Many Berkeley residents consider national and international politics of high importance. Many of those same individuals are less engaged when it comes to local Berkeley politics and contests. There are several reasons why local politics fail to engage the same spirited, informed debate and interest. Regardless of the reasons for apathy, I believe that local issues are important to all Berkeley residents, and deserve thoughtful consideration. 

Berkeley has a very fluid population, new residents moving in and out with each passing year. The composition of city residents can be very different from the time one Berkeley mayor is elected to the next. The student population changes annually, and affects the industries and individuals who serve the university as well. It is understandable that many UC Berkeley students and newly graduated professionals are disengaged from local issues. Academic and career demands leave little time for reflection about issues not readily connected with their lives. 

Still others fail to involve themselves in city-related issues out of frustration. The perception that their input will not be honored, and that they will not be able to make a difference, leads to this attitude. I understand the reasoning, if not the excuse, for inactivity. Instead of concluding that their personal involvement cannot make a difference, I propose that they consider why they feel disenfranchised by the politics of Berkeley. 

It is the responsibility of each of us, regardless of how long we’ve been here, to let our city leaders know what is important to us. We need to make initial contact with those we identify as being in charge of our important issues. If you fail to connect with the correct agency or individual, was the person you spoke with at least helpful? Did they make a reference to the proper person, or any other attempt to help you? Do you know where to go to research what the city has done in the past on your issue(s)? Do you know where, when and with whom to register your opinions? If not, why not? If someone seeking help gets an unhelpful response, or a bureaucratic pass-off, or a string of answering machines with no clear response, it is no wonder that frustration chokes off citizen involvement. We deserve a response; we deserve a respectful hearing. They are supposed to be working for us. 

I believe that integrity and transparency in government are the two most important qualities we should look for in electing Berkeley’s next mayor. For that reason I am voting for Shirley Dean. In the 10 years I have known her, there has never been a time when she conducted herself with less than complete integrity. She walks the talk; she does what she says she will do. Shirley Dean always listens, and never cuts anyone out of consideration. Shirley Dean never engages in backroom deals or closed-door meetings. There is absolute transparency in her leadership. 

Regardless of which mayoral candidate you support, please register and vote. It matters…to you. 

Sam Herbert is a Berkeley resident. 

Riya Bhattachargjee’s Sept. 25 article “Anti-Israel Graffiti Found Near Campus” is poor journalism. The title is fine, but the article leads with an erroneous use of the term “anti-Semitism,” which then serves as a justification for the outrage of Birgeneau and various Zionist student organizations. The UC chancellor seems to know that the graffiti was “hurtful to…members of the Jewish community.” That’s a half truth (many will agree with him of course) because many Jews, myself included, find nothing hurtful in this act aimed at countering deceptive Zionist propaganda.  

In July, I spent 17 days inside Israel-Palestine. If you visit both sides of the green line extensively, there’s no way around the fact that Zionism has established a state that is fundamentally racist and that Israel today is a segregated and segregationist society, every bit as vicious as the Deep South before 1960. Israel intends to stay that way. Though many Israelis profess to differ, most do absolutely nothing about it. That there are some examples of incorporation of Palestinians into Israeli Jewish society and social life, such as the use of the soccer star Sowan Abbas, should not be surprising. I do not need to remind fellow Jews that the Nazi’s had their model Jews—eg the model Jewish community in Aushwitz Birkenau, symphony orchestras in most death camps and the people portrayed in the movie the Counterfeiters—who they used to advantage either as a propaganda screen to conceal what was going on or for other purposes. 

“Israel is very progressive when it comes to things like gay rights, women and the environment…,” said Pini Altman of Blue StarPR the public relations firm that is promoting Israel’s positive image. This too is interesting to me because it is true that Israel is progressive on gay rights and women’s rights (we met with an ethnically integrated LGBT group who told us it is much more dangerous to be a Palestinian Arab in Israel than it is to be gay). However, much of the blather about the environment has been used as a cover to drive Palestinians from their own lands (both within the 1948 borders and in the 1967 conquered-occupied areas) under a pretense of reforestation and reclamation. After a while the seized land is usually given over to settlement cities and Israeli farmers and business concerns, by the thousands and thousands of acres.  

Can the cutting down of 300,000 Palestinian olive trees by Israel’s army ever be justified? Can this be understood as anything other than an attack on the survival of an entire agrarian-based people? How about when much of the land in the West Bank’s Jordan valley has been reclaimed from Palestinians for the planting of 5 million date palms now owned by Israeli farmers and Israeli corporations aiming for dominance in the international date market? Or the stealing of 80 percent of the water under the occupied lands which is now used to supply Israeli cities and farms, while 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank are forced to pay 3-5 times higher rates for the 20 percent of the water they may buy from Israel’s water company. Mind you the Palestinians have little or no money because Israel has consciously destroyed their economy by preventing the flow of goods—mainly agricultural—and labor via a vast network of military blockades. And most Palestinians can not ever attain basic citizenship rights. Most Bedouin Arabs inside Israel’s Negev desert are simply declared to be criminals living “illegally” on state lands, their villages removed from all maps. Those villages are not allowed basic public services such as sewers, electric power and so forth, while Israel sprays toxic defoliants on lands they plant with grass for their herds, and gives away their land to Jewish Israelis.  

The six-pointed Star of David was a Jewish religious symbol. It’s on the front of every Torah. Zionism appropriated the Star of David as a political symbol to represent Israel, a Jewish state. Jews who do not believe in religious states—Jewish, Christian, Hindu or Muslim—are many, but our identity has been hijacked by people who then call us “self-hating” Jews. In truth, we represent the American mainstream, for most Americans oppose the idea of states based upon religious groups as undemocratic. When someone’s graffiti equates the Star of David with the Nazi swastika, anyone may voice their strong disagreement with that equation. They are free to disagree. But the attempt to label that equation anti-Semitic is a ruse, a lie. Look at the flag. The Star of David is today the representation of the State of Israel, a state that would like to elimininate what it calls it’s Arab “demographic problem.” When the Zionists in power in Israel (who, ironically, are not religious fundamentalists) talk about the “demographic time-bomb” (and they do so repeatedly), the argument is often heard that if they do not ethnically cleanse the Palestinians from the land reaching from the Mediterranean to the Jordan river Jews in Israel will soon be in the minority. This is an expression of racism against the Palestinian people. Today (though not 50 years ago) anyone in the United States who would argue that government must hatch schemes to prevent the U.S. population from one day becoming majority ethnic minority people (black, Latino, Asian) would be seen for the racists they are. And their schemes would be seen as plans for ethnic cleansing. The power of Zionism in the United States and the distortions by the media and political class here to prop up support for Israeli colonialism prevent many people from seeing the self-evident truth that we, Americans, through our government’s support of Israel, are a party to this catastrophe. 

I will be giving a slide show based upon my visit to the Middle East, entitled, “The Political Geography of the Jewish State—Zionism’s ‘Facts on the Ground,’” at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. 

Marc Sapir is a Berkeley resident and the former director of Retro Poll.

Albany is not broken. It doesn’t need radical change by the unprecedented seven Charter amendments on your ballot. It doesn’t need to become another Berkeley. 

Measure Y, the so-called directly elected mayor proposal is the most dangerous. It is a last-minute, poorly drafted radical measure forced onto the ballot by the Sierra Club Political Action Committee (PAC)-endorsed three-person council majority led by Mayor Bob Lieber. 

Measure Y will convert Albany into another Berkeley. However, they could not even get a majority among your fellow citizens on the Charter Review Committee (CRC) that they appointed. The CRC examined three variants of Bob’s proposal and each time voted no.  

Why? First, 84 percent of all CA cities under 25,000 residents use the exact same system that Albany has used continuously since 1927. Some smaller cities tried Bob’s approach. The CRC found they failed. They had to return to the system 84 percent of California cities use. 

Second, it is much, much more than a single issue. It creates continuous 16-year council terms. If you approve Y, Bob could be your mayor until 2020! 

Third, you are also asked to approve Measure Y in 2008 but wait until 2012 for it to become effective, not the day after the election. Why? So PAC candidate Bob Lieber can run in 2008 for a second council term and then again run in 2012 for two more terms as elected mayor. 

Fourth, Bob forced Measure Y onto the ballot with absolutely no defined runoff provision if a candidate fails to get a majority. He even publicly silenced Charter Review Committee spokesman Bart Grossman from reporting to the public the flaws in Bob’s measure. 

In my 40 years in Albany no one remembers any mayor silencing a committee spokesman on a ballot measure. I told Bob and his three-member PAC endorsed majority I helped elect that I was ashamed of Bob and he should be ashamed of himself. I told Bob he runs the danger of irreversibly dividing this city. After I spoke, every councilmember except Joanne Wile apologized for Bob’s act. 

I urge every Albany voter before voting to go either to Albany’s website (www.albanyca.org) under the Albany Rewind section and view the July 21 and Aug. 4 council meetings or go to a new website, www.robertlieber.net, that has excerpted Bob’s actions from the original Albany videos of Council meetings. 

You will be shocked. Please ask your tech savvy friends to copy these videos to DVDs so every Albany voter can see for themselves the implications of Measure Y. 

Finally, Measure Y drastically reduces your contact with elected county, regional, state, and federal representatives from 10 or more to only one voice. If Measure Y passes it could be only Bob.  

Our current system creates 10 or more voices that a mayor can use when Albany needs help. Albany and 84 percent of similar cities rotate the mayor position among five councilmembers. Each rotating mayor creates a unique network of contacts of higher elected officials during their term. No one mayor could ever create the network that 10 past mayors can. The accumulated network of past mayors is a resource a small town like Albany dares not lose. 

No continuous 16-year council terms! No to Sierra Club PAC endorsed candidates (current incumbent majority or this year’s three candidates) trying to radically change Albany! No on Measure Y!  

James D. Cleveland is an Albany resident. 

Bus Rapid Transit cheerleaders such as Robb Wren, Alan Tobey and Charles Siegel would have you believe that Measure KK and its proponents are anti-transit. They’re wrong. We put Measure KK on the ballot because we care deeply about transit, and want to see bus service improvement done right. 

We believe its possible to have good public transit in Berkeley. That’s why we, Berkeleyans for Better Transit Options, are supporting the implementation of Rapid Bus Plus. And after a series of discussions with neighborhood association representatives, AC Transit has finally agreed to study this option as part of its planning process. Most importantly, Rapid Bus Plus can be accomplished without the detriments associated with dedicated bus lanes on our city streets. 

Here’s a fact BRT supporters won’t tell you. The current BRT proposal cuts local service. Is this better transit? Not if you ask bus riders! Rather, it’s another example of why we need a formal mechanism to insure that the real needs of Berkeley residents are addressed in any transit solution that is adopted by the city. 

Measure KK proponents believe transit should be green. We believe that good transit planning should reduce green house gas emissions. Our opponents are right when they report that 81 percent of Berkeley voters want Berkeley to do everything in its power to lower our carbon footprint. 

That’s why we oppose BRT as currently proposed. AC Transit’s own draft environmental impact report makes it clear that if BRT goes ahead as planned, there will be no significant reduction in noxious gasses and no fuel savings! 

Its not enough to say “Public transit is green.” AC Transit and the City of Berkeley have a responsibility to propose a plan that actually is green. And to that end, we have submitted specific suggestions in our Rapid Bus Plus proposal (see www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/mcl/RapidBusPlus-vs.-BRT.pdf). 

Opponents say that Measure KK will cost the city money. Indeed, the city has cut corners and short-changed the transit planning, design and public input process. So, yes, it may cost more to design a system that has broad public support and actually works. But the resulting system will serve the city better, and provide more value to residents and other users. And if Rapid Bus Plus is adopted, it will actually cost less than BRT to implement. 

I know that most of the city’s political have elite come out against the measure. Berkeley politics, including some of the well-respected but misguided endorsing organizations are driven by a small group of over the top idealogues that simply care more for their agenda than what’s best for Berkeley. That’s why they’ll cut down trees to put up buildings and call it Green!  

Meanwhile, the key Berkeley neighborhood organizations have formally endorsed Measure KK: CENA, Willard, Le Conte and Northeast Berkeley, the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA). These organizations represent the folks that actually live here in Berkeley. They understand how detrimental the presently proposed plan would be if allowed to go forward. 

We believe that Berkeley voters know best. It’s worth noting that when the politicians wanted to run the BART trains on elevated tracks through Berkeley, the city’s voters made the heroic choice to bury the tracks and keep our city from being divided. If we’d left it up to the politicians and engineers, we’d look just like Albany and El Cerrito. 

Chances are, we’ll live with these transit decisions for decades. We have to get it right! Vote for Measure KK and let voters have the final say about how transit is implemented in our city.  

Bruce Kaplan is a co-proponent of Measure KK.

I wonder if people who write in opposition to the proposed AC Transit BRT project and in support of Measure KK, which would most likely bring the Bus Rapid Transit project to a complete halt, are concerned with or even bother to consider the future of our city and its environment. In their letters to the Daily Planet, most of them write as though their primary concern is maintaining the status quo of driving in Berkeley. 

I have lived in and around Berkeley for almost 60 years. Automobile traffic has increased over those years nearly three-fold. At the same time the city’s population has diminished by about 20,000. In the near future, traffic and parking demand are destined to increase inevitably with the construction of the fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel. The expanded Caldecott, in combination with all the planned development by the University and other downtown developments including the projected 2,500 residential units that will be built in coming decades to accommodate the East Bay’s growing population, will inevitably produce more traffic, congestion and greater demand for parking to Berkeley. This is likely to happen no matter what fluctuations occur in the price of gasoline and people’s use of public transportation, which is increasingly stretched due to limited resources, budget constraints and congested traffic. 

These changes are occurring against a background of increasingly serious problem of global warming. According to the most recent version of Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan, nearly half of our region’s greenhouse gas emissions are produced from transportation. Overall, the United States generates about one-sixth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions while comprising less than a twentieth of its population. 

Berkeley, famous for being “green,” will be as guilty of contributing to the problem as anywhere else. Known worldwide as a progressive leader, Berkeley should do more to show others what a citizenry truly concerned about global warming can do to tackle its transportation problems. Instead, being extremely reluctant even to consider an alternative to our use of cars, some Berkeley citizens have put Measure KK on the ballot to defeat the most promising transportation improvement that has been proposed for decades. 

If we are concerned with our future and our leadership in addressing the problem of global warming, legislation alone will not reduce Berkeley’s greenhouse gas emissions to the level that 81 percent of Berkeleyans voted for when they passed Measure G in 2006. It will take personal lifestyle changes and a serious citywide effort to reduce automobile dependence. 

The potential exists in Berkeley to provide real and positive leadership. Many cities in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Central and South America have successfully integrated public transit and development, creating urbanized centers that are vital, lively, attractive, and commercially successful. And many major cities have formed pedestrian zones around urban centers where one can freely walk, shop, and enjoy leisure time without being concerned about the hazards of auto traffic. It is possible in places like these to experience a high quality of livability, overall mobility, and personal comfort and convenience. 

Yet Measure KK would stand in the way of that and roll back the clock to a time when the automobile was paramount. The proponents of Measure KK are looking resolutely through a rear-view mirror (most likely the rear-view mirror of their own cars). They lack any vision for a positive future. 

Many cities in other parts of the world are far ahead of Berkeley in planning for a livable and sustainable future. Consider Strasbourg, Vienna, Copenhagen, Zurich, Bern, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Ottawa, Curitiba, Kobe, and Yokohama. All have created pedestrian zones and transit-oriented, mixed-use developments that have become attractive and viable neighborhoods accessed primarily by means other than the private automobile. 

People in Berkeley are constantly fretting about the lack of adequate parking. Again, this absence of vision should be a cause of serious concern to all of us who say we care about the environment. Plentiful free parking is a concept promulgated during the automobile-oriented planning of the mid-20th century. Reliable and frequent public transit is what we’ll need in the 21st century and beyond with car and bike sharing with limited parking 

This does not mean that everyone will be “forced” to get out of their cars, as opponents of BRT in Berkeley often claim. But it does mean that if we intend to be serious about addressing climate change, we will need to think a lot more about how and when we use cars as a means of transportation. Many trips can be made by transit, some by walking, some by bicycle, and some by car. When our mindset changes to one of less reliance on the private automobile as the exclusive means of personal transportation, we can make better use of the parking. 

Unfortunately, Measure KK and its opposition to the BRT project is a distraction from what should obviously be our real goal: seriously addressing ways to develop a lifestyle that is less dependent on the private automobile for everyday transportation. Berkeley is a center of creativity and innovation, or at least it has been. If Berkeley cannot find ways to promote practical and viable transportation alternatives, what city can? 

Roy Nakadegawa is a former director of both AC Transit and BART, serving a total of 32 years. He currently serves on the Public Transportation and Land Development Committee of the Transportation Research Board, a branch of the Academy of Sciences. 

In her latest attack on Bus Rapid Transit (Sept 18), Gale Garcia suggests that AC Transit’s projections for the ridership increase that would result from BRT are inaccurate. 

She cites a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) study to make her case. She says the study was done in 2007, but actually it was published in 2003. This makes a difference because the study was done too long ago to include any full-fledged BRT projects. 

The study in question looks at ridership projections made in the 1980s and early 1990s for 19 projects, 17 of them rail projects, including BART’s extension to Colma and various light rail projects. Only two bus projects were examined; one a highway transitway in Houston, the other a busway in Pittsburgh. These projections made between 1982 and 1995 are compared to actual ridership in 2002. One major finding of the study, which Garcia fails to mention, is that forecasts improved over time. 

If ridership is below what was originally forecast does that mean that the forecast was faulty? Not necessarily. In the Pittsburgh case, the busway as actually built was substantially different from the planned busway due to construction problems. The route is 25 percent shorter than planned and serves fewer bus routes than planned. That’s part of the reason for riderhip falling short of projections. And, today, ridership is close to the level forecast for 2005 for the bus routes that were actually implemented on the busway. 

Ms. Garcia falsely states that the study found that projections overestimate time-savings. In fact the 2003 study did not look at time-savings projections at all. 

If Ms. Garcia were to look at the studies that FTA has published about specific bus projects, she would learn that BRT and busway projects have actually been quite successful. That’s why the federal government is continuing to provide funding for BRT. It works. 

Start with the Pittsburg West busway; it doesn’t include the full array of BRT features but it does provide a dedicated busway on a former railway corridor physically separated from local streets. It shows the advantages for buses of not having to travel in mixed-flow traffic. Ridership jumped 135 percent in the first two years of operation and is now, as stated earlier, close to projected levels. 34 percent of riders had previously gotten to their destination in a car; the FTA study estimated that the busway removed 4000 cars from area highways. The study found that buses were more reliable and faster, with 85 percent of surveyed bus riders reporting travel time-savings averaging 14 minutes. And there were no negative impacts on local business; instead there was economic growth near busway stations. 

FTA has also done studies of full-fledged BRT projects, such as ones in Boston and Las Vegas. In all their studies, they find reduced travel time, improved reliability and increased ridership compared to pre-BRT buses on the same routes. Surveys of bus riders find that they prefer BRT to the buses that existed before. And there has been no negative impact on local businesses. In Boston, for instance, the Silver Line BRT has been accompanied by “new construction on vacant lots, rehabilitation of historic buildings and enhancements to retail.” 

Ms. Garcia is wrong when she says that transit agencies overestimate ridership. When we look at the most recently implemented BRT projects, it’s evident that the opposite is true. Transit agencies these days, unlike in the 1980s, tend to underestimate projected ridership. 

Take the Orange Line BRT in Los Angeles for instance. A year after it began service in 2005, ridership was around 20,000 people a day, three times more than expected by L.A.’s transit officials. It achieved its 15-year ridership goal in just seven months. This summer, ridership reached 26,500. In response to its success, plans are afoot to extend BRT service. 

In Eugene, Ore., where BRT service began in 2007, ridership hit its projected 20-year level in just four months. After a year, ridership was up 70 percent compared to non-BRT bus service without dedicated lanes that previously served the same route. After 18 months ridership was about double that of the route it replaced. BRT extensions are planned. 

Two things that contribute to underestimation of ridership are the increase in gas prices and growing awareness of global climate change. It’s not surprising that more people are willing to try improved transit systems that use dedicated lanes and other features to reduce travel time and increase reliability. AC Transit did its estimates of ridership increase before the rise in gas prices. They may turn out to be conservative estimates. Even if AC’s BRT falls somewhat short of its projected ridership increase, it would still be beneficial by improving service for bus riders, and by attracting new riders, who will reduce their carbon footprints by choosing transit instead of driving. 

BRT service, with dedicated lanes, has been successfully implemented in a variety of different settings, none of them exactly similar to what we find in Berkley and Oakland. BRT must be adapted to fit each specific context. Once Measure KK is defeated, that’s what we need to get to work on. Let’s implement BRT in a way that maximizes the benefits for our city. 

Ms. Garcia ends her attack with a claim that, even though she opposes BRT, she wants better transit service. But before the campaign to kill BRT came along, Ms. Garcia was not spending her time working to improve transit. She was, as Planet readers may recall, doing her best to kill the David Brower Center, a center for nonprofit environmental groups now under construction downtown that will be the city’s first LEED platinum highly energy-efficient green building, and Oxford Plaza housing, the 96-unit affordable housing project going up next door. 

What her opposition to BRT has in common with her opposition to the Brower Center and affordable housing is that, were she successful, it would make it more difficult for the city to reach its voter-approved Measure G goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. 

Len Conly is a Berkeley resident.

Rob Wrenn’s Sept. 25 commentary “Why BRT Will Work” claims that Bus Rapid Transit is being built for the disabled. Well, I’m disabled, and I don’t ride the 1R bus, whose route BRT will follow, because it doesn’t go where I need to go. It must not go where anyone else needs to go either, because when I see a 1R bus drive by, it usually has between five and 10 people on it, whereas the capacity is around 100. 

I’d like to point out to Mr. Wrenn, too, that disabled people are not some kind of a commodity to be used for political purposes. Disabled people are regular people like everyone else, and they don’t ride the 1R bus either. Unless being invisible is a disability. It’s possible that the 1R bus is filled with invisible riders, for whom AC Transit intends to steal two lanes from Telegraph. Apparently, I am invisible to AC Transit. Their BRT website claims there have been “no significant negative impacts identified on the natural or socio-economic (e.g., business and residential) environment because of the BRT Project.” BRT will have a negative impact on my residential environment, to the point where I may be forced to move. The increased noise and pollution inside my home from BRT may aggravate my health problems, which is why I am opposing BRT so strongly. It is very difficult for me to find a place to live that accommodates my disability, and I’ve been here for six years. Everything was fine until AC Transit decided to force several hundred more cars and trucks onto my street every day with BRT. 

Mr. Wrenn doesn’t refute AC Transit’s statement to the San Francisco Chronicle that BRT will increase greenhouse gases. Because it’s true. He doesn’t dispute that BRT will worsen service on the 51 bus line. Because it will. But he does point out that even building fuel-efficient cars produces greenhouse gases. Well, Rob, I have a news flash for you: Spending $400 million building BRT will produce a similar amount of greenhouse gases. Building anything uses resources, and producing those resources creates greenhouse gases. The difference between producing BRT and producing fuel-efficient cars is that fuel-efficient cars will at least reduce the day-to-day production of greenhouse gases, and BRT will increase it. 

Finally, I’d like to point out to Mr. Wrenn that government mandated abstinence programs don’t work. Trying to prevent people from driving their cars by complicating access to the roads won’t work any better than trying to prevent people from having sex by complicating access to birth control and abortion. “Just say no to cars” doesn’t work and it won’t accomplish anything in the real world of climate change. We need projects that will actually provide some benefit. Simply wasting $400 million and claiming we’ve fixed the problem isn’t good enough. But then, Mr. Wrenn doesn’t seem to care about reality. BRT is about big money and politics; it doesn’t really have anything to do with public transit or the environment. I’m just trying to live here in Berkeley, and Mr. Wrenn doesn’t seem to care about that either. 

Russ Tilleman is a Berkeley resident. 

Someone recently wrote a letter to the Daily Planet about free libraries not being free. And that may technically be true. But for the thousands of seniors, youth, immigrants and low income people that go to Berkeley branch libraries every day they are free. There’s no ticket price or entrance fee required to check out a book and read. In addition to books, movies and music, you can even take out tools to plant a garden or fix your home or do whatever project you need at no cost. The only charge is a fine for not bringing the items back in a timely fashion. This is meant to encourage each of us to be responsible members of the community, because often there is a long waiting list of other folks who want to share in the free resources provided by our local branch libraries.  

Someone also wrote about not liking any new taxes. Me either! I don’t like taxes or crosstown traffic, but they’re unavoidable. A lot of us don’t like paying taxes because we resent the way our dollars are spent or wasted. Ill-advised wars, bridges to nowhere, pet projects, corrupt politicians and corporate executives to list a few. I view supporting libraries differently. As a Berkeley homeowner, voting to support the branch libraries may be one of the few opportunities I have to decide where my tax dollars do go. With sports programs, music and other needed projects in our community being cut or eliminated, I’m glad to dedicate the small amount proposed by Measure FF, that for many equates to as little as buying one new book, to support libraries in making them safe, accessible and have more resources for the next 30 years!  

Berkeley branch libraries have neighbor input and community commitment. Quite often they reflect the cultures of people they serve and focus on programs that neighbors need and want. They provide a safe place to meet, learn and share. Some provide special programs and opportunities for non-English speakers, as well as tutors, after-school and homework programs for youth and teens.  

My support for branch libraries and local communities goes way back. One of my first jobs as a teenager was at a neighborhood branch library in West Philadelphia, and my mother retired after 35 years of dedicated service as an employee of the Free Library of Philadelphia. She encouraged me, my family and the rest of our neighbors to have a stake in what happened at our local branch. Philly had some of the greatest Jazz musician that ever lived, like John Coltrane, Grover Washington, and Lee Morgan, to name a few, who played at nightclubs on 52nd Street (“The Strip”), but young people had never heard them. Our neighborhood library was on The Strip too. So with my mother’s and other music lovers’ help we started a series of jazz shows at the library on Sunday afternoon when it was normally closed. We recruited live bands and musicians that encouraged the kids to make noise and play instruments and it transformed the building into a place of energy and joy. These are the kinds of activities that are possible in our local neighborhoods if we care to get involved. Our libraries are not just about books and learning, they are a part of our community. 

One Sunday after leaving the Sunday Library Jazz Show we noticed that my friend’s bike was stolen even though it was chained to a tree. The huge, newly planted 25 foot sycamore in front of the building was cut down by some thief while we were inside devoting our time and our energy to the kids. And then quite suddenly my mother sent me home to get a saw. We cut off the top seven feet of the fallen tree and took it home—it was free! After that she never bought a Christmas tree again. We put it in the living room and she added different ornaments as the seasons changed. When people saw the decorated tree they often asked, “What’s the occasion,” and she said, “No occasion, it’s the Free Library Tree. It stays up all year long!”  

Winston Burton is a co-chair for the Neighbors For Branch Libraries Campaign Committee. 

The 2008 presidential election’s initial debate was one of the best contests in recent memory. There were no memorable bon mots or gaffes, and both candidates had convincing moments. Overall, Barack Obama had the stronger performance. 

There were three elements of the debate. The first third of the 97-minute dialogue focused on the economy, specifically the pending financial recovery plan. The second two-thirds of the University of Mississippi contest focused on foreign policy. The third element was the candidates’ deportment: Would Obama look presidential and would John McCain lose his temper? 

The first element was the economy. Moderator Jim Lehrer asked McCain and Obama for their positions on the pending financial recovery plan and followed up by getting them to hypothesize how the roughly $700 billion dollar price tag would affect their presidential objectives. Obama struck a populous tone that culminated in the observation, “In order to make the tough decisions we have to know what our values are and who we’re fighting for and our priorities.” Obama indicated that he was fighting for working families: “If we are spending $300 billion on tax cuts for people who don’t need them and weren’t even asking for them, and we are leaving out health care which is crushing on people all across the country then I think we have made a bad decision.” 

In contrast, McCain didn’t address the specific needs of working Americans but instead hyped his reputation as a “maverick,” someone who would cut wasteful federal spending and “hold people accountable.” In the most memorable exchange of the first 30 minutes, McCain suggested “a spending freeze on everything but defense, veteran affairs and entitlement programs.” Obama responded, “The problem with a spending freeze is you’re using a hatchet where you need a scalpel,” and indicated he would increase funds to programs like early childhood education while defunding others, such as the extent of the military operation in Iraq. 

Immediately after the debate, CBS News conducted a poll of uncommitted voters, who thought Obama won this segment: “66 percent felt he would make the right decisions about the economy, while 42 percent felt McCain would do so.” A CNN poll of debate watchers found: “By a 62-32 margin, voters thought that Obama was ‘more in touch with the needs and problems of people like you.’” 

The second element of the presidential debate addressed national security and foreign policy: Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and “the likelihood ... that there would be another 9/11-type attack.” Both presidential candidates had their moments: McCain aggressively defended continuation of the war in Iraq: “we are winning in Iraq. And we will come home with victory and with honor.” Obama firmly stated his opposition to that war and got off one of the best lines of the night: “John, you like to pretend like the war started in 2007.” 

Viewers listening to the 30-minute discussion of the candidates’ differences on Iraq and Afghanistam understood Obama and McCain fundamentally disagree. Obama feels the focus of the war on terror should be Afghanistan and the eradication of al Qaeda. In contrast, McCain believes “Iraq is the central battleground.” Obama and McCain had similar, if less striking, differences on the issues of Iran and Russia. When Obama raised the key issue of “proliferation of loose nuclear weapons,” McCain didn’t have a rejoinder. 

According to the CBS poll, uncommitted voters felt McCain won this segment of the debate: “Forty-eight percent of these voters think Obama would make the right decisions about Iraq. Fifty-six percent think McCain would.” Nonetheless, the CNN viewer poll found that “voters thought that Obama ‘seemed to be the stronger leader’ by a 49-43 margin.” 

These contradictory can be explained by the third debate element: the candidates’ deportment. Although it was a debate, and the moderator tried to get Obama and McCain to talk to each other, the Arizona senator refused to look at Obama and maintained a chilly, abrasive manner the entire time. As a result, the CNN poll found Obama scored higher on “connectedness” while viewers noted McCain “spent more time attacking his opponent.” 

Obama’s debate objective was to look presidential and connect with viewers. Polls indicated he accomplished that. McCain’s job was to play to his experience and not lose his temper. He accomplished the former but his churlish demeanor alienated some viewers. 

According to CBS News, “Thirty-nine percent of uncommitted voters who watched the debate tonight thought Barack Obama was the winner. Twenty-four percent thought John McCain won.” Focus groups gave the win to Obama. The CNN viewer poll “had Obama winning overall by a margin of 51-38.” 

Going into the presidential debate, Obama had a slight lead in national polls and a strong lead when voters were asked who would do a better job with the economy. Based upon his strong performance at the University of Mississippi, Obama is likely to strengthen his lead in both categories and to bolster his image as a potential commander-in-chief. Of the three debate formats, only the first was supposed to favor McCain. That’s good news for Obama. 

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

Every once in a while, you happen on an experience that serves to put in perspective a complicated situation. I cover AC Transit from time to time as a journalist, but this one came to me as a bus rider. 

Early afternoon on a weekday, I caught the 1R going east at the 14th and Broadway stop. The driver was rushing the passengers on, saying, more than once, that he was behind schedule, and that the next 1R was coming up immediately. And in fact, during the trip down International, the bus I was on and the bus coming afterward made virtually each stop one behind the other. 

Just past Hegenberger, the 1R that was behind ours—presumably the one that was running on schedule—pulled ahead, passing the stop at 82nd Avenue, where a number of passengers were waiting. I am assuming that the bus driver on the 1R now in front had no passengers to let out at 82nd, and presumed that the waiting passengers would be picked up by the bus I was on, which was supposed to be the lead bus, by the schedule, but was now behind. 

But that’s not what happened. 

I was getting off at 82nd, along with a couple of other passengers. The driver didn’t stop directly at the bus stop but continued to the corner of 82nd and International, several feet away, letting us out there. The passengers waiting to get on the bus began hurrying up the street to the bus, many of them shouting and waving transfers in the air, but before they could reach it, the driver shut the door and pulled away, leaving them short, standing at the empty corner looking at the taillights of the bus and wondering what had happened. The 82nd Avenue stop is directly in front of one of Allen Temple Baptist Church’s senior citizen homes, and so several of the stranded passengers were elderly. 

The incident doesn’t quite square with the recent barrage of AC Transit television ads that have been running in recent weeks, featuring smiling drivers beckoning us to stop driving and leave the hassle to the professionals, and smiling passengers in the midst of their AC Transit rides. Neither the bus driver nor the passengers at 82nd Avenue were smiling. But then advertising is not supposed to reflect reality; its purpose is to alter our perception of reality, a sort of a “Matrix” fitted over the real world. 

It would be easy to chalk the 82nd Avenue incident up to an asshole driver—some of the left-behind passengers did so, along with some other choice descriptions—but there is a deeper explanation. 

Coincidentally, about a week or so before, the subject came up at the CalOSHA/AC Transit complaint hearing at the State Building in Oakland. That complaint involves heat-mitigation issues for drivers, and so one of the items involved was how much time drivers have at the end of each run to cool off and get outside of un-airconditioned buses. 

AC Transit schedules 12 minutes “recovery time” for every hour worked, one of the testifying drivers said. Because drivers can’t stop and take 12 minutes in the middle of a run, with passengers on the bus waiting to get to their destinations, those “recovery time” minutes are scheduled for the ends of the line. 

“What happens if you don’t have time for recovery at the end of the run?” the Cal-OSHA attorney asked the driver, referring, in other words, to times when the drivers get behind schedule. 

“If you call in and tell dispatch you’re running late, sometimes they’ll take you off the run and put another driver on,” the driver responded. “Sometimes you can get a schedule readjustment, but that’s happening less and less. Most of the time you’re told to continue the run and call back when you get to the other end.” 

But talking to me over lunch during a break in the hearings, veteran AC Transit drivers explained that catching up once a driver is behind schedule is nearly impossible. They said that a driver coming late to a stop must not only pick up the passengers waiting for the late bus but also pick up additional passengers coming early for the following bus. That slows the late driver down even more, often causing the following bus to catch up (as happened in the incident I described above), sometimes leading to two-bus caravans running back-to-back down the line, the first one (the late one) chock full of passengers, the second one virtually empty. 

This is more than just a convenience issue. Besides needing the periodic break times at the end of each line run in order to keep themselves fresh and alert for driving public buses, the end-of-the-line breaks are the only chance that drivers have to use the restrooms. That’s a fact which is most often overlooked by the public, most of whom work under far different conditions. 

In any event, one of the sources of the scheduling problem, the drivers explained, is the computerization of AC Transit’s schedule some years ago. 

One can imagine that bus scheduling for an inter-city and intra-city system such as AC Transit is a massive undertaking, with the largest complexity coming over the need to coordinate the transfer areas where crosstown routes intersect with the through-town lines. For that reason, the drivers said, scheduling changes were rare in the days when such changes had to be figured out by hand, since they involved enormous hours of work trying to fit all the puzzle pieces into place. Those older route schedules, drawn up in an era when AC Transit had more money and served more passengers and lines, had more flexible time built into them for drivers to have periodic—and necessary—breaks. 

That difficulty got thrown out when AC Transit scheduling became computerized, as anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of computer calculations can easily see. That made it easier for the district to make schedule alterations and, according to the veteran drivers I spoke with, left a situation where bus schedules are so tightly drawn that district bus drivers are finding it increasingly difficult to meet them. That means more stress on the drivers. That means more missed schedules and frustrated, angry riders. It becomes a downward spiral. 

This is a situation where one can sympathize with everybody—the bus drivers and the passengers, obviously, but also the district itself. The district—once the premiere public transit agency in the inner East Bay—long ago lost the general public’s heart, as well as its dollars, to the newcomer BART. Now the folks running AC must cobble together a balanced budget any way they can, either by speed-ups or line cuts or hustling extra revenue from the public through fare hikes or parcel tax measures. A modern economy cannot function without a well-functioning, general-purpose public transportation system. In such a system, BART serves a distinct and important need. But without a healthy companion public bus system, the whole structure—including the East Bay economy—would collapse. 

But in many ways, AC Transit has been its own worst enemy as it struggles to regain favor with the inner East Bay public. Because it is one of public agencies in the area least monitored—either by the public or by the press—the agency management has come to treat public scrutiny and winning public favor as something of a distasteful act, necessary, but done as quickly as possible and with a holding of the nose. You see that in the district’s mom-and-pop-store style of management, where the backup documents provided by upper-level staff in the board agenda packet sometimes seem deliberately designed to obscure rather than to illuminate, and the district’s general manager—Rick Fernandez—often feels free to interrupt board deliberations to promote his desired direction by tossing in top-of-the-head figures and information that would seem to be necessary to the deliberation but never made it into the packet at all.  

You saw the best—if that’s the proper word for it—example of this information shortage during the complicated swap-and-buy deal in which AC Transit traded in still-usable NABI buses to FEMA for use on the Gulf Coast for new Van Hools. In the spot on the requesting memo to the board where staff normally puts the projected profit—or expense—of such a transaction or action, Mr. Fernandez simply wrote “the fiscal impact will be determined by the proceeds of the sale.” That’s like signing a contract to buy a new car without finding out the actual price. The board approved the transaction. 

AC Transit’s somewhat imperial attitude over the public also gets manifested in such actions as the district professing that it wants to solicit public input over the newly refurbished 40-foot Van Hools, but then scheduling an extensive public survey so that the results will not get back to the agency until well over half of the new buses have been manufactured and too late, therefore, for the district to effect any changes requested by the public. Asked about this incongruity, Mr. Fernandez replied that “we’ve already made a lot of changes in the new Van Hools based upon suggestions made by the public at board meetings. I think we’ve addressed everything [by way of changes] that we could.” If that was true, then why go through the exercise and expense of a public survey, except for being able to say—somewhere down the line—that the district got “input.” 

All of this happens because the public exercises little oversight over either the AC Transit board or AC Transit management—either through the media or through attendance at district board meetings—and so the board exercises less oversight over the management of the district than it should. No one or two board members are responsible for this problem, nor are one or two upper level staff members. The problem is the creation of a board/management culture over time fostered by a lack of public oversight, fueled and watered by board members and management officials who are scrambling to keep the district afloat in an economic atmosphere that threatens to sink it. That becomes a prescription for cutting corners, which is convenient for those doing the cutting, but not very good for the public, which often ends up being the ones getting cut. 

Should this imply that I’m urging a position—one way or another—on the various AC Transit election measures on the ballot next month, including the At Large Board election where incumbent Chris Peeples is being challenged by Joyce Roy, or the districtwide Measure VV parcel tax, or the Berkeley Measure KK referendum on the bus system’s plan to have bus-only dedicated street lanes? Nope. It’s far more complicated than that. While I’m urging that area citizens pay more attention to those election issues, all of us need to pay more attention to AC Transit in general. While most of us have been looking elsewhere, a once-impressive bus system has sadly deteriorated into a shell of its former self. And it will take more than a little extra tax money or some happy ads to fix that. 

Contrary to popular belief, not all frogs go “ribbet.” Frogs make an amazing and appalling variety of noises. The eastern green frog sounds like someone smashing a banjo against the wall, hard: “Spunggg!” Some peep like baby chicks, trill like songbirds, bleat like sheep, grunt like pigs, skirl like bagpipes, moan like lost souls in torment. A mixed crowd of a dozen or so species, each carrying on in its own fashion, is an aurally stirring thing. 

The frogs that do say “ribbet” are native Californians: the chorus frogs. These creatures have been subject to a couple of fits of reclassification. All the western forms used to be considered one species, the Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla), formerly known as the Pacific tree frog. A couple of years ago the taxon was split into northern Pacific, Sierran, and Baja California species, almost identical in voice and appearance. Our local representative is the Sierran chorus frog (P. sierra), which ranges from southeastern Oregon east to Idaho and Montana and south through central California.  

I’ve seen Sierran chorus frogs around backyard swimming pools, in mountain meadows at 9000 feet, and along creeks in the redwoods. There are chorus frogs on Santa Cruz Island, twenty miles across the Santa Barbara Channel from the mainland (how they got there is a good question; maybe hitching a ride in a Chumash canoe) and in Death Valley. 

The Baja California chorus frog (P. hypochondriaca, and no, I don’t know why) is a ubiquitous soundtrack presence; when filmmakers want nocturnal atmosphere, they dub in a chorus of these frogs. It would be instructive to keep track of the countries and continents to which they’ve been cinematically introduced. Extraterrestrial planets, even. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard chorus frogs on one version of Star Trek or another. 

Not everybody hears the call as “ribbet”; one field guide gives it as “kreck-ek”, with a rising inflection on the last syllable. Another book likens it to the sound of a mechanical toy. Not all that impressive as a solo, but what’s remarkable is how a pondful of males performs in synchrony. Marin County naturalist Jules Evens describes “a myriad of voices repeating their creaking sounds together, seeming to encourage one another toward crescendo, then suddenly stopping simultaneously. How does the population perform in such unison? What cue prompts the sudden silence?”  

Chorus frogs are small, about 2 inches from nose to rump. They all have a black stripe through the eye and along the jaw, but beyond that color and pattern are wildly variable: shades of gray, brown, green, even brick red, with assorted of spots and blotches. Individual frogs can change to match their backgrounds, although not as effectively as chameleons. Once in Humboldt County I found a swarm of tiny frogs on a streambank, probably just out of the tadpole stage, all the same dark gray as the river cobbles. You couldn’t pick them out until they moved, one jump ahead of being stepped on. 

Frogs are not in good shape these days. There are alarming reports of worldwide population crashes and local extinctions, diseases and deformities. The California red-legged frog is on the endangered species list, and others may soon join it. So it’s heartening to be able to report that the chorus frogs doing just fine. 

Adaptability may be one of their assets. All they need is someplace suitably wet to gather when winter rains trigger the mating frenzy: a temporary pool, reservoir, stream, garden pond, water hazard or roadside ditch. One East Bay homeowner’s backyard pond was so popular with Sierran chorus frogs that the neighbors complained about the racket.  

Chorus frogs also appear to be resistant to one of the threats implicated in the decline of their relatives: a harmful form of ultraviolet radiation called UV-B. The thinning of the ozone layer has allowed more of this stuff to reach the earth’s surface. UV-B can cause skin cancer and cataracts in humans and limit the growth of plankton in polar seas. And research by Andrew Blaustein of Oregon State University shows that it messes up the DNA of frogs’ eggs. 

Some frogs, that is, but not chorus frogs. In field studies at mountain lakes, Blaustein shielded batches of frog and toad eggs from UV-B radiation while leaving others exposed. Almost half of the unprotected eggs of Cascade frogs and western toads died, but the northern Pacific chorus frog eggs came through unscathed. This reinforced lab results indicating chorus frog cells were better at producing enzymes that repaired radiation damage than those of the other two species.  

With each female laying up to 600 eggs, we could be knee-deep in little frogs if predators didn’t take a heavy toll of the tadpoles. But enough make it to adulthood to keep the chorus going, 

For 16 years, Dona Spring provided visionary leadership for the residents of District 4 and the entire city. Dona was an incredibly courageous person who, despite many personal challenges, devoted her life to serving the community. She was also on the cutting edge of many issues and worked successfully to pass groundbreaking legislation that has made Berkeley a model for other communities. She was also a tireless advocate for numerous progressive causes and was never afraid to stand up for what was right, even when she was the only one doing it. She was also an effective representative, helping each constituent get their questions answered or their problems solved.  

Dona was a friend of mine. While I am still filled with immense sadness over her passing, I have decided to run with the support of her family and friends to serve the last two years of her term. I am running because I feel that it is important that someone with Dona's values continue her work on the Council. If elected, I will continue her legacy of fighting for progressive change.  

From an early age, I have been passionately committed to social activism. As the son and grandson of farm workers, I committed myself to educating others about the legacy of Cesar Chavez. My first political speech was in 1994 urging the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to name a street in honor of Chavez. After months of work, the Board decided to rename Army Street after Chavez. I was honored to later unveil the first street sign. I have also worked on numerous progressive causes from the campaign against Proposition 209, to fighting for workers rights.  

I attended UC Berkeley and during my time at Cal, I worked with the ASUC (student government) in lobbying city officials on housing and transportation issues. I served on the Chancellor's Joint Oversight Committee on Parking and Transportation and worked to establish the University's faculty and staff transit pass.  

As someone who has been evicted several times, I know how vulnerable tenants are in losing their homes and as a community activist I have fought for more affordable housing. As a member of the Housing Advisory Commission, I have worked to get hundreds of new affordable units built and as the Chair of the elected Rent Board, I have worked to expand tenant protections and keep rents affordable. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, working families are being priced out of our city. We need to create affordable housing for all people and make sure that no one is priced out of our community.  

In 2005, I was appointed to the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC) and over the next two years, I worked to develop a coalition of members representing diverse opinions on development and transportation issues to create a consensus plan which presents a new vision for Downtown Berkeley. Towards the end of the process my primary opponent was appointed to the DAPAC. When the time came for the final vote on the plan, my opponent did not vote to support the final Plan. The Plan was adopted on a 17-4 vote.  

As a member of the Zoning Adjustments Board, I have reviewed hundreds of projects and have supported new development along our corridors but have worked to find common ground between the concerns of neighbors and the need for new housing. I have fought to get more affordable housing in new projects, often unsuccessfully. 

As an aide to Councilmember Kriss Worthington, I have not only developed progressive public policy but helped hundreds of constituents get their problems solved by our city government. I know how the city works and I will use my experience to continue the legacy of accessible and accountable representation that Dona Spring provided.  

I am running to bring new energy and ideas to the City Council. I will continue Dona's legacy of promoting visionary solutions to our common problems. I will not only continue to make Berkeley a leader in solving our global climate change crisis, but I will also work to protect and enhance our environment and create affordable workforce housing for all types of people.  

I will also continue my work on improving the Downtown and also work to make University Avenue a vibrant commercial district. The plan that the DAPAC developed is not a “pipe-dream” but is a forward thinking plan which will result in a dramatic and positive transformation of our Downtown. We need more housing, an improved retail environment, walkable streets, improved transit and more green space and open space. We can have all these things, but we need the leadership to make them become a reality.  

I will also work to improve the safety and quality of life of our neighborhoods. I will work to not only improve traffic and parking in our neighborhoods but make sure that we get increased funding for neighborhood watch programs and disaster preparedness. We also need to address the rise in violent crime and look at moving toward a community involved policing model, like other cities have done.  

I have a proven track record of bringing diverse groups together to solve common problems. You can count on me to work towards consensus, but to also stand up for what is right when necessary. My experience and vision for our community has earned me the sole endorsement of the Sierra Club, Berkeley Citizens Action (BCA), the Green Party, the Progressive Democrats of the East Bay, the East Bay Young Democrats and the Cal Berkeley Democrats.  

I have also been endorsed by the Alameda County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO; the Berkeley Firefighters Association; the John George Democratic Club; Councilmembers Max Anderson and Kriss Worthington; School Board President John Selawsky and hundreds of neighbors and community leaders. 

Please join us in creating a greener and brighter future for Berkeley. For more information please visit my website at www.JesseArreguin.com or contact my campaign at 848-8745 or by email at jesse@jessearreguin.com.  

As voters, we are once again being inundated with campaign banners, catchy phrases and promises from every candidate. This is especially true in our District 4 election. At each endorsement forum, the candidates seem to repeat the same mantra about being the champion for our seniors, disabled and youth, insuring our district receives its fair share of city services and, of course, creating more affordable housing while revitalizing our downtown. Few would disagree with these goals. 

Yet with all the political rhetoric, it’s difficult to understand what actually distinguishes each candidate or how each might serve our community and city. Whether older or younger than myself, their range of experience is quite varied. Some have little or none. Others have served on city commissions and task forces, as have I. Such service is admirable and important. However, it is my extensive and broad community activism that distinguishes me from all my opponents in District 4. 

Recently, Sarah Palin derided and dismissed Obama’s years of community service. I believe this is some of the most important work anyone can do. Obama certainly understands this message. This is why I continue to remind voters that I am a longtime neighborhood organizer and environmental leader throughout Berkeley. My record of participation is unparalleled by any of my opponents. And yes, it can be examined on my website www.berkeleycitizen.org.  

With this kind of record that is particularly strong in environmental activism, it is astounding that the Sierra Club failed to endorse my candidacy. The club’s endorsements are directed by a handful of residents who purport to speak for the entire membership. It is slate politics at its worst, being little more than an attempt to manage and manipulate your vote. 

In fact, the Sierra Club held a private endorsement process for two of the District 4 candidates that purposely excluded me. Neither of the two candidates invited to the club has any environmental record to speak of. Yet, I have been endorsed by the directors of three prominent regional/national environmental groups: Greenaction, Global Community Monitor and Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters.  

Over the years, many endorsers like the Sierra club have apparently forgotten something about democracy and have made the electoral process somewhat exclusionary. As a result, the club’s membership was also unable to hear of my social activism, union involvement and my support for local education.  

Yes, I regularly volunteered as a tutor in our public elementary and middle school classrooms. Last year I worked for several months with Cal students examining environmental justice issues in west Berkeley.  

The bottom line is: I have shown over the last two decades that one person, acting locally, can make a difference. 

For the record, I am the only candidate in District 4 who has: 

• Worked as a Public Works advocate and actually understands its workforce, budget and activity needs. The Public Works Department has publicly acknowledged my commitment and dedication. 

• Written a Berkeley landmark application. I have authored two landmarks. Some of my opponents speak about the importance of preservation, but have taken no direct action. 

• Safeguarded our environment locally, regionally and statewide in areas that include waste management, toxic site cleanups, groundwater protection, creek preservation, and air quality. 

• Advocated for the humane treatment of animals. I worked with the late Dona Spring in her first attempts to obtain funding for a new, much-needed animal shelter. 

• Daylighted health disparities within our city by helping to develop a survey of neighborhoods in close proximity to our manufacturing district.  

• Challenged zoning inequities at the Harrison skate park, the “Tom Bates” playing fields, Pacific Steel Casting, the Harrison soccer fields, and the Ursula Sherman transitional housing, in each case, revealing the dangers of exposing our children to that area’s extremely poor air quality. Some of my opponents have talked about zoning inequities, but I actually stood up, and continue to stand up, for Berkeley neighborhoods affected by these injustices. 

• Organized and carried out a seven-month community air monitoring project to measure the high levels of airborne metals in Berkeley’s Oceanview district. I then lobbied for body burden testing of children at the childcare facilities in the area.  

• Spent more than a decade calling for a constructive town-and-gown liaison with UCB and LBNL. It’s time to begin a process that will allow us to meet in the boardroom instead of the courtroom. Berkeley’s relations with UC have never been more challenged than they are today. I am the only candidate who repeatedly worked with Dona Spring to achieve a more equitable, productive partnership with this world-renowned university and national laboratory.  

I will help Berkeley to prepare for the great challenges of the coming decade. I am the only candidate who will be an ardent watchdog for desperately needed budgetary and management reforms within our city government.  

If elected, I will lobby for a warm water pool, use of the BHS track for residents and will help mediate the many neighborhood issues relating to our district’s future growth. I will give all my constituents a fair opportunity to voice their concerns.  

Community activism was a hallmark of our former representative Dona Spring. She risked arrest many times to protest the decimation of the Memorial Oak Grove and the danger of placing athletes in a gym so close to the Hayward Fault. I stood on the frontline beside her there for two years. 

Indeed, I had the privilege of working on numerous issues with Dona. She publicly said of me, “We really don’t disagree on much. I think he’s (L A) is a bit more of a perfectionist than I am. But he’s certainly done good work.” I know she shared a similar vision of the city and of her understanding of the role of district representative. Perhaps this is why I have been endorsed by many of her friends and former commissioners. (See www.4lawood.org.) Vote for L A Wood, Democrat in District 4.

Berkeley needs change. But only by listening to, and increasing the voice and role of our citizens and our neighborhoods can we make Berkeley better. I am committed to increasing the voices of our neighborhoods in the city’s decision-making process. Too many important decisions are being made by professional municipal employees, working hand-in-hand with developers, but without enough input from Berkeley’s taxpayers. Too many of the decisions that negatively affect our lives, our neighborhoods and our businesses are being decided by the ‘Last Man Standing’ at Berkeley’s notorious late-night city council sessions. No one should have to wait for five hours to address the city council, especially about substantial and often negative impacts to their neighborhoods. These problems need to be resolved long before they get to the council. We need to create clear policies that are responsive to the community’s needs and abilities. We need to stick to those policies and not encourage every developer to appeal every aberrant proposal to the city council—where those same developers inevitably get permission to ignore both the rules and the community. 

Economically, we are facing the biggest crisis of our lives, but Berkeley’s professional politicians are again asking businesses and citizens to pony up more in taxes. We don’t need more new taxes to provide better services, we need higher standards for the services we provide. While a healthy commercial community is critical to the success of our city, when I talk to local business owners they tell me the city’s efforts are misdirected. Fewer jobs, lost sales-tax revenues, and vacant storefronts are symptoms of the failed policies of politics-as-usual. We need to rededicate city government and better direct the well-paid municipal employees we have working for us. Most importantly, we need new faces to engage in productive problem-solving for our many and fast growing economic problems. The politicians who got us into this financial disaster aren’t the politicians who are going to get us out. 

Environmentally, we are facing the most dangerous crisis in modern human history, a fight for survival of life as we know it. Yet we are not even making the commitment to success, the sacrifices our great-grandparents made when they were fighting World Wars One & Two. This war is not ‘Us against Them.’ This is a war against our worst, most selfish impulses. This war is against short-sighted, self-destructive behavior. Berkeley must lead the effort to change the way we all live in this new world. 

To win this war Berkeley needs an affordable and reliable public transportation system that works for all of us, all the time. 

To win this war Berkeley need recycling policies that get us to zero waste today, not someday. 

To win this war Berkeley needs ‘Victory Gardens,’ and ‘Food, Not Lawns’. 

For more than a decade we’ve been hearing about Alice Water’s Community Garden project. Why, after more than a decade, aren’t there community gardens on every empty, neglected lot? 

To win this war Berkeley needs energy conservation, solar electric and solar heating panels on every municipal building, on every school building, and on every new project built within our city. 

Most of all, we need new faces to engage in productive problem solving for this fast building ecological crisis, because the leaders who failed to address these problems for the past 30 years can’t be trusted to address these problems today or tomorrow. 

In addition to these global problems, we have local, personal and immediate problems that we can address without spending more money. The failure rate in our schools is unacceptable. For decades we’ve been hearing about America’s education crisis. Yet today even fewer Berkeley kids are graduating from high school and going on to college. Sky-high drop out rates and violent crime are a symptom of the failed policies of politics-as-usual. 

We have the best University in America in the middle of our city, yet our elementary and high school students are failing! Too many of the children I went to school with just a few years ago are floundering or dead. It’s our fault. We need to rededicate ourselves to the educational success of all of our children. We need to volunteer, to organize, to work hard to win the war on ignorance. We’re losing that war today. The potential Nobel Prize winners of 30 years in the future, aren’t reading today. The ecological solutions that will save us in a decade aren’t going to be possible if today’s students don’t become tomorrow’s scientists, politicians and business leaders. To achieve this important goal is going to take hard and personal effort from each of us. We can succeed if we work together, if we’re committed to success, as though our lives depend on it. Our lives DO depend on it. 

Lastly, I believe in the enormous value of city commissions. Like the Ancient Romans, I believe it is every citizen’s responsibility to engage in the process of government. In our knowledge and commitment this city has incredible resources that are just waiting to be unleashed, but so far we have fail to properly utilize these assets. From city staff we hear that commissions are too expensive, that paid city staff are best qualified to address the city’s problems, I disagree. We are the promise and the future and only by working together can we get ourselves out of these troubled times. Once again, the leaders who got us into these situations aren’t the people who are going to lead us out. If we fail in this, we will fail as a city. Worse than that, if we can’t produce the leadership to turn this city and this nation and this world around, we will fail as a culture. 

If you want to work together, building a better tomorrow, vote for me, Asa Dodsworth, for Berkeley City Council, District 4 on November 4th. 

I was born and raised here in Berkeley and have a deep love and respect for its residents, traditions, and culture. We have some of the most forward-thinking, progressive-minded people and policies in the country if not the world. We support organic foods and bilingual education in our schools to enrich our children’s bodies and minds. We support rent control and workforce housing to maintain and enrich the diversity of our residents. We support alternative energy and fair trade coffee. We have one of the nation’s most generous sets of programs to serve the homeless. We should be proud of these lofty principles and ideals we uphold. We are continually on the cutting edge of progress, but somewhere along this journey we have veered off course. 

We have failed the less fortunate among us. The statistics are as shocking as they are undeniable.  

•14 percent of black students and 23 percent of Hispanic students at Berkeley High are proficient in English and the Arts compared with 76 percent of white students. 

• 21 percent of Berkeley residents live below the poverty line. 

• Life expectancy in the flatlands is 9 years less than in the hills. 

• Only 2 percent of similar size cities in America have less crime. 

Not surprisingly, as our economy falters, violent crime is resurgent in our community. 

At the same time we have failed our business community. Allowing bureaucratic red tape to make Berkeley an unfriendly environment in which to conduct business. Whether it be as mundane as requesting a new business license, or as complex as getting green, workforce housing projects approved, it has become very difficult for businesses to operate here. Not surprisingly, we have seen mixed-use development in surrounding communities attract both the homes buyers and retailers that our downtown so desperately needs and wants. This continues to hinder our tax base and threaten our most cherished and needed programs. We have allowed fringe elements of our community to derail our shared prosperity and have let special interest groups hinder progress and innovation. 

We need new leadership that will: renew our commitment to the least among us; revitalize our schools; and bring a long-term vision of smart, green growth to our downtown development. I call for a restoration of the true progressive politics that made Berkeley so special. I call for a change in our approach to the University. We must be forward thinking and seek the common ground that exists between the City and the University. We must embrace the student community by leveraging their passion for education and vision for the future, and by harnessing their intellectual and financial consumption into a more vibrant downtown serving the needs of all residents.  

While I salute the progress that this city has made on behalf of it’s people, I am saddened by what I see as an inflexible approach to some of Berkeley’s most pressing problems. Many groups, well meaning as they may be, in fear of offending Berkeley’s old guard liberals, and activists, are engaged in failing policies, programs, and ideologies which in essence amount to little more than progressive theater. All talk and no show. After many years of this inflexible approach, it is crucial to the people of this city to accept some basic facts. We are no longer a small town with small town problems. Crime in Berkeley must be addressed in a realistic way. The futures of our children and future generations of Berkeley residents must be safeguarded and the only way to do this is for us to take a hard look at ourselves as progressives, and to act.  

We face immediate problems with safety, traffic/parking/congestion, and the environment.  

I propose: a collaboration between the City, the University, and local bike shops to offer students a bike and helmet in exchange for not bringing their cars with them to school; collaborating with the university to expand their late night safety programs Bear Walk and NightOwl deeper into our community; expanding our transfer tax rebate credit to cover tankless water heater installation to further reduce emissions. 

It is important that our community leaders share our values. It is really important that they be long-term stakeholders in the community. At this historic moment in our nation’s economic life, with our own housing market one of the very few to be holding its value, we cannot afford to be the political stepping-stone for the politically ambitious among us. We need leaders truly vested in the community with a multi-generational commitment to Berkeley’s future.

The diversity, culture and beautiful neighborhoods of Berkeley make this a special place to call home. It's the reason I came here to attend Cal in 1960 and, upon graduation, never left. I started a teaching job at Berkeley High School right out of college, My wife Lenore and I raised our children in the same house we live in today on Sacramento Street and we are fortunate to have three generations of Dorans still living in District 41. My granddaughter recently started kindergarten at Washington Elementary School and my grandson will follow next year. 

At Berkeley High, I taught history and economics, started the photography program, chaired the Arts Department and served as faculty advisor for the award-winning Berkeley High Jacket, which is currently the subject of the Berkeley Rep production of Yellowjackets, written by a former student of mine. I was also a union activist, a union officer, sat on the negotiating team and was chair of the grievance committee. I walked or biked to work almost every day until my retirement in 1998 and my bicycle is still my major mode of transportation around Berkeley.  

I served two terms on the Berkeley School Board, including two as president, and am now an appointed member of the Zoning Adjustments Board and served on the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee, where I have fought to revitalize downtown and promote affordable housing. 

I like to tell people that District 4 is the heart of Berkeley, with no disrespect or course, to my friends in other parts of town. District 4 runs along the Shattuck corridor, taking in the entirety of downtown from Blake Street to Vine, on the north, meeting the Cal campus at its western border on Oxford Street and then winding westward to Sacramento, scooping up gorgeous residential areas. 

You may know that there would not be an election for District 4 were it not for the unfortunate passing of Dona Spring. Dona's grit and tenacity in the face of enormous health difficulties was inspiring to those of us she represented. I fought alongside Dona to secure a new location for the warm water pool and was privileged to receive her endorsement during both of my runs for the School Board. 

I am running for City Council to help District 4 and the entire city meet new challenges without giving up what makes our city special. I want to build on my work on the School Board to improve partnerships between the City and School District that give children the tools they need to succeed. I will also continue my advocacy for new housing and retail. As a member of the Zoning Adjustments Board, I am proud to have voted for over six hundred new housing units, twenty percent of which are classified as below-market rate. I also voted to support the new Trader Joe's store set to open at Martin Luther King and University Ave. 

I've been a progressive all my life and have brought those values to every position I ever held. While a student at Cal I was a participant in the Free Speech Movement, Civil Rights activities locally and nationally, and was always a peace activist working to end the war in Vietnam and eradicate nuclear weapons from the planet. As an educator I participated in integrating the Berkeley Public Schools and was the chair of the East Bay chapter of Educators for Social Responsibility working for a nuclear free world. I worked on the very first campaign for rent control, and still vigorously defend the rights of tenants from unfair rent increases and illegal evictions. I worked with city and community leaders to build affordable housing throughout Berkeley, not just in select communities, and have recently, as a commissioner on ZAB, supported housing development along transportation corridors like Shattuck Avenue, University Avenue and San Pablo Boulevard as both environmentally essential and to increase the affordable housing stock in our city. 

Everyone running to represent this district wants to see a livelier, safer and more vibrant downtown, but I am the only candidate with a record of consistent support for making this happen. That means being clear about what we want from new development - affordable units, green space and other amenities - but it also means listening to what business has to say. As Barack Obama would say, we need to give the business community a seat at the table without letting them buy the table. When businesses feel invested in the process, we have a better chance of making real progress on a more vibrant downtown. 

I also consider one of the hallmarks of progressivism to be an openness to new ideas and change, which has become a prominent theme in this year's presidential election. Berkeley is a special place, but it is changing right before our eyes. Rents have increased, young families cannot afford to live in the city they grew up in and high school and college graduates often have to look outside the city for employment. Making Berkeley more affordable and attractive to young families, like those of my own children, is one of my top priorities as a council member, but it is not going to happen just by doing the same things we have been doing before. 

Over one hundred neighbors have already endorsed my candidacy, many living in District 4, along with Loni Hancock, Nancy Skinner, Tom Bates and 6 out of 7 of our City Council members. I also have a broad spectrum of organizations that have endorsed me, ranging from the Berkeley Fire Fighters, The Alameda County Central Labor Council, SEIU, Local 1021, and the California Nurses Association. Educational leaders like Barry Fike, past president of the teachers union; business owners like Alice Waters; and community activists like Rev. George E. Crespin and Hank Resnik, Co-founder, Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition have also endorsed my candidacy. 

You can go to my website; www.terrydoran4district4.com for a complete list and a more detailed description of my background and program. Thank you.

I have a sense of urgency about important issues affecting District 5 and the City of Berkeley. I am running for City Council to bring a new level of energy and excellence to our government, to enhance community participation in civic affairs, and to ensure that our city develops in harmony with existing neighborhoods and values.  

I grew up on Santa Barbara Road, in the heart of District 5. This area has been my home for almost 40 years. After attending Berkeley Public Schools, I went on to UC Berkeley. I continued at Stanford Law School, practiced law, worked in policy and governance, and started-up, grew and sold a small business.  

My father, a UC Emeritus Professor, came to the United States as a WWII refugee. My mother is the daughter of Ellis Island immigrants. I was raised to give back to the community that has provided so much for our family, and to champion equity, participation and opportunity for all.  

Throughout my life I have been a leader in the community. I have served on the Boards of Planned Parenthood, Step One School and the M3 Education Foundation, an organization addressing the needs of African American boys in Berkeley’s Middle Schools. Currently, I am Chair of the King Middle School Governance Council and also serve as President of the King PTA. My website, www.sophiehahn.com, includes a full list of leadership and pro-bono activities.  

Berkeleyans are generous, supporting schools, libraries, social services and more. In return, they deserve a well managed city with government that listens to and respects its citizens, funds basic services such as police and fire first, and works actively to develop revenues to offset the taxpayer’s burden. Our council has been distracted by costly and time consuming brouhahas. We can do better. 

Critical decisions about Berkeley’s future are on the immediate horizon, and will determine whether Berkeley—including District 5—retains its local neighborhood character, or locks itself into a generic, high-density, high-rise future. North Berkeley founders envisioned neighborhoods with a strong connection to nature, and focused on the quality of family and community life that would thrive. I believe this spirit should infuse the future of Berkeley. 

I strongly favor revitalization of our Downtown with a mix of old and new buildings that are appropriately scaled and consider set-backs, step-downs, greenery and welcoming spaces. Our most popular commercial areas—including 4th Street, the Addison Arts District, and Solano and College Avenues—maintain these characteristics. These are the places where Berkeleyans—and out of town visitors—spend their money and time.  

My opponent is a developer, despite characterizing himself this election cycle as a “businessman.” He is a partner in a real estate firm, and has interests in local buildings (see California FPPC Form 700). In a June 16, 2006 with the Daily Planet, interview he states “I have worked in various aspects of real estate all of 27 years” and characterizes himself as “a small developer.” A 2004 fundraiser for his campaign was co-hosted by an array of developers, lobbyists and brokers, and donations to his campaign reflected a similar line-up. (See the Sept. 17, 2004 Daily Planet.)  

My opponent’s appointees to key committees have been advocates for bigger, higher and denser projects, as well as for easing restrictions against tearing down structures of historical or cultural significance. My appointees will put the interests of residents and neighborhoods first. 

Within District 5, plans for the new Safeway at Shattuck/Henry and Rose are in progress. I will advocate for a community “stakeholder process” like the one obtained in Rockridge, where a similar Safeway development is planned, and work hard to ensure a human-scaled, high quality green building.  

Berkeley has a strong commitment to reducing greenhouse gasses, and to other sustainable policies. Much of District 5 is poorly served by public transportation, and amenities for bikers and walkers must be improved. A shopper’s shuttle has long been desired; I will explore it. I will also convene experts to devise a model program for carpooling. We share a common place of origination, and no doubt many destinations are common as well. It’s time to move ahead on real projects to meet the community’s transportation needs.  

Shopping local is an important sustainable policy—we can walk or bike—or reduce driving, by avoiding trips across or out of town. If we want vibrant commercial areas with businesses of character and quality, we must patronize them—or they will not survive. I will institute a vigorous shop local program—to sustain our businesses (and grow our local tax base) as well as sustaining our environment.  

District 5 is bisected by the Hayward fault. I will spearhead the systematic organization of our neighborhoods for disaster preparedness, and to participate in Crime Watch. There is no excuse for not having undertaken this in the past. A very positive benefit will be to build community within our neighborhoods, and better connect our residents to City Hall.  

We need a long range plan for economic development, and streamlined support for local business, to expand our commercial tax base. We cannot rely on taxpayers alone for increased revenues, or meet our needs by nickel-and-diming our downtown theatre and restaurant patrons with parking meters (and tickets) that run into the night. 

I will advocate for programs that encourage UC Berkeley—and other large local employers—to invest in Berkeley’s schools, purchase locally, encourage their employees to use public transportation, and work as partners for the benefit of our community. Our relationship with UC Berkeley has not resulted in good outcomes for our City—or for UC. We need to re-establish trust and dialogue to work pro-actively on development issues, and other matters of mutual concern.  

I will be a full time councilwoman, and have the skills, vision, experience and will to move our community forward. I invite you to visit my website, www.sophiehahn.com, to learn more, and welcome your calls and inquiries. I ask for your vote on November 4, and will honor that by serving you as an active, respectful and fully engaged member of the Council.

Four years ago you elected me to bring common sense, business experience and a pragmatic progressive approach to the Berkeley City Council. I am running for re-election to continue serving District 5 and all of Berkeley as I have done for the last 30 years. My priorities are fiscal responsibility, constituent service, education, sustainability, the health of our retail districts and housing. One thousand words are not enough to relate all I’ve done in four years on the Council, but I can at least hit the highlights.  

My first priority has been to balance the budget and build the City’s tax base. When I took office the City was grappling with a projected cumulative deficit of $99 million from 2005 through 2009 growing from $10.6 million in 2005 to $26 million in 2009. My leadership and consensus-building helped us enact four years of balanced budgets, the last by an 8-1 vote. The City Manager’s May budget update reports that staff has been reduced by 8.5 percent since the 2003-2004 fiscal year. Our bond rating now is among the best in California. We have increased the City’s reserve fund to 8 percent. We now have annual reviews of City social service program.  

Constituent service is a fundamental part of my commitment to each of you. I improved traffic safety and security at Thousand Oaks School and fought successfully against deep cuts in AC Transit service on Solano, Shattuck and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Every month I and my two excellent staffers respond to hundreds of calls, letters and emails for help. We deal knowledgeably and effectively with missed trash pickups, planning problems, requests for street trees, getting help for an elderly neighbor and the myriad other issues that arise for residents of District 5 in dealing with the City administration and staff. I meet anywhere and anytime with every constituent who asks me and hold neighborhood meetings on crime problems, pedestrian and traffic safety, proposed development and other issues as need arises.  

Economic development is essential to the fiscal health of the City. I have worked to reverse Berkeley’s historically difficult business climate so that small businesses and start-ups can prosper, building jobs and tax revenues we sorely need. I have strongly backed proposals in the new Downtown Plan—a consensus forged by environmentalists, bicycle and pedestrian advocates, social services providers, preservationists, planners and merchants—for the revitalization of our downtown. We can create a 21st Century downtown with wisdom and sensitivity while preserving and protecting our landmark buildings and special Berkeley character.  

I have led the Council’s work on the issues of problematic street behavior and homelessness. I am driven by the belief that Berkeley’s historical inability to address these issues has had the ultimate effect of leaving the homeless, addicted and mentally ill unserved and left to waste away before our eyes. We have a relatively small but highly visible population of treatment-resistant homeless, addicted and mentally ill people living on our streets at night. Ideological differences on the Council had prevented the City from addressing these issues in the past.  

Working with Councilmember Wozniak and Mayor Bates I created a majority on the Council for the Public Commons Initiative, a coordinated plan that uses Berkeley’s existing non-profit and City social service programs to shelter and treat every person sleeping on the streets, and encourages them to use the City’s shelters and services by enforcing existing laws against sleeping on the street. We have more to do, but my leadership is forging a middle ground to continue to address these issues effectively. 

I have reduced the burden of Berkeley’s historically glacial permitting process on homeowners and small businesses. My Council colleagues and I changed zoning requirements to improve and simplify the process of opening a business. As a result, a neighborhood business can open its doors without enduring a year of delay and onerous rent while seeking a waiver from an impossible requirement. Another change in zoning laws provided protections for homeowners’ views, light and fresh air while easing restrictions on most small remodels. 

I have continued my 30 year commitment to public education, leading most recently to the adoption of Vision 20/20, a joint effort by the City and the School District to improve the success of all children in our public schools by addressing the root causes of under-achievement.  

The City and University need to be partners, not adversaries. I am heartened by the fact that for the first time in recent memory, a very diverse group of Berkeley citizens worked together with the University to jointly create a comprehensive Downtown Plan. At the same time, Berkeley’s relationship with the University cannot be one-sided. Even a Cal grad must be prepared to stand up to the University when proposals like a 900-car garage on the Hayward fault come before the Council. To do otherwise would be to neglect our responsibility for the safety of Cal’s students, faculty and staff.  

In 35 years of private and public service I’ve learned how things actually work in Berkeley, what systems are in place in our schools and in our city agencies, how city agencies interact with each other and with the county and state government, and how community members work together to find common ground. I’ve been able to mediate stubborn disagreements on the Council and in the community. My endorsements by Mayor Bates and Councilmembers Olds, Wozniak, Maio, Moore and Anderson demonstrate their faith in my ability to reach out and work with persons of many different views, and the respectful and cooperative relationships I have built with each of them.  

Election talk is cheap; performance on the Council requires the judgment, knowledge and experience I’ve acquired over 35 years in Berkeley. In an age of slogans, catchy phrases, and inflated promises, that is what really matters. My performance as District 5’s councilmember speaks for itself. I trust that you will conclude that I have the attributes needed to represent your interests on the City Council. 

I am Phoebe Anne Sorgen, running for retiring Berkeley City Councilmember Betty Olds’ District 6 seat. My slogan is “Sorgen for Safety and Sustainability." My sunflower logo symbolizes my determination to shine light on government, and to increase solar power as well as other economically and environmentally sustainable innovations to make Berkeley a model for the nation and a delight for those who live here. 

For 19 years I have been a parent and homeowner here. As mom and stepmom of Berkeley High grads, I became increasingly involved in local efforts to improve the world and Berkeley. I will take care of District 6 senior citizens, students, and all of you, as family. I listen well and am already responding to your concerns, which include the broader context in which Berkeley has played a legendary role. 

Safety is my top priority. I will keep us safe from crime and disaster with prevention, preparation, and response. I will spearhead block by block CPR and other disaster preparedness training and rehearsal, and ensure that each home’s gas shut-off and evacuation needs are known. I plan incentives to entice those who can to stock emergency supplies for those who can’t. City land can be used for attractive caches. 

Berkeley police are excellent at rapid emergency response and helping neighborhoods organize. This year, they often outnumbered peaceful, quiet protestors, while patrolling for crime and dangerous driving was perhaps more in order. I successfully addressed that at City Hall. The BPD maintains crime updates online so residents can ascertain risk. For those who are more comfortable on the phone than on the internet, I plan a Hotline. I will also spearhead wild parties which expand the Neighborhood Crime Watch program, block by block. Wild? Just kidding, but I will help make the process fun. 

We cherish wildlife and open spaces. Dead wood and underbrush that are fire hazards will be removed, while maintaining as much habitat as is safely possible. Invasive flammables such as eucalyptus should have been replaced by native species long ago. Public paths should have been opened long ago. During evacuation, they may save lives. The City will save funds and prepare for post peak oil by allowing community gardens on unused city land that is currently mowed, such as the field below Cragmont Park. 

City assistance in financing solar panels, and other improvements such as undergrounding power lines, will be expanded. Community choice aggregation will save the City money and increase our use of renewable energy. 

Parking policies have jeopardized Berkeley’s commercial sustainability, and empty storefronts are contagious. Why do huge busses carry four passengers? Reserve them for rush hours. We need eco-passes and frequent mini eco-shuttles that loop throughout the neighborhoods and business districts. Pedestrian walkways and bike lanes will be enhanced. As the price of gas rises and public transit improves, we will forego driving. In the meantime, for those who cannot carry groceries far nor bike, electric neighborhood vehicles like mine are relatively low cost and require less of a lifestyle change than biking. Three can fit in one parking place. 

Please join the “Buy Berkeley” campaign. For years, many of us have shopped Berkeley first because we love this town. How often have you had to leave town to shop? We need to be able to buy towels and everything else in a pleasant Berkeley. Local businesses need City support. 

Instead of contracting with Alko Office Supply on Shattuck, our city buys products made in China from a big box chain, delivered by double-parking, stinking trucks. Why? Alko could deliver by zero emission hand truck, and buying locally increases our tax base. This brings up the larger context. Ideas that start here often ripple out. Opposition to the Multilateral Agreement on Investments, a draconian precursor to NAFTA, began here with a City Council Resolution that was copied nationwide, then worldwide, whereupon the corpocracy’s trade reps gave up. Berkeley takes stands that matter. Because teams of competent volunteers do the legwork, these symbolic stands rarely cost the City time or money. I researched and wrote many diplomatically worded Resolutions adopted by the City Council, including one to Oppose CAFTA and Preserve Our Local Sovereignty. Undemocratic trade agreements are negotiated by nonelected multinational trade reps. They forbid cities from considering environment, labor, or any factors other than the bottom line, even if the local independent business’s bid is only negligibly higher, hence the Alko snub.  

There are corporations in Berkeley that unfairly profit from Prop 13, paying 1970’s tax rates when they can afford to pay a fair share. Let’s shift the unfair tax burden of struggling single family homeowners to those corporate interests. 

A Tel Aviv band recently wrote a song titled “Berkeley Resolution” based on my efforts to limit the “rights” that powerful transnational corporations claim against the public interest. My opponent said Berkeley should stick to potholes and fire stations. I say, potholes and fire stations do come first, and we can sometimes act globally as well as locally. Ignore the broader context at our peril.  

These are complex issues. Berkeley needs me for sophisticated, creative, and courageous leadership to take care of the quotidian practicalities first, while also appropriately championing our right to decide for ourselves how we will live in a crisis-ridden world. 

When elected, I will address your practical needs first and foremost, from speed limits and pavement repair to resolving neighborhood disputes. Years as a Berkeley Peace and Justice Commissioner and on KPFA’s Local Station Board honed my skills in parliamentary procedure and negotiation. I build bridges, reaching across aisles for creative solutions and consensus. We get to “yes” when all parties communicate effectively and feel heard. 

Help elect Phoebe Anne Sorgen, a responsive Councilmember and champion of effective measures for safety from crime and disaster. Call anytime: 595-5575. Website: www.PhoebeSorgen.net Elect Phoebe if you like her plans. Berkeley can set the standard for both commercial and environmental sustainability, with open government that is accountable to the people. Phoebe’s door is always open. 

I have a long history of community involvement, public service, and accomplishment in Berkeley. I have served as the aide to Council member Betty Olds since 1992. I am also the senior member of the Planning Commission. I was the chair of the University Avenue Strategic Plan Sub-Committee, which made recommendations to the City Council on development standards on University Avenue. In addition, I also chaired the Density Bonus Sub-Committee, which examined the very complex rules governing development in California. I served on committees that evaluated the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance, and established a Blight Ordinance that helps neighborhoods deal with abandoned properties in the City of Berkeley. 

Active in Democratic Party politics, I served as President of the Berkeley Democratic Club for eight years. Under my leadership, the BDC became a major force for fundraising for Democratic presidential candidates. I have served on many boards, including those of Prospect School, The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, and The Live Oak Neighborhood Association, which I founded. 

Trained at the Bank Street School in New York with a Masters Degree in Special Education, I was a classroom teacher for many years. I am also an award winning documentary film maker, best known for my film “Love It Like A Fool” about Berkeley songwriter and singer Malvina Reynolds. Currently, I consult as the Visuals Editor at the Emma Goldman Papers at UC Berkeley, which recently published “Emma Goldman, a Documentary History of the American Years.” 

I came to North Berkeley in 1969. With my husband Mark, an Oscar-winning film sound mixer and professor at UC, we raised our family. Our children are now grown and live outside of the Bay Area. 

I take pride in my effectiveness at bringing consensus to differing opinions on controversial issues. I am proud of my endorsements, and I believe they reflect the respect I have earned from a broad political spectrum of organizations, community leaders, and residents in Berkeley. They include the Berkeley Firefighters, Berkeley Police Association, Alameda Labor Council, CAL Dems, both mayoral candidates, Tom Bates and Shirley Dean, 6 out of the 8 current city council members, as well as State Senator elect Loni Hancock and Assemblywoman elect Nancy Skinner. 

District 6 is generally defined as the north Berkeley hills. We live daily with two critical safety issues: our homes interface with Tilden Park and we are very vulnerable to a wildfire, and the Hayward fault bisects our district. The safety of my constituents is a top priority, and my goal is to work with residents, the Fire Department, and the Police Department to develop a pro-active preparedness plan that ensures the best results in the event of a disaster. We need a vegetation management plan to reduce the fuel load in our hills. I will work with the Fire Department to implement a plan that respects our natural environment while ensuring safety. All of our neighborhoods need tools and supplies, but we also need the training required to know how to react, how to help family and neighbors, and how to live for several days without assistance. 

The single most frequent question that I have been asked as I meet voters in District 6 is, "What is my position on the issue of the Marines Recruiting Center?" I believe that the City Council made a mistake when they voted to allow Code Pink to have a parking space in front of the Marine's Office. The City ended up spending upwards of $250,000 on the Marine's debacle. The protests were detrimental to local downtown businesses, and were a national embarrassment for our city. We have serious crime in Berkeley and that money could have been allocated to fight crime rather than babysit Code Pink protestors. My opponent was an active participant in Code Pink demonstrations in front of the Marine's recruiting center. As a Peace and Justice Commissioner, she voted to bring that resolution to the Council. She is not telling the residents of District 6 about her involvement in these actions, but it is a matter of public record. Unlike my opponent, I am not an ideologue. I am open to all points of view for dealing with problems. My actions are based on pragmatism, not ideology. 

I love Berkeley and I love our neighborhoods. My years of experience and participation in trying to make Berkeley a better place for all of us are testaments to my commitment to our community. 

Lumber magnate Zimri Brewer Heywood was found dead in his bed on July 31, 1879. He was 76 years old and had spent the last two years of his life in Berkeley, presumably at 709 Delaware St. He was buried at Lone Mountain Cemetery in San Francisco, and his death and burial were duly inscribed in the ledger of the Church of the Good Shepherd, of which he was a founding member. 

The previous year, Heywood had contributed $500—the highest cash donation—to the church building fund, which erected the landmark still standing at Ninth St. and Hearst Avenue. The grateful congregation held a commemorative sermon in his honor on Sept. 6, 1879. 

The extent of Zimri’s estate hasn’t been fully documented, but his West Berkeley real-estate holdings alone were substantial, comprising several blocks, including the one occupied by the West Berkeley Lumber Yard (the latter owned by Heywood’s Mendocino Lumber Company), a wharf, and a portion of the Berkeley tidelands. 

Heywood’s second-born and oldest surviving son, William Brewer Heywood (1830-1915), was appointed trustee and collector of the estate, assisted by the eleventh-born, Walter Minturn Heywood (1854-1924). Walter, a realtor, would be occupied with the trusteeship for the rest of his life. 

In 1877, William had formed the Berkeley Land and Building Company with prominent businessmen James L. Barker, George D. Dornin, Alfred Bartlett, and Charles K. Clarke. “They intend to do a Real Estate business in conjunction with building and improvements that will contribute to the growth and prosperity of the town,” announced the Berkeley Advocate. 

William had little time to devote to this business. Managing the Gualala Mill Company and living in Arena Township, Mendocino County, he was away from Berkeley almost continuously during the quarter century following his father’s death. William’s first wife, Salome, drowned in the Oakland Ferry Disaster of July 4, 1868, leaving the widower with two little sons: William Hezekiah and Zimri Brewer. William subsequently married Vienna Thompson, a New Yorker who was recorded as his wife in the 1880 census of Arena. 

In 1888, William, Vienna, and Zimri came to the Bay Area, William taking charge of the Gualala Mill Company’s San Francisco office. Their new home was a Queen Anne Victorian on a triple lot at the southwest corner of Arch and Vine Streets. Zimri (born c. 1866) is said to have been attending the university and to have died about 1892, which prompted his father to sell the house to Captain William H. Marston and return to Gualala. The house would remain in the Marston family until 1937, when it was demolished. 

Vienna Heywood died in Berkeley on Sept. 11, 1898. Her funeral was held at the First Baptist Church, which stood on Allston Way near Oxford Street. William continued to live in Arena, presiding over a large household that included eleven mill employees, a schoolteacher (the local school had been built by the Heywoods), and three Chinese cooks. Living nearby was his surviving son, William Hezekiah (1864-1920), who had married c. 1889, fathered a son, and was the mill’s mechanical engineer. 

In 1903, William’s half-brother, Franklin Heywood (b. 1837), president of the Gualala Mill Company and the Gualala River Railway, committed suicide in his San Francisco bathroom by placing in his mouth a rubber tube attached to an open gas jet. His fortune, valued at $200,000, was left in trust to his estranged wife. It was to be divided after her death, half going to their adopted daughter, the other half shared equally among seven blood relatives. 

As would often happen, the adopted daughter initiated a lawsuit to hasten the distribution of the estate. She also asserted that her rights had been inexcusably neglected by William B. and Walter M. Heywood, executors of the will. The widow weighed in on the opposite side, airing some of the family’s dirty laundry. The tawdry suit dragged on until 1910, when the California Supreme Court upheld Franklin Heywood’s will. 

Possibly as a result of Franklin’s death, the Gualala mill and its railroad were sold to the Empire Redwood Company. William and Hezekiah returned to Berkeley, where the 1904 directory listed them at 1429 Walnut St. They lived here for a year while building a new house at 1401 Walnut, on the corner of Rose Street. Both died in this house. 

In the 1870s, when a ferry pier was first proposed for Berkeley, the Heywoods’ wharf at the foot of Bristol St. (now Hearst Ave.) was passed over in favor of a new one at the foot of University Avenue. Thirty years later, the town trustees wanted a new municipal pier built, and this time the Heywoods were taking no chances. Charles D. Heywood, who ran the West Berkeley Lumber Company, moved his lumber yard and planing mill from Bristol St. to the foot of University Ave., where he built a new lumber wharf next to the old ferry pier. His uncle William emerged as the owner of the old ferry pier and much of the land around it. 

In early 1907, after a bond measure raised $100,000 for a new municipal pier, William Heywood offered to deed his pier to the town for $22,000, reserving for himself the right to access his sheds at the north spur of the pier—the only place where vessels could then tie up—and charge tolls. On Sept. 23, the trustees voted to pay his asking price.  

The Oakland Tribune reported the following day that there was “considerable opposition among prominent business men on the ground that valuable concessions were being granted” to Heywood, but the trustees were persuaded by the opinion of Town Attorney Redmond C. Staats, who determined that the city would have the right to collect fees on wharfage, dockage, and tolls. 

Within a month, the Piper-Aden-Goodall Company, which had been operating freight steamers between San Francisco and West Berkeley for 20 years, alleged that William Heywood was levying the exorbitant charge of 10 cents a ton, double the rate charged elsewhere in the state. “We might as well go out of business,” said the company’s claims agent. Heywood replied that he charged the higher toll just once, when the steamer docked at the West Berkeley Lumber Company’s private wharf. He had given notice that he wanted the use of his warehouses but was willing to allow Piper-Aden-Goodall to build a warehouse of its own at the end of the wharf. The city responded by taking control of the wharf and announcing its intention to appoint a toll collector. 

As Berkeley’s population exploded after the 1906 earthquake, William resumed his real-estate activities. His first venture was the Heywood Apartments at 2119 Addison Street. This three-story red brick building was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark in 2003. 

In July 1908, the Daily Pacific Builder published a contract notice for flats to be built on the southeast corner of University and Grove. The owner was W.B. Heywood, the contractor George L. Mohr, and the projected cost $11,000. Nothing was built on that corner at the time, but in June 1909 construction began on another Heywood apartment house—this one on the southwest corner of the same intersection. The San Francisco Call reported that this building would cost $20,000, contain 40 apartments, and cover a lot of 75 by 150 feet. The Oakland Tribune, on the other hand, tallied the cost at $12,000 and gave floor space dimensions of 37 by 137 feet. 

As shown in the Sanborn fire insurance map of 1911, the actual building constructed at 1846 University Ave. was a long and narrow block with no setbacks, occupying the full length of the lot along Grove Street. It rose to three stories and contained 12 apartments and 24 bay windows. William’s nephew, Charles, moved in right away and was still living there in 1913, after being elected mayor of Berkeley. 

On Aug. 22, 1909, as Berkeley’s new City Hall was about to be dedicated, the Tribune announced that William Heywood was preparing to duplicate his new building on another corner of the University-Grove intersection. “These various contemplated and assured improvements are all due directly to the new city hall and may result in making a new business center of the region bounded by Shattuck, University, Allston Way and Grove Street. In a short time it is probable that this will be thickly built and that the real center of the city will be comprised in these boundaries,” concluded the Tribune. 

The predictions—for the district and for the stalled building on the southeast corner—didn’t come to pass. Berkeley Gazette columnist Hal Johnson would write in 1942 that William “had the lumber on the ground and the foundation started when the City Council decided that the setback line, which then stopped at Allston Way and Grove St., should be extended [to the blocks north of Allston]. The lumber was moved to the southeast corner of Berkeley Way and Home St., now Walnut St. He erected the large building which is now an apartment hotel.” 

Did it really happen as Hal told it? A full month before the Tribune’s announcement of the second building, a building permit had been issued for the final location (no permit has been found for the purported original location), and the Call reported that “C.D. Heywood [sic] is erecting an apartment house at Home Street and Berkeley Way, of four stories.” Since the building on the southeast corner of University and Grove appears to have been planned before its companion across the street, why didn’t Heywood simply move the lumber there instead of five blocks uphill? 

All we know with certainty is that George L. Mohr constructed the clapboard building still standing at 1921 Walnut St., at a cost of $7,000. It was leased to Elizabeth Andruss, a widow whose daughter was studying at U.C. The neighborhood was then a hotbed for new technology. Directly across the street, engineering student William E. de Berry was building a Farman biplane in his back yard and had already received orders for two additional planes. He was planning to establish a factory in South Berkeley and perhaps go into business as an airplane manufacturer after graduation (he ended up as the proprietor of a radio store in San Francisco). 

The building on the southeast corner of University and Grove was eventually built at a cost of $25,000, but not until late 1915, several months after William B. Heywood had been consigned to his grave. The owner was his son, William Hezekiah, who had engaged the architect James W. Plachek for the project. Curiously, this building, delayed seven years, has no setbacks. 

Two years later, Plachek designed for the same client a small, terra cotta-clad jewel at 2014 Shattuck Ave. Designated a City of Berkeley Landmark in 1993, this is the second building that has been erroneously ascribed to William B. Heywood (the first is 1809 Fourth St.). 

William H. Heywood survived his father by only five years. In 1916, he sold 45 acres of waterfront land between Second St. and the tidelands to Hawaiian sugar interests for $75,000. He left a large estate, willing the income from it to his second wife. $5,000 was set aside for his son Leslie, fruit of the first marriage, who had moved to Spokane with his mother over a dozen years earlier. Believed to have fallen in action in France, Leslie Heywood resurfaced two weeks after his father’s death-too late to claim a larger share of the estate. 

This is the third in a series of articles on the Heywood family. 

Daniella Thompson publishes berkeleyheritage.com for the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA).

As the noted theologian Matthew Fox was heard to say, after a year-long, papally-ordered vow of silence, “Now, as I was saying…” 

For those of you who did not follow last-week’s thoughts on early electrical systems, much was said about the overall size of these systems and the somewhat Byzantine elements that make them up, including the scary Frankenstein-style knife switches and the “neutral (or double) fusing” that control these circuits. With your forbearance, let us now continue (or for some, begin) with some talk on the nature of knob and tube wiring. 

If you have a house built before 1950, there is a good chance that it contains some knob and tube wiring. In fact, knob and tube wiring is found in homes running all the way up into the ’60s in some quarters, but was largely wiped out by other types of wiring including B-X armored cable and Romex. These two later forms are fundamentally different from knob and tube in that they are cables or sets of wires in a jacket of metal, fabric or plastic, while knob and tube is a system of wires that run independently to the fixtures in the house, meeting up with opposing wires that complete the various circuits. I’ll be more clear about this as we proceed. 

First, what’s in a name? Why knob and tube? Simply, the knobs and tubes from which we derive the name are insulators. Knobs are surface mounted insulators that nail onto the framing of the house and allow the insulated wires of knob and tube to get tied or sandwiched into place, keeping them snug and safe. The more common sandwiching ones just mentioned are made up of two barrel shapes with a nail passing through both, that when nailed, grip the wire and hold it an inch or two from the wood framing of the house. Tubes allow wires to pass through wooden framing, while keeping the wire away from wood. These do not secure wires, although electricians of your grandfather’s day would tie knots in wires at one end of a tube, thus keeping the wire from being pulled through. 

If it’s not obvious why we insulate wires, it’s because they can get hot. Wires get hot as the load increases as in, say, the case of running an electric heater. The more demand is placed on the system, the more current will flow through the wire and the hotter it gets. This is why we use overcurrent protection such as fuses or breakers. 

Wires get hottest where there is high resistance and resistance is greatest where wires either get smaller (such as in extension cords) or where wires (or other electrical parts) make poor contact with one another (like a failed singles event). Then there is the kind of resistance where people get drunk and sing La Marseillaise while hiding from the Nazis. But I digress. 

Resistance is the bane of electricians and the root cause of most electrical fires, which is why I love knob and tube wiring. Love, you say? But isn’t knob and tube an antiquated wiring from long ago, discarded in favor of safer system? No, I say. It is not. It suffers from the same warrantless ill-repute as many a system usurped by those capable of profiting from the revolt. 

Knob and tube is labor-intensive because it is soldered. And labor costs money. Remember soldering? How old are you now? I’m old enough to remember soldering Heathkit Hobby Radios with my dad and although I never soldered a knob and tube “Western Union” splice. It stunned me, the first time I got a good look at one. Flooded with molten metal, the connection between any two wires in the grid of wiring in these old houses remains just as cool as any other part, if not more so. Typically, it will be junction points, as noted above, that will overheat and lead to sparks or fire. This is why modern wiring connections must take place inside of a junction box.  

Now, junction boxes are pretty smart when we’re ready to be making final connections to switches, lamps or outlets because these connections may have increased resistance for a range of reasons. Not the least of these is that they may be changed over time with little control over diligence. But, where wires are permanently installed in the branches of an electrical system, soldering makes great sense and greatly reduces the need for a “J-box” as we call ‘em. 

Knob and tube systems are also more efficient because they utilize less wire by virtue of their single-path design. By using single conductors, in place of cables, each wire can move on to the next designated site without requiring a trip back to a common junction, as would be the case in modern cable systems.  

Some of what I like about knob and tube is based on observation and not on theory. Having looked at nearly 4,000 houses containing knob and tube, I’ve had ample opportunity to see endemic failures as well as aberrant ones and can site only a tiny number of what I would consider either installer or materials failure. This is a good system and is only lacking in overall size as relates to practical use today.  

Generally, the rubber, cloth-covered insulation on knob and tube wiring tends to be intact and elastic and I’ve yet to see a solder that was pulling apart. The joints are covered with a sticky cloth-covered tape of high quality in nearly every case and it’s rare to see one that’s falling apart. That said, tampering and poorly executed modifications are common.  

The worst of these are those that extend the range of these original circuits. When this is done, it means that the design ratings of the original circuits are violated by being asked to perform tasks beyond their original intent. 

These additions are usually spliced in the modern method of simply twisting wires together (although a wire nut or some tape may have been used) and this connection has higher resistance than the soldered type. Often, the same low-velocity brain that conceived these electrical branches that tap off the existing ones struggles to come up with adequate splicing methods, wire stapling and a range of other creative surprises. So watch out.  

The smarter cookie will leave the knob and tube circuits alone and run new ones from a competent source using modern wiring methods. One elegant result of doing this in an older house is that the new circuits one adds will (and must) be grounded, unlike the original ones. 

Grounding (on outlets, it’s signified by that third roundish prong-hole) isn’t needed for most of your appliances. If you were to lay all your electrical devices out in one place (have you seen those books of people from around the world photographed with all their possessions?) you’d find that only a small fraction have a grounding prong and that most will work just fine in your original two-prong outlets.  

If you add a few new circuits to your old knob and tube system, you will both increase the overall load capacity and accommodate the need for grounding (assuming that you place them where those particular devices live). That list includes major appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, microwave ovens and both the washer and dryer, so laundries and kitchens are good places to start. Desktop computers require grounding so one or two new outlets where you place your home office is a good idea too. 

An older knob and tube system can be easily connected to a modern breaker panel by a suitably skilled electrician at the time that new circuits are added. This usually requires an upgrade at the main panel since most older main panels associated with knob and tube lack adequate minimal capacity. 

A last thought that I think is more than a little relevant is the issue of capacity. Current building standards call for every house to be capable of providing 100 amps. This is really quite a lot, although some people will use nearly all the 24,000 watts that this allows. That’s right, this is the same as 240 100-watt bulbs running at the same time or 12 2,000-watt heaters. In practice most people use far less and some use almost none.  

A client of mine some years ago mentioned that he was planning on buying a bicycle powered washing machine. He isn’t the only Berkeley client of mine who’s wading in the shallow end of the grid. Some people just don’t use that much power either by political temperament or by prudence.  

So, when you meet with your electrician, be sure to tell them what you need. There are basic code requirements that they will need to observe but there is, without question, room for choice on your part. Don’t feel that you have to be absorbed by the Borg Collective and bring your entire electrical system up to the most current code. Remember, Resistance (the French kind) is never futile. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 2 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Walls” Paintings by Joel Isaacson on contemporary social and political concerns. Reception at 5:30 p.m., artist talk at 6 p.m. at Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. Exhibition runs to Jan. 30. 649-2500. www.gtu.edu 

“Residency Projects, Part 4” Works by Adriane Colburn, Taraneh Hemami, and Leslie Shows, opens at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., and runs through Nov. 22. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Dunbar Ogden discusses his new book “My Father Said Yes: A White Pastor in Little Rock School Integration” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

“The Power of Words: Musings on ‘Huckelberry Finn’ and Other Works of Literature” with D.L. Asantewa at 6 p.m. at the Richmond Main Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6555. 

“Punk, Presidential Politics and Art” A conversation between Vail and Jello Biafra in a benefit for the progressive Berkeley Rent Board slate at 7 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7-$10. 525-9926. 

“An Evening of Prose and Politics” with Susan Griffin and George Lakoff at 6 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 18. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Roots Natty, Miosotis, Royal Family Show at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Julian Smedly & Alison Odell at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Kelly Park & Friends at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Space Heater, The Sonando Project at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8-$10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Teed Rockwell, touchstyle fretboard, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Adrian Gormley Jazz Ensemble at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

FRIDAY, OCT. 3 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “Bat Boy: The Musical” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Nov. 1. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Berkeley Rep “Yellowjackets” by Itamar Moses, a Berkeley resident, set at Berkeley High School, Tues.-Sun. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Oct. 19. Tickets are $27-$71. 647-2949. berkeleyrep.org 

California Conservatory Theatre “They’re Playing Our Song” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., 2 p.m. on Sat. and Sun. at 999 East 14th St, San Leandro City Hall Complex, near BART, through Oct. 12. Tickets are $20-$22. 632-8850. www.cct-sl.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Witness for the Prosecution” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Oct. 19. 524-9132. www.ccct.org  

Impact Theatre “Ching Chong Chinaman” Thurs.-Sat at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, to Oct. 11. Tickets are $10-$17. 464-4468. impacttheatre.com 

Masquers Playhouse “Tally’s Folly” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $10. 232-3888. www.masquers.org 

Oakland Public Theater, “Before the Dream: The mysterious death (and life) of Richard Wright” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at the Noodle Factory, 1255 26th St., corner of Union, Oakland, through Oct. 5. Tickets are $9-$20. 534-9529. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The History of the Devil” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Central Stage, 5221 Central Ave., Richmond, Through Nov. 1. Tickets are $10-$30. www.raggedwing.org 

Shotgun Players “Vera Wilde” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Oct. 19. Tickets are $17-$25. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Lace Comes of Age” Tape Laces from the 17th to 20th Century. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Lacis Museum of Lace and textiels, 3163 Adeline St. 843-7178. LacisMuseum.org 

“Look at me Looking at you” Works by Lauren Odell Usher and Heidi Forssell. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Red Door Gallery and Collective, 416 26th Street, Oakland. 374-0444. 

“Strange Brew” Fantastic and strange art by strange artists, celebrating Halloween and El Dia de los Muertos. Opening reception at 7 p.m. at Eclectix, 10082 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. www.eclectixgallery.com 

Eth6 Magazine Issue 3: Contributing Artist Exhibition Reception at 7 p.m. at blankspace, 6608 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 547-6608. 

Emeryville Art Exhibition Opening reception at 6 p.m. at 5815 Shellmound Way, Emeryville. Exhibition runs to Oct. 26. www.emeryarts.org 

“New Work” Mixed media by JoAnn Biagini, paintings by Catherine Perillo. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Mercury 20, 25 Grand Ave., Oakland. 701-4620. www.mercurytwenty.com 

“Phenomena of Essence” Works by Keira Kotler, Gretchen Jane Mentzer, Laura Paulini and Dianne Romaine. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Chandra Cerrito Contemporary, 25 Grand Ave., upper level. Exhibition runs through Nov. 15. www.chandracerrito.com 

“Nature Word ~ Verbe Nature” Photographic silver sun prints by Susannah Hays. Artist reception at 6 p.m. at NoneSuch Space, 2865 Broadway at 29th St., 2nd flr., Oakland. 625-1600. 

“Strictfathermodel” Works by Jordan Essoe Paintings, photographs, sculpture and video. Reception at 7 p.m. at 21 Grand, 416 25th St. at Broadway, Oakland. www.21grand.org 

“Great Wall of Oakland” Illuminated Corridor The lighting of Kahn’s Alley, the entrance to City Hall Plaza bordered by the Oakland Art Gallery and the Rotunda Building, with art, music and film from 7 to 10 p.m. 533-1977. suki@illuminatedcorridor.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

La Voz de la Mujer with Dina Omar, a Palestinian-American, Mahina Movement, Las Bomberas de la Bajia at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Mazacote at 5 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Steve Smith’s Jazz Legacy at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Falso Baiano CD release party at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Rebecca Riots at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $1-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

David Kent, Paul H. Taylor & the Montera Mountain Boys at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Royal Deuces, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, Big Mistake at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Nekita Germaine at 9 p.m. at Maxwell’s Restaurant and Lounge, 341 13th St., Oakland. Cost is $15. 839-6169. 

Paul Baribeau, Good Luck, Fischer at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Ben Stolorow at 8:30 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Jerry Kennedy, acoustic soul, at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Powell St. John, Americana/ 

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

Moe Provencher at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Mo’Fone at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 4 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Derique the clown at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“The Girl Who Lost Her Smile” Performance based on Rumi’s poem Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

Stone Soup Improv Comedy at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. at Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $6-$9. www.stonesoupimprov.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Quilts” by Jennifer Snedeker. Opening reception at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“L.A. Paint” Current SoCal painting by eleven artists opens at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

FILM 

“Love it Like a Fool” a film about Malvina Reynolds, Berkeley songwriter and political activist at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge at Shattuck. 981-6241. 

Jewish Film Series “My Nose” and “Home on the Range: Jewish Chicken Farmers of Petaluma” at 7 p.m. at Temple Israel, 3183 Mecartney Rd., Alameda. Cost is $10. 522-9355. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Bay Area Poets Coalition open reading from 3 to 5 pm. at Strawberry Creek Lodge, 1320 Addison St. Park on the street. 527-9905. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bring Down the House for Berkeley High! with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choirs and Berkeley High School student performers at 7:30 p.m. at BHS’s Schwimley Little Theater, Allston Way at MLK Jr. Way. Tickets are $15-$25. 800-838-3006. 

Francisco Herrera and Jon Fromer, singer/songwriters, in a benefit concert to close the School of the Americas at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. 843-2244. 

Eric Hamilton, classical guitar, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com 

Sandra Soderlund, organ music at 8 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Road, Kensington. Suggested donation $10-$15. 525-0302. 

Nino Moschella, Melina Jones, Do Dat & Isis at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Jazz Express at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Dave Ridnell & Friends, Brazilian jazz, at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Burlesque ‘n’ Brass, featuring Hot Pink Feathers & Blue Bone Express, Orleans-inspired jazz, at 9 p.m. at Café Van Kleef, 1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $10. 763-7711. 

Sambada at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Sotaque Baiano, Brazilian, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Jessie Rubin, Sheila O’Toole at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Cascada de Flores at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Howard Wiley: A Tribute to Dexter Gordon, Part Deux at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Gateswingers Jazz Band at 4 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836.  

Hoe, The Shelley Doty X-Tet at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Endless Demise, Parasytic, Untill the Fall at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Planet Loop at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Wayne Shorter Quartet featuring Brian Blade, John Patitucci and Danilo Perez at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $60-$70. 238-9200.  

SUNDAY, OCT. 5 

CHILDREN 

Active Arts Theatre for Young Audiences “How I Became a Pirate” at 2 and 4 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $14-$18. www.activeartstheatre.org 

FILM 

Talk Cinema Berkeley Preview of new independent films with dscussion afterwards at 10 a.m. at Albany Twin Theater, 1115 Solano Ave., Albany. Cost is $20. http://talkcinema.com 

“Taxi to the Dark Side” A film on the torture practices of the United States at 4 p.m. at Townsend Center for the Humanities, 220 Stephens Hall, UC campus. 642-0965. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash with Ellen Bass and Jane Hirshfield at 3 p.m. at Diesel, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave., Oakland. 653-9965. www.dieselbookstore.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Richard Goode, piano, at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$62. 642-9988.  

Afiara String Quartet at 4 p.m. at Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. Cost is $12. Free for under 18. 559-2941. concerts@crowden.org 

Jewish Music Festival with members of the SF Opera and SF Symphony at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. For ticket information call 800-838-3006. 

Sugarspun, indie rock, at 2 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Phil Hawkins CD release party at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

Trick Kernan Combo at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Eono Kane, Hawaiian music, at 3:30 p.m. at Temple Bar Tiki Bar & Grill, 984 University Ave. Cost is $12. Reservations recommended. 524-6403. 

Fasmania at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 6 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Diversity” Artwork by over 70 artists with developmental disabilities, on display to Dec. 1 at Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 3rd flr., 101 Eighth St., Oakland. 817-5773. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Cosme Castanieto, Hawaiian healer, reads from his memoir, “The Mystical Kiss of God” at 7 p.m. at Rebecca’s Books, 3268 Adeline St. 853-4768. 

“Observations: Bay Area Buildings, Architecture and Planning” an illustrated talk by Susan Cerny, author of “An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area” at 7:30 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch, Berkeley. Free. 644-2967. www.hillsideclub.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Bill Staines at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Downtown Jam Session with Glen Pearson at 7 p.m. at Ed Kelly Hall, Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Cost is $5. www.opcmucsic.org 

George Cole, gypsy jazz, at 8 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Mark Murphy with Jonathan Poretz & 12 Piece Band at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $55. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, OCT. 7 

FILM 

New Deal Film Festival The Dust Bowl Years “Grapes of Wrath” at 1 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. Sponsored by the Berkeley Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

“The Power of Myth in Movies” with Richard Stromer, first Tues. of the month, through May at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Cost is $40. To register call 528-3417. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Seymour Hersh at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Cajun Cottonpickers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Kelly Park at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Setsuko Nakamura, jazz, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Delfaeyo Marsalis at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Evolution of a Sacred Space: Días de los Muertos 2008” opens at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

THEATER 

Druid Theater Company “The Playboy of the Western World” and “The Shadow of the Glen” Wed.-Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at The Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $75. 642-9988. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Michael Palmer, Barbara Jane Reyes, Joe Wenderorth and other poets read from “State of the Union: 50 Political Poems” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Cafe Poetry at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, new choral music by Berkeley composers with The Ateneo Chamber Singers at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Underscore Orkestra, Balkan, gypsy, world at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Liz Story at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$22.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ken Husbands Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Bill Evans and Megan Lynch, bluegrass fiddle and banjo, at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. www.lebateauivre.net 

Orquestra Sensual at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Atmos Trio, jazz, at 8 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Delfaeyo Marsalis at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, OCT. 9 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Residency Projects, Part 4” Works by Adriane Colburn, Taraneh Hemami, and Leslie Shows. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. Exhibition runs through Nov. 22. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

”Human Form in a Wild World” Mixed media exhibition of wild animals and human figures in dream-like settings. Closing reception at 5 p.m. at Bucci’s, 6121 Hollis St., Emeryville. 547-4725. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Martin Sanchez-Jankowski discusses his new book “Cracks in the Pavement: Social Change & Resilience in Poor Neighborhoods” at 6 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

Therese Poletti on “The Art Deco Architecture of Timothy Pfueger” at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Cost is $8-$10. 763-9218. 

Paul Ekman reads from “Emotional Awareness: Overcoming the Obstacles to Psychological Balance and Compassion” written in collaoration with the Dalai Lama, at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Spoken Word Open Mic at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kitka “Lullabies and Songs of Childhood” at 8 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 114 Montecito Ave. Tickets are $18-$25. 444-0323. www.kitka.org 

Big Light, Steve Taylor at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8-$10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Cesaria Evora at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26-$48. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Christine Lavin at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Russ Lorenson & His Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

Alma Desnuda, Suburban Fix, Raya Nova, world psychedelic groove, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Theresa Perez, Steve Taylor-Ramirez, Alfredo Gomez, in a tribute to José Alfredo Jiménez at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $6-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Adrian West Trio, electric violin, at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

The Dave G Following at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Bill Frisell at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, OCT. 10 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “Bat Boy: The Musical” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Nov. 1. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Berkeley Rep “Yellowjackets” by Itamar Moses, a Berkeley resident, set at Berkeley High School, Tues.-Sun. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Oct. 12. Tickets are $27-$71. 647-2949. berkeleyrep.org 

California Conservatory Theatre “They’re Playing Our Song” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., 2 p.m. on Sat. and Sun. at 999 East 14th St, San Leandro City Hall Complex, near BART, through Oct. 12. Tickets are $20-$22. 632-8850. www.cct-sl.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Witness for the Prosecution” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Oct. 19. 524-9132. www.ccct.org  

Druid Theater Company “The Playboy of the Western World” and “The Shadow of the Glen” Wed.-Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at The Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $75. 642-9988. 

Galatean Players Ensemble Theater “Rivets” A musical based on Rosie the Riveter and Richmond’s Kaiser Shipyards, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. onboard the SS Red Oak Victory, 1337 Canal Blvd., Berth 6A, Richmond, through Oct. 26. Tickets are $20. 925-676-5705. galateanplayers.com 

Impact Theatre “Ching Chong Chinaman” Thurs.-Sat at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, to Oct. 11. Tickets are $10-$17. 464-4468. impacttheatre.com 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The History of the Devil” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Central Stage, 5221 Central Ave., Richmond, Through Nov. 1. Tickets are $10-$30. www.raggedwing.org 

Shotgun Players “Vera Wilde” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Oct. 19. Tickets are $17-$25. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

UC Dept. of Theater “Measure for Measure” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. to Oct. 19 at Zellerbach Playhouse, UC campus. Tickets are $10-$15. 642-8827. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Resuscitation” Group show of work in discarded materials. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. 

Landscape Art Show Preview at 7:30 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $25. 644-2967.  

“Manifest Dreams” Contemporary Aboriginal art on display at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way, through Jan. 6. 665-0305. 

FILM 

“Johnny Got His Gun” a new film version of the anti-war novel at Shattuck Theater. www.JohnnyGotHisGuntheMovie.com 

“The Battleship Potempkin” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Judy Wells and Gail Ford will read their poetry at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave., a little north of Hearst. 841-6374.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Stefan and Friends Acoustic Jam At 8 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. Tickets are $14-$18. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/39763 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Aluna, Columbian folkloric band at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15-$25. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Cesaria Evora at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26-$48. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

John Yi Quartet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Vicki Burns CD release party at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Youssoupha Sidibe with Markius James & the Wassonrai at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Pam & Jeri at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Wylie & the Wild West at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Glow In The Dark, Chris Ahlman at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Kate Gaffney, Grace Woods Trio Aeode, in a benefit for Women Rock at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

The New Trust, Build Us Airplanes, Cannons and Clouds at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

The Strangers at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Jerry Kennedy, acoustic soul, at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

PZ, Equipto at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-10. 548-1159.  

Terrence Brewer Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 11 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Jerry Kennedy, blues and soul, at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Aesop’s Fables” Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

“Stories of East & West” with Japan’s Playback A-Z and Oakland’s Living Arts Theatre Ensemble in improvised theater, at 8 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$18. 595-5500, ext. 25. 

“How My Grandmother Found a Story in a Plate” performance by Patricia Bulitt at 1 p.m. at South Branch, Berkeley Public Library, 1901 Russell St. at MLK Jr. Way. Suitable for all ages. 981-6107. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Landscape Art Show Sat. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 644-2967. 

Bronze Casting Art Show Bronze pouring demonstrations at 9 and 10 p.m. at Berkeley Art Complex, 729 Heinz St. Tours of foundry at 7 p.m. 644-2735. www.artworksfoundry.com 

“Color Explosion” Works exploring the dynamics of color and light. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. 644-4930. 

The Compositional “X” Recent work by Jon Kwak. Artist reception at 4 p.m. at Auto Row Smog Gallery, 3060 Broadway, Oakland. 451-7664. 

The Compound Studio Artists Opening reception at 6 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 655-9019. www.thecompoundgallery.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Wendy Lee reads from “Happy Family” a novel about a Chinese immigrant in New York at 3:30 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. 

Haruki Murakami reads from his works and talks about his writing process at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $16-$30. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Breath of Asia, traditional and contemporary Vietnamese music, at 2:30 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $13-$18. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Artists’ Vocal Ensemble “St. Francis of Assisi: Musings on a New World Order” at 8 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $10-$20. www.ave-music.org 

Eighth Annual Harvest of Song at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Pre-concert discussion at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12-$15. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

MamacoAtl, Paul Flores & Los Nadies “The Immigrant Experience” at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Upsurge Jazz & Poetry at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Lakay & Mystic Man, Faux Mojo at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Carolyn Dowd, Americana, at 7 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

Ryan Grandfield, Pine at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Gyan Riley Trio at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Mads Tolling Trio “Jazz Violin 101” at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

George Cotsirilos Jazz Trio at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

The Stairwell Sisters, The Earl Brothers at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

CV Dub at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

One Way System, Poop, Resilience at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

Bill Frisell at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, OCT. 12 

THEATER 

“How the West Was Won” with Charlie Hill, Native American comedian and Gary Aylesworth at 7 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St. Benefit for East Bay Waldorf School. For ticket information call 243-0797. iricbridges@aol.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Art Connections: Robert Williams” A conversation with the artist on his works in the current exhibition “L.A. Paint” at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Free admission. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Diane Johnson reads from her new novel “Lulu in Marrakech: at 3 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Architecture Tour of the buildings and grounds designed by Kevin Roche and Dan Kiley at 1 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Free Admission. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Eth6 Magazine Issue 3:Contributing Artist Exhibition Readings at 2 p.m. at blankspace, 6608 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 547-6608. 

“Everyone Has a Story to Tell” John Fox will discuss “Memory Lab” a Jewish digital narrative project at 2 p.m. at Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $6-$8. RSVP to 549-6950 ext. 345. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Eighth Annual Harvest of Song at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Pre-concert discussion at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12-$15. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.orgLive Oak Concerts presents the Eighth Annual Harvest of Song 

The Ateneo Chamber Singers at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addision St. Tickets are $15-$20. 843-2244. 

The Prometheus Symphony Orchestra presents Tchaikovsky Symphony No.4, Copland’s Variations on a Shaker Melody, and Two Suites for Orchestra by Stravinsky at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. www.prometheussymphony.org 

“On The Nature Of Nature” a concert featuring new experimental instruments composed and performed by Krystyna Bobrowski, Dan Dugan, Guillermo Galindo and Wendy Reid at 8 p.m. in the Garden of the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. TIckets are $15-$20. www.museumca.org 

Catie Curtis at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

La Peña Community Chorus Cabaret at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Zarate Project at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Garrick Davis at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Mercury Dimes, family square dance at 3 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Yehudit at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Zap Guru, jazz, rock, jam at 2 p.m. at 33 Revolutions, 10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 898-1836. 

The Ravines at 3 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. at Alcatraz. www.spudspizza.net 

“Bringing Down the House for Berkeley High,” a benefit fundraiser for the Berkeley High School Development Group, featuring gospel and spirituals by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, will be held Saturday in the school’s Schwimley Little Theater, Allston Way at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. 

The event features a special 20-plus Student Gospel Choir to open the show, directed by choir soloist and JazzSchool instructor Trelawny Rose and the Oakland Interfaith Youth Gospel Choir with student dancers directed by Berkeley High Afro-Haitian dance instructor (and director of Oakland’s Diamano Coura Dance Co.) Naomi Washington-Diouf. 

In addition to the four performing groups, Berkeley High history teacher Wendell Brooks, an archivist of African-American music, will comment, along with other community members, on gospel and spirituals and the roots of American music, and sing a solo, “Great Gittin’ Up Mornin’ ” Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir artistic director Terrance Kelly will lead a sing-along, inviting the audience to join in.  

Among the goals of the concert, besides “raising sorely needed funds for Berkeley High’s student educational resources,” is sparking interest in a “renaissance” of choral music, including a gospel choir, at the 3,200-student school, which has had no choral music program since 2004.  

“Choral Arts is still listed in the curriculum,” said Mary Ford, chair for the event, “But it’s not being offered. Michael Morgan, music director and conductor for both Oakland East Bay Symphony and Festival Opera, expressed surprise and concern when he heard there’s no choral program at Berkeley High. It’s cost efficient, besides being uplifting and transformative, which is what singing with other people is all about.” 

Rose, a 20-year Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir veteran (soloist, ensemble and board member) who has been singing “since I was in first grade,” got the ball rolling for “Bringing Down the House” after reflecting on attending school arts programs.  

“My son’s in the Afro-Haitian Dance program, and I attended both concerts last year, thinking how incredible—so deep, so rich, so talented. But I noticed at different events how the audience would reflect overwhelmingly either the African-American or the white community, with just a few others not from whichever group dominated,” she said. “I asked myself what I could do to help with this two world thing. I knew the choir was something the community at large knows. It’s 23 years old, with awards and three CDs—and everybody understands its music and spirit, which bring people to tears. So I took the idea of a benefit to the Development Group, to try to find sponsorship, community support to broaden audiences and get them involved.” 

A volunteer organization with its first fundraising gala under its belt last spring, the Development Group began talking about the benefit “and things got moving in August.” Ford mentioned four others in particular who have been key to putting on the event: Rosemary Richie, Karen McKie, Fiona Hamer and Marjorie Alvord.  

“I started all this feeling self-righteous about it,” Ford said, “And now I feel totally humble. I can’t imagine how they accomplish what they do on the resources they have.”  

Concerning the future of a gospel choir at Berkeley High, she said, “It may have to start out as a club, then get back in the curriculum, along with more eclectic repertoire. We’re trying to get funding and a parents’ group to sponsor it. That’s how the Jazz program does it.”  

Mentioning that support has begun to come from different quarters, including the New Spirit Church at the Pacific School of Religion, Ford remarked, “Arts in public schools so often gets marginalized, and it takes a will of iron to navigate back, though there’s even research that it’s good for us—besides knowing that in our gut.” 

BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE FOR BERKELEY HIGH 

A fundraiser for the Berkeley High School Development Group featuring the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. 7: 30 p.m. Saturday at  

Schwimley Little Theater, Berkeley High School, Allston Way at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. For group and discounted tickets, contact Edith Jordan in Student Activities, 644-8990. 

Druid Theatre Co. of Galway on Ireland’s West Coast—the first professional theater company in Ireland outside Dublin—will present their celebrated staging of John Millington Synge’s comic masterpiece, The Playboy of the Western World (1907), along with Synge’s earlier short play, The Shadow of Glen, next week, presented by CalPerformances in association with Berkeley Rep. 

Druid (their official one word name), co-founded in 1975 by Garry Hynes, who directed Playboy as Druid’s first production when the company was a summer theater, is noted for their DruidSynge day-long marathon in 2005, which toured cities in Ireland, Scotland and the U.S. Conceived and directed by Hynes, DRUIDSYNGE staged all six plays of Synge’s short career (he died in 1909 at 37) in a single performance, a first in producing Synge’s work. 

Hynes has referred to him as “our house playwright.” 

Synge, born near Dublin, was originally a violinist who first pursued an unsuccessful music career in Germany, then moved to Paris to study literature at the Sorbonne, where W. B. Yeats met him, translating Petrarch and writing poetry. At Yeats’ bidding, Synge returned to Ireland and lived in the Aran Islands to collect folktales, later setting some of his plays there and elsewhere in the West. When Yeats and Lady Gregory founded the Irish National Theatre in 1905, Synge’s plays were produced to derision by Irish nationalists, and PLAYBOY’s premiere, Jan. 26, 1907, is famous in modern Irish history as “the Playboy Riots.” Future president of the Irish Free State Arthur Griffin called it vile and foul-mouthed, which Synge countered by saying that in Paris there was sex on stage without other elements, in Ireland “the other elements without the sex. I restored sex and people were so surprised, they saw the sex only.” His later play, The Tinker's Wedding wasn’t staged in Ireland until Synge’s centennial in 1971. His plays influenced other playwrights, including Samuel Beckett, Federico Garcia Lorca in Spain (whose Blood Wedding was modeled on Synge’s Riders to the Sea, which also influenced Eugene O’Neill), and those employing ethnic idioms and folk customs everywhere, including writers of the Harlem Renaissance.. 

Playboy, based on incidents Synge heard of in Western Ireland, concerns a young man who becomes a celebrity when he arrives in a County Mayo town, declaring he’s killed his father. Shadow of the Glen tells of a man who fakes his own death, exposes his wife’s infidelity and turns her out in winter, taken from the folk stories Synge collected. 

Garry Hynes, the first woman to win a Tony Award (in 1998 for Martin McDonagh’s THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE), past artistic director of the Abbey Theatre (where Playboy originally premiered) and close professional associate of playwright Tom Murphy, whose Bailegangaire, directed by Hynes, turned out to be “the swan song” for the great Siobhan McKenna, commented on Synge and on present-day Irish theater, placing Synge as part of the great European theatrical tradition, closely related to then-current plays and prefigures more modern ones. “I think his Well of the Saints reads today more like it was influenced by Beckett than the other way around.” On working with Martin McDonagh, Hynes remarked, “When I originally read his scripts, I knew immediately that here was a distinctive voice, extraordinarily skilled in storytelling and dialogue. We worked together for six months on the production of The Beauty Queen; he sat in on rehearsals. I don’t think he could write in the way he does without such close involvement.”  

Of Tom Murphy, Hynes says, “I think he’s one of the great writers of the 20th century.” 

Commenting on the imbroglio that Playboy originally met with, Hynes says, “Ireland has undergone an entire change. In the past, the Catholic Church was the central moral authority. That’s entirely disappeared. Ireland’s so transformed in every possible way, it would be hard to recognize the way it was, 20 years ago.” 

And asked about her approach to the humor of plays like A Streetcar Named Desire (which she directed at the Kennedy Center), Hynes said, “I approached it like a play written today, not as a great classic. The humor in it is the humor of the human situation; you have to create the situation for the humor to make sense.” 

THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD 

THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN 

Wed. (Oct. 8)-Fri. (Oct. 10), 8 p. m.; Sat (Oct. 11) 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sun. (Oct. 12), 3 p.m. 

The Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 

Tickets $75 

642-9988 

“In a cave many miles to the south/Lived a boy with fangs in his mouth ...” Teenage spelunkers bring back a bundle with pointed ears after caving near their hometown of Hope Falls, West Virginia. And the local citizenry is up in arms—and song—over the advent of Bat Boy in their fold, where the slaughterhouse is empty because the cattle are scrawny and moribund, and the social event of the year is the revival meeting. 

Bat Boy: The Musical opens with a preposterous set-up, and, as one of the local rednecks might have said, just gets preposterouser. It’s a raucous, goofy, off-kilter dysfunctional family entertainment, staged with elan by Alameda’s Altarena Playhouse, and running through Hallowe’en, closing on All Saints Day. 

And from moment to moment, it’s a free-floating burlesque of other musicals, a kind of cracker My Fair Lady (or Dr. Doolittle), as Edgar the Bat Boy (remarkable Alex Rodriguez, a singing Lon Chaney) goes from feral to unxious, thanks to the seemingly inexplicable mother love which Meredith (trouper Lisa-Marie Newton)—wife to the town vet, Doc Parker (Paul Plain, co-director and, as actor, embued with a little bit of Harvey Korman/Tim Conway over-the-top stuff)—lavishes on the squeaking foundling, till a set of BBC language tapes has him pouring tea and acting all pukah.  

From Bat Boy’s first melodic ululations, swinging in his cage, to production numbers featuring the batty boy in top hat, with cane, accompanied by the entire cast of 14 (and the stalwart quartet in the flies, guitar, bass and drums led by Sierra Dee on keyboards), the songs wash over the fast-moving, brilliantly paced show, with titles like “Hey Freak,” “Christian Charity,” “Let Me Walk Among You” and “Apology to a Cow” (when Bat Boy gets the thirst, excusing himself to a cowhead like the horse’s in The Godfather). The timing is so much on the money that the otherwise diverting—and ghastly funny—surprise, sung exposition of the boy’s Gothic family romance (with a tango) and nativity near the end only slows down the slick proceedings a little. 

The cast, with Angelo Benedetto and Plain’s direction, participate equally in its effectiveness. To single out a few, Ron Dritz is a splendid, deadpan sheriff and Jonathan Reisfield does screwy triple duty as a townsman, faith healer Rev. Billy Hightower laying hands on the penitent Bat Boy, and trailer trash Mrs. Taylor, shrieking over her brood, in curlers with a cigarette stuck in the lipstick amid stubble. 

Katie Behnke, a Miramonte High senior from Orinda, handles teenage love interest Shelly with both energy and poise. 

It’s a compound of a diverse range of guilty pleasures, contemporary successor to that old American stage mode, the parody melodrama that morphed into horror with Dracula. From a crazed vet putting locals down with the hypo he’s always brandishing, to blessings bestowed on teenage love by the Great God Pan, Bat Boy’s fun is in part the delicious sense it’s all going to end badly. An anthem to Otherness, to small town mania and the strangest of family values, “Know your Bat Boy,/Love your Bat Boy.” 

BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL 

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 1. Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda. $17-$20. 

523-1553. www.alterena.org. 

Degenerate Music,” a remarkable program of songs and compositions by German composers and lyricists, many of them Jewish, branded as “Degenerate Artists” by the Nazis, will be performed this Sunday at the East Bay Jewish Community Center, as part of the Jewish Music Festival. 

Co-sponsored by the Mendocino Music Festival and the Goethe-Institut, “Degenerate Music” premiered last summer in Mendocino. Its billing as music of the Weimar Republic conjures up images of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, of cabaret and the louche life of Berlin, as chronicled by Christopher Isherwood and Robert McAlmon, among others. 

But the provocative title and the Weimar-related PR don’t begin to do justice to the range and depth of what pianist Susan Waterfall has put together for chamber group, soloists and singers.  

The program covers unusual examples of music produced from the time of the First World War, through the runaway inflation that helped make Weimar-era Berlin an international party town, to the censure and destruction of modern art as degenerate by that very different party, the National Socialists (just as Max Nordau had attacked the “Decadents” earlier, but without state apparatus), through the years of exile and war—music that includes much of what would influence postwar American music and culture, a lot of it created or premiered on American soil—to the repatriation and reconstruction of Germany during the postwar occupation. 

Waterfall hasn’t just created a divertissement of familiar pieces, but rendered a 30-year period of immense conflict and change with a sense of dimension, and of the unusual. 

There are pieces like Schoenberg’s onomatopoeic entertainment for his fellow officers in World War I, lesser-known Brecht-Weill songs like “The Shell Oil Song” or a gripping Hanns Eisler setting of a Brecht poem that details what happens to a young woman who flauts the Nuremberg Race Laws prohibiting social relations with Jews.  

Stereotypes are also overturned. “The Hollywood Songbook” contains German poems set by Eisler when he and Brecht were endeavoring to work for the film industry in wartime Los Angeles—and justly called by Waterfall the greatest art song cycle composed in America. Brecht’s lyrics detail his passion for little things: the portable radio he flees with from country to country, which broadcasts the voice of his enemy declaring victory after victory, this precious crystal set the poet begs never to fall silent; or the strange new trees and flowers he finds in his garden in Los Angeles, overwatering them with the hope of nurturing something in dark times. 

Even the familiar songs of Threepenny Opera are presented in a virtuoso arrangement by a colleague of Weill’s for the violin—Paganini plays “Mac the Knife”?—in a delicious, tour-de-force instrumental medley. 

There’s also profound chamber music, “14 Ways of Describing the Rain,” composed in 12-tone style by Eisler and presented to his old teacher Schoenberg on the composer’s 70th birthday in exile. The piece was played with the silent film Regen (Rain) by Joris Ivens. The program ends with the anthem Eisler composed for German schoolchildren to give them perspective and hope during reconstruction. A moving recording gives us Eisler himself crooning it. 

Projections place the sounds with photographic images and pictures of visual art. Throughout, valiant vocalist Erin Neff sings and enacts lieder that run a gamut of emotions, changing costume constantly, rejoining Waterfall and the other players onstage. “Degenerate Music” is an immersion in one of the crucial epochs of the 20th century, its culture and politics in an upheaval of values, still affecting us today. 

DEGENERATE MUSIC 

7:30 p.m. Sunday as part of the Jewish Music Festival. East Bay Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 

German Expressionism Collection 

One of the pleasures of viewing silent film is watching a nascent art form as it is invented, developed and perfected. In the 1910s and early 1920s, filmmakers experimented with the new form, attempting to harness its unique properties, its potential for drama, for humor, for surprise.  

The Germans soon proved to possess an unparalleled knack for examining the darker side of film, using lighting, set design and camerawork to exploit the medium's capacity for psychological drama.  

Kino has packaged four great films in the German Expressionism Collection, a box set that elucidates the bold inventiveness of Germany in those early years in the creation of art that celebrated its own artifice. 

Expressionism was a strong influence on American film noir, and the pleasure of the genres are similar: overwrought emotion, heightened reality, shadows and shady characters. And the films in this collection play up those qualities, creating fever-pitched realities that are certainly strange, at times demented, but always fascinating. 

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 

Of course, the granddaddy of all expressionist films is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, one of the most legendary of all silent films. It has been readily available on home video for some time; in fact, Kino has not updated their previous release of the film, but simply repackaged it for this set.  

The film would still be considered bold and experimental if it were made today, using painted, surrealistic sets and stark imagery. Far less grounded in reality than most of the films that it would inspire, Caligari is gloriously artificial in its presentation, creating a stage-bound world that bears little resemblance to the everyday world but which lures the view into a strange, hypnotic world of its own.  

Conrad Veidt played the somnambulist, establishing himself as perhaps the definitive actor of Germany's expressionist era. Werner Krauss plays the deranged Caligari with an unforgettable blend of madness, mystery and menace. 

Hands of Orlac 

Veidt and director Robert Wiene teamed up again for the The Hands of Orlac, a story that takes place in the modern world but is no less nightmarish and unreal. Veidt plays Orlac, a concert pianist whose hands must be amputated after a train crash. A crafty surgeon is able to replace Orlac's hands with those of another man. Soon after, his father is murdered, and fingerprint evidence points toward Orlac, sending his fragile psyche into even greater decline as he begins to unravel the mystery of the origin of his new hands. Wiene and Veidt ratchet up the psychoanalytic elements in bringing the horrors of the plot to life. 

Secrets of a Soul 

G.W. Pabst's Secrets of a Soul is a more overt attempt to capture the essence of psychoanalysis on the screen. Though the film is fairly explicit in its delineation of the dark forces at play in the character's subconscious, with intertitles that fully address his violent urges, there is still much that is left unspoken. Issues of impotence, sterility and sexual dysfunction are for the most part left unspoken, but are suggested through imagery and gesture.  

The dream sequences are lurid and convincing, expressing the disjointed logic of feverish nightmares. The imagery is powerful and stark, beautiful in its own right as surrealist fantasy, but still revealed as logical in the end.  

Warning Shadows 

Warning Shadows is a purely visual film, with no intertitles to convey plot or dialogue—beyond the opening credits, that is, which feature each actor appearing on a proscenium, introduced along with his shadow, for shadows prove to be characters as much as the people who cast them.  

The story concerns a woman and her husband. They are hosting a dinner party of her suitors. A traveling entertainer crashes the party and proceeds to put on a show of shadow puppetry, a show that plumbs the depths of each character’s consciousness. The shadows take on the semblance of reality, acting out a passion play that, in the best Expressionist fashion, gives shape to the tensions and desires in the minds of the party’s hosts and their guests. The husband, overcome with jealous rage, seeks revenge on his flirtatious wife and her ardent suitors, while her beauty and careless allure lead the men to destroy first her and then each other.  

The film was photographed by Fritz Arno Wagner, the famed cinematographer who also shot F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu and Fritz Lang’s M.  

Houdini: Movie Star 

Harry Houdini must have seemed an obvious candidate for movie stardom. Famous as a vaudeville performer and as a daredevil stuntman, he was a born showman, charismatic, daring and bold.  

Though limited as an actor, his appeal, then as now, is readily apparent. Short and rugged with piercing eyes, he comes across as an earlier generation's version of Edward G. Robinson, handsome in an unlikely way, tough and scowling, but able to convey a certain benevolent humor and grace.  

Kino has released a three-disc set of all that remains of Houdini's brief movie career. The set includes three feature films, a surviving fragment from a fourth, and nearly four hours of installments from a 1919 serial. Bonus features include newsreel footage of many of Houdini's straitjacket escapes, usually while dangling upside down over a public street before thousands of onlookers.  

But the main attractions here are Houdini's acting performances. The set starts with the 15-part serial, The Master Mystery (1919, 238 minutes), an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink action adventure in which Houdini, as Quentin Locke, battles a corrupt patents company involved in anti-trust practices, along the way battling a robot, rescuing a beautiful dame, endureing a string of torture techniques, and escaping from an array of deadly devices. The enormous success of the serial led to a contract with Famous Players Lasky/Parmount Pictures, which resulted in two feature films.  

Terror Island (1920, 55 minutes), the most lavish of the Houdini films, sees the magician playing an inventor whose state-of-the-art submarine is called into duty to salvage both treasure and romance. The film again affords Houdini the opportunity to display his talent for the escape, as well as his ability to hold his breath underwater for extended periods as he passes in and out of the submarine to stage various rescues and assaults on nefarious foes. 

During the making of The Grim Game (1919), two planes collided in mid-air, leading the producers to re-write the script around the material. The only fragment that survives of the film shows this accident, and though the filmmakers claimed that Houdini himself was hanging from the plane and survived the accident, the editing and re-shoots that sustained the illusion are hardly any more convincing today than they were then. 

After fulfilling his Hollywood contract, Houdini returned to New York to start his own production company, the Houdini Picture Corporation, producing and starring in two more films. The Man from Beyond (1922. 84 minutes) allowed Houdini to indulge his interest in reincarnation, playing a man unfrozen after 100 years who finds his true love of 1820 is alive and well in another woman's body in 1920. In Haldane of the Secret Service (1923, 84 minutes), his final film, Houdini stars as an undercover agent infiltrating a counterfeiting operation in New York's shadowy Chinatown. 

Despite his fame, Houdini's acting career was not a success. It turned out that the art of the escape required a flesh-and-blood performance to hold an audience's attention; cinema, with all its sleight-of-hand editing and shifting camera angles, robbed Houdini's stunts of their veracity and sense of danger. If an audience wanted grace and daring and swashbuckling charm, they had Douglas Fairbanks; if they wanted dangerous stunt work, cinematically presented and with no editing gimmickry, they had Buster Keaton. Though Houdini was one of the most famous men of his time, his fans preferred to see him not larger than life on the big screen, but on the stage, life size and all the more compelling for that fact that he was real.

Lumber magnate Zimri Brewer Heywood was found dead in his bed on July 31, 1879. He was 76 years old and had spent the last two years of his life in Berkeley, presumably at 709 Delaware St. He was buried at Lone Mountain Cemetery in San Francisco, and his death and burial were duly inscribed in the ledger of the Church of the Good Shepherd, of which he was a founding member. 

The previous year, Heywood had contributed $500—the highest cash donation—to the church building fund, which erected the landmark still standing at Ninth St. and Hearst Avenue. The grateful congregation held a commemorative sermon in his honor on Sept. 6, 1879. 

The extent of Zimri’s estate hasn’t been fully documented, but his West Berkeley real-estate holdings alone were substantial, comprising several blocks, including the one occupied by the West Berkeley Lumber Yard (the latter owned by Heywood’s Mendocino Lumber Company), a wharf, and a portion of the Berkeley tidelands. 

Heywood’s second-born and oldest surviving son, William Brewer Heywood (1830-1915), was appointed trustee and collector of the estate, assisted by the eleventh-born, Walter Minturn Heywood (1854-1924). Walter, a realtor, would be occupied with the trusteeship for the rest of his life. 

In 1877, William had formed the Berkeley Land and Building Company with prominent businessmen James L. Barker, George D. Dornin, Alfred Bartlett, and Charles K. Clarke. “They intend to do a Real Estate business in conjunction with building and improvements that will contribute to the growth and prosperity of the town,” announced the Berkeley Advocate. 

William had little time to devote to this business. Managing the Gualala Mill Company and living in Arena Township, Mendocino County, he was away from Berkeley almost continuously during the quarter century following his father’s death. William’s first wife, Salome, drowned in the Oakland Ferry Disaster of July 4, 1868, leaving the widower with two little sons: William Hezekiah and Zimri Brewer. William subsequently married Vienna Thompson, a New Yorker who was recorded as his wife in the 1880 census of Arena. 

In 1888, William, Vienna, and Zimri came to the Bay Area, William taking charge of the Gualala Mill Company’s San Francisco office. Their new home was a Queen Anne Victorian on a triple lot at the southwest corner of Arch and Vine Streets. Zimri (born c. 1866) is said to have been attending the university and to have died about 1892, which prompted his father to sell the house to Captain William H. Marston and return to Gualala. The house would remain in the Marston family until 1937, when it was demolished. 

Vienna Heywood died in Berkeley on Sept. 11, 1898. Her funeral was held at the First Baptist Church, which stood on Allston Way near Oxford Street. William continued to live in Arena, presiding over a large household that included eleven mill employees, a schoolteacher (the local school had been built by the Heywoods), and three Chinese cooks. Living nearby was his surviving son, William Hezekiah (1864-1920), who had married c. 1889, fathered a son, and was the mill’s mechanical engineer. 

In 1903, William’s half-brother, Franklin Heywood (b. 1837), president of the Gualala Mill Company and the Gualala River Railway, committed suicide in his San Francisco bathroom by placing in his mouth a rubber tube attached to an open gas jet. His fortune, valued at $200,000, was left in trust to his estranged wife. It was to be divided after her death, half going to their adopted daughter, the other half shared equally among seven blood relatives. 

As would often happen, the adopted daughter initiated a lawsuit to hasten the distribution of the estate. She also asserted that her rights had been inexcusably neglected by William B. and Walter M. Heywood, executors of the will. The widow weighed in on the opposite side, airing some of the family’s dirty laundry. The tawdry suit dragged on until 1910, when the California Supreme Court upheld Franklin Heywood’s will. 

Possibly as a result of Franklin’s death, the Gualala mill and its railroad were sold to the Empire Redwood Company. William and Hezekiah returned to Berkeley, where the 1904 directory listed them at 1429 Walnut St. They lived here for a year while building a new house at 1401 Walnut, on the corner of Rose Street. Both died in this house. 

In the 1870s, when a ferry pier was first proposed for Berkeley, the Heywoods’ wharf at the foot of Bristol St. (now Hearst Ave.) was passed over in favor of a new one at the foot of University Avenue. Thirty years later, the town trustees wanted a new municipal pier built, and this time the Heywoods were taking no chances. Charles D. Heywood, who ran the West Berkeley Lumber Company, moved his lumber yard and planing mill from Bristol St. to the foot of University Ave., where he built a new lumber wharf next to the old ferry pier. His uncle William emerged as the owner of the old ferry pier and much of the land around it. 

In early 1907, after a bond measure raised $100,000 for a new municipal pier, William Heywood offered to deed his pier to the town for $22,000, reserving for himself the right to access his sheds at the north spur of the pier—the only place where vessels could then tie up—and charge tolls. On Sept. 23, the trustees voted to pay his asking price.  

The Oakland Tribune reported the following day that there was “considerable opposition among prominent business men on the ground that valuable concessions were being granted” to Heywood, but the trustees were persuaded by the opinion of Town Attorney Redmond C. Staats, who determined that the city would have the right to collect fees on wharfage, dockage, and tolls. 

Within a month, the Piper-Aden-Goodall Company, which had been operating freight steamers between San Francisco and West Berkeley for 20 years, alleged that William Heywood was levying the exorbitant charge of 10 cents a ton, double the rate charged elsewhere in the state. “We might as well go out of business,” said the company’s claims agent. Heywood replied that he charged the higher toll just once, when the steamer docked at the West Berkeley Lumber Company’s private wharf. He had given notice that he wanted the use of his warehouses but was willing to allow Piper-Aden-Goodall to build a warehouse of its own at the end of the wharf. The city responded by taking control of the wharf and announcing its intention to appoint a toll collector. 

As Berkeley’s population exploded after the 1906 earthquake, William resumed his real-estate activities. His first venture was the Heywood Apartments at 2119 Addison Street. This three-story red brick building was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark in 2003. 

In July 1908, the Daily Pacific Builder published a contract notice for flats to be built on the southeast corner of University and Grove. The owner was W.B. Heywood, the contractor George L. Mohr, and the projected cost $11,000. Nothing was built on that corner at the time, but in June 1909 construction began on another Heywood apartment house—this one on the southwest corner of the same intersection. The San Francisco Call reported that this building would cost $20,000, contain 40 apartments, and cover a lot of 75 by 150 feet. The Oakland Tribune, on the other hand, tallied the cost at $12,000 and gave floor space dimensions of 37 by 137 feet. 

As shown in the Sanborn fire insurance map of 1911, the actual building constructed at 1846 University Ave. was a long and narrow block with no setbacks, occupying the full length of the lot along Grove Street. It rose to three stories and contained 12 apartments and 24 bay windows. William’s nephew, Charles, moved in right away and was still living there in 1913, after being elected mayor of Berkeley. 

On Aug. 22, 1909, as Berkeley’s new City Hall was about to be dedicated, the Tribune announced that William Heywood was preparing to duplicate his new building on another corner of the University-Grove intersection. “These various contemplated and assured improvements are all due directly to the new city hall and may result in making a new business center of the region bounded by Shattuck, University, Allston Way and Grove Street. In a short time it is probable that this will be thickly built and that the real center of the city will be comprised in these boundaries,” concluded the Tribune. 

The predictions—for the district and for the stalled building on the southeast corner—didn’t come to pass. Berkeley Gazette columnist Hal Johnson would write in 1942 that William “had the lumber on the ground and the foundation started when the City Council decided that the setback line, which then stopped at Allston Way and Grove St., should be extended [to the blocks north of Allston]. The lumber was moved to the southeast corner of Berkeley Way and Home St., now Walnut St. He erected the large building which is now an apartment hotel.” 

Did it really happen as Hal told it? A full month before the Tribune’s announcement of the second building, a building permit had been issued for the final location (no permit has been found for the purported original location), and the Call reported that “C.D. Heywood [sic] is erecting an apartment house at Home Street and Berkeley Way, of four stories.” Since the building on the southeast corner of University and Grove appears to have been planned before its companion across the street, why didn’t Heywood simply move the lumber there instead of five blocks uphill? 

All we know with certainty is that George L. Mohr constructed the clapboard building still standing at 1921 Walnut St., at a cost of $7,000. It was leased to Elizabeth Andruss, a widow whose daughter was studying at U.C. The neighborhood was then a hotbed for new technology. Directly across the street, engineering student William E. de Berry was building a Farman biplane in his back yard and had already received orders for two additional planes. He was planning to establish a factory in South Berkeley and perhaps go into business as an airplane manufacturer after graduation (he ended up as the proprietor of a radio store in San Francisco). 

The building on the southeast corner of University and Grove was eventually built at a cost of $25,000, but not until late 1915, several months after William B. Heywood had been consigned to his grave. The owner was his son, William Hezekiah, who had engaged the architect James W. Plachek for the project. Curiously, this building, delayed seven years, has no setbacks. 

Two years later, Plachek designed for the same client a small, terra cotta-clad jewel at 2014 Shattuck Ave. Designated a City of Berkeley Landmark in 1993, this is the second building that has been erroneously ascribed to William B. Heywood (the first is 1809 Fourth St.). 

William H. Heywood survived his father by only five years. In 1916, he sold 45 acres of waterfront land between Second St. and the tidelands to Hawaiian sugar interests for $75,000. He left a large estate, willing the income from it to his second wife. $5,000 was set aside for his son Leslie, fruit of the first marriage, who had moved to Spokane with his mother over a dozen years earlier. Believed to have fallen in action in France, Leslie Heywood resurfaced two weeks after his father’s death-too late to claim a larger share of the estate. 

This is the third in a series of articles on the Heywood family. 

Daniella Thompson publishes berkeleyheritage.com for the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA).

As the noted theologian Matthew Fox was heard to say, after a year-long, papally-ordered vow of silence, “Now, as I was saying…” 

For those of you who did not follow last-week’s thoughts on early electrical systems, much was said about the overall size of these systems and the somewhat Byzantine elements that make them up, including the scary Frankenstein-style knife switches and the “neutral (or double) fusing” that control these circuits. With your forbearance, let us now continue (or for some, begin) with some talk on the nature of knob and tube wiring. 

If you have a house built before 1950, there is a good chance that it contains some knob and tube wiring. In fact, knob and tube wiring is found in homes running all the way up into the ’60s in some quarters, but was largely wiped out by other types of wiring including B-X armored cable and Romex. These two later forms are fundamentally different from knob and tube in that they are cables or sets of wires in a jacket of metal, fabric or plastic, while knob and tube is a system of wires that run independently to the fixtures in the house, meeting up with opposing wires that complete the various circuits. I’ll be more clear about this as we proceed. 

First, what’s in a name? Why knob and tube? Simply, the knobs and tubes from which we derive the name are insulators. Knobs are surface mounted insulators that nail onto the framing of the house and allow the insulated wires of knob and tube to get tied or sandwiched into place, keeping them snug and safe. The more common sandwiching ones just mentioned are made up of two barrel shapes with a nail passing through both, that when nailed, grip the wire and hold it an inch or two from the wood framing of the house. Tubes allow wires to pass through wooden framing, while keeping the wire away from wood. These do not secure wires, although electricians of your grandfather’s day would tie knots in wires at one end of a tube, thus keeping the wire from being pulled through. 

If it’s not obvious why we insulate wires, it’s because they can get hot. Wires get hot as the load increases as in, say, the case of running an electric heater. The more demand is placed on the system, the more current will flow through the wire and the hotter it gets. This is why we use overcurrent protection such as fuses or breakers. 

Wires get hottest where there is high resistance and resistance is greatest where wires either get smaller (such as in extension cords) or where wires (or other electrical parts) make poor contact with one another (like a failed singles event). Then there is the kind of resistance where people get drunk and sing La Marseillaise while hiding from the Nazis. But I digress. 

Resistance is the bane of electricians and the root cause of most electrical fires, which is why I love knob and tube wiring. Love, you say? But isn’t knob and tube an antiquated wiring from long ago, discarded in favor of safer system? No, I say. It is not. It suffers from the same warrantless ill-repute as many a system usurped by those capable of profiting from the revolt. 

Knob and tube is labor-intensive because it is soldered. And labor costs money. Remember soldering? How old are you now? I’m old enough to remember soldering Heathkit Hobby Radios with my dad and although I never soldered a knob and tube “Western Union” splice. It stunned me, the first time I got a good look at one. Flooded with molten metal, the connection between any two wires in the grid of wiring in these old houses remains just as cool as any other part, if not more so. Typically, it will be junction points, as noted above, that will overheat and lead to sparks or fire. This is why modern wiring connections must take place inside of a junction box.  

Now, junction boxes are pretty smart when we’re ready to be making final connections to switches, lamps or outlets because these connections may have increased resistance for a range of reasons. Not the least of these is that they may be changed over time with little control over diligence. But, where wires are permanently installed in the branches of an electrical system, soldering makes great sense and greatly reduces the need for a “J-box” as we call ‘em. 

Knob and tube systems are also more efficient because they utilize less wire by virtue of their single-path design. By using single conductors, in place of cables, each wire can move on to the next designated site without requiring a trip back to a common junction, as would be the case in modern cable systems.  

Some of what I like about knob and tube is based on observation and not on theory. Having looked at nearly 4,000 houses containing knob and tube, I’ve had ample opportunity to see endemic failures as well as aberrant ones and can site only a tiny number of what I would consider either installer or materials failure. This is a good system and is only lacking in overall size as relates to practical use today.  

Generally, the rubber, cloth-covered insulation on knob and tube wiring tends to be intact and elastic and I’ve yet to see a solder that was pulling apart. The joints are covered with a sticky cloth-covered tape of high quality in nearly every case and it’s rare to see one that’s falling apart. That said, tampering and poorly executed modifications are common.  

The worst of these are those that extend the range of these original circuits. When this is done, it means that the design ratings of the original circuits are violated by being asked to perform tasks beyond their original intent. 

These additions are usually spliced in the modern method of simply twisting wires together (although a wire nut or some tape may have been used) and this connection has higher resistance than the soldered type. Often, the same low-velocity brain that conceived these electrical branches that tap off the existing ones struggles to come up with adequate splicing methods, wire stapling and a range of other creative surprises. So watch out.  

The smarter cookie will leave the knob and tube circuits alone and run new ones from a competent source using modern wiring methods. One elegant result of doing this in an older house is that the new circuits one adds will (and must) be grounded, unlike the original ones. 

Grounding (on outlets, it’s signified by that third roundish prong-hole) isn’t needed for most of your appliances. If you were to lay all your electrical devices out in one place (have you seen those books of people from around the world photographed with all their possessions?) you’d find that only a small fraction have a grounding prong and that most will work just fine in your original two-prong outlets.  

If you add a few new circuits to your old knob and tube system, you will both increase the overall load capacity and accommodate the need for grounding (assuming that you place them where those particular devices live). That list includes major appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, microwave ovens and both the washer and dryer, so laundries and kitchens are good places to start. Desktop computers require grounding so one or two new outlets where you place your home office is a good idea too. 

An older knob and tube system can be easily connected to a modern breaker panel by a suitably skilled electrician at the time that new circuits are added. This usually requires an upgrade at the main panel since most older main panels associated with knob and tube lack adequate minimal capacity. 

A last thought that I think is more than a little relevant is the issue of capacity. Current building standards call for every house to be capable of providing 100 amps. This is really quite a lot, although some people will use nearly all the 24,000 watts that this allows. That’s right, this is the same as 240 100-watt bulbs running at the same time or 12 2,000-watt heaters. In practice most people use far less and some use almost none.  

A client of mine some years ago mentioned that he was planning on buying a bicycle powered washing machine. He isn’t the only Berkeley client of mine who’s wading in the shallow end of the grid. Some people just don’t use that much power either by political temperament or by prudence.  

So, when you meet with your electrician, be sure to tell them what you need. There are basic code requirements that they will need to observe but there is, without question, room for choice on your part. Don’t feel that you have to be absorbed by the Borg Collective and bring your entire electrical system up to the most current code. Remember, Resistance (the French kind) is never futile. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 2 

Walkers 55+: Explore El Cerrito Hillside Gems Join a down-and-up loop exploring little-known creekside paths and great views from El Cerrito’s Hillside Natural Area. Meet at Arlington Park, 1120 Arlington (AC Transit 7) at 9 a.m. Wear hiking shoes; bring sticks if you use them. Registration required, call Albany Senior Center 524-9122. 

Berkeley Public Library Master Plan discussion at 6:30 p.m. at South Branch, 1901 Russell at MLK Jr. Way. Plan available on-line at www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org 981-6195. 

“Banned Books Read-In” for children and teens at 4 p.m. at the Richmond Main Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. Books, door prizes awarded. 620-6555. 

“An Evening of Prose and Politics” with Susan Griffin and George Lakoff at 6 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 18. 

Hecho in Califas Festival “Rise Up and Green Up!” An interactive town-hall meeting on strengthening our community through green initaitives, at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $3-$10, no one turned away. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Town Hall Meeting in Support of Marriage Equality with clergy from the African-American community and the cast from “Noah’s Arc” at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Cost is $30. http://equalitytownhall.eventbrite.com 

Opera Piccola 20th Anniversary Season Open House from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at its new East Oakland headquarters, 2946 MacArthur Blvd. RSVP to 482-2906. 

“Seeds to Harvest” Enjoy locally produced snacks and goodies, and learn about Bay Area Community Services’ commitment to food security at 5 p.m. at the East Bay Community Foundation Conference Center, 365 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. www.bayareacs.org 

Seed Saving for the Home Gardener Learn the basics of pollination, selecting, harvesting, processing and storing seed, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $10-$15. 548-2220, ext. 233. www.ecologycenter.org 

A Beginner’s Guide to E-mail and the Internet Learn the basics without the technical jargon. Get a free e-mail account. From 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at North Oakland Senior Center, 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Sponsored by RSVP of Alameda County. For more information call 452-0868. 

Appreciating Diversity Film Series “Unnatural Causes: In Sickness and in Wealth” at 7 p.m. followed by facilitated discussion, at Ellen Driscoll Theater, Frank Havens School, 325 Highland Ave., Piedmont. 835-9227. diversityfilmseries.org 

“Pain Management” with Dr. Ernest Cheng at 1 p.m. at the Grand Avenue Seventh Day Adventist Church, 278 Grand Ave., Oakland. 653-8625. 

Three Beats for Nothing South Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Thurs. at 10 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis at Ashby. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

Baby & Toddler Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club at 6:45 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza , 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

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 

FRIDAY, OCT. 3 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Jim De Mersma on “Dunsmuir Historic Estate: An East Bay Architectural & Horticultural Treasure” 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 524-7468. 

George Lakoff in Conversation with Josh Kornbluth on “Why We Vote the Way We Do” at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda.  

“The Framing of Mumia Abu-Jamal” with J. Patrick O’Connor at 7:30 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Library at 6501 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. 763-2347. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from 10 to 11 a.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. Bring photo ID and two references. 644-8833. 

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. 

Three Beats for Nothing Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Fri. at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, Hearst at MLK. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

SATURDAY, OCT. 4 

North Oakland Neighbors: City Council At-Large Candidates Forum from 1 to 3 p.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church, 430 49th St., Oakland, just off Telegraph in the Temescal neighborhood. Meeting will include updates on proposed developments and rezoning in Temescal. www.standoakland.org 

“Green Gardening” Exhibits and workshops on saving water and reducing waste from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at MLK Civic Center Park. 981-7432. 

Blessing of the Animals in commemoration St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment. Humans and their animals congregate at 4 p.m. on the steps of St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. 843-2244. 

110th Anniversary of the Founding of the Hillside Club Open House Celebration Luncheon Potluck at noon at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 644-2967. 

Benefit to Close the School of the Americas with Francisco Herrera and Jon Fromer, singer/songwriters at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. 843-2244. 

Brooks Island Boat Trip Join a guided boat trip across the Richmond Harbor to Brooks Island to explore the island’s natural and cultural history, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For experienced boaters who can provide their own kayak and safety gear. Cost is $20-$22. Registration required. 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

Home Front Festival at Rosie the Riveter Park, with music, carnival rides, art and activities, at Marina Bay, Richmond. Free. For details see www.homefrontfestival.com 232-0865. 

Compost and Worm Workshop Learn the basics of backyard composting; understand how to compost with garden waste and how to compost kitchen scraps using worms at 2 p.m. at Smith & Hawken, 1330 10th Street. Free. store803@smithandhawken.com 

Arachnid Kids Join us as we unravel the mystery of spiders and their webs, for ages seven and up, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Includes a short hike. 525-2233. 

The Political Affairs Readers’ Group of Berkeley “Financial Crisis and Class Struggles” A discussion of the present US financial crisis, its effects on the world economy and on workers’ struggles to improve their lives at 10 a.m. at Niebyl Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 595-7417. 

Ready to Learn Fun Fair Meet Clifford “The Big Red Dog,” receive free books, get your face painted, and play outdoor games from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rosa Parks Elementary School. Free for families and children of all ages. 268-5376. www.acgov.org/board/district5. 

Global Peace and Justice Rally with music and speakers from noon to 4 p.m. at MLK Civic Center Park. 

“Love it Like a Fool” a film about Malvina Reynolds, Berkeley songwriter and political activist at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge at Shattuck. 981-6241. 

Lakeshore Neighborhood Plant Exchange from noon to 4 p.m. at 3811 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Bring plants from cuttings up to full size, as well as gardening books and supplies. 866-8482. www.plantexchange.wordpress.com 

Basic Geneology Research Classes on Sat. at 1 p.m. and Tues. at 10:30 a.m., offered by the California Genealogical Society and Library in Oakland. Free, with $10 materials fee. For more information and to register call 531-3905. 

Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, at 11 a.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Free Internet Classes offered on Sat. from 10 to 11 a.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton St., El Cerrito. Today we will learn how to use Google or Search the Web. 526-7512. 

“Congregational Singing and Listening” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Suggested donation $10. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Berkeley Alcohol Policy Advocacy Coalition Workshop on how alcohol access and availability affect the community, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center.  

Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

SUNDAY, OCT. 5 

Hecho in Califas Festival “Books? or Bombs?” An interactive town-hall meeting on education and military recruitment, at 4 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $3-$10, no one turned away. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“What the TV Pundits Don’t Tell You About the Election” with George Lakoff at 7 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Cost is $10-$20. Benefits the Walden Foundation. www.walden-school.net 

Yoga for Obama A day-long series of classes, every two hours beginning at 8 a.m., with group chant at 6:15 p.m. at Berkeley Yoga Studio, 1250 Addison St. Suggesteed donation $50. 552-0155. 

Kennedy Grove Full Circle Hike Join an invigorating 4.5 mile hike to discover all of Tilden’s trails, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring lunch and water. For information on meeting place call 525-2233. 

“Taxi to the Dark Side” A film on the torture practices of the United States at 4 p.m. at Townsend Center for the Humanities, 220 Stephens Hall, UC campus. 642-0965. 

Home Front Festival at Rosie the Riveter Park, with music, carnival rides, art and activities, at Marina Bay, Richmond. Free. For details see www.homefrontfestival.com 232-0865. 

Hilltop YMCA Home Front Run & Walk at Lucretia Edwards Park, located at the end of Marina Way, south, in Richmond. Check in at 8:30 a.m., races begin at 10 a.m. Cost is $20-$30 with discounts for families. 209-795-7832. www.onyourmarkevents.com 

“Banished” A film about African Americans expelled from counties in the US from 1860 to 1920, at 2 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5. 665-7880. 

Berkeley Rep Family Series “Fairy Tales Come True” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Nevo Education Center, 2071 Addison St. Free, but bring a book to donate to a school library. 647-2973. 

Blessing of the Animals at 12:30 p.m. on the Terrace at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Dreaming Ritual Demonstration with Antero Alli at 8:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. Donation $5-$10. www.paratheatrical.com/demonstration.html 

“Journey to Tibet” with Karen Harris on her visit to Buddhist nunneries in remote eastern Tibet at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Kids Cook in the Garden Learn how to create snacks from garden foods from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. For ages 7-12. Registration required. Cost is $15-$18. 643-2755, ext. 03. 

Drop-In Acupuncture from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sarana Community Acupuncture. 968 San Pablo Ave. Albany. Free. 526-5056. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732.  

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712.  

Tibetan Buddhism with Mark Henderson on “The Buddhist Dharma Wheel” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Kol Hadash Tashlikh Service at 10 a.m. at Emeryville Marina. Especially for children. Bring-Your-Own picnic follows. 428-1492. www.kolhadash.org 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Fri. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577.  

MONDAY, OCT. 6 

“Observations: Bay Area Buildings, Architecture and Planning” an illustrated talk by Susan Cerny, author of “An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area” at 7:30 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch. 644-2967. www.hillsideclub.org 

“Albany: Then and Now” in honor of the city’s centennial, Richard Russo will present a slide show of photographs from the library’s hostorical collection at 12:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Biodiesel 101 Learn about biodiesel: emmissions, hoe-brewing, types of vehicles and availability, at 7:30 p.m. at Biofuel Oasis, 2465 4th St., at Dwight Way. 665-5509. http://biofueloasis.com/bbc/ 

“Guadalupe River in Peril” with Santa Clara Creeks Coalition volunteer Larry Johmonn on the South Bay's largest watercourse, at 7 p.m. at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany. 848-9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

“Deer in the East Bay: A Very Adaptable Species” A talk and slideshow with Joe DiDonato, Stewardship Manager for EBRPD at 7:30 p.m. at Montclair Presbyterian Church, 5701 Thornhill Rd., Oakland. Donation $5, K-12 free. 655-6658. www.close-to-home.org 

“Taxi to the Dark Side” and the U.S. War on Terror filmmaker Alex Gibney wil discuss his documentary filmon the torture practices of the United States at 4 p.m. in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall, UC campus. 642-0965. 

“Castoffs” Knitting Group meets at 7 p.m. at Kensingotn Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group, for people 60 years and over, meets at 9:45 a.m. at Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave, Albany. Cost is $3.  

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, OCT. 7 

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 Arrowhead Marsh at Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Tilden Mini-Rangers Hiking, conservation and nature-based activities for ages 8-12. Dress to ramble and get dirty. From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Berkeley High School BSEP Committee Meeting to select chair, representatives to P&O and SGC committees, at 4:30 p.m. at Berkeley High School, Building D, Conference Room, 501-3307. 

New Deal Film Festival The Dust Bowl Years “Grapes of Wrath” at 1 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst, Corner of MLK. Sponsored by the Berkeley Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

Seymour Hersh at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

“The Power of Myth in Movies” with Richard Stromer, first Tues. of the month, through May at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Cost is $40. To register call 528-3417. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. Bring photo ID and two references. 644-8833. 

Birds and Butterflies Easy garden enchantment with native plants, Tues. at 7 p.m. through Oct. 28, at Albany Adult School, 601 San Gabriel Ave., Albany. Sponsored by the Golden Gate Audubon Society. Register online at http://albany.k12.ca.us/adult/ or call 559-6580. 

“Peak Oil and The Impacts to Small Businesses” with Julian Darley of the Post Carbon Institute at 5:30 p.m. at The Prevention Institute, 221 Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $20-$22. To regiser, email info@sustainablebiz.org 

Introduction to Golf Learn pre-shot and full-swing fundamentals, and become familiar with terminology/equipment at 5:30 p.m. at Tilden Golf Course. Golf balls and loaner clubs are provided. Cost is $50-$56, but participants receive a range and class discount card. Registration required 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

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 

“Cycling and Car Camping in New Zealand and Tasmania” at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

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. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

Sing-A-Long Group from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave., Albany. 524-9122. 

Yarn Wranglers Come knit and crochet at 6:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8 

Mayoral Debate for South Berkeley Residents between Tom Bates and Shirley Dean at 7:30 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr Community Center Gym, 1730 Oregon St. Sponsored by The ROC Neighborhood and SBCPC. 

Sunsara Taylor on Bob Avakian’s book “Away With All Gods! Unchaining the Mind and Radically Changing the World” at 7 p.m. in Room 2060 in the Valley Life Sciences Building, UC campus. 384-1816. 

Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 10 a.m. to noon at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 594-5165. 

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. 548-9840. 

Theraputic Recreation at the Berkeley Warm Pool, Wed. at 3:30 p.m. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Warm Pool, 2245 Milvia St. Cost is $4-$5. Bring a towel. 632-9369. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Family Sing-Along for toddlers, pre-schoolers and their families at 4:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

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. 

Berkeley CopWatch Drop-in office hours from 6 to 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Stitch ‘n Bitch at 6:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

THURSDAY, OCT. 9 

El Cerrito Garden Club meets at 9:30 a.m. at El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane, El Cerrito. Ann Flinn from Bear Meadow Lavender will speak on everything about Grosso and Provence Lavender. Public welcome. $3. Free for members. 236-4421. www.elcerritogardenclub.org 

First 5 Alameda Community Meeting on services for local children at 6 p.m. at Beebe Memorial Cathedral, 3900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 875-2400. www.first5ecc.org 

Workshops for Healthcare Activists, and those who want to be, Single Payer Health Care/SB840 Kuehl at 7 p.m. at Hillside Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito between Portrero and Moeser Lane. 526-0972. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Kaiser Center Lobby, 300 Lakeside Dr., Oakland. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

Baby & Toddler Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

Yom Kippur Reflection and Discussion at noon at JGate, El Cerrito. RSVP to 559-8140. rabbibridget@jewishgateways.org 

Three Beats for Nothing South Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Thurs. at 10 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis at Ashby. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

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 

FRIDAY, OCT. 10 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Detectives Cesar Melero and Darren Raffery, Berkeley Police Dept. on “Protect Yourself from Identity Theft” 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 524-7468. www.citycommonsclub.org  

Volunteer in Berkeley Youth Alternatives Garden Tasks may include weeding, bed preparation, sowing, transplanting, and harvesting. Meet at 10 a.m. at Berkeley Youth Alternatives Garden, Bancroft Way, between Bonar and West. 647-0709. www.byaonline.org 

“Reunification: Building Permanent Peace in Korea” A conference from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UC Berkeley Alumni House, Bancroft Way and Dana. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Center for Korean Studies. 642-5674. www.kpolicy.org 

Conscientious Projector Film Series “Can the Presidential Election Be Stolen Again?” followed by discussion at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship, Cedar and Bonita. 495-5132. www.bfuu.org 

Womensong Circle An evening of participatory singing for women at 7:15 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, small assembly room, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Donation $15-$20. 525-7082. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Watergate Towers, Conf. Rm D, 2200 Powell St., Emeryville. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

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. 

Three Beats for Nothing Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Fri. at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, Hearst at MLK. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

SATURDAY, OCT. 11 

Indigenous Peoples Day with Powwow and Indian Market from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Civic Center Park. MLK at Center St. 595-5520. ipdpowwow.org 

Fall Fruit Tasting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center St. at MLK Jr Way. 548-3333. 

Habitat Hunters Using various scientific tools, find out what creatures live in which habitats, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park For ages 7 and up. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Path Wanderers: Old and New Emeryville Walk meet at 10 a.m. in front of Old City Hall at the intersection of Hollis and Park. 528-3246. www.berkeleypaths.org  

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of the northern boundary of Berkeley and Kensington, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. For reservations and starting point call 848-0181. 

Seed Saving Conference with speakers on the Ecology Center's Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL), dietary health issues, and GMOs, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Intertribal Friendship House, 523 International Blvd., Oakland 415-370-1657. mayalencanahuat@yahoo.com 

Berkeley Garden Club Plant Sale from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 131 Ashbury, El Cerrito. 524-7296. 

Herb Day Learn the history of the garden’s herb collection , including Chhinese medicinal herbs, from 10 a.m. to noon at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. A class on Chinese traditional medicine follows at 1 p.m. Registration required. Cost is $8-$20. 643-2755, ext. 03. 

“Healthy Air Walk” Fundraiser for the American Lung Association of California at 9 a.m. at the Bandstand near 666 Bellevue in Lakeside Park, Oakland. 893-5474. http://snipurl.com/HealthyAirWalk 

“Facing the Mountains: Breakthroughs to New Racial Landscapes” Workshops from noon to 6 p.m., presentations and public dialogue at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Sponsored by World Trust Educational Services. Cost is $25-$50. www.world-trust.org 

Bronze Casting Demonstrations at 9 and 10 p.m. at Berkeley Art Complex, 729 Heinz St. Tours of foundry at 7 p.m. 644-2735. www.artworksfoundry.com 

The East Bay Chapter of The Great War Society meets to discuss “Lawrence of Arabia- Myth & Reality” by Robert DeWard at 10:30 a.m. at Albany Veterans Hall, 1325 Portland Ave., Albany. 526-4423. 

“The New Arms Race” with Jacqueline Cabasso and Andrew Lichterman of the Western States Legal Foundation at 7 p.m. at Alameda Free Library, Conf. Room A, 1550 Oak St. at Lincoln, Alameda. Sponsored by the Alameda Public Affairs Forum. www.alamedapublicaffairsforum.org 

Free Culture Conference on open access to information, copyright law reform, and a culture free from censorship and control, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at International House, Piedmont Ave. at Bancroft. conference.freeculture.org 

Bicycle Safety Class from 2 to 5 p.m. at Crosstown Community Center, 1303 High St., Alameda. 548-7433. www.ebbc.org 

Berkeley Juggling and Unicycle Festival Sat. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at King Middle School, 1781 Rose St. Includes workshops and performances. For details see www.berkeleyjuggling.org/festival 

Yongmudo Championship, sponsored by the UC Martial Arts Program, beginning at 8 a.m. at the RSF, 2301 Bancroft Way. Cost is $3-$5. 642-3268. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Corpus Christi Church Gym, 322 St. James Dr., Piedmont. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, at 11 a.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Introduction to the Alexander Technique at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. RSVP to 528-3109. amira.alvarez@gmail.com 

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

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. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, OCT. 12 

Berkeley Juggling and Unicycle Festival from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at King Middle School, 1781 Rose St. Includes workshops and performances. For details see www.berkeleyjuggling.org/festival 

Raising Chickens Learn which breeds are best for your situation, how to deal with predators, whether your chickens can free-range, and other chicken/duck lore, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EcoHouse, 1305 Hopkins St., enter via garden entrance on Peralta. Cost is $15, no one turned away for lack of funds. 548-2220, ext. 242. ecohouse@ecologycenter.org 

Toddler Nature Walk for ages 2-3 and their care-givers, to discover spiders, rolly-pollies, fall colors and more, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Little Farm Open House Come grind some corn to feed the chickens, pet a bunny or groom a goat, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Little Farm at Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Cool Schools Global Warming Campaign for middle and high school students to learn how to take action against global warming in their schools and communities, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge. R SVP requested. 704-4030. caroline@earthteam.net, www.earthteam.net 

Least Tern Habitat Restoration Help prepare habitat for the California Least Tern nesting season with Friends of the Alameda Wildlife Refuge. Meet at 9 a.m. at the main refuge gate, northwest corner of former Alameda Naval Air Station. RSVP required. 522-0601. leoraalameda@att.net, www.ggnrabigyear.org 

Inroduction to Fly-Fishing Learn casting at Lake Anza followed by classroom instruction on knots, fly selection, reading the water, and more. From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Tilden Park. Cost is $60-$66. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

“Artists for Change” Garden Reception and Fundraiser for Barack Obama from 2 to 5 p.m. at 449 49th St. Cost is $25-$40. RSVP to 655-3841. 

All Italian Car and Motorcycle Show Benefit for Alameda Special Olympics, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lincoln Middle School, 1250 Fernside Blvd., Alameda. Cost is $5.  

Crabby Chefs Seafood Competition from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto, 1919 Fourth St. 845-7771. 

Jewish Coalition for Literacy Training for volunteer tutors from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 300 Grand, Oakland. Register at www.jclread.org 

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 Betsy Damon on “Inside Tibet” 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 4 to 8 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Fri. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Community Environmental Advisory Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., at 2118 Milvia St. Nabil Al-Hadithy, 981-7461.  

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5400.  

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7419. 

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6406.  

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., Oct. 6, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5510.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Mon. Oct. 6, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7410.  

City Council meets Tues., Oct. 7, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900.  

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., Oct. 8, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. 981-6740.