her birthday. 

“Rev. Shumake called me and said he had two tickets to a housing conference in L.A.” he said. After a family discussion, “I flew down. And it was at that conference where I met our partner, The Related Companies. And had it not been for the resources coming through the RIA, this wouldn’t be happening.” 

Landry said his pastor assigned him to work with Shumake, who—with funding from the San Francisco Foundation—had arranged trips for Richmond clergy to visit faith-based community programs around the country. 

“We met with community members, politicians, service providers and pastors to see what we could do to bring about changes in the community,” he said. “After the trips with Rev. Shumake, I realized we had the opportunity to do something unprecedented here in Richmond. With the help of $4.7 million from the redevelopment agency, and an $8 million construction loan from Union Bank, groundbreaking was held last Dec. 11.” 

One of the RIA proposals the mayor particularly likes is its plan to bring together the seniors at Macdonald Place with the youth who frequent Nevin Park.  

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm for that,” she said. “It’s a way of bringing together the generations and for connecting with the park,” which is now being restored by the city. 

Jobs, training 

Landry spoke as he stood on the freshly poured foundation of Macdonald Place, with Larry Fleming smiling nearby. 

Fleming is the director of the RIA’s Employment Re-Entry Program which operates out of the RIA offices at 432 Barrett Avenue, a short walk from the housing site. 

The Good for the Soul Cafe, to be located at the western end of the complex, will offer good food for seniors and neighbors and training for men and women from Fleming’s program. Next door to the east, the barber and beautician center will offer hair care and on-the-job training in both care and sales. 

One of the city’s greatest needs, Fleming said, is construction jobs. 

“Contractors will hire their own, and there is a real need for black contractors here,” he said. “We think that the city should insist on 50 percent local hires, too, though we’re only asking for 30 percent. Otherwise, contractors will keep doing what they’ve been doing. But if there were more contractors of color, they would hire their own people. In this climate, that stuff has got to change.” 

Response from local companies has been good, he said, but “most people will hire the cream of the crop,” workers with clean records. 

“But what about this brother who has come out of the system, a guy with three kids who’s an ex-con but who’s been doing fine and who’s got a union card? If he can’t get a job, he gets drawn back to the violence.” 

Fleming said he understands the frustrations of the young men he meets on the neighborhood streets. “Years ago, that was me,” he said. “This thing,” the violence, “is not going to go away by itself. It’s been bad for 30 years. This city used to be known for its sports. Now it gets all its headlines for so many killed in so many months. But we have to get away from the focus of just reporting on crime.” 

His task, he admits, is formidable.  

“I talked to a young guy on the street, about 19-years-old, and I asked him if he’d registered for the draft, because if he doesn’t he can’t get a federal job. When he said no, I told him he have to register by 24 or he’d be in real trouble. He told me, ‘I’ll be dead by then.’” 

“That’s why the key to our work here is economic development,” said Shumake.  

“A lot of it goes back to the education our young people are getting,” said Landry. “The schools here in West Contra Costa County are some of the worst in California.” 

With the senior housing complex rising nearby, Landry took a reporter to another site, the next target of his development plans. 

With the support of the RIA, he is working to raise the funds to buy the Fourth Street buildings owned by the now closed Temple of Faith. 

In addition to the former church building, itself a converted business, the property includes three dwellings which would house seven or eight former prisoners coming out of the system, who would live there while they learn new job skills. 

Landry said he has been working with Richmond Works, a program that offers real work experience. One of the first jobs of trainees would be the rehabilitation of the buildings, he said. 

Shumake was born of parents who came to Richmond from Louisiana, and his work with the RIA dates back almost a decade. An ordained Baptist minister, he served as coordinator of the North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church’s North Richmond Community Career Resource Center. 

He modeled the RIA on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Montgomery Improvement Association. 

He has marshaled an impressive coalition of local clergy, and organized the city’s 2005 Black-on-Black Crime Summit following an earlier rash of slayings that included the murder of De La Salle High School football star Terrance Kelly, gunned down two days before he was to leave for the University of Oregon on a full-ride scholarship. 

Friday morning he called a reporter to ask “What can we do about these guns? We have to do something.” 

Shumake had found yet another way to engage in his community in the struggle against violence. 

“The RIA and other groups like it are offering the community a different vision of what we can become,” Mayor McLaughlin said. 

Posted Mon. Feb 18, 2008--An officer responding to reports of a domestic disturbance at a south Berkeley apartment building Saturday night used deadly force on a woman who allegedly confronted the officer with a knife, according to the Berkeley Police Department. 

The Alameda County coroner's bureau identified her on Sunday as 51-year-old Berkeley resident Anita Gay.  

Police first responded at about 6:40 p.m. to the apartment building in the 1700 block of Ward Street on a domestic disturbance call reporting that someone in the area was breaking windows, the Police Department reported. 

Police responded to the apartment building a second time at about 8 p.m., when a woman confronted an officer with a knife, the department reported. 

The officer fired his weapon in defense of another person and of himself, according to the Police Department. 

The woman died a short time later, police reported. 

The officer involved in the shooting is a five-year veteran and has been placed on administrative leave, according to the department, which did not officially release his name to the press. He has been identified in a news report quoting an unnamed police source as Rashawn Cummings, formerly with the Berkeley Police Department’s drug task force. 

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, police reported. 

Before she was shot and killed by a Berkeley police officer Saturday night, the 51-year-old woman raised a large kitchen-style knife at two of her daughters, endangering their lives, Berkeley police public information officer Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said on Monday. 

"One can close a gap in seconds with a knife," Kusmiss said. 

When the officer arrived for the second time, Kusmiss said, he found Anita Gay standing on a porch landing of the apartment holding a large kitchen-style knife. The officer brandished a gun and tried to convince Gay to drop the knife. 

Two of Gay's daughters came out of the apartment door onto the landing. That's when Gay allegedly turned her attention from the officer and raised her knife at her daughters, who were standing a "few feet away," Kusmiss said. 

The officer then discharged his firearm at least two times at Gay, according to Kusmiss. 

Gay died at the scene. 

Kusmiss said given the proximity of the suspect and her family members "the officer felt the two women's lives were imminently in danger." 

Police believe Gay was responsible for the broken windows, Kusmiss said, however it was not immediately clear what had prompted the domestic dispute. 

Family members told police Gay may have been under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident. 

Neighbors, in an interview reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, said that they had witnessed the exchange and disputed the police account, saying that they did not believe the woman was threatening the officer when she was shot. 

Kusmiss said that Gay had spent time at the residence but could not confirm whether she lived in the apartment or her exact relation to the two women whom she allegedly threatened with the knife. 

"We think it's important to share that no officer wants to be in the position to use deadly force, and yet all officers are trained to," said Kusmiss. 

The last officer-involved shooting in Berkeley was in July 2003 when a Berkeley officer and a couple of Oakland officers shot and killed a bank robbery suspect at a Wells Fargo bank branch. 

The recent case remains under investigation by Berkeley police homicide detectives and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. The officer has been placed on administrative leave. 

The porch where Gay was shot has been turned into a memorial shrine with candles, flowers and stuffed animals.

The Berkeley Board of Education is investigating Willard Middle School Vice Principal Margaret Lowry for allegedly giving a student money to buy marijuana from another student, the Planet has learned. 

Some district officials, parents and staff have talked to the Planet about the alleged incident but asked not to be identified in this story. They have said that the school board is investigating reports that Lowry attempted to arrange a drug sting involving two special education students within the school’s premises.  

Willard, at 2425 Stuart St., is one of the three middle schools in the Berkeley Unified School District. 

According to an e-mail to the Planet, Lowry gave money to a special education student to buy drugs from a classmate. Since the classmate reportedly did not have any drugs, the special education student turned the money over to a teacher, the e-mail charged.  

School board President John Selawsky and district spokesperson Mark Coplan confirmed that Lowry was under investigation, but refused to discuss the details of the allegations against her.  

“The district has heard rumors and has undertaken its own investigation into the allegation that the Daily Planet has received,” Coplan told the Planet. “It is our goal to provide the best and safest instructional environment for our students and we take all allegations seriously. Because this potentially involves a staff member, it will be handled as a confidential personnel matter.” 

Coplan said he couldn’t confirm or deny any reports about why the school board was investigating Lowry. 

“Once the investigation is completed, we will be able to disclose more information,” he said. 

Cheryl Chin, principal of Malcolm X Elementary School and co-president of the Union of Berkeley Administrators, of which Lowry is a member, declined comment. 

Willard School Principal Robert Ithurburn also refused comment. 

Coplan told the Planet that the district did not have the authority to carry out drug stings in schools. 

“A sting is always done by the Berkeley Police Department,” he said. “It’s not something we have done in the past or we will do in the future.” 

Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said that the department very rarely carried out stings within the Berkeley Unified School District. 

“Unless of course we receive a significant amount of complaints or a complaint of a certain severity from the community or the school administration,” she said. “But in my recent knowledge I can’t think of any.” 

Lowry, who Coplan said was hired as vice principal for Willard about a year ago, was described by district officials as “a phenomenal human being.” They say she is a Berkeley resident, but the Planet was not able to contact her. Coplan told the Planet that Lowry could not be interviewed for the story and he was encouraging school staff and parents not to talk to the Planet or other media. 

James Simon, a custodian at Willard who is currently on leave because of a complaint filed by Lowry against him, told the Planet that Lowry had sent a letter out to school employees last week asking them not to discuss the incident. 

“It [the letter] told them not to talk about the incident that happened to her since the school district did not want false rumors in the Willard community. It asked employees to contact her directly if they wanted to hear about the incident.” 

Michael Sorgen, a children’s rights lawyer based in San Francisco, said the district should report the incident to the Berkeley Police Department. 

“It’s very serious,” he said. “It involves contributing to the delinquency of a minor or engaging in a prohibited drug transaction within the school premises. It’s a criminal activity. The district should complete its investigation as soon as possible.” 

County Superintendent Sheila Jordan said that it was important to investigate the accusations against Lowry. 

“When it comes to investigating drugs in schools, the state Education Code and the courts have given school districts a lot of latitude, but districts have to be very careful,” said Celia Ruiz, a labor attorney who often represents school districts. “In a case like this, the question arises whether the individual had the authority to engage in this particular activity and whether it could be attributed to the school board.” 

Dan Siegel, an Oakland-based civil rights attorney and a past president of the Oakland school board, said if the allegations about the drug sting were true, it was a poor judgment call. 

“It strikes me as really inappropriate to utilize young students for drug stings,” he told the Planet. “Clearly drugs on a middle school and high school campus are a concern but it is a concern police should be involved in. The police will never use minors for this kind of an undercover sting.”

Pools, police, pipes, fire prevention, youth services: fulfilling city needs will take new funding—perhaps $30 million. And that greatly surpasses the dollars flowing into Berkeley’s coffers. 

At a 5 p.m. work session on Tuesday, with pro- and anti-military recruiting station crowds chanting below the council chambers’ windows, the City Council delved into the issue of tax money the city might want to raise. The council has until July 8 to put the measures on the ballot for the November election. 

Deputy City Manager Lisa Caronna framed the discussion with a word of caution: If there are too many measures before the voters, they may reject all of them. 

In 2004, there were multiple ballot measures—a utility users tax increase, a youth services tax, a library tax increase and a paramedic tax increase. “All of the measures failed,” Caronna said. 

“We are entering the November 2008 election with national and statewide economic uncertainty,” says a cautionary staff report written by Caronna and Finance Director Bob Hicks. “We are in the middle of a stagnant and declining housing market and the threat of a recession.” 

Most members of the public who had come to address the council were at the meeting to advocate for rebuilding the therapeutic warm pool. “It is essential for good health” for the disabled community, Richard Moore said. 

“I’m able to stand here because of the warm pool,” Ann Marks told the council. 

The warm pool, currently located at Berkeley High, serves primarily disabled and elderly people. In 2000 voters approved a $3.25 million bond measure to rehabilitate the pool, but since that time, the school district decided to demolish the facility. A new pool would cost $15 to $16 million.  

Staff estimated the cost for the homeowner whose residence is assessed at $350,000 as $19 to $20 per year. (This would be funded through a general obligation bond; the tax is based on assessed value.) 

Others came to the council to advocate for the repair of the neighborhood swimming pools and to suggest that the council might want to float a larger bond that would encompass all of the city’s pools—or widening the scope even more to “multiple forms of recreation,” as one speaker suggested. 

Several residents wrote the City Council suggesting it would be more practical to build a swimming pool complex rather than rehabilitating all of the old pools. 

At the city’s Feb. 26 meeting the council will take a detailed look at raising taxes for police and fire. 

Staff estimates that with an increase in the annual police budget revenue of $3.6 million to $5 million, the city could hire 20 new officers and pay costs for regional compatibility for police radios. This would cost the average homeowner with a 1,900-square-foot lot $90 to $125 per year. (This tax and the ones described below are called “special taxes” and based on the home’s square footage.) 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he was disappointed that “community-involved police” (CIP) officers were not on the list of proposed new police hires. He said the unanimous council reiterated its support for CIP, described generally as policing where officers walk beats, know residents and merchants and communicate with them easily, and are proactive in stopping crime.  

“I also think whether we increase the funding for policing or not, we need to look at the structure of how we spend the money,” Worthington said. 

Worthington said he plans to bring CIP back to the council table today (Tuesday) at the Agenda Committee meeting (2:30 p.m. in the Redwood Room 2180 Milvia St.). 

Staff is proposing a fire-safety measure “to ensure minimum staffing on all fire suppression companies” to avoid rotating closures, enhance existing emergency medical services, fund disaster preparedness, add a rescue vehicle specialized for structure collapse and add personnel.  

The annual cost would be $3.3 million to $4.3 million; the homeowner with a 1,900 square-foot lot would be taxed $83 to $108 per year. 

A violence prevention ballot measure would raise a more modest $1.2 million annually and would cost the homeowner with a 1.900 square-foot house about $32.  

“I would like to see a bigger chunk of resources dedicated to youth,” Max Anderson told the Planet when reached on Thursday. However, given the mood of local taxpayers, he said it would be better to aim lower. 

Rehabilitation of the city’s aging storm water system would cost about $1.5 to $3 million annually and cost the average homeowner $38 to $75.  

Briefly: 

• The council voted 7-1-1 to refer to staff a request for the purchase of radio frequency measurement equipment and the question of establishing a moratorium on issuing further cell-phone antenna permits until the city’s cell-phone antenna ordinance has been revised. Councilmember Betty Olds abstained and Councilmember Gordon Wozniak voted in opposition. 

• The council unanimously approved going to bid for a number of services related to the Public Commons for Everyone Initiative, including a centralized homeless intake system, a program for youth of transitions (18-24-years-old) age, job training for maintenance of newly opened bathrooms, staff to provide services for permanent supportive housing and the “Berkeley host program,” which would provide people to be eyes and ears on the street, observing inappropriate behavior of individuals in shopping areas. 

• The council unanimously proclaimed February as Freedom to Marry Month “for equal access to marriage and all of its legal benefits and obligations by all persons, regardless of sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.” 

• As reported Friday, the council adopted new language with respect to the Marine Recruiting Station that differentiated between the city’s opposition to the war in Iraq and its respect for those serving in the armed forces and substituted new language into the section of a Jan. 29 council item that called the Marines “unwelcome.”  

The new language recognizes the right of the Marine Recruiting Center to locate in Berkeley. Councilmembers Betty Olds and Gordon Wozniak opposed the measure, because the council had turned down a previous motion to issue an apology to the Marines. Councilmembers Worthington, Capitelli, Olds and Wozniak voted in favor of the apology. 

Held over until Feb. 26 

The council held over until Feb. 26 a resolution sponsored by Worthington that condemned the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico and also held over a council item that would have staff write Canadian officials asking them to provide sanctuary for U.S. military service members living in Canada who are resisting fighting the Iraq War. 

They put off until Feb. 26 discussing the police chief’s quarterly report on crime and the Condominium Conversion Ordinance. 

Representatives of Oakland’s Children’s Hospital and many of the hospital’s North Oakland neighbors danced around each other at a North Oakland Senior Center community meeting for two hours last Wednesday night, with neither side seeming to be sure what music was being played, or even if the band had stopped altogether. 

Hospital officials had originally scheduled the meeting under the impression that they would win the Feb. 5 $300 million Measure A parcel tax, and the meeting would bring reluctant neighbors into a hospital rebuilding that was set to move full-steam ahead into the City of Oakland planning process. 

Instead, Measure A was defeated by Alameda County voters about as decisively as such defeats go (the measure required two-thirds approval vote for passage; instead, it lost 41 percent to 59 percent), and hospital staff members were left facing a hostile crowd in a packed hall Wednesday night with little more to offer than an obsolete Powerpoint presentation with plans to build a 10 story new hospital on the existing Children’s property and $300 million short of the estimated $700 million to build it. 

At the same time neighbors of the 100-year-old 52nd Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way research and treatment facility were reluctant to enter a “community involvement” process with hospital officials who they claim broke an earlier promise not to expand north of 53rd Street and who, the neighbors said, “arrogantly” moved forward with the expansion plans despite widespread community opposition. 

State law requires Children’s to earthquake retrofit portions of its existing facility by 2013, and hospital officials have said the most economical way to meet that need is to build a new hospital on the site. Children’s has identified $173 million in state bond money and $150 in private donations to pay for the rebuilding project, and had hoped that the remainder would come from Alameda County taxpayers in the county bond measure. 

Neighbors, while supporting the existence of Children’s in their neighborhood and declaring it to be a necessary facility in Oakland, have complained that the planned expansion would eliminate many homes in the hospital’s vicinity and the planned 12-story tower would overshadow the rest. 

The Children’s Hospital bond measure also got off to a rocky start after Children’s clashed with Alameda County Supervisors last year over charges that Children’s had written and introduced the bond measure without prior consultation with county officials, even though the bond, if passed, would have impacted the county’s ability to meet state requirements to retrofit its own public medical facilities. 

Hospital officials had planned to reveal that as the result of a previous meeting held with neighbors prior to the Measure A vote, they had scaled down the 12-story tower to 10 stories. But with one neighbor holding up a hand-written cardboard sign reading “No Tower” throughout the meeting, in the end, Children’s officials scrapped most of a planned powerpoint presentation that included the tower compromise, and substituted an extensive question-and-answer session. The meeting ended with no resolution, no community liaison groups formed, and only a promise by Children’s Senior Vice President and building project director Mary Dean that she would deliver a request that neighbors be allowed to meet directly with Children’s board of directors. 

Hospital officials also agreed to community requests to set up a joint community-hospital committee to review alternate sites for the hospital rebuilding. 

Dean said the Children’s board was meeting at the end of this month and that while she believed the hospital expansion issue was going to be on the agenda, she did not think that the issue would be solved in one meeting and the hospital’s final plans and direction set. “I can assure you there won’t be a resolution in one month,” she said. 

Oakland City Councilmember Jane Brunner, who represents the North Oakland district where Children’s is located, told meeting participants that “we don’t want Children’s to leave Oakland, so the question is, how do we build the hospital so it fits in with everyone?” Brunner offered to help mediate the differences between the neighbors and the hospital. 

And Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who also represents the North Oakland district and who had been one of the supervisors who had severely criticized Children’s actions over the bond measure preparations last year, said that it was “extremely important to have a place in Oakland that continues to deliver care to infants and children.” Carson said he was “willing to put [past differences with the hospital over the bond measure] behind us.” 

Children’s-hired facilitator Surlene Grant began the meeting saying that the hospital officials wanted to “get public involvement” and “improve upon the public process” and that, following the Feb. 5 vote, “we are back to square one, and everything is on the table,” and introduced a proposal in which residents would sign up for “working groups” in the area of infrastructure, exterior design, and community relations. 

Dean added that “I really hope that we can start over and move on from today. I realize that we lost your trust.” 

But one resident, interrupting from the floor, said that “after hearing [Children’s Hospital President and CEO Frank] Tiedemann on the tube [following the Feb. 5 election] saying we’re going to get our way anyway, what’s the need for this public process?” Another said that it was “audacious that Children’s thought you could steamroll over this community. Is this merely a way to co-opt the community or is the process going to be transparent and meaningful to us?” 

After Dean said that she had gotten what amounted to contradictory instructions from the private hospital’s board of directors—saying that “the board has told us to move forward with the process [of building a new hospital on the existing site]” but adding that staff should “start at the beginning and look at all options,” including alternate sites—many of the residents balked at any community participation that began with expansion of the existing hospital. 

No new hospital-community meeting date was set, and many left the meeting unsure about where the process will go from here. 

A broken red heart with a band-aid taped on it peeked out of Westlake Middle School student Jabari Valentine’s pocket. 

He had exactly two minutes to convince Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger to stop his proposed $4.8 billion cut from state education funds over the next 18 months. 

“Governor, you are breaking our hearts,” Jabari said to applause from the 17 superintendents, parents and community activists who turned up at Westlake Middle School in Oakland last week to protest the governor’s proposal to slash K-12 funding from his proposed state budget cuts. 

Westlake, part of the Oakland Unified School District, stands to lose up to $436,000 if the proposed budget cuts become a reality. 

Hundreds of students drew Valentine’s Day cards as a plea to the governor to redirect the cuts to other parts of the state budget or come up with additional revenue sources. 

School districts all over California are bracing themselves for potential layoffs, class size reductions and loss of programs as they plan their budget for the 2007-08 school year. 

At a recent Berkeley Board of Education meeting, School Board President John Selawsky said it was time to hop on the bus and go to Sacramento.  

The Berkeley public schools could lose up to $2.5 million if the proposed cuts go through. Former Berkeley Unified Superintendent Michele Lawrence, who retired on Feb. 2, warned that the district would have to issue layoff notices to six or seven counselors and pre-school staff.  

“We need courageous leadership to provide progressive revenues along with responsible cuts,” Alameda County Superintendent Sheila Jordan told the Planet. “We are being forced into a financial crisis and we cannot let that happen.” 

The proposed K-12 funding would slash $400 million from the state education funds this year and take away $4.4 billion in the next fiscal year, which means $700 less for each of the approximately 6.3 million public school students in the state. 

“Everybody tells me how important education is,” Jabari said in his speech. “My mom tells me ... Teachers stress the importance everyday, I hear athletes on TV saying education is the key to a great future, but how can I believe what they say when the governor of this great state downplays the importance of education by proposing to cut the budget. This sends a message to me and every other child that maybe education is not that important.” 

Jabari told the Planet that he has benefited from his school’s after-school program which helped him learn Spanish, computers, creative arts and theater. 

“I am sad to say that because of Governor Schwarzenneger’s proposed budget cuts, other students may not get to experience the same opportunities that I have,” he told the crowd. “I feel like the governor is trying to rob me of my future. He declared 2008 the ‘Year of Education.’ I guess he’s sending the message it’s okay to lie too.” 

Education Week recently gave California a D+ for public school funding efforts.  

According to Jordan, the state—which currently spends $2,000 less per student than the national average and ranks 46th nationally in school funding—is behind less prosperous states such as Louisiana and Mississippi. 

Berkeley’s new Superintendent of Schools Bill Huyett told the Planet the district would be sending a contingent to Sacramento on Feb. 27.  

“In Berkeley, everything on the unrestricted general fund is on the table right now for potential cuts,” he said. “The only thing that will change that is if the governor introduces legislature to stop the cuts and that has hardly ever happened.” 

The cuts could result in a $6.1 million loss for the San Lorenzo Unified School District. 

“Now that we have funds in place, this proposal will devastate everything,” said Dennis Byas, superintendent of the San Lorenzo Unified School District. “The impact will be felt most in urban classrooms which need additional support ... A straight cut across the board will not work. It will bankrupt school districts all across the state and completely stall student achievement.” 

Betty Olson Jones, president of the Oakland Education Association, spoke about ways to address the challenge ahead. 

“We have to change the conversation,” she said. “We have to start where the needs are most urgent: in schools labeled as ‘failing’ under No Child Left Behind rules, and in the classrooms of new teachers.” 

Jones said that creating public awareness to reverse fiscal and tax policies was important. 

“California is the fifth largest economy in the world ... Corporate wealth has to be tapped on a regularized, sustained basis—not as ‘charity’ with strings attached.” 

According to the Oakland Education Association, Oakland’s metropolitan economy is ranked in the top 20 nationally. Jones said that although the port takes in over $33 billion annually, it is not required to pay a penny for public education. 

Fremont Unified School District, which consists of 31,700 K-12 students, could lose funding for intervention programs if the proposed cuts take place. 

“It will affect the lower socio-economic kids the most,” said Doug Gephart, superintendent of Fremont Unified. “Fremont is the lowest revenue district in all of Alameda County. Any cuts will simply gut education for our kids.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger’s proposed $4.8 million budget cuts from state education funds dominated the conversation during a reception held for Berkeley’s new superintendent of schools Bill Huyett at the City Council chambers Wednesday. 

Berkeley public school employees and community leaders met with Huyett to discuss issues ranging from the controversial warm water pool to student achievement. 

Huyett, who also attended his first school board meeting as superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School District Wednesday, responded to questions from the community with confidence. 

“The expectations are pretty high,” said school board president John Selawsky. 

“But Bill’s a very experienced superintendent and he comes in with all the skills necessary to address the challenges of the school district, especially the achievement gap and human resources issues.” 

Huyett was responsible for increasing district test scores as superintendent of the Lodi Unified School District. He also oversaw the creation of 12 new schools, including a high school, during his seven years with the district. 

Some Berkeley parents said they were concerned about how Huyett would handle the challenge of the proposed budget cuts. 

“I work with teen parents in the school district and these cuts would devastate their progress,” said Solange Gould, a Berkeley public school parent. 

“We need a creative superintendent, especially someone who will make quality education his top priority,” said Judy Appel, member of Our Family Coalition. “Someone who would make sure that our kids are going to safe schools which respect all kinds of families.” 

Appel recently worked on a district-wide task force to draft a policy to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and their families from discrimination and harassment in Berkeley Unified, which was approved by the school board in October. 

Tim Donnelly, who represents classified employees in the district, said that relocating district staff from the Berkeley Unified headquarters at the Old City Hall at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way to a seismically safe building should be a top priority for Huyett. 

“The district has already studied the building for mold,” Donnelly said. “It’s making people sick ... employees are having respiratory problems. I would also like to see a more open and collaborative process than we had under the old superintendent.” 

The district’s plans to relocate to West Campus is expected to take place within a year. 

Huyett told the group he was thrilled to be in Berkeley. 

“I just really jumped at the chance,” he said. “However, the district faces challenges in terms of the proposed budget cuts ... Coming as a superintendent now is the worst thing I could have pictured, but I am going to need your help in changing the governor’s plan. We have to do some terrible awful things we don’t want to do, it’s going to break our hearts, but we have to keep working together.” 

According to Selawsky, the district could face cuts up to $3.5 million from the proposed cuts. 

Warm water pool supporters wanted Huyett to speed up the transfer of the Milvia Street tennis courts, currently owned by the school, for a new pool site. 

The city plans to relocate the warm water pool from the Berkeley High School Old Gym to the tennis courts. The project—estimated to cost around $15 million—plans to use funds approved from a bond measure which the City Council has yet to put on the November 2008 ballot. 

“After he surpluses the land, we want him to donate the land to the City for the pool,” said warm water pool task force member JoAnn Cook. 

Santiago Casal, of United in Action, said that his organization wanted to partner with Huyett in a “total community approach.” 

“We are hoping that the new superintendent will bring a huge ray of sunshine with him with respect to achievement of African American and Latino students in Berkeley,” he told the Planet. “The situation is urgent. Addressing the failure of children in our schools requires the involvement of the entire community ... The district cannot do it alone, but they do need to do much more.”

Since the Marine Recruiting Center in downtown Berkeley was locked Friday morning when the World Can’t Wait protesters arrived around 7:30 a.m. aiming to shut it down and risk arrest, the group and its allies from Code Pink and ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and Racism) went to Plan B. 

They held a press conference, demonstrated and called out to passing motorists with chants such as, “murder, rape, torture war, that’s what they’re recruiting for.”  

They chanted beyond the time that their 2 p.m. sound permit ran out, as noted in a press release sent out by the Berkeley police. 

A dozen or so police watched most the day without intervening. Stephanie Tang of World Can’t Wait said she was in touch with police and it appeared that the protests could continue.  

Around 4 p.m., Tang said police told her, “The Marines want your signs off their windows.” 

Tang told the Planet that the signs had been there all day, outside the locked office and that she could not make the others take them down. 

That’s when a large number of officers moved in, shoving protesters out of the way and removed the signs from the window, according to Tang. The protesters were held briefly in the center of Shattuck Avenue and then the police left, Tang said. 

There were no arrests. 

Nearby Roger Young of Lake Forest, Calif., retired from the army after 30 years, stood with a sign that read: “U.S. Marine Corps Defending Berkeley’s right to be a Laughing Stock since 1975.” 

Police could not be reached for further comment. 

Meanwhile in Mountain View, Grandmothers for Peace were at the Armed Services Recruiting Center at noon. “They call it a career center,” organizer Gayle Sredaozic told the Planet, noting that their action is in sympathy with protesters that have been speaking out against the recruiting center in Berkeley. 

With the presidential primary over, Alameda County voters will now have to turn their attention to several hotly contested local legislative races in the June 3 first-round voting, as well as a rare, contested Superior Court judge seat. 

Below are the results of first-week candidate filings with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters:  

Alameda County Board of Supervisors District Four (East Oakland, Oakland Hills, Castro Valley, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview and Dublin): 

Incumbent: Nate Miley. No challenger has taken out preliminary papers. 

Alameda County Board of Supervisors District Five (Oakland north of 35th Avenue, Piedmont, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany): 

Incumbent: Keith Carson. No challenger has taken out preliminary papers. 

Alameda County Board of Education Area Two (Alameda and portions of Oakland that include West Oakland, East Oakland, Elmhurst, and Millsmont south to Shefield Village): 

Incumbent: Gay Plair Cobb. No challenger has taken out preliminary papers. 

Alameda County Board of Education Area Three (Oakland hills from Claremont south to Redwood Road in the northeast, to portions of Chinatown Central, San Antonio, Fruitvale and East Oakland in the south): 

Incumbent Dennis Chaconas. No challenger has taken out preliminary papers. 

Alameda County Superior Court Judge 

With no incumbent listed for seat nine, 16 separate candidates have filed declarations of intention to run. The remaining 20 judgeships all have incumbent judges who have filed declarations, with no challengers yet taking out preliminary papers. 

California State Senate District 9 (Alameda, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond, San Pablo): 

Incumbent: Don Perata (termed out). Wilma Chan (Democrat) and Marsha Feinland (Peace and Freedom) have taken out preliminary papers. 

California State Assembly District 14 (Albany, Berkeley, Canyon, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Kensington, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo and parts of Martinez, Oakland and Walnut Creek): 

Incumbent: Loni Hancock (termed out). Tony Thurmond, Nancy Skinner, and Kriss Worthington have all taken out preliminary papers. 

California State Assembly District 16 (Oakland, Alameda, Piedmont): 

Incumbent: Sandré Swanson has taken out preliminary papers. No challenger has taken out preliminary papers. 

Planning Commissioners and interested citizens will tour West Berkeley March 1 as the commission prepares to ease new zoning rules in the city’s core industrial area. 

Dubbed the West Berkeley Increased Flexibility Tour, the event will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. 

According to the official notice issued by the city planning department, “The tour is a focused effort by the Planning Commission to better understand the types of businesses and uses that thrive and/or face obstacles in their attempts to locate in West Berkeley.” 

Major landowners and developers have called for changes in the existing zoning ordinances, which they say are overly restrictive and bar needed enterprises from locating in the area covered by the West Berkeley Plan. 

The scope of changes would affect most of the land west of San Pablo except for properties zoned R-1A and C-W. 

Anyone wanting to participate in the tour should send an e-mail by Wednesday to Melanie E. Beasley at the Planning Department, mbeasley@ci.berkeley.ca.us. 

Posted Mon. Feb 18, 2008--An officer responding to reports of a domestic disturbance at a south Berkeley apartment building Saturday night used deadly force on a woman who allegedly confronted the officer with a knife, according to the Berkeley Police Department. 

The Alameda County coroner's bureau identified her on Sunday as 51-year-old Berkeley resident Anita Gay.  

Police first responded at about 6:40 p.m. to the apartment building in the 1700 block of Ward Street on a domestic disturbance call reporting that someone in the area was breaking windows, the Police Department reported. 

Police responded to the apartment building a second time at about 8 p.m., when a woman confronted an officer with a knife, the department reported. 

The officer fired his weapon in defense of another person and of himself, according to the Police Department. 

The woman died a short time later, police reported. 

The officer involved in the shooting is a five-year veteran and has been placed on administrative leave, according to the department, which did not officially release his name to the press. He has been identified in a news report quoting an unnamed police source as Rashawn Cummings, formerly with the Berkeley Police Department’s drug task force. 

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, police reported. 

Before she was shot and killed by a Berkeley police officer Saturday night, the 51-year-old woman raised a large kitchen-style knife at two of her daughters, endangering their lives, Berkeley police public information officer Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said on Monday. 

"One can close a gap in seconds with a knife," Kusmiss said. 

When the officer arrived for the second time, Kusmiss said, he found Anita Gay standing on a porch landing of the apartment holding a large kitchen-style knife. The officer brandished a gun and tried to convince Gay to drop the knife. 

Two of Gay's daughters came out of the apartment door onto the landing. That's when Gay allegedly turned her attention from the officer and raised her knife at her daughters, who were standing a "few feet away," Kusmiss said. 

The officer then discharged his firearm at least two times at Gay, according to Kusmiss. 

Gay died at the scene. 

Kusmiss said given the proximity of the suspect and her family members "the officer felt the two women's lives were imminently in danger." 

Police believe Gay was responsible for the broken windows, Kusmiss said, however it was not immediately clear what had prompted the domestic dispute. 

Family members told police Gay may have been under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident. 

Neighbors, in an interview reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, said that they had witnessed the exchange and disputed the police account, saying that they did not believe the woman was threatening the officer when she was shot. 

Kusmiss said that Gay had spent time at the residence but could not confirm whether she lived in the apartment or her exact relation to the two women whom she allegedly threatened with the knife. 

"We think it's important to share that no officer wants to be in the position to use deadly force, and yet all officers are trained to," said Kusmiss. 

The last officer-involved shooting in Berkeley was in July 2003 when a Berkeley officer and a couple of Oakland officers shot and killed a bank robbery suspect at a Wells Fargo bank branch. 

The recent case remains under investigation by Berkeley police homicide detectives and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. The officer has been placed on administrative leave. 

The porch where Gay was shot has been turned into a memorial shrine with candles, flowers and stuffed animals.

Posted Sun., Feb. 17—Representatives of Oakland’s Children’s Hospital and many of the hospital's North Oakland neighbors danced around each other at a North Oakland Senior Center community meeting for two hours last Wednesday night, with neither side seeming to be sure what music was being played, or even if the band had stopped altogether. 

Hospital officials had originally scheduled the meeting under the impression that they would win the February 5th $300 million Measure A parcel tax, and the meeting would bring reluctant neighbors into a hospital rebuilding that was set to move full-steam ahead into the City of Oakland planning process. 

Instead, Measure A was defeated by Alameda County voters about as decisively as such defeats go (the measure required two-thirds approval vote for passage; instead, it lost 41 percent to 59 percent), and hospital staff members were left facing a hostile crowd in a packed hall Wednesday night with little more to offer than an obsolete power point presentation with plans to build a 10 story new hospital on the existing Children’s property and $300 million short of the estimated $700 million to build it. 

At the same time neighbors of the 100 year old 52nd Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way research and treatment facility were reluctant to enter a “community involvement” process with hospital officials who they claim broke an earlier promise not to expand north of 53rd Street and who, the neighbors said, “arrogantly” moved forward with the expansion plans despite widespread community opposition. 

State law requires Children’s to earthquake retrofit portions of its existing facility by 2013, and hospital officials have said the most economical way to meet that need is to build a new hospital on the site. Children’s has identified $173 million in state bond money and $150 in private donations to pay for the rebuilding project, and had hoped that the remainder would come from Alameda County taxpayers in the county bond measure. 

Neighbors, while supporting the existence of Children’s in their neighborhood and declaring it to be a necessary facility in Oakland, have complained that the planned expansion would eliminate many homes in the hospital’s vicinity and the planned 12 story tower would overshadow the rest. 

The Children’s bond measure also got off the a rocky start after Children’s clashed with Alameda County Supervisors last year over charges that Children’s had written and introduced the bond measure without prior consultation with county officials, even though the bond, if passed, would have impacted the county’s ability to meet state requirements to retrofit its own public medical facilities. 

Hospital officials had planned to reveal that as the result of a previous meeting held with neighbors prior to the Measure A vote, they had scaled down the 12 story tower to 10 stories. But with one neighbor holding up a hand-written cardboard sign reading “No Tower” throughout the meeting, in the end, Children’s officials scrapped most of a planned powerpoint presentation that included the tower compromise, and substituted an extensive question and answer session. The meeting ended with no resolution, no community liaison groups formed, and only a promise by Children’s Senior Vice President and building project director Mary Dean that she would deliver a request that neighbors be allowed to meet directly with Children’s board of directors. 

Hospital officials also agreed to community requests to set up a joint community-hospital committee to review alternate sites for the hospital rebuilding. 

Dean said the Children’s board was meeting at the end of this month and that while she believed the hospital expansion issue was going to be on the agenda, she did not think that the issue would be solved in one meeting and the hospital’s final plans and direction set. “I can assure you there won’t be a resolution in one month,” she said. 

Oakland City Councilmember Jane Brunner, who represents the North Oakland district where Children’s is located, told meeting participants that “we don’t want Children’s to leave Oakland, so the question is, how do we build the hospital so it fits in with everyone?” Brunner offered to help mediate the differences between the neighbors and the hospital. 

And Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who also represents the North Oakland district and who had been one of the supervisors who had severely criticized Children’s actions over the bond measure preparations last year, said that it was “extremely important to have a place in Oakland that continues to deliver care to infants and children.” Carson said he was “willing to put [past differences with the hospital over the bond measure] behind us.” 

Children’s-hired facilitator Surlene Grant began the meeting saying that the hospital officials wanted to “get public involvement” and “improve upon the public process” and that, following the February 5th vote, “we are back to square one, and everything is on the table,” and introduced a proposal in which residents would sign up for “working groups” in the area of infrastructure, exterior design, and community relations. 

And Dean added that “I really hope that we can start over and move on from today. I realize that we lost your trust.” 

But one resident, interrupting from the floor, said that “after hearing [Children’s Hospital President and CEO Frank] Tiedemann on the tube [following the February 5th election] saying we’re going to get our way anyway, what’s the need for this public process?” Another said that it was “audacious that Children’s thought you could steamroll over this community. Is this merely a way to co-opt the community or is the process going to be transparent and meaningful to us?” 

And after Dean said that she had gotten what amounted to contradictory instructions from the private hospital’s board of directors--saying that “the board has told us to move forward with the process [of building a new hospital on the existing site]” but adding that staff should “start at the beginning and look at all options,” including alternate sites--many of the residents balked at any community participation that began with expansion of the existing hospital. 

No new hospital-community meeting date was set, and many left the meeting unsure about where the process will go from here. 

Posted Sat., Feb. 16—Pools, police, pipes, fire prevention, youth services: fulfilling city needs will take new funding—perhaps $30 million. And that greatly surpasses the dollars flowing into Berkeley’s coffers. 

At a 5 p.m. work session on Tuesday, with pro- and anti-military recruiting station crowds chanting below the council chambers’ windows, the City Council delved into the issue of tax money the city might want to raise. The council has until July 8 to put the measures on the ballot for the November election. 

Deputy City Manager Lisa Caronna framed the discussion with a word of caution: If there are too many measures before the voters, they may reject all of them. 

In 2004, there were multiple ballot measures—a utility users tax increase, a youth services tax, a library tax increase and a paramedic tax increase. “All of the measures failed,” Caronna said. 

“We are entering the November 2008 election with national and statewide economic uncertainty,” says a cautionary staff report written by Caronna and Finance Director Bob Hicks. “We are in the middle of a stagnant and declining housing market and the threat of a recession.” 

Most members of the public who had come to address the council were at the meeting to advocate for rebuilding the therapeutic warm pool. “It is essential for good health” for the disabled community, Richard Moore said. 

“I’m able to stand here because of the warm pool,” Ann Marks told the council. 

The warm pool, currently located at Berkeley High, serves primarily disabled and elderly people. In 2000 voters approved a $3.25 million bond measure to rehabilitate the pool, but since that time, the school district decided to demolish the facility. A new pool would cost $15 to $16 million.  

Staff estimated the cost for the homeowner whose residence is assessed at $350,000 as $19 to $20 per year. (This would be funded through a general obligation bond; the tax is based on assessed value.) 

Others came to the council to advocate for the repair of the neighborhood swimming pools and to suggest that the council might want to float a larger bond that would encompass all of the city’s pools—or widening the scope even more to “multiple forms of recreation,” as one speaker suggested. 

Several residents wrote the City Council suggesting it would be more practical to build a swimming pool complex rather than rehabilitating all of the old pools. 

At the city’s Feb. 26 meeting the council will take a detailed look at raising taxes for police and fire. 

Staff estimates that with an increase in the annual police budget revenue of $3.6 million to $5 million, the city could hire 20 new officers and pay costs for regional compatibility for police radios. This would cost the average homeowner with a 1,900-square-foot lot $90 to $125 per year. (This tax and the ones described below are called “special taxes” and based on the home’s square footage.) 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he was disappointed that “community-involved police” (CIP) officers were not on the list of proposed new police hires. He said the unanimous council reiterated its support for CIP, described generally as policing where officers walk beats, know residents and merchants and communicate with them easily, and are proactive in stopping crime.  

“I also think whether we increase the funding for policing or not, we need to look at the structure of how we spend the money,” Worthington said. 

Worthington said he plans to bring CIP back to the council table today (Tuesday) at the Agenda Committee meeting (2:30 p.m. in the Redwood Room 2180 Milvia St.). 

Staff is proposing a fire-safety measure “to ensure minimum staffing on all fire suppression companies” to avoid rotating closures, enhance existing emergency medical services, fund disaster preparedness, add a rescue vehicle specialized for structure collapse and add personnel.  

The annual cost would be $3.3 million to $4.3 million; the homeowner with a 1,900 square-foot lot would be taxed $83 to $108 per year. 

A violence prevention ballot measure would raise a more modest $1.2 million annually and would cost the homeowner with a 1.900 square-foot house about $32.  

“I would like to see a bigger chunk of resources dedicated to youth,” Max Anderson told the Planet when reached on Thursday. However, given the mood of local taxpayers, he said it would be better to aim lower. 

Rehabilitation of the city’s aging storm water system would cost about $1.5 to $3 million annually and cost the average homeowner $38 to $75.  

Briefly: 

• The council voted 7-1-1 to refer to staff a request for the purchase of radio frequency measurement equipment and the question of establishing a moratorium on issuing further cell-phone antenna permits until the city’s cell-phone antenna ordinance has been revised. Councilmember Betty Olds abstained and Councilmember Gordon Wozniak voted in opposition. 

• The council unanimously approved going to bid for a number of services related to the Public Commons for Everyone Initiative, including a centralized homeless intake system, a program for youth of transitions (18-24-years-old) age, job training for maintenance of newly opened bathrooms, staff to provide services for permanent supportive housing and the “Berkeley host program,” which would provide people to be eyes and ears on the street, observing inappropriate behavior of individuals in shopping areas. 

• The council unanimously proclaimed February as Freedom to Marry Month “for equal access to marriage and all of its legal benefits and obligations by all persons, regardless of sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.” 

• As reported Friday, the council adopted new language with respect to the Marine Recruiting Station that differentiated between the city’s opposition to the war in Iraq and its respect for those serving in the armed forces and substituted new language into the section of a Jan. 29 council item that called the Marines “unwelcome.”  

The new language recognizes the right of the Marine Recruiting Center to locate in Berkeley. Councilmembers Betty Olds and Gordon Wozniak opposed the measure, because the council had turned down a previous motion to issue an apology to the Marines. Councilmembers Worthington, Capitelli, Olds and Wozniak voted in favor of the apology. 

Held over until Feb. 26 

The council held over until Feb. 26 a resolution sponsored by Worthington that condemned the construction of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico and also held over a council item that would have staff write Canadian officials asking them to provide sanctuary for U.S. military service members living in Canada who are resisting fighting the Iraq War. 

They put off until Feb. 26 discussing the police chief’s quarterly report on crime and the Condominium Conversion Ordinance. 

After being called “idiots,” thanked profusely, having their manners upbraided, told alternatively during a three-hour public hearing that they were unpatriotic and true patriots, the Berkeley City Council softened rhetoric of a Jan. 29 council item that would have had staff write the Marines, saying their recruiters are “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in Berkeley. 

After more than three hours of speakers that rotated in and out of the 130-seat Council Chambers and a council debate that extended past 1 a.m. Wednesday—as well as 24 hours of demonstrations that drew some 2,000 people—the City Council voted 7-2 to recognize publicly the right of recruiters to locate in Berkeley, while underscoring its opposition to the “illegal and unjust” Iraq war and differentiating between condemning the war and its warriors.  

Berkeley Hills-area Council-members Betty Olds and Gordon Wozniak voted against the item, having lost an earlier push for the council to issue a formal apology to the Marines.  

Councilmembers Worthington and Capitelli also supported an apology, but voted for the council item. 

Winter camp 

The council meeting came as the climax to the round-the-clock demonstrations that began Monday evening in celebratory style with a “peace-in” at the Maudelle Shirek Building that houses the Council Chambers on Martin Luther King Jr. Way.  

About 40 people from Code Pink, World Can’t Wait, Veteran’s Against the War and Courage to Resist spent the night on the lawn in 14 tents and under the stars, after an evening of spirited singing and salsa dancing, mixed with serious talk of war and peace. 

Dressed in army fatigues, former Marine Jeff Paterson of Courage to Resist, a group that helps military personnel who want to leave the armed forces, was preparing to spend the night out. A sign he propped up on a chair was directed to the Canadian government, where some 200 U.S. military men and women are seeking refuge. “Dear Canada,” the sign read, “Let U.S. war resisters stay.”  

“I’m out here to support people who are protesting military recruiting in our communities,” Paterson told the Planet Monday evening. “I believe if people are going to join the military, they should know the other side of the story. I wish somebody had told me the other side of the story before I joined.” 

Move America Forward 

The protests Monday night and throughout the day Tuesday were set in motion by the disdain of the conservative organization Move America Forward (MAF) for Berkeley City Council support for the Marine Recruiting Center protesters and the Jan. 29 council vote to tell the recruiters they are unwelcome in Berkeley.  

They sent out a call that brought hundreds to Civic Center Park, directly across the street from the Maudelle Shirek Building and the anti-war protest. At least one person drove in from as far as Colorado.  

Illuminated by the glare of TV lights, MAF began its protest at 5 a.m. Tuesday with about two dozen people, carrying American flags, pictures of young people serving in Iraq or those who died there, and placards reading: “Support victory—surrender is not an option” and “Stand Untied America: Support Our Troops.” 

Lisa Disbrow from Moraga was in the crowd. A Blue Star Mom and member of the Lafayette Flag Brigade, Disbrow told the Planet her son is an army officer “dedicated to peace.”  

“Our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines are volunteers who willingly stand in defense of this nation and every living American, and we owe them the honor that the city of Berkeley has taken away,” she said. “The city of Berkeley is actually harassing the Marines in an effort to look as though they’re in support of peace. They’re not in support of peace. They’re actually in support of terrorists.” 

At around 5:30 a.m. or so, some two dozen people with U.S. Out of Iraq/ ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) placards walked across Martin Luther King Jr. Way from the peace camp and began squaring off with the pro-military group in heated verbal matches that would characterize the rest of the day and night. 

A dozen police also moved across the street from the Public Safety Building and took up posts on the park perimeter. 

By around 6:30 a.m., the crowd on the park side of the street had swelled to around 90 protesters, with three dozen from the pro-war contingent. The Planet caught up with KSFO Radio talk-show host Melanie Morgan, chair of Move America Forward, who explained why only a few dozen MAF supporters were there.  

“We weren’t even expecting anyone to turn out—this was a media opportunity,” she said. “We weren’t expecting anyone to turn up until later this afternoon for our full demonstration and rally that we were planning for 7 o’clock [p.m.].”  

(In fact, by late afternoon there were several hundred MAF supporters in Civic Center Park, bolstered by a contingent of some 60 motorcycle riders from various American Legion posts.) 

Morgan addressed why she is so strongly pro-military. “They are fighting for our interests,” she said. “They are fighting to establish a beachhead in Iraq for millions of Iraqi women who have been beheaded, stoned and raped as a result of tyrannies and dictatorships.” 

The Planet asked what Morgan meant by beachhead, but she said she had to go. 

As discussions heated up, the Code Pink women could be seen stepping between people shouting at one another, as was the case when Scott Conover, who had lost a loved one in Iraq began yelling at a World-Can’t-Wait demonstrator carrying the picture of a person who had been tortured in Iraq. Conover was shouting that the picture was an insult to the dead American fighters in Iraq.  

Nearby, Berkeley resident Andrea Prichett, who teaches high school students at B-Tech Academy, was debating a pro-military veteran: “How many of my students have gone off to war because they couldn’t get a job in this country?” she asked. “It’s either jail, unemployment or the war—that’s a pretty ugly choice and I don’t think it’s a choice you had to make back in your day.”  

Arrests 

Some of the protesters on both sides of the issue became agitated at different points during the day. Berkeley Police sent lines of officers into the fray from time to time to separate the two sides. 

Four people were arrested during the day and charged with misdemeanors, according to Sgt. Mary Kusmiss, police spokesperson. 

At about 1 p.m. a pro-military protester from Rockland, Calif., was arrested for brandishing a knife, booked into the Berkeley jail and released. Kusmiss said Code Pink members had draped a pink banner around the man, which caused him to pull out a knife and allegedly threaten to kill a demonstrator. 

The arrest of two young men, 13 and 15, at around 3:15 p.m., enraged the large number of young people who had joined the demonstration after school. The 3,000-student Berkeley High School is just south of the park. 

According to police, the young men in question were wearing orange bandanas, which made police believe they were “aligned” with World Can’t Wait. At noon, they had gotten into “heated verbal exchanges” with pro-military demonstrators at Civic Center Park, where they normally skateboard at lunchtime. 

“Both sides were admonished by Berkeley Police,” said Kusmiss, the Berkeley police spokesperson. The youth returned after school “and police saw two young men challenging the pro-military group to a fight,” Kusmiss said.  

Believing that the situation might escalate, the officers arrested both young men. Students at the demonstration told the Planet the police had been unnecessarily rough with their friends. Police did not confirm this. 

The arrests sparked anger among several hundred of the protesters, including 50 to 100 high school-age youth, who went across the street to the Public Safety Building, where the arrestees were taken, and attempted to sit on the Public Safety Building steps.  

Their refusal to move was met by about 25 police in riot gear who pushed the protesters back with their batons. 

One woman in the crowd was arrested who allegedly slapped an officer, according to Kusmiss. 

Speaking their truth 

In the evening, the City Council moved through its usual array of business—possible new taxes, zoning questions, air quality issues and more—and took up public comment at about 9:15 p.m., rotating people who wished to speak through the small Council Chambers. 

According to City Manager Phil Kamlarz, police and city management determined public safety could not be assured had the meeting been moved to a larger venue, such as the Berkeley Community Theater. 

Speakers were given a minute each to address the council, while outside a crowd of several hundred reacted with cheers or boos while listening to the meeting over a loud speaker. 

Debbie Lee stood before the council with a picture of her son, a Navy Seal killed in Iraq. “He gave up his life for freedom,” she said, adding that no army recruiter had lied to him. Lee asked the council for an apology. “You have offended us deeply,” she said. 

Debbie Parrish’s son is serving his second tour in Iraq. “My son is happy to be there,” she told the council. “He’s not going to come home in a body bag.” 

Several Berkeley residents told the council that its position on the recruiting center did not represent them. “It’s not right to imply you represent all Berkeley citizens,” Roselyn Tademy said. 

Michael Roberts, also of Berkeley, told the council he opposes the war. “You made a mistake,” he said, speaking of opposition to the recruiting center. “Young people have a right to choose” the military. 

Jeff Thompson was among several UC Berkeley students who are veterans and spoke to the council. “We need to recruit students into the military, he said. “We need educated people in the military.” 

San Ramon Assemblyman Guy Houston, who is calling for the state legislature to cut Berkeley’s state transportation funds as punishment for its anti-recruiter stance, told the council that it has “embarrassed the country.” (The council did not respond, but the mayor earlier in the week called the legislation “demagoguery.”) 

Dozens of speakers thanked the council for its support. Jean Stewart from El Sobrante was among them: “I want to express gratitude for your courageous and gutsy stand,” she said, noting that recruiters don’t tell young people they may come home maimed or in body bags. “It shocks me that more city councils haven’t done what you’ve done,” she added. 

Several Berkeley High students spoke out, including Rose Goldstein, 14, and Giovanni Jackson. Jackson told the council students had “braved police batons” earlier in the day. “There are a million Iraqis who are dead,” he said. “We’re determined to shut down the recruiting station.” 

Sharon Kufeldt, vice-president of Veterans for Peace, told the council that incidents of rape and abuse of potential recruits by recruiters has meant that when recruiters now interview women, they must do so in pairs. “I’m not anti-military,” said the veteran. “I’m not anti-Marine.” 

Former U.S. poet laureate Robert Hass, a UC Berkeley professor, was among the grateful Berkeley residents. “I’m proud to be part of Berkeley, to say thank you to you,” he said, noting that the council stance will be recorded as “one of the honorable chapters” in Berkeley history. 

Responding to threats by legislators to cut off state and federal funds, Jennifer Kidder of Berkeley said that instead of slashing funds, congress should be cutting off the flow of recruits to war. “I am so proud of you,” she told the council. 

“We love you,” Berkeley resident George Lippman told the council. “You represent the best in Berkeley—don’t turn back; don’t recant.” 

Berkeley resident Claire Greensfelder praised the council for the “unintended consequence—a dialog about the war on national TV.” 

Councilmember Dona Spring responded in kind later in the evening. “I’m so proud of those who came out to speak tonight,” she said. “We burn a light for the rest of the world.”

For a brief moment Tuesday, the warpaint and angry threats outside Maudelle Shirek Old City Hall gave way to sporadic bursts of festivity. 

Around 8 p.m.—an hour before the City Council would meet to discuss rescinding their statement regarding the Marine Recruiting Center—a group of young people from Youth and Student Answer Coalition and Students for Justice in Palestine took to the streets to dance to Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” 

Around 30 teenagers rebelled against the riot cops brought in from the Berkeley Police Department, the Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, when they were told to vacate the street in front of Martin Luther King Jr. Park, by dancing wildly in front of them.  

There was some hip-hop, some leaps and jumps, and even a few kung-fu moves. 

“Move,” ordered the police, pushing a group of young girls on the pavement with batons and plexiglass shields. 

“We’ve got the right to choose and there ain’t no way we’ll lose it,” sang the girls, pushing back. “This is our life, this is our song, we’ll fight the powers that be, just don’t pick our destiny, ’cause you don’t know us, you don’t belong.” 

Their lyrics pretty much summed up the mood for the evening, and sent out a clear message to the police officers. 

“We are dancing for peace,” said Mahaliya, a UC Berkeley student and a member of Students for Justice in Palestine. 

“We are trying to resist the recruiters ... The police have been hitting young people,” she said. “It’s been really violent. A student from Berkeley High was thrown to the ground. The cops have been completely protecting the right-wing people and ignoring the youth of color who are out here today.” 

Maya Nadjiela, a member of Student Answer Coalition, nodded in agreement. 

“I am out here to support my family, my community,” she said. “And this is how we are being treated.” 

The mood inside the City Hall grew tense when officers from the Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department were spotted marching in front of the building around 9.30 p.m. 

“Why are they here?” asked one of the councilmember’s aides. “What do they think is going to happen?” Nobody knew the answer, but for a brief minute, people wondered if it had been a smart move to bring in so many riot police into the city. 

Homeless advocate Michael Diehl said the presence of the police officers had intimidated people the whole day. 

“The cops want to take back the streets,” he said. “And they are being very martial about it.” 

Diehl, who had been waiting to speak at the meeting since morning, said he was against the war. 

“I am already doing post-traumatic-stress therapy with my generation, the people who came back from the Vietnam war, and now we are doing it all over again,” he said. “I am not against having the Marine Recruiting Center in the city ... It’s a good way to revive the anti-war movement, but we should also be able to talk.” 

Once City Council started their discussion on the January 29 vote telling the Marines they were unwelcome in the city, only a handful stayed behind to listen to the live audio telecast outside. A pink “Women Still Say No to War” flag fluttered in the background, reminding people of how it all began five months ago outside a tiny, nondescript storefront on Shattuck Square.  

A woman ran across the police line waving a life-sized poster which read “Stop Bush’s War Pimps.” 

“I saw the police pushing people ... the pro-resolution people,” said Renay Davis, who was handing out fliers and other information at the Code Pink booth. “They were not being violent or anything, but putting their hands on people and telling them to move back. I don’t think people liked that very much.” 

Right before the council meeting started, anxious anti-war demonstrators came up to Davis and inquired about speaking at the meeting. 

“Is my name in there?” asked Charles Brown. “And my friend wants to speak too.” 

“There are 69 names on this list, but it’s only one of many lists,” said Davis, putting down Brown’s name. “It’s incredible how long people have waited to speak today.” 

Pro-war supporters—made up mainly of Move Forward America members—carried “God Bless Our Troops” placards and pictures of Marines with their mouth taped on the lawn throughout the evening.  

Deb Johns from Roseville carried a portrait of her son U.S. Marine officer Sgt. William Johns, who is currently doing his third tour of duty in Iraq. 

Debbie Lee spoke about her son Marc Allen Lee—the first U.S. Navy seal to be killed in Iraq—to cheers from those condemning the council’s resolution. 

“I wrote to the mayor but did not hear back,” she said. “I am appalled at what the City Council has done, and I will fight till my last breath to protect the Marines.”

The angry cries of several hundred Pacific Steel workers eclipsed the sound of bullhorns and jeers from the pro- and anti-war demonstrators outside the Old City Hall Tuesday to hear the Berkeley City Council rescind their resolution on the Marine Recruiting Center. 

The workers turned up with families, friends and local activists around 7 p.m. to protest Berkeley Councilmember Linda Maio’s proposal to declare the West Berkeley-based foundry a “public nuisance” and refer it to the city’s Zoning Adjustments Board for odor abatement. 

After an hour-long public hearing, the council voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with Pacific Steel to cut odor and emissions within a specific timeline. 

“We don’t support the war in Iraq and we don’t support the council’s effort to drive us out of the city,” said Union Local 164B Vice President Ignacio De La Fuente to roars of approval from his supporters. 

De La Fuente addressed the union members from the City Hall steps while officers from the Berkeley Police Department controlled the crowd clustered inside metal barricades. 

Only 20 people were allowed to address the council on the matter. The rest egged them on with applause and cheers as they heard the live telecast from the lawn. 

The group contended that if the city mandates conditions on the plant’s current permit, it might force the company to shut its Second Street site.  

Pacific Steel laid off around 30 workers on Friday, claiming that clients were canceling orders due to the uncertainty of the company’s future. De La Fuente had told the Planet last week that the plant had fired 60 workers (a figure that was confirmed by Pacific Steel’s spokesperson at the time), but he halved that figure on Tuesday (which was also confirmed as the accurate number by the company on Thursday).  

“One of our biggest clients, PAC Car, said they don’t want to do business with us anymore,” Joe Emmerichs, general manager of Pacific Steel, told the Planet Tuesday. 

“Many of our customers have been with us for decades. They are aware of the action the city is taking against the company. They submit their orders many months in advance of receiving castings and will not tolerate any interruption in supply.” Judy Maldonado told the council: “I, my mom, dad, husband and two brothers all work at Pacific Steel. My second baby is coming ... Pacific Steel is a safe place to work. We can take care of our babies because we have jobs at Pacific Steel ... Please work with the company and don’t destroy our lives.” 

“Move your business out of Berkeley, move to Sacramento,” a few community members called out from their seats. 

Christiana Chan, the company’s environmental engineer, said that a new carbon absorption system had been installed at Plant 3 in 2006. 

“A series of complaints were made when the company was not operating,” she said, referring to odor complaints made by community members to the air district. 

Maio said that she had introduced the item on the council agenda as odor complaints had increased over the last three or four years. 

“In spite of the absorption system at Plant 3 the complaints are still coming,” she said. “I have no intention of taking away anyone’s job but we need a balanced approach. The company has had some lay-offs but that is not what I intended.” 

“I am very angry that Pacific Steel said it lost 30 jobs because of this,” said Mayor Tom Bates. “That is so much B.S.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington called the council agenda item “fatally flawed.” 

“I do respect the intention and effort to get attention, but the report is not based on any facts,” he said. 

Bates criticized Worthington for his comment. 

“Mr. Worthington, you have two of the most outrageous things in agenda items 16 and 17,” he said, referring to Worthington’s proposal to proclaim February 2008 as Freedom to Marry month in Berkeley and a recommendation to send a letter to Canadian officials requesting sanctuary for U.S. war resistors respectively. 

“For you to say we cannot have this on the agenda is outrageous,” Bates said. 

Worthington condemned what he said was “very anti-neighborly” behavior on council’s part. 

“The hundreds who are here for the item are standing outside,” he said. “That is so disrespectful. This is not a way to treat the public.” 

Maio said that Pacific Steel had been informed Friday that the item would be pulled off the council agenda. 

“And they still showed up,” she said.  

“We should not blame the public for coming here,” Worthington said to applause from the workers. “This is what democracy looks like.” 

Pacific Steel recently submitted an odor- control plan to the air district which is currently awaiting approval. 

Ye Lian Li, who immigrated from Thailand to the United States 22 years ago, thanked Pacific Steel for taking care of its workers. 

“Pacific Steel gave me a chance to learn English,” she said. “My children went to college because of it. If I lose my job, I won’t be able to pay my mortgage. Pacific Steel is our life.” 

Workers in hard hats who worked directly with the foundry’s air system testified about the company’s efforts to improve the environment. 

Paul Cox, who lives down the street from Pacific Steel, testified that odor from the plant has reduced over the years. 

“It used to stink more before,” he said. “But it seldom does now ... We need to work hard to keep those blue-collar jobs in Berkeley.” 

LA Wood, who tested air samples taken near the foundry as part of the West Berkeley Community Monitoring Project last year, said that community did not want Pacific Steel to leave Berkeley. 

“This is not about driving the workers out,” he told the Council, “It’s about odor abatement.” 

At around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, a weary council passed a motion 7-2 which effectively reversed the council’s vote to tell the Marines they are “unwelcome intruders.” They refused, however, to issue an apology to the Marines. 

The intent of the new council item, sponsored by Mayor Tom Bates and councilmembers Max Anderson, Linda Maio and Darryl Moore, was to “publicly differentiate between the city’s documented opposition to the unjust and illegal war in Iraq and our respect and support for those serving in the armed forces.” 

The item goes on to affirm “the recruiter’s right to locate in our city and the right of others to protest or support their presence” and reiterates “respect and support” for people in the armed forces, underscoring: “We strongly oppose the war and the continued recruitment of our young people into this war.” 

Councilmembers Betty Olds and Gordon Wozniak opposed the measure, principally because it did not include an apology to the military for what they said was offensive language contained in the Jan. 29 council item. 

Two weeks ago, the council approved two items relative to the Marine Recruiting Center. One accorded the anti-war organization Code Pink a parking space and sound permit from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. 

The other had three parts: One took aim at the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” rules, asking the city attorney to research whether the recruiting center must adhere to Berkeley’s anti-discrimination laws; the second and most controversial section asked the city manager to write the Marines, telling them they are “unwelcome intruders;” and the third part supports protesters’ efforts to impede recruitment. 

The vote Tuesday night cancels the Jan. 29 council direction to the city manager to write to the Marines, telling them they are unwelcome.  

“With the issuance of this statement, there is no need to send the letter to the Marine Corps that the City Council approved on January 29,” Tuesday’s council-approved item says. 

Much of the council discussion at the meeting Tuesday was an attempt to publicly clear up distortions of the Jan. 29 council action, which Anderson said were intentional right-wing mischaracterizations.  

The council addressed the issue of the parking space given to Code Pink as a street-event permit Wednesdays, noon-to-4 p.m. for six months. 

Reversing the opinion he had expressed by his vote Jan. 29 in favor of the parking space, Councilmember Laurie Capitelli told the council: “It is inappropriate for government to grant privileges to one group.” 

Bates, however, said such a space is available to other groups requesting such a permit.  

Councilmember Dona Spring pointed to a berth at the Marina, which was once given free to the Sea Scouts (revoked because of their affiliation with the Bay Scouts’ discrimination against gays and atheists), reminding the council that they accord privileges to various groups every day. 

Bates also addressed the question of separating opposition to the war from opposition to the military. 

“The recruiting is the problem for us because we don’t support the war,” he said. “When you’re recruiting, you’re taking our young people into a war that we don’t think is proper.” 

Berkeley even supports the troops financially by paying the difference in salary between the military and the city salaries and giving full benefits to employees in the military, Bates said. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington introduced the question of issuing an apology for the Jan. 29 council item’s “inflammatory and outrageous language.”  

“I believe we owe an apology for having made a mistake,” he said.  

Councilmember Gordon Wozniak agreed. “We insulted the Marines,” he said, adding, “Individuals have the right to choose whether they volunteer for the Marines.” 

Wozniak went on to take aim at his council colleagues: “We’re embarrassed,” he said, “To err is human, but to really screw up takes the Berkeley City Council.” 

Olds agreed that an apology was in order, noting that her constituents disagreed with the council. The right thing to do is to put pressure on congress to end the war, she said. 

“Insulting the Marines won’t stop the war,” she said. 

Anderson, an ex-Marine, said he was firmly opposed to issuing an apology. “I don’t think we owe anyone an apology. We told truth to power and power reacted,” he said. “They organized a hateful letter-writing campaign. They cursed us on the phone. The right-wing bloggers and talk-show hosts that fed this frenzy knew quite well that as a city we don’t have the authority to evict the Marine Corps from their offices. We never called for their eviction. We asked them to leave voluntarily.” 

Councilmember Dona Spring said the problem had been hyped by the right-wing media and no apology was warranted. 

The call for an apology did not muster the five votes it needed to pass: only Capitelli, Olds, Worthington and Wozniak supported it.

One of the councilmembers most associated with the drive to increase affordable housing in Oakland believes that after more than a year, the council may be deadlocked on the issue and unable to make any changes. 

District One Councilmember Jane Brunner (North Oakland) made the remarks in an interview on the eve of a special Tuesday afternoon Council hearing dedicated exclusively to trying to come up with a compromise affordable-housing proposal. The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, in council chambers at Oakland City Hall. 

While indicating that she had not completely given up hope, and would continue to work for a resolution, a somewhat dejected-sounding Brunner said last Wednesday night that “I don’t believe that we are going to be able to get anything passed even in the areas where we are in agreement. I think that both sides will want a complete package passed, or nothing. That’s the way it looks right now.” 

The eight-member council has been deadlocked for more than a year on proposals by Brunner and Councilmember Jean Quan (Glenview-Montclair) for an Oakland inclusionary zoning ordinance, and on a proposal by Councilmember Desley Brooks (East Oakland) for changes in the existing condominium conversion law. 

Failure of the Council to come to agreement on any of the issues would mean that the existing condominium conversion ordinance remains in place, untouched, while Oakland would not have an inclusionary zoning ordinance. 

Under inclusionary zoning, which is already in place in most East Bay cities, a city mandates that publicly funded residential development of certain sizes set aside a portion of their units to be “affordable” for low to moderate income renters. There are wide differences from proposal to proposal, and from city to city, on what is considered “affordable,” and how many units should be set aside for that purpose. 

Condominium conversion ordinances allow property owners to convert rental apartments to occupant-owner units. Brooks proposed changes to Oakland’s ordinance to make it easier for such conversions, which Brooks believes would lead to more home ownership by current low- to moderate-income Oakland residents. 

Critics of the Brunner-Quan inclusionary zoning ordinance said that the proposal would dry up new residential construction in Oakland. Critics of the Brooks condominium conversion proposal say that her suggested changes would so lower the number of existing rental units in Oakland that many low to moderate income renters would be driven out of the city. 

When Council deadlocked 4-4 on both issues in the waning days of the administration of Mayor Jerry Brown,councilmembers decided to let a special citizens’ Blue Ribbon Commission on Affordable Housing vet the proposals. After a year of public meetings around Oakland, the Blue Ribbon Commission could only agree on a watered-down version of inclusionary zoning, and could not agree on a condominium conversion proposal at all. That put the issue back in the hands of Council. 

Under Oakland’s strong mayor form of government, the mayor is authorized to vote to break a Council tie. But a tie on either the inclusionary zoning ordinance or condominium conversion changes is unlikely, since councilmembers long ago learned how to kill deadlocked proposals without the mayor’s intervention by strategic abstentions, avoiding tie votes. 

The Community and Economic Development Committee, which Brunner chairs, and through which the housing proposals go, had been reluctant to move forward with a discussion of the two issues before Mayor Ron Dellums delivered a promised comprehensive housing proposal. 

Last week, the mayor forwarded his proposals to the council, including specific recommendations on inclusionary zoning, condominium conversion, Oakland’s rent- adjustment program, foreclosed properties’ rehabilitation, homebuyer and homeowner rehab program changes, and expansion of affordable housing and homeless-relief funding sources. 

In a cover letter to the council, Dellums said he was calling for “adopting an inclusionary zoning ordinance to ensure that private development yields community benefits in the form of affordable housing,” “modifying the condo conversion ordinance to create opportunities for tenant purchase and affordable homeownership for moderate income households, with strong tenant assistance measures, while protecting the rental housing stock from conversion to condominiums that Oaklanders can’t afford,” “expanding funding for preservation and development of affordable housing for very low and low income households,” and “restricting the city’s housing development funding to assist households with incomes less than 60 percent of area median income and expand homeownership programs for purchase and rehabilitation to reach households up to 100 percent of median income.” 

But sorting out the differences between the various proposals now on the table can be a dizzying prospect for all but those who are housing policy experts or have followed the Oakland issue from the beginning. 

In a spreadsheet developed by Brunner and now expanded by Dellums’ office to include the mayor’s proposals, there are now four separate proposals on inclusionary zoning listed: one each by the Blue Ribbon Commission, the Oakland People’s Housing Coalition, Brunner, and Dellums. The condominium conversion proposals include two more: Oakland’s existing ordinance and the two minority reports submitted by the divided Blue Ribbon Commission. The differences between those various proposals—some major, some relatively minor—are expected to be the foundation of the debate and discussion at next Tuesday’s special City Council hearing. 

A sharp schism between city staff and veterans of the panel charged with formulating policies for a new city density bonus law revealed itself at the Planning Commission Wednesday night. 

The heart of the issue is just what the city can and cannot require of developers who say they can’t build their projects unless the city waives some of its restrictions on the size and shape of their projects. 

Only one developer attended the Wed-nesday night session, but Chris Hudson is one half of the team that created the project that sparked creation of the Joint Density Bonus Subcommittee. 

Hudson McDonald LLC is developing the “Trader Joe’s building” at 1885 University Ave., which has become the target of a lawsuit filed by neighbors, including Steve Wollmer, a Housing Advisory Commission (HAC) appointee to the density- bonus subcommittee. 

The two legal adversaries sat separated from each other by a single row of folding chairs. 

The Trader Joe’s project—called “The Old Grove” by its developers because it’s on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, formerly Grove Street—won a city permit to rise to its projected five stories—one more than current zoning allows—in part because city staff held that more size was needed to accommodate parking spaces for the popular grocery store the developers said they were bringing to the ground-floor commercial space. 

The subcommittee, originally created by the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) and later expanded by the City Council to include members from HAC and the Planning Commission, made clear that they wanted the law to allow bonuses only in return for low- and very low-income tenant housing. 

“I would call for a density penalty,” said Hillegass Avenue resident George Oram during the public comment period. 

“I agree,” said Bruce Kaplan, the manager and part owner of Looking Glass Photo & Camera, a 34-year-old Telegraph Avenue business. 

While acting City Attorney Zach Cowan and acting Land Use Manager Debra Sanderson say the subcommittee’s recommendations go beyond what the law allows, subcommittee members point to similar or-dinances already in place in San Rafael, Santa Monica, Los Angeles and—closer to home—San Leandro, Albany and El Cerrito. 

Those governments use what subcommittee members have called a “two-menu approach,” one that places different requirements on developers, depending on the level of legal exemptions they seek. 

While a base menu allows exemptions for moderate exceptions for development standards, the second menu demands that developers submit financial evidence proving their projects aren’t feasible without significant deviations from zoning standards. 

Bob Allen, a ZAB member and architect who served on the subcommittee, urged commissioners “to keep your eye on the big picture because it’s such a messy and complex issue.” 

Allen said ZAB created the subcommittee initially “because we felt we didn’t have control over our own zoning” because the state density bonus law preempted city regulations absent a city density bonus ordinance. 

“We have to approve buildings 35 percent larger than anything” in the existing zoning code, “and neighbors there are really angry, and reasonably so,” Allen said. “They had no idea when they bought their homes that they would get projects this size” in the immediate neighborhood. 

“We want to get some way that we’re actually in the driver’s seat of what goes on,” because “state law has obliterated the intent of our zoning law,” he said. 

The subcommittee proposals would grant developers a maximum 40 percent bonus, but only if they provided affordable housing and financial data to back their claims that the bonus was needed to make their buildings economically feasible. 

Wollmer said the staff memo challenging the legality of two-memo approach was “somewhat deficient,” and called Cowan’s legal opinion “the equivalent of a signing statement.” 

“We think we have provided enough op-tions for a developer to achieve their dens-ity bonus with the least detriment to neighbors,” he said. 

“I hope you take the subcommittee’s recommendations very seriously,” said HAC Chair and subcommittee member Jesse Arreguin, charging that currently city policy had hindered development of affordable housing in commercial projects, while market rate units had multiplied. 

He cited the 25 market rate units granted Hudson McDonald for commercial parking in the Trader Joe’s project. 

“I’m that pesky developer at 1885 University, and I got the density bonus to make the project viable—not for any particular element,” said Hudson, who said that “almost every project since 1997 has contained affordable units.” 

Without the bonus, he said, Berkeley probably wouldn’t be getting any new housing at all, while the subcommittee’s proposals “are really down-zoning.” 

Because of current economic conditions, he said, “the pace of applications is going to slow down dramatically. There’s no money, and there is a slowdown in demand,” making it a good time “for more holistic planning,” he said. 

Commissioner Gene Poschman challenged the developer, stating that Berkeley’s first density bonus project came in 2003, not 1997, under former Planning Manager Mark Rhoades. He said less that 14 percent of new units in commercial projects were reserved for low- and very low-income tenants.  

Sanderson disagreed, saying “there are some myths in Berkeley about what is being built and about the size of the units.” 

Commissioner Harry Pollack, a land-use attorney, said the tension boiled down to the conflict between the state density bonus law and ZAB’s desire to manage projects. 

“There’s a lot of tension here about this issue. I understand it, but I don’t think it’s helpful,” he said. 

Prop 90 concerns 

What makes the matter more urgent, said Commissioner and subcommittee member Gene Poschman, is the looming deadline mandated by Proposition 98 on the June state ballot. 

That measure is a revised version of Proposition 90, which was narrowly defeated in November 2006, and would end rent control and limit the ability of government to take private property by eminent domain. 

Proposition 90 allowed property owners to sue governments for any laws that reduced the maximum possible profits they could extract from their properties, which included zoning changes to restrict land use as well as outright eminent domain actions. 

Opponents argued that Proposition 90 would have effectively prevented California cities and counties from enacting any zoning law changes that restricted development. 

While proponents of the measure—the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association—claim the new version eliminates that most controversial provision of its predecessor, Proposition 98 would also end rent control in California—which would undoubtedly impact the ability of cities to offer affordable housing in commercial projects, say opponents. 

“I guess I’m shocked,” said Poschman when Principal Planner Alex Amoroso said that staff hadn’t made special provision to analyze the ballot measure’s impact in advance of the election. 

Prior to the November 2006 vote, the City Council rushed through temporary measures to have in place in the event Proposition 90 had passed—something the staff hadn’t considered for the coming vote. 

“I never agreed to put off development standards to March or April,” Poschman said. 

Commissioner Susan Wengraf, another subcommittee member, joined Poschman in asking for a staff analysis of Proposition 98 and its impact, a call echoed by Helen Burke. 

“Okay, we can do that,” Amoroso said.

Southside Berkeley residents came to the Planning Commission Wednesday to call for more parks and protest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). 

And one, attorney Christopher Lien, came also to repeat his call for regular attendance at commission meeting by a City Council member—as mandated in the commission’s own enabling statue. 

Last month Lien presented the commission with a copy of the city ordinance establishing the commission, which in-cludes the requirement that a councilmember attend its meetings and serve as liaison. 

When Lien asked what actions had been taken to comply, Principal Planner Alex Amoroso replied, “I’m not sure there’s been any action.” 

Commissioner Susan Wengraf told Lien, “My understanding is that the city clerk is in the process of researching the question,” adding that the council has never designated a representative. 

“This is very troubling to us because it seems to us you are not taking your mission seriously,” Lien replied. 

But it was another city ordinance, Measure L, the 1986 initiative that mandates the city to acquire and maintain two acres of parkland for every thousand residents in each census tract, that drew the attorney’s attention to the commission’s review of the Southside Plan. 

Since the plan was enacted as a city priority ordinance “and after paying taxes for 22 years,” he said, Berkeley’s 11,000 Southside residents still don’t have a single acre of parkland, much less the 22 acres mandated by law. 

Michael Katz tied in another controversy to the plan, AC Transit’s proposal to install a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service down Telegraph Avenue from Bancroft Way to San Leandro. 

Katz says his earlier advocacy of the project had been based on a light-rail version of the system, and he has changed his stance. Instead of clean rail, he said, the transit service will run diesel-fueled buses, empty for much of the day, alongside the BART system “to take advantage of a federal subsidy.” 

Bruce Kaplan, manager and co-owner of Looking Glass Photo & Camera on Telegraph, said the elimination of parking along the heavily traveled street would be a disaster for Southside businesses. 

Scott Tolmie, a south Berkeley resident, said notices hadn’t been given to many residents and businesses, including Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. 

BRT, he said, would create havoc for car and truck traffic. 

Doug Buckwald tied together the plan, BRT, missing parks and another item on the agenda: UC Berkeley’s plan to build a three-story “infill” addition to its law school, replacing its southern park-like courtyard with a building to house classrooms, storage and a restaurant. Two underground floors would be topped with one floor above ground, capped by a planted roof. 

The project “violates the basic principles of the Southside Plan,” he said, and violates the spirit of Measure L by taking away a publicly accessible space of greenery. 

John English, another Southside resident, said he was saddened to see the loss of the courtyard. 

Michael Walensky, a Blake Street resident, faulted the plan’s partition of land- use zones, which he said could lead to major apartment projects being built adjacent to single family homes. 

“I’m calling on you to protect us,” he said. 

Linda Burden said the student population of the area had risen dramatically since the plan was first drafted, “and most of these students have cars.” She also urged commissioners to “Honor Measure L. Don’t permit more development until we have some of these parks we’ve been paying for for 20 years.” 

Bob Viener asked commissioners to modify zoning boundaries south of Telegraph. “We want less density, not more,” he said, adding that he agreed with the critics of BRT’s proposal. 

The plan’s original draft was created in 2000, three years after the joint city-UC Berkeley effort began. 

The Planning Commission draft was completed a year later, then amended in 2003. The project has since bogged down in the drafting of alternatives to be considered in the environmental impact report required by state law. 

Principal Planner Alex Amoroso said planning staff will conduct a more thorough review of the plan prior to the launch of the environmental review process. 

As for BRT, the proposal will be the subject of an April 9 joint session of the city’s planning and transportation commissions.

The longtime District One (North Oakland) representative on the Oakland Unified School District board confirmed that she is not running for re-election but denied rumors that she is running for the Oakland At-Large City Council seat. 

“I’m not saying this is ‘it’ for another political race,” Kerry Hamill said by telephone this week. “If a good opportunity presented itself, I would run for something else.”  

But as for At-Large Council, “I’m not considering it,” she said. 

The rumor about Hamill was one of many that have been circulating around Oakland for the last week, fueled by the fact that incumbent Henry Chang has not yet announced whether he is running for re-election. Another rumor involved current District Five Councilmember Jean Quan running for the position instead of Chang. 

Hamill said that eight years on the school board were “enough. It’s a huge drain of energy. I would like to spend my time as a volunteer at my kids’ schools rather than at school board meetings. I was a community-involved person before I was elected to the board, and that’s where I’m going to return.” 

Hamill has children at Oakland Technical High School and Claremont Middle School. She has endorsed Oakland parent-activist Jody London for her District One school board seat. Educational philanthropist Brian Rogers is also a candidate to replace Hamill. 

There were no surprises in the early list of filed City Council and OUSD school board candidates released this week by the Oakland City Clerk’s office. 

Incumbents Nancy Nadel (District Three), Ignacio De La Fuente (District Five), and Larry Reid (District Seven) have all filed for re-election, while AC Transit Board member Rebecca Kaplan and Oakland Residents for Peaceful Neighborhoods co-founder Charles Pine have both filed for the At-Large Council seat. 

In addition, the Oakland City Clerk’s office said that the following candidates—all of whom have been previously reported as running—had picked up candidate packets from the clerk’s office, the first step in the filing process: Patrick McCullough (Council District One), Greg Hodge (Council District Three), Mario Juarez (Council District Five) Clifford Gilmore (Council District Seven), Clinton Killian (Council At-Large) and Jumoke Hinton-Hodge (School Board District Three). 

Delays in making candidate filing lists public this week by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters office made it impossible to determine who has filed for the California State Senate and State Assembly seats. 

With Senate President Don Perata termed out of his District 9 senate seat, an anticipated battle has been set up between current District 14 Assemblymember Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) and former District 16 Assemblymember Wilma Chan of Oakland. In addition, former Assemblymember Johan Klehs of San Leandro has also indicated interest in the position. 

A crowded field is expected to announce for Hancock’s District 14 seat: Richmond Councilmember Tony Thurmond, Berkeley Councilmember Kriss Worthington, Berkeley resident Dr. Phil Polakoff, and East Bay Parks District member and former Berkeley City Councilmember Nancy Skinner. 

But despite the fact that filing for the two positions opened up on Monday, the Registrar of Voters office was unable to produce a list of filings by Thursday afternoon, despite several requests. Registrar of Voters staff members said they were compiling the list but could not explain the delay in making it public.

Rich Robbins of San Rafael-based Wareham Properties won one more victory at City Hall Tuesday, when the City Council voted 5-1-3 to demolish structures at Robbins’ property at 1050 Parker St. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington voted in opposition; Councilmembers Linda Maio, Max Anderson and Dona Spring abstained. 

It wasn’t the demolition of the old structures on the property that concerned Rich Auerbach of the West Berkeley Artisans and Industrial Companies (WEBAIC). It was the fact that, along with the demolition, mandates for the property to be used for warehousing, production, distribution and repair also disappear—and with it, Auerbach says, the possibility for decent jobs for persons without advanced education. 

“All we ask is that protections be kept on the site [uses],” Auerbach told the council. 

The council debate focused on a disagreement between staff, which said the property had not been used for warehousing or manufacturing in the near past and therefore the city was without obligation to maintain those uses and WEBAIC, which says the property had been used for production between 1987 and 1991 by West Coast Awnings 

Auerbach said he could prove the use on the site by showing staff the business license. But Land Use Planning Manager Debra Sanderson said she was unable to establish that there had been industrial uses at the property.  

“We checked out the information but did not find records,” she said, noting that there was a business license that was “applied for but not finalized.” 

Auerbach pointed out the irony, given that the city had just released a report showing that the future was in “green collar” jobs, but indicating that industrial land for production was difficult to find. 

Auerbach told the Planet on Thursday that the council ruling was “pretty astonishing.” 

Despite the West Berkeley Plan’s protections, land use for production, distribution and repair is shrinking in West Berkeley, he said. “This is directly in contradiction to community goals,” Auerbach said. 

Wareham Properties also owns the former Fantasy Building at Tenth and Parker streets, and is negotiating to buy other parcels in the area, according to Wareham spokesperson Tim Gallen. Gallen said Wareham may create a large campus that would include businesses that are ancillary to the filmmakers at Fantasy, such as editing and audio production. Wareham also owns property used for laboratories in the part of southwest Berkeley near the railroad tracks and owns extensive properties in Emeryville. 

Gallen noted that, although headlines were made when Wareham raised rents at the Fantasy Building, only about 10 percent of the filmmakers left the building at the time. 

The Planet will report on other council decisions in its Tuesday edition.

A Molotov cocktail hurled at a UC Berkeley fraternity forced the evacuation of 50 residents from the Sigma Pi house during the predawn hours Saturday. 

Berkeley Police spokesperson Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said city police and firefighters learned of the blaze in a 4:43 a.m. call from a resident of the house at 2434 Warring St. 

They arrived to find a couch and a front window frame ablaze. 

The caller told the 911 dispatcher that he had been sitting by a front window smoking cigarette minutes earlier when he “heard a loud thud on the house deck.” 

Ten minutes later, after he fired up another smoke, he head another loud thud, and when he looked out the window, he saw two shadowy figures running southbound on Warring, Sgt. Kusmiss said. 

After they had vanished, he heard another sound—a door slamming—followed by the footsteps of another Sigma Pi running up the stairs and yelling for everyone to get out because there was a fire at the front of the house. 

“This man said he was about to walk out the front door when he saw flames shooting up in front of a large front window,” Sgt. Kusmiss said. 

The smoker called 911 to report the thuds and the flames, and a quick response by Berkeley firefighters confined the blaze to the couch and window frame and prevented further damage. 

Once the flames were out, firefighters spotted two bricks inside the window and the smoke-blackened bottle that had served as the body of the Molotov cocktail. 

Investigators deemed the fire an arson, said the sergeant, as well as vandalism. 

“Fortunately, no one was injured,” she said. 

UC Berkeley Police said one of their officers also spotted the flames at the same time as the student caller dialed 911, and had helped the students fight the flames with a fire extinguisher until Berkeley firefighters arrived to hose down the soda. 

Officers from both agencies search the area for suspects, but without results.

One benefit of being a woman of (or even over) a certain age is that you can be invisible when you want to be. Women sometimes complain that after they pass 55 no one notices them, which is often true, but the good news is that this phenomenon allows you to assume a “cloak of invisibility” worth of a Harry-Potterish heroine when you’d like to know what people are up to. Wearing nondescript clothes and not too stylish glasses, you can go anywhere and overhear anyone. 

The vastly over-reported face-off between those supporting and those despising the Berkeley City Council’s recent stand(s) on having Marine recruiters downtown provided me with a good window on America circa 2008. What’s always been nice about Berkeley is that you don’t have to travel if you live here. If you wait long enough, the world will come to you.  

A part of the world we seldom see showed up at Martin Luther King Civic Center Park (known in the 1960s as Provo Park) on Tuesday. If you wandered around in the crowd at twilight that night, you could hear many excellent arguments between citizens vigorously and enthusiastically exercising their free speech rights, catnip for those of us who value the First Amendment above all others. What was most striking about the confrontations were the visuals: Unlike similar scenes 40 years ago during the Vietnam war, the two camps looked pretty similar to one another. 

Both groups had numerous grey-haired participants in baggy jeans and T-shirts, the men on both sides sporting a variety of exotic facial hair decorations intended to demonstrate that they were rugged individualists. The women were a bit more varied, with the out-of-towners leaning toward artificial shades of blonde and false eyelashes and the locals tending toward flaming henna if they rejected grey.  

In general, the visiting team kept to their side of the street, in the park, though the home team, assigned to the lawn of the Maudelle Shirek building (Old City Hall), made end runs around the police lines trying to confront the objectors. A fair number of Berkeleyites have also expressed annoyance with what they perceived as the council’s stance, but they’re not the type to join the kind of screaming-mob-in-training found on the park side of MLK Tuesday night. 

The younger people—and there were some—looked a lot alike too. Some had military-style crewcuts, the only difference being that this included some of the women on the anti-war pro-council side. The World Can’t Wait, the group whose members chained themselves to the recruiting office last week, were attractive multi-ethnic youths sporting dashing uniform orange shirts. Code Pink members, skewing older, wore pink, while their opposite numbers favored red, white and blue, with flags. 

There was also a sizable contingent of employees of Pacific Steel Casting, organized by their bosses and their union to complain to the City Council about what they’d been told was the city of Berkeley’s plan to shut down their plant. They made the other demonstration seem larger than it actually was. 

At first they merged with the crowd in the park, waving signs and shouting along with the rest. I asked a couple of them, who gave their names as Javier and Manuel, if that meant that they support the war, and they assured me that they do, but since my Spanish is even more rudimentary than their English I’m not sure we were communicating clearly. Later this group crossed the street and was herded over behind the city notice board away from the anti-war protesters. 

None of it came to much, though someone did set fire to the Peace Wall sign, accidentally incinerating a couple of bicycles. Contrary to enthusiastic predictions and wildly inaccurate reports in the major metropolitan daily, on television and from the Berkeley police, the crowds were small by ’60s standard, not more that 500 people total, both sides, at any given point in the peak time between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Reporters and photographers seemed almost to outnumber the activists.  

I mentioned to one writer friend there how much I’d been enjoying eavesdropping on arguments, and a tidily-dressed little woman who’d overheard what I said came up to me and asked me earnestly what kind of arguments I’d heard. Why do you want to know? I asked.  

Well, she said, I’m a journalist for Newsweek. I told her I was the editor of the local paper, and that perhaps there wasn’t much point in us interviewing each other. It was that kind of event. 

Obviously out of place on the park side of MLK was a young man, short, plump, hirsute and intense, who identified himself as Danny Gonzales. He was one of the few present wearing a coat and tie, oddly coupled with the de rigueur baggy pants tucked into combat boots. He wore glasses and carried a notebook just like a real reporter, probably because he plays one on the Internet. He identified himself as a blogger for Move America Forward, the jingoistic sponsors of the anti-council protest.  

Sampling the confrontations revealed echoes of scripts from wars past not really applicable to the current situation: 

“Take a bath!” from a sixtyish man with a five-o’clock shadow wearing a grimy outgrown T-shirt with a Budweiser logo, to an articulate, stylish (and cleaner) younger fellow who looked like a graduate student. The older guy opined that “the Taliban’s having its ass handed to them.” The younger one said we were losing both Iraq and Afghanistan, but that he had nothing against the troops, that he just thought they were getting the wrong leadership. His opponent couldn’t argue with that one. “Fuck Bush,” he said, “He’s just in it for himself.” 

Another lively dispute was between two African Americans, one a Berkeley High student and the other a bit older, an intellectual type often seen on campus making lengthy provocative statements in the question period following controversial lectures. The young man was arguing for his right to join the Marines if he felt like it, so there! And the other was trying to tell him what that choice would mean, having the usual success of older people talking to those young enough to know it all. Everyone present probably learned something in these exchanges.  

What was most striking about the parkside people was how pathetic they seemed, clearly life’s losers, tricked by a dishonest regime into sacrificing their beloved children, siblings and spouses for Halliburton’s profits. They claimed that the council’s statement that Marine recruiters aren’t welcome in Berkeley would hurt the Marines’ feelings, but no current Marines, a pretty tough bunch, showed up to say how bad they felt. There were some ex-Marines there, men who didn’t seem to have gained much from their tour of duty, more to be pitied than censured. 

The angry letters the Planet’s been getting match the picture: from people who haven’t gotten much in the way of spelling, grammar or history from the educational system, angry at everything, not sure whom to blame. We’ve put the cream of the crop in the paper or on the web, those correctly addressed “To the editor” and signed by real names. The misdirected ones we don’t run, those addressed to the city council or signed by anonymous swaggering pseudonyms, are even sadder.  

Apologizing is a tricky business, particularly when trying to do the right thing has had the wrong results. Ask the Australians, who’ve finally, after more than a decade’s debate, apologized (in their dialect “said sorry”) to their country’s aborigines, for causing a Lost Generation by taking aboriginal children away from their parents in a misbegotten attempt to help them.  

The Berkeley City Council, with the exception of clueless Councilmember Wozniak, had all the right reasons for wanting to tell Marine recruiters to stay away from our young people. Nevertheless, their action caused pain to those who desperately hope against all reason that the sacrifices they and their families have made were not for nothing. After the fact, the council reworded its statement to use more diplomatic language, but should councilmembers also have apologized for the original harsher version? It’s a subtle calculus, with no right answer. 

Comments at the council meeting from representatives of some Berkeley merchants were misguided, however. If the council’s original vote was wrong, it was wrong because it caused unnecessary pain, not because a few blusterers said that they’d never shop in Berkeley again. One Walnut Creek letter-writer announced that his weekly trips to the Berkeley Bowl and Fourth Street were toast. At our house, the reaction was enthusiastic—one less SUV in the Ashby Avenue traffic jam on Sunday afternoon. And I doubt that the angry writers from Salina, Kansas, or Golden Valley, Minnesota, have been keeping Berkeley businesses afloat.  

The sign held by one demonstrator was puzzling at first: “Castro Supports Berkeley.” Was it pro or con? Fidel hasn’t been much of a player in the protest scene of late. Then he moved his arm, and revealed that the sign actually said “Castro Valley Supports Berkeley.” Thanks, Castro Valley. Maybe you guys can take the place of any Walnut Creek shoppers we might have lost.  

CHEAP SHOT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding Susan Parker’s recent columns about Measures A and B: This letter is not about Children’s Hospital. It is about the totally unnecessary and unjustified cheap shot of saying that the 14-year-old who wrote supporting the bond issue was being “exploited.”  

Can you remember when you were 14? I can. It was a presidential election year, Eisenhower against Stevenson. I worked on the Eisenhower campaign, many of my classmates worked for Stevenson. We debated, in school and out, about the issues, including the always pertinent issue of decaying infrastructure—that was post-war, this is mid-war, but there is never enough money to repair and replace what has been worn out by heavy use. Our school, built in the 1880s, five floors, had classrooms where I could stand on a join in the floorboards, they would sink, and I could look down into the class immediately below me on another floor.  

A 14-year-old is a child in some ways and an adult in others. She is old enough to work (work permits are issued starting at age 14). She is old enough to care for herself, she doesn’t need a babysitter, and she is old enough to babysit for younger children or be a caregiver for a senior citizen. She is old enough to be sent to an adult prison if she commits a crime. Having leukemia does not affect intelligence, it does not affect psychological development, it does not affect spiritual development. It may actually, like any chronic illness, increase empathy and awareness of the needs of other.  

If, based on her personal experiences with hospitals, she felt that Children’s Hospital was a worthy cause, you may think she was wrong, but it is demeaning and patronizing to imply that she was manipulated, “exploited.” She had valid reasons for her decision, as someone experienced in hospitals, just as you, as a homeowner, had valid reasons for yours. She stood with her friends, just as you stood with your friends.  

I think you owe the young lady a public apology, maybe even a chance to explain herself in a boxed column. The administrators of Children’s can take their lumps, including cheap shots, but a young woman who is just starting out on what we hope will be a life of civic activity deserves some respect, rather than the contempt you dished out.  

Teddy Knight 

• 

RENT CONTROL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I think it would be worthwhile to parse Chris Kavanagh’s letter to you “explaining” his resignation from the Rent Board. He states. “Like scores of Berkeley homeowners who own or rent second residences outside Berkeley, since 2002, I rented two separate living spaces: one in Berkeley and a second space in Oakland (located a block from Berkeley).” First of all, is he a Berkeley property owner? Has he put his own money into buying a property in Berkeley? Second, Exactly how many Berkeley property owners “Own or rent” second homes in Oakland? I’ll buy owning a second home in Tahoe, Pinecrest, Strawberry, et al, but Oakland?  

“I lived in my Berkeley unit to comply with the city’s residency requirement to hold public office. I rented my Oakland unit because I did not wish to give up a beautiful living space that I had originally acquired through a friend before I was elected to the Rent Board in 2002.” How exactly do you “acquire” a property which you do not own? Through illegal sublet, subterfuge? And then, to resist eviction by a family who bought the place to occupy it with their kids and extended family because it is your “place of residence”? All the while claiming that you actually live in Berkeley, perhaps at the post office? 

Then he puts the capper on it: Kavanagh went on to say in his letter that during parts of 2006 and 2007 he had to “involuntarily” vacate his Berkeley unit “and was unable to technically comply with Berkeley’s residency requirement. This latter period of time is the reason for the current legal allegations that have been filed against me.” Pure prevarication. Politicians might call it spin. 

Folks, this is exactly what’s wrong with Berkeley’s rent control system, and Oakland’s open-ended, yet to be litigated “Just cause eviction” measure. People “acquire” things where they have no “skin in the game” no “sweat equity,” no risk, no effort. Owners have obligations that are dependent on their tenant’s condition or status. Housing providers have no problem with helping people in need of housing, as long as the cost is shared by the general public and the cost of any entitlement is bourn in common. But let’s do this honestly and in the open, by subsidizing people who need it, not penalizing one group of people who have invested in a particular class of asset and giving entitlements to a group of people who may be better off than the people who must pay for their subsidies. 

Mike Mitschang 

• 

GREEN TRANSIT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

People who think they don’t have to worry about Bus Rapid Transit because they plan to avoid driving on Telegraph Avenue or driving downtown need to think again. The planners of BRT readily acknowledge something in meetings where they think opponents aren’t present: They plan to put BRT lines all through Berkeley. That means they plan to remove traffic lanes and many parking spaces on University, Shattuck, San Pablo, and other major thoroughfares. This boondoggle would not get many drivers out of their cars—as AC Transit’s own study confirms—but it would make traffic absolutely miserable everywhere, with drivers frustrated by congestion and delays, cars cutting through formerly quiet residential streets, and idling trucks and cars spewing out more and more polluting exhaust.  

Instead of building this expensive, intrusive, and inflexible system, let’s build a fleet of smaller, more maneuverable hybrid or electric buses that serve more parts of the city more frequently—and offer convenient connections to BART. This change, coupled with a city-wide eco-pass that would substantially decrease the cost of bus travel, would get people out of their cars. And that is truly a green solution to our transit problems—as opposed to the gray solution proposed by AC Transit: more concrete and choking diesel exhaust.  

Doug Buckwald  

• 

AERIAL SPRAYING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The aerial pesticide spraying of the Bay Area, planned to begin in Summer 2008 and continue for three to five years to fight the light brown apple moth, is a horrible idea for so many reasons. Many ingredients in the pesticides are highly toxic and no studies have been done on their long term effect. Biologists agree that eradicating the moth is impossible. Even CDFA says the moth has done no crop damage. The brown apple moth is in Hawaii—they don’t spray and there has been no crop damage there.  

How can they spray and put our health at risk without getting our consent? The state claims that the spraying is safe, but I have personal accounts of numerous friends in Santa Cruz that became sick after spraying there. Please contact local, state, and federal officials to ask that CDFA immediately stop the spraying program and shift to pest management methods that are safe for people and the environment. Finally, sign the online petition (www.stopthespray.org) and watch that site for updates. 

Ingrid C.L. Mackay  

Alameda  

• 

APPLE MOTH SPRAYING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

They dropped 1,600 pounds of a mixture of chemicals on 60 square miles of California’s central coast filled with organic farms and nurseries. Residents developed strep throat, asthma attacks, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, debilitating headaches, inability to concentrate and focus, body tremors, feeling of lethargy and malaise, respiratory illnesses, irregular heartbeats and menstrual cramping, an interruption in menstrual cycles and in some cases a recommencement of menstrual cycles after menopause. Pets died. Sound like a script for chemical warfare on the United States? Only it’s an inside job. U.S. chemical manufacturers refuse to reveal most of the ingredients in the aerial spraying against the apple moth that has already caused more than 600 health complaints documented by physicians along the central California Coast. However one of the chemicals did leak out, polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate, known to exacerbate asthma and respiratory symptoms in sensitive groups according to Dr. Scott Masten with the National Institute of Health. The material data safety sheet lists its side effects as “breathlessness, severe coughing, chest discomfort, irritation of mucous membranes, and reduced pulmonary functions (reaction may be delayed 4-8 hours), may develop sensitivity, which leads to asthma-like symptoms on subsequent exposure.” If things go as the state has it planned there will be subsequent sprayings monthly for two years. At this rate in two years of monthly spraying 384,000 pounds of pesticides would be dumped in 60 square miles of the Central California Coast or 6,400 pounds on one square mile.  

The spraying is slated to begin this August in much of the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Blanket spraying of pesticides is not environmentally sound pest management. The state has not prepared an environmental impact report to ensure the chemical droplets are safe for humans and aquatic life. Environmental groups, who say they have broken the law have sued the state. The state is undermining the efforts of organic farmers by spraying these chemicals everywhere, on organic farms, cars, playgrounds, lawns, houses, and swimming pools. The Bush administration has been consistently undermining the EPA without regard to the checks and balances of science to protect all citizens. The Berkeley City Council will meet on Feb. 26 to hear citizen’s views of the proposed spraying. The Albany City Council has already passed a resolution against the proposed spraying. Please come to the city council meeting to voice your opinion about protecting public health. Write the governor; you state Assembly and senate representatives and California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary A.G. Kawamura to ask the CDFA immediately stop the spraying program. 

Pauline Bondonno 

• 

THE CALL FOR PEACE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Berkeley City Council made a courageous decision to stand up for peace and oppose the war in Iraq, representing the will of their community. This is not about protesting the Marines themselves, but the machine that recruits our youth and sends them off to fight in an illegal and immoral war in Iraq. Veterans returning from Iraq are far more likely than the civilian population to become homeless, commit suicide or other violent acts and have long-term physical and/or mental health problems. With all this in mind, who can blame Berkeley residents for trying to keep their kids safe? 

Meave O’Connor 

• 

PROTEST 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am sickened that a City Council, whose freedom is preserved by the very men and women represented by the armed services recruiters, and would ask them to leave Berkeley. I am not surprised that the liberal anti-war crowd (mostly high school kids given credit for skipping school to protest, I’m told) have convinced the City Council to provide Code Pink a parking space outside the office building so they can protest at their convenience. (Can I have one so I can support the troops?) Have you noticed that liberal activists will do anything they can to stifle the free speech of others while proclaiming that people who oppose them are trying to stifle theirs? I say let them rant. But not control the actions of government. This is the United States of America. And it is just so because of the brave men and women they are protesting. It is a shame that people like this can not stand to hear opposing points of view and will do anything to shut them up. That is communist and fascist. 

Michael Orton 

Mill Valley, California 

• 

PROTECTING YOUR VOTE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Several years ago the state and feds provided funds to county registrars to purchase electronic voting systems to increase accessibility and participation. In 2007, for the first time, the new secretary of state fulfilled one of the main obligations of that office by doing a complete evaluation of all the voting systems in our state. Findings showed that these machines aren’t safe, accurate, reliable, nor do they comply with federal regulations for accessibility and manufacturers knowingly sold noncompliant technology to our counties. This put our underfunded short-staffed county administrators in a bind. In consideration of that, instead of flat out decertifying voting equipment, the secretary provided detailed plans for compensating for these flaws. Many of our county registrars simply refused to comply and encouraged others to refuse. Some attacked our secretary of state and wasted taxpayer time and money suing her for doing her job. Only a few have taken enthusiastic action to protect us from bad technology and ensure the root of our democracy: One person, one vote. Find out where your county registrar and supervisors stand. Insist they do whatever it takes to comply with our secretary of state’s requirements. It’s your vote and their job. 

Sharon Ryals Tamm 

• 

LAURA BUSH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Laura Bush would make an excellent president of the United States. 

She has extensive political experience at the highest levels. She was First Lady of the state of Texas for five years. And she is currently serving in her eighth year as First Lady of the United States. 

She would be a formidable opponent in the presidential election for Hillary Clinton because First Lady Bush can point to seven scandal-free years as First Lady. She has never been investigated even once by a special or an independent council. 

She would also prevail over Barack Obama, as he cannot point to any years at all as First Gentleman, or as spouse of any elected political official. 

Once elected, President Laura Bush would be free to appoint her husband, President George Bush, to any important position she might choose. Perhaps as secretary of state or as UN ambassador. And there is always the possibility that President George Bush would simply be appointed as U.S. Senator for the state of Texas. 

Laura Bush has the national experience and freedom from any hint of scandal that make her a fine choice for president and a formidable foe to any Democrat in the November 2008 presidential election. 

Brad Belden 

• 

OPEN LETTER TO THE 

DIRECTORS OF EBMUD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

This past weekend was plumbing weekend. Our great on-demand water heater was not firing and leaking. We know the drill, the rubber gaskets need to be replaced. Before chloramines, those gaskets lasted almost 10 years. Since chloramines, the rubber gaskets disintegrate, clogging the intake valve and leak within two and a half years, a 75 percent reduction in useful life. I finally realized, looking at the disintegrated rubber gasket in my hand, if chloramines does this to the gasket, what does it do to our innards? 

With all this bashing of bottled water, if only the East Bay Municipal Utilities District got these poisons out of our tap water. I’ve written Andy Katz, our elected director, who claims to be an environmentalist, about the fluoride and now this terrible chloramines, but like all good elected officials, he’s been non-responsive. Chloramine kills frogs and fish. I bet it’s killing us. I’d like to see Andy and the other EBMUD Board members’ response to how they can get stop or reduce the deliberate poisoning of our tap water. 

Yolanda Huang 

• 

CLASSROOMS AND CHILDREN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am shocked to find out that in this advanced and internationally envied society the education of children has the lowest priority. These children will be the caretakers of the earth long after we are gone. How shall we educate them not just in science and technology but in caring for others? Example speaks louder than precept. Let us show the children we care for them by designing classrooms which offer encouragement above all—classrooms in which children are treated with respect and attentiveness. 

Romila Khanna 

Albany 

• 

LIES AND LIARS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Representative Henry Waxman is leading a congressional kerfuffel about lies and liars in the game of baseball. Either Roger Clemens or his ex-trainer are lying before Congress. Sure, lying about drug use is a terrible thing. But why is Congress spending so much time investigating baseball drug liars while failing to hold Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the Prevaricator-in-Chief accountable for the lies that have trapped us in Iraq’s tar pit of debt, death, and disgrace? Their lies before Congress are far more grave, harming a generation of Americans. 

Bruce Joffe 

Piedmont 

• 

BUSH’S LEGACY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I understand that President Bush is hard at work these days attempting to establish a legacy citing his many memorable achievements (??) during his seven years in the White House. From my own personal perspective, shared by many, George W. Bush’s legacy will forever be the haunting image of more than 3,800 white crosses on a hillside in Lafayette, California, marking the needless death of American soldiers in Iraq. 

Yes, President Bush—that will be your shameful legacy! 

Dorothy Snodgrass 

The Berkeley Daily Planet accepts letters to the editor and commentary page submissions at opinion@berkeleydailyplanet.com and at 3023A Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705. Letters should be no more than 400 words in length; commentaries should be no more than 1,000 words in length. Deadline for Tuesday edition is 5 p.m. Sunday; deadline for Friday edition is 5 p.m. Wednesday. Please include name, address and phone number for contact purposes. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Becky O’Malley’s Jan. 22 editorial criticizes the Berkeley City Council for considering a new ordinance to replace out-dated ordinances that do a poor job of managing problems with the city’s alcohol outlets. Berkeley Daily Planet readers should know how this ordinance came about. 

The Berkeley Alcohol Policy Advocacy Coalition (BAPAC) Comprehensive Proposal for Alcohol Regulations was developed in a community-driven process, which began in 2004. The major impetus was the problems associated with alcohol outlets in South and West Berkeley (violence, crime, drug sales, injury, noise, trash). Over the course of eight citywide BAPAC meetings, it became apparent that “liquor stores” were not the only alcohol problem in Berkeley. The out-of-control party scene south of UC campus and the large degree of underage drinking were also serious concerns. The health and safety problems associated with alcohol outlets are more pervasive than they appear on the surface and are especially severe for young people. 

Berkeley has 85 off-sale outlets (stores) and 224 on-sales outlets (restaurants, bars). Both types have major issues related to underage drinking. Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) “decoy buy” operations show that stores and restaurants sell to minors at about the same rate. Alcohol outlets contribute to disruption and crime in surrounding neighborhoods. Even in non-residential areas, restaurants (especially “restaurants” that behave like bars) contribute to police events (DUIs, violence, disturbances, drunkenness). 

BAPAC members sought a solution that would address the alcohol environment as a whole. This solution took the form of a comprehensive, prevention-based proposal intended to address alcohol problems in three settings: retail (businesses selling to minors and overly intoxicated patrons), public (nuisances associated with liquor stores and the party scene south of campus) and private (home parties furnishing alcohol by adults to minors). The intent is to impact health and safety around alcohol by changing the norms. The Comprehensive Proposal for Alcohol Regulations has these basic elements: 1) Land Use Permit Ordinance (for future businesses), 2) Deemed-Approved Ordinance (for current businesses operating without Land Use Permits), 3) Social Host Ordinance (for home parties), 4) Mandatory Responsible Beverage Service Training Ordinance, 5) Implementation Ordinance (a Fee-based Outreach, Education, Monitoring and Enforcement program). BAPAC formally presented this proposal to City Council on April 25, 2006. 

The city and BAPAC have spent the last three years analyzing its alcohol problems and the last several months working cooperatively with Berkeley restaurants, drafting an ordinance to address the problems more effectively. By direction of the City Council, city staff held meetings with the alcohol outlet community and with BAPAC during fall 2007 to develop appropriate ordinances to accomplish all these aims. The last step in completing the package—establishing the basis for payment of city services to implement the ordinances—was to have been completed at the Jan. 15 meeting of the City Council. 

The remaining question for the ordinance under consideration was to determine a fair basis for all Berkeley alcohol retailers to participate in the costs of oversight to prevent problems. The city thought (and BAPAC agreed) that all outlets should be assessed the same amount for the same kind of inspection. A few smaller outlets objected at the City Council meeting on Jan. 15, arguing that larger establishments should pay more, or that the smaller outlets did not want to pay anything. Some complained about the new legislation’s requirements to make sure their serving staff were trained in safe alcohol serving practices. Some of these complaining outlets also had police records of sales to minors. These latecomers triggered a City Council decision to postpone action on the ordinance and form a subcommittee to investigate alternative fee structures. They also triggered O’Malley’s editorial blast on Jan. 22. 

BAPAC believes that alcohol retailers have a duty to assure that their staff is appropriately trained and to pay reasonable inspection costs for assuring their operations are safe for the sale of a substance as potent and as harmful as alcohol. The state ABC will help, though it is currently underfunded. Actual costs of inspection and for staff training can be built into the costs of doing business, and several training mechanisms are available to keep costs to a minimum. 

Other California cities have enacted preventive regulations and enforcement programs, including annual fees to pay for them (e.g. San Diego, Oakland, Santa Rosa,Vallejo, and Ventura). These cities are reporting positive results—the ordinances are relatively easy to administer and they are having the desired effects. This self-sustaining prevention approach emphasizes high standards of operation and oversight for routine operations. It shares tasks and costs fairly among outlets operators, the city, and concerned groups. This is far preferable to the Berkeley’s current complaint-driven nuisance abatement approach, which lets problems accumulate to unbearable levels before taking action, puts enormous burdens on complainants to drive the process, and creates adversarial situations instead of cooperative approaches. 

The bottom line is that these costs are an effective, appropriate investment in reducing the harm and destruction to quality of life that will otherwise occur. Alcohol is the drug of choice among adolescents (used by more youth than tobacco or other drugs). Alcohol is the leading contributor to the leading cause of death (injuries) of young people. There are 700,000 alcohol-related violent assaults every year and 100,000 alcohol-related sexual assaults. It puts a tremendous burden on people AND on police (and taxpayer) resources. 

BAPAC’s goals are to 1) reduce alcohol-related violence, injury and death by controlling the easy access to and availability of alcohol, 2) enact public policies that will change the norm that alcohol is a rite of passage for young people, and 3) provide the City of Berkeley with the tools that will allow it to systematically and quickly address alcohol-related public nuisance problems before they get out of hand. 

These goals are about prevention NOT prohibition. 

For more information on the BAPAC proposal, please contact us at BAPAC2006@earthlink.net. 

Lori Lott is a a member of the Berkeley Alcohol Policy Advocacy Coalition.

Two reports in Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) journal, got considerable media coverage on Feb. 8-9 with results in both showing that expanding biocrops for energy will greatly increase the soil emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) mainly carbon dioxide from the exposing of buried plant debris. The UN report released in Spring 2007 and prepared by the Scientific Expert Group (SEG) under the aegis of Sigma Xi said that “Even if human emissions could be instantaneously stopped, the world would not escape further climate change.” The Winter 2006 issue of AAAS Matters called for carbon dioxide sequestering. So we are going the wrong way with bioenergy thinking sponsored by BP at Berkeley and need to get a program that will actually remove some of the 35 percent overload of carbon dioxide mentioned in my Nov. 30, 2007, commentary. 

Why are many scientists ignoring that our massive organic waste mess represents a wasted biofuel crop that can be utilized to actually remove some of that gas from recycling by using the pyrolysis process mentioned June 12 while also getting some fuel and steam? And this processing for organic wastes would stop new dumps from emitting methane, which the Air Resources Board is now concerned about and may request its control at dumps with expensive systems. Not letting our organic wastes get to dumps will greatly reduce dump maintenance costs as keeping those wastes from possibly leaking germs and toxins is a major expense in dumps. Getting some charcoal in the pyrolysis process for burial represents actual reduction of our carbon footprint. along with getting some steam for electric power and a fuel mix to refine. Setting up this process will not usurp land and water from food production and in fact might free up land destined for dumps. As I pointed out before, many other organic wastes can be utilized in the process including separated solids from sewage, animal, but not bird, feces of farms and paper wastes going to be recycled costing considerable sums to do so. Also pyrolysis would destroy germs and toxics in organic wastes keeping them from polluting water supplies that may be becoming a bigger problem than global warming for human survival in underdeveloped countries. 

Larry King recently had a show on “Dirty Jobs,” largely talking about farm animal poo and indicating that the farmer on the show was obtaining methane from it. But the anaerobic microbial process of generating methane still requires energy from converting carbohydrates into carbon dioxide. Several biofuel programs actually end up with a feces-like pile of cellulose and lignin waste that no one in the BP granting group seems to be concerned about. Composting of some organic wastes, a sort of poo, that’s getting a lot of media play, is just a rapid reemitting system for carbon dioxide that nature had trapped for us. 

A point in the SEG report is that climate change may soon lead to serious dust-bowl-like conditions in our Southwest and elsewhere so a comprehensive tree wind break forestation program ought to be set up. If properly coordinated, this program with planned cuttings could supply wood for pyrolysis in quantities to generate a sizable amount of our electric energy more cleanly than bioethanol, while reducing our carbon footprint. The July 23 Time magazine has an article on giving credit for saving trees, but they end up recycling much carbon dioxide when the leaves, flowers, seeds and diseased parts fall to the ground to rot. To get real reduction in our carbon footprint, we need to be raising fast-growing trees on marginal land for wind breaks and then cut grown trees for pyrolyzing to get charcoal, thus keeping some trapped carbon from recycling. 

Some may not realize just how fast the effects of global warming are coming on, as land calving along with glacier calving is being seen along the Alaskan coast line. 

According to U.S. Geological Survey scientists (San Francisco Chronicle, July 5), permafrost that held cliff edges has melted to allow chunks of land to crash into the sea much faster than in the past. The real problem with permafrost melting is in Siberia as massive amounts of organic detritus called yedoma are being exposed (Science, June 16, 2006). The authors expressed concern for exposed yedoma decomposing to emit carbon dioxide and methane, or it may dry out to be easily ignited to become nature’s own infernal combustion machine. Nature will then be in control of humankind as she has that yedoma spewing methane and carbon dioxide, or if burning, heat energy speeding the drying of more yedoma as well as massive amounts of carbon dioxide, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen and black sooty particulates. 

By the way our governor may think that he is exerting some control on global warming by calling for a sizable reduction in vehicle emissions but a 10-20 percent population increase leading to increased vehicle numbers in the same proposed time period will likely cancel out the reduction. Why is he not calling for more of the windmills recently put up in the Rio Vista area to reduce power supplied from fossil fueled plants? Having those set-ups would lead to many new jobs for workers that can not be outsourced especially if the much less efficient older windmills were taken down to provide the metal for the new ones. 

The money BP wants to grant for bioenergy should be put into maximizing the pyrolysis process to be actually removing some carbon from recycling with the added benefit of cutting the pollution of water supplies by organic wastes. 

Fremont resident James Singmaster III 

is a retired environmental toxicologist. 

With the tree-sit protest at the UC Berkeley Memorial Oak Grove having reached its year-anniversary, the university’s tactics to thwart the protest have taken a have taken a harsh and dark turn. A double-fenced, barbed wire ghetto with blinding lights shining into the trees and street with loud generators running all night as an attempted form of mental torture to the tree-sitters is reminiscent of some state of siege. The university and its private police department’s interpretation of a recent civil injunction order constitutes a direct assault on basic American civil liberties and constitutional rights. An assault on these cherished rights and freedoms that amounts to, in my opinion, the first step into martial law. 

The tree sitters occupied the arboreal heights of the Memorial Oak grove last Dec. 2 as an act of civil disobedience days before the university planned to destroy this mature, California coastal live oak urban forest to erect a student athletic training center. In January Alameda Superior Judge Barbara Miller issued an injunction against any construction on the site and the destruction of the grove pending her ruling on three law suits brought against the university, including the City of Berkeley where it is against the law to destroy any oak tree. In October UC won a civil injunction against the tree sitters on health and safety grounds. Alameda Judge Richard Keller also ruled against any citizen from “working in concert” with the tree-sit protest, specifically ordering against sending up supplies to the protesters.  

While the university and police department have denied or danced around the subject, this injunction and barbed wire ghettoization are means to intimidate supporters and starve the tree-sitters out of the grove. Perhaps more ominously, the second fence that closes off the perimeter of the Memorial Grove was erected for the direct purpose screening out the eyes of the media and community in the event of more extreme, and possibly illegal, action against the protesters in the future. The UC lawyers and police department have over-broadly interpreted the injunction to also mean that anyone found talking to the tree sitters, demonstrating their feelings with picket signs or lending any kind of moral support are subject to arrest. So far the UCPD have arrested eight citizens, including four students on the Keller injunction.  

The tree sitters and their broad community supporters have insisted from the very beginning that this protest is an exercise of free speech rights. The very act of occupying these oak trees is a means to communicate the value of this beloved grove to the student body, alumni, and community. The Memorial Oak grove protesters believe that they are on the side of life, the life of this beautiful oak grove, and the lives of the student athletes that the UC Berkeley planners, administration and Regents would cavalierly put in a two-story underground facility, mere feet from the most powerful fault in California, the Hayward, that runs directly under the already cracked and fractured Memorial stadium adjacent to the grove. Both the stadium and the proposed training center site are on land fill, a recognized liquifaction zone in the event the Hayward fault rips. To make matters worse, the US Geological Society has identified that the culvert channeling Strawberry Creek that runs under the stadium and grove is broken. At the same time two other more seismically responsible sites for the gym on campus exist but the administration has refused to take them into consideration. 

The university has been warned by its own seismic committee and outside study groups and structural engineering consultants several times in the last four decades to make seismic upgrades to the stadium. Incredibly, in 1982 the university built 20,000 square feet of office space within the west wall of the stadium with no seismic upgrades to the structure. In 1991 a seismic study recommended a 4.4 to 5 million dollar upgrade to achieve at least “a limited goal of life-safety and forestalling collapse during a major seismic event,” according to the records of the current lawsuit against the university. Seismic upgrading was planned for 1998 but “was hijacked by the campus’s spirit of rivalry with its Pac-10 adversaries,” according to these documents. In 2005 previous seismic safety planning was put aside in favor the the “high performance” athletic training facility extending outside the stadium walls and into the adjacent Memorial Oak Grove, bringing about the current lawsuits, opprobrium for many quarters of the community, alumni and student body, and the current tree-sit protest. The 125 million dollar “phase-one” training facility project in fact once again puts off the stadium’s seismic upgrades. Funds for the upgrades are dependent on some proposed fancy financial footwork once the $125 million is actually secured, according to the university. As for the seismic upgrades to the stadium becoming reality, according to court documents. “...the university’s track record on that score is not encouraging.” 

If this sad and irresponsible history on the part of UC Berkeley administrators and the Regents past and present doesn’t constitute knowledgeable, willful and reckless endangerment of human life, it is hard to image what would. 

How could UC Berkeley so tragically lose its moral compass? This whole misguided episode by the university administration speaks to a state of desperation where common sense, decency and respect for life has been subsumed under an economic state of emergency where soaring tuition rates have done little to alleviate the ill-effects of the tax-payers ‘revolt’ of 1977, billions of state dollars sucked into Texas energy and trading companies in the gamed 2000 energy crisis that Bush ands company allowed to happen, and stingy governors on the entire UC system. UC Berkeley is acting like a drowning man, threatening not only to pull under its student athletes at this proposed center, the unique environmental quality of this campus and surrounding community, but now the very rights and liberties that a public university should teach its students to better understand, advance and protect as future leaders in our society.  

In addition, the probability from archeological evidence that both the Memorial Stadium and Grove rest upon an Ohlone tribe burial ground raises a serious moral and social dimension to this controversy that the university continues to ignore. 

These protesters are engaging in civil disobedience in face of the arrogance and intransigence of the university, civil disobedience based on the high moral principles of life, human and environmental. Of course civil disobedience is a tried and true American tradition, from Henry David Thoreau who refused to pay his taxes as a protest against the War between the United States and Mexico to Martin Luther King, Jr. who used non-violent civil disobedience to over throw Jim Crowe in the south and win civil rights for African Americans. If the Keller injunction against any citizen giving any physical or moral support to protesters applied to The Civil Rights Movement at the time, Reverend Martin King, Coretta Scott King, founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, professor and current NAACP Chair Julian Bond, former Atlanta Mayor and ambassador Andrew Young, rabbi Abraham J. Heschel who marched arm-in-arm with his fellow clergyman, and so many other brave souls would have been Kellered, arrested and imprisoned. If Keller existed there would probably be no Voting Rights Act of 1964. If Keller had been applied to the Free Speech Movement activists on the Berkeley campus, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, whose activities UC Berkeley deemed illegal during the struggle, all those thousands of students supporting and aiding student leader Mario Savio would have been intimidated and potentially jailed and fined. If Keller was existed, the Free Speech Movement, now the pride of UC Berkeley with a campus cafe celebrating it, could have very well been crushed. 

Isn’t the Keller civil injunction an instrument of oppression as applied by the UCPD, an instrument repugnant to the American spirit and basic values, a dangerous precedent of the crushing of our basic constitutional rights to free speech and assembly? Isn’t this an imposed state of emergency masquerading as a civil injunction? This is particularly chilling in light of the Bush administration assault on our rights and freedoms and its use of fear-mongering and denial. It seems that UC Berkeley is not immune from mimicking the tone and tactics set by Washington and Sacramento politicians. When tinsel-town cowboy Reagan governor, he dispatched national guard helicopters to spray tear-gas on the large, student anti-war protests during the Vietnam war (his assault on state education and the UC system is perhaps a greater and more long lasting crime) . Now with two silent coups d’etat by Bush/Cheney/Rove by stealing two elections by massive and blatant vote suppression and ‘faith-based’ republican owned voting systems and a supine press, UC has mounted a campaign against fundamental constitutional rights while using double-speak to deny it, double-speak so well honed in the most morally deficient side of corporate America and Madison Avenue, adopted and used with great skill and advantage by the current White House resident’s political apparatus. In fact, if misdirection and mendacity were a crime, this current UC Berkeley administration and its spokesman would be doing hard time, it seems to me.  

We see the abuse of basic human rights and liberties in foreign countries such as Pakistan on television and we console ourselves that it cannot happen here. I say that it is happening here, in Berkeley, at the Memorial Oak Grove protest. 

Thomas Jefferson said that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Let us be vigilant that our basic civil liberty and freedoms not be usurped by any power no matter how unaccountable, no matter how high and mighty high and mighty this power might think it is. Let us be vigilant and strong in the face of this clear and present threat to our rights, freedoms, and who we are as Americans, unless one day we see martial law declared on some place on television only to realize, too late, that that place is the United States of America. 

Let’s hope that UC learns to play a new game, one where all sides, the university, the grove, the student athletes, seismic safety, the protesters, and the surrounding community all emerge winners.  

David Weinstein is a UC Berkeley alumnus with an undergraduate degree in French literature. He is a screenwriter with Big Trouble In Little China as a credit. David graduated with honors from CIIS with a masters degree in counseling psychology and is currently a MFT intern. He is an environmental, political and peace activist. David is very grateful to the many wonderful teachers and professors who have enriched his mind, spirit and life. Some of his favorite and cherished teachers are now trees.

I would like to make just a few simple comments about the Marine Corps recruiting office stand-off. First, the U.S. Marine Corps is a military organization with a long history, dating back nearly to the time of the Continental Army. The Marine Corps has been involved in all of the nation’s conflicts since the revolution. The Marine Corps has a proud record of fighting with dignity that compares favorably to any other military organization in the world. It is an all volunteer force that draws its officers and men from across America and responds and is directed by the elected government of the United States. In other words, the Marine Corps is America and America is the Marine Corps. 

It seems to me that the Marines represent many of the finest qualities that we hope to instill in our young people, qualities that we should be encouraging. Qualities such as standing up and being counted; being willing and able to sacrifice for a greater goal beyond just themselves; joining an organization in which the unit and its goals are more important that the individual; helping to ensure by their personal actions that the values and the goals and the safety of the United States is protected and advanced.  

And what about the other branches of the military? Does Berkeley also reject and resist the National Guard? Are these brave young people also “stooges and tools” when they are there to help us during an earthquake? What if there is a natural disaster and the guard is called out and there are no young people from Berkeley in its ranks? What if the Marine Corps is called upon to defend America by our government and there are no young people from Berkeley in its ranks? Isn’t it true that Berkeley would be pushing off the duty and responsibility that some of its young people may freely choose onto others – so that other Americans have to do more? Is that right? 

Can’t our young people be trusted to make their own choices. Don’t we train them to think for themselves and make their own intelligent decisions? Isn’t that what we are paying extra money for in support of Berkeley schools? Why are the thought police in Berkeley always on the left. The common wisdom in Berkeley is that Bush and the Patriot Act are taking away our freedoms and republican fascism is on the march. The reality of the situation is that the thought police in Berkeley are always from the left, trying to tell us how to think and how to behave and limiting our choices. Berkeley is some times describes as “traditionally anti-war,” I would encourage anyone that thinks that to take a walk by the Veterans Memorial building in Berkeley and read the names of those fine young men from Berkeley who have sacrificed for America. If my son grew up and decided on his own to serve in the Marine Corps I would be proud of him and I hope he could enlist right here in Berkeley. He could follow the path of his uncle, Major William C. Wilson, U.S.MC, who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. 

Finally, it pains me to see Berkeley, my home town, once again held up to national ridicule. The foolish behavior of the City Council, involving itself unnecessarily in divisive issues, only reinforces the image of Berkeley as crazy and anti-American. Perhaps the Council could next decide to take up a proposal to paint the Veterans Memorial building Pink. That would be a fitting capstone to this whole fiasco. 

Alan Swain works at UC Berkeley and holds a masters degree from Columbia University. 

RETRACTION REQUESTED 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding Gar Smith’s Feb. 12 commentary about Valentine’s Day roses, specifically the sentence which reads: “Organic Bouquet ... is currently suspected of engaging in poor labor practices ...”  

We have never heard of any such complaints or accusations and, in fact, the company stands for completely the opposite, working every day to promote environmentally and socially responsible practices, including the fact that every farm which supplies Organic Bouquet is certified by one or more: Veriflora, Organic, Fair Trade, Biodynamic. 

I ask Gar Smith and the Daily Planet to please either document and substantiate this accusation, or issue an immediate and full retraction.  

Michael Straus 

Organic Style Ltd and  

Organic Bouquet, Inc. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: After checking sources, the Daily Planet has found no evidence of any irregularities among Organic Bouquet’s suppliers, as alleged in the commentary submission. We regret the error. 

• 

TRAFFIC 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am willing to agree that traffic circles slow everyone down. It certainly slows me down, as I can no longer determine the intentions of oncoming traffic. After two close calls I am trying to remember to simply wait until traffic has cleared the intersection. However, other people are not so cautious, and when you are on foot or bicycle, it can get pretty scary when a vehicle behind you swings wide to clear the circle. For real thrills I suggest turning left the recommended way around a circle (on your bike of course), just in time to discover that someone coming from the side is in a hurry and is going the wrong way to make the turn (in their tank, of course). 

Although traffic circles have made my life a lot more dangerous, I’m sure that it is safer for some other people. My real beef with traffic “calming” is that it is a higher priority than basic safety maintenance. We got a little questionnaire asking if we wanted traffic circles on our street. I voted no. A few months later I found out the result of the questionnaire when they tore up the intersection to put in the traffic circle. I am really impressed. It made me wonder if I was still in Berkeley. No public hearings or long drawn-out debates. An actual pro-active response. So did I miss the questionnaire where everyone voted to not do street maintenance? 

The weekend before last my daughter hit road debris from one of the multitudinous potholes northbound on Sacramento street between Ashby and Dwight. She lost control of her bike and slewed perpendicular to traffic into the middle lane, with a car putting on its brakes behind her. When she caught up with me she was sobbing, “Dad, I almost got killed.” Or how about southbound on Sacramento, which has essentially become a gravel road? How about the crack northbound on Seventh street north of Ashby? How about the abandoned railroad tracks off of Seventh street? How come we’re not pro-active on maintenance? It wasn’t that long ago that a person in a wheelchair was killed trying to avoid a broken sidewalk, so you’d think we would have gotten the message that maintenance is a safety issue. Or is the problem that we can no longer do maintenance on major arterials because traffic circles and barriers have made alternative routes almost impassable?  

Robert Clear 

• 

WAR ON POTHOLES? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

After the Berkeley City Council has ended the war and brought everybody home, then could we fix some of the potholes? 

Dick Bagwell 

• 

HOUSING COMMISSION ARTICLE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Your Feb. 12 article, “Housing Commission Weighs in on Bonus Rules,” claims that “Inclusionary housing by definition reduces potential profits by requiring developers to rent or sell at below market rates to tenants and buyers who couldn’t otherwise afford them.” While this is indeed the common-sense definition, in Berkeley the local and state laws do not accomplish anything of the sort. 

Rents for “inclusionary” housing are based not on market rates for housing in the local community, but on a percentage of “Area Median Income” (AMI) as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. For Berkeley, the relevant area is all of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and the AMI for 2007 was $83,800 (updated figures for 2008 have not yet been released). The currently allowed rents for “inclusionary” studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments are $961, $1,160, and $1,375, respectively. A quick check of craigslist.org shows that all of these are in the current market range: today I found around 20 listings for cheaper apartments in each of those categories. Rents for three- and four-bedroom inclusionary units would be below market rate, if there were any, but most of the apartment buildings that received inclusionary-housing density bonuses in recent years don’t have any apartments that large. 

In other words, developers have been getting density bonuses putatively intended to promote affordable housing while building only market-rate apartments. I’m surprised that wasn’t the central topic of the Housing Commission’s discussion. 

Robert Lauriston 

• 

WHEN THE CIRCUS MOVES ON 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While the band marches on with the circus in town, thanks for the reminder that there are other important items on the City Council agenda. 

Winston Burton 

• 

A COMPROMISE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I nominate City Hall as the site for the antennas. It is tall, doesn’t backup against any residential neighborhoods and has a central location where people come and go but do not linger. 

Constance Wiggins 

• 

NANCY SKINNER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks for Becky O’Malley’s recognition of my strong support for my good friend Nancy Skinner, who clearly is the strongest and best qualified of the candidates to succeed Loni Hancock in representing the 14th District in the California Assembly. As she correctly pointed out, my e-mail note was erroneously sent through my corporate rather than my personal e-mail account, an error for which I apologize. It was intended in no way as an endorsement of Nancy by ICF International, and I’ve e-mailed all the recipients of that note to clarify this. Personally, however, I do support Nancy, and invite anyone with questions about this race to get in touch with me or with her campaign at info@nancyskinnerforassembly.com. 

Carole Norris 

• 

PACIFIC STEEL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Pacific Steel laid off 60 workers last week, claiming that clients were canceling orders because of concerns about the company’s future, and hinted that the crisis was caused at least partly caused by efforts by the City Council to push them out of Berkeley. 

Isn’t it possible that the major concern with Pacific Steel’s finances involves the eventual completion of the new span of the Bay Bridge? Bridge construction has given Pacific Steel a lot of business, and, once the bridge is finished (whenever that is), Pacific Steel is going to have to work hard to find a project or projects that big. If I were an investor or a client, I might be nervous, too. This, rather than any conflict with the city of Berkeley, may be the major reason for Pacific Steel’s pessimism. 

Dale Jensen 

• 

ISRAEL-PALESTINE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I was happy to see the article entitled “Opportunities to Engage With Israel-Palestine” in your Feb. 12 issue, but I was disappointed that it did not highlight one of the most important such opportunities for Berkeley residents this week: a presentation by Joel Kovel scheduled for this Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita, Berkeley. (The event was listed, less prominently in your “Berkeley This Week” calendar—thanks for that.) 

As mentioned in the calendar, Kovel is a longtime activist and a professor at Bard College. But he’s also a former psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry, a former Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate from New York and for the Green nomination for the presidency, and the author of ten acclaimed books, covering issues from white racism to the environmental crises we face. At the BFUU he will be discussing his latest and most controversial publication, Overcoming Zionism, a profound critique not just of Israel’s policies, but of the moral, philosophical, and cultural foundations they rest on. The book is so powerful that the Zionist lobby launched a campaign to compel the University of Michigan Press to stop distributing it, and they came frighteningly close to succeeding. 

The event will be cosponsored by the International Solidarity Movement and the BFUU Social Justice Committee. Admission is free, but donations will be welcomed. 

Henry Norr 

• 

GENTRIFICATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks to Zelda Bronstein for her Feb. 12 article on Danny Hoch’s Taking Over at Berkeley Rep (“Theater of Gentrification”). Bronstein writes that she was sitting on a $49 seat watching the play about gentrification in Brooklyn. Next door, at Aurora Theatre, I was sitting on a $50 seat watching Satellites, which is another play about gentrification in Brooklyn. 

Bronstein wondered why Hoch didn’t address “...the absence of accountable authority.” Similarly, Aurora’s production concerns itself with the lives of the characters but didn’t address responsibility of governmental authority in gentrification. 

The San Francisco Mime Troupe, which doesn’t charge for their shows, did a lively, politically charged show on gentrification a while back. The two pricey Addison Street shows skirted governmental politics. Does it make you wonder if there’s a connection between the high price of the ticket and what playwrights are willing to risk in the area of assigning public accountability? 

Joe Kempkes 

Oakland 

The Planet is only printing letters from locals regarding the ruling on the Marine Recruitment Station. Some of these letters were sent prior to the Feb. 12 City Council meeting and thus do not reflect the council’s most recent ruling.  

Signed letters from non-locals and letters addressed to third parties will be published on our website. Unsigned letters will not be published. 

RESCIND THE VOTE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I just read the Fox News report concerning the Marine Recruiters in Berkeley. Berkeley City Council, what where you thinking? I cannot believe the shame that you have brought upon the citizens of Berkeley with your recent vote to ostracize and disrespect the Marine Corps recruiters working in Berkeley. The personal feelings of the mayor and councilmembers should not enter into the business of running the city. You are representing the citizens of Berkeley and not your own personal interests. 

I was born in Oakland and lived most of my childhood in Albany, Berkeley, and Oakland. I left the Bay Area in 1960 to pursue a career in the Marine Corps and I have served with several very fine Marine Corps Officers that were UC Berkeley graduates. 

I find it hard to believe that the City Council of Berkeley does not understand the value of the Marine Corps and the other Armed Forces of the United States. The very fact that there is a City Council elected by the citizens of Berkeley is a result of the protection of our great country by the U.S. military. This includes free speech and the rights of the Code Pink organization to protest.  

Peaceful protests are a part of the American way and I have no problem with them, The protests should be in accordance with all the city’s ordinances including noise, littering, pollution, and obstruction of businesses. All organized protests should be required to have a permit and the city’s police department should enforce the limits of the permit. 

I recommend that the City Council rescind the vote to tell the Marine Corps Recruiters they are not welcome and treat them the same way you would treat recruiters from any major corporation such as General Motors, Proctor & Gamble, Macy’s, etc. I also recommend a proclamation from the City Council supporting the Armed Forces of the United States be issued. This would go a long way in repairing the damage you have done to the City of Berkeley’s reputation. 

Bob G. Willis CFO 

MGySgt USMC Retired 

Elizabeth City, North Carolina 

• 

TAKE A DEEP BREATH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I stand with all of the writers to the Planet (and Gordon Wozniak) who feel that with respect to the Marines-Code Pink controversy neither side should get special treatment. As a previous writer mentioned, most of us would decry discrimination against, say, a family planning clinic. Equal treatment is just common sense. The prevailing political winds shouldn’t let us trample the First Amendment. 

This fracas highlights an aspect of our little town that has disturbed me for a long time. If one has the temerity to express an opinion in opposition to the prevailing orthodoxy, he or she is often shouted down, ridiculed, or simply ignored. A simple question such as “how much does this cost?” or “is this our top priority?” is met with boos or catcalls from the audience. City staff has to be a little more discreet and often employs procedure and process to stymie a questioner of city policy. 

We need to take a hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves whether we are truly progressive people or not. Are our minds open to new ideas? Are we really listening to each other? Or are we so arrogant, or intellectually lazy, that we resort to bullying and political procedure? 

Let’s use this controversy as an opportunity for a little self-examination. Let’s start by keeping our eyes and ears open and our mouths shut. We’ll all be the better for a little listening, reflection, and respectful dialogue. 

George Beier 

• 

LIES AND OMISSIONS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Big lies, writ small. Delete a word, add a phrase to cause a firestorm of protest, justify an invasion, an occupation, and terrible war crimes. It’s how we got into Iraq, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Cuba in 1898. Thus the San Francisco Chronicle (who Rightists call “Liberal Media”) left off one word (“recruiters”) from the sub headline in its front page article about Berkeley on Feb. 13 to twist the truth. Berkeley isn’t the only city that doesn’t want military recruiters who lie to our kids to get them to sign up, to send them to ruin and be ruined in an unjust war. And thousands of vets also support this position. The Chronicle’s article subverted our city government’s opposition to the war recruiters by transforming it into opposition to those who serve, knowing full well that there are veterans on the City Council. This subversion of the truth to caricature and ridicule the City of Berkeley is intimidation against all Americans who abhor what the government is doing in their name in Iraq. The Pentagon is spending 11 billion in taxpayer dollars for marketing this year. We don’t want their marketing machine in Berkeley. All citizens have to act to end the occupation of Iraq. Opposing recruitment of our youth for Bush’s war is imperative. I urge the Chronicle to end its implicit support for that war. Slanting our news to stir up animosity is not acceptable.  

Marc Sapir 

• 

MARINE RECRUITMENT FRENZY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

For all my 19 years I’ve lived and grown up here in Berkeley, and I know it as a quiet, pleasant, comfortable place to live, far removed from whatever pop culture says it was back in the 1960s. I couldn’t care less about the war in Iraq, but what the City Council has done only helps draw ire and reinforce negative stereotypes about Berkeleyans. We are not all long-haired, pot-smoking hippies. Some of us just want to be left in peace. Please, City Council, just focus in on local issues and let Berkeley become the sleepy liberal college town it deserves to be. 

Anh-vu Doan 

• 

ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I would like to address an argument made by a number of folks in the media and made last night at the Berkeley City Council Meeting. The argument goes: “Support the troops because it is the government’s responsibility for the unjust war.” I think this denial of troop responsibility is a denial of their conscience, and thus, their dignity. They exercise this conscience when they generate the habits that create the kind of person they become, when they chose to enter the military, and when they continuously chose to sustain their participation in an immoral and unjust war. The troops as persons are responsible. We might say they have less responsibility then government leaders, but they still have a level of responsibility, which is sufficient to be judged for participating in immoral and unjust activity, such as Iraq. 

The devaluing or denial of troop responsibility manifested itself last night at the Berkeley City Council. There was general consensus that the war is unjust and they did a better job articulating the depth of the injustice. Yet, they were unwilling to hold the Marine institution and the individual troops sufficiently responsible. In turn, they buckled somewhat to the “support the troops” mantra and affirmed a right of the Marines to recruit in Berkeley. I respect the troops as persons and acknowledge the kind of courage it takes to risk one’s life, but I think we fail them and ourselves when we insist on “supporting” their immoral and unjust choices. This failure is implied when we insist on “supporting the troops” while they fight an immoral and unjust war. 

I wonder how many of those who deny the personal responsibility of troops tend to simplify poverty and argue the poor are personally responsible for their situation? There’s much more which could be said, but I will leave it here for now. 

Eli S. McCarthy 

• 

MERCURY NEWS EDITORIAL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In America’s climate of political correctness disagreeing with the status quo is now the definition of intolerance. Craig Lazzeretti’s Feb. 13 editorial in the San Jose Mercury News (“Berkeley Becomes Home to Intolerance”) is misleading. The Berkeley protesters didn’t shoot or kill anyone. Would that more like them would speak out. Where are the voices of dissent? Why is Bush (Cheney, actually) still president? Why are the policies of the Patriot Act and wire tapping still under enforcement? Where are the voices of dissent? 

For me there are not enough of them and with the current crisis in the media coverage, the voices of dissent that do exist are heard from so scantly. Unless reported with an angle such as Craig Lazzeretti’s.  

Karen Clark 

Sonoma County, CA 

• 

PLEASED TO BE BERZERK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am quite pleased to be a citizen of Berkeley these days. The City Council and the fun-loving ladies of Code Pink are raising hell and attracting the ire of Righties like Melanie Morgan—who apparently is a bit off her meds. Neurological imbalance seems to be a requirement for conservative talk show hosts.  

Take a chill pill Melanie, and I’ll explain it to you. See, B-Town banned massage parlors some years ago for moral reasons. (I will not get into details as they are rather sticky.) Now, the Marines train people to kill other people. Did you know that? That’s what soldiers do. They don’t defend people, they are used as offensive weapons. The police defend people; they’re trained in peaceful conflict resolution and only use force as a last resort. The military resolves conflicts with high explosives. So you see, Melanie, a lot of us are kind of against Marine enlistment centers because they recruit young men to commit heinous acts in order to further the goals of some very bad people in our government. Recruitment centers are basically kill parlors. And you, Melanie, a moral Pro-Lifer, are surely against Kill Parlors! Of course you are. There, you can go home now. You’re welcome. Bye.  

And for those of you who are embarrassed by your City Council’s resolution: Face it, people, Planet Berzerkeley is permanently fixed in the consciousness of most of the world as the place where tofu-slurping, yoga-bending wackos gather to annoy normal people. Celebrate the vision! After all, how does one find the “happy medium” without experiencing the extremes? Berkeley has a noble legacy of demonstrating the leftward end. If we give up now, we will let a lot of people down. I know you’re with me on this, Melanie. Kisses. 

Chuck Heinrichs 

• 

UN-AMERICAN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It is interesting that you are not printing any letters against the mayor and City Council regarding their disgusting edict to the military. I am not a “local,” however my money is spent in Berkeley. I always take out-of-town guests to Berkeley. I spend a lot of money in Berkeley. No more! 

I am disgusted that in this time of war and time of daily deaths happening to our young men and women in the military that this city would take such a stance. 

The military is protecting your rights and this is how they are treated? Your city representatives make me sick to my stomach. I have written to Sacramento in hopes that my one voice added to many will help stop Berkeley from receiving any money from the state for any of your projects. The City of Berkeley should be ashamed of itself. I will never step foot in this un-American, military-bashing city of fools. 

Sandy Dawson 

San Lorenzo 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Planet has published and continues to published letters from all sides of the issue. Our definition of “local” letters includes the greater Bay Area. Signed letters from non-locals—again, from all sides of the debate—are published on our website. 

• 

HOPING FOR RETRACTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing to express my deep concern with the Berkeley City Council’s moves to eject the Marines from our city. While I strongly oppose the war in Iraq, and am sickened by the death and destruction wrought there, I do not believe that blaming the Marines is the solution. As a group, the Marines are not blood-thirsty monsters. They are professionals who are trained to perform an extraordinarily difficult—and sometimes misguided—job. While I may not agree with many of the Marines’ traditions and practices—including their questionable recruiting practices targeting vulnerable populations—it is undeniable that their organization offers a viable career path to young people who may have few other educational or professional opportunities open to them. 

It is the country’s leaders who are the war mongers, and who should be held accountable for their misguided zealotry and deceit. Rather than attacking the Marines—and putting Berkeley at risk of losing federal funds at a time when California faces a fiscal crisis—the Berkeley City Council should be supporting our troops. We should all be doing everything possible to ensure the election of politicians who will end the war and end the misuse of our brave soldiers. 

I sincerely hope that the City Council will retract its demonizing attacks on the Marines, and go back to serving as the moral conscience for the nation. 

Gwyneth Galbraith 

• 

DISGRACEFUL ACT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As supporters of the pro-troop organization Move America Forward, our family was shocked to learn of Berkeley’s attack on the Marines. We have contacted the Berkeley City Council, notifying them we are boycotting the city and are calling upon Congress to cease all federal funding of special projects in Berkeley until the city reverses their misguided “resolutions.” 

If it weren’t for the brave people like the Marines fighting for freedom overseas, we would be fighting the terrorists on our own soil. 

One of our relatives interned on U.S. soil during World War II simply because he was an American citizen of Japanese ancestry nonetheless fought bravely for the U.S. and earned a Purple Heart while serving in the Japanese-American 442nd team of the U.S. Army, the most decorated unit in American military history. Our family knows first-hand the commitment and sacrifice of our brave soldiers. 

The Berkeley City Council’s disgraceful acts against the Marines are nothing short of treason, and they need to be taught a valuable lesson that their unconscionable actions will have consequences. 

Esao, Cheryl and Brian Tada 

Mill Valley 

• 

THE POWER OF LOCAL  

GOVERNMENT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The considerable local and national attention paid to the Berkeley City Council’s resolution to eject the Marine recruiters is thoroughly warranted—but not for the reasons so far discussed. The council’s actions should not be evaluated in terms of the war in Iraq, or in terms of freedom of speech or assembly. There is a more fundamental issue involved: the power of local government to oppose the raising of the U.S. military.  

This issue is described in a national petition that has quickly garnered broad support. The petition was drafted by Marine veteran Nicholas Provenzo. As he points out, no local government can oppose the national government in its task of building a military. Article I, Section VII of the Constitution charges Congress with the responsibility of raising and supporting an army. Running the recruiters out of town would hinder a legitimate function of the national government and thwart a mandate of the U.S. Constitution. This is no small matter. 

By its nature, the military as such is a non-political entity. It is charged with upholding the Constitution and the laws passed by Congress – whatever laws those may be. To point out the obvious, as a national organ of defense, the military continually protects and defends of all areas of the United States, in wartime and in peacetime, regardless of residents’ political views. Additionally, recruiters cannot recruit for specific wars or missions per se, and few if any military personnel are assigned to only one mission in the course of their service. The council’s actions are therefore short-sighted in the extreme, if not selectively blind. Such actions, whether concrete or symbolic, suggest that the Council and its supporters wish to have their cake and eat it too. 

When different levels of government disagree, the proper place to resolve it is in the courts. Political opinions, no matter how strongly held, cannot trump the proper organization and delimitation of duties among levels of government. To do so willfully would be an act of lawlessness and subversion. After two weeks of passionate disagreement, one can only hope that all parties will remember that “reason is the life of the law”—at all levels of government. 

Katherine Brakora 

• 

A PUBLIC STAND 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Our mayor and City Council made public statements that the Marines are unwelcome in Berkeley. Because of these statements, a previously obscure Republican senator from South Carolina proposed that all federal funds should be taken from Berkeley. Today (Tuesday, Feb. 12), there is talk of the City Council rescinding their statements. I see this as about the current war in Iraq. Many cities in this land are against this war, although the congress has not been able to defund it. In the city council’s statements against the Marines, the Berkeley City Council is publicly taking a stand against the war in Iraq. Other cities could take such a stand, this would not look good, our nation’s people actually stating an opinion against a nation’s war, so Berkeley has been threatened with withdrawal of funds for their stand against this war. I suspect no other cities will dare to take a stand against the war publicly. I hope the rest of the world knows that once again people of the United States have been intimidated. 

Ardys DeLu 

• 

BERKELEY CITIZEN ACTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

This letter is written on behalf of the Steering Committee of Berkeley Citizens Action (BCA); we were not able to conduct a vote of our membership given our short time frame. 

BCA supports the original resolution passed by City Council and we urge you not to back away from principled position of that statement. 

In BCA’s 30-plus years of existence as an organization, we have seen the United States engage in unjust, costly and illegal military operations. We are approaching the five-year anniversary of our presence in Iraq, five years that have brought death to both Americans and Iraqis and what may turn out to be irreparable destruction and disruption of that country. 

We know that the economic and other pressures which propel young people into the armed services often occur before they fully understand what their role will be or what actions they’ve committed themselves to undertake. We know that military recruiters have quotas to fill and are not beyond appealing to young people with patriotic propaganda and tempting claims of job training, college, etc. 

The location of the Marine Recruiting Office in downtown Berkeley is strategically placed in proximity to students at Berkeley High, Berkeley City College and UC. Our City should not be a site for recruiting for war but rather for educating our youth to understand and practice peaceful alternatives. Recruiters should not be free to appeal to youth who are sometimes not yet even old enough to vote! 

We strongly disagree with those who say the original resolution showed lack of support for our troops. Our Steering Committee supports the safety of our troops by demanding that they be brought home immediately. Nor were there incorrect or disrespectful statements in the resolution; unfortunately, the “offensive” statements are true. 

Mayor and City Council, you are our elected representatives. You represent the positions and opinions of our citizens which have consistently opposed this and other wars. We urge you to stand strong behind your original resolution. The Marines should know that Berkeley is one community that stands for peace and against feeding the war machine. 

Linda Olivenbaum 

Berkeley Citizens Action 

Steering Committee 

• 

THE WAR ON KIDS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am a 16-year-old sophomore at Berkeley High School writing about the events of today’s demonstration. First off, I want to say that the demonstration today turned into an anti-war vs. a pro-war protest. In addition to the fact that this demonstration was held right next to our school, there were out-of-state and out-of-town people protesting the war, apparently oblivious to the facts that started this—that is the Berkeley City Council’s actions against the Marine Corps Recruiting Station. Also, for those out-of-towners, it is clear that this was basically a hate on Berkeley opportunity, and that, in a totally cowardly manner, they chose to vent their anger and hatred towards Berkeley at its minor citizens, that is, Berkeley High School students.  

Everyday, before school, at lunch, and after school, students pass thought the park. Plus the city recently built two sets of double skateboard ledges in the park, where all during the day students go and skate. Thus we have come to take this part of the park as a safe and peaceful area to spend our time. But when we have the city of Berkeley allowing and setting up a demonstration in our “peaceful” area, it tends to aggravate the students who spend their minimum amount of free time there. As the pro-war protesters spent their time in the park they continuously harassed the students who were there. During the day it gradually enraged the skaters that as the anti-war protesters were asked politely to move from a four-foot section (out of a total of 60 feet of ledges), the anti-war protester would not obliged the skaters’ requests. Plus they went to greater lengths to further enrage the skaters by verbally abusing them and calling more protesters to come to sit on the ledges. 

After school I went over to the park with my friends to skate, like we always do. My friends asked if a few middle-aged men would please move away from a small section of the ledges so that they could skate. The men, in response, verbally abused them. We had been, throughout the day, harassed by this same group of non-Berkeley residents. They called us maggots! They refused to leave and my friends finally were so enraged that there was a series of verbal exchanges. Between the middle age men and young high school skaters. Then the police came over and separated the two groups but the middle-aged men continued to harass the students from behind the cops. As I witnessed my friends circle around to the back side of the police to continue I saw my friends get pushed and then hit by these men, although I saw none of my friends hit anyone, and they say they did not as well. In response to these BHS students getting beaten by out-of-town middle-aged men who were twice the size of my friends, Berkeley police, about 10 of them, came over and stared hitting any students they could see with their night sticks. I was hit twice and while I was pushed away. I watched as one of my friends was hit by one of the middle age men and as another two of my friends where arrested. 

I want to know why the City of Berkeley was not able to predict this outcome, and why they think the are free to pursue such frivolous and meaningless gestures without thinking about the consequences. Why, also did the police focus 100 percent of their aggression and brutality towards the Berkeley High School students and not towards the ones who where attacking us? Why did the city endorse the police actions which did not protect Berkeley kids, but turned on them when they were being harassed and attacked by adults. The Berkeley High Students were innocent by-standers in the whole circus which was prompted by an irresponsible, self-indulgent City Council. The Berkeley High School students had no place else to be, and no place else they should have been at 3:15 in the afternoon. They had just been released from school. That they had to exit school into this, and then be the targets of out of town harassment and police aggression is really amazing and wrong. Why, in fact, does the City of Berkeley use Berkeley tax money to pursue ineffective gestures when there are many unsolved and unaddressed problems which are real issues to which they should focus their attention. Unlike a “symbolic” but arbitrary parking space, BHS is in need of books, supplies, and classrooms. Unlike these anti-war non-efforts of the city, a large percentage of BHS students are most likely going to be in the war in the next few years, and yet, the city’s finest turned its clubs on us.  

Conrad Petraborg 

• 

SHOCK AND DISGUST 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As one who was raised in Berkeley, attended Berkeley Public Schools, and later served honorably in the Marines for two decades (active and reserve), I received word of the Berkeley City Council’s condemnation of the Marine Officer Selection Office with both shock and disgust. Statements made by the mayor and councilmembers during the Jan. 29 council meeting were offensive and inflammatory. These statements indicated a hatred of all Marines, and not just a protest against this country’s involvement in Iraq. I am therefore compelled to write to you urging you to apologize for, and retract, your derogatory comments, and rescind your resolutions against the Marines. 

The United States Marine Corps has a proud history dating back to Nov. 10, 1775. when it was originally formed by an act of the Continental Congress. The Marine Corps has served with particular distinction in every American armed conflict, including the Revolutionary War. It is true that Marines are proud of their combat history—they should be. But there is one important fact about the Marines that you have either overlooked, or purposefully ignored in your revilement of all things military. In any given year, U.S. troops—including the Marines—undertake humanitarian projects and missions in nearly 100 countries. I’ll wager that the Marine Corps has participated in more humanitarian missions and projects than combat missions over their 232-year history. 

To Marines, rendering aid is not the same as sitting back in the comfort of your Berkeley Hills home in front of your computer and sending a check to charitable organizations. It is being outside in the sweltering heat or bitter cold, ensuring that the victims of man-made or natural disasters have life-saving food, water, shelter and medical treatment. It is traveling to impoverished communities to build medical clinics and schools. Marines are just as proud as the assistance they give to others as their combat record. Listing all of the humanitarian missions and civilian evacuations undertaken by the U.S. Marines in their history would fill an encyclopedia. Here are just a few examples. 

In January 200,1 Marines deployed to East Timor to work on orphanages, schools, medical clinics and other structures to improve the quality of lives for hundreds of East Timorese. In November 2001, Marines deployed to Djibouti where they assisted in the treatment of approximately 1,700 medical and dental patients, installed generators, solar panels and sanitation systems. In March 2004 Marines deployed to Haiti to provide medical assistance, distribute water, and clear trash from city streets. In June 2004 Marines traveled to Guatemala to construct clinics, a schoolhouse and other projects. Marines participated in the humanitarian aid efforts in New Orleans and the surrounding areas following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. In May and June of 2006, at the request of the Indonesian government, Marines provided emergency aid to the Indonesian people suffering from the effect of the devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake. After a massive earthquake struck Pakistan in October 2007, Marines played a role in the massive relief effort to provide medical and humanitarian aid. Marines recently completed a humanitarian assistance operation in Bangladesh. The aid was requested by the government of Bangladesh following the death and destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Sidr in November 2007. Marines have been involved in getting U.S. citizens out of danger since its creation. Most recently, Marines helped evacuate people from Indonesia after the tsunami in 2005, from Liberia in 2004 and 1993, and from Tanzania and Kenya in 1998. 

To whine that Marines are the president’s gangsters and trained killers, and use those comments as justification to excoriate the Marines who are serving this country is insulting and intentionally misleading. You say the Marines aren’t welcome in your city. The call to arms you passed in the form of the measure encouraging people and organizations to actively impede the work of the Marine recruiters is arguably illegal, and violates the rights of young men and women who wish to visit the recruiting office. Instead of subjecting the young men and women serving at the Marine recruiting office to escalating protests, with the increasing risk of violence, you should go there and meet with them personally—get to know them. They are not faceless robots. They are American citizens who deserve as much protection from you in your city as anyone else does. If you do meet with them, and get to know them, you will find they have much in common with you and your own grown children. They just want to serve their country. Is that really so bad? 

Ralph Kasarda, Jr. 

Sacramento, California 

Back in 1972, near the end of the Vietnam war, I was living in San Francisco, and my close friend, ex-Sgt. Van Dale Todd, a combat veteran of the 101st Airborne, lived next door in the same building, a Victorian on 29th Street. Sometimes Van would take a notion to hit the wall which separated our apartments with his fist and shout, “Who the fuck would join the Marine Corps?” I’d yell back, “Airborne sucks!” “The Marine Corps sucks!” Van’d shout. “Only two things come out of the sky,” I’d yell back again, “Bird shit and fools!” That was how we said good morning to each other. It was our ritualized greeting. 

We didn’t set out to live next door to each other; it just happened. One day I discovered that someone had moved into the adjacent apartment and had pasted a peace sign on his door. 

The next day I encountered him on the landing. He was a tall, powerful-looking guy, about 22 years old, with shoulder-length hair and wearing a combat fatigue jacket, similar to mine. He introduced himself as “Van.” In the course of the conversation we found that we were both ex-GIs and also, coincidentally, members of the same veterans’ anti-war organization. 

Van glanced at my door. “You need a peace sign there,” he observed. He produced one from his pack and pasted it up. “There,” he said, “We’re going to be a peace family here in this building.” 

During the weeks that followed, we saw each other almost every day. We attended antiwar rallies together and once even got arrested together. 

Van told me about his experiences in “Nam,” the killing he’d seen and participated in, of the stress and the widespread drug use among GIs. “I got this medal for killing two people,” he told me, showing me his bronze star, “and when I did it I was high on opium.” 

Although I’d spent four years in the USMC, I was never in Vietnam. I was both fascinated and also slightly horrified at Van’s experiences. That was before I ever heard the term PTSD, but it was clear that Van had brought some of that violence back with him. 

One day he got in a fight with his cat. I intervened, telling him that if he wasn’t going to be kind to his pet, I’d take the animal away from him. It was a plea rather than a threat. Van was a big man who could easily have broken me in half, but he relented, took the kitty gently in his arms and said, “I love my cat.” 

On the corner was a small grocery run by a guy who seemed to go out of his way to be rude to his customers. Nevertheless, Van sometimes went in there. On one occasion, I heard later, the shopkeeper threatened Van with a baseball bat. Van responded, “You put that thing away or I’ll wrap it around your neck!” Fortunately, the shopkeeper put the bat away. 

Usually Van was gentle. He hated violence, having seen so much of it in Vietnam. “I killed seven people in Vietnam,” he said. “I killed a mother who was crying because her children were all dead.” 

Van had once believed in the war, and he was a guy who’d fight for what he believed in. He’d enlisted in the Army, volunteered for the paratroopers, asked to be assigned to Vietnam. He spent seventeen months in combat with the 101st Airborne in 1969 and 1970. After returning from Vietnam, however, he had second thoughts and joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. 

Nevertheless, Van wasn’t much given to analysis. Instead of looking at how he’d been exploited on behalf of corrupt corporations, he blamed himself for what he’d done, and tormented himself for having “enjoyed” it. “I loved combat,” he used to say, shaking his head remorsefully. “I was so sick I loved to kill.” 

“I don’t want my little brother Sam, or anybody’s little brother, to see what I saw or do what I did,” he said, and spoke out against the war. On April 17, 1972, Van and I were part of a group of sixteen ex-GIs who occupied an Air Force recruiting office to protest the war. We were arrested and bailed out the next day. 

On April 21, we went to court for a preliminary appearance and got our first look at Judge Lloyd Burke. Judge Burke sat there, just leaning on his elbow and looking bored, like an old railroad engineer gazing at the scenery along the spur he’s been chugging up and down for the last twenty years. The charge was “disorderly conduct,” and the judge refused us a trial by jury. When our attorney pointed out that trial by jury was a Constitutional right, stated in the Sixth, Seventh and Fourteenth Amendments, Judge Burke just said, “Overruled,” without even lifting his chin off his elbow, and he set our trial dates. 

To Van, it was a heavy shock. About all he could say when we got home was, “The Man [Judge Burke] just doesn’t give a shit about us!” Van just sat there for a long time with a vacant look in his eyes. 

I think Van did expect the judge to care about us. Van still believed very deeply in something he called “America.” In Van’s “America,” there was still something left of that mythical age when you could walk into the White House and talk with the President. Van saw public officials as people who listen—which sometimes they do, but not as often as Van seemed to think. 

We went on trial a week later in the courtroom of Judge Robert Schnacke, who reaffirmed reaffirm the decision to deny us our Constitutional right to trial by jury, and then, at the end of a two-hour session, found us all guilty. 

The irony was that trial by jury is one of the most fundamental American rights which Van had supposedly fought to defend. It’s an ancient principle which goes back to the Magna Carta. 

Before sentencing we were each allowed to say a few words. Van, wearing all his medals on his fatigue jacket, stood up and began: “I was a machine gunner . . .” He told of the horrors he’d seen and of his buddies he’d seen die. The war had to stop. Judge Schnacke nodded as though listening. But he sentenced each of us to 30 days and fined us each $50. (We eventually paid the $50 but didn’t go to jail.) 

Judges Burke and Schnacke were both former prosecutors. As judges they did their job as functionaries of the same system that sends American GIs abroad to kill or be killed in defense of U.S. corporate strategy. But to Van there was no such thing as a “system”—just America. These judges represented the America he believed in, and the experience of being denied his rights devastated him. From then on, he acted like a person utterly lost. He became so lonely that he dropped by my apartment five or ten times a day, sometimes even at one or two in the morning. 

One night he came to my place and pounded on the door. “I want to show you something!” he shouted. When I opened the door I could see he was terribly upset, apparently in a violent mood. Van was not a person I cared to argue with when he was that angry; I was frightened. 

“I killed seven people in Nam,” Van was saying as we entered his apartment. “I can’t live with it any more!” He went to a drawer, took out a bottle of bright red pills, swallowed them and passed out almost immediately. 

In a diary we found after his death, he’d written: “Vietnam left me so alone. Why or how could I take the life of a human? Why was killing humans fun? Can God forgive me?” 

We gave him a veteran’s antiwar funeral, burying him in his combat uniform with his service medals and also with his VVAW button. While five veterans and a woman carried out the coffin, everybody lined up in two rows and gave Van a final clenched-fist salute. 

On returning home, I went into the vacant apartment where Van had lived until so recently. “Airborne sucks!” I called out. Van’s things were gone; the place was empty now. It was an emptiness that left room for my voice to echo back and forth between the walls. I tried again, louder than before, “Only two things come out of the sky!” Again, there was an echo, a louder echo, but still only of my own voice. It was followed by the creaking of wooden floorboards under my feet in that old Victorian house. 

Daniel Borgström is an ex-Marine against the war and a member of Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace. www.danielborgstrom.com. 

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I’m fixated on keeping privately run Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO) from eating me and my neighborhood alive. Soon there’ll be nothing left of me but a small oil slick in front of my 100-year-old house. That should make it easier for the bulldozers to roll down Dover Street. At least there’ll be no me to run over. 

My deterioration started at a Sept. 13 community meeting when hospital executives unveiled plans to build a 12-story tower a half block from my home at 53rd and Dover streets. I lost part of my heart when I learned that my house would be in the shadow of the 196-foot-tall tower with a helipad. I nearly lost my mind when I discovered I would be asked to help pay for this concrete mega-expansion via a $300 million parcel tax known as Measures A and B. 

My decomposition advanced over the winter as my neighbors and I dug deeper into CHO’s plans and learned the hospital intended to use eminent domain to take the homes of unwilling sellers. The hospital bought all but four houses inside the footprint and a century-old brown shingle craftsman across from the site, which will likely be razed to make way for a construction staging area, along with a 13-unit apartment complex. 

CHO senior vice president Mary Dean characterized these real estate purchases as “opportunities” and said they would buy up more “opportunities” as they became available. Suddenly the jigsaw pieces started to fit together: All the homes CHO bought that remained empty, the traffic light that sprang up almost overnight at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 53rd Street. CHO was hoarding property and securing access to their dream tower, with an entrance and ambulance bay planned for 53rd and Dover streets. 

In January, the hospital’s campaign of emotional blackmail ramped up when registered voters received mailers that bordered on harassment. If we didn’t vote for Measures A and B, they implied, the hospital would close and children would suffer and possibly even die. 

As we all now know, Measures A and B were soundly defeated. Hospital executives would not get their hands on the $300 million they claimed they needed to build the tower. My neighbors and I celebrated for 10 minutes before learning from Oakland city councilmember Jane Brunner that CHO planned to move forward as though the election had never happened. 

Last week, Tony Paap, CHO’s former president and CEO, published a column in the Berkeley Daily Planet debunking virtually all CHO’s campaign arguments. “They have thumbed their nose at the county, they have thumbed their nose at the neighborhood … your needs be damned,” he later told a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Which brings us to last Wednesday evening when more than 100 community members crammed into the North Oakland Senior Center to hear what the hospital had planned now that it didn’t have the $300 million. 

CHO senior vice president Mary Dean’s presentation was riddled with contradictory messages: The hospital would return to “square one” and get more community input, but would proceed with plans for a 12-story tower at 53rd and Dover streets. Board chairman Harold Davis’ had not told them to move forward, she said, but had told them “not to stop the process.” What’s the difference? 

There was something to laugh about. Earlier that week, I had purchased 30 T-shirts and carefully ironed on each a decal of our organization logo “Livable Oakland.” I wanted my neighbors to wear them at the community meeting as a gesture of solidarity. When she saw us wearing the T-shirts, Ms Dean asked for one. I’d spent $90 of my own money on them and I sure as hell didn’t want to waste one on someone whose mission is definitely not livable. But my polite side got the better of me and I grudgingly gave her one. She pulled it over her fancy suit and pearls and strutted around in it. No one at the meeting understood why she was wearing it. 

I’ll tell you why. She was wearing it to prove what we already know. The hospital asks, then takes, and doesn’t pay. Mary Dean, you owe me three bucks!

It’s always dangerous to read too much into trends in popular culture. Nonetheless, there seems to be a strong relationship between the five movies nominated for best picture of 2007 and polls showing 67 percent of Americans believe the United States is headed in the wrong direction. 

Except for Juno, a compelling Indie film that asks us to believe a pregnant 16-year-old is the smartest person in town, all of the Oscar nominees are relentlessly grim. Atonement follows the downward trajectory of a love affair undermined by the vengeful imagination of a besotted ingénue. Michael Clayton takes us inside the life of a marginal corporate attorney struggling to maintain his integrity while he salvages his law firm’s defense of a multinational corporation accused of knowingly causing the deaths of hundreds of small farmers. And then the going gets really bleak. 

No Country for Old Men follows a West Texas loner who absconds with drug money and is tracked by a psychopathic hit man. (As was true with last year’s winner, The Departed, the suspense is whether any character we care about will be left alive at the end of the movie.) Finally, There Will Be Blood tracks the disintegration of an oil prospector who loses his soul as his wealth increases. 

Three of these films conclude that the universe provides no justice. A fourth, Michael Clayton, takes the position that justice is at best a haphazard occurrence. Only in Juno does the audience get the sense of a well-ordered world and that’s from the perspective of a pregnant 16-year-old. 

It’s not as if these movies are unrepresentative of Hollywood, in general. 2007’s highest grossing films included Spider Man III, the latest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, The Bourne Ultimatum, 300, and I am Legend. Of the top 10 films only Shrek III and The Simpson Movie would be classified as light-hearted. And a year ago, the candidates for the Oscar included Babel, The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Queen; the first three were also extraordinarily grim. 

If you subscribe to the theory that popular culture reflects the national psyche, then as you watch the five films nominated for this year’s Oscar, it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that Americans are dejected. Indeed, most of the novels we read and the programs we watch on TV support this judgment. In 2007 the plot of the average bestseller was “a killer stalks the streets” and the most popular TV series was “Lost,” where 71 survivors of a plane crash are marooned on a desert island and continually threatened by malevolent entities. 

The common theme in our books, movies, and TV programs seems to be that Americans live in a universe where the rules no longer make sense. In this grim new world, success is not determined by hard work and perseverance, but rather by random factors such as who you know, where you were born, and whether your number comes up in the lottery. Meanwhile, as we trudge through this inhospitable terrain, we believe we are constantly in terrible danger: death and destruction can happen at any minute and there is little that can save us except perhaps a super hero, the Virgin Mary, or a sagacious pregnant 16-year-old. 

One interpretation of our mythic malaise is that it’s a natural byproduct of the culture of fear ruthlessly inculcated by the Bush administration after 9/11. For more than six years their relentless message has been “the barbarians are storming the gates and there is nothing you can do about it except trust Dubya and pray for the rapture.” The prevalence of this culture of fear explains the popularity of movies like I Am Legend, where the narrative concerns a ravaged New York beset by insatiable zombies, a culture so inhospitable there’s little the average person can do but run for the hills. 

There’s an additional interpretation of America’s angst. At the same time we have been rendered numb by fear, the public has lost confidence in our economic system. At one time Americans believed if we worked hard and played by the rules, we would inevitably improve our lives and those of our children; in any event, we felt certain that at the end of our days we would accomplish a dignified retirement—if we were sick or infirm, we would be cared for. Now many of us fear for the future: the average American believes things are getting worse rather than better; we regret the world we are bequeathing to our children; and we fear what will happen to us in our old age. In place of the myth of the benevolent community we find ourselves marooned in an inhospitable landscape, continually threatened by malevolent entities. 

Who should we blame? According to Hollywood, the fault lies with American adults. What’s the solution? Juno for president. 

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer. He can be reached at bobburnet@comcast.net. 

Never mind that it’s caught me unarmed and ill-prepared, as usual; I love this sample of early spring we’re getting. We didn’t have it quite the same way last year, I guess. As happened, I was ‘way out of town and in another climate for most of last February on a most urgent and unfortunate errand, so I’m only guessing.  

The last two weeks, though, I’m feeling rewarded, compensated for missing that time here. All of a sudden, Bang!, the plums started blooming and the glorious trend is rolling across town in its syncopated way. They’re overlapping with the winter manzanita and magnolia blossoms, with the flowering quince who can’t make up their minds whether they’re winter or spring bloomers, never mind what the books say.  

The purple-leaf plum that overhangs our yard from the east fenceline is so floriferous that its scent fills the lot. Plums aren’t strong-smelling flowers and their effect is usually subtle; this one just has such an abundance of blossoms they create a mass scent chorus, like a choir of soft voices that becomes orchestral by sheer harmonizing numbers.  

There’s such abundance that the birds who nibble the petal bases for that bit of sweetness—taste one and see!—make no discernible reduction. They just leave single, clipped barely-pink petals all over the car parked underneath, along with what the tree sheds on its own. We drive off down the street merrily trailing floral confetti like a bridal procession. You can’t buy that kind of accessory at Kragen. 

The English sparrows nest under eaves or in any handy hollow, damn them. (They’re invasive exotics and have played hob with North American natives like bluebirds by taking over nesting spots, sometimes outright killing the bluebirds to do so.) The housefinches and the goldfinches, two species of them, nest in trees and therein lies the rub of our early warm weather.  

There’s a male lesser goldfinch sounding his querulous-to-inquisitive call notes in one of the plums out back as I write this. He’s great company, never mind the whining, and I hope he and the female I startled off the back porch a few minutes ago decide to set up housekeeping here this year. It’s worth tolerating shade on the garden beds to leave enough of that eastern row of undistinguished yellow-fruited plums for birds to feel welcome. 

He’s sometimes on a branch near an old nest, probably last year’s, maybe his or a family member’s. It seems to be a good homesite. But I haven’t quite finished pruning that tree of its overhang, and we’ve barely started on the lady Banks rose that climbs up to the second-story kitchen window. There was a bushtit nest in that one last year, a complex construction that looked like an old gray woolly sock. I love having bushtits around; aside from eating bugs, they’re just so merry on their rounds.  

There’s a hummingbirds nest somewhere but I haven’t found it yet; I know it’s there because we have both male and female Anna’s hummers at the feeder (and once, in the house: safely caught and released) and they start nesting in January. Last year’s nest was in the culinary-bay laurel, not five feet from the back stairs. 

The Lindsay Wildlife Museum (www.wildlife-museum.org) in Walnut Creek issues a plea every year for care and kindly attention to birds and squirrels nesting in trees we’re pruning. The best time for pruning most trees and shrubs—birds like towhees and song sparrows tend to nest pretty close to the ground—is before nesting season, but there’s overlap between early nesters and available time, for most of us.  

That includes professionals. You don’t get to call yourself doing “sustainable landscaping” if you’re not taking care of the householders in your clients’ trees. Doublecheck any snags or dead trees you’re asked to remove, as those are ideal sites for woodpeckers and other hole nesters. 

The Lindsay folks advise looking first, which is easier in bare trees. Make noise; don’t try to sneak up on a nest because panicked birds might injure eggs or young. Watch for birds flying out of a tree, a clue there might be a nest there. 

If you find an occupied or new nest, hold off pruning that plant till the young are grown and gone. If you’ve dislocated a nest, put it back and tie it in if necessary. If it’s structurally damaged, put it into a small bowl, box, margarine tub or somesuch with drainage holes in the bottom. Don’t use a berry basket; they snag nestlings.  

If you’re sure you have abandoned nestlings, wait another hour or two; you might be wrong. Then put them in a box or paper bag; keep them warm and quiet. Don’t offer food or water. Call the Lindsay Wildlife Museum Hospital for advice: (925) 935-1978.  

One of the more interesting phenomena to emerge from the U.S. debacle in Iraq is the demise of the unipolar world that rose from the ashes of the Cold War. A short decade ago the U.S. was the most powerful political, economic and military force on the planet. Today its army is straining under the weight of an unpopular occupation, its economy is careening toward recession, and the only “allies” it can absolutely depend on in the United Nations are Israel, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. 

Rather than the “American Century” the Bush Administration neo-conservatives predicted, it is increasingly a world where regional alliances and trade associations in Europe and South America have risen to challenge Washington’s once undisputed domination. 

When Argentina thumbed its nose at the U.S.-dominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund, it had the powerful Mercosur trade association to back it up. When the U.S. tried to muscle Europe into ending agricultural subsidies (while keeping its own), the European Union refused to back down. 

And now India, China and Russia are drifting toward a partnership—alliance is too strong a word—that could transform global relations and shift the power axis from Washington to New Delhi, Beijing, and Moscow. 

It is a consortium of convenience, as the interests of the three countries hardly coincide on all things.  

In security matters, for instance, the Chinese look east toward Taiwan, the Indians north to Pakistan, and the Russians west at an encroaching North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). There are still tensions between China and India over their 1962 border war, and bad feelings between Russia and China go all the way back to the Vietnam War. 

But growing trade, security issues and an almost insatiable hunger for energy have brought the three together in what Russian President Vladimir Putin calls a “trilateral” relationship.  

The initial glue was a common interest in the gas and oil supplies of Central Asia. 

In 2001, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to challenge U.S. moves to corner Central Asia’s gas and oil reserves and to counter the growing presence of NATO in the Pacific Basin. SCO has since added India and given observer status to Iran, Pakistan, Mongolia and Afghanistan.  

Access to energy is almost an existential issue for China and India. China imports half its oil, and energy shortages could derail the high-flying Chinese economy. India imports 70 percent of its oil, and, unlike China, it has no strategic reserves.  

Both nations have made energy a foreign policy cornerstone. China is pumping billions of dollars into developing Caspian Sea oil and gas fields and building pipelines, while India is busy negotiating a pipeline deal with Iran.  

The India-Iran deal has come under considerable pressure from Washington. Nicholas Burns, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, told the Financial Times that Washington hoped “very much that India will not conclude any long-term oil and gas agreements with Iran.” 

However, Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram says, “We should do it—Iran has the gas and we need the gas.” India is estimated to have up to $40 billion in gas and oil interests in Iran, and the pipeline is projected to cost $10 billion. 

To much unhappiness in Washington, China just inked a $2 billion deal to develop Iran’s Yadavaran gas and oil field. 

The International Energy Agency predicts that energy needs will be 50 percent higher in 2030 than they are today, and that developing countries will soak up 74 percent of that rise. China and India will account for 45 percent of those energy needs, and by sometime after 2010, China will be the largest energy user in the world. 

This past October, the nations which border the Caspian Sea—Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan—jointly declared that they “will not allow other countries to use their territories for acts of aggression or other military operations against any party.” The declaration was seen as directly aimed at U.S. bases in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. 

There are also growing trade ties among China, India and Russia. 

Trade between India and China was $24 billion in 2007, the same as trade between India and the U.S., and is projected to jump to $40 billion by 2010. Both nations have agreed to reopen an overland route through the Himalayas that has been closed for 44 years. 

In 1992 India launched its “Look East” policy, and Asia now constitutes 45 percent of India’s trade. India is the third largest economy in the region, followed by China and Japan. 

India desperately needs up to $500 billion in investments to upgrade its infrastructure. South Korea and Singapore are already major investors, and the Russians have shown interest as well. India would love a piece of Russia’s $1 trillion foreign exchange reserves. 

There are growing security ties as well, some of which have a decided downside.  

China is relying on Russia for many of its new weapons, including the high performance SU-33 fighter, which can be adapted for use on aircraft carriers. The Chinese say they plan to build several carriers, which would allow them to challenge the current U.S. domination of the Taiwan Straits. 

India has just concluded an agreement to buy and jointly assemble Russia’s new fighter, the SU-30, which in recent war games outmaneuvered and outfought the U.S. F-16. New Delhi will buy Russia’s fifth-generation fighter, the Future Tactical Aviation Concept, rather than the U.S. F-22 or the European F-35. The Russians are also modernizing India’s Vikramaditya aircraft carrier and have agreed to a joint production agreement to build Russia’s new tank, the T-90. 

While none of the three countries’ military budgets approach U.S. military spending, nevertheless, tens of billions of dollars are being funneled into armaments at a time of growing economic inequity in all three nations. 

According to the United Nations Development Report, inequality in India has grown faster in the last 15 years than it did in the preceding 50. Mortality for children under the age of five is three times that of China, and greater than Bangladesh and Nepal. Some 46.7 percent of India’s children are underweight, and 44.9 percent are stunted in growth.  

Those figures for China are 10 percent and 14.2 percent respectively.  

While India’s poor were getting poorer, India’s 311 billionaires saw their collective wealth jump 71 percent in 2006.  

China and Russia do not have the same inequity gulf as India, but there is widening economic disparity in both countries that military spending certainly makes more difficult to address.  

Another troubling side to this increasing trilateral cooperation is that the three countries have agreed to support one another on the issue of “terrorism” and “separatism.” In practice, that may give China a free hand in its largely Muslim Xingjian Province and in Tibet. It might mute criticism of Moscow’s war in Chechnya and give cover for India to step up its military actions against Maoist “Naxilites,” as well as put the clamps on restive minorities on its northwest border. 

The relationship among the three countries can hardly be called an “alliance.” The Indian military regularly takes part in joint military maneuvers with the U.S. and, so far, military cooperation between India, China and Russia is low-level. But all have common interests in securing energy resources and, if not confronting the U.S., at least not letting Washington dictate to them on international and internal issues.  

The U.S. is still the big dog on the block, but it can no longer just bark to get its way.

We have come to an odd turn in Oakland’s Police and Crime and Politics novel, as if a master storyteller—Arthur Conan Doyle or Scott Turow, perhaps—has suddenly introduced an unexpected twist that makes the reader have to throw out many earlier assumptions, and even go back and revisit some of the first few chapters to see exactly how this spot was reached. We are in the middle of the story, now, so it is difficult to sort out all the narrative threads. I will do my best and if I err, forgive me, as this is being done as things are still developing, and new information is coming forth. 

Oakland’s struggles to overcome its entrenched crime problems long ago divided it into two opposing political camps, one camp believing that the emphasis ought to be on cracking down on criminals and shoring up police resources, another that crime should be nipped earlier by violence prevention interventions. Most of the proponents on either side believed that Oakland ought to have some of both solutions—the division was over which solution ought to predominate and get the most attention and resources. 

These battles revolved around various Oakland ballot measures that tilted between one side or the other—former Mayor Jerry Brown’s 2002 hire-100-more-police Measure FF and its related tax increase fundings, all of which lost, Councilmember Nancy Nadel’s 2004 Measure R parcel tax to raise money for violence prevention exclusively, which also lost, and, finally, Measure Y, which funded the hiring of 63 new police officers as well as various violence prevention programs. 

Two of the Oakland councilmembers who have been most vocal about the need for more police have been Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and District 7 Councilmember Larry Reid, who chairs the Council’s Public Safety Committee. De La Fuente signed the ballot argument against Nadel’s Measure R, saying in the argument, in part, that “The likely result [of the measure] is a grab bag of ‘pork-barrel’ projects, each spending money on its separate administration with no coordination among them.” And while Reid supported the violence prevention measure, he told the Tribune in February of 2004 that Measure R “doesn’t get us to where we need to be” in regard to increased police to combat Oakland’s crime. 

Measure Y passed in November of 2004 and the city began collecting the authorized additional parcel tax money shortly afterwards. But while the measure authorized an increase of Oakland police strength to 803, the force has never come up to that full strength. Police staffing currently runs roughly 75 short, a fact that has led to increasing discontent among some Oakland residents during the current spike in city crime. 

There are logistical difficulties in meeting that 803 full-strength target, among them that police retirements are outstripping recruitment, among others, and a plan was needed to close Oakland’s “blue gap.” Increased recruiting is not enough. But if the two Oakland councilmembers most identified with increasing the numbers of police-Council President De La Fuente and Public Safety Chair Larry Reid-developed and advanced such a plan between 2005 and today, I haven’t seen it. If they did develop such a plan, I hope someone sends it to me. I don’t want to misrepresent. 

Meanwhile, Oakland residents elected a new mayor in 2006, Ron Dellums. And increasingly, during his first year of office in 2007, Mr. Dellums has come under public criticism for not reducing Oakland’s crime rate. When some of those critics have not been painting Mr. Dellums with a broad “do-nothing mayor” brush, they have specifically charged that he is soft on crime, too philosophically addicted to violence prevention to take the tough-on-criminals stance that these critics feel Oakland needs. 

But now come the twists in the narrative, which show that the lines on this issue are not as clear-cut as some critics—and many of my colleagues in the press—are representing. 

In September of 2007, at a Town Hall citizens meeting at DeFremery Park in West Oakland, Mr. Dellums said he would like to reorganize how the Measure Y violence prevention money was being allocated, saying that parceling it out to various organizations “was like going in 100 directions all at once.” Asked if that meant he was going to embrace the existing Measure Y violence prevention funding or set his own priorities, Mr. Dellums responded that “a lot of the money is going to different agencies that are not properly coordinated. We should not just be funding programs. We need to fund a violence prevention strategy.” 

That sounded remarkably like the “each spending money on its separate administration with no coordination among them” criticism Mr. De La Fuente endorsed three years before in the anti-Measure Y ballot argument. 

So does that mean Mr. Dellums and Mr. De La Fuente have come to a meeting of minds concerning combating crime in Oakland? Hardly. In fact, recent events seem to indicate that they have flown right past each other to the opposite sides of the argument. 

At his State of the City address last month, Mr. Dellums made a surprise announcement-a pledge to end the Oakland police “blue gap” and bring the department up to full 803 strength by the end of the year. Many-myself included-criticized that pledge, not because we did not want to fully staff the Oakland police at authorized strength, but because we did not see, given the logistical problems, how that was going to be possible in the 11 months remaining in the year. 

During his Oakland Convention Center speech, Mr. Dellums outlined a brief laundry list of what he called eight “approaches” to closing the “blue gap.” This week, the mayor and Police Chief Wayne Tucker fleshed out that list with a 21-page Augmented Police Recruitment Proposal, requesting that the council authorize the transfer of $7.7 million in Measure Y money to fund an accelerated police recruitment program. The mayor and chief appear to be requesting that the money come from the police services fund balance portion of Measure Y-which has been steadily growing as new taxes are collected and the promised new police officers have not been hired-and not from the violence prevention programs portion. In its semiannual February report, the Measure Y Oversight Committee has estimated that unspent police services carryover money at $8.6 million and growing, more than enough to cover the $7.7 million recruiting proposal request. Council is scheduled to take their first formal look at the augmented recruitment proposal at their February 19th meeting. 

You would think that such a proposal would have tickled to death the two Councilmembers who have, in the past, been most vocal in support of increasing the numbers of police on Oakland streets. But both Council President De La Fuente and Council Public Safety Chair Reid seemed, strangely, underwhelmed and disconcerted. 

In an article in Thursday’s Oakland Tribune entitled “Police Funding Request Draws Ire,” Mr. De La Fuente and Mr. Reid appeared to focus on process rather than substance. The augmented police recruitment proposal bypasses vetting in the Council Public Safety Committee, which Mr. Reid chairs, and is scheduled without full input from the Measure Y Oversight Committee, which canceled two meetings in a row because it fumbled its public notice requirements. 

“The latest proposal from Mayor Dellums regarding Measure Y funds gives us more reason than ever to have the committee meeting and doing analysis,” the Tribune quoted Mr. De La Fuente in response. And saying that the police recruitment proposal should be vetted by the public safety and Measure Y oversight committees before it goes to full council, the Tribune quoted Mr. Reid as saying, “It may upset the mayor, but I think there’s a process we’ve got to follow. Certainly, I don’t want to circumvent that process.” 

In response, Dellums Chief of Staff David Chai was quoted as saying that the vetting process “takes time,” and that “every day we can’t utilize our efforts to recruit (more officers) is a day lost. The clock is ticking. We have an ambitious goal that the mayor laid out and we’re going to make that goal.” 

Let’s try to sort some of this out, with the handicap that we can only work on the information currently available. 

Mr. Chai’s remarks appear ill-considered, and ought to be amended if not outright withdrawn. If Oakland had suffered a massive earthquake and Council was blocking emergency teams getting out to injured citizens, Council would need a public kick in the ass, and the mayoral chief of staff’s comments would be entirely appropriate. 

However, although Oaklanders are dying and getting mugged in the city’s streets, nothing in the augmented recruitment proposal would have an immediate effect on those problems. The proposal’s own four stated goals say are to “increase the pool of applicants and the number of new Police Officer Trainees entering the academy in 2008, increase the success rate of [trainees] in the academy, field more fully trained and qualified police officers on the streets of Oakland, and grow Oakland’s own pool of qualified applicants for the future.” 

Given that it might take only an extra two weeks to a month for a full Council Public Safety Committee and Measure Y Oversight Committee vetting, and given the fact that the Public Safety Committee is full of Councilmembers who have long commitments to increasing the number of Oakland police, and given the fact that the first recommendation in the oversight committee’s February semiannual report is to “immediately hire all 63 officers mandated by Measure Y,” it is difficult to see how the Public Safety and Measure Y Oversight committees will be a roadblock to the mayor and police chief’s recruitment proposals. And if the two committees are dissatisfied with the proposals, it is more likely that their dissatisfaction would lead to the full Council rejecting the proposals if the two committees don’t get their chance, first, to air out their concerns. 

On the other hand, there may be no small measure of politics in the somewhat tepid initial response of Mr. De La Fuente and Mr. Reid. As we said, Council, after all, came up with no adequate plan on its own to close the “blue gap” between the time the gap became apparent sometime in early 2006 and today. For the supposed “soft-on-crime” mayor to advance such a plan over more “law-and-order” Councilmembers may be something of a political embarrassment to those Councilmembers. And so the squabble over process, rather than policy substance. 

The truth is, it was Mr. Dellums himself who boxed his administration in a political corner by pledging the full 803 by the end of the year. But it’s a hollow box. If, at the end of the year, the augmented recruitment proposal is in place and there is substantial progress at closing the “blue gap,” only the most anal-retentive, or those who have a political interest in Mr. Dellums’ failure on any and all issues, will notice that the pledge was not met on time. The rest of Oakland will say that it’s about time, and won’t care about the rest of the rhetoric. 

O’Donnell’s Fairfax Nursery is an old favorite of mine, though I pass it maybe 20 times for every time I go in to visit. It’s right on one of our two usual routes to Point Reyes, though over the last five years or so it’s the route we take coming back and they’re often closed by that hour. Besides, on the way out we’re generally in a big fat hurry to go see some birds; on the way back, we’re tired and grouchy and unfit for civilized company.  

It’s worth a left turn on Sir Frances Drake when we time it right, though. The nursery’s in a sort of winter lull this month but there’s still temptation there. Here’s the deal: Paul O’Donnell is a devout (and practicing) restorationist, and he grows California native plants for that purpose and Just Because, and he grows them organically. He’s one of very few people who do that. 

O’Donnell uses a down-to-earth method to test for deer resistance, too: the fence around most of the nursery isn’t tall enough to keep deer out. “I decided to keep just that four-foot fence by the sidewalk. Deer hop it every night. So when people ask, ‘What’s a California native that deer won’t destroy, maybe just take a little nibble?’ I say, ‘Take a look! The deer are not prohibited from this property; they meander through here all the time.’ So yeah, I do have a sort of deer laboratory right here.” He points out that native deer have a symbiotic relationship with even deer-resistant native plants: “Stop fighting it!” 

Joe and I can attest to the presence of deer in downtown Fairfax. Some years ago, driving back at about 8:30 at night from the Point Reyes Christmas Bird Count, I saw a big brown nose and big brown knees on the right and then, Oomph! Something thumped into the passenger-side door of the pickup.  

Joe had dozed off in the passenger seat and came awake with an exclamation. I pulled over at the first parking space … Yes, parking space. It was only in literal hindsight that I realized the nose and knees belonged not to a dog as I’d supposed but to a four-point buck who’d come across a street and a parking lot and out from between parked cars to leave a couple of impressive dents in the truck’s right door.  

What I saw in the mirror was the deer bouncing up from his knees, glaring indignantly at us, and bounding off between buildings, evidently unhurt except maybe for skinned knees. He didn’t even seem panicked, just annoyed.  

O’Donnell has fruit trees (citrus, pears including Seckel, apples, figs the day we dropped in last week) and veggies, herbs, and the like in a corner with higher fencing, along with seed for natives, edibles, and erosion-control/bank-stabilizing plants. Organic-worthy amendments and bug traps and a tool or ten, too.  

Stop in any time you’re going out to play on the Point, or make it an excuse for a field trip.  

Just watch out for impulsive deer. 

O’Donnell’s Fairfax Nursery 

1700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.,Fairfax. 

(415) 453-0372. 

Winter hours: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. weekends. 

“If there’s a three-hour downpour, we just close up and go home. Call first!” 

Spring and summer: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily. 

TUESDAY, FEB. 19 

CHILDREN 

Clown Unique Derique performs for ages 3 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“@60.art.israel.world” A survey of recent work by over 20 contemporary Israeli artists opens at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. 549-6950. 

FILM 

Experimental Documentaries “Paper Tiger Reds Paper Tiger Television” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761.  

Neeli Cherkovski, Kelly Lydick at 7:30 p.m. at Moe's Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

David Roche, humorist, actor, and speaker, discusses “The Church of 80% Sincerity” at 1 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6107.  

Kevin Danaher discusses “Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grassroots” with co-authors Shannon Biggs and Jason Mark at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

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

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

Diablo Valley College Night Jazz Ensemble at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $8-$12. 238-9200.  

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20 

FILM 

History of Cinema “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” at 3 p.m. and “The Terrence Davies Trilogy” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Dagoberto Gilb reads from his new novel “The Flowers” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Maude Barlow on “Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$13, available from Cody’s or www.kpfa.org 

Peace Symbol 50th Anniversary with Arnie Passman’s Peace Symbol history, Stoney Burke’s autobiography, folksingers Carol Denney, Hali Hammer, Brook Schoenfeld, Gary LaPow, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery, 2213 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5. 845-5481. 

Cafe Poetry hosted by Paradise at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. 849-2568.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Music for the Spirit Celebrating Black History Month with music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Florence Price at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555. 

Wednesday Noon Concert Brazilian Jazz at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

Kaspar/Sherman Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $6. 841-JAZZ.  

Whiskey Brothers at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473.  

Ezra Gale Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

The Duhks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Martin Luther Experience, and Urban Ledgeds of the Bay Area, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, FEB. 21 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Casual Labor” Sculpture and photography by Alex Clausen, Zachery Royer Scholz and Kirk Stoller. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. 

“Opening Doors” An exhibit celebrating the contributions of African American surgeons to medicine and medical education opens at the African American Museum and Library, 659 14th St., Oakland. 637-0200. 

FILM 

Terence Davies “Distant Voices, Still Lives” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry for the People with Tyehimba Jess, Def Poet Rafael Casal at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$15. 849-2568. 

Cultural Connections: The Art of Living Black Conversations with the artists at 5 p.m. at the Craft & Cultural Arts Gallery, State of CA Office Building, 1515 Clay St., Oakland. 622-8190. 

Anne Elizabeth Moore reads from “Unmarketable: Brandalism, Copyfighting, Mocketing, and the Erosion of Integrity” at 7 p.m. at Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 913-2447. 

Greil Marcus Examines Nathan Zuckerman, the protagonist in Philip Roth’s novels, at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$12. 848-0237. 

“Insurgent Citizenship: Disjunctions of Democracy and Modernity in Brazil” with author JAmes Holston, in coversation with Paul Rabinow and Peter Evans at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

Sylvia Sellers-Garcia discusses her new novel “When the Ground Turns in Its Sleep” at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. www.revolutionbooks.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Symphony, Hugh Wolff, conductor, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$60. 841-2800.  

Anthony Smith’s Trunk Fulla Funk at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Gyan Riley at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Steve Carter Group with Kenneth Nash at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

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

Ross Hammonds Teakayo Misson, Singularity, jazz, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $67 841-2082. 

Adrian Gormley Jazz Ensemble at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

FRIDAY, FEB. 22 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Satellites” at 8 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. through March 2. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822.  

Berkeley Rep “”Wishful Drinking” with Carrie Fisher, at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St., through March 30. Tickets are $33-$69. 647-2949. 

Black Repertory Group Theatre “A Raisin In The Sun” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St. Tickets are $5-$25. 652-2120.  

Central Works “Wakefield; or Hello Sophia” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Berkeley City CLub, 2315 Durant Ave., through March 23.Tickets are $14-$25. 558-1381. 

Contra Costa Civic Theatre “The Cocoanuts” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., some Sun. matinees at 2 p.m., at 951 Pomona Ave., at Moeser, El Cerrito, through March 2. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Frank Oliver’s “Twisted Cabaret & Pandemonium Vaudeville Show” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$25. 1-800-838-3006. 

Impact Theatre “Jukebox Stories: The Case of the Creamy Foam” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through March 22. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. 

Masquers Playhouse “Angel Street” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. through Feb. 23 at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $18. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

Virago Theatre Company “Candide” the comic opera at 8 p.m. Fri and Sat., 7 p.m. Sun. at Rhythmix Cultural Works - 2513 Blanding Ave., Alameda, through Mar. 9. Tickets are $15-$25. 865-6237. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Ami Vitale “Photographs of Kashmir” Opening reception at 6 p.m., lecture by the photographer at 7 p.m. at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. www.fotovision.org 

“All That Jazz” The Art of Living Black Works by James Gayles, Nanette Harris, Leroy Parker and others. Reception at 7 p.m. at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave. at 58th St., Oakland. 601-4040, ext. 111. 

FILM 

Terence Davies “The Long Day Closes” at 7 p.m. and “The Neon Bible” at 9:05 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Charles Baxter reads from his new novel “The Soul Thief” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Percy Lang, piano, at noon at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

Oakland East Bay Symphony Works by Stravisnky, Adams, Tan Dun and Jon Jang at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. 444-0801. www.oebs.org 

Dan Plonsey’s “Daniel Popsicle” at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival, 2213 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10.  

The Dave Matthews BLUES Band in a fundraiser for Berkeley Food and Housing Project, at 7 p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. 649-4965. 

History and Harmony Black History Concert Series “Slab Town Convention: A Youth Drama” dramatization of the 1960s Baptist Convention at 7:30 p.m. at Allen Temple Baptist Church, 8501 International Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$10. 544-8924. 

The Mirage Ensemble perform a program of Americana at 8 p.m. at the Hillside CLub, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $15. www.hillsideclub.org 

Toshi Reagon at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $16-$18. 849-2568.  

Dena DeRose at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. 

Terry Disley Experience at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

Gamelan X, Gamelan Jegog at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054.  

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

Country Joe McDonald’s “Tribute to Woody Guthrie” at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$29.50. 548-1761.  

Ronnie Cto, Dave Lionelli at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Joel Streeter, Brad Brooks, Walty, indie rock, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082.  

Green Machine at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Patrick Green Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Jennifer Johns, Kevin Choice, reggae, R&B, at 9 p.m. at Maxwell’s Lounge, 341 13th St., Oakland. Cost is $15-$20. 839-6169. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 23 

CHILDREN  

Music with Hanna Banana at 11 a.m. at Studio Grow, 1235 Tenth St. Cost is $7. 526-9888. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Tilden Odyssey” Textured paintings, collages, and monotypes by Sheila Sondick on display at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park, through Feb. 28. 525-2233. 

“Double Vision: Artist Partners” Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Chandra Cerrito Contemporary, 25 Grand Ave., upper level, Oakland. Exhibition runs to March 15. www.chandracerrito.com 

“Yea We Said It, And No We’re Not Sorry” works by Malik and Milton Bowens for Black History Month. Opening reception at 5:30 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. Exhibit runs to Feb. 29. 465-8928. 

“Impressions on Paper” Works by six local printmakers opens at the Addison St. Windows Gallery, 2018 Addision St. 981-7546. 

FILM 

United Nations Assoc. Film Festival with films from Israel/Palestine and Haiti, at 7:30 p.m. at International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Free. www.unausaeastbay.org 

Terence Davies “Distant Voices, Still Lives” at 2:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rhythm & Muse with poet Jeanne Powell at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 527-9753. 

Alan Greene, pediatrician, describes “Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Baby Care” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Dream Kitchen at 8 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. tickets are $10-$12. 848-0237. 

“B-Free” with Bill Crossman, Jim Hrabetin, Dale Sophiea and others at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival, 2213 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10.  

Artists’ Vocal Ensemble and The Whole Noyse “1508: Music for Renaissance Winds and Voices” at 8 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $10-$25. www.ave-music.org  

Orquesta La Moderna Tradición at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Lloyd Gregory Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

Hot Hot Hot Caribbean Nights at 9:05 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. 

Jon Roniger, Jayde Blade at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

UpSurge at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Jean Fineberg & Saxophunk at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373.  

John Calloway Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

George Cotsililos, jazz, at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. 

Todd Shipley at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Moment’s Notice with Harmony Gates and TraceyJoy Miller at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 8th St. Tickets are $8-$15. 992-6295. 

Mars Arizona at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $TBA. 841-2082.  

Martin Turkis Afro-Cuban Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 24 

CHILDREN 

“African-American Rhythms On and Off the Canvas” activities for the whole family from 1 to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2002. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Capturing the Moment Jazz and photography with James Knox at 1:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

“2 Days with Allen Ginsberg” Photographs by Harold Adler from 2 to 6 p.m., readings at 3 p.m. at Regent Press Gallery, 4770 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 845-1196. 

FILM 

United Nations Assoc. Film Festival with films from Kenya/Uganda and Cuba at 2 p.m. at International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Free. www.unausaeastbay.org 

Human Rights Film Festival “Lumo” at 2 p.m., “Enemies of Happiness” at 3:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Margo Peller Feeley reads from “Cashing Out and Coming Back” her memoir of leaving Berkeley and returning, at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Joshua Bell, violin, and Jeremy Denk, piano, at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$62. 642-9988.  

John Adams Young Composers Program Faculty Concert with The Ariel String Quartet premiering new works by Alexis Alrich, Molly Axtman, Alan Crossman, Arkadi Serper, Clark Suprynowicz, and Katy Wreede, at 8 p.m. at Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St., at Sacramento. Free. 559-2941.  

“Gospel Roots: A Musical Celebration of African-American History” at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12. 642-9988.  

Pat Wynne at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $12-$25. 849-2568.  

Parlor Tango at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Howard Wiley “A Tribute to Dexter Gordon” at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373.  

Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

MONDAY, FEB. 25 

FILM 

United Nations Assoc. Film Festival with films from Sudan and Nigeria at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

The History of African American Women During World War II with Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo at 10:30 a.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. 238-2200. 

“Civil Rights Tales” with Stagebridge, at 6:30 p.m. at Golden Gate Branch Library, 5606 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 597-5023. 

Ed Lin and Lisa Chen will celebrate Lunar New Year by reading from their works at 7:30 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. 

Aurora Theatre “Events with Life’s Leftovers” at 7:30 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. 843-4822.  

Philip Fradkin introduces “Wallace Stegner and the American West” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Art, Technology and Culture Colloquium “Attention Depiction Disorders” with Naut Humon and V. Vale at 7:30 p.m. at 160 Kroeber Hall, UC Campus. 643-9565.  

Frank Portman reads from “King Dork” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express Open mic theme night on “rights” at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Arts Festival Jerry Kuderna Monday Lunch Piano Concert from noon to 1 p.m. at 2213 Shattuck Ave. Free.  

Valerie Bach Girl Talk Band at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. 849-1100. 

Musica ha Disconnesso, piano and mandolins at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

A Korean-American architect and her African-American husband move with their baby daughter into a fixer-upper Brooklyn brownstone—holes in the plaster, boxes everywhere, a makeshift architect’s office—when a black neighbor, who seems to have been the original kid-on-the-corner, drops by repeatedly offering one deal after another, and the husband’s ne’er-do-well adoptive brother blows in from an Asian getaway, wanting to move in and start a business with his bro’—and the new Korean nanny inadvertently starts pushing a new mother’s buttons. Then a brick comes crashing through the window. 

Diana Son’s new play, Satellites, in a well-acted, well-directed production at the Aurora, brings up a lot of issues—what “race” has morphed into, the welter of contradictions a young professional couple (and new parents) find themselves in, the sometimes hidden anguish of the locals trying to swing with gentrification (and the perceptions and misperceptions of their new neighbors), the dilemmas of an immigrant woman who’s been sidelined by her own family—and, opposite number to the professional mother, the realizations of her middle-aging collaborator in an architectural competition that she doesn’t have all she expected in life by her 40th birthday. 

There are particularly good performances by Michael Asberry as Reggie, the aging homeboy, the street corner entrepreneur, viewed with suspicion (even secretly monitored on video) by his new neighbor, and by Lisa Kang as the well-meaning Mrs. Chae, caught in the middle as she adopts a family that’s hired her to take care of a multiracial, multicultural baby. 

Darren Bridgett as the loose, fly-by-night adoptive brother, demonstrates again why he’s in demand around the Bay as a comic character actor, all insouciant charm and bright reassurances as he swaggers through the fixer-upper after landing and getting mugged, rolling up his pants legs to show the plastic-wrapped Asian currency taped to his skin, swag from his Third World-hopping scams—and come-on capital for a flakey partnership. And Ayla Yarkut gracefully takes the part of Kit, a kind of stock type in film and on stage, not so much fleshing out her slender frame as giving her character, in every sense, vying with her own desires and anguish. 

As husband Miles, Michael Gene Sullivan (well-known as a longtime Mime Troupe regular) also shows a magnanimous presence, communicating the recently laid-off, rebuffed (or so he feels) husband and father’s sense of being adrift more with body language and discreet glances than with dialogue. 

Miles was raised by a white suburban family, and his racial cause is taken up more vigorously by his Korean-American wife, Nina, than by himself. Conversely, Nina supposes her nanny—and others—are judging her baby racially, even as she’s conflicted that her daughter be an American girl, yet learn Korean, all the while remembering going back to the neighborhood where she grew up, and getting shouted at, to go back where she came from. 

Julie Oda’s a fine character actor, but outside of a few, rare quiet moments and their opposite, complete hysteria when Nina loses it in her pursuit to satisfy all her ambitions at once, it’s difficult for her to take Nina, as written, out of (to coin another contradiction) her cloying shrillness. It’s the crux of an interesting, committed play’s problems—its most complex character and centerpiece becomes understandable, but never quite sympathetic, only slightly sentimentalized instead—still too much a type. 

With all the play’s aspirations to social drama, there’s a few too many merely conceptual constructions and too-quick TV-style resolutions (Son wrote for “The West Wing” and produces for “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”). But there’re moments when a dramatic necessity tugs undertow, and fine passages, like Reggie ecstatically enumerating the constellations he could see during the great New York blackout—saying acerbically, when he gets to Hercules in his recitation of astral myth, that they could’ve used a hero like that in the social mayhem that followed. 

The cast and Kent Nicholson’s steady directorial hand add much tone to a rather monochromatic sketch at times, one which lays claim to being a mural of a society of dislocated individuals, crossing signals as they try to come together as family, neighbors, coworkers, friends. That many of the situations and vignettes work, if sometimes in isolation (like their characters that play them out), and that the playwright seems as insouciantly ambitious as her fraught female lead, may mean Son’s next one will really tell the story. 

SATELLITES 

Through March 2 at the Aurora Theatre.  

$40-$42. 2081 Addison St. 843-4822.

Never mind that it’s caught me unarmed and ill-prepared, as usual; I love this sample of early spring we’re getting. We didn’t have it quite the same way last year, I guess. As happened, I was ‘way out of town and in another climate for most of last February on a most urgent and unfortunate errand, so I’m only guessing.  

The last two weeks, though, I’m feeling rewarded, compensated for missing that time here. All of a sudden, Bang!, the plums started blooming and the glorious trend is rolling across town in its syncopated way. They’re overlapping with the winter manzanita and magnolia blossoms, with the flowering quince who can’t make up their minds whether they’re winter or spring bloomers, never mind what the books say.  

The purple-leaf plum that overhangs our yard from the east fenceline is so floriferous that its scent fills the lot. Plums aren’t strong-smelling flowers and their effect is usually subtle; this one just has such an abundance of blossoms they create a mass scent chorus, like a choir of soft voices that becomes orchestral by sheer harmonizing numbers.  

There’s such abundance that the birds who nibble the petal bases for that bit of sweetness—taste one and see!—make no discernible reduction. They just leave single, clipped barely-pink petals all over the car parked underneath, along with what the tree sheds on its own. We drive off down the street merrily trailing floral confetti like a bridal procession. You can’t buy that kind of accessory at Kragen. 

The English sparrows nest under eaves or in any handy hollow, damn them. (They’re invasive exotics and have played hob with North American natives like bluebirds by taking over nesting spots, sometimes outright killing the bluebirds to do so.) The housefinches and the goldfinches, two species of them, nest in trees and therein lies the rub of our early warm weather.  

There’s a male lesser goldfinch sounding his querulous-to-inquisitive call notes in one of the plums out back as I write this. He’s great company, never mind the whining, and I hope he and the female I startled off the back porch a few minutes ago decide to set up housekeeping here this year. It’s worth tolerating shade on the garden beds to leave enough of that eastern row of undistinguished yellow-fruited plums for birds to feel welcome. 

He’s sometimes on a branch near an old nest, probably last year’s, maybe his or a family member’s. It seems to be a good homesite. But I haven’t quite finished pruning that tree of its overhang, and we’ve barely started on the lady Banks rose that climbs up to the second-story kitchen window. There was a bushtit nest in that one last year, a complex construction that looked like an old gray woolly sock. I love having bushtits around; aside from eating bugs, they’re just so merry on their rounds.  

There’s a hummingbirds nest somewhere but I haven’t found it yet; I know it’s there because we have both male and female Anna’s hummers at the feeder (and once, in the house: safely caught and released) and they start nesting in January. Last year’s nest was in the culinary-bay laurel, not five feet from the back stairs. 

The Lindsay Wildlife Museum (www.wildlife-museum.org) in Walnut Creek issues a plea every year for care and kindly attention to birds and squirrels nesting in trees we’re pruning. The best time for pruning most trees and shrubs—birds like towhees and song sparrows tend to nest pretty close to the ground—is before nesting season, but there’s overlap between early nesters and available time, for most of us.  

That includes professionals. You don’t get to call yourself doing “sustainable landscaping” if you’re not taking care of the householders in your clients’ trees. Doublecheck any snags or dead trees you’re asked to remove, as those are ideal sites for woodpeckers and other hole nesters. 

The Lindsay folks advise looking first, which is easier in bare trees. Make noise; don’t try to sneak up on a nest because panicked birds might injure eggs or young. Watch for birds flying out of a tree, a clue there might be a nest there. 

If you find an occupied or new nest, hold off pruning that plant till the young are grown and gone. If you’ve dislocated a nest, put it back and tie it in if necessary. If it’s structurally damaged, put it into a small bowl, box, margarine tub or somesuch with drainage holes in the bottom. Don’t use a berry basket; they snag nestlings.  

If you’re sure you have abandoned nestlings, wait another hour or two; you might be wrong. Then put them in a box or paper bag; keep them warm and quiet. Don’t offer food or water. Call the Lindsay Wildlife Museum Hospital for advice: (925) 935-1978.  

TUESDAY, FEB. 19 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit Tilden Botanic GArden. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

“Hiking New Zealand” with Peter Potterfield at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Berkeley Garden Club “Why Would You Want Bugs? Integrated Pest Management in the Home Garden” with Martha Berthelsen, Public Programs Manager, The Watershed Project, at 1:45 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church,1953 Hopkins St. Bring a plant to exchange. 845-4482. www.berkeleygardenclub.org  

Sustainable Peralta Film Festival Screenings of “The Story of Stuff,” “Straight Outta Hunter’s Point,” Black Gold” beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Laney College Theater. jlin@peralta.edu 

“The Corporation” Screening of Part 1 of the film at 7 p.m., followed by discussion, at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Donations accepted. 495-5132. 

BAY-Peace Youth Workshop: The Military: It’s Not Just a Game A free event for youth from 4 to 6 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Cesar Chavez Branch, 3301 E. 12th St., Ste. 271, Oakland. 809-7416. www.baypeace.org 

“The Struggle Against Racism and Repression” Commemorating Black History Month at 7 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Donation $3-$5. 

“Sacred Music, Sacred Space, Sacred Arts” Tea and talk with Don Frew and Jack Lundin at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley Ave. 848-3440. 

Board Game Days at the Albany Library. Play Monopoly, Blokus, Connect 4, checkers, chess and much more from 1 to 4 p.m., Tues.-Thurs. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. For 4th through 8th graders. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets at 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St., near Eunice. MelDancing@aol.com 

Business Training for Women Immigrants and Families offered by AnewAmerica. For information call 540-7786. www.anewamerica.org 

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. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704.  

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20 

“Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water” with Maude Barlow at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$13, available from Cody’s or www.kpfa.org 

“Amongst White Clouds” A documentary on the Buddhist Hermit Masters of China’s Zhongnan Mountains at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th S., Oakland, between Telegraph and Broadway, below Pill Hill. Suggested donation $5. www.HumanistHall.org  

Sustainable Peralta Film Festival Screenings of “The Meatrix,” “Power of Community,” King Corn” beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Laney College Theater. jlin@peralta.edu 

Cycling Lecture with Jobst Brandt on “Cycling in the Alps” at 7 p.m. at Velo Sport Bicycles, 1615 University Ave., enter at 1989 California St. RSVP to 849-0437. 

Watch the Lunar Eclipse from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive, below Grizzly Peak. Free. 642-5132. www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Total Lunar Eclipse “Red Moon Rising” a guided hike of about 3 miles roundtrip, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Chabot Space and Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $8-$10, advance purchase recommended. 336-7373.  

Writer Coach Connection Volunteers needed to help Berkeley students improve their writing and critical thinking skills from noon to 3 p.m. To register call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

Jericho Deliverance Fellowship Open House Wed.-Fri, at Fresh Manna Christian Center, 3201 Shattuck Ave. 459-5559.  

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 and a warm hat. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Teen Chess Club from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda at Hopkins. 981-6133. 

Morning Meditation Every Mon., Wed., and Fri. at 7:45 a.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th. 486-8700. 

After-School Program Homework help, drama and music for children ages 8 to 18, every Wed. from 4 to 7:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Cost is $5 per week. 845-6830. 

Stitch ‘n Bitch at 6:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

THURSDAY, FEB. 21 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll learn about animal defenses, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

“The California Serengeti: A Tour of the Bay Area, 15,000 BCE” with Breck Parkman, senior state archeologist, California State Parks at 12:30 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2002. 

“The Corporation” Screening of Part 1 of the film at 7 p.m., followed by discussion with Jess Bell of the CA Food and Justice Coalition, at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Donations accepted. 495-5132. 

Sustainable Peralta Film Festival Screenings of “The Story of Stuff,” “Homeland,” “Who Killed the Electric Car” beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Laney College Theater. jlin@peralta.edu 

Academy Awards Preview Night with Harry Chotiner at 7 p.m. at the College Preparatory School, 6100 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $12.50- $15, $5 for students. http://loiivetalk-chotiner.eventbrite.com 

“Rebuilding with Straw Bale in Earthquake Affected Pakistan” with Berkeley architect Martin Hammer who recently returned from Pakistan where he has been working to bring straw bale and other sustainable building practices to the mountainous region devastated by the 2005 earthquake, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., near Dwight Way. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. 644-8833. 

Berkeley Stop the War Coalition meets at 7 p.m. at 258 Dwinelle, UC Campus. All are welcome. 

“Remedies to Reduce Depression: The Role of Vitamins, Hormones, Toxicity, and Acupuncture” at 7 p.m. at Piedmont Adult School, Oakland. Cost is $25. Sponsored by Foundation for Wellness Professionals. to register call 849-1176. 

Holistic Menopause & Intimacy at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755.  

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club meets at 6:45 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. Free, all are welcome. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

FRIDAY, FEB. 22 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Mel Lavine, former TV journalist on his new book “A Strange Breed of Folks.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

Golden Gate Audubon Society with Dr. Rauri Bowie on “The Importance of Habitat Association in the Diversification of African Birds” at 7 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 843-2222. 

Benefit for Berkeley Food and Housing, North County Women’s Shelter with dinner at 6:30 and dancing from 7:30 on at the Gaia Arts Center. Tickets are $40-$50. 649-4965, ext. 304. 

Two-Day Photography Workshop with Ami Vitale on “Reaching Across Borders” organized by Fotovision. Information and enrollment at www.fotovision.org 

Easy Does It Board of Directors Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 1636 University Ave. 845-5513. 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 8 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. Pot luck at 7 p.m. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

SATURDAY, FEB. 23 

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Reptile Rendevous Learn about the reptiles that call the Tilden Nature Area home, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Bay Area Seed Interchange Library Seed Swap and pot luck at 6:30 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Bring garden seed to share and a potluck dish or $10 for entrance. 658-9178. 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Field Trip “Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park” with Hilary Powers. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the large spherical cage near Nature Center at Perkins and Bellevue to look at wintering birds. 843-2222. 

Retirement Party for Michele Lawrence Celebrating 35 Years in Public Education. Cocktails and dinner at 6 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 472-3811. party@berkeley.k12.ca.us  

Billabong Ball Fundraiser for Young People’s Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at the Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. Tickets are $10-$75. www.ypsomusic.net 

Castlemont High School Annual General Membership Luncheon at 11 a.m. at Francesco’s Resturant, 8200 Pardee St., corner of Hegenberger Rd., Oakland. Cost is $30. 828-1481. www.castlemontalumni.org 

Vegetarian Cooking Class “The Joy of Vegan Baking” featuring currant scones, apple strudel, peanut butter chocolate bars, oat bran muffins and more, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $49 plus $5 material fee. to register call 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com 

“60th Annual Festival of the Oaks” International Folk Dancing Workshop from 9:30 a.m. to noon, dancing from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck Ave. No partners needed.Cost is $7-$12. 527-2177. meldancing@aol.com 

Spartacist Black History Month Forum: From Mumia Abu-Jamal to the Jena Six at 2 p.m. at Rockridge Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland. 839-0851. slbayarea@sbcglobal.net 

Energy Efficient Homes A workshop from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 1817 Second St. Sponsored by Truitt & White. Free, but registration required. 649-2674. 

Lead-Safe Painting & Remodeling Free class to learn about lead safe renovations for your older home from 2 to 4 p.m. at Mark’s Paint Mart, 2317 Blanding Ave., Alameda. Presented by Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 567-8280. www.ACLPPP.org 

Kids Go Green Activities centered on ecology and climate change from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Chabot Space and Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $9-$13. 336-7373.  

“Everybody Eats Lunch” Lunchbox recipes from around the world at 2:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products” with author Mark Schapiro at 4 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Teen Knitting Circle at 3 p.m. in the 4th flr Story Room, Central Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Bring your own knitting needles in size 8, sample yarns provided. 981-6107. 

Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, at 11 a.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

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 

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Oakland Artisans Marketplace Sat. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jack London Square. 238-4948. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 24 

Hike in Briones Join a leisurely 4-mile hike out to the Maricich and Sindicich Lagoons to see California newts. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Alhambra Creek Staging Area off of Reliz Valley Rd. Bring lunch and water. To register call 925-862-2601. 

“African-American Rhythms On and Off the Canvas” activities for the whole family from 1 to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2002. 

“Aerial Pesticide Spraying in the Bay Area for the Apple Moth” A community information meeting at 5 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 524-5185. www.stopthespray.org 

Films for the Future: The Future of Food at 2 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Berkeley City Club Tour of the “Little Castle” designed by Julia Morgan at 1:15, 2:15 and 3:15 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. 883-9710. 

Kensington Farmers’ Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 303 Arlington Ave. at Amherst, Kensington. 525-6155. 

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

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 

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Sun. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

"beat.sit.asana: urbanYOGA Soul Sunday Jam from from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Free. 549-3733. ext. 1. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Sylvia Gretchen on “Path of Liberation” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000 www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 5 to 9 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Cost is $3 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

MONDAY, FEB. 25 

“The History of African American Migrant Women During World War II” with Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo, at 10:30 a.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2002. 

New Soul Cooking with Tanya Holland of “Melting Pot Soul Kitchen” at 5:30 p.m. at the Elmhurst Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 1427 88th Ave., Oakland. 615-5869. 

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. 

Dragonboating Year round classes at the Berkeley Marina, Dock M. Meets Mon, Wed., Thurs. at 6 p.m. Sat. at 10:30 a.m. For details see www.dragonmax.org 

Free Boatbuilding Classes for Youth Mon.-Wed. from 3 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Boathouse, 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Classes cover woodworking, boatbuilding, and boat repair. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Council Agenda Committee meets Tues. Feb. 19, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6601. 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415.  

ONGOING 

E-Waste Recycling St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County accepts electronic waste including computers, dvd players, cell phones, fax machines and many other ewaste products for disposal free of charge at many of its locations throughout Alameda County. Free bulk pick-up available. 638-7600. www.svdp-alameda.org 

Free Tax Help If your 2007 household income was less than $42,000, you are eligible for free tax preparation from United Way's Earn it! Keep It! Save It! Sites are open now through April 15 in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. To find a site near you, call 800-358-8832. www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org 

Donate the Excess Fruit from Your Fruit Trees I’ll gladly pick and deliver your fruit to community programs that feed school kids, the elderly, and the hungry. The fruit trees should be located in Berkeley and organic (no pesticides). This is a free volunteer/ 

grassroots thing so join in!! To scehdule and appointment call or email 812-3369. northberkeleyharvest@gmail.com

From my sixth-floor living room window I have a glorious panoramaic view of the Berkeley and Oakland hills. I never tire of this view, gazing out at the Campanile, International House, the Claremont Hotel and numerous campus buildings. When I pull my drapes apart in the early morning, it’s almost as though I were opening curtains to a stage. This comparison may sound a bit fanciful, but is it really? 

After all, when we go to the theater, we don’t know what we’ll be seeing. Similarly, when I pull my drapes apart in the early morning, I never know what sights will greet me. Will there be a gorgeous sunrise, with brilliant streaks of red in the sky? Will dozens of crows circle noisily outside my window and then perch on telephone wires, looking for all the world like Supreme Court Jjustices? Will this be a crystal-clear day where I can see the Lawrence Hall of Science, the Radiation Laboratory and practically the entire campus? 

Or will fog hang so thick and heavy I won’t even be able see houses across the street, much less read the clock on the Campanile? Not to worry—I love fog. 

From my living room window I’ve witnessed many unforgettable scenes, none so heart wrenching as the Oakland Hills Fire Storm in 1991. That day will forever be etched in my memory! With several neighbors joining me at my picture window, we watched nearly that entire day, in grief and disbelief, as hundreds of homes went up in flames. I didn’t know it at the time, but several of those homes belonged to good friends and colleagues at UC. To this day, whenever there’s a hot, dry wind, I shudder and pray to the Almighty that this tragedy will not be repeated. 

Another scene I’ve witnessed all too often is that of fire trucks and ambulances racing down Parker Street, sirens blaring, then turning the corner, pulling up to my apartment building. It’s a sound I’ve come to dread. I run to the window to see firemen and paramedics rushing into the lobby, first aid equipment in hand. I hurry out to the hall to see where the elevator has stopped, then stand at the window waiting to see who will be carried out. If the person carried out on a gurney is sitting up and talking, I breath a sigh of relief; perhaps it was only a nasty fall or minor heart attack. But when the firemen and paramedics remain in the building for a long period of time, then place someone in the ambulance and drive off slowly, no sirens blaring, I know that I’ve lost a friend and neighbor. Oh, yes, how I dread the sound of those sirens! 

But let me reassure you that not all the scenes I witness from my window are somber. Some are lighthearted, such as the group of Hare Krishnas parading down Telegraph Avenue in saffron robes, with shaved heads, chanting and beating their drums. On the eve of Big Game Day I’ve seen the Cal Marching Band also parading along Telegraph to the cheers of onlookers. Then, of course, there are the hundreds of UC students, backpacks and cell phones in tow, hurrying to their classes. I’m always gratified at the great diversity of Cal’s student body. 

By now you probably understand why I dearly love the view from my living room window, reflecting small human dramas and the exciting flavor of this wonderful university city.

FRIDAY, FEB. 15 

CHILDREN 

Comedy Juggling with Owen Baker Flynn at 4 p.m. at the South Branch Library, 1901 Russell Street, near Ashby BART. Free. 981-6260. 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Barefoot in the Park” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through Feb. 16. Tickets are $10-$12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse “Wait Until Dark” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Feb. 16. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “Satellites” at 8 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. through March 2. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Rep “”Wishful Drinking” with Carrie Fisher, at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St., through March 30. Tickets are $33-$69. 647-2949. 

Black Repertory Group Theatre “A Raisin In The Sun” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St. Tickets are $5-$25. 652-2120.  

Contra Costa Civic Theatre “The Cocoanuts” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., some Sun. matinees at 2 p.m., at 951 Pomona Ave., at Moeser, El Cerrito, through March 2. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

foolsFURY Theater “Monster in the Dark” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 5 p.m., through Feb. 17, at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $12-$30. 800-838-3006. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Impact Theatre “Jukebox Stories: The Case of the Creamy Foam” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through March 22. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. http://impacttheatre.com 

Masquers Playhouse “Angel Street” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. through Feb. 23 at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $18. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

FILM 

Jean-Pierre Léaud “Weekend” at 7 pm. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Stephen Gamboa, harpsichord, at noon at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

India Cooke-Bill Crossman Duo at 8 p.m. Berkeley Arts Festival, 2213 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Project Opera “Pagliacci” at 8 p.m. at the Hillside CLub, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $15-$20.  

Nina Ananiashvili and The State Ballet of Georgia at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$90. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

History and Harmony Black History Concert Series with Kevin Monroe, Jono, Angelou Luster, Stabe Wilson and Roland Gresham at 7:30 p.m. at Allen Temple Baptist Church, 8501 Internationl Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$10. 544-8924. 

La Familia Son at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568.  

Muse Academy Students, from Tokyo, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Free. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Carla Zilbersmith & her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

Frankie Manning with Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers Lecture and films at 7:30 p.m., show at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. 

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

Henry Clement & the Gumbo Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Anthony Blea Trio, Latin percussion, at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Sarah Williams, Ashling Cole, R&B, at 9 p.m. at Maxwell’s Lounge, 341 13th St., Oakland. Cost is $10-$15. 839-6169 

The Landing, Abel Mouton at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

The Mother Hips, Lee Bob Watson at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $15. 841-2082.  

Parasites Go, Skull Stomp, Rukkus at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Rainmaker at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 16 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Bonnie Lockhart and Fran Avni at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568.  

Antoinette Portis introduces her new picture book “Not a Stick” and will demonstrate her illustrations at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

“Buki the Clown” magic show Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellvue Ave., Oakland.  

EXHIBITIONS 

Huey P. Newton Photography Exhibit Celebrating the achievements and influence of the founder of the co-founder of the Black Panther Party. Reception at 1 p.m. at the West Oakland Branch of the Oakland Public Libray, 1801 Adeline St. 238-7352.  

“Lines, Patterns and Textures” Group show in a variety of media. Artist reception at 6 p.m. at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. 849-3111.  

“Pods” Paintings by Kim Thoman opens at 1 p.m. at Oakopolis, 447 25th St., Oakland, and runs through March 22. 663-6920. 

FILM 

The Medieval Remake “Faust” at 6:30 p.m. and “the Flowers of St. Francis” at 8:40 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sarah O”Neal Rush, great grand-daughter and biographer of Booker T. Washington, will read at 2 p.m. at the African American Museum and Library, 659 14th St., Oakland. 637-0200. 

The Danzón Cuban Music lecture and demonstration with the John Santos Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

“Gumby” Comic Book Creators in a presentation of the green, pliable, good-natured cartoon character and toy figure that’s been around since the 1950s, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Dr Comics and Mr Games, 4014 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. 601-7800. 

Susan Bono, editor in chief of “Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative” at 10 a.m. at Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square. 272-0120. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Theresa Wong, improvisations on cello, bicycle, piano and voice at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival, 2213 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Project Opera “Pagliacci” at 8 p.m. at the Hillside CLub, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $15-$20.  

Hesperion XXI & La Capella Reial de Catalunya at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. Durant at Dana. Tickets are $52. 642-9988.  

Donna Lerew, solo violin, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com 

Nina Ananiashvili and The State Ballet of Georgia at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$90. 642-9988.  

Ellen Robinson & her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

De Rompe y Raja, Afro-Peruvian, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

The Courtney Janes, KC Turner at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Eliza Gilkyson at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

The Jazz Fourtet at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Charles Wheal and the Excellorators, blues, at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

The Wayward Sway at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

The Mother Hips, Okie Rosette at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $15. 841-2082.  

Lazima Modern Jazz Group with pianist Alex Specht, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Cedar Walton Sextet at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $16-$22. 238-9200.  

SUNDAY, FEB. 17 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Cultural Connections: The Art of Living Black” Conversations with the artists at 6:30 p.m., music at 5 p.m. at the Atrium, State of CA Office Bldg., 1515 Clay St., Oakland. 622-8190.  

“Photography of Aaron Cole” Reception at 5 p.m. at Schmidt’s Pub, 1492 Solano Ave.  

FILM 

African Film Festival “The Forgotten Man” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lonny Shavelson on “Trading Traditions: California’s New Cultures” at 1 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2002. 

Parker Palmer on “The Courage to Teach” and “Leading From Within” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Cost is $5-$10. 559-9500. 

“Memory Deficiency in Recent Israeli Art” with Sarah Breitberg-Semel at 2 p.m. at Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Reservations recommended. 549-6950. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Nina Ananiashvili and The State Ballet of Georgia at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$90. 642-9988.  

Live Oak Concert Different Strokes, inoovative jazz duo, at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$12. 644-6893.  

Jacqui Naylor at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Oakland. Tickets at the door $10-$15, includes reception. Children under 12 free. 228-3218. 

Tokyo String Quartet at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $46. 642-9988.  

Pappa Gianni and the North Beach Band at 2 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Annual Gospel Concert with Bobby Hall & Friends at 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 Martina Ave., Point Richmond. 236-0527.  

Hope Briggs and Friends “A Musical Valentine” at 3 p.m. at HErbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F. Tickets are $25-$50. 415-392-4400. 

La Gran Noche de la Canción Boricua with José Saavedra and Meli Rivera at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $8. 849-2568.  

Mads Tolling Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

Erik Yates & Friends, Americana, rock, at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. 

John Santos Quintet at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Glen Phillips at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $21.50-$22.50. 548-1761.  

MONDAY, FEB. 18 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Aurora Theatre “Sick” reading followed by discussion at 7:30 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. Free. 843-4822.  

Toby Barlow introduces his new novel “Sharp Teeth” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500. 

Andrew Demcak and Kaya Oakes at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express with Paradise at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Arts Festival Jerry Kuderna Piano Concert from noon to 1 p.m. at 2213 Shattuck Ave. Free. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Don Coffin and Paul Ellis at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. 849-1100. www.lebateauivre.net 

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

Martyn Joseph at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Rhonda Benin at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, FEB. 19 

CHILDREN 

Clown Unique Derique performs for ages 3 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“@60.art.israel.world” A survey of recent work by over 20 contemporary Israeli artists opens at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. 549-6950. 

FILM 

Experimental Documentaries “Paper Tiger Reds Paper Tiger Television” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761.  

Neeli Cherkovski, Kelly Lydick at 7:30 p.m. at Moe's Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

David Roche, humorist, actor, and speaker, discusses “The Church of 80% Sincerity” at 1 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6107.  

Kevin Danaher discusses “Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grassroots” with co-authors Shannon Biggs and Jason Mark at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

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

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

Diablo Valley College Night Jazz Ensemble at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $8-$12. 238-9200.  

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20 

FILM 

History of Cinema “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” at 3 p.m. and “The Terrence Davies Trilogy” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Dagoberto Gilb reads from his new novel “The Flowers” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Maude Barlow on “Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$13, available from Cody’s or www.kpfa.org 

Peace Symbol 50th Anniversary with Arnie Passman’s Peace Symbol history, Stoney Burke’s autobiography, folksingers Carol Denney, Hali Hammer, Brook Schoenfeld, Gary LaPow, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery, 2213 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5. 845-5481. 

Cafe Poetry hosted by Paradise at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. 849-2568.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Music for the Spirit Celebrating Black History Month with music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Florence Price at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555. 

Wednesday Noon Concert Brazilian Jazz at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

Kaspar/Sherman Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $6. 841-JAZZ.  

Whiskey Brothers at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473.  

Ezra Gale Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

The Duhks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Martin Luther Experience at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, FEB. 21 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Casual Labor” Sculpture and photography by Alex Clausen, Zachery Royer Scholz and Kirk Stoller. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. 

“Opening Doors” An exhibit celebrating the contributions of African American surgeons to medicine and medical education opens at the African American Museum and Library, 659 14th St., Oakland. 637-0200. 

FILM 

Terence Davies “Distant Voices, Still Lives” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry for the People with Tyehimba Jess, Def Poet Rafael Casal at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$15. 849-2568. 

Cultural Connections: The Art of Living Black Conversations with the artists at 5 p.m. at the Craft & Cultural Arts Gallery, State of CA Office Building, 1515 Clay St., Oakland. 622-8190. 

Anne Elizabeth Moore reads from “Unmarketable: Brandalism, Copyfighting, Mocketing, and the Erosion of Integrity” at 7 p.m. at Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 913-2447. 

Greil Marcus Examines Nathan Zuckerman, the protagonist in Philip Roth’s novels, at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$12. 848-0237. 

“Insurgent Citizenship: Disjunctions of Democracy and Modernity in Brazil” with author Ian Duncan, in coversation with Paul Rabinow and Peter Evans at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Symphony, Hugh Wolff, conductor, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$60. 841-2800.  

Anthony Smith’s Trunk Fulla Funk at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Gyan Riley at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Steve Carter Group with Kenneth Nash at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

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

Ross Hammonds Teakayo Misson, Singularity, jazz, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $67 841-2082. 

Adrian Gormley Jazz Ensemble at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Natasha Miller at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Savage Arts, a solo piece written and performed by Berkeley playwright Sharon Eberhardt, which concerns an actual murder and trial that focused on witchcraft and Native American beliefs in 1930 Buffalo, N.Y., will have its final performances 8 p.m. tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night (Saturday) at The Marsh in San Francisco’s Mission District. 

“Two Seneca women were accused of murdering a Frenchwoman whom they thought was a witch,” said Eberhardt. “The murdered woman’s husband was an artist from France who was painting dioramas in science museums on the East Coast. I felt foreign to the main characters and was concerned about how images, particularly of Native Americans, get manipulated, so I play a blue-collar neighbor, keeping her point of view, going back over the story, the information as she learns it. And things become more and more convoluted the more she finds out. It becomes a transforming experience for her; her impressions and prejudices change. I also become the other characters as it goes along.” 

The trial was recorded in the local papers every day, earning a story in Time magazine. The Bureau of Indian Affairs even appealed to Herbert Hoover’s Vice President Charles Curtis (himself part Native American) to send U.S. district attorneys to investigate, but “the federal government backed off when the New York prosecutors objected.” 

It was a time when “the Native Americans in that part of the country had ongoing direct contact with Europeans since the late 1600s. The reservations were established right after the Civil War; they seemed pretty deracinated by the 20th century. I think it was something of a shock to discover that some were still practicing their religion by the time of the 1930s. There were about a thousand Seneca speakers. It seemed to be a dying culture.” 

Eberhardt was also concerned with the impression mainstream American society had—and has—of Native Americans.  

“We know how to drive a car, but maybe not how to hunt,” she said. “With industrialization, society started romanticizing, revaluing what were thought to be Native American secrets. The Boy Scouts learned Native American tracking; the Campfire Girls, weaving. There was a sense, too, of primitive sensuality, passions we can’t feel every day—and that we can tap into those primitive passions. In the play, it comes up how we use these ideas, and plays with all this—the narrator, following the trial, is amazed by the passions.” 

Eberhardt—whose one-acts have won awards and whose full-length Becca and Heidi, a female twist on the Jekyll-Hyde story was produced by The Shee Theatre Co. in San Francisco a few years back, commented on performing her own work.  

“Stephanie Weissman, The Marsh’s founder, knew of my plays and that they’d gotten good reviews, and got me involved,” she said. “People responded to the characters in the workshops I went to. I worked in a class with David Ford. I used to be amazed at what actors did with the things I wrote. Now I realize I unconsciously knew more when I wrote my plays; I have to act them to know what they’re about.” 

There are plans for the future for Savage Arts.  

“We’ve approached a small theater in Santa Rosa about putting it on,” said Eberhardt, “and in the fall, I’m working to take it to Buffalo, have a workshop in a school there—and connect with the Seneca community. I look forward to developing the characters. maybe write some new scenes.” 

Eberhardt, who’s from Buffalo, has an M.F.A. in playwriting from Columbia. Her husband, Perrin Meyer, introduced her to his friend, Malcolm Margolin, author of The Ohlone Way.  

“Buffalo was a declining industrial area when I grew up there,” she said. “Then I lived in New York for years. It took awhile when I came here to appreciate living in beauty. But I’d never move to Florida! In the Bay Area, it’s not just beauty, but how we’re encouraged to go beyond tribalism, group prejudices ... There’s more of that on the East Coast. It’s something in the play—I’m encouraged that we’ve gotten a little bit better in some areas. I hope we can move on.” 

SAVAGE ARTS 

Through Feb. 16 at The Marsh,  

1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. 

(415) 826-5750.

Celebrated soprano Hope Briggs will return to the Bay Area for an intimate musical afternoon following rave reviews for starring roles in opera houses and recital halls throughout the U.S. and Europe. “A Musical Valentine” takes place on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. at San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets are $50, $40 and $25. Call City Box Office at (415)392-4400 or visit www.cityboxoffice.com. 

For this special benefit performance, Briggs will be joined by Holly Stell, a 15-year-old Bay Area resident, for the “flower duet” from De-libes’ Lakme. 

Dawn Harms, well-known local violinist, will also make a guest ap-pearance.  

Then Jamie Davis, acclaimed baritone jazz vocalist, takes the stage with his quartet, and Hope sits in for some classic jazz including the duet “My Romance.”  

The afternoon also features spirituals by vocalists from UC Berkeley’s Young Musicians Program for talented, low-income youth, and Ms. Briggs will also sing select spirituals. The concert is dedicated to the memory of two gifted African American classical artists, contralto Marian Anderson, the first black soloist to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, and Maestro Calvin Simmons, the first African American to conduct a major U.S. orchestra. Proceeds from the performance benefit two local non-profit organizations, Kids First in San Francisco and the education programs of the Oakland East Bay Symphony. 

Briggs grew up in South San Francisco as part of a musical family and has sung lead roles with the San Francisco Opera, Houston Opera and Opera Frankfurt among others. She is also one of 18 African American classical artists selected to be a Marian Anderson Historical Society Scholar. 

O’Donnell’s Fairfax Nursery is an old favorite of mine, though I pass it maybe 20 times for every time I go in to visit. It’s right on one of our two usual routes to Point Reyes, though over the last five years or so it’s the route we take coming back and they’re often closed by that hour. Besides, on the way out we’re generally in a big fat hurry to go see some birds; on the way back, we’re tired and grouchy and unfit for civilized company.  

It’s worth a left turn on Sir Frances Drake when we time it right, though. The nursery’s in a sort of winter lull this month but there’s still temptation there. Here’s the deal: Paul O’Donnell is a devout (and practicing) restorationist, and he grows California native plants for that purpose and Just Because, and he grows them organically. He’s one of very few people who do that. 

O’Donnell uses a down-to-earth method to test for deer resistance, too: the fence around most of the nursery isn’t tall enough to keep deer out. “I decided to keep just that four-foot fence by the sidewalk. Deer hop it every night. So when people ask, ‘What’s a California native that deer won’t destroy, maybe just take a little nibble?’ I say, ‘Take a look! The deer are not prohibited from this property; they meander through here all the time.’ So yeah, I do have a sort of deer laboratory right here.” He points out that native deer have a symbiotic relationship with even deer-resistant native plants: “Stop fighting it!” 

Joe and I can attest to the presence of deer in downtown Fairfax. Some years ago, driving back at about 8:30 at night from the Point Reyes Christmas Bird Count, I saw a big brown nose and big brown knees on the right and then, Oomph! Something thumped into the passenger-side door of the pickup.  

Joe had dozed off in the passenger seat and came awake with an exclamation. I pulled over at the first parking space … Yes, parking space. It was only in literal hindsight that I realized the nose and knees belonged not to a dog as I’d supposed but to a four-point buck who’d come across a street and a parking lot and out from between parked cars to leave a couple of impressive dents in the truck’s right door.  

What I saw in the mirror was the deer bouncing up from his knees, glaring indignantly at us, and bounding off between buildings, evidently unhurt except maybe for skinned knees. He didn’t even seem panicked, just annoyed.  

O’Donnell has fruit trees (citrus, pears including Seckel, apples, figs the day we dropped in last week) and veggies, herbs, and the like in a corner with higher fencing, along with seed for natives, edibles, and erosion-control/bank-stabilizing plants. Organic-worthy amendments and bug traps and a tool or ten, too.  

Stop in any time you’re going out to play on the Point, or make it an excuse for a field trip.  

Just watch out for impulsive deer. 

O’Donnell’s Fairfax Nursery 

1700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.,Fairfax. 

(415) 453-0372. 

Winter hours: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. weekends. 

“If there’s a three-hour downpour, we just close up and go home. Call first!” 

Spring and summer: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily. 

FRIDAY, FEB. 15 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with The Hon. Julian Evans, British Consul General, SF, on “Afghanistan and Pakistan: For Better or Worse.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

“Overcoming Zionism” Joel Kovel, longtime activist, professor at Bard College, will read from and discuss his most recent and most controversial book, “Overcoming Zionism” at 7 p.m. BFUU Hall, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Cosponsored by the Northern California Support Group of the International Solidarity Movement and the Social Justice Committee of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian-Universalists. 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

SATURDAY, FEB. 16 

Mud, Slugs and Newts An exploration of the advantages of being slimy! Rain or shine from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

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

“African Americans: Champions of Democracy” with Cassie Lopez, community activist, on the role of African Americans today and through history, at 4 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph, at 65th St., Oakland. Donations accepted. 251-1120. 

Planetarium Showings of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Chabot Space and Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $9-$13. 336-7373.  

“Can a Confederation Help Solve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?” with Dr. Jhalil Barhoum of Stanford Univ., Francesca Giovannini, former U.N. employee and current lecturer in International and Area Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies Group Major, U.C. Berkeley, Rabbi Michael Lerner of Tikkun Magazine and Mitchell Plitnick former Policy Director at Jewish Voice for Peace and others at 4 p.m. at Martin Luther King Student Union, 5th flr, UC Campus.  

“Planning Your Bay Area Edible Garden” at 10 a.m. at UC Botanical Garden. Cost is $20-$25. Registration required. 643-2755, ext. 03. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

“California Chronicles of Medical Marijuana” The screening of a Claire Burch film at 5 p.m. at the Regent Press Gallery, 4770 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Free. 849-0153. 

California Writers Club with Susan Bono, editor in chief of “Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative” at 10 a.m. at Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square. 272-0120. 

“Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream” Videos from philosophers, scientists and community leaders, including Paul Hawken, Julia Butterfly Hill, Lynn Twist, Van Jones, Matthew Fox, Thomas Berry and more, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. Sponsored by Pachamama Alliance. 665-6066. bohnert@sonic.net 

Akido for Peace: Training Across Borders Middle East peace fundraiser from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Aikido of Berkeley with instructor Hiroshi Ikeda, shihan. Suggested $75 donation; all proceeds go to Aiki Extensions’ Middle East Aikido Project. www.aikidoofberkeley.com  

Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 8 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 594-5165. 

“Meditation as Relationship, Relationship as Meditation” A workshop from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Cost is $35-$50, no one turned away. Please bring a bag lunch. Reservations required. 866-732-2320, ext. 1. 

Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, at 11 a.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

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 

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Oakland Artisans Marketplace Sat. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jack London Square. 238-4948. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 17 

Winter Wildlife Hike Join us as we look for winter birds, slimy newts and slippery banana slugs along the muddy trails, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Basics of Gardening Plan what to do in your garden for the rest of the year. We will cover the basics of what is appropriate for each season in Bay Area gardens. You will learn when to prune, look out for weeds, put down mulch, propagate, plant, and much more. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Bring lunch. Cost is $40-$48. Registration required. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

“The Afro-Caribbean and Black Native American Presence in California” with Lonny Shavelson at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2002. 

East Bay Atheists Berkeley meets at 1:30 p.m. in the Berkeley Main Library, 3rd Floor Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. Fred Glynn will discuss his book, “Authors of the Bible,” which describes the men and women who wrote the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. 222-7580. eastbayatheists.org 

“Women Philosophers by H. D. Moe” on Martha C. Nussbaum at 11 a.m. at the Humanist Fellowship Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Free. 451-5818. 

Gut Health is Great Health! From 3 to 4 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200.  

Kensington Farmers’ Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 303 Arlington Ave. at Amherst, Kensington. 525-6155. 

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

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 

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Sun. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Santosh Philip on “Increasing Awareness in the Dream State” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000 www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 5 to 9 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Cost is $3 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org  

MONDAY, FEB. 18 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Bike Trip “Eastshore State Park and Aquatic Park” Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the southernmost pond of Aquatic Park, Bay and Potter Sts. Bring lunch and bike helmet. 843-2222. 

“Tillie Olsen: A Heart in Action” A new film by Ann Hershey at 7:30 p.m. at the California Theater, on Kittredge btwn Shattuck and Fulton. Q&A follows. Tickets are $10. annhersh@aol.com 

Berkeley Green Mondays “US Coverage of the Muslim World: Ignorance, Malice or Greed?” with Lisette B. Poole, CSU, at 7:30 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Open ot all. www.berkeleygreens.org 

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. 

Dragonboating Year round classes at the Berkeley Marina, Dock M. Meets Mon, Wed., Thurs. at 6 p.m. Sat. at 10:30 a.m. For details see www.dragonmax.org 

Free Boatbuilding Classes for Youth Mon.-Wed. from 3 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Boathouse, 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Classes cover woodworking, boatbuilding, and boat repair. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

TUESDAY, FEB. 19 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit Tilden Botanic GArden. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

“Hiking New Zealand” with Peter Potterfield at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Berkeley Garden Club “Why Would You Want Bugs? Integrated Pest Management in the Home Garden” with Martha Berthelsen, Public Programs Manager, The Watershed Project, at 1:45 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church,1953 Hopkins St. Bring a plant to exchange. 845-4482. www.berkeleygardenclub.org  

BAY-Peace Youth Workshop: The Military: It’s Not Just a Game A free event for youth from 4 to 6 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Cesar Chavez Branch, 3301 E. 12th St., Ste. 271, Oakland. 809-7416. www.baypeace.org 

“Sacred Music, Sacred Space, Sacred Arts” Tea and talk with Don Frew and Jack Lundin at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley Ave. 848-3440. 

Board Game Days at the Albany Library. Play Monopoly, Blokus, Connect 4, checkers, chess and much more from 1 to 4 p.m., Tues.-Thurs. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. For 4th through 8th graders. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets at 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St., near Eunice. MelDancing@aol.com 

Business Training for Women Immigrants and Families offered by AnewAmerica. For information call 540-7786. www.anewamerica.org 

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. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704.  

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20 

“Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water” with Maude Barlow at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$13, available from Cody’s or www.kpfa.org 

“Amongst White Clouds” A documentary on the Buddhist Hermit Masters of China’s Zhongnan Mountains at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th S., Oakland, between Telegraph and Broadway, below Pill Hill. Suggested donation $5. www.HumanistHall.org  

Cycling Lecture with Jobst Brandt on “Cycling in the Alps” at 7 p.m. at Velo Sport Bicycles, 1615 University Ave., enter at 1989 California St. RSVP to 849-0437. 

Watch the Lunar Eclipse from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive, below Grizzly Peak. Free. 642-5132. www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Total Lunar Eclipse “Red Moon Rising” a guided hike of about 3 miles roundtrip, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Chabot Space and Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $8-$10, advance purchase recommended. 336-7373.  

Writer Coach Connection Volunteers needed to help Berkeley students improve their writing and critical thinking skills from noon to 3 p.m. To register call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

Jericho Deliverance Fellowship Open House Wed.-Fri, at Fresh Manna Christian Center, 3201 Shattuck Ave. 459-5559.  

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 and a warm hat. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Teen Chess Club from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda at Hopkins. 981-6133. 

Morning Meditation Every Mon., Wed., and Fri. at 7:45 a.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th. 486-8700. 

After-School Program Homework help, drama and music for children ages 8 to 18, every Wed. from 4 to 7:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Cost is $5 per week. 845-6830. 

Stitch ‘n Bitch at 6:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

THURSDAY, FEB. 21 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll learn about animal defenses, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

“The California Serengeti: A Tour of the Bay Area, 15,000 BCE” with Breck Parkman, senior state archeologist, California State Parks at 12:30 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2002. 

Academy Awards Preview Night with Harry Chotiner at 7 p.m. at the College Preparatory School, 6100 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $12.50- $15, $5 for students. http://loiivetalk-chotiner.eventbrite.com 

“Rebuilding with Straw Bale in Earthquake Affected Pakistan” with Berkeley architect Martin Hammer who recently returned from Pakistan where he has been working to bring straw bale and other sustainable building practices to the mountainous region devastated by the 2005 earthquake, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., near Dwight Way. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. 644-8833. 

Berkeley Stop the War Coalition meets at 7 p.m. at 258 Dwinelle, UC Campus. All are welcome. 

“Remedies to Reduce Depression: The Role of Vitamins, Hormones, Toxicity, and Acupuncture” at 7 p.m. at Piedmont Adult School, Oakland. Cost is $25. Sponsored by Foundation for Wellness Professionals. to register call 849-1176. 

Holistic Menopause & Intimacy at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club meets at 6:45 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. Free, all are welcome. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

CITY MEETINGS 

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Mon., Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers. 981-7368.  

Council Agenda Committee meets Tues. Feb. 19, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6601. 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415.  

ONGOING 

E-Waste Recycling St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County accepts electronic waste including computers, dvd players, cell phones, fax machines and many other ewaste products for disposal free of charge at many of its locations throughout Alameda County. Free bulk pick-up available. 638-7600. www.svdp-alameda.org 

Help a Newt Cross the Road Every year newts migrate across Hillside Drive to reach their breeding pools in Castro Creek. Volunteers prevent many of these creatures from being crushed by cars. We need volunteers every evening during January and February in El Sobrante. The newts are most active on rainy nights. annabelle11_3@yahoo.com 

Free Tax Help If your 2007 household income was less than $42,000, you are eligible for free tax preparation from United Way's Earn it! Keep It! Save It! Sites are open now through April 15 in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. To find a site near you, call 800-358-8832. www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org 

Donate the Excess Fruit from Your Fruit Trees I’ll gladly pick and deliver your fruit to community programs that feed school kids, the elderly, and the hungry. The fruit trees should be located in Berkeley and organic (no pesticides). This is a free volunteer/ 

grassroots thing so join in!! To scehdule and appointment call or email 812-3369. northberkeleyharvest@gmail.com

I am known by family and friends for my love of cooking. So it didn’t come as a huge surprise that I received as a Christmas gift this year a new kitchen gadget. This one was a handheld blender—sort of a “blender on a stick”—with which you can puree your soup by simply immersing the business end of the device into the soup pot. No more need to transfer the soup back and forth to a countertop blender! 

My initial thought was hey, this is pretty cool … and I guess I’m going to have to start making a lot more soup! Or to imagine other uses for the device. According to the manual you can also—somehow—use it to make smoothies. 

The more I thought about my “blender-on-a-stick,” though, the more it seemed like a solution in search of a problem. Why? Well, to begin with, our 20-year old Osterizer blender has always worked just fine for pureeing soups, and it does many other things well too. Yes, you do have to transfer the soup to the blender, and then back to the pot. But I never realized I was being inconvenienced until presented with this new gadget. 

And thinking more deeply, it seemed to me that in “solving” a problem I didn’t know I had, my “blender-on-a-stick” actually created several new ones: 

• It has a built-in battery that requires it to live on a charger, which in turn wants to live on the counter. But with a mixer and toaster oven, we don’t need any more “counter clutter.”  

• Assuming it’s kept plugged in, the charger will be a constant power drain. Maybe it’s not a lot of juice, but as “always on” devices like these proliferate they are starting to add up to a significant amount of power consumption in the U.S. 

• The battery isn’t replaceable. Instead, the manual instructs me to mail the device to some far-off “service center” to replace it. Will it last two years? Five? My experience with other rechargeable built-in batteries tells me I probably shouldn’t count on more than two or three.  

• What’ll I do if my blender has a bigger problem, like a burned out motor or a mechanical problem? Again, experience has taught me that getting appliances like this fixed tends to be as or more costly than replacing them. Many such products are really designed to wear out or become obsolete quickly—so you’ll buy another one sooner.  

• Where will it go when it dies? I’ve been thinking a lot about this question since reading a sobering article about “e-waste” in January’s National Geographic. Assuming I don’t just send the gadget to the landfill but try to act responsibly and find an e-waste recycler, it still has a pretty good chance of winding up in China or Africa. There, people living in extreme poverty are exposed to deadly toxins trying to extract a few pounds of valuable stuff (copper, silver, etc.) from American e-waste. Reading this, I realized that maybe the best time to think about where our electronic devices will go when we are done with them is before we acquire them.  

Reflecting on where my blender will go when it dies also made me wonder where it was born. “Made in China,” it said on the box. No surprise—it seems practically everything electronic is made there nowadays! My memory drifted back to the summer of 2005, when my family and I went on a two-week tour of China that included the industrial heartland cities of Wuhan and Chong Quing. The pollution was just horrible—made me feel sick, both physically and at heart. The air was like L.A. on a really bad day and nasty looking junk floated down the rivers. To top off the experience, I picked up a stomach bug that took me three weeks to get over (it turns out even the bottled water is often impure). So I am sadly not very surprised whenever I read another report about environmental conditions in China or people there getting cancer in their 30s and 40s. Experiencing first hand the huge cities and factories where products like my blender come from has left an indelible impression whenever I see those three words, “Made in China.”  

And as I reflected on the seemingly simple questions “Where did this come from? and where will it go?” I realized that we live on an increasingly small planet where there really is no “away.”  

So I took my “blender-on-a-stick” back to Williams Sonoma. The store clerk cheerfully gave me full retail credit for it—a hundred bucks. After browsing a while, I decided to buy a rather humble and low-tech, but very good quality, stainless steel skillet. Here are some of the positive aspects of my “new” Christmas gift: 

• My new skillet was—amazingly—made in the U.S. It seems to me a good idea to buy U.S.-made goods whenever possible—both because I’ve been to China and seen a little bit of how things are made there and because I believe it’s important that we retain the ability to make real things in our country. After all, the oil we’re using to transport things all over the globe will eventually run out, and maybe sooner than we think. 

• My stainless steel skillet is durable. In fact it’s probably about as close to a “forever” kitchen utensil as you can get. Our “nonstick” skillet is on its last legs now and it’s our third one in ten years—another foresaken promise of technology? Meanwhile, the stainless steel Revere Ware saucepans we got as a wedding gift 20 years ago are just as good today—less some tarnish—as they were when we started using them.  

• My “new” Christmas gift is a really useful everyday product that will remind me regularly of the family member who “gave” it to me.  

• Finally, I feel I’m making a small gift of my own—to my children’s children, whose generation will surely thank ours for not leaving them more problems to deal with than we already have. 

It occurs to me maybe my assessment of the blender is overly harsh. Maybe I should just accept what is given to me and try to be grateful for its positive attributes. Maybe it was a sign I need to start making a lot more soup!  

But I can’t hide from what I know. And what I know is that there’s seemingly no limit to the creativity of companies out to make a buck. I know this because I work for one of them! I also know that our economic system produces amazing innovations and occasionally, some useful new products. And I know that with a little more awareness and education, and informed consumer choice, the companies that invent and market these “solutions” will be more careful not to create new problems.