Changed designs for the new lab building to house the half-billion-dollar BP-funded Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) have forced Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to launch a new environmental impact review. 

EBI programs will focus on developing genetically modified organisms and plant crops to provide a new generation of transportation fuels, called biofuels by supporters and agrofuels by critics, who fear the program will led to further corporate colonization of the Third World. 

The Helios Building has been redesigned with a lower profile (from a four- and five-story original to the three- and four-floor revision), an extended footprint and a reduction in overall floor space from the original 160,000 square feet to 144,000. 

The proposed location has been shifted as well, from the original rectangular site directly facing the lab’s Molecular Foundry to a more serpentine footprint extended to the southeast and facing Building 62. 

Stephan Volker, who represented Friends of Strawberry Canyon in a lawsuit which had challenged both the earlier project’s EIR and the UC Board of Regents approval of the project, said Tuesday that the change of plans might be an improvement over the project he had challenged in court. 

Volker represented Save Strawberry Canyon, a non-profit organization whose membership includes Berkeley residents Sylvia McLaughlin, Lesley Emmington, Janice Thomas, Hank Gehman and former mayor Shirley Dean. 

While LBNL officials have denied that the lawsuit forced a change in plans, Volker said “We do believe the case forced the university to resubmit a design that addresses some of our concerns. 

Save Strawberry Canyon withdrew the lawsuit after the plans were withdrawn, “though we reserved the right to submit a motion for recovery of litigation costs,” he said. 

Volker said his clients fear that environmental devastation in the canyon will dramatically increase as the university and the federally backed lab look for room to expand. 

A public scoping session to gather concerns to be addressed in the new EIR will be conducted Jan. 7 between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

The notice is available at the LBNL website at http://www.lbl.gov/Community/Helios/documents/index.html

Planning commissioners will take up a proposal to end the ban on new fast food restaurants in downtown Berkeley, and the new downtown city councilmember wants them to hold off. 

The ban was implemented nine years ago by a City Council vote at the request of the late Councilmember Dona Spring, acting on behalf of restaurant owners. 

The moratorium was opposed by the Downtown Berkeley Association (DBA), which has asked for its revocation, but newly elected Councilmember Jesse Arreguin is asking the commission to delay action until he has more time to study the issue. 

Arreguin was elected to the council in November after Spring died from complications of rheumatoid arthritis. 

While he said he questions the moratorium in its present form, he wants the commission to delay - ending the moratorium until he has time to meet with both sides. 

He said that during the moratorium, the DBA had planned to conduct a study of the issue of keeping fast food places from proliferating on University Avenue, but the study had never been done. 

Restaurant owners had complained that take-out vendors were diverting customers from their sit-down venues and taking up precious parking spaces. 

Other issues: Ashes, ferry, transit corridor development and Helios  

Commissioners will also take up a new city ordinance that will allow churches to hold onto their members, even after they’re dead—or at least their ashes. 

The new regulation would grant religious assemblies the right to create columbaria—repositories for human ashes—so long as they are incidental to existing religious uses and not stand-alone entities. 

Commissioners will also discuss the new draft environmental impact report for the proposed San Francisco/East Bay ferry service. 

The draft EIR examines four sites, including two in the Berkeley Marina, one at the foot of Gilman Street in Berkeley and the last adjacent to Golden Gate Fields in Albany. 

Other discussions will focus on SB 375, a new state law that could intensify development on transit corridors in the city, and the notice from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of preparation of a new EIR for a redesigned Helios Building at the lab. 

The new design is for a lower-profile building that extends more to the southeast than the previous design, which had provoked a lawsuit. 

The agenda and accompany documents are available online at http://www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=30722 

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Berkeley’s biggest landlord is having trouble with one of his other businesses: the Tribune Company, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other media. 

Sam Zell, who engineered the takeover of the Tribune Company, also controls Equity Residential, which bought the Gaia Building and six other Berkeley apartment projects from developer Patrick Kennedy and U.C. Berkeley professor/developer David Teece. 

In a press release Wednesday, Zell blamed the bankruptcy on a “perfect storm—a precipitous decline in revenue and a tough economy coupled with a credit crisis that makes it extremely difficult to support our debt.”  

The housing firm is not affected by the newspaper company’s troubles. 

Both the real estate market and the newspaper business have fallen on hard times since the Chicago developer made his purchases, though he managed to leverage his media empire by financing on the backs of employees, who have subsequently been repeatedly downsized. 

Zell’s purchase of the Tribune Company also included Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs, but they are not part of the filing submitted Monday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. 

The Chapter 11 filing allows the company to remain in business while it undergoes restructuring. 

The filing lists $7.6 billion in assets and $13 billion in liabilities, with most of the latter generated by Zell’s takeover.  

Some of the debt holders are companies which themselves have been hard hit in the banking industry turmoil, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. 

The purchase was leveraged through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP, which left the plan holding the shares but Zell in control. 

Sometimes known as “the Gravedancer” for his history of buying up troubled companies and turning them around, Zell has been called the gravedigger by some Tribune Company employees. 

Zell leveraged his takeover of the company with a $225 million promissory note and $90 million in warrants that committed him to buying 40 percent of the company stock from the ESOP in the future. 

Creditors forced the bankruptcy filing by refusing to refinance existing loans, according to several media accounts. 

In a letter to L.A. Times readers Monday afternoon, publisher Eddy Hartenstein said, “The decision to restructure our debt was predicated by the dramatic and unexpected operating conditions we've encountered this year. We have experienced the perfect storm –– a precipitous decline in revenue and a tough economy has coupled with a credit crisis making it extremely difficult to support our debt. All of our major advertising categories have been dramatically impacted.”  

Massive downsizings have hit newspapers across the country, including the East Bay, where publisher Dean Singleton’s Bay Area News Group-East Bay has downsized repeatedly, leaving some of his smaller papers with a third of the editorial staff they had before the layoffs began. More layoffs are reportedly in the offing. 

In the years since 9/11, newspapers have witnessed declines in circulation and advertising, with readership and ad rates plummeting since the recession began last December. 

Journalists have created websites with names like “Newspaper Death Watch,” “Paper Cuts” and “Fading to Black” to chart the collapse of the industry. 

The decline in ad rates has also impacted the Internet, including the sites created by print media as refuges from their dwindling paper incarnation. 

The Berkeley High School Governance Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on the high school’s proposal to develop a new small school, establish advisory programs and change to block scheduling, after reviewing the plan at an all-day meeting. 

Prepared by the Berkeley High School Design Committee—comprised of Berkeley High School educators plus a parent and a student selected by principal Jim Slemp—after consultation with the non-profit firm Bay Area Coalition of Essential Schools with a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the redesign hopes primarily to to address thestudent achievement gap at Berkeley’s only public high school. 

However, the idea of block schedules has been criticized by some parents and at least one member of the Berkeley Board of Education, who said it would take away valuable instructional time from students. 

Those in support of it, however, claim that along with smaller learning communities and advisory programs, it will help to reduce the achievement gap. 

A block schedule would include red and gold alternating days, with student attending periods one through four on “red days” and periods five through eight on “gold days.” 

Classes would last 90 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 80 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday in order to be able to add a 30-minute "advisory period" to the student's schedule.  

The plan also includes four late start days per month, during which classes will be held for 65 minutes. Students will take six or seven classes plus a Student Support and Community Access Period (SSCA), coordinated by the student's advisor. 

Instructional minutes per class will be cut by 22 percent in order to make time for advisory, teacher preparation and SSCA periods. 

So far, two community forums have been held to inform parents about the proposal.  

At Tuesday’s meeting, the community will get a chance to make comments about the redesign from 8 to 8:30 a.m., following which the Berkeley High School Governance Council will meet to discuss it. 

Berkeley Board of Education President John Selawsky said it was likely that the proposal would not be coming before the school board until January. 

Tuesday’s meeting will be held in the Community Theater Lobby from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information call Richard Ng at 644-4803. 

Community members can send their input about the plan to Richard Ng at richard_ng@berkeley.k12.ca.us and Principal Jim Slemp at jim_slemp@berkeley.k12.ca.us, which will be forwarded to all BHS Governance Council members. 

To view a copy of the Berkeley High redesign plan visit www.bhsacademicchoice.com. 

To view earlier stories on this issue see: 

www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-07-24/article/30658?headline=Berkeley-High-Gets-Federal-Grant-To-Explore-Small-Schools-Expansion 

and 

www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-11-26/article/31679?headline=Mixed-Reactions-for-Berkeley-High-Development-Plan 

Berkeley Planning Commissioners struggled last Wednesday with the fate of West Berkeley in a session that raised more questions that answers. 

The City Council has tasked the nine-member body with working out new policies toward the only area of the city to provide a haven for both manufacturing and Berkeley’s dwindling population of artists and craft workers. 

Eager for businesses that will generate more jobs and tax revenues and told by UC Berkeley officials that high tech start-up companies may be forced to locate elsewhere if rules aren’t relaxed, city officials have faced resistance from those who feel most threatened. 

The irony is perhaps best captured in the conflict between the “Green Collar” jobs widely promoted in the city-commissioned study by UCSF urban studies Professor Raquel Pinderhughes and the pressure from campus and major landowners to ease the way for high tech companies. 

In a city which prides itself on greenness, exemplified by the jobs touted by Pinderhughes and the alliance of West Berkeley Artisans and Industrial Companies (WEBAIC), the city government is emerging as the champion of those equipped with another kind of green, the folding kind designed to fit into wallets. High tech green, the kind associated with costly labs that can cost $1,000 a square foot and more to build, is pitted against green-collar green, which uses much less expensive facilities. 

One example of green-collar green is Urban Ore, which has built a business on recycling castoffs from construction and upgrading programs, while Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is the ultimate high tech tenant in West Berkeley. 

High tech green often requires advanced degrees, while green collar jobs are geared toward those with less education, including men and women struggling to emerge from poverty. 

John Curl, Rick Auerbach and others from WEBAIC have argued for policies that respect the existing community of companies and workers who they say could be priced out of their last toehold in the city. 

Developers like Wareham Properties and Doug Herst, who owns the old Peerless Lighting plant property, are pushing for rules that will make it easier for them to build to suit the needs of agrofuel labs and high tech startups. 

High tech typically requires new construction, giving an immediate boost to municipal tax coffers in the form of permit fees and new taxes, while green tech jobs can often be housed in existing buildings that could continue under their existing tax-capped values, thanks to Proposition 13, which limits tax increases to two percent a year and only allows reassessment when buildings are sold or extensively remodeled. 

Looming over the whole issue is the threat of economic collapse, and the question of whether any rule changes would result in any new construction. 

Any changes would impact the existing West Berkeley Plan, but only one commissioner—former UC Berkeley development executive Dorothy Walker, sitting in the seat of Susan Wengraf, whom voters elevated to the City Council last month—proposed scrapping the current plan at the meeting. 

Walker also repeatedly resurrected a term which planning staff had dropped because of the concerns it had raised among the artists and green collar folks—“flexibility.” 

After Auerbach and others voiced their fears, Principal Planner Alex Amoroso changed the title of the staff effort from “West Berkeley Flexibility” to the more neutral “West Berkeley Project.” Amoroso also began the ongoing meetings with three groups of stakeholders:  

• Property owners, developers and large scale manufacturers; 

• Artisans, recyclers and small industries and manufacturers, and 

• A subcommittee of the city’s West Berkeley Project Area Committee. 

Child care 

Just how complex the issues before the commission have become was readily apparent at the commission meeting, when commissioners were able to make it through only three of the six topics Amoroso had raised for discussion, forcing delay of consideration of the others until January. 

First up was child care, and the questions of where and how it should be allowed in West Berkeley’s manufacturing (M) zone—and, if so, whether as a stand-alone business or only as an incidental use by an existing business. 

Commissioner Patti Dacey said she was concerned about impacts to the health of young children who might be exposed to dusts, plant emissions and exhaust fumes from the nearby freeway. 

“In Berkeley we talk about the precautionary principle,” she said. “Children are much more influenced by noise, and the closer to freeways they are, the greater their chances of getting asthma.” 

The exposure to employees' children to dust from a nearby cement plant, Amoroso acknowledged, had been the chief reason athletic snack-maker Clif-Bar had planned to move out of the city. 

Commissioner Gene Poschman said that because planning commissioners “know less about child care than anybody else,” he wanted to know about relevant state regulations, practices in other cities and about the actual demand for facilities in the area. 

“There are a huge number of questions,” he said.  

“It sounds to me that what you’re proposing is that as the level of use in the M zone increases, you increase the level of review,” said Chair James Samuels. 

“That’s essentially what we’re proposing,” Amoroso replied. 

“We don’t need to be experts about child care,” said commissioner Harry Pollack. “The state comes up with the regulations.” 

The real question for the commission, he said, was that if a company wants to provide in-house childcare, “do we want to allow it, and if we do, what are the standards of review.” 

“Incidental child care doesn’t have to be on-site,” said commissioner Larry Gurley. “Manufacturing companies could provide child care outside of the M district but within a short distance from work.” 

What about Bayer, the area’s largest employer? asked James Novosel. 

Darrell DeTienne, a consultant who often works with West Berkeley developers, said the firm planned to create a facility outside their plant but within the manufacturing and light industrial (MULI) district. 

To make child care profitable, he said, operators needed to be able to take in a mix of children, since caring only for infants was more expensive. 

So should companies be able to open their child care to children whose parents work at other companies, asked Gurley? 

“I can’t respond,” said Amoroso. 

“It’s in the city’s interest to have child care associated with employment as much as possible,” said Walker. “It’s a very worthy goal. The issue here, is do we trust the state standards?” If we do, she said, “then we should be as flexible as possible.” 

Dacey said she wanted both to see the state regulations and to hear from the city’s own health officer. 

Commissioner Roia Ferrazares said, “I am very dubious if it’s appropriate to have it even as ancillary use in the manufacturing district. We should not be in the business of putting children at risk.” 

Amoroso promised to come back both with the state regulations and with a report from the city’s health office. 

Other issues  

Next up was mini-storage, facilities that allow residents to stow their extra stuff in rented facilities to unclutter their dwelling spaces. 

The problem, Amoroso said, was that mini-storage units provide very little revenue to the city and few jobs while tying up valuable land that could be used for businesses that generate much higher revenue for the city and create more and better jobs. 

While some stakeholders wanted to eliminate them, other wanted merely to block creation of any more, and to mandate additional uses on the sites. 

“Our focus is on keeping them from expanding,” Amoroso said, adding that the business is “very profitable for the owners.” 

Walker said she preferred a policy that barred mini-storage unless it was part of a multi-story development, citing the UC Storage facility on Shattuck Avenue as an example. 

“I’m not sure it’s in the city’s interest to provide storage for Berkeley residents,” said Gurley, who said facilities were available nearby in other communities. 

“We can’t outright deny the use in the city,” Amoroso said. 

Don’t deny the use, suggested Poschman. Just don’t allow any more. 

Pollack suggested increasing fees to give owners an incentive to find other uses, and when the discussion ended, that was the policy Amoroso was left to explore. 

The last issue was quickly disposed of: so-called incidental retail. 

A manufacturer in the MULI zone can sell some of what they make on-site, but only if they do it from the day they open. Under current regulations, no change of use is allowed. 

Commissioners quickly agreed that existing businesses should be allowed to do the same, under same conditions that apply to new construction, limiting retail space to 10 percent of the building. 

The debate’s certain to continue, with some of the thorniest issues ahead. 

The city’s website on the project, which features a variety of reports and map on the issues facing the commission, is here: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=10764 

The Green Collar Jobs report is here: http://bss.sfsu.edu/raquelrp/documents/v13FullReport.pdf  

Nolo Press, which calls itself the nation’s oldest publisher of legal information, will remain at its current location in West Berkeley following a decision by the business’s landlord, the Genn family, not to sell the property. 

The Planet reported in August that Nolo, located at 950 Parker St., was looking at relocating from Berkeley to Oakland after the Genns decided to put the property on the market, following the death of their patriarch Tom Genn. 

Ralph “Jake” Warner, Nolo’s publisher and co-founder, told the Planet Thursday that the company will be signing a new lease with its landlord and staying on in the revamped clock factory it has called home for the last three decades. 

“We were looking for another building and found one in North Oakland and were getting ready to move in when everything came together magically,” Warner said, adding that a month after the story appeared in the Planet, the Genns decided not to sell. “We were delighted. The economic contraction was hitting and now we can hold on to the building. Moving 100 people would have caused a huge disruption.” 

Nolo, which started out of a small “hippie courtyard” on Sacramento Street in 1971, was formed by New York native Warner and family law attorney Charles Ed Sherman, after the two decided to do something to help ordinary citizenswho couldn’t afford to hire lawyers get easy access to legal information. 

After graduating from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law in 1966, Warner worked as a legal aid lawyer for three years. 

“During that time I realized that the vast majority of the middle class can’t pay legal fees but they need the information,” he said. “I wrote my first two Nolo books in the Berkeley Public Library, and Cody’s Books was the first bookstore to carry our books. So it means a lot for us to be able to remain in Berkeley.” 

In 1971, Sherman wrote “How To Do Your Own Divorce,” a 100-page self-help guide which drew the ire of many lawyers but led to record sales. 

The business moved to Parker and Ninth streets in 1978 and shared space with architects and artists, eventually taking over the entire warehouse. 

Nolo overcame a big challenge in 1999 when it emerged victorious after a two-year struggle against the Texas Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee -a committee of the Texas Supreme Court-which investigated the company, and other self help legal publishers, for allegedly practicing law without a license. 

The committee decided to drop the investigation after the Texas Legislature enacted HR 1507, which exempts websites and textbooks from such accusations, provided they state that their products are not substitutes for advice from lawyers. 

Over the years, Nolo, whose name is derived from the legal phrase nolo contendere, which stands for “it will not be disputed,” turned into a thriving enterprise with a loyal fan following who prefer the company’s do-it-yourself books, software, online legal forms and eProducts to paying exorbitant attorney’s fees when it comes to seeking help on divorces, bankruptcies and other legal issues. 

Today, despite its share of tough times due to the slowing economy, the company continues to thrive, reporting higher individual sales than last year. 

Books dealing with bankruptcy are practically flying off the shelf, Warner said, describing them as “recession proof,” and an overwhelming number of people are flocking to Nolo’s WillMaker software program. 

“Books on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies are very popular, as are those on foreclosures and credit reports,” he said. “I think the state of the economy has turned our WillMaker into a best-seller. People have suddenly realized that the meltdown in real estate and the stock market has thrown their wills out of whack. So they want to do a new one.” 

Nolo is currently having a massive sale at its store to celebrate its new lease. 

Reflecting on the precarious state of the publishing industry, Warner said that Nolo has not been as badly hit as some of the big publishing houses on the East Coast because of its readiness to accept the digital age as early as 1995, which allowed it to evolve from a traditional book publisher to one that had content readily available in print as well as online. 

“There’s a long-term trend in publishing-it’s not a growth business,” Warner said. “Many publishers waited way too long to move to the Internet. The average publishing company is facing a 30 to 40 percent drop in sales. People are buying more and more stuff on Amazon. Nolo is not a traditional publisher in that sense. We sold $3 million worth of books directly to customers on our website. Few publishers sell books on their website even today. We license our content to dozens of organizations such as General Electric and Chase. Even our books have discs in the back.” 

Nolo recorded a total of $5 million in online book sales alone this year, including those on amazon.com.  

The company is, however, holding off on plans to expand at the moment in the face of what Warner described as the “economic tsunami” and poor retail climate. 

Booksellers across the country, including Barnes & Noble and Borders, are cutting inventory and bracing for a weak Christmas shopping season. 

On Dec. 3 reports about the book industry’s cost cutting measures to trim expenses painted a grim scenario for the publishing industry, with Random House announcing a major reorganization to cut costs and Simon & Schuster laying off 35 people. 

“The advantage of being in California is that we were more involved in the digital movement from the first day,” Warner said. “Because of our proximity to Silicon Valley we could see that this was where the future lay. We realized the trend before the New York publishers did. Businesses can build up tradition but when the paradigm switches, that can hold you back.” 

For more information on Nolo visit: www.nolo.com 

Members of the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees have finally received a pay hike from the Berkeley Unified School District, but have yet to reach an agreement over their contract, union president Paula Phillips said Wednesday. 

More than 150 classified district employees, frustrated at the lack of progress in negotiations with the district, rallied at the district’s headquarters at the Maudelle Shirek Building (Old City Hall) in September, demanding a cost of living increase to keep up with rising food and housing prices. 

District officials defended the delay by pointing to the belated release of the state budget by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Phillips said that the district agreed to raise the union’s cost of living adjustment (COLA) by 1 percent, an amount which will kick in from Nov. 1. 

Classified employees, which do not include teachers, will receive a 4.32 % COLA for the 2007-08 school year and a 1% increase for the 2008-09 school year, union officials said. 

“We’ve reached an agreement on a cost of living adjustment for our members, whose wages have remained frozen since the 2006-07 school year,” Phillips said. “Our members voted overwhelmingly to accept the offer in October. Unfortunately, the district has chosen to hold up ratification of our contract .... As a result our members continue to work without a contract.” 

Berkeley Board of Education President John Selawsky said one area of contention remaining is how union members who were overpaid by mistake would repay the district. “We [the district and BCCE] have not come to an agreement over overpayment and repayment of errors,” he said. “That’s not necessarily a contractual issue.” 

Phillips said that the union had not signed off on the new contract because it did not agree with language about overpayment. 

“If the district overpays our member by $500 and our member only makes $500, it takes the whole check away from them,” she said. “The current language gives the district the right to take wages away from our members without notifying them, even though there is language in our contract which states that the district must notify employees before doing this. The problem is the district doesn’t notify employees all the time.” 

Phillips said the union had filed an unfair labor practice charge with the state against the district over this issue. Selawsky said that the current contractual provisions on overpayment were not much different from those in other school districts. 

Calls to Lisa Udell, the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources, for comment were not returned. 

“I spoke with one of our members today who unfortunately received an overpayment during the month of October,” Phillips said. “The district did not issue a pay warrant for this member nor did it notify him that he would not be receiving check in November. It is for this very reason that we want the language in our contract removed." 

Teacher contracts 

While Berkeley Unified has reached an agreement with International Union of Operating Engineers Local 39, the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers Local 21 and the Union of Berkeley Administrators over their contracts, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers is still waiting for the district to renew its contract. 

Dozens of teachers rallied outside their schools in October to demand that the district, among other things, adopt a revenue-sharing formula, which would ensure that when the district receives a revenue boost, teachers would be given their fair share.  

BFT president Cathy Campbell said Wednesday that the union was in negotiations with the district and it was likely that a contract would not be approved until February. 

The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai used to be a place filled with happy memories for Anil Thakkar and his family. Not anymore.  

The coordinated attacks on India’s commercial capital from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29, which left at least 174 people dead and more than 239 injured, took the life of a young woman whom the family knew, when she was shot three times inside the hotel by a terrorist.  

Thakkar, who owns the clothing boutique Sari Palace in West Berkeley, was born and raised in Mumbai, a city he left for the United States when he was 28 years old but where he still maintains close ties. 

Like thousands of Indian expatriates all over the United States, Thakkar and his family were shocked by the three-day carnage and its bloody aftermath, which threatened the safety of family, friends and ordinary citizens and took away innocent lives, including those of at least 18 foreigners. 

“We learned about it right away,” he said Tuesday, sitting inside his store on University and San Pablo avenues Tuesday morning. “We watch Indian TV channels all the time and we heard it on Aaj Tak at 10 a.m. last Wednesday. We couldn’t understand what was going on at first so we started calling everyone we knew.” 

Exactly three years ago, Thakkar said, his daughter was married amid much pomp and festivities at the Taj, and the guests at her wedding had been put up at the Oberoi Hotel, the second hotel seized by terrorists last week. 

“It’s a big shock to us,” he said. “I still have a lot of family in Mumbai. We always visit Café Leopold near the Taj when we go there. The hotel is a grand place, it’s my favorite place in the city. I guess they attacked Mumbai because, although it’s not the capital, it’s the main city in India ... Everything starts from Mumbai.” 

Thakkar said the woman who was killed after being shot in the neck and then in the head was related to his niece’s fiancé’s best friend. 

“She was a manager at the Taj spa, so she was there when the terrorists entered the hotel and started shooting people,” he said. “She was only 22 years old. It’s unbelievable, I can’t even bring myself to talk to her family on the phone.” 

For some Indian merchants on San Pablo Avenue, the attack, although shocking, was not much different from the dozens of terrorist attacks India has witnessed over the years. 

“It’s another one of those attacks which shouldn’t have happened,” said Maulin Chokshi of Bombay Jewelry Company on University Avenue, whose mother was visiting Mumbai when the attacks happened, but is safe. “It’s pretty sad. Innocent people are the ones that end up dying. That fact that it was an ongoing thing was scary because no one knew what was going to happen next. The terrorists got what they wanted, that is, to create a big headline. The more you see it, the more you feel scared. Right now, if you are going to be a tourist in Mumbai, you will think twice. That basically stops the commerce ... It’s a new form of war, one where you don’t need tanks, just a person.” 

Although many have called the Mumbai attacks India’s 9/11, Chokshi said that the series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on July 11, 2006, in the city’s suburban railway network, killing at least 200 people and injuring 700, was larger in scale. 

“The difference is that this time they targeted upscale locations, such as hotels, and the attacks lasted for three days,” he said. “The train bombing was instantaneous death, but in this you saw your death coming. They were doing it to terrorize people. Also, this was aimed at tourists and the tourists that died happened to be foreigners. So a lot more people became aware of the attacks.” 

Both Chokshi and his cousin Nirav Shah—a native of Mumbai—believe that Mumbai will immediately bounce back to being the bustling vibrant city it is famous as. 

“If you live in Mumbai, you see something like this a lot,” Shah said. “Shootings, riots, murders—the citizens are immune to it. Mumbai is a target because it is large. If you want to kill 1,000 people you can do it easily. People are shocked for a couple of days, but then they get back to work” 

Thakkar echoed their thoughts. 

“It’s going to go back to being normal,” he said. “I am supposed to be in Mumbai on Dec. 18, and if Café Leopold is open I will go there. I am not frightened.” 

All three men said that the Indian government needs to beef up counterterrorism intelligence and national security. 

“Any rumor they get, they should act on securing areas that are threatened,” said Chokshi. “They need to increase security threefold, if not tenfold. The policymakers are to blame. They have the power to do something but don’t.” 

At UC Berkeley, Indus, the largest South Asian organization on campus, is hosting a week of remembrance for the victims of the terror attacks by selling orange ribbons on Sproul Plaza, holding a candlelight vigil, and organizing a panel discussion titled “The Mumbai Tragedy and Implications for International Security” on Thursday. 

“A lot of students are definitely interested in the politics behind the attack,” said Darshan Prasad, a member of Indus and a UC Berkeley sophomore who was selling ribbons in Lower Sproul Tuesday. “They want to know why Mumbai, why those hotels—the reason we are selling the ribbons is because orange is one of the Indian national colors, and we want more and more students wearing them to raise awareness about the situation.” 

At the next table, the Chabad Jewish Student Center at UC Berkeley was carrying out a campaign in memory of the six victims who died when terrorists attacked the Jewish outreach center Nariman House in Mumbai last week, including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, 29 and his wife, Rivkah, 28, who had held dual American and Israeli citizenship and had served as emissaries in India for the past five years. 

“The traditional Jewish reaction to violence is to bring in goodness into the world,” said Bracha Leeds, who said she was part of the Hasidic Chabad-Lubavitch movement that had sent the Holtzbergs to Mumbai. “Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife gave up the comforts of the western world to go live there to help businessmen, backpackers—almost anyone in need of a hot kosher meal—and that’s what all chabad members do.” 

Leeds’ husband, Rabbi Gil Leeds, said that he had been asked to pray for the Holtzbergs late last Tuesday night after Rabbi Holtzberg called the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn, New York and alerted them about his situation. 

“His last words were ‘the situation does not look good,’ and then the line was cut,” he said. “Next morning there was the miraculous rescue of their son Moshe by his nanny, who heard him crying and risked her own life by hiding in a closet from the terrorists. It’s frightening, we have a child the same age.” 

Rabbi Leeds said that Moshe and his nanny Sandra Samuel were both in Israel now and that the chabad on campus was raising money to start a fund to help the Holtzberg’s orphaned two-year-old and rebuild the Nariman House, which is in ruins after the attack. 

“It’s important that we commemorate this tragedy by emulating the example of the couple who brought light and goodness to every corner of this world,” he said. “We obviously feel the tragic loss but also look to the future.” 

Indus, along with the Jewish Students Union, will host a panel discussion on the Mumbai attacks on Thursday, 6:30 p.m., on campus, consisting of UC Berkeley professors Darren Zook, Ron Hassner, and Vasudha Dalmia and the Indian Consul on Political Affairs Soumen Bagchi and Israeli Consul Ismail Khaldi. For more information visit www.ucberkeleyindus.com 

The Chabad on campus will hold a service for the Holtzbergs at the Chabad House, 2715 Channing Way on Friday. For more information visit www.fridaylight.org or www.mitzvotformumbai.org.

MUMBAI, India — It’s been a long day at work and you just need to unwind by having a couple of beers with your friend from college who is in town. He wants to go to Leopold’s, the popular pub at Colaba. You think about the beef chili out there for a moment, then refuse to yield to temptation. For some reason you don’t want to travel today. You meet him at a sports bar close to the office and have a great time talking about old times and catching up with each other’s lives.  

Your friend is in a touristy mood and wants to go to Marine Drive after you are done with the drinks. You turn down the offer again. Somehow, you are feeling too lethargic for words tonight. You decide to take a cab back home, even though a train would have been much faster and much more economical.  

The roads are surprisingly empty at that point of time. It’s just 10 p.m., and usually Mumbai traffic is at its peak at this time. You don’t give it another thought. You will get to reach home in 30 minutes today instead of the usual one and a half hours it takes. A friend calls up from Bangalore to inform me that there have apparently been shootouts at Leo’s. A gang war or something, he says. You tell him how you would have been there at this time but decided not to go. Another call from Delhi comes just as you are about to reach home. There’s been a bomb blast at Ville Parle. A cab was blown up at a traffic junction. Alarm bells start ringing in your mind. You were in that very spot just 15 minutes ago.  

Phone calls start coming in from friends and family members all over the country to find out if you are safe. There’s been multiple terrorist attacks at various places all over the city. Apart from Leopold’s Cafe, they have struck at the Victoria Terminus Railway Station, the Taj Hotel, the Hilton, some of the most prominent locations in Mumbai. You feel a shiver run down your back. Another close shave you have had tonight—Marine Drive is a stone’s throw away from these locations. It’s daytime in America and as the news reaches foreign shores, you start getting calls from Chicago, Boston, Seattle where your friends are based. It’s late in the night, but you can’t sleep due to the inherent tension in the air.  

The following morning you decide not to go to the office. Admit it or not, you are scared to go out, scared that you might be the next victim of a bullet or a bomb blast. News has come in that some terrorists have stolen a police vehicle and are apparently on the loose in the city, gunning down anyone in their way. The death count has crossed a hundred and several hundreds have been injured. The terrorists have taken hostages at the Taj and the Hilton. They are singling out foreigners, mainly Americans and Britons. There’s a hostage situation at another relatively obscure building called Nariman House, which houses members of an Israeli sect.  

The audacity of the attack leaves you puzzled and confused. This time, it’s not the common man on the streets who has been singled out for embracing the jaws of death. This time it’s the rich, the foreign tourist, the head honchos of multinational companies staying at the poshest hotels in town. The message is loud and clear. No one is safe anymore. The pictures of two terrorists taken by a security camera at the station further shock you. These are young men, barely in their 20s, clad in T-shirts, jeans and sneakers. Except for the automatic weapons in their hands, they could easily be mistaken for college students. 

More than 30 hours pass since the siege—the terrorists still manage to hold the entire city to ransom. The streets are deserted, you hardly find any vehicles on the roads, the trains ply with a handful of passengers. There is a fear psychosis all around. You never know where and when they will target next. The only place you feel relatively safe is in the confines of your house. There are reports of fresh attacks in various parts of the city. These eventually turn out to be rumors, but by now you don’t know what to believe and what to ignore.  

News that the terrorists came in from across the border and that the government ignored intelligence reports about a possible strike has not been taken lightly by the people. The citizens are teeming with anger. They don’t want to follow Gandhian principles any more, they have had enough. You pray that a communal riot does not break out in the city as it did after the ’93 bomb blasts that ripped the city apart. 

Another agonizingly painful day goes by; the terrorists still hold out against the elite commandos who have been brought in to handle the situation. Finally, as you watch pictures on TV of the heritage wing of the Taj Hotel up in flames, the beautiful architecture raped by the assault of grenades and bullets, you hear that the Taj has finally been secured. You heave a sigh of relief, but then you hear reports that a few terrorists have managed to slip out of the hotel by pretending to be hostages.  

You know the situation is better for the time being, but the hard fact remains that the city is still as unsafe as ever. It’s a cat-and-mouse game you will be playing with death each time you step out of the house. The vehicle you travel in might be blown up any moment; there might be a bomb explosion or firing in the market, the mall, the hospital, any place you might be in at that point of time. 

At one point in time, you would have declared without doubt that Mumbai was one of the safest places in the world. Now you know you can’t say that. May the Mumbai I once knew rest in peace. Amen.  

Sritanu Chakrabarti is a banker by profession. He lives in Mumbai. In his free time he likes to blog about nothing in particular and everything in general.

Despite the bleak economic scenario, Berkeley’s winter homeless shelters have reopened for the winter, with a couple of them reporting a slight boost in funding and one witnessing record turnouts. 

The city has typically offered at least four different kinds of shelter services to the homeless every winter, including the Winter Shelter program at the Oakland Army Base, the Winter Voucher program, the Emergency Storm Shelter program managed by Dorothy Day House and the Youth Emergency Assistance Hostel (YEAH!) at the Lutheran Church of the Cross on University Avenue, which caters to young adults. 

According to a 2003 survey of Alameda County’s homeless population, conducted by the Alameda County Continuum of Care Council, approximately 835 people are homeless on any given night in Berkeley, including 785 adults and 50 children. 

A report submitted by Jane Micallef, acting director of the city’s housing department, states that the city has 150 beds located across four emergency shelters that operate throughout the year, although the demand for these beds—particularly during winter—consistently exceeds the number of beds available. 

Micallef said that the Winter Shelter and the Winter Voucher programs fill a critical gap in emergency housing, providing shelter to many of the “most fragile” of the local homeless crowd, especially when people struggle to find shelter from the cold winds or storms. 

A collaborative effort among the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, Alameda County and East Bay service providers, the Winter Shelter operates a 100-bed emergency winter shelter out of the former Oakland Army Base on a bud-get of $400,000, of which 29 percent comes from the City of Berkeley. 

Fifty of the 100 beds are set aside for Berkeley’s homeless.  

The Berkeley City Council recently approved an additional $5,000 in funds in October for the program to meet increasing facility costs, which raises Berkeley’s total contribution to $61,000. 

YEAH! was another organization that received a slight increase in funding this year, Micallef said, which is separate from the $100,000 grant it received in October to start daytime youth services as part of the city’s Public Commons for Everyone initiative. 

According to DeLyanda DeLeon, assistant director at YEAH!, the youth hostel had to turn away 15 people when it opened on Nov. 24 and already has large lines waiting to sign up for a spot almost an hour before it opens every day. 

“In the past seven to 10 boys and girls would show up,” she said. “We expected more this year because of the economy. Also, funding has gone down in a lot of shelters and they are sending over their overflow to us.” 

Julie Sinai, chief of staff to Mayor Tom Bates, said that she was not expecting any cuts to homeless winter services in the city’s upcoming revenue and budget report due to be presented to the City Council by City Manager Phil Kamlarz on Monday. 

Sinai said that although the city’s health department had received a setback when it lost over $1 million because of the recent state budget cuts, the mayor was committed to maintain the city’s shelters. 

The Winter Shelter, which opened on Nov. 26 and will run through April 15, 2009, has been running for over five years now, Micallef said. 

“It’s very difficult to find a building to accommodate 100 beds for a particular time of the year,” she said. “We are lucky to have access to a property like that. Last week more than half the beds were full but we expect the numbers to ramp up a bit as soon as the wet weather starts.” 

Micallef said that when the army base was under repair, the program had been hosted out of different churches and recreational sites but had never undergone any interruption in its services. 

Run on a budget of $35,000, the city’s winter vouchers program primarily helps homeless families and disabled people with a medical condition by providing them with a room at local motels or the Berkeley YMCA for a short period of time. 

Candidates who apply for the vouchers are referred to the city by the Berkeley Food and Housing Project, which runs the Men’s Shelter at the Veteran’s Building and the Women’s Resource Center on Dwight Way. 

“We set them up at one of the motels and pay the bill for a maximum of two weeks,” Micallef said, adding that the program has not had any takers so far this year. “The rooms can cost anything from $60 to $70 a night and if the family stays for a full week then the motel will give us a good deal. So we end up paying around $400 for a family for a week. However, it’s not a program which is widely available. It’s a very limited resource and meant only for people who are seriously in need.” 

Well into its sixth year now, the 50-bed Emergency Storm Shelter at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Bancroft Way officially opened Monday and will stay open for a total of 35 days over the next four months, since a tight budget only permits it to open on the days the East Bay weather is at its worst. 

The city pays Dorothy Day House a total of $68,000 to run the shelter and the weekday breakfasts at the Trinity Church next door. 

“We are a foul weather shelter,” said J.C. Orton, shelter director. “When we open we anticipate rain or extreme weather that evening. We always end up getting more than we have room for. I know we will have more people this year than we had last year, because the weather is going to be really bad this year.” 

Orton checks the Weather Channel and several Internet sites daily to determine whether to open the shelter. He then notifies the city’s homeless service providers, the Berkeley Police Department, Herrick Hospital and other agencies that spread the information through word of mouth. 

Orton, who also works at a soup kitchen and a food pantry, will be handing out sleeping bags to the shelter’s clients for the first time this year so that they have something to keep warm in when the shelter remains closed. 

“Shelters are not the answer,” he said. “Permanent housing is. It’s not a matter of dollars but a matter of attitude. People need to take moral responsibility. Until then, there will be shelters.” 

To find out whether the Emergency Storm Shelter is open, contact Orton at 684-1892. For more information on the city’s winter shelter services contact Jane Micallef at 981-5426

The latest chapter in one of Berkeley’s more hotly contested buildings will unfold on the courthouse steps in Oakland at high noon on Dec. 16. 

That’s when the condo building at 2700 San Pablo Ave. will be sold at auction to pay for the $10.8 million incurred by its owner, Carleton Place, LLC, in May 2006. 

Developer Charmaine Curtis told a writer for Apartment Finance Today magazine in April that the total cost of the project had been $14 million. 

The five-story building, erected after five years of legal battles and without ever having hosted a single tenant other than the occasional presence of real estate brokers and would-be buyers, has become the latest casualty of the real estate meltdown. 

The building was the city’s first major condo project in recent years, though its scale is dwarfed by the Berkeley Arpeggio, the nine-and-a-half-story building now rising on Center Street in downtown Berkeley. 

The project went through three hands and a change of name between the initial plans and today’s nearly finished but empty edifice, beginning as a project of Patrick Kennedy. 

There was controversy from the start when plans were first floated in 1998, and by the time of a heated Zoning Adjustments Board meeting on June 8, 2000, Patrick Kennedy—Berkeley’s most controversial developer—was angry enough to blast project critics as “citizen vigilantes.” 

Neighbors hated the building in June at five stories. They still loathed it at four stories when Kennedy brought in back to ZAB in November, and seven board members voted against it, while two others abstained. 

The original 63 apartments of housing were scaled down to 48, but Kennedy’s project manager, Chris Hudson, initially refused to scale the structure down even more. ZAB shot it down once more as too dense for the adjacent residential neighborhood. It was down to 35 units when Kennedy won approval to build it at 35 units and four floors in July 2002. 

At the time, the project was dubbed Jubilee Courtyard Apartments. 

It was 13 months later when Kennedy threw in the towel. His minority partner, Rev. Gordon Choyce, was unable to buy out Kennedy’s 73 percent majority stake, so the lot went on the market, along with the accompanying city approvals. 

Chris Hudson told this paper at the time that Panoramic Interests was giving up on the project because of the long, contentious history of neighborhood opposition and because the developer wanted to focus on bigger projects. 

Brokers Norheim and Yost eventually sold the property to Curtis + Partners, LLC, of San Francisco. The new firm was headed by Charmaine Curtis, the former president of major San Francisco developer AF Evans, who had branched out on her own earlier in the year. 

Avenue West, as the building was then known, would be her first independent project. 

Instead of apartments, Curtis proposed condos and offered plans that boosted the height to five floors by converting most of the street-level units into live-work spaces with lofts. ZAB approved her initial plans on Dec. 9, 2004, this time with two opposing votes. 

Curtis created a limited liability corporation—an LLC—for the property three months later, a technique increasingly favored by developers since it both limits losses to the project costs and provides an attractive way to sell a building without the buyer incurring a property tax reassessment. 

The designs went through more changes, with one first-floor living unit transformed into a solely commercial condo, and a final design that opted for cheaper concrete construction rather than the steel and glass of the Kennedy/Choyce era, a cost-cutting move that neighbors said detracted from the project’s esthetic impact. 

The last stage before construction was demolition of an old gas station building that once occupied the site. 

When the building was finally completed early this year, Mayor Tom Bates and City Councilmember Darryl Moore were on hand, with Bates praising the building as one of the first projects that would “help transform San Pablo Avenue,” according to the account in the Oakland Globe. 

Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz said Wednesday that he hadn’t been aware of the foreclosure auction. City economic development director Michael Caplan did not return calls.  

The Curtis + Partners phone number is no longer listed to the company.  

The auction will be conducted Dec. 16, at the Fallon Street entrance to the Alameda County Courthouse at 1225 Fallon St. in downtown Oakland. 

Plans for an earlier auction in September were canceled after the mortgage was transferred to a new owner, said Alan Scott Koenig, who had been the trustee for the earlier sale.

With the Berkeley City Council scheduled to look at two cell phone antenna facility applications over the next two weeks, the significance of the Berkeley Planning Commission’s failure to agree on changes to the city’s Wireless Telecommunication Facilities Ordinance may become clear. 

Acting City Attorney Zach Cowan advised councilmembers at the council’s Nov. 18 meeting that unlike some of the city’s other permit procedures, Berkeley’s telecommunications ordinance requires the council to consider an application based on the text of the ordinance “at the time of final approval,” not on the basis of the ordinance text which was in effect when the application was filed. 

Berkeley is considering changes to its Wireless Telecommunications ordinance in line with recent court decisions affecting the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, an act which governs how much leeway local governments have in regulating wireless telecommunications facilities. If the city’s Planning Commission had approved any ordinance amendments at its Nov. 19 meeting, the City Council would have had just enough time to pass those amendments in January to make them applicable to the Verizon and T-Mobile appeal cases when they were finally decided at the council level. 

While the Planning Commission did not approve the staff’s recommended changes, Cowan told councilmembers a day earlier that in his opinion council passage of the proposed changes would not have made any difference in the two pending appeals. 

Most of the staff-proposed ordinance changes would have had no effect on the T-Mobile and Verizon appeals even if the ordinance had been passed in time, including provisions that required yearly written certification by wireless carriers that the facility is being operated “in accordance with the approved local and federal permits” and the striking of a provision that prevented violation of the ordinance to be charged as a misdemeanor or an infraction. 

But one proposed addition to the city’s telecommunication ordinance would have required a finding by the city that any proposed new wireless antenna facility be “necessary to prevent or fill a significant gap in coverage or capacity shortfall in the applicant’s service area, and is the least intrusive means of doing so.” 

The “least intrusive” portion of the proposed new ordinance would have given the city power to reject a wireless antenna facility application if the wireless carrier had a “less intrusive” alternative to provide the same cellular coverage in the area covered by the application. 

While it would appear on the surface that this new regulation would give Berkeley greater leeway in rejecting particular locations for wireless antenna installations, Cowan told councilmembers at the Nov. 18 meeting that he saw no provisions in the proposed wireless ordinance changes that would have had any effect on the pending T-Mobile and Verizon applications. 

Cowan was also of the opinion that a recent United States Court of Appeals ruling in a San Diego case does not significantly increase the powers of local governments over approval of wireless antenna facilities beyond those powers which the governments originally had in the federal Telecommunications Act. 

In 2003, a federal judge prevented the San Diego County from enforcing its recently-enacted Wireless Telecommunication Ordinance, a decision that was later upheld by a three-judge appeals panel. Those decisions were based upon a court interpretation of the federal Telecommunications Act that local governments could not enact ordinances that “might possibly” serve to prevent wireless communications facilities from being built in their jurisdictions.  

But in September of this year, an 11-judge appeals panel overruled those decisions, enacting a stricter standard that said that telecommunications companies must prove that a local ordinance has actually served to effectively prevent wireless communications facilities from being built, not that such an ordinance “might possibly” have that effect. 

The Sprint v. County of San Diego Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal decision has had the practical effect of giving some local governments the feeling they have more leeway in enacting ordinances that govern the building of wireless communications facilities. 

The court decision did not, however, specifically lift restrictions in the federal law on areas of wireless communications facilities that local governments may consider while considering permit applications, such as health concerns. 

At its Nov. 18 meeting, the council deferred action on an appeal from Zoning Adjustments Board approval of an eight-antenna T-Mobile Wireless facility at 1725 University Ave., and set a Dec. 16 hearing on an appeal from ZAB approval of a 10-antenna Verizon Wireless facility at 1540 Shattuck Ave. 

The council will consider the University Avenue appeal again at its Dec. 8 regular meeting. If it fails to take action on a hearing at three consecutive meetings (Dec. 8 being the second), the ZAB approval of the T-Mobile application will automatically go into effect. 

Meanwhile, in its decision to pass consideration of the proposed telecommunications ordinance up to the City Council, members of the Planning Commission said only that they were doing so to meet a deadline imposed by a settlement agreement in a lawsuit between Verizon and the City of Berkeley.  

Planning Commissioners said that they want the telecommunications ordinance issue to come back to them after the first of the year in order to consider more extensive changes in the law than were proposed by staff.

The battle over the legal settlement that ended the city’s lawsuit against UC Berkeley’s plans for massive growth off-campus is headed for a higher venue. 

After defeats in trial court and before the state Court of Appeals’ First District, plaintiffs in the suit against both town and gown filed an appeal Thursday with the California Supreme Court. 

The action, brought by Daily Planet Arts and Calendar editor Anne Wagley and neighborhood activists Carl Friberg, Jim Sharp and Dean Metzger, seeks to void the agreement signed in secret by the City Council and university officials that ended the city’s February 2005 lawsuit, which had challenged the university’s Long Range Development Plan 2020 (LRDP). 

In exchange for dropping the action, the city agreed to pay the city $1.2 million throughout the life of the plan and to help fund a new downtown plan that would accommodate the university’s proposed 800,000 square feet of new construction in the city center. 

Stephan Volker, who has represented the plaintiffs at each level of litigation, is handling the appeal as well, while San Francisco attorney Charles Olson, who represented the university in the legal battle over Memorial Stadium and the now-vanished grove, has represented the university in this case too. 

Asked his opinion of the appeal, Berkeley’s acting City Attorney Zach Cowan said Wednesday that while he hadn’t received notice of the suit, “I don’t think the merits have changed” since the state Court of Appeals rejected the appeal in an unpublished decision filed Oct. 21. 

One of the issues in dispute is whether or not the city has the right to grant the university veto power over the new Downtown Area Plan, which Volker contends is a promise by the city to violate the California Environmental Quality Act. 

The appellate court ruled that the settlement agreement did not give the university veto power because the city could prepare its own plan if the university rejected the jointly prepared version. In his appeal of the appellate court ruling, Volker contends that the unanimous opinion drafted by Associate Justice Maria P. Rivera should be reversed “to protect the rights of citizens seeking to challenge present, illegal contractual commitments” before they can be implemented at a later date. 

The city had initially filed the LRDP lawsuit challenging the actions of the UC Board of Regents in approving both the plan and the accompanying Environmental Impact Report. 

The city filed a second action that challenged the so-called Southeast Campus Integrated Projects, which included the stadium and other buildings projects, among them a nearby underground parking garage and a large new building joining functions of the law and business schools. 

The city dropped out of that case after a loss at the trial court level. That decision too is being appealed. 

Meanwhile, the Berkeley Planning Commission is preparing its own version of the Downtown Area Plan. It is significantly rewriting the portion of the plan prepared by a citizen panel appointed by the City Council and augmented by three planning commissioners. 

Both the original plan and the rewrite will go to the City Council, which will adopt a final version by May 25 or risk the loss of $15,000 a month in promised university funding for every month of delay.

The Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission will review a nomination Thursday to place the Donald and Helen Olsen House in Berkeley on the National Register of Historic Places and will prepare a report on whether or not the property meets the standards of the list. 

The application, submitted by UC Berkeley architecture students Kate Lyndon, Jaclyn Dab, Tiffany Monk and Bruce Judd, principal at the San Francisco-based architecture firm Architecture Resources Group, will be taken up by the State Historical Resources Commission on Jan. 27, 2009. 

Designed by Donald Olsen in 1954, the building is a single-family residence in the Modernist style, which epitomizes the international style made popular in Europe by architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier and according to the applicants, “displays the geometries, ethos, strict formalism and rigor that embody the utopian style.” 

The nomination states that the building’s smooth facades, flat roof, boxy volume, cantilevered form, extensive fenestration and lack of ornamentation is reflective of the Miesian ideals reminiscent of the international style of Modernism. 

Straddling a wedge-shaped lot at 771 San Diego Road, the house is bounded by a creek to the north and a sloped hill to the east. Its main floor is raised over the ground level and was originally built to provide the residents with breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, now obscured by trees. 

The applicants claim in the nomination that because of its style ethos, setting and materials, the Donald and Helen Olsen House should be considered one of the several architecturally significant Modernist houses in Berkeley today, which stands out because of its Miesian ideals.

Berkeley resident Arlene Blum, founder of the Green Science Policy Institute and leader of the first American expedition, comprised entirely of women, to climb Annapurna, will receive $100,000 for her work mobilizing scientists, government, industry and consumers to protect health by reducing toxins in our homes and the environment, as one of the 15 winners of the 2008 Purpose Prize, according to Civic Ventures, which awards the prize. 

The Purpose Prize, a three-year, $9 million program for people over 60 who are taking on society’s biggest challenges, is the nation’s only large-scale investment in social innovators in the second half of life. The Prize consists of six $100,000 awards and nine $10,000 awards. 

The Green Science Policy Institute provides unbiased scientific research information to government, industry and non-governmental organizations to facilitate informed decision-making about chemicals, and works on global scientifically sound chemical policy.  

“Most people have the impression that all the chemicals in commerce today have been fully tested for their health and environmental effects. This is not true,” said Blum in a statement. “Under the current regulatory system, the risks of many hazardous chemicals are minimized or ignored.” 

Purpose Prize winners are chosen from more than 1,000 nominees for their creative and effective work tackling problems ranging from poverty to pollution, recidivism to racial reconciliation, health care to homelessness.  

Over the past two years, Blum has led a science-based campaign that defeated five international standards that could have resulted in the unnecessary use of over a billion pounds of potentially toxic fire retardant chemicals in electronics each year, and contributed to a proposed federal furniture standard that addresses fire safety without the use of toxic chemicals in foam. In addition, she is working on an international level to develop cooperative toxic chemical reform strategies and has presented lectures and attended meetings in Beijing, Tokyo, and Brussels as well as in the United States and Canada.  

Summaries of all winners, as well as videos and photographs, are online at www.purposeprize.org.

Golden Gate Fields will be up for sale under terms of a corporate reorganization announced last week by corporate owner Magna Entertainment (stock symbol MECA). 

While the restructuring doesn’t necessarily mean the track will be sold, MECA agreed to put all its assets on the table as the first stage of restructuring. 

Golden Gate Fields executive Robert Hartman could not be reached for comment on the track’s future. 

Bay Meadows in San Mateo, the region’s other major horse racing venue, closed in August, resulting in an expansion of the racing season at the Albany track, with the remaining dates assigned to the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. 

Magna Entertainment lost $116.1 million between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, and had been forced to seek costly short-term financing to stay afloat. Earlier this month the company announced the hiring of a law firm specializing in bankruptcy and reorganization. 

If all the proposed financial transactions announced Wednesday are carried out, company founder Frank Stronach, a Canadian car parts magnate, will wind up owning all the shares. 

Originally created as part of Magna International, Stro-nach’s parts firm, the race tracks and associated ventures were spun off into a separate firm, MI Developments (MID), with Magna Entertainment as a subsidiary. 

According to the company’s announcement Monday morning, once the proposed transactions are completed, “MECA will ultimately be controlled directly by the Stronach Group, MID will no longer have any ownership interest in MECA and MID will be prohibited from” further investments in the company with approval the MID minority shareholders. 

MID agreed to provide interim financing, and MECA agreed “to use commercially reasonable efforts to sell or enter into joint ventures in respect of its assets, including its core racetrack assets,” according to the corporate announcement. 

In addition to Golden Gate Fields, the company owns Santa Anita Park in Southern California, Laurel Park and Pimlico in Maryland, Portland Meadows in Oregon, Lone Star Park in Texas, Remington Park in Oklahoma, The Meadows in Pennsylvania, Gulfstream Park in Florida and the Magna Racino in Stronach’s native Austria. 

Other interests include an off-track betting system and major interests in a television distribution system, a horse racing network and AmTote International, which provides number-crunching services for tracks. 

Some of the interim financing would allow the Magna Entertainment to install video lottery terminals—a species of slot machine—at the company’s Laurel Park track in Maryland, the result of a statewide initiative held during the Nov. 4 election. 

Upon completion of the transfer, MECA would remain a horse racing company, stripped of its assets and wholly controlled by Stronach. 

The company estimated the total value of its assets last week at between $100 million and $120 million. MECA shares shot up after the announcement broke on Nov. 26, starting the day at $1.49 and closing at $2.02. Shares closed Wednesday (a week after the announcement) at $1.25. 

The car parts parent company had been reporting steady growth in income until caught by the impact of the current recession. Magna International announced Wednesday morning that it was closing two of its parts plants and laying off 850 workers

Looney’s burglary 

A burglar was spotted breaking into Looney’s Smokehouse on Bancroft Way on the evening of Nov. 27. Shortly before 8 p.m., a passerby spotted a man in a dark hooded sweatshirt, baggy black pants and sneakers climbing through one of the restaurant’s windows.  

The witness flagged down a passing officer, who was conducting a traffic stop. By the time the officer reached Looney’s, the suspect had left with an unspecified amount of cash.  

Thanksgiving Day vandals 

Four cars had one or more tires deflated by vandals on Nov. 27. Four different residents in the area of Blake and Ellsworth streets notified police of the incidents on Thanksgiving Day. In every case, the tire caps had been removed.  

Police suspect the incident is a Thanksgiving prank by youths home for the holiday. “That sounds more like kids than anything else,” said Officer Andrew Frankel, a department spokesman.  

Purse stolen 

A woman’s purse was stolen from outside her Regal Road house on the afternoon of Nov. 27. Around 3:30 p.m., a woman left her purse on top of an adjacent wall while unloading her car. She returned from the house a short while later and noticed her purse was missing.  

Police advise residents to keep a close eye on their valuables and belongings to combat such “crimes of opportunity.”  

“You would be surprised at how many crimes would be deterred if people locked their doors and secured their effects,” said Frankel.  

Glued locks 

Four Telegraph Avenue businesses reported their locks had been filled with glue on Nov. 28, mirroring a string of incidents on San Pablo Avenue last month.  

Bows and Arrows, Upper Playgroup, Sharks, Sway, and Buffalo Exchange were the latest victims. On Nov. 8, Subway Sandwiches on University and San Pablo avenues and Sea Salt Restaurant on San Pablo Avenue reported similar incidents of vandalism. 

Surveillance footage from one of the businesses caught two suspects in the act. Police described the individuals as a young woman in her 20s with long blonde hair of medium build, wearing a gray or blue zip-up hooded sweatshirt, and a young man in his 20s with long hair or dreadlocks, a gray hooded sweartshirt, and dark pants.  

Armed robbery 

An armed man held up the FedEx/Kinkos store on College Avenue Friday afternoon, making away with an unspecified amount of cash. Around 1:20 p.m., a young man in a black hooded sweatshirt, baggy blue jeans, and white tennis shoes walked into the store, brandished a handgun and demanded the contents of the register. He fled down College Avenue after the money was handed over.  

Two employees and a customer witnessed the incident.  

Race track fight 

A fight broke out between two co-workers at Golden Gate Fields on Nov. 30. An argument between two San Leandro women who work at the track turned physical around 7:20 p.m. Both women are pressing for battery charges. 

Dies in crash 

A retired Berkeley deputy fire chief died Sunday, the day after he was fatally injured when his golf cart was struck by a car at the Rossmoor retirement community near Walnut Creek. 

Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong said Roland Scrivner had served 29 years in the department, retiring in 1980 after spending his last six years as deputy chief. 

“He was also a professional actor, and he appeared in commercials and the movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” said Deputy Chief Dong. 

In addition to the 1988 biopic, Scrivner was also featured in a 1989 segment of the television drama series “Night Caller,” according to the Internet Movie Database. 

He is survived by his spouse of 56 years, Inez, who was golfing with him at the time of the accident. 

Dramatic rescue 

After a Monday car crash on Seventh Street around 7 p.m. left a 2-year-old boy pinned in the wreckage of the family car, Berkeley firefighters used the Jaws of Life to rescue the toddler. 

Deputy Chief Dong said the child was pinned in a infant car seat by the post that separates the front and rear passenger compartments, with the metal bent over the child’s legs. 

“The child was essentially encapsulated by the post and the rooftop,” said the deputy chief. “It was a very delicate extrication.” 

Once freed, the youngster was rushed to Children’s Hospital in Oakland and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. 

All three occupants in the car, including the mother and a 4-year-old brother of the injured child, were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. Only the 2-year-old was injured. 

Berkeley police spokesperson Officer Andrew J. Frankel said the one-car accident began when the children’s mother, 26-year-old Yahaira Sandoval, struck a parked car as she was driving south on Sixth Street at Dwight Way. 

“She continued on,” ending up on Seventh Street where she struck a second car and a neighbor called police, said Officer Frankel. 

Officers arrested the mother for driving under the influence and took her off to jail, he said. 

Balcony fire 

Firefighters responded to a call at 3:38 a.m. Saturday, reporting a structure fire in the 1900 block of Hearst Avenue. 

What they found was a small blaze on a balcony, which had been ignited by one of the residents of the building. A fire extinguisher smothered the flames, with a little water from a fire engine completing the task. 

“We don’t know whether it was intentional or not,” said Deputy Chief Dong. The resident involved was treated at the scene and taken for additional treatment to a local facility. 

The official damage estimate topped out at $1,000. 

Mercy mission 

Volunteers will gather at Berkeley Fire Station 5 at 2680 Shattuck Ave. on Dec. 13 to celebrate a breakfast together, then deliver a holiday gift of food to Berkeley seniors. 

“After a quick breakfast by one of our own firefighters, our wonderful volunteers will drive to seniors’ homes and deliver the food directly to them,” said Deputy Chief Dong, adding, “Donations will be gladly accepted.” 

In addition to the department, other sponsors include the Berkeley Firefighters Random Acts, the Lions Club and both the Girl and Boy Scouts, with donations coming from Andronico’s, Whole Foods, Berkeley Natural Grocery Company, Grocery Outlet, Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market.

I worked as a stable cleaner when I was 23 years old, medicated on Prolixin, and underweight. The work was heavier than I was prepared for. It was a joyless and unrewarding job for the brief two weeks that I held it. It ended with me on bad terms with the ranch owner; I had to threaten to sue to get my paycheck. The rancher sent me a $15 check that was dirtied with manure, and a nasty note about how badly I had done.  

That person had not been nice to begin with. The rancher had me get on top of a roof [to do work] that was ready to collapse under my modest weight.  

The one redeeming point of the job was a chance to walk a horse back and forth. It was fun even though both the horse and I knew that I knew nothing about horses. The horse toyed with me by getting me to lean into him—as if I could physically compete! 

I worked at a car wash that was built on a steep slope and was staffed by hostile young men. This job lasted me a few days and deprived me of the chance of a hot date. I was treated harshly and couldn’t work fast enough.  

It was the last straw when a car went rolling down the slope and slammed into another parked car. I was unpopular after that even though the stop and start buttons for the conveyer weren’t clearly marked. (Who had the brilliance to put a car wash on a hill?) 

I showed up for work the day after this incident, and realized I wasn’t welcome. I was never paid for my time.  

I worked briefly as a telemarketer for a newspaper. My calls weren’t met with enthusiasm; in fact several recipients of my calls phoned in to complain about me. I didn’t sell anthing, and stopped showing up after a short while.  

I was rehired several times by a temp agency, and at one point got an assignment to do construction cleanup. In the ninety-degree heat, the foreman wouldn’t allow me to get some water. I walked off and went to a gas station and used their water fountain, and then I returned. The foreman wasn’t happy about this. I didn’t last the full day before I called it quits.  

I was hired as a photocopier repair technician by a company that was forty-five minutes away by car. The job was over my head because of the complex demands, and other stimulus that made it difficult.  

They were improperly storing chemicals and the fumes got into the ventilation system. I called Cal-OSHA without informing my supervisors of this. A month later, after I quit, I received a letter from Cal OSHA that said they shut down the company after warnings for noncompliance.  

I worked through a temp agency doing restoration of soot-covered files that were affected by a fire at the courthouse in Concord that took place in 1995 or 1996. I was the only one who opted to wear a mask that was marked as inadequate protection rather than the other choice (that workers were encouraged to take) of going without a mask and signing a waiver. My work after that kept being returned to me as inadequate. 

For a few years, I had a successful career in TV repair. However, a person who may have been on cocaine ran one of the companies I worked for. He surprisingly had some sensitivity to my disability without being excessively judgmental. Maybe this was because he knew he wasn’t perfect. I kept this job four or five months until the interpersonal baggage and dealing with him became prohibitive.  

When I worked as a delivery person of raw pasta to restaurants in the Bay Area, I had to call in sick one morning due to extreme neck pain. I had suffered whiplash nine months prior.  

Because I called in sick, the manager flipped out and believed I was going to run away with the delivery van. This may be because I was placed in the job by a mental health agency. 

Jack Bragen is a Martinez resident.

By Stevanne Auerbach  

(Dr. Toy) 

Buying the right gift for your child always poses a challenge. This gift list makes it easier by assigning added value to products from companies that are thinking green and being socially responsible.  

Over the past years I wanted to recognize those companies striving to make better, safer, and more natural toys; companies making products that help children learn about the environment or providing leadership in making environmentally safer manufacturing processes.  

We launched “The Dr. Toy Green Toy” award last year giving the first to Blue Orange Toys and this year to the Green Toy Company, both located in San Francisco. These are two of the companies, among others, included in this gift guide who have launched a campaign to better the environment by making a promise to its customers and a commitment to society to both make products that are safe and high quality and creatively use recycled, kid-safe materials. In the case of the Green Toy Company, it has adopted business practices that keep manufacturing local to California, which saves in carbon emissions and creates local jobs.  

Expand the awareness of GREEN by starting your own garden, recycling, borrowing books from the public library, and showing your children how to sew, fix things, be creative, use their imagination, not waste food or water, walk whenever possible, share toys, and, most of all, learn more about why we must each change and become more earth friendly.  

Hope you can locate the right toy from among these for the children on your holiday gift list.  

1. Action Products—OLogy Germ Soaps—Helpful  

$14, 4-12 yrs., 800-772-2846, www.actiontoycompany.com  

Interesting and innovative concept to help your child learn about germs by making them—in soap form. Easy steps are outlined in a fact-filled instruction booklet. This series is produced in cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History and focuses on authentic, educational experiences, while appealing to a child's sense of fun, exploration, and wonder. It is a great way for children to learn science with hands-on experiences.  

2. ALEX—Learn to Write!  

$6.99, 3-5 yrs., 800-666-2539, www.alextoys.com 

An excellent portable double-sided erasable board to take on a trip or use at home. Turn a wheel, select an A to Z picture, and trace the letter. Good way to introduce your child to writing letters. Safe, washable, water-based blue ink marker included. Wipes clean with a damp cloth. Easy introduction to write the ABCs. Printed on recycled paperboard with soy ink and water-based varnish.  

3. Blue Orange Games Pengoloo—The Fun South Pole Eggspedition!  

$29.99, 4-8 yrs., 415-252-0372, www.blueorangegames.com, info@blueorangegames 

The Great Egg Finding Memory Game! Our penguins are ready to play with your child and the whole family. Roll two colored dice and lift two wooden penguins to find the matching hidden eggs. Be the first to collect six penguins with their eggs on your iceberg to win. Memory and a little luck will help you succeed in this clever South Pole Eggspedition. Skills developed in this game include: color recognition, visualization, memory, and social skills. Expand memory and visual perception by remembering egg position. Placing penguins in numerical order also strengthens number association. Good to follow up playing the game by reading about penguins and seeing a film. This company replants two trees for everyone that is used for its production.  

4. Blue Orange Games Double Shutter Junior, Shut the Super Box,  

$21.99, 6-10 yrs., 415-252-0372, www.blueorangegames.com, info@blueorangegames 

Arithmetic is more fun with Double Shutter Junior. Roll the dice and add up the dots to shut tiles of your choice. The tile total must match the dot total in any combination you want. Only flip a tile from the second row if the tile in front of it has already been shut. The player who shuts the Super Box or has the least amount of points remaining wins the game! Skills developed in this game: include number recognition, arithmetic, strategy, and probability.  

5. Creativity for Kids Medieval Garden 

$24.99, 6-8 yrs., 800-311-8684, www.creativityforkids.com 

Medieval Garden is a new garden and growing kit. Castles and dragons have attraction for children, so it's a wonderful setting to create a garden. Use metallic paint to decorate the castle dish, tower, and resin dragon. Add soil, wheat grass, purple ruffles, basil seeds, and water, and then watch the garden grow. It's the perfect hiding place for mystical dragons to roam. Kit is a nice combination of pretending and gardening with a medieval theme. 

6. EDC Publishing See Inside Planet Earth 

$12.99, 7-12 yrs., 800-475-4522, www.edcpub.com, edc@edcpub.com,  

From frozen deserts to steaming jungles, our planet is amazingly rich and varied. But it is also under threat. Take a closer look at the challenges facing planet Earth today and discover what we can each do to make a difference. This colorfully illustrated book features a hardcover book with flaps. The book is produced from well-managed forests, controlled sources, and recycled wood or fiber. 

7. Funrise Toys Tonka Go Green Garbage Truck 

$39.99, 3-9 yrs., 800-882-3808, www.funrise.com consumerservice@funrise.com 

Go green! This new free wheeling truck teaches environmental responsibility and behavior. This life-like vehicle recognizes whether recycled material is placed in the proper bin, provides positive messages that reinforce the need to recycle, and includes real recycling action sounds! Featuring hands-on play with a waste sorting lever, waste bins, and truck driver figurine, this truck is sure to offer hours of fun and encourage imaginative play. Great new concept and one that families who are striving to teach children about social responsibility will find a great addition. 

8. Green Toys Green Toys Cookware & Dining Set 

$39.99, 3-12 yrs., 415-829-9971, www.greentoys.com, info@greentoys.com 

Young chefs will enjoy playing with their make-believe culinary treats that have real benefits for the earth as young chefs concoct them with the environmentally friendly Cookware and Dining Set from Green Toys™. Made of recycled plastic, this 27-piece set comes complete with a Stock Pot and Lid, a Skillet, 4 Plates, 4 Bowls, 4 Cups, and 4 Place Settings (Fork/Spoon/Knife). The Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set is made locally from recycled plastic milk containers that save energy, reduce landfill waste, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, all in the name of Good Green Fun™. This product and company won the the Dr. Toy's Green Award for 2008. What a sensible concept to find recycling play products made in California.  

9. ImagiPLAY PuzzlePlay Rainforest 

$19.99, 3-5 yrs., 800-882-0217, www.imagiplay.com, info@imagiplay.com 

This is a playset and puzzle in one! Kids will engage in hours of imaginative play with enchanting creatures of the Rainforest, then challenge the analytical side of their brain to piece the puzzle together. Made from rubberwood, an earth friendly hardwood, this versatile 18-piece plaything is sure to delight while sparking the curiosity about these wondrous animals. 

10. KAPLA Kapla 200 Piece Wooden Building Set 

$69.99, 3-12 yrs., www.kaplatoys.com, info@kaplatoys.com 

Enjoy the newest version of Kapla 200 natural toned wooden planks made of marine pine from France. This is a popular building set and enables variety and hours of construction and learning fun. Create castles and creatures and landscapes and cityscapes using imagination and gravity. There is not a single snap or screw or interlocking part. Kapla is lightweight and suitable for young builders and older experts. It is a unique open-ended building toy introducing kids and parents to Kapla stacking, building, designing, engineering, and construction. Includes an illustrated instruction manual with basic building techniques and packaged in an attractive box for easy storage. Perfect for the entire family to play with. 

11. Idbids Idbids Waverly Eco-friendly Starter Kit 

$39.99, 3-9 yrs., 877-443-2437, www.idbids.com, info@idbids.com 

In the land of green, little is the new big! Meet the Idbids, characters who want to find little partners who discover the big part they can play in keeping our earth happy, healthy and green-one iddy biddy step at a time. Children are invited to join the lovable Idbids to learn the steps they can take to keep our Earth happy, healthy and green. The Idbids Waverly Eco-friendly Starter Kit contains one plush Waverly toy handcrafted using 100% organic Egyptian cotton, which has been colored with natural organic dyes! Also included in the kit is an organic cotton cinch sack for the child to wear, “iddy biddy steps for a greener world” storybook, the Idbids Field Guide-both printed on recycled paper with eco-friendly inks-and an online reward program. Waverly, the water drop Idbid, is a little dreamy, very sweet, and loves a good laugh. Of course, as an Idbid, he also has a serious side. Waverly is particularly, and deeply, concerned about protecting the earth's water resources and keeping them clean. Waverly, along with his friends, Scout the cloud and Lola the flower of the bunch, teach kids that their “iddy biddy steps make a big difference.” The Idbids Field Guide cleverly simplifies environmental sustainability for children and lets children track their progress. 

12. ISEO Chemdis Modena the Racer 

$19.95, 2-6 yrs., 877-289-0730, www.rubbabu.com, info@rubbabu.com 

This is a new and innovative vehicle that will fascinate your young race car driver. For the budding Formula I or NASCAR fan, this car has all the characteristics for little minds to imagine the wonder of a grand prix race. This unique tactile racer has classic beauty and is very much a toy at the same time. Most popular in a red body with wide black tires and red hubs, it is soft and smooth to the touch, made of 100% natural rubber foam and, therefore, is biodegradable like all Rubbabu products. Covered with brightly colored nontoxic flocking, it is available in red, turquoise, orange, green, blue, yellow and black. This is a racing car that runs easily on floor or carpet. The Modena will not damage your furniture! This squeezable racer encourages tactile stimulation and is great for little ones to roll around. The toys made in India are super colourful, velvety smooth, and soft to the touch, yet sturdy enough to handle years of abuse. The products are all safe and well made and offer a lot of play value. 

13. Kids Think Big Think Green! 

$15.50, 3-8 yrs., 917-297-4537, www.kidsthinkbig.com, info@kidsthinkbig.com 

Think Green! is the first children's book in history to have its own eco-audit on the back cover. The eco-audit shows how many resources were saved printing Think Green! on recycled/post consumer processed chlorine free paper. Maybe Think Green! will set the trend for all books. This book introduces and educates our youngest generation on ways to think and act green through colorful illustrations showing simple everyday ideas for children to help keep the earth clean and safe for all people, animals, fish, and birds. There is a page for the children to write and draw in their own ideas! 

14. Maple Landmark Montgomery Schoolhouse ABC Blocks 

$53.00, 18-36 mos., 800-421-4223, www.maplelandmark.com, thefolks@maplelandmark.com 

A set of 28 blocks with a proportion assortment of letters and numbers for creating words and making arithmetic combinations. Each block is printed with letters, numbers and simple pictures such as a chair, tree, hat, duck, or telephone for word and object recognition practice. The 1-3/4" cubes are cut from high quality local rock maple and sanded smooth. Each product is proudly stamped with “Made in Vermont” on the package. Children enjoy playing with these blocks that are easy to build and stack.  

This company has made a commitment to the community and has continued to grow and thrive in Middleberry, Vermont. 

15. Maple Landmark Made By Me™ 

$3.95, 5-8 yrs., 800-421-4223, www.maplelandmark.com, thefolks@maplelandmark.com 

Children will enjoy this creative kit that will allow them to construct a wooden vehicle. Each single kit comes with a vehicle body and four unfinished wheels and axles for assembly. The body is about four inches long, crafted from pine and sanded smooth. Choose from a truck, tractor, train or tugboat. Assembly is easy with some glue and a hammer. The train engine kit also comes with an unfinished smokestack. Easy to follow instructions are included. Young builders can decorate with crayons, markers, paints, glitter and anything else. This is a wonderful product that will keep children engaged in creative playtime. Maple Landmark is named after the Maple Sugar business and farm his family operated for more than 65 years.. The products are classic and stem from the traditions of early craftspeople making a variety of toys from wood. 

16. OWI Robotic Arm Edge 

$ 53.95, 10-12 yrs., www.robotikitsdirect.com 

(Also available from Lawrence Hall of Science Gift Shop) 

The Robotic Arm Edge is the newest version of award winning Robotic Arm Trainer. Users can command the gripper to open and close or rotate in a variety of base, elbow, or wrist type directions. The Arm can lift and carry up to 100 grams of weight. Five gearboxes, joints, and motors power this unique product. Also included on all five-gear boxes is an innovative search light design on the gripper and a safety gear audible indicator to prevent any potential injury or gear breakage during operation. Robotic Arm Edge is designed for the future engineer who has some experience assembling kits with small parts.  

17. Sprig Toys Sprig Adventure Series Discover Rig™ 

$59.99, 3-6 yrs., 970-472-0321, www.sprigtoys.com 

This is an exciting new environmentally attuned product. Your child will be able to power a new line of toy vehicles with lights and sounds. Made from Sprigwood™, a child-safe, bio-composite material derived from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic, the Sprig Adventure Series harnesses the natural energy of push- and pump-action play to power lights and other electronics-all without batteries. The various characters are wearing LED-lit hats that plug into durable, attractively designed vehicles and engage preschoolers with audio that guides them through exciting adventures as they play. The rugged, kid-powered and totally green adventure vehicles are the first products from this new, environmentally responsible toy company created by award-winning industry veterans. The series is built around The Discover Rig™-a sturdy, battery-free vehicle with a removable push bar. The Discover Rig™ is powered by preschoolers' natural kinetic energy. When a child rolls the toy forward, it triggers the generator that powers both the vehicle lights and plug-in characters, taking the child on a self-powered safari of the imagination. In keeping with the dedication to produce green toys, no decorative paint is used and packaging is minimal and earth-friendly. The kid-powered electronics precludes the need for batteries. So Sprig Toys, made in Canada, does not contribute to the glut of used batteries that, in just a year, totals enough to reach the moon.  

18. Wham-O Re-Flyer Recycled Frisbee Disc 

$8.99, 5-12 yrs., 888-942-6650, www.wham-o.com, consumer_affairs@wham-o.com 

Whether you're in the backyard or schoolyard, or at the beach, lake, or park, keep the action alive with the Frisbee® disc! New from Wham-O is the Re-Flyer™ Recycled Frisbee® Disc, made from 60% post-consumer recycled plastic and packaged using recycled cardboard. This is a green and socially responsible product for lots of physically healthy activity that offers hours of endless fun. This product won the Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toy for 2008.  

19. Wild Republic Bindi Outback Adventure Talking Doll 

$19.99, 3-5 yrs., 800-800-9678, www.wildrepublic.com 

This is a new product that offers some inspiration as well as value. The company, Wild Republic, in a partnership with Australia Zoo, offers products inspired by Bindi Irwin. The highlight product in the line is the fully articulating Bindi doll. Recorded with Bindi's real voice, the doll recites several different environmental phrases that send a powerful and relevant message direct to children and empower them to know that they can make a difference in their world while they engage in imaginative, adventure play with the doll. Complete with accessories for pretend wildlife and nature exploration, the 10-year old real life daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, Bindi is completely involved in the development of the product line and the messages that the doll says. As a brand of toys designed to educate children about the wonders of the wild through creative play, Wild Republic and Australia Zoo communicate the excitement of nature through the Bindi doll. In addition, all royalties received by Australia Zoo from sales of the Australia Zoo Bindi Irwin toy range go directly to Australia Zoo's conservation programs such as Endangered and Priority Species Breeding, Field Study, Habitat Acquisition, and Animal Rescue. 

20. Zabazoo Stonees 

$24.99, 4-12 yrs., 877-528-5252, www.zabazoo.com, sales@zabazoo.com 

A fundamental concept as an early childhood construction product, Stonees are colorful, easy to use, rock-like contoured shapes that offer an alternative to traditional wooden blocks or plastic pieces that stick together. Stonees are actual crushed stone that is rebonded and sealed. The colors of the Stonees are stone pigment, not painted or dyed. It is an open-ended educational toy perfect for development of fundamental skills as well as stimulation of imagination and creativity. By handling, stacking, building, and balancing different structures, children use fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving abilities, creative concept thought, and imagination, while also applying an underlying eco-awareness. This creates a careful tactile experience that engages kids and keeps them coming back to build different and more challenging structures. 

A Partial Guide to  

Local Toy Stores 

The Ark Toy Store 

1812 Fourth St., Berkeley 

www.thearktoys.com, 849-1930  

Toy Go Round 

1361 Solano Ave., Albany  

www.etoygoround.com, 527-1363  

Sweet Dreams: Candy and Toy Store 

2901 and 2921 College Ave. 

www.sweetdreamscandy.com, 549-1211 and 548-8697 

Games of Berkeley 

2151 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley 

gamesofberkeley.com. 540-7822 

Five Little Monkeys 

www.5littlemonkeys.com, 528-4411 

Mr. Mopp's Children's Books & Toys 

1405 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley www.shopinberkeley.com, 525-9633  

Boss Robot Hobby 

2953 College Ave., Berkeley 

www.bossrobot.com, 841-1680  

Grove Street Kids 

1644 Martin Luher Kng Jr. Way, Berkeley 

www.grovestreetkids.com, 843-5437  

A Child's Place 

1898 Solano Ave., Berkeley 

524-3651  

Rockridge Kids 

5511 College Ave., Oakland 

www.rockridgekidsevents.com, 601-5437 

Lawrence Hall of Science—Discovery Corner Museum Store 

642-1929 

Mail/Phone Orders:  

42-1016, lhsstore@berkeley.edu 

Stevanne Auerbach, Dr. Toy, author of 15 books and hundreds of articles on toys and play, is the only Ph.D. in child development evaluating the best developmentally appropriate educational toys and children’s products for Dr. Toy’s Guide (www.drtoy.com). Dr. Toy is the author of Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys, a book that provides tools to enhance the child’s “PQ” (Play Quotient), which is available for sale at Habitot and The Ark Toy Stores. She will be doing a special play and toys event on Jan. 10 at 11 a.m. at Habitot on Shattuck Ave. for parents and kids.

It’s time to submit your essays, poems, stories, artwork and photographs for the Planet’s annual holiday reader contribution issue, which will be published on Dec. 23 (that’s right—a Tuesday!). Send your submissions, no longer than 1,000 words, to holiday@berkeleydailyplanet.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. on Mon., Dec. 15.  

Some have accused this space of being obsessed with city planning, and they’d be right. In a small but urbanized burb like Berkeley, if you’re interested in government at all, it’s hard not to be. Realistically, the only significant power left to cities in California is control of land use.  

Cities in this state used to have substantial local property tax revenues to spend on locally favored projects, as they still do in other states, but California voters decided 30 years ago to cap property taxes. This left sales tax revenues, notably spotty and subject to economic moodswings, as the main support of local governments.  

Cities like ours have been forced to put together a patchwork quilt of special assessments to fund essentials like libraries, police and firefighters, so the power of the purse in cities like this one is much diminished. People who don’t think the city is being managed wisely are tempted to try to target these assessments at election time, but even withholding funds doesn’t guarantee good government with the remainder. 

Patronage in cities used to take the form of handing out public jobs to political supporters. It still does in eastern cities, and even in San Francisco to a certain extent. The tradition survives in Berkeley only as the more-than-generous salary and benefits packages most city employees get, but the largesse is distributed across the board with little favoritism, thanks to civil service laws. Similar generosity has brought Vallejo close to bankruptcy, and other towns are teetering on the brink. 

The Chronicle’s Oakland columnist, who was raised in a small town in the Midwest, shows his colossal ignorance of how government works in California by his drumbeat criticism of Mayor Ron Dellums for not being able to wave a magic wand and turn straw into civic gold in a historically stressed city. Money for services is tight everywhere in California at the moment, with state government on the verge of fiscal collapse.  

Thus the major power of city administrations these days is to decide who gets to build what where. When staff or councilmembers can assure builders that their fond dreams will be realized, rewards are available. We recently saw Councilmember Linda Maio and her partner getting a real estate loan from developer Patrick Kennedy right before she voted on a lucrative cell phone tower installation for one of his buildings. Did that affect her vote? There’s no way to know for sure, but it could have. 

The question seems particularly interesting in light of city planner Wendy Cosin’s recent inadvertent disclosure to the Planning Commission. She told commissioners that the city has already signed what she called a “secret” agreement promising early review of cell tower regulations with Verizon, Kennedy’s customer on South Shattuck. If Commissioner Patti Dacey hadn’t pursued inquiries about why staff was pressing the commission to act quickly on the new regs, the agreement might still be a secret.  

At a later City Council meeting, it became clear that it’s been so secret that even Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who dots every i and crosses every t, didn’t know about it. How about Maio? What did she know, and when did she know it? 

And then there’s the career path of the city’s former Director of Current Planning Mark Rhoades, who joined developer Ali Kashani’s firm more than a year ago, though this perk might be the equivalent of scoring an outside stateroom on the Titanic. Kashani demonstrated his political acuity in the recent election by soliciting developer cash for losing council candidate Terry Doran in a widely circulated e-mail, giving development-stressed District 4 voters a clear view of which contender they didn’t want to vote for.  

The last time we noted the Rhoades-Kashani alliance, we got a long defensive op-ed from the smart and articulate director of the city of Berkeley’s Planning Department. He said that planners were just doing their job, not trying to influence policy, and the city’s commissioners and councilmembers had the last word. He pointed out that planners were just supposed to interpret and follow the city’s adopted plans. Well, sure, but plans—and planners—change. 

When we discussed this topic previously, planners seemed to take particular umbrage at my reprise of Commissioner Dacey’s favorite quote from the first lecture in her Administrative Law class in law school: Every regulatory body is eventually captured by the industry it’s supposed to regulate. So this time I’ll paraphrase my own Local Government Law professor instead: No one has to worry about general plans, since no one ever follows them anyway. 

A San Franciscan of my acquaintance described the endless meetings she’s attended regarding her city’s plans for South of Market and the East Side. She says there’s always a choreographed parade of standard representatives of interest groups, everything from a singing chorus of Filipino schoolchildren to Irish builders. The usual suspects address the audience, it’s all recorded and written down, and nothing changes—the city goes ahead with business as usual, regardless of what happened at the citizen gatherings. 

Here in Berkeley it’s not so colorful, but the outcome is the same. Numerous capable and public-spirited citizens have devoted countless hours to meetings on Berkeley’s General, West Berkeley, Downtown and Southside plans, and as soon as they were adopted the Planning Department and a few of their groupies set to work trying to get them changed.  

Thus we’ve seen the “flexibility” sought for West Berkeley, deeply suspect to the artists whom the existing West Berkeley Plan is supposed to protect, and the city’s agreement with UC to change the Downtown Plan to allow for UC expansion. The Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee, a group of energetic and intelligent citizens, was given the task of drafting the replacement plan, but the ink was hardly dry on their opus before the real parties at interest got to work trying to erase it. The Planning Commission has been packed with retired UC planners, developers’ lawyers and similarly impartial appointees, and they’re now working on their own draft, which looks to be a complete reversal of every intention manifest in DAPAC’s draft.  

All of this inside baseball is headed for the playoffs this month. If you care about this kind of arcane stuff, it’s time to keep your eye on the ball. Traditionally citizens pay less attention during busy pre-holiday periods, both winter and summer, which makes them the favorite seasons for politicians to try to slide a few fast ones across the plate. Deadlines for all of these controversies are on the horizon at the Planning Commission and the City Council, and new councilmembers might mean some shifting alliances. 

SAN PABLO CONDOS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Now maybe the City Council and the Zoning Adjustments Board will start listening to the disgruntled "citizen vigilantes" when they object to these monster buildings. The real estate bust may save Berkley in the nick of time from becoming the high rise atrocity that some of our elected officials envision. Neighbors do not want huge buildings next to the neighborhoods and those living on the so-called corridors don't want them either. There are better ways to provide affordable housing. Berkeley used to be such a lovely town but currently the downtown is a dirty dead zone and the neighborhoods are being over shadowed by sky scrapers. Listen to the people! 

Constance Wiggins 

• 

MORE ON SAN PABLO CONDOS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It’s no great surprise that the condos at 2700 San Pablo Ave. are being auctioned off. Who wants to live on a busy street when many similar units have been built on more quiet, and perceptually safer, streets in nearby Emeryville? 

What if the City of Berkeley bought the building and sold the units, at attractive rates, to members of the Berkeley police force, to live in? 

Right now, the racial mix of police in South Berkeley seems to lean towards Caucasian and Asian—not very sensible in a predominately African-American neighborhood. But even if the mix was different, most police don’t live in the city anyway, and certainly not on the Southside. They are essentially hired mercenaries, and too often act like it. Small wonder the police are greatly distrusted in this neighborhood. If they lived here they would have a stake in the place and get to know the residents much better, building trust and cooperation on both sides. 

There are plenty of young cops in Berkeley. A nice starter condo and a beat on the Southside would be a great way to break into “serving and protecting” the public—and an excellent investment for the city on many levels.  

Chuck Heinrichs 

• 

LANDMARKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the Dec. 4 Daily Planet, Riya Bhattacharjee reports the nomination of the Olsen house at 771 San Diego Road to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. I continue to wonder at the efforts of landmarkers to cite any structure of passing interest that may be 50 years old. While it may be a useful exercise for architecture students to identify interesting homes, the nomination seems misplaced.  

The house "epitomizes the international style made popular by architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier..." But of course it was not designed by one of those men but by the owner, Donald Olsen, a local architect of considerable merit. It is a rectangular block, cantilevered on steel pipes, perhaps pleasing in its simplicity, but no more engaging visually than the adjacent homes at 767 or 775 San Diego. It is across the street from John Hinkle Park, the birthplace of a 1970s theater project, once called the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, which then grew into the California Shakespeare Festival in Orinda. In walking past the Olsen house and through the park, I noticed that the park is defaced with patches of orange plastic webbing where the wooden handrails have broken. A really useful preservation project might be the rebuilding of those railings. 

Jerry Landis 

• 

BP-UCB SONG AND DANCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Dec. 3 San Francisco Chronicle reports the opening of the Joint BioEnergy Inst. for useless research to just recycle carbon dioxide with not one molecule of that gas on balance being removed from the 35 percent and growing overload of that gas in the atmosphere. Behind all the gobbledygook of cellulose breakdown and fermentation values. There is only a recycling of carbon dioxide with no effect on reducing GHG levels in the atmosphere. Since several papers in Science indicate that crops grown and harvested on less than yearly cycles may result in soil-trapped plant residuals getting sped up in their biodegradation to emit that gas, biofuels may overall actually be adding more of that gas to the atmosphere instead of removing some. No one at the institute dares to discuss that biofuels will only at best not make global warming get worse and will not admit that we have to find a way to actually remove some of the overload of that gas from the atmosphere to actually slow melting of ice packs, perhaps even reverse it. 

I have had several letters published here and elsewhere pointing to the massive messes of organic wastes and sewage on the globe that under present handling are allowed to biodegrade to needlessly be reemitting GHGs as some methane and nitrogen oxides go off with much carbon dioxide. A pyrolysis process applied to those messes would convert perhaps 50 percent of the carbon to inert charcoal and destroy all germs, drugs and most toxics in the messes to greatly reduce costs for maintaining dumps and chances for those hazards getting into water systems. Such pollution into water systems is already a problem as EPA is holding this month a conference on risks of drugs in drinking water, so the public better wake up to these messes before they get out of hand. I wonder if people in Berkeley or anywhere like the idea of those hazards showing up in drinking water, especially when a way to destroy them is available and could be developed as a huge green job program.  

James Singmaster 

Fremont 

• 

LEGISLATIVE DATABASE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Legislative Counsel of California collects important data about bills introduced in California and how our legislators vote, but the public is not allowed access to this data in a database format, which would facilitate searching, analysis, and more transparency. 

This makes no sense since the public paid to assemble this information, and has the right to discover the relationship between donations and voting records. 

MAPLight.org and the California First Amendment Rights Coalition are suing the Legislative Counsel to give the public access to this data in electronic database format. The state needs to wake up to its public responsibility for public access. 

Tom Miller 

• 

PERFECT HARMONY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Last evening KQED aired one of its most popular programs, "Black and White Night," featuring Roy Orbison and friends. Produced at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles by the singer himself in l987 (a year before his untimely death), this marvelous program is shown once or twice a year, and I watch it every single time. 

Orbison, who by all reports was a warm, greatly admired performer, in addition to being a fine singer, surrounded himself with talented musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jackson Brown and singers Bonnie Raitt and K.D. Lang. I can honestly state I don't know of any show boasting so much energy, enthusiasm and sheer joy. Indeed, the exuberance emanating from this 90-minute program is so infectious it reaches out to its audience, filling them with the same rapture (admittedly a somewhat exaggerated term). 

While watching last evening's program, I reflected on Barack Obama's new carefully and wisely appointed cabinet. (I see eyebrows go up at this rather unlikely analogy). But I'd point out that we have every reason to believe that these new appointees will assume their tasks with the same energy and enthusiasm as the above-mentioned musicians and in doing so will bring harmony and optimism to Washington, something sadly lacking after eight dismal years! 

Dorothy Snodgrass 

• 

RE-STRIPING SHATTUCK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Last Saturday night, Dec. 6, at about 9:30 p.m., a man in a wheelchair was crossing Shattuck west on Prince Street and was struck by a speeding car and thrown 20 feet. The reason: because the recently paved street did not have an obvious crossing lane striped on the new asphalt. There was a paltry attempt to indicate a pedestrian crossing lane by using a spray can, it would seem. This was dangerously inadequate and probably led to the accident. This is a popular intersection which serves the Starry Plough and La Peña. It would seem appropriate, considering the danger, that action be taken to properly stripe the intersection immediately and that road-bed flashers be installed. 

Robert Blau 

GOLDEN GATE FIELDS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Golden Gate Fields race track may go into bankruptcy; UC Berkeley needs a football stadium. The City of Berkeley needs to reduce autos on its streets. Let’s bail out all three by putting the new and bigger football stadium at the Golden Gate Fields track. For a greener environment and for a better quality of life for residents move the stadium to Golden Gate Fields. 

Ray Quan 

• 

THANKSGIVING SPIRIT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I didn’t go over the river and through the woods to Grandfather’s House this Thanksgiving. Instead, I took BART over to San Francisco for my annual visit to St. Anthony’s Dining Room, where I helped serve dinner to over 3,000 of the city’s homeless, displaced persons. Walking along Golden Gate Avenue, I passed long, long lines of people who had waited for hours in anticipation of a warm holiday meal. What a meal it was—turkey with dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans, rolls and butter and pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream. 

The dining room was packed to the gills—all ages, all races, some neatly attired, others unshaven and poorly dressed. They came in wheelchairs, on walkers and crutches, mostly men, but a few women with children who were seated at their own tables in the back of the huge dining room. My job was to carry trays to the row after row of tables, picking up yellow meal tickets, welcoming our guests and, most importantly, treating them with respect. While ill at ease, not conversing with each other at first, as the afternoon wore on the room was alive with laughter and animation, very much a festive holiday occasion. 

This happy scene of friendship and giving was repeated all over the Bay Area. Indeed, I could have helped with dinners here in Berkeley or Oakland, but I have a special place in my heart for the St. Anthony Foundation. I also have respect for the great work of Glide Memorial Church. It’s reassuring to know that in these troubled times, with the economy affecting so many, we Americans are a nation of generous and compassionate people, reaching out to those less fortunate. 

Dorothy Snodgrass  

• 

‘ART OF DEMOCRACY’ 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The “Art of Democracy” show was not seen in the Addison Street Windows Gallery but the resulting discussion, as admirably represented in the pages of the Daily Planet, has been a healthy thing. Despite protests by some members of the Arts Commission, the commission seems to have accepted that the First Amendment does indeed apply to art. 

This particular case involved the representation of guns, and those in favor of censorship argued that guns were a special case that could be censored. The argument was not about depictions of violence, or incitement to violence but simply the presence of guns. In this case the images that were censored were portraying opposition to state-sponsored violence. It seems to me that when rules ostensibly made to “protect” us are used to prohibit speech that is critical of the state, then censorship has indeed become a serious issue that rises to the level worthy of opposition. 

I am pleased that the Arts Commission has acknowledged this in principle and I hope that the discussion continues as to the value of protected speech. Restrictions placed on speech by those who claim to protect us from immorality or from indecency do a disservice to art when they claim that it is a special case that cannot be protected by the First Amendment. 

Art Hazelwood 

Organizer for “Art of Democracy” 

• 

POINT MOLATE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thank you for your recent article outlining the pros and cons of developing the waterfront at Point Molate. I live in Richmond, and I’m still scratching my head at all the purported attributes a casino brings to our community. Crime around the San Pablo casino is dense in relation to other parts of our community. We’re grateful to live somewhat far from all the action. 

Mr. Levine’s thinking out of the box and contributing a whole list of do-gooding is applauded in my opinion. He’s covered every possible argument with a solution that would supposedly counter ill effects in the community. He’s offering a lot of green eggs in that basket. But, I stop short of his promise that “undesirable” casino types will not set foot on his resort. I hate to rain on his parade but, Richmond is not a “destination location” and never will be. That particular property is outlying heavy industry, and it smells like industry when you’re downwind from it. If it were located across the bay in San Francisco, yacht parking would be a feasible plan for a destination casino. But it’s not San Francisco. It’s the shipyards of Richmond, and as much as I love our city, let’s not get carried away. Just visit all the little towns surrounding each refinery in the East Bay. They’re big “non-destinations” (but serve an important purpose, no doubt.) The ole’ adage is tried and true when it comes to real estate development—location, location, location. Not that Point Molate can’t come of age with a development plan and shed its former shell bit by bit, but, it takes more than casino promises of saving the city (please note: Chevron’s already promised that and everyone’s still waiting for it to happen) to accomplish a renaissance of a former naval refueling station. Many converging elements are needed to drag an area out of the doldrums and promising huge bags of money will not make Richmond a more desirable place to live. 

So what happens when the rich and famous don’t pull up in fancy limos and spend fun money as hoped for? After all, it is Mr. Levine’s first casino venture and he lacks experience (he just fired Harrah’s for the folks up in Yolo County). How does he pay for the hundreds of millions in loans? Invite undesirables? If Plan A doesn’t exactly work (and my gut says that Plan A is not realistic), then here come our country cousins and all their low-wage gambling, drunken shenanigans, theft, and other ill effects on our community. After all the glossy, green lipstick, it’s still a pig, and a huge business risk like any other. 

So, a question for Mr. Levine: With all due respect for thinking out of the box, what’s Plan B? We need to hear your thoughts and scenarios about how the operation will sustain itself and its promises to the good people of Richmond if Plan A doesn’t go as planned.  

Natalie McNamara 

Richmond 

• 

WHAT IRONY! 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

On Saturday, Nov. 22, an event took place in Colorado that says something about present-day America. A farm couple decided to do something for their neighbors. They opened their farm fields after the harvest to allow people to glean the fields. Gleaning is the ancient practice of picking up farm crops after the regular harvest. Typically some of the crops are left in the fields by machines or harvesters and this gleaning eliminates waste, while feeding people at the same time. I grew up in Iowa and some of my relatives that lived on farms would do this each year. Usually a hundred people or less would show up at the gleaning on my relatives’ farms. 

But at this gleaning, 40,000 people appeared at the 600 acre farm 37 miles outside of Denver. Think of it! Forty thousand people had the need to pick up leftover crops. The United States is the richest nation in the world and yet 40,000 people in one area showed up to get the free food. What does this say about the economy? Granted not everyone probably needed the food because they were too poor to afford it. But I am sure thousands of them did. 

It was estimated that the 40,000 people arrived in about 11,000 vehicles. Because of this, many people who came were not able to park legally. The Colorado State Patrol then issued citations to the illegally parked cars. Neighbors helped neighbors and then the state gave out tickets. This also says a lot about the government’s role in the present financial crisis. Hundreds of billions are provided to the wealthy and corporations and the poor are given tickets when they try to pick their own food. What irony! 

Kenneth J. Theisen 

Oakland 

• 

ZIONISM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

John Gertz’s letter in the Nov. 26-Dec. 3 issue exemplifies Ashkenazi supremacism. Not every person at a demonstration needs to be a member of the sponsoring organization(s). Surely stereotypical, “classically [white/Eastern European ] Jewish,” Zionists accept the presence of non-Jewish supporters at their pro-Israel events. For racist Ashkenazim like Gertz, white people don’t have to establish their Jewish credentials; the massive influx into Israel of white people from the former Soviet bloc was welcomed wholeheartedly, despite the highly questionable Jewish pedigree of many of the new immigrants.  

Compare that to the bigoted treatment of Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (my forebears) who were welcomed to the newly formed state of Israel with DDT delousing, then shunted off to underdeveloped border towns. Gertz’s own racist prejudices are clearly in line with this dominant shtetl-derived and pernicious strain of Zionism, with its insular sub-tribal xenophobia. 

The unthinking parochial racism of Zionists like Gertz is part of what helped lead me away from the Zionism into which I was indoctrinated in my youth. Smug Ashkenazi supremacism in general, however, has been the hallmark of just about every policy of the pre-state Jewish establishment and of the state of Israel since 1948: domestically this is reflected in the various ways non-Ashkenazi Jews (Mizrahim, Ethiopians, and Indians for example) and Arab citizens suffer from discrimination; externally it is reflected in the oppressive policies directed at Palestinians and other Arabs.  

Zionists have pretended to speak for all Jews everywhere since the founding of their movement, incorporating the worst aspects of 19th-century European nationalism: territorial expansionism, ethnic fealty, and racism. Unfortunately Gertz isn’t the only Zionist to epitomize this tendency. It’s high time an organization like IJAM was formed to call into question the facile and false equation, Jews = Zionists. 

Dunash Labrat  

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letter is in response to Dunash Labrat’s letter, which was published on the Daily Planet’s website earlier this week.  

• 

FOR WHAT? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Dunash Labrat has called me a racist, probably the nastiest epithet that can be thrown around in Berkeley. And for what? Because I pointed out that in a group photo of a brand new group touting itself as comprised of Jewish anti-Zionists not all its members appeared to be Jews. Labrat admits that this is in fact the case, but that non-Jews have a right to attend their meetings. No problem, let this group have non-Jews for members. But then Labrat cannot say that this is a group comprised only of Jews. Where’s the racism? This is a matter of truth in advertising. I have experienced the let down of going to the grocery store and seeing jugs of juice marked as 100 percent pure, until you read the fine print on the back telling you that it is not. At what point can an anti-Zionist group claim to be Jewish? When it is comprised of 20 percent Jews, 80 percent, or 100 percent. I suppose there are no laws broken here, but, still, consumers have a right to know.  

After calling me a racist, Labrat goes on to point out various mistreatments of Arab Jews some 60 years ago when they first immigrated to Israel. Labrat is right. When, in the aftermath of Israel’s War of Independence, the Arab nations forcibly expelled their Jewish populations and took all of their possessions, Israel’s population doubled almost overnight. The European founders of Israel were culture shocked and really didn’t know what to do with these sudden and unexpected arrivals. Not all of their responses were culturally sensitive by today’s standards. But Arab Jews are fully integrated into Israel now, and have no more of an urge to go back to their countries of origin than, say, American Jews wish to return to the Russia or Poland of their ancestors just because 60 years ago they were subjected to quotas in hiring as well as in schools, and could not even join most country clubs right here in this America. 

John Gertz 

• 

MUMBAI 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

What is the motivating force behind the killing spree in the financial district of Mumbai? There is never good reason to hurt innocent people. What can the thrill of being a world famous terrorist be? Even if these young killers experienced injustice at the hands of their parents or in their schools or from their governments, they are not justified in raining bullets on ordinary civilians going about their lives. What does it take to make a human being blank and mechanical as he slaughters fellow human beings? 

Romila Khanna 

Albany 

• 

ANTI-ABORTIONISTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Anti-abortion groups, harbored in the Republican Party, are going to continue protests, intimidation and harassment of women seeking abortions, even though the abortion foes suffered stinging defeats at almost every level in the recent election. 

The American Taliban, evangelical and fundamentalist anti-abortionists, have never been satisfied with just being able to practice their beliefs, they want to force these beliefs onto the rest of us under the guise of saving society. 

These religious radicals in America are much like the fundamentalists who stalk the rest of the world. They are like unrepentant sinners who practice idolatry, intolerance and hypocrisy. 

Anti-abortionists would have it so that untold numbers of women suffer the devastating effects of an unwanted pregnancy just so that they could revel in their self righteous religious doctrine. 

Ron Lowe  

Nevada City 

On Dec. 9 the Shared Governance Council at Berkeley High will consider a proposal for restructuring the high school. The redesign plan includes an alternating block schedule with four 80- or 90-minute class periods a day, a 30-minute advising period twice a week, and a daily “Academic Support and Community Access Period” for most students. The goal of the plan is to increase personalization. If it is approved by Shared Governance, the proposal will move to the School Board for consideration. 

As noted in the Daily Planet of Nov. 26, reactions to the proposal have been mixed. Most parents and teachers acknowledge the value of advisories and of additional academic support time for at-risk students, but many also worry that the proposed restructuring will take opportunities away from successful students. As a parent of two high-achieving daughters (BHS ’05 and BHS ’09), I believe, on the contrary, that the redesign would be a great boon for all our students, including the highest achievers. 

Admittedly, the schedule change, in order to increase teacher-preparation and professional development time, significantly reduces the time students will spend receiving instruction. If the district could afford to hire additional teachers or compensate teachers monetarily for working a longer day, then perhaps this reduction could be avoided. Unfortunately, we can’t afford it. And we cannot ask the faculty to take on new responsibilities and adapt to a new schedule without giving them the resources to do the job right.  

Fortunately, reducing the time teachers spend delivering curriculum to a classroom full of students does not necessarily reduce the time students spend learning the curriculum.  

An alternating block schedule would allow students to spend more time on each subject on a given day and to experience fewer transitions, thus giving them more opportunity to absorb what they have learned. A flexible support/access period—in which students could study or tutor, take an extra class, participate in science labs or orchestra rehearsals, or pursue internships and community service—would make it easier for students to manage demanding course-loads and extracurricular activities. For example, students in AP science courses are typically required to attend two to three labs per week in either zero or 7th period; attendance at 7:30 a.m. labs is notoriously low and many students cannot attend afternoon labs because of sports or other after-school commitments. Moving these labs into the school day would surely boost attendance and therefore achievement. In addition, students in many AP and Honors classes are required to put in a certain number of hours each quarter tutoring their peers, which typically results in a mad rush at the end of the grading period as would-be tutors try to squeeze out time from their numerous other activities and find tutees in want of tutoring. Often they end up exchanging “tutoring” with their friends. This well-intentioned requirement becomes a pointless exercise. With a flexible period in the school day, advanced students could work in lower-level classes under a teacher’s supervision and provide meaningful assistance. Both high-achievers and struggling students would benefit. 

Perhaps most important, the opportunity to structure some part of their school day to meet their own needs would better prepare students to take responsibility for their education as they will have to do in college. A typical BHS student now spends 1,650 minutes in the classroom every week, exclusive of zero and 7th period classes. A typical college student spends significantly less than half that time receiving instruction from a teacher, about 750 minutes per week, and the collegiate academic year is typically several weeks shorter than the K-12 school year. Our children go from being heavily scheduled and monitored all day in high school to needing to make their own choices in college. No wonder so many college freshmen report that their greatest challenge is learning to manage their time. 

Since advisories are primarily designed to promote a college-going culture, some parents wonder whether they would have any value for the many students who are already immersed in such a culture. I believe they would. By participating in a heterogeneous community; learning about the many options available for higher education; and exploring their own goals, talents, and interests; students could gain valuable perspectives not only on the college search process but on the educational journey itself. One needs to look no further than the Berkeley High Jacket to see how urgently cultural transformation is needed. In the November 21 issue, Kasimir Brotz, discussing the college admissions process, writes: “No one really has to take five AP classes in subjects they aren’t even interested in [. . .] do they? But they do, because any edge, anything that makes you look impressive or a cut above the rest is something you should be doing—have to be doing—because how else are you going to get into Harvard?” In the same issue, Luke Davis reports that many students see cheating as necessary and worthwhile. He quotes an anonymous sophomore as saying, “with all the pressure that is put on students today to succeed and get good grades, it’s hard not to cheat.” In short, many of our students have come to believe that success means good grades in AP classes, whatever the personal cost and regardless of whether the grade reflects genuine engagement with and mastery of the subject. We owe it to them to challenge this self-destructive belief. Advisories could provide a means to do so. 

So, yes, we need to restructure Berkeley High to boost achievement among low-income and minority students. But high-achieving students need a more personal and flexible education too and they too will be helped by the redesign. Some school leaders have protested that there is not enough time and not enough money to implement the proposal. Maybe not. But there never will be. So we had better get started now and do the best we can—for the sake of all our students.  

Carol Lashof is a Berkeley parent.

I was dismayed but not surprised to see the large group of privileged parents descend on the community meeting at St. Joseph the Worker’s Church to consider the Berkeley High school redesign proposal. It’s a familiar pattern: the school community spends years reflecting and considering ways to make BHS more successful for all students and, when it comes close to a vote, the predictable group pours out in a vocal campaign of opposition.  

In a pattern worthy of Karl Rove campaigns, the key goal was to latch on to and fan fear of change. I heard some parents spreading the most outlandish conspiracy theories—like that this is a secret plan to get rid of honors and advanced placement classes (these charges against a principal who has just about doubled the number of AP offerings). That kids will be released to run wild in the streets. That teachers will not be able to “cover” enough curriculum. 

They will probably flex their political muscle and yet again stop any significant progress in Berkeley. That’s tragic. Berkeley could be a beacon of progressive, engaged, holistic education that is a model for the nation as we go into a new and hopeful era. We could begin innovations which really address the achievement gap, which recognize our obligation to be successful with all kids—to finally begin to fulfill the promise of the Brown decision of over 50 years ago. And, I might add, creating such an equitable and engaged education would be excellent for those students who have traditionally done well in grades and college admissions. They could, finally, actually experience diversity in the classroom and not just while crossing Milvia. They could experience deep connections to the community, engaging curriculum which makes them think critically, and a real sense of community. These are the kinds of students our high school should produce—and they are the ones the universities are desperately asking for.  

Or we could become another cookie-cutter suburban-style school which students either endure or drop out of. The drumbeat of fear, slander, and elitism is drowning out any thoughtful reflection. No one I heard at this meeting raised any despair or felt any pain about the racist legacy of our school system, the way it reproduces class and racial divisions, the way it builds in failure and sorting. Not even an obligatory liberal gesture of hand wringing. The ones I heard could not care less.  

Having taught at Berkeley High School for 11 years, I’ve seen up close the injustices that are built into our system. There is no way an ethical teacher can teach at a school like Berkeley without fighting against the structures of institutional racism that are right in your face. So the great majority of teachers are deeply concerned with searching for a way to make our school work. Yes, there are some who are happy to leave things as they are, to stare in the face of crushed hopes and look the other way. But that is a small minority. 

Are the very modest proposals for a more engaging, equitable school—proposals for a block schedule, advisory periods, professional development, and strong assessment of our progress, proposals that have been endorsed by the WASC committee (the state organization that grants us accreditation) and a strong group of staff and students—are they really going to be shouted down? 

What a shame. 

Rick Ayers is a former Berkeley High School teacher.

Superman flies like a buzzard 

over the foggy city sky 

with a pint of Budweiser 

and a transfixed smile 

His cape is wrapped 

around his steel hips 

an ad on his chest 

says vote No 

The waiter saw him falling 

like a mountain on a table 

the red skirt, the flashy T-shirt 

couldn’t be mistaken 

He is sick of being a hero 

pretending to be a successful human 

pretending he loves Lois Lane 

so they could let him do his Job. 

He is going to show them 

who he really is 

Nobody think he’s crazy 

he landed on a Wedding 

in Castro Street. 

Jose Patino 

El Cerrito

A quietly-revolutionary document that changed our world for the better, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, turns 60 this year. 

It first saw the light of day in 1948, on the 10th of December, thanks to the United Nations and the brilliant work of Eleanor Roosevelt, dynamic head of the UN team. 

Governments that voluntarily came together in 1945 to form the now-familiar organization, the United Nations, agreed to a basic operating principle: human rights. They determined that every individual is automatically entitled to all human rights, by virtue of being alive. Nothing more than that—just being alive. A person’s race, color, sex, language, religion, political opinion, national origin, economic or other status would no longer be an obstacle along her or his way to enjoying rights. 

The Universal Declaration broke new ground. Governments for the first time agreed that people from every segment of this planet would thereafter be entitled to rights, be entitled to know what they are, and be entitled to claim them. The notions in the Universal Declaration sound simple enough, but over the past 60 years, they have profoundly changed the human condition everywhere. 

However, there’s often a slip ‘twixt cup and lip. The “cup” grudgingly doing the pouring is a government that wants to hold tight to its power and not give any away, while the “lip” waiting to receive are populations eager for their rights. To fill the gap ‘twixt cup and lip are the human rights norms and laws that followed in the wake of the Universal Declaration. 

Perfect? Hardly. 

Improving? Certainly! 

The five fields of human rights laid out in the Universal Declaration and developed into treaties are called civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. The Universal Declaration begins: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (Article 1).” Is that in fact the way it is in today’s world? Aren’t some human beings treated as less free and less equal from the moment they are born? 

When you read, in Article 25, “All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection (social right),” you may find yourself questioning whether that right is currently being respected across the board. Or check out two Universal Declaration Articles on discrimination. One of them, Article 23, states: “Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work (economic right).” Article 7 covers the issue from a different angle: “All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination…(civil right).” From this emphasis on discrimination, you might correctly conclude that non-discrimination is a core principle in human rights. Yet Proposition 8, approved by voters in the recent elections, calls for amending the California State Constitution in order to affirm that some individuals who claim the right to enter into marriage with other individuals of the same sex will be treated differently. Is this discrimination? To further complicate this, look at the promise laid out in Article 12 that still awaits fulfillment: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home…(political right).”  

The first 60 years were hard. Goals have not all been reached. So let’s raise a hearty toast to the 60th, and then, everyone back to work. 

Rita Maran is vice president of the United Nations Association—USA, East Bay and Northern California districts. 

Probably more people in Berkeley and the Bay Area will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10 than in most other communities in the United States. Many of us spend some time every month working for human rights in the United States or somewhere in the world. Many of us have complained that the United States does not live up to the Universal Declaration, even though Eleanor Roosevelt played such an important role in getting it set down in print. Even in Berkeley relatively few folks have learned from lecturers that the declaration was a declaration, and was not The Law. 

Only a small number have heard the good news: the articles in the declaration have become law by being written into treaties the United States has ratified, since, under the Constitution, a treaty is the supreme law of the land. 

So, on Dec. 10, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Is the Law” will be issued by Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute. This small book is A Guide to U.D.H.R. Articles in Treaties Ratified by the U.S. 

Daily Planet readers will be interested to learn that all 30 of the rights and duties in the declaration are now part of U.S. law because they are in three treaties the United States ratified in 1992 and 1994. This book is the first effort to print each article in the declaration followed by the specific language repeating that phrase or concept in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Convention Against Torture (ICAT), and the International Convention on Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). 

Many people working for U.S. ratification of the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRD) will find in this book which articles in the Universal Declaration are now in these two treaties the United States has signed but not yet ratified. And I explained in the introduction that a treaty that has been signed is not supposed to be violated by the signing nation, even before it is ratified and can be affirmatively enforced. 

The New New Deal folks sent me a copy of Franklin Roosevelt’s proposed Second Bill of (Economic) Rights and it is so timely today I put it in the appendix, with its clear list of rights: the right to food, housing, medical care, and the right to work. The basic articles in the very early Code of Hammurabi of 1760 B.C. are also in the appendix, along with Magna Carta of 1215, and the basic English and French human rights declarations. We also included the little known (in the United States) Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights of 1981, with its specific declaration of some rights of women and of married women. 

William Monning, the newly elected Assembly member representing Santa Cruz County, writes that he “will carry in my pocket ‘The Universal Declaration Is the Law’ [to] serve as a critical guide to help me identify the language of treaties ratified by the United States that contain specific rights declared in the U.D.H.R.” And Arkansas Assembly member Lindsley Smith says, “This book will be a useful tool to strengthen enforcement of human rights in the United States.” Social justice activists and lawyers have told me they will start using this book, including Legal Services attorney Stephen Bingham, National Lawyers Guild former president John Brittain, and the Unitarian Universalist UN Office executive director Bruce F. Knotts. 

I will be talking about the book at the Gray Panthers Dec. 10 event at the North Berkeley Senior Center (1:30-3:30 p.m.) and at the UNA celebration at International House UC-Berkeley campus (noon-2 p.m.). 

I would be glad to try to answer any questions about the UDHR and The Law by e-mail, phone or fax, and to get together with others concerned about human rights in 2009.  

Ann Fagan Ginger is a the executive director of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute.

Many believe that Obama will be the “savior” who will rescue us from the political direction begun by the Bush regime. But so far his choice of top staff does not indicate positive change. Obama chose Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff. 

Emanuel previously served in the White House from 1993 to 1998. He was Bill Clinton’s assistant for political affairs and then senior advisor for policy and strategy. He was instrumental in the passage of major pieces of legislation during the Clinton years. On behalf of Clinton he pushed through the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also helped pass “welfare reform” which destroyed the already frayed safety net for millions of children and families. Can we expect similar feats during the Obama years? 

Emanuel’s father was a member of Irgun, an Israeli terrorist group that operated in Palestine from 1931 to 1948. In 1948 Irgun massacred over one hundred Palestinian villagers in a despicable act of genocide in Deir Yassin. No one should be branded with the “sins of their father.” But Emanuel has continued his father’s ardent support of Israeli state terrorism. 

In June 2003, despite President Bush’s almost unconditional support of Israel, Emanuel signed a congressional letter criticizing Bush for being too weak in that support. The letter supported Israel’s policy of assassinating Palestinian political leaders, stating that the assassination policy “was clearly justified as an application of Israel’s right to self-defense.” 

In July 2006 after Israel invaded Lebanon, Emanuel again defended Israeli aggression. He demanded that Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki not be allowed to deliver a speech to Congress because Maliki had branded Israel’s bombing of Lebanon as an act of aggression. On July 19th Emanuel made a speech supporting Israel’s bombing of Lebanon, despite the fact that the bombings had caused thousands of civilian casualties. Emanuel does not just confine his support of Israel to words. During the first Gulf War he joined the Israeli army. 

Emanuel has also been an ardent supporter of the current Iraq war. He supported the war resolution that authorized Bush to invade Iraq. When asked on “Meet the Press” whether he would have voted the same way “knowing that there are no weapons of mass destruction,” Emanuel answered affirmatively. He also voted to regularly fund the war and fought efforts to set a withdrawal timetable for U.S. troops. 

In 2006, he wrote a book entitled The Plan: Big Ideas for America. In the book he wrote, “We need to fortify the military’s ‘thin green line’ around the world by adding to the U.S. Special Forces and the Marines, and by expanding the U.S. army by 100,000 more troops.” (Obama has called for an increase of 92,000.) He also supported mandatory national service for everyone between the ages of 18 and 25. The book also called for the creation of a new domestic spying organization similar to England’s MI5. 

In 2005 Emanuel voted to make the Patriot Act permanent. This year he helped craft a compromise on FISA that allowed the continuation of massive spying on all Americans and others by U.S. spy agencies. Obama also supported the FISA legislation. 

In the lead-up to the 2006 Congressional elections, Emanuel was the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). He selected pro-war Democrat candidates and supported them in Democratic primary elections. Of the 22 candidates he selected, only one advocated immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq. (That candidate was from a very liberal district.) His DCCC denied funding and support to anti-war candidates. In a June 2006 congressional speech Emanuel pushed his pro-war agenda by stating, “The debate today is about whether the American people want to stay the course with an administration and a Congress that has walked away from its obligations or pursue a real strategy for success in the war on terror. … Democrats are determined to take the fight to the enemy.” 

Obama faces a massive financial crisis as incoming president. But do not worry, Emanuel has relevant experience. Clinton appointed Emanuel to a seat on the board of directors of the quasi-governmental Freddie Mac. Yes, one of the corporations that got the country into the financial crisis in the first place was directed by Emanuel. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight accused the board of Freddie Mac of having “failed in its duty to follow up on matters brought to its attention.” According to a complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Freddie Mac misreported profits by billions of dollars in order to deceive investors between the years 2000 and 2002. As a director, Emanuel was paid $31,060 in 2000 and $231,655 in 2001. 

Also during Emanuel’s tenure Freddie Mac was involved in a scandal regarding campaign contributions and accounting irregularities. In 2006, Freddie Mac was fined $3.8 million by the Federal Election Commission to settle claims that it illegally contributed to congressional candidates during the time when Emanuel was on the board and running for Congress. In his run for the House in 2002, Emanuel received $25,000 in campaign contributions from Freddie Mac. 

But we can be assured that Emanuel can deal with the financial industry just like the fox can guard the hen house. In the two-and-a-half years before he ran for Congress, Emanuel worked as an investment banker in Chicago earning more than $16 million. Evidently the financial industry loves him. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, during the 2008 election cycle, Emanuel was the House’s leading recipient of contributions “from hedge funds, private equity firms and the broader securities and investment industry.” 

Obama has chosen Emanuel to head up his White House operations. But the new chief of staff’s background hardly indicates that he will lead a charge for progressive changes. Instead the selection of Emanuel indicates continuing war and continuing financial ruin for the masses of people. 

Kenneth J. Theisen is an Oakland resident and steering committee member of the World Can’t Wait! Drive out the Bush regime! 

Considering the reams of bad publicity I’ve read regarding the Addison Street Window Gallery, I’d like to check in with my two cents regarding this wonderful enterprise. Back in 1993, the great Brenda Prager invited me, and fellow artist B.N. Duncan, to host our own gallery showing in the window, “Berkeley Artists on the Fringe”—a collection of oddball art by Berkeley street people. We couldn’t have asked for a more gracious host. In fact, it was the first public acknowledgment that my artwork had ever received from the town of Berkeley (whether this is a good or bad thing I’ll leave to you to decide). And it led to several other fruitful collaborations with the magnificent Berkeley Civic Arts program, including the recording of the “Telegraph Avenue Street Music” CD in 1994, with a big assist from Bonnie Hughes. 

Issues like “free speech” and “censorship” strike deep chords involving high ideals and moral principles, and etc. For that reason, I’m dismayed when I see these terms thrown around in such a sloppy and irresponsible fashion. I haven’t seen the artwork that inspired all the “controversy,” so I’m in no position to chime in on its merits. But I do find the knee-jerk reaction to all this somewhat repulsive. Certainly, a curator of any public exhibit has to apply standards for what is or isn’t presented in a public space. Certainly, pornographic images, or anti-social images, or images that promote criminal behavior would wisely be “censored” from a forum that is accessible to children. Also too, like it or not, the curator has to make aethetic judgments on the artistic merit of the work. For example, I could slop big piles of cow dung onto pedestals and put it in the window. Would that be “art”? Possibly. Would that be “good” or “bad” art? Possibly. Art is in the eye (and the nose) of the beholder. But so what? The point is, whenever you have dozens of artists or performers competing for a limited stage, a gate-keeper (i.e. a curator) has to decide what gets shown and what gets rejected. That’s just the reality of this big, cruel world of ours. The point being; there’s a big and crucial difference between having standards (and there will always be “arbitrary” standards when evaluating something as ethereal as art) and “censorship.” And for this reason, I’m deeply offended by the sloppy way these terms like “free speech” and “censorship” have been bandied around in this case. 

Even a paper such as the Daily Planet, which has a magnificent record for publishing a wide spectrum of viewpoints, many of which are no doubt repugnant to the editor, nonetheless has editorial standards for what it will or won’t publish. Is this “censorship"? I think not. (Unless, of course, Becky refuses to publish this letter, then I’m gong to start crying about how my “free speech” has been denied by these “fascists.”) 

In a related aside, we, the merchants and residents of Telegraph Avenue, have recently been dealing with a bunch of obnoxious evangelical Christians from out of town, who subject us to their ear-crunching amplified noise for five hours every Saturday, on a block that is already a cacophony of noise and sensory overload. Predictably, when we try to limit this public nuisance, we get the same old cries of “free speech” and “censorship.” Ironic, considering this isn’t “free speech”—it’s paid speech (you need to buy a permit for amplified sound)—and there are already plenty of legal limitations in place. But, as with the Windows Gallery controversy, all too often you get the knee-jerk blather about high ideals, which obscure the practical reality of a simple issue involving public space that is shared by everyone. 

All too often (maybe not necessarily in this case, but) mediocre artists throw these terms around, simply to get reams of publicity for mediocre artwork that mostly would have been ignored otherwise. “Why, my work is so powerful, it’s been banned!” And then, of course, the public has to see what all the fuss was about. 

At any rate, I’d like to express my appreciation for the great work done by the Addison Street Window Gallery over all these years. And to anyone who might disparage it, might I say: Hooey. 

Peter Labriola (aka Ace Backwords) is a Berkeley artist and Telegraph Avenue merchant.

Civic Arts Commissioner Stephanie Anne Johnson wrote a commentary in the Daily Planet supporting the restrictions on free speech imposed on the city-run Addison Street Windows Gallery. Commissioner Johnson deserves a response and the First Amendment a robust defense. 

Commissioner Johnson’s real quarrel is with the First Amendment. No one has argued that the city may not regulate the gallery. The city may impose reasonable time, space, and manner restrictions, as well as content- and viewpoint-neutral restrictions. The problem is that the “criteria” embraced by Commissioner Johnson are along the lines of “no images of guns”: a textbook example of content-based censorship prohibited by the First Amendment. The censorship by the curator of the gallery cannot be passed off as “curatorial judgment.” 

The argument for censorship of public speech because it might negatively affect children is rejected by commonsense and the courts. If we subject all public art to an “appropriateness for children” test, we will be left with pure pablum. It is settled law that the state may not restrict speech accessible to adults to a level appropriate for minors. For example, the courts have struck down laws banning tobacco advertisements near schools (Lorillard Tobacco v. Reilly), and large parts of the Communications Decency Act, which purported to protect children from indecency (Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union). 

The argument is made that the gallery is on the public right-of-way and therefore the range of allowed expression must be severely curtailed. The gallery is close to Shattuck Avenue which has a number of movie theaters that routinely display posters containing images of guns and other images that many might say glorifies violence, objectifies women, etc. No one would argue for censoring these movie posters by, for example, ban-ning all images of firearms. Nor would such censorship be allowed to stand by the courts. 

Commissioner Johnson argues against various “negative and destructive ‘isms.’” The expression of these “isms” enjoys the protection of the First Amendment. The expression of racist beliefs by the Ku Klux Klan, and of sexist beliefs by various churches and religions are protected by the First Amendment, just as much as the expression of belief in racial and sexual equality. The First Amendment exists not simply to allow us to sing the praises of mom and apple pie, but most especially to protect unpopular speech. Even speech that makes us uncomfortable or angry or disturbs us profoundly. 

On the specific case of the censorship of the “Art of Democracy” exhibit. Criteria such as “no images of guns” on art to be displayed in a city-run gallery constitute content-based censorship prohibited by the First Amendment. Therefore, the curator’s refusal to allow four posters in the exhibit to be displayed solely on that ground was unconstitutional. The gallery was a designated public forum at the time that the exhibit was canceled. Therefore, the appointment of a curator empowered to intrusively control the content of the forum was unconstitutional. 

The response of the Arts Commission is disappointing. The commission has tried to change the gallery from a designated public forum to one where the law may provide more shelter for restricting free speech. The gallery has been a designated public forum ever since it was created nearly 20 years ago. Curtailing free speech by other means oughtn’t to be the commission’s response. Restating the curator’s job description to prevent unconstitutional censorship in the future is better late than never. However, these actions now cannot make the previous censorship legal, nor excuse the prior inaction of the Commission. 

In February 2008, Doug Minkler and others asked the commission for help in preventing their art from being censored from the gallery. The commission did nothing. In October 2008, Art Hazelwood and Jos Sances eloquently stated the case against the curator’s censorship to the commission. The commission did nothing. How many other artists and exhibits were unconstitutionally censored from the Windows Gallery? Perhaps the commission has finally acted because the ACLU recently wrote the city about its unconstitutional actions regarding the gallery and citing legal precedents. 

The commission has avoided the question of redress for the censorship and its own previous inaction. There would be no pressing need for the commission to rewrite the rules now if the city had acted within the Constitution and the laws. Will Tony Bergqusit, Melanie Cervantes, Anita Dillman, Doug Minkler, Jos Sances, and other artists who have been subjected to illegal censorship be invited to show their art at the gallery? The commission has an obligation to the censored artists and the citizens of Berkeley to provide prompt restitution. 

Shankar Ramamoorthy is a Berkeley resident.

The Arts Commission’s response to the artist’s complaint of censorship thus far has resulted in a set of written restrictions on artists called “Guidelines for the Addison Street Windows.” These guidelines circumvent the artists’ First Amendment rights to free speech and can be summed up by the following excerpt from the new Addison Windows document: “Art must exhibit a high degree of consideration for citizens’ sensitivities to violence, sexual expression and negative portrayals of diverse populations.”  

There are at least two problems for artists regarding these guidelines. The request that art exhibit a high degree of consideration for citizens sensitivities appears reasonable and respectful, but reasonable and respectful should not be a requirements for artistic expression nor should artists be required to engage only in popular speech so as not to offend. Second, the guidelines are extremely vague. One person’s example of insensitivity may another person’s example of great art. What does it mean to show a high degree of consideration for citizens’ sensitivities to violence? We live in one of the most violent countries on the planet complete with torture facilities, lethal injection tables, and we are involved in multiple wars of aggression. Why are some people’s sensitivity to the depiction of such violence to be considered more important than the artist’s need to express and the community’s need to be informed about such issues?  

What specifically does the guideline about sexual expression mean? Does it mean that the unclothed human body that has been depicted by artists for thousands of years is off limits because it does not show sensitivity to some members of community? Whose sensitivity is the city referring to? How does an artist show the high degree of respect requested by the guidelines in the midst of Christians, Muslims, Jews and Mormons? Does this mean that the discussion of gender and sexual politics is unwelcome in Berkeley?  

As for the city’s final guideline—what do they mean by “sensitivity to negative portrayals of diverse populations.” In 1988 I did a poster proposing stopping U.S. aid to Israel. It was never attacked for its message of stopping the $11 million a day that goes to support Israel or for the artistic qualities of the poster. It was attacked and removed from public view throughout the city of Berkeley because some individuals were able to persuade business owners where the poster was exhibited that it showed “insensitivity to Jews.” An important debate on foreign policy was silenced behind the veil of what was at that time described as anti-Semitism. Today the same poster could be excluded from the Windows Gallery because its detractors or the curator could say “it does not show sensitivity to some of the diverse populations.”  

To the credit of the Berkeley Art Commission they have created an appeals procedure for artists who are unjustly treated by the curator. I would like to see the Commission go further and redress the past censorship. As one of the censored artists my questions to the city and the Arts Commission are: 1) Is the “Art of Democracy” exhibit going to be re-invited to exhibit? 2) Is the injustice done to past artists who were wrongly censored going to be addressed by re-inviting them to exhibit their work? 3) Is Art Hazelwood, the organizer of the “Art of Democracy” show, going to be thanked for his efforts to raise the issue of censorship to the city and commission?  

Finally my hope is that our art commissioners will include in the curator’s job description that the curator actively solicit art dealing with the urgent issues of our time. I suggest the arts commission create an actual list of issues such as war, criminal injustice, imperialism, immigration, sexual politics, capital punishment, Middle East foreign policy, etc. This will hopefully bring provocative and enlightening debate to Berkeley and continue the city’s history of honoring free speech and supporting the arts.  

Doug Minkler is a Berkeley artist.

A little more than a month ago, four U.S. Blackhawk helicopters cros-sed the Syrian border from Iraq and attacked a civilian farmhouse near the town of al-Sukkariyeh. The U.S. claims the farmhouse was an al-Qaeda way station and the eight men killed during the raid were terrorists, including a major al-Qaeda leader, Abu Ghadiya. The Syrians say the dead—five of them members of the same family—were building a house and had nothing to do with terrorism or al-Qaeda. A BBC report found that most of the dead appeared to be construction workers, including a night watchman, which suggests the raid may have been botched. 

Sorting out what happened, who authorized the attack, and what the motivations behind it were is not an academic exercise, but one that goes to the heart of the Bush Administration’s “pre-emptive war” policy and the problems the doctrine presents to the in-coming Obama Administration. 

When President George W. Bush outlined the strategy of pre-emptive war in his 2002 West Point address, he broke with more than 50 years of international law and a central tenent of the United Nations Charter. One of the pivotal initiatives that emerged from the carnage of World War II were rules to prevent unilateral attacks by one country on another. Since the aggressors in WW II-Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and imperial Japan—all claimed they were fighting “preventive wars,” the UN insisted that only an actual or “imminent” armed attack could trigger an all-out conflict. And such wars were only legal if the U.N. Security Council authorized them. 

There are a number of countries that have ignored these restrictions. The U.S., the Soviet Union, China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Israel, South Africa, Morocco and Britain all invaded other nations without bothering to get the blessing of the Security Council, mostly because it would not have been forthcoming. Still, the philosophy of “imminent danger” did play a certain restraining role through much of the last half century. For instance, the U.S. went through the process of obtaining UN authorization for Gulf War I. 

But in the name of “liberal interventionism,” the Clinton Administration and NATO openly broke with the covenant in 1999 and launched a 75-day air war on Serbia. Indeed, on a number of occasions the Bush White House has pointed to the Yugoslav War as a precedent for its own pre-emptive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

The Bush administration, however, added “terrorism” as a rationale for war. As the 2002 National Security Strategy document puts it, “The United States of America is fighting a war against terrorists of global reach. The enemy is not a single political regime or person or religion or ideology. The enemy is terrorism—premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetuated against innocents.” 

Elevating “terrorism” to “imminent danger” has allowed the Bush administration to invade two countries, expand the powers of the executive, undermine constitutional checks on surveillance, and ignore U.S. and international laws on torture and incarceration.  

Since “terrorism” is a tactic and a stratagem likely to be with us as long as one side in a conflict is vastly more powerful than the other, to wage “war on terror” is to fight a never-ending conflict. 

In his book Terror and Consent, Philip Bobbitt, a Columbia law professor and former national security advisor in the administrations of Jimmy Carter, George H. Bush, and Bill Clinton, and foreign policy advisor to John McCain, argues that “nation states” are passé, because terrorism is everywhere and nowhere. If you believe there are terrorists in Syria you can invade because the old rules of national sovereignty no long apply. (For a fuller discussion of Bobbitt, see David Cole’s discussion of his philosophy in the Dec. 4 New York Review of Books).  

So what was the attack on Syria about, and who authorized it? Was it a strategic decision made at the highest levels of government? Or CIA and Special Forces hot shots—Task Force 88 is rumored to be the unit involved—snorting too much meth-amphetamine? 

The latter explanation is possible. When Donald Rumsfeld was Defense Secretary he endowed the Special Forces with a great deal of independence, and it is not entirely out the question that the attack was just the military doing what the military does.  

According to U.S. Col. Pat Lang, a retired intelligence officer, Special Forces many times operate outside of the established military command structure. “If left to themselves, they would do this kind of thing. They don’t follow policy, they carried out their assigned mission,” he says. 

Which doesn’t mean that the highest levels of the Administration were not involved. Lang says the White House has often “bypassed the established chain of command” and that he has a “sneaking suspicion that the authority to do this comes right out of the White House.”  

That “authority” is based on a 2004 classified order by the Bush Administration giving the U.S. the right to attack “terrorists” in some 15 to 20 nations, including Pakistan, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and Iran. According to the New York Times, “Each specific mission requires high-level government approval.” 

The timing of the raid was certainly odd. While back in 2002 the Bush Administration declared Syria part of the “axis of evil,” relations between Washington and Damascus have improved in the last year. 

The former U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, recently praised Syria for tightening its border with Iraq, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem at the UN in September. Syria also agreed to open an embassy in Baghdad, established diplomatic relations with Lebanon, and helped broker a ceasefire between the warring parties in that country.  

Damascus has improved its relations with the European Union (EU) as well, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Lastly, with Turkey as a middleman, Syria and Israel have been discussing a peace treaty and a return of the Golan Heights. In short, Syria is beginning to break out of the isolation imposed on it by the U.S. and the EU. 

Which may be why it was targeted. A number of hawks in the Bush Administration, in particular Deputy National Security Advisor for the Middle East, Elliot Abrams and Vice-President Dick Cheney, have long advocated “regime change” in Syria. According to the Financial Times, the Bush Administration has discussed who should replace Assad, and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley was put in charge of the operation. Cross border attacks were seen as a way to make Assad look “weak,” thus encouraging a military coup.  

Abrams has long been close to Benjamin Netanyahu, who may be Israel’s next prime minister and who is implacably opposed to negotiations with either Syria or the Palestinians. A Netanyahu policy paper titled “A Clean Break” and authored by Cheney’s national security advisor, David Wurmser, advocates war with Syria. According to Israeli diplomats, during the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon, Abrams encouraged Tel Aviv to attack Syria. 

So was this a hit by the hawks? An attack on Syria would not only derail the delicate negotiations over Golan, it would also fire a shot across the bow of the EU. Jonathan Freedland of the British Guardian says that the raid was to remind “those uppity Europeans who’s in charge.” 

The Syrians are being very careful about how they react to the attack. While Damascus announced it would close a U.S. school, it has done little more than issue verbal protests. Syrian Foreign Minister al-Moallem told Der Speigel that Damascus has no wish to “escalate the situation,” nor give the U.S. an excuse to widen the attack. “We are not Georgia,” he added. 

Whether it was Special Forces out of control—unlikely—or a high level effort by hawks in the Bush Administration to torpedo efforts to reduce tensions in the region—likely—once again the U.S. has committed what in any other era would be considered an act of war. Princeton international law scholar Richard Falk called the raid a “serious violation of international law” and charged the Administration with “a unilateral expansion of the scope of the right of self-defense.” 

President-elect Barak Obama has somewhat contradictory views on this question of “pre-emptive war.” During the election he openly called for violating Pakistan’s borders: “If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and (then Pakistan) President Musharraf won’t act, we will.”  

On the other hand, he says he wants to strengthen international organizations like the U.N. And while his bellicosity on Afghanistan is worrisome, it might be more an effort to finesse a withdrawal from Iraq, and counter charges that he is “weak on terrorism,” than a full-blown commitment to escalate the conflict. 

For the past several decades the U.S. has felt it had the right to define its own sovereignty as pre-empting all others. That philosophy has led to several ruinous wars and deep international animosity directed at this country. If the Obama administration is serious about change it can start by rejecting force as a policy tool, a philosophy that has more in common with the law of the jungle than international law. 

Oakland, in the Jerry Brown years, practiced an unofficial policy of what might be called “community cleansing.” This is not to be confused with “ethnic cleansing,” the horrific activity in parts of, say, Eastern Europe or Central Africa where whole ethnic populations are violently and bloodily removed, either through exile or actual genocide. No, Mr. Brown’s “community cleansing” policies were far more genteel, involving little violence (though some—that’s what the whole Oakland Riders police scandal was about) and targeting not whole ethnic groups, but rather portions of the population that were considered as being “undesirables.” Part of this involved harassment, part of it deliberate neglect of certain population segments and entire neighborhoods. In their place, Mr. Brown sought to attract more “desirable” (in his opinion) Oakland residents. Thus, while whole neighborhoods wasted away in the Brown administration, havens for crime and violence and poverty, Mr. Brown put millions of dollars of city funds into shiny new neighborhoods (the famous “10K plan”) that sought to attract people to live in Oakland who had previously looked down upon the city. 

Such a doctrine is generally called “gentrification,” although in Mr. Brown’s case, it was given the name “Jerryfication.” 

I wrote about the Jerry Brown Community Relocation Doctrine in countless columns during the time Mr. Brown was mayor of Oakland—both for the Daily Planet and an earlier version for the now-defunct Oakland UrbanView—and I will point out examples, if you’re interested. Someday I suppose I ought to collect them all in a book and publish and distribute them so that Californians will be able to see what a mess Mr. Brown made of Oakland, and what’s in store if we grant him another set of keys to the California governor’s mansion. But that’s for another day. 

In any event, you will look in vain for any Jerry Brown pronouncement that actually spelled out the intent of his Oakland policies. Politicians, bless their hearts, rarely hand us such gifts. And so we have to go to other sources. 

Recently, an anonymous local blogger calling himself/herself/themselves the “East Bay Conservative” has written a couple of entries that—while outlining EBC’s own social views about what should happen in Oakland—seemed to sum up quite distinctly the Jerry Brown Doctrine. 

(A word about this anonymous posting thing. I know it is currently the fashion to post opinions on the Internet under an anonymous name, but while I respect people’s right to follow fashion, I don’t always agree with the result. There can be legitimate reasons why someone needs to keep their identity secret while publicizing their opinions or disseminating information, someone working in a sensitive government or company position, for example, or someone who might be under the threat of imminent violence if their identity was known. But in much of modern Internet discussion in this country, such instances are the exemption. Mostly, I think, anonymous Internet posters keep themselves anonymous because it is an emboldening thing, giving them the false courage to say things they would not otherwise say—or say with a different tone or with different words. It also allows them, at a later point, to switch—anonymously—to another tagname without the nasty necessity of having to remain consistent with the opinions voiced under the first. Under these circumstances, anonymity is a refuge, a hiding place. But that’s just my opinion, and because these folks are all anonymous, it’s impossible to tell who on the Internet has a legitimate and understandable reason for keeping their identity secret, and who is taking advantage.) 

Anyway, in a Nov. 4 blog entry entitled “Voting Is A Waste Of Your Time,” EBC (East Bay Conservative) explained why she—or he—bothered to write extensively about local government issues after saying that “there is largely no point to voting. … [E]ven if ‘your’ candidate wins, you have no concrete or meaningful way to translate that election win into predictable positive consequences for you.”  

He—or she—blogs about local political issues, EBC writes, because it may be possible to affect the outcome of those issues by changing a few minds.  

“More importantly,” EBC continues, “I view politics as an excellent source of good humor. I enjoy watching politicians repeatedly lie to constituents about their plans to “solve” various problems. … Of course, the only reason why I can view the terrible actions of our local politicians with such good humor is that none of them really affect me—aside from taxation, that is. And, as readers of this blog know, I view local taxation as somewhat positive as much of it is regressive, which drives out the poor and improves the community.” 

Driving out the poor improves the community? 

EBC elaborated on that thought two weeks later in a Nov. 17 entry entitled “Nirvana Realized: Oakland At 837 Cops.” In giving her—or his—support for a new Oakland “regressive” tax measure above and beyond Measure Y to add more Oakland police above Measure Y’s 803 cap, EBC writes, “By diverting tax money from liberal social programs to the police … the city is sending out a clear message to the poor: Get Out. The same goes for regressive parcel taxes which hit hardest those who can least afford them. This is exactly what Oakland needs to do. Tax the poor and stop spending money to support them. Our city lies at the gateway to San Francisco. We have BART stations which will whisk a business commuter to Market Street in under 15 minutes. What we need is an environment more conducive to getting those people to live here. That means keeping prices cheaper than San Francisco … and it means making the streets livable. … May our better-policed city flourish!” 

This would amount to little more than empty ranting by a non-influential citizen, except for the fact that the policies espoused are in many ways—though cleaned up and prettified—the policies of the City of Oakland, not only under former Mayor Jerry Brown, but continuing into the administration of Mayor Ron Dellums. 

For some years, I have been writing about how the city portioned off the flatlands section of Deep East Oakland—the area from High Street to the San Leandro border—to apply a special policy of crime prevention by massive traffic stops. The procedure began during one of Oakland’s murder surges, when Oakland flooded streets of the DEO (Deep East Oakland) with patrol cars driven officers from Oakland, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol with something called Operation Impact. The procedure was to stop as many cars driving through the community as possible—running license and ticket checks on the cars, outstanding warrant checks on the drivers and all passengers, and inspections of the vehicles—all with the hope of finding some transgression, minor or otherwise, giving the officers the excuse to search the cars, with the hope of turning up some serious illegality. When the murder rate slowed and the “sideshows” came into the news, the stated purpose of Operation Impact was switched over to address that problem. These should not be confused with DUI checkpoints, which are another type of operation altogether, looking specifically for drug- or alcohol-impaired drivers rather than Operation Impact’s random searches of cars and the persons inside them. While Operation Impact itself eventually faded away, the OPD traffic sweeps in the DEO have continued to this day—past the Brown administration and into the Dellums administration—as a crime-fighting “tool.” 

While this was happening east of High Street in the DEO’s African-American and Latino flatlands neighborhoods, the OPD traffic sweeps got almost no media attention. But that changed when the sweeps moved west into the Fruitvale, with its large extra-legal Latino immigrant population. Earlier this month, the East Bay Express suddenly took interest, publishing a November 5 article by reporter Jocelyn Wiener (“Stepped-Up Enforcement of Traffic Laws Chills Fruitvale”) that read, in part: “Residents of Oakland’s heavily Latino Fruitvale neighborhood are staying home from work, avoiding trips to the grocery store, and making alternative arrangements to pick up their children from school—or, in some cases, not sending them at all. The community’s undocumented immigrants—from day laborers to high school students to homemakers—say they’ve been deeply frightened by stepped-up traffic enforcement along International Boulevard in recent weeks. … The community’s undocumented residents and their advocates say officers have been stopping drivers, asking for licenses, and confiscating the cars of those who can’t produce them. Those cars are often as good as lost, with impound fees and tickets quickly adding up to thousands of dollars.” 

Ms. Wiener wrote an excellent article, with the single exception that she wrote about it as an isolated situation—isolated to the Fruitvale and the impact on extralegal Latino immigrants—and failed to understand that this was not a new police tactic at all, but merely an expansion of an existing tactic already long in effect just to the south. 

This is just my guess from casual observation, but the problem appears to be exacerbated by the influx of new police officers on Oakland’s streets, as part of Mr. Dellums’ push to bring the uniformed police staff to full strength. Training these new officers to do regular patrols and investigative and preventative work takes time. The rookies can more easily fill up the quota of bodies needed for these traffic sweeps. 

Former Mayor Jerry Brown ran a policy that made it clear that certain Oakland residents were more desired than others (and many people from outside the city were more desired, still), something which is in line with the “out with the poor” philosophies of East Bay Conservative (whoever it is he or she means by “the poor”). Mr. Dellums—a native of one of the rougher communities in West Oakland—has a distinctly different view of Oakland and its residents, putting an equal value on all of the people who live here, and wanting to spread city services equally from citizen to citizen, and neighborhood to neighborhood. But policies like the OPD “crime-fighting-by-traffic-sweep” have bled over from the Brown administration into the Dellums, and two years into that administration, it’s something that the mayor needs to address and to end. Let us hope that the attention on the Fruitvale sweeps brings attention—and an end—to these traffic sweeps in the Deep East Oakland as well, and any place else in the city they are being implemented. 

If it’s not Oakland policy to drive “the poor” out, then we ought to act accordingly.

In dealing with Sudden Oak Death, we’re trying to limit or cope with an enormous wide-ranging biological change, the sort of thing we can’t quite map let alone stop. Its outlines are almost fractal; one complication leads to more and those to more still, and that’s true at whatever scale we see it. But fractals can be calculated, and we don’t quite have the knowledge to calculate this stuff precisely. 

Scale changes our maps in a perverse way right from the start: The smaller-scale the organism that’s been introduced to a naïve population, the larger the effects will be. That’s practically a law of history. Europeans inflicted breathtakingly evil slaughter on the humans they met in the Americas, but guns and steel were outdone in killing by the germs they brought with them, long before they had a clue about microorganisms.  

Similarly, we can’t stop Phytophthera ramorum by sitting in treetops or in front of bulldozers or in courts of law. As UC Environmental Science researcher Brice McPherson put it, “There’s no way to eliminate the pathogen short of a neutron bomb—if even that worked.”  

We can’t protect wild trees from it or from opportunistic insects like the ambrosia beetles that are apparently making individual infections invariably fatal. They’re also making individual sick trees more dangerous to humans and other animals; their galleries, bored into damaged tree limbs, can be so quickly numerous as to make the limb fall off spontaneously. Bad news compounds bad news when the trees we’re talking about are in the parks that do double duty as wildland preserves and recreational refuges for us breakable humans.  

We’re doing one thing right, at least—or at least not doing one thing we did wrong against the chestnut blight that devastated Eastern North American forests less than a century ago. Yielding to our cultural imperative to Do Something and helpless to cure beloved chestnut trees, foresters tried clearcutting a cordon sanitaire around many of the identified loci of infection. This, along with strict quarantine zones, might have worked except that spores of what we currently call Cryphonectria parasitica—a true fungus, unlike P. ramorum—traveled faster than law or loggers.  

In their thoroughness, foresters leveled every chestnut they could get to in these areas, healthy-looking or not. Now we find ourselves scouring the continent for isolated remnant chestnuts in hope that these individuals were exposed to the blight but managed to resist or survive it. Biologists have been collecting seed and crossbreeding some with resistant Asian chestnuts to renew the species.  

There are chestnut orchards in America now, some local to us, but the eastern forests have been changed forever. Even the oaks that replaced the chestnuts in some ways are showing problems now, partly because they’re all about the same age, an unnatural situation, a sort of temporal monoculture.  

Some oaks in the hardest-hit, best-studied places in Marin County are surviving the first tide of death. Their resistance might be inheritable.  

Meanwhile, redwoods are said to be sweeping into some oak-deprived places. It would be good to see that devastated species make a comeback too.

Why do so many people have horror stories about remodeling and the contractors who perform this work? Is there a direct line from the Mafia to the remodeling industry? Do they post notices in High School locker rooms reading “School not working out? Why not try contracting? Anyone can qualify!” As a recovering contractor and one who inspects the work of contractors, I have had occasion to see both sides of this curious and often heated area of commerce. 

First, there are some very talented handypersons and contractors out there and they’re worth their weight in gold. Among the best contractors, you will find folks with the aesthetics of artists, the business acumen of Wall Street traders and the organizational skill of CEOs. These are a special breed and worthy of their fees and of our respect.  

However, the worse-case scenarios, in which contractors fail us, are also, accurate portrayals of occasional occurrences. Part of the problem is that anyone can call themselves a contractor, pass out a flier and dive in with both feet and a crowbar.  

It’s important to note that licensing is no guarantee of good quality. There are loads of schools that can prepare someone with virtually no construction skills to pass the test over a single weekend (many let you keep taking the test until you pass.) Still, the advantage in hiring a licensed individual is that there are greater opportunities for recourse in cases of poor quality or some other bad behavior, although I would argue that this is a pretty poor excuse for a hiring strategy.  

A licensed contractor must post a bond (currently set at $12,500), which one may capture to pay off poor or unfinished work if the case can be justified. Getting and maintaining a contractors license takes some work and some commitment and surely places this individual above the lowest tier of skilled (and perhaps unskilled) personnel. 

Further, a contractor will generally try to avoid having their valued license clouded by complaints or lost entirely due to an infraction of the law, so one stands an increased chance of having a good experience with a licensed contractor. 

Homeowners are partially responsible for the proliferation of bad construction experiences when they make their hiring decisions based focally (if not solely) on economics. That said, I have great sympathy with those who try to get work done cheaply. Construction, and even minor repairs can seem terribly expensive but as you will see, the net result of underpaying is often harsh and, in the long-run, rarely worth the savings. 

For any given job, Mrs. Jones may elicit three or four bids from names she’s collected (actually, most people won’t get that many bids and may suffer for it.) It’s often the case that some of these bidders will not be prepared to do the job properly and will bid commensurately (too low). Some may, in fact, bid far lower than the reasonable cost of the work virtually assuring some sorry result or some financial surprises during the job (these same contractors often have to ask for extra money during the project). These unqualified workers (including ill-equipped licensed ones) will have reduced the real cost of work beneath a level where competent persons can do it properly, even in a competitive environment. But because they appear to be a bargain, they’re more likely to get the job. As a result, good contractors can’t compete and are, in fact, continually being driven out of business. That’s right. The best people are constantly being driven out because of the popularity of lower bidding contractors who are incapable of doing the job right. This must seem very odd but it’s quite true. 

Another result of this collection of ill-effects is that Mrs. Jones becomes one more person who thinks that all contractors are fools or thieves or both when she was actually an active participant in the downslide of quality in the marketplace.  

Houses are where we live and we rely profoundly upon their proper function and their safety every day. Low quality repair-work or remodeling can leave us resentful and regretful as we cook our meals or brush our teeth and have to live with the loose sink, the uneven tile or the misplaced window that could have been done well for a one-time higher outlay. 

It seems to me that it’s a much better (though often untaken) path to pay more for each job, do fewer jobs each year and have work that lasts and performs well. This is a serious task for the homeowner. First you must find good folks. They will not be the low bidders in most cases. They are much more often among the higher bidders. They can also generally read and write and speak like good business-folk. Look at the literature and contracts offered to you: the quality of these documents speaks volumes. Request references and actually call them. 

If you are doing more than one small job, go and see their previous clients and the completed work (most people are pleased as punch to show off these small triumphs). This doesn’t guarantee that you won’t have a “bad fit” with this contractor, but it gives you a much improved chance of liking the work s/he will do for you. Also, I strongly recommend that you feel some affinity with your contractor. Remember that you’ll be essentially “living” with this person when he or she works for you—sometimes for weeks or months. Distrust or discomfort from the beginning often leads to disappointments later on. Frankly, some people aren’t suited for major remodeling on this basis but that’s truly another discussion. 

Lastly, if you are having trouble with a contractor, try and talk with them. Tell them what you want and try to listen and think about the responses. I like to employ the dictum of W.A.I.T. (why am I talking.) Be sure to hear what they are saying and take your time in replying. 

Just asking for it to be cheaper will generally lead to bad places, but if you’re working on a time and materials basis, you can stop (or redirect) work until you’ve figured out a new strategy. If you’re on a fixed bid and you’re unhappy about some aspect that cannot be talked out easily, seek a mediator or third party. 

Professional mediators are worth their weight in platinum. Remember that most licensed contractors who have been in the same business in the same area for ten years or more have had to learn to provide some satisfaction for their clients. That level of professionalism almost always means that they may be twice as expensive as someone who doesn’t know how to do that. 

Each of us has a choice when we face our next home improvement task: become part of a system that produces faulty workmanship, or support genuinely good crafts persons. Pay now or pay later. I hope you’ll be smart, lucky and happy with the results. 

THURSDAY, DEC. 4 

THEATER 

Nursha Project of the Oakland Public Theater “Children of the Last Days” Written and performed by Thandiwe Thomas De Shazor Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Noodle Factory Performing Arts Center, 1255 26th St., #207 at Union, Oakland. Tickets are $9-$20.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fidel y el Moncada vistos por Canet” A slide show of prints by artist Antonio Canet Hernandez at 6:30 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6559. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

International Body Music Festival a lecture on the origins of body music with Crosspulse Artistic Director Keith Terry and others at 8 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$10. 238-2200.  

Osha Neumann reads from “Up Against the Wall Motherfker: A Memoir with Notes on Reason, Obsession, and the Dream of Revolution” at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Ronald Sundstrom reads from “The Browning of America” at 6 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

Poetry Flash with Peter Neil Carroll and Jared Smith at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Eliyahu & Qadim, music of the Near East, at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

George Coles & Vive le Jazz at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

The Sonando Project, Michael Bello and Kevin Odea at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

Jesse Michaels, Kevin Seconds at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

B-Side Players at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $14-$20. 238-9200.  

FRIDAY, DEC. 5 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “A Taffeta Christmas” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Dec. 21. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “The Devil’s Disciple” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. through Dec. 7. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley High School and SHIFT Theatre “Madwoman of Chaillot” by Jean Giradoux, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Florence Schwimley Little Theater, 1929 Allston Way. Tickets are $6-$12.  

Berkeley Rep “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St, through Dec. 14. Tickets are $13.50-$71. 647-2949.  

Berkeley Rep “The Arabian Nights” Tues.-Sun. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Jan. 4. Tickets are $27-$71. 647-2949. berkeleyrep.org 

“Bruising for Besos” A solo play examining domestic violence, written and performed by Adelina Anthony, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$13. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Greater Tuna” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Dec. 7. 524-9132.  

Impact Theatre “Tallgrass Gothic” Thurs.-Sat at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, to Dec. 20. Tickets are $10-$17. 464-4468. impacttheatre.com 

Masquers Playhouse “Do I Hear a Waltz?” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Pt. Richmond, through Dec. 20. Tickets are $20. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

Nursha Project of the Oakland Public Theater “Children of the Last Days” Written and performed by Thandiwe Thomas De Shazor Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Noodle Factory Performing Arts Center, 1255 26th St., #207 at Union, Oakland. Tickets are $9-$20.  

“Oakland 1946” Perfromance celebrating the General Strike at 8 p.m. at Latham Square, downtown Oakland. www.oakland1946.blogspot.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“L.A. Paint” Gallery Tour with Phil Linhares, curator and Ron Tuner at 7 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200.  

NIAD 25th Anniversary Retrospective Works by artists with developmental and other disabilities. Artist reception at 6 p.m. at Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. Exhibition runs to Jan. 13. 763-9470. 

“Christmas and Other Colors” Paintings by Julie Ross at Britt Marie, 1369 Solano Ave. through Dec. 21. 527-0173.  

“Suenos Mensajeros/Dream Messengers” Works by Luz Marina Ruiz. Reception at 6 p.m. at NoneSuch Space, 2865 Broadway at 29th St., 2nd flr., Oakland. 625-1600. 

“Out of Darkness” A show of Winter Solstice altars. Opening reception Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at Oakopolis, 447 25th St., Oakland. 663-6920. 

“Color is King” Art by eight Bay Area artists. Open Fri. from 6 to 10 p.m. and Sat. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Uptown Body & Fender, 401 26th St., Oakland. 420-7900 ext. 111. 

“Plein Air Watercolors” by Anne Poley, Annetta Fox, and Linda Oppen. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park, through Dec. 28. 525-2233. 

“Pen, Paint, and Paper Through Time” Paintings, drawings, prints and giclees from 1970 to 2008 by Laura Basha. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at Awaken Cafe, 414 14th St., Oakland. 836-2058. 

“Retrograde: New Work” Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Mercury 20 Gallery, 25 Grand Ave., at Broadway, Oakland. www.mercurytwenty.com 

“Open Space” Works by Zachary Royer Scholz. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Chandra Cerrito Contemporary, 25 Grand Ave., upper level, Oakland. 415-577-7537.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Handsome Books: Decorative Bindings of the 19th and 20th Centuries” with Martin Holden at 6 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

Deborah Nelson discusses her new book, “The War Behind Me: Vietnam Veterans Confront the Truth” at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. 

Dave Weinstein describes “It Came From Berkeley” at 7 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, Holiday Jazz Classics at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Bay Area Classical Harmonies “Incarnation: Advent and Christmas Music of Eastern Orthodox Traditions” at 7:30 p.m. at Arlington Community Church, 52 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Tickets are $15-$28. 868-0695. www.bayareabach.org 

“Advent Lessons and Carols” at 6 p.m. at the Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. Free.  

Larry Vann Band at 7 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Deno Gianopoulos, piano, performs works of Mozart, Chopin and Brahms, at 8 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10-$15. www.hillsideclub.org 

Ballet Flamenco José Porcel at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $24-$48. 642-9988.  

Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir at 8 p.m. at Sacred Space at Rudramandir 830 Bancroft Way, at 6th. TIckets are $25-$30. 486-8700.  

Dick Hindman Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373.  

Eric Swinderman’s Quintet “Straight Outta Oakland” at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Bongo Love, Chinyakare Ensemble, music from Zimbabwe, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

House Jacks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

The Royal Deuces, The High Rhythm Hustlers at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Social Unrest, Arnocorps, United Defiance at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

The Green Machine at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

MURS, hip hop, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15-$20. 548-1159.  

Gato Barbieri at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $18-$30. 238-9200.  

SATURDAY, DEC. 6 

CHILDREN  

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

Tony Borders Puppets for 3-7 year olds at 10:30 a.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., 3rd Flr. 981-6223. 

“Some Babies Sleep” with illustrator Paul Tong at 1 p.m. at Museum of Children’s Art, 538 Ninth St., Suite 210, Oakland. 456-8770. www.mocha.org 

Jean Paul Valjean “Short Attention Span Circus” Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

Andy Z at 11 a.m. at Studio Grow, 1235 10th St. Cost is $7. 526-9888. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Lines of Communication” A group art show at 4th Street Studio, 1717d 4th St. Reception at 7 p.m. www.fourthstreetstudio.com 

Albany Community Art Show from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany. Artwork includes oil and acrylic paintings, giclee prints, photography, jewelry, cards and other gift items.  

Mongolian Papercut Exhibit from 1 to 4 p.m. at Silk Road House, 1944 University Ave. 981-0700. www.silkroadhouse.org  

THEATER 

“Playback Theatre” Personal stories shared by audience members instantly transformed by the ensemble into improvised theatre pieces at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $12-$15. 595-5500, ext. 25. www.livingartscenter.org 

Shotgun Players “Macbeth” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Jan. 11. Tickets are $18-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

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 

FILM 

“Attack!” with introduction by critic David Thomson at 6 p.m., “Kiss Me Deadly” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Winners of the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles 18th Annual National Literary Awards & 12th Annual PEN Oakland Censorship Award, with keynote address by poet Michael McClure at 2 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland. Free. 681-5652. 

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

Harold Davis, featured artist in “100 Views of the Golden Gate” at 7 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra “The Geography of Emotions” Selections of Opera Choruses with Marcelle Dronkers, soprano, and Richard Goodman, baritone at 8 p.m. at St. Joseph The Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations greatly appreciated.  

“Meet the Symphony!” Family concert with Berkeley Symphony at 9:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. at Malcolm X Elementary School Auditorium, 1731 Prince St. Tickets are $5-$10. 841-2800. www.berkeleysymphony.org 

San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra Renaissance and modern mandolin compositions at 7:30 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. 1501 Washington Ave., Albany. Cost is $10-$15. 525-1716 www.sfmandolin.com 

Oakland-East Bay Gay Men's Chorus “Oh What Fun, A Holiday Variety Show” at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$20. 800-706-2389. www.oebgmc.org 

Philharmonia Baroque “Natale Barocco” Scarlatti, Corelli, Vivaldi and more at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing. Tickets are $30-$72. 415-252-1288. 

Contra Costa Chorale and Kensington Symphony Orchestra “Tidings of Joy” at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Admission is free. 527-2026. 

Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir Holiday Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $5-$30. 465-6400. 

Voci Women's Vocal Ensemble “Voices in Peace VIII: Fire in the Air” at 8 p.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Parish, 2005 Berryman St. Tickets are $17-$20, free for children under 12. 531-8714. www.vocisings.com 

Pacific Boychoir Academy “Harmonies of the Season” at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $15-$20. 652-4722. www.pacificboychoiracademy.org 

Senior Chamber Symphony Fall Concert including Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture and Haydn’s Symphony No. 83 by senior members of the Young People’s Chamber Orchestra at 7 p.m. at All Souls Church, 2220 Cedar St. Tickets are $5-$10. www.ypco.org  

Neema Hekmat and Friends “A Musical Journey through Persia” at 5 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$20. 800-838-3006. 

Ballet Flamenco José Porcel at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $24-$48. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Ellen Robinson & Her Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

MJ Greenmountain with members of Hamsa Lila at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

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

Tom Russell at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $26.50-$27.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Laurie Antonelli “Intrinsic Music” at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

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

The SAGA: Saturday Afternoon Gallery Acoustic, music open mic with Philip Rodriguez at 2 p.m. at Frank Bette Center for the Arts, 1601 Paru St., at corner of Lincoln and Paru, Alameda. Donations appreciated. 931-7646. 

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. 

The Devil Makes Three, the Brother Comatose at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $15. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

“Circle Fest 2008” at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

Gato Barbieri at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $18-$30. 238-9200.  

SUNDAY, DEC. 7 

THEATER 

“Oakland 1946” Perfromance celebrating the General Strike at 2 p.m. at Latham Square, downtown Oakland. www.oakland1946.blogspot.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“L.A. Paint” Tour of the exhibition at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“EIGHT peace is ...” Photographs printed on wood, copper and books by Keba Konte, through Jan. 18 at Guerilla Cafe, 1620 Shattuck Ave. 845-2233. www.guerillacafe.com 

FILM 

African Diaspora Film Society “Negroes with Guns” the story of Robert F. Williams who fought racist terrorism of the Jim Crow South, at 2 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5. 814-2400. 

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

READINGS AND LECTURES 

NaNoWriMo Young Writers read from their works at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Poetry Flash with Rick Barot and Victoria Chang at 3 p.m. at Diesel, 5433 College Ave., Oakland. 653-9965. 

Egyptology Lecture “Horses and Chariots in Ancient Egypt” with Kathy Hansen, independent scholar at 2:30 p.m. at Barrows Hall, Room 20, Barrow Lane and Bancroft Way, UC campus. 415-664-4767. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra “The Geography of Emotions” Selections of Opera Choruses with Marcelle Dronkers, soprano, and Richard Goodman, baritone at 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph The Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations greatly appreciated. 

Martin Luther King Jr., Middle School Jazz Concert with the Jazz Workshop Ensemble and the Equanimous Jones Quartet at 8 p.m. at the school auditorium, 1781 Rose St. 

“Blue Christmas” at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Donations accepted. 465-4793. 

“Central Javanese Gamelan Music from Village and Court” at 7 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin, perfroms Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D minor at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$20. 684-7563. 

Oakland-East Bay Gay Men's Chorus “Oh What Fun, A Holiday Variety Show” at 5 p.m. at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$20. 800-706-2389. www.oebgmc.org 

“Messiah-Sing” in Baroque style, at 6 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Suggested donation $15, no one turned away. 525-0302. 

Philharmonia Baroque “Natale Barocco” Scarlatti, Corelli, Vivaldi and more at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing. Tickets are $30-$72. 415-252-1288. 

Soli Deo Gloria “Mixed Blessings” at 3:30 p.m. at St. Philip Neri, 3108 Van Buren St., Alameda. Tickets are $20-$25. www.sdgloria.org 

“Hidden Saints and Drunken Sages” Songs and stories inspired by Jewish spirituality at 7 p.m. at JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut. Tickets are $10-$18. 848-0237. 

Nicolas Bearde’s Holiday Jazz and Blues Concert at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Po’Girl at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MONDAY, DEC. 8 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Dan Piraro, creator of “Bizarro” discusses his cartoons at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express with Clive Matson at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Swedish Folk Music with Mark Walstrom at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

TUESDAY, DEC. 9 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Poetry Beyond Borders” A multimedia poetry reading featuring live music and local artists, at 7 p.m. at Heller Lounge, MLK Jr. Student Union, UC campus. Proceeds go to Save Darfur. poetrybeyondborders@gmail.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tri Tip Trio 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 

Chris Botti at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun., at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$40. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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 

Afro Cuban Ensembles of San Francisco State, directed by John Calloway, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Balkan Folkdance at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $7. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Rumbache at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Salsa dance lessons at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Bill Evans & Megan Lynch at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Eric Roberson at 8 p.m. at Maxwell’s, 341 13th St., Oakland. Cost is $15.  

THURSDAY, DEC. 11 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fresh Work” Kala Artists’ Annual Exhibition Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

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

“Christmas and Other Colors” Paintings by Julie Ross at Britt Marie, 1369 Solano Ave. through Dec. 21. 527-0173. julierossart.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Story Hour in the Library with Sylvia Brownrigg reading from her latest novel “Morality Tale” at 5 p.m. in 190 Doe Library, UC Campus. 643-4715. storyhour.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

New Century Chamber Orchestra “Celebrate the Holidays” at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $32-$54. 415-357-1111. www.ncoo.org 

The Dance, Blake Williams, Spohia at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

“Three Decembers” An opera by Jake Heggie at 7:30 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $48-$86. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

“An Evening Down Under” with didjeridu artist, Stephen Kent at 7 p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. Tickets are $10-$15. 665-0305.  

Kenny White at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Funk Revival Orchestra, Snake Plissken Quintet, Kiyoshi Foster Group at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

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

Chris Botti at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun., at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$40. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, DEC. 12 

CHILDREN 

“Coppelia: The Doll with the Porcelain Eyes” Puppet Show at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “A Taffeta Christmas” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Dec. 21. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Berkeley High School and SHIFT Theatre “Madwoman of Chaillot” by Jean Giradoux, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Florence Schwimley Little Theater, 1929 Allston Way. Tickets are $6-$12.  

Berkeley Rep “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St, through Dec. 14. Tickets are $13.50-$71. 647-2949. berkeleyrep.org 

Berkeley Rep “The Arabian Nights” Tues.-Sun. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Jan. 4. Tickets are $27-$71. 647-2949. berkeleyrep.org 

Impact Theatre “Tallgrass Gothic” Thurs.-Sat at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, to Dec. 20. Tickets are $10-$17. 464-4468. impacttheatre.com 

Masquers Playhouse “Do I Hear a Waltz?” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Pt. Richmond, through Dec. 20. Tickets are $20. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

“Mi Bandera es la Tierra” written and performed by Nicolas Valdez and Maria Ibarra at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Shotgun Players “Macbeth” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Jan. 11. Tickets are $18-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Elevating Art” An eclectic winter showcase. Reception at 6 p.m. at Berkeley City College Raw Space Gallery, 2050 Center St. 526-1143. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

The Best of Actors Reading Writers short story readings by local actors, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Suggested donation $8-$15. 932-0214. 

Joe Shakarchi and Alice Templeton will read their poetry at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave., a little north of Hearst, in Berkeley, as part of the Last Word Reading Series. There is also an open reading. 841-6374. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Ballet Theater “The Nutcracker” at 7 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 7 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $17-$23. 843-4689. berkeleyballet.org 

Sacred & Profane “All-Britten Holiday Concert” at 8 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $15-$20. www.sacredprofane.org 

“Three Decembers” An opera by Jake Heggie at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $48-$86. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

The Irrationals at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. East Coast Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Al Stewart at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $29.50-$30.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The California Honeydrops, CD release party, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8-$10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

Beep! Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Netta Brielle at 9 p.m. at Maxwell’s, 341 13th St., Oakland. Cost is $10.  

SATURDAY, DEC. 13 

CHILDREN  

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

Tony Borders Puppets for 3-7 year olds at 10:30 a.m. at Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 981-6280. 

“Coppelia: The Doll with the Porcelain Eyes” Puppet show, Sat. and Sun. at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Letters from Noto, Living in Japan, 1955 to 1964” Photography of David Beckman. Opening reception at 1 p.m. at Alta Galleria, 2890 College Ave., Suite 4. 414-4485. www.altagalleria.com 

“Celebrate Diversity” New paintings by Rita Sklar, at Bucci’s, 6121 Hollis St., Emeryville, through Jan. 8. 531-1404. 

THEATER 

Women’s WIll “Holiday Memories” Sat. at at 7 p.m. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$15. 420-0813. www.womanswill.org 

FILM 

“Ulzana’s Raid” with introduction by Adell Aldrich at 8:40 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Jewish Film Series “Every Time We Say Goodbye” at 7 p.m. at Temple Israel, 3183 Mecartney Rd., Alameda. Cost is $10. 522-9355. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Carolyn R. Crampton describes “Bunny Language or ‘Are You going to Eat That?’” at 2 p.m. at RabbitEars, 377 Colusa Ave. Kensington. 525-6155. 

The Best of Actors Reading Writers short story readings by local actors, at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Donation $8-$15. 932-0214. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Ballet Theater “The Nutcracker” at 2 and 7 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $17-$23. 843-4689. berkeleyballet.org 

Winterberry Carollers “A Gaelic Christmas Choral Concert” at 3 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $8-$15. 800-838-3006. 

Elizabeth-Baptista Gaston, flutist, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com 

Sacred & Profane “All-Britten Holiday Concert” at 8 p.m. at St. Leo’s Catholic Church, 176 Ridgeway Ave., Piedmont. Tickets are $15-$20. www.sacredprofane.org 

The Venezuelan Music Project at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $16-$18. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Miss Faye Carol Holiday Concert at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $18. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Kotoja, West African Highlife Band, Nigerian Brothers at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Cris Williamson with Vicki Randle and Julie Wolf at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Polkacide, Gun and Doll Show, Carmichael & Las Frijolitas at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Chris Botti at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun., at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$40. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Youth Brigade, Pressure Point, Troublemaker 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. 

SUNDAY, DEC. 14 

THEATER 

Women’s WIll “Holiday Memories” at 4 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$15. 420-0813. www.womanswill.org 

FILM 

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

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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 

All Star Reading Extavaganza with Michael Palmer, Lyn Hejinian, Rusty Morrison, Craig Perez and many others from 2 to 4 pm. at Small Press Distribution, 1341 7th St., at Gilman. 524-1668. 

Actors Reading Writers short story readings by local actors at 2 p.m. at at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 932-0214. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Voci Women’s Vocal Ensemble “Voices in Peace VIII: Fire in the Air” at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $17-$20, free for children under 12. 531-8714. www.vocisings.com 

Berkeley Ballet Theater “The Nutcracker” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $17-$23. 843-4689. berkeleyballet.org 

Under Construction: New Music Series with Berkeley Symphony at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $10. 841-2800. www.berkeleysymphony.org 

“Three Decembers” An opera by Jake Heggie at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $48-$86. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Oakland Civic Orchestra Holiday Concert at 4 p.m. at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. 238-7275. www.oaklandnet.com 

Cris Williamson with Vicki Randle and Julie Wolf at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Babtunde Lea Sextet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The New Music Seance, Other Minds’ wryly titled, more intimate (and historically minded) counterpoint to its bigger annual festival in the spring, will return this Saturday afternoon and evening to the candlelit wood interior of the 1895 Arts and Crafts-style gem designed by Bernard Maybeck, San Francisco’s Swedenborgian Church, 2107 Lyon St. in Presidio Heights, with three programs (1, 4 and 8 p.m.) for the third year of the Seances. 

The program features a wide range of composers’ music, including a homage to Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901–1953); solo piano works by Berkeley High student and composer Dylan Mattingly and Oakland’s Steed Cowart, as well as a violin and piano duet by Berkeley’s Gabriela Lena Frank. Other works will also be featured, by a range of innovative composers from Alexander Scriabin and Henry Cowell through Meredith Monk and Olivier Messiaen at his centennial, played by pianist Sarah Cahill of Berkeley and violin-piano team Kate Stenberg and Eva-Maria Zimmerman. 

Other Minds founder Charles Amirkhanian talked about how the Seances came to be held at the Swedenborgian Church: “Our annual festival’s always been about living composers and their music; the Seances were meant to be in part a historical concert, to look back at the antecedents of today’s new and unusual music. The atmosphere of the church is just perfect, appropriate for looking back over the past 100 years. 

“Sarah Cahill knew the church through her late friend, Helena Breuer of Berkeley,” Amirkhanian continued, “and when I saw it, I decided to make the nature of the music in concert there more spiritual, meditative. The scale’s important, too—there are just three performers, in a 110-seat venue we sell out, where the audience is right there, up close to the players, the church lit by a fireplace and candlelight.” 

Concert I at 1 p.m., “Birds in Warped Time,” will feature, solo piano works by Luciano Berio, Percy Grainger, Meredith Monk, Per Norgard, Tan Dun, Lois Vierk, violin and piano duets by Grazyna Bacewicz, Messiaen and Somei Satoh, the world premiere of Steed Cowart’s “Blackberry Winter”—and the solo piano piece by 17-year-old Dylan Mattingly of Berkeley.  

“It’s the first time we’ve featured a teenaged composer,” Amirkhanian said. 

“Sarah Cahill’s worked with him on this piece,” said publisher George Mattingly, Dylan’s father. Dylan is a Berkeley High senior and student of the John Adams Composition Program at Crowden School, and plays with the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra, as well as with his own band, Funky Bus & The U-Turns.  

Concert II at 4 p.m., “Deep River Dreams,” focuses on the spiritual set for violin and piano by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.  

“Coleridge-Taylor had an English mother and an African father, who left shortly after his son’s birth to return to Africa. Coleridge-Taylor was a leading violinist and a friend of Elgar,” Amirkhanian said. “And in what I thought was an interesting correspondence, Obama mentioned in his victory speech the then-controversial invitation by Theodore Roosevelt for Booker T. Washington to come to the White House for dinner, the first African-American guest there. That was in 1904, the same year Washington wrote the program notes for ‘Deep River,’ stressing its importance.”  

Other works will include solo piano pieces by Samuel Barber, Morton Feldman, Mamoru Fujieda, Ingram Marshall (world premiere), Messaien—and selections from “Suenos de Chambi” by Gabriela Lena Frank. 

Concert III at 8 p.m., “Ruth Crawford And Her Milieu,” features the “prophetic figure, to people in New Music,” according to Amirkhanian, “the first female who made her own distinctive place in the musical avant-garde. who was unafraid to use dissonance, thinking of it as more reflective of society, more inclusive--all the notes; all the people ... an avant-gardist who wasn’t elitist!” Crawford (1901-1953) was a  

musicologist, specializing in folk music—and the stepmother to Pete Seeger.  

“She was influenced by Scriabin and Henry Cowell,” Amirhanian noted. These composers and others among her “influences, contemporaries and successors,” including Dane Rudyar, Lou Harrison and Johanna Beyer, as well as Crawford’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano” (1924), “Study in Mixed Accents” (1920) and selections from “Nine Preludes” (1927-8), will be performed. 

THE NEW MUSIC SEANCE 

1,4 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 at Swedenborgian Church, 2107 Lyon St., San Francisco. Sliding scale: $25-65; $40-110; $60-170 (including buffet dinner with artists) complimentary tonics and libations for all ticket holders. (800) 838-3006 or brownpapertickets.com. For more information, see otherminds.org. 

“Bring your good Sunday clothes, your tambourine, your church fan—and your sense of humor!”  

Thandiwe Thomas De Shazor, who was outstanding in his portrayal of the young James Baldwin in Oakland Public Theater’s production of Richard Talavera’s Before the Dream and the Richard Wright Project readings that preceded it, has written Children of the Last Days, “a comedy show that aims to satirize black church culture and the contradictions therein,” which he’ll perform solo, with video projections and original music this Thursday through Saturday at the Oakland Noodle Factory Performing Arts Center, co-presented by Oakland Public Theater with the Nursha Project as part of the Noodle Factory’s Raw Season. 

De Shazor will portray six different characters, people involved in the church community, in a series of sketches. The characters include: “one riled up about being a closeted homosexual; a bad little girl everybody thinks is a demon; a woman reverend, The Profitess, a Bible-thumper who’s making a lot of money (the anchor, a big part of the show)—and an androgynous character, Alpha Hydroxy, the moral center of the play, who’s just as messed up as everybody else, but admits it! Alpha Hydroxy runs a sex shop in proximity of the church, and is seen as competing with it, as the same people go to both to get off on different things. He talks about the other characters.” 

De Shazor calls it both a comedy and satiric, but not against the church as such. “I think it is timely, but I’m not trying to be anti-religion, anti-black church. I want to start a dialogue—and if you can laugh about it, you can talk. The church has taken a lot of flak over Prop. 8. The ‘Yes on 8’ advertising sometimes had a shady style, telling the community different things, putting things out like that Obama was for 8. That’s unfortunate, and a lot of money spent when the schools were on the ballot; a lot of picketing over gay rights instead of these other priorities.” 

De Shazor developed Children of the Last Days while in residency last year at the Queer Arts Festival in San Francisco. “Originally, it was supposed to be a book and readings from the book. But I realized I hadn’t performed onstage for awhile, that I wanted to do it in character. I added music, too, and it started growing. Shalonda Ingram has done a lot with the tech, the projections and sound.” 

Meanwhile, Norman Gee of Oakland Public Theater, who books for the Noodle Factory, had met Thandiwe “at Van Kleef’s in Oakland. We started talking about that old jazz photo in A Perfect Day in Harlem. Later I brought him in to assist on something else. Something about his energy ... he was delightful, and fascinated with what I told him about the Richard Wright Project. I cast him as Baldwin because Baldwin was an intellectual, but not dry and intellectual. There’s a teddy bear quality to it. Thandiwe’s enjoyment of the language added a layer of delight to the show.” 

De Shazor, from Detroit—where he worked on “a lot of underground productions, experimental theater with the Walk & Squawk Co., workshops at Wayne State U., any chance I got to learn, then toured Oklahoma in The Music Man!”—moved to the Bay Area two years ago, performed with Pan Theater and now works as assistant manager in a Berkeley clothing boutique. He performed stand-up on the “Prepare for a Future” program to get out the vote at Shattuck Downlow in late October. 

And now for his solo show he says, “Get Ready! Get Ready!” 

Sculpture in America is at present at a high point, both in terms of quality and diversity. Currently, SFMOMA presents a retrospective by the celebrated African-American sculptor Martin Puryear, which came to San Francisco from New York’s Museum of Modern Art. It was preceded there by a major exhibition of the preeminent Richard Serra of giant curved steel slabs generating kinesthetic responses on the part of the visitor.  

Puryear, in great contrast, creates hand-crafted work. He studied at Yale with Minimalist sculptors, including Serra, and then rejected art which was conceived by the artist and then fabricated industrially. Before his studies at Yale, Puryear had gone to Sierra Leone in the Peace Corps, where he was able to experience living in a tribal culture, from which most black American slave ancestors originated. He then went to Sweden, a country in which craft tradition is still very much alive. And, after graduating from Yale, he went to Nashville, Tenn., to teach at a historically black college. By the mid-’70s he had established his unique style which is cognizant of many cultures and traditions, combining the craft of woodworking with modernist abstraction and informed by forms of the natural world. 

A large work, acknowledging the African-American educator, called Ladder for Booker T. Washington (1996), is a 36-foot-tall ladder, whose rungs diminish as they come closer to the far-away top. This work, referring to Washington’s illusionary dreams about slow upward mobility, was also seen when the Berkeley Art Museum mounted a fine smaller retrospective of Puryear in 2001.  

In the present show the ladder is suspend above the lobby where the viewer also sees the large Ad Astra (To the Stars) (2007). Rooted in a pair of wagon wheels and a multifaceted black form, it leads to an ash sapling, which is extended by an additional tapered limb that seems to reach to the stars. 

Most of the works are installed in a large high gallery on an upper floor. The display here is more generous than it was in New York, giving plenty of room to these pieces which need to be seen from all sides. Another sculpture that refers to black history is called C.F.A.O. (2006-07). The acronym stands for Compagnie Française de l’Afrique Occidentale, which was the name of a trading company implicated in the slave trade. Here the artist used an old wheelbarrow which he found at Alexander Calder’s property in France, on which he mounted a dense scaffold of interlocking pine rails to which he attached an oversize Gabon mask. All these elements with their different cultural implications evoke thoughts about colonizations and cultural exchange. In the exhibition there are also a number of works of wire mesh which are covered with tar, pieces which appear solid when seen from a distance, but are actually crosshatched layers of mesh to which the tar was applied, resulting in sculpture which is translucent and opaque at the same time. Many of the abstract sculptures in the show refer to the real world, suggesting waterbirds, plants, baskets and boats. 

In an interview printed in the catalog, the artist, whose work is on location in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, and Tokyo, speaks of public sculpture, an issue of controversy here in Berkeley. He talks about allowing the sculpture “to hold its own next to the architecture and yet to have a relationship to the human moving across the plaza ... In addition to the pragmatic issues of working outdoors, making sculpture for public spaces forces the artist to confront the question of what it means to take his or her ideas ... out into the world where the work has to define itself. Under these circumstances the connection you can have with the public has a lot of uncertainty about it, but that’s what makes it an interesting challenge.” 

MARTIN PURYEAR 

Through Jan. 25 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., San Francisco. (415) 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org.

‘Tis the Season ... with an abundance of shows to keep you jolly, both traditional—Christmas Carols, Nutcrackers—and what might be called antidotes to too much cheer, or when the cheer gets cloying, and something quieter (or, on the other hand, more caustic) is called for as a restorative. 

On the trad side, Woman’s Will, the all-female Shakespeare company, has combined excerpts from a few of the most cherished holiday pastimes, by the likes of Dylan Thomas and Truman Capote, with songs and refreshments in “Christmas Memories,” a very family-friendly event, this weekend at Falkirk in San Rafael and next at Oakland’s Chapel of the Chimes. 

Musical events of all sorts abound, with the Philharmonia Baroque here Sat-Sun at the First Congregational Church with “Natale Barocco;” the Contra Costa Chorale and the Kensington Symphony Orchestra bringing “Tidings of Joy” at the Unitarian Church of Berkeley (in Kensington) 7:30 p.m. Saturday, free; and holiday chorales by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir at the Paramount and the Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus with ‘Oh What Fun!’ at the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church this weekend, while the Oakland Civic Orchestra brings their holiday concert to St. Paul’s Episcopal. 

“Three Decembers,” Jake Heggie’s opera with Frederika von Stade, will be at Zellerbach Dec. 11, 12 and 14; soulmeister Nicholas Bearde’s Holiday Jazz & Blues show is at Anna’s Jazz Island this Sunday at 8 p.m. 

Two theater companys have opted for female vocalist nostalgia this year: Aurora in Berkeley salutes the ’60s Girl Groups with ‘The Coverlettes Cover Christmas’ through Dec. 23, while Alameda’s Altarena Playhouse goes to the ‘50s sound of the Sisters McGuire and Fontaine plus the Chordettes for ‘A Taffetas Christmas’ through Dec. 21. 

A newer, cleverly holiday-themed play, which gives a covert whiff of humanistic uplift amid the dregs of Gaelic debauchery, The Seafarer is Conor McPherson’s convocation of a few mad wassailers just north of Dublin proper for a friendly game of cards with an old gentleman who seems to take a diabolical interest in what the stakes are, and the outcome. 

Playing through Dec. 14 at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, the brilliant cast (directed by MTC artistic director Jasson Minadakis) should be particularly familiar to Berkeley theatergoers: Robert Sicular as the too-polite, beetle-browed devilish stranger, Mr. Lockhart, and Julian Lopez-Morillas as a blind wastrel of an older brother from a more parochial hell, both icons of local theater, seem to vie for the weary soul of deadpan Sharkey, a finely, sympathetically restrained Andy Murray, supported in the dire comic yuletide doings by Andrew Hurteau and an awfully leprechaunish John Flannagan, all familiar faces on East Bay stages. 

Also in Marin, an unusual one-man Christmas Carol that Julian Lopez-Morillas directed, with sprightly Ron Severdia handling all the ghosts and Crachits, Tiny Tim and Scrooge as well, at The Barn in the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross. 

An entry in the antidotal tally, a veritable homeopathic remedy for the monstrous glitz and overly-assured hypocrisy which sometimes seems to overwhelm The Season, Oz’s upright Dame Edna Everidge, perennially draped like a lurid Xmas tree, has pulled into Union Square with Dame Edna: Her First Last Tour, to vie with the brassiest ornaments of holiday commerce at the Post Street Theatre till Jan. 4, gathering her possums about her as she roars down the chimney, a malign Santa in drag. Barry Humphries, the Dame’s progenitor, hinted he’d introduce further characters, like Sir Les Patterson, foul-mouthed Aussie diplomat, drink in hand. But it’s the unmelancholy Dame who commands the stage, a theatrical wonder, an Anglo-Saxon Ma & Pa Ubu rolled up in one (and no wonder, as Humphries began his performing career as a neo-Dada trickster).  

Comedians were a dime a dozen in the days of silent film, but great comedians were precious and few. The judgment of history has left us maybe a half-dozen top-notch talents, and just a few of those names are much remembered today. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd are the heavy hitters of course, the names that immediately come to mind, with perhaps Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, Charley Chase, and a few others lagging not so far behind in name recognition. Still others, like Laurel and Hardy, did well in silent films but are today best known for their sound work. 

But the name of Harry Langdon still languishes in relative obscurity. The consistency and quantity of his best work may not quite place him among the ranks of the big three, but he is awfully close. Or at least he would be, if his work was more widely seen and appreciated.  

For years, the three great films that marked his peak—The Strong Man (1926), Tramp Tramp Tramp (1926), and Long Pants (1927)—have been available on DVD in the form of a single disc from Kino entitled "Harry Langdon: The Forgotten Clown." His tenure at the top was brief, but with few other films readily available for viewing over the years, that meteoric streak across the comedy horizon was difficult to contextualize and fully comprehend. But hopefully a pair of recent DVD releases will help to resuscitate Langdon's reputation, presenting the bookends to that brief, shining moment—the rise and fall of a great clown.  

Kino has released the next two comedic features in Langdon's oeuvre, the films that mark the comedian's descent from his peak. And this disc, combined with the release earlier this year of All Day Entertainment's "Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection," a four-disc set consisting primarily of Langdon's earlier films, finally establishes a body of work worthy of study and appreciation.  

Most of the discussion and commentary of Langdon's career stems from two sources: Walter Kerr's insightful analysis in his landmark book The Silent Clowns, and from the autobiography of director Frank Capra. Kerr, with his graceful prose and articulate deconstructions of the form, has become the de facto authority on the comedian, with virtually every discussion of Langdon centering on Kerr's distillation of the essence of the comedian's work. 

It was Kerr's view that Langdon "existed only in reference to the work of other comedians." The form had to exist already, and "with that form at hand—a sentence completely spelled out—Langdon could come along and, glancing demurely over his shoulder to make sure no one was looking, furtively brush in a comma." 

By 1926, Kerr wrote, audiences were well versed in the mechanics and traditions of screen comedy. The major comedians delighted viewers by their unique approaches to the form, by the idiosyncratic ways in which they both met and flouted those conventions. But Langdon more often than not simply defied those conventions altogether, usually by doing...nothing. In situations where another comedian would have leapt into action, or at least turned tail and run, Langdon just stood there. As the world moved around him, he stood watching and blinking, allowing us to observe the slow thought process that left him hilariously ineffectual. 

Kerr: "[L]angdon's special position as a piece of not quite necessary punctuation inserted into a long-since memorized sentence means that he remains, today, dependent on our memory of the sentence. It is not even enough to know the sentence. We must inhabit it, live in its syntax in the way we daily take in air, share its expectations because they are what we expect, if we are to grasp—and take delight in—the nuance that was Langdon. You would have to soak yourself in silent film comedy to the point where Lloyd seemed a neighbor again, Chaplin a constant visitor, Keaton so omnipresent that he could be treated as commonplace, and the form's structure as necessary as the roof over your head in order to join hands with Langdon once more and go swinging, fingers childishly interlocked, down the street. That sort of immersion can never really take place again, except perhaps among archivists, and we shall no doubt continue to have our troubles with Langdon. It seems likely, however, that our reacquaintance with silent film comedy is going to develop a good deal beyond what it is now; the closer we come to feeling reasonably at home in it, the larger will Langdon's decorative work—all miniature—loom." 

Kerr's analysis of Langdon's downfall is that the comedian lost control of the delicate ambiguity that defined his screen presence—the mercurial blend of man and child, of sexual adult and pre-sexual nymph. "The ambiguity dissolved," wrote Kerr, as Langdon no longer walked the line but stepped right over it, even going so far as to portray himself as an actual child, at one point peering out from a baby carriage. The character was no longer ambiguous and intriguing; it was grotesque and absurd. 

Frank Capra, on the other hand, was a bit less nuanced in his take. It was Capra's view that Langdon did not fully understand his own character, and that once he dispensed with the directors who had hitherto handled him—Capra among them—he was simply at a loss. Of course, Langdon had been a successful comedian for years in Vaudeville, and had even managed to carve out a space for his quiet comedy amid the bluster and bombast of the knockabout Sennett studio—all suggesting that Langdon had a very complete understanding of his talents. Despite Capra's self-aggrandizing tone, there may be some truth in his account. But the better explanation may be that Langdon, in his desire to establish himself as an independent man, as an auteur in the style of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, simply overreached. His understanding of his character was probably quite solid; it was more likely his inability to sustain a high level of quality while acting as writer, director, producer and star that did him in. And the fickleness of the audience must also be factored in; it is possible that the public simply lost interest in him, their fling with Langdon revealing itself as more of an infatuation than the sustained love affairs they experienced with Langdon's rivals. 

The All Day Entertainment set explores Langdon's evolution from Sennett slapstick to the comedian's full flowering as the curious man-child of 1926-27. But it also includes a few films from Langdon's later years. Kino's initial release put the three best Langdon features on one disc. This second edition showcases the two rarely seen follow-up features. Three's a Crowd (1927) and The Chaser (1928) have been deemed by history to be lesser efforts, to have set in motion Langdon's steep decline, but now at least we can make up our own minds. 

And yet it's not an easy task, for as Kerr said, an appreciation for Langdon is predicated on a thorough understanding of the form as it existed in 1927; to understand Langdon, we must first steep ourselves in the idiom of silent comedy, in the quirks and mannerisms and formulae and framework of the great films of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, and the myriad other comedic talents of the day. There are worse forms of homework. 

Three's a Crowd. 1927. 61 minutes. 

The Chaser. 1928. 63 minutes.  

$24.95. www.kino.com. 

Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection 

$39.95. www.alldayentertainment.com. 

Harry Langdon: The Forgotten Clown 

The Strong Man. 1926. 84 minutes. 

Tramp Tramp Tramp. 1926. 97 minutes. 

Long Pants. 1927. 88 minutes. 

$29.95. www.kino.com. 

Also new to DVD: 

The General 

Kino first released the comedies of Buster Keaton on DVD in a 10-disc set, "The Art of Buster Keaton," in 1995. The set contained all of Keaton's work as an independent filmmaker, from the moment he graduated from his apprenticeship with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in 1921 until just before signing a disastrous deal with MGM in 1929—all 19 two-reelers and all 10 features.  

Kino has decided it's time to update at least one of those releases, and has done so with Keaton's celebrated masterpiece The General, releasing the Civl War comedy in a two-disc set. 

This new version contains all the film-specific extras from the box set version, but contains a number of new features as well, not the least of which is a much-improved transfer of the film, taken from a 35mm print struck from the original camera negative. The result is an image that is cleaner, crisper and more detailed than any previous DVD release.  

But in terms of extra features, the major improvement is the inclusion of three scores for the film. Gradually DVD companies are realizing that the inclusion of multiple scores is the best way to provide value for silent film releases, allowing viewers the opportunity to experience the film several different ways. Some Kino releases have been marred by mediocre or inappropriate scoring, from the synthesizer-laden scores of some of their silent horror releases to the eclectic modern score on the company's version of Keaton's Sherlock Jr. These scores would be fine amid several alternatives, but to limit the viewer to just one option essentially dictates how the film must be experienced. And as viewers become more attuned to the history and tradition of silent film, they more likely to demand scores that are period-appropriate, using music and instrumentation authentic to the era in which the films were produced.  

The new release of The General addresses this by providing an orchestral score by Carl Davis and the Thames Silents Orchestra; a Wurlitzer score by Lee Erwin; and a second orchestral score by Robert Israel, taken from Kino's original DVD release. 

Other features include a tour the train itself, a tour of the filming locations by author John Bengston, "The Buster Express," a montage of Keaton's train gags throughout his career, and introductions to the film by Gloria Swanson and Orson Welles, taken from television presentations. 

The General. 1926. 78 minutes. $29.95. www.kino.com. 

The Last Laugh 

German director F.W. Murnau created some of the most celebrated films of the silent era —Nosferatu (1922), Faust (1926), Sunrise (1927), Tabu (1931). His work was varied, unique and highly influential. One his greatest achievements, The Last Laugh (1924), has just been re-released on DVD by Kino in a new two-disc set. 

The Last Laugh is one of the landmarks of German Expressionism, a tour de force of imagery and pathos. Emil Jannings plays a hotel doorman unceremoniously stripped of his position and uniform, robbing him of his primary source of pride and self-worth. He is demoted to washroom attendant, sentenced to spending his days passing out towels in a basement restroom. Jannings conveys the weight on the character's soul by transforming himself from a strapping, gregarious, barrell-chested blowhard to a forlorn and despairing old man, stoop-shouldered and plodding. 

The tale is famously told without the use of dialogue and intertitles, with Jannings and Murnau and photographer Karl Freund conveying plot and character entirely through acting, through direction, through camera movement and photographic effects.  

The film is more character study than narrative. Murnau, one of the exemplars of German Expressionism, uses the subjective camera to express the emotional state of the central character as he suffers defeat, humiliation, despair and, finally, resurrection. Lighting, angles and even set design are employed as metaphor: The hotel's revolving door, for instance, quietly echoes the doorman's plight, showing the speed and coldness with which a man can be swept into warmth and comfort or ushered quickly into coldness and gloom.  

Is a man's worth based on societal standing? Is his position more important than the man himself? To what extent is a man responsible for his own downfall? Murnau does not provide easy answers, and he does not oversimplify his tale by making the doorman a noble innocent. The porter himself was pompous and arrogant, when many are pleased to see him brought down a peg. His family and neighbors are contemptuous of him and snicker at the fallen man. Murnau does not give us villains and heroes, only humans, everyday people at work and at play in a universe that may be stylized in presentation but that remains remarkably real in its ambiguity and moral relativity.  

The ending of the film has always been disconcerting. Murnau finally gives us an intertitle after demonstrating for an hour and a half that intertitles aren't necessary, and then tacks on an upbeat conclusion. Is it a parody of the Hollywood happy ending? Is it a concession to an audience that just sat through so much bleakness? Is it an indulgence in fantasy, granting the character revenge and poetic justice, if only for a moment? A good argument can be made that Murnau should have simply let the film end a few minutes earlier. 

Kino's two-disc set comes with a 40-minute making-of documentary which sheds light on Murnau's techniques, including his highly effective use of forced perspective, which would also characterize his first American production, Sunrise. The film is accompanied by a new recording of Giusepppe Becce's original 1924 score. 

The Last Laugh. 1924. 90 minutes. $29.95. www.kino.com. 

Why do so many people have horror stories about remodeling and the contractors who perform this work? Is there a direct line from the Mafia to the remodeling industry? Do they post notices in High School locker rooms reading “School not working out? Why not try contracting? Anyone can qualify!” As a recovering contractor and one who inspects the work of contractors, I have had occasion to see both sides of this curious and often heated area of commerce. 

First, there are some very talented handypersons and contractors out there and they’re worth their weight in gold. Among the best contractors, you will find folks with the aesthetics of artists, the business acumen of Wall Street traders and the organizational skill of CEOs. These are a special breed and worthy of their fees and of our respect.  

However, the worse-case scenarios, in which contractors fail us, are also, accurate portrayals of occasional occurrences. Part of the problem is that anyone can call themselves a contractor, pass out a flier and dive in with both feet and a crowbar.  

It’s important to note that licensing is no guarantee of good quality. There are loads of schools that can prepare someone with virtually no construction skills to pass the test over a single weekend (many let you keep taking the test until you pass.) Still, the advantage in hiring a licensed individual is that there are greater opportunities for recourse in cases of poor quality or some other bad behavior, although I would argue that this is a pretty poor excuse for a hiring strategy.  

A licensed contractor must post a bond (currently set at $12,500), which one may capture to pay off poor or unfinished work if the case can be justified. Getting and maintaining a contractors license takes some work and some commitment and surely places this individual above the lowest tier of skilled (and perhaps unskilled) personnel. 

Further, a contractor will generally try to avoid having their valued license clouded by complaints or lost entirely due to an infraction of the law, so one stands an increased chance of having a good experience with a licensed contractor. 

Homeowners are partially responsible for the proliferation of bad construction experiences when they make their hiring decisions based focally (if not solely) on economics. That said, I have great sympathy with those who try to get work done cheaply. Construction, and even minor repairs can seem terribly expensive but as you will see, the net result of underpaying is often harsh and, in the long-run, rarely worth the savings. 

For any given job, Mrs. Jones may elicit three or four bids from names she’s collected (actually, most people won’t get that many bids and may suffer for it.) It’s often the case that some of these bidders will not be prepared to do the job properly and will bid commensurately (too low). Some may, in fact, bid far lower than the reasonable cost of the work virtually assuring some sorry result or some financial surprises during the job (these same contractors often have to ask for extra money during the project). These unqualified workers (including ill-equipped licensed ones) will have reduced the real cost of work beneath a level where competent persons can do it properly, even in a competitive environment. But because they appear to be a bargain, they’re more likely to get the job. As a result, good contractors can’t compete and are, in fact, continually being driven out of business. That’s right. The best people are constantly being driven out because of the popularity of lower bidding contractors who are incapable of doing the job right. This must seem very odd but it’s quite true. 

Another result of this collection of ill-effects is that Mrs. Jones becomes one more person who thinks that all contractors are fools or thieves or both when she was actually an active participant in the downslide of quality in the marketplace.  

Houses are where we live and we rely profoundly upon their proper function and their safety every day. Low quality repair-work or remodeling can leave us resentful and regretful as we cook our meals or brush our teeth and have to live with the loose sink, the uneven tile or the misplaced window that could have been done well for a one-time higher outlay. 

It seems to me that it’s a much better (though often untaken) path to pay more for each job, do fewer jobs each year and have work that lasts and performs well. This is a serious task for the homeowner. First you must find good folks. They will not be the low bidders in most cases. They are much more often among the higher bidders. They can also generally read and write and speak like good business-folk. Look at the literature and contracts offered to you: the quality of these documents speaks volumes. Request references and actually call them. 

If you are doing more than one small job, go and see their previous clients and the completed work (most people are pleased as punch to show off these small triumphs). This doesn’t guarantee that you won’t have a “bad fit” with this contractor, but it gives you a much improved chance of liking the work s/he will do for you. Also, I strongly recommend that you feel some affinity with your contractor. Remember that you’ll be essentially “living” with this person when he or she works for you—sometimes for weeks or months. Distrust or discomfort from the beginning often leads to disappointments later on. Frankly, some people aren’t suited for major remodeling on this basis but that’s truly another discussion. 

Lastly, if you are having trouble with a contractor, try and talk with them. Tell them what you want and try to listen and think about the responses. I like to employ the dictum of W.A.I.T. (why am I talking.) Be sure to hear what they are saying and take your time in replying. 

Just asking for it to be cheaper will generally lead to bad places, but if you’re working on a time and materials basis, you can stop (or redirect) work until you’ve figured out a new strategy. If you’re on a fixed bid and you’re unhappy about some aspect that cannot be talked out easily, seek a mediator or third party. 

Professional mediators are worth their weight in platinum. Remember that most licensed contractors who have been in the same business in the same area for ten years or more have had to learn to provide some satisfaction for their clients. That level of professionalism almost always means that they may be twice as expensive as someone who doesn’t know how to do that. 

Each of us has a choice when we face our next home improvement task: become part of a system that produces faulty workmanship, or support genuinely good crafts persons. Pay now or pay later. I hope you’ll be smart, lucky and happy with the results. 

THURSDAY, DEC. 4 

Mario Savio Memorial Lecture “Our Environmental Destiny” with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Community Theater, 1930 Allston Way. Free. 707-823-7293. 

Heyday Harvest Fundraiser with poets Gary Snyder and Al Young and others at 6:30 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Suggested donation $60. 549-3564, ext. 316. www.haydaybooks.com 

Walkers 50+: Explore Restored Nature on Baxter Creek Meet at 9 a.m. at El Cerrito’s Gateway Park, Conlon and Ohlone Greenway, stub end of Conlon just east of San Pablo Ave., AC Transit 72, near El Cerrito Del Norte BART. This two-hour, moderately hilly loop walk is free but numbers are limited. Register at Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic. 524-9122.  

Cool Cuisine with Laura Stec and Eugene Cordero on the scientific and savory solutions to global warming, with displays and tastings, at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-3402. 

“From Richmond to Regla” A film of the first official Richmond Sister City Delegation to Cuba in 1999 at 6:30 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6559. 

Yard Sale to Support Tanzanian AIDS Orphans from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1658 Excelsior Ave., Oakland. 530-6333. 

“Faith and Reason in the 21st Century” A panel discussion inspired by “The Atheon” Art work by Jonathon Keats, sponsored by the Magnes Museum at 5:30 p.m. at 2222 Harold Way. Cost is $6-$8. 549-6950, ext. 337. 

“Understanding and Dealing with Peripheral Neuropathy Pain” at 1 p.m. at the Grand Avenue Seventh Day Adventist Church, 278 Grand Ave., Oakland. 653-8625. 

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

Circle of Concern Vigil meets on West Lawn of UC campus across from Addison and Oxford, Thurs. at noon and Sun. at 1 p.m. to oppose UC weapons labs contracts. 848-8055. 

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

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

FRIDAY, DEC. 5 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Dave Weinstein on “It Came from Berkeley: How Berkeley Changed the World” 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  

Edwardian Holidays at Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate Community Tree Lighting at 6p.m. Also open on weekends, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to Dec. 21. Admission is $7-$12. For reservations call 925-275-9490. www.dunsmuir.org  

AK Press Winter Sale from 4 to 10 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd. St., Oakland. 208-1700. www.akpress.org 

“Artisticana” Artisan’s bazaar and festival from 3 to 10 p.m. at The Red Door Gallery and Collective at the Warehouse, 416 26th St., Oakland. Free. 292-7061. 

Affordable Art Exhibition and Sale from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave, Oakland. 655-9019. www.thecompoundgallery.com 

World of Good Holiday Sale benefitting international artisan communities from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 6315 Doyle St., Emeryville. worldofgoodinc.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. 

SATURDAY, DEC. 6 

Berkeley Path Wanderers: Holiday Power Walk from the Rose Garden up to Atlas Path, high in the hills and return. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Rose Garden sign on Euclid near Eunice. 848-2944. www.berkeleypaths.org  

Holiday Crafts Fair at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market with live music, hot lunches and a variety of handcrafted gifts, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Civic Center Park, Center St. at MLK Jr. Way. 548-2220, ext. 227. www.ecologycenter.org 

California College of the Arts Holiday Fair with unique gifts handmade by the students, alumni, faculty, and staff from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at CCA Oakland campus, 5212 Broadway , at College Ave. 594-3666. 

Alternative Gift Fair: Give Outside the Box with gifts and information from local, national and international non-profit organizations working for the common good, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Church on the Corner, 1319 Solano Ave., at Pomona, Albany. http://giveoutsidethebox.org 

Berkeley Potters Guild 38th Holiday Sale Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 73 Jones St. at Fourth St. www.berkeleypotters.com 

Berkeley Open Studios Sat and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Dec. 21. 845-2612. www.berkeleyartisans.com 

The Jingletown 3rd Annual Holiday Art Walk Sat. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Jingletown, which is situated between the Park and Fruitvale Street bridges bordered by the estuary separating Oakland from the island of Alameda. www.jingletown.org 

World of Good Holiday Sale benefitting international artisan communities from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 6315 Doyle St., Emeryville. worldofgoodinc.com 

Toy Clinic with Free Lead Testing Come find out the latest news on lead and phthalates in toys from noon to 3 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Sponsored by the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and the Center for Environmental Health. 548-2220, ext. 233. ecologycenter.org 

Volunteer at Schoolhouse Creek Help turn a former garbage dump into Bayshore habitat and park with Friends of Five Creeks from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We supply tools, gloves, and snacks. Dress in layers for all weather. Walk 5 minutes north on the Bay Trail from University Ave. and West Frontage Rd., just west of I-880/580. You will see our signs at the small turnout between University and Gilman. 848-9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Tending the Winter Heirloom Garden Learn what old-world plants grow best in our winter climate from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Wear boots and dress to get dirty. 525-2233. 

Fungus Fair “Fungi and Fire” with exhibits, talks, tastings and marketplace from 10 to 6 p.m. at Oakland Musesum of California, 10th and Oak sts., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Winners of the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles 18th Annual National Literary Awards & 12th Annual PEN Oakland Censorship Award, with keynote address by poet Michael McClure at 2 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland. Free. 681-5652. 

Holiday Wreaths—Naturally Learn to make wreaths, garlands and other decorations using natural materials, from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Please bring a small pair of hand clippers, and large flat box and a bag lunch. Cost is $25-$56. Registration required. 1-888-327-2757. 

Recycled Glass Wreath-Making from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Studio One Art Center, 365 45th street, off Broadway, Oakland. To register call 597-5027. www.oaklandnet.com/parks 

“Paws and Claus” Santa visits the Oakland Zoo Sat. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. 632-9525. www.oaklandzoo.org 

“Yes we did!” – Now What? with Sam Webb, national chair, Communist Party USA at 3 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $5 suggested donation, no one turned away. A People’s Weekly World event. 251-1050. mbechtel@pww.org 

Edwardian Holidays Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate Weekends through Dec. 21 with costumed docents, festive trolley, live music, entertainment, cozy tea in the cottage, and Breakfast with Father Christmas, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $7-$12. For reservations call 925-275-9490. www.dunsmuir.org  

“Shine Your Light” Learn to make a candleholder for the winter celebrations Sat. and Sun. from 1 to 4 p.m. at Museum of Children’s Art, 538 Ninth St., Suite 210, Oakland. Cost is $7. 456-8770. www.mocha.org 

Make Your Own Bike Bag Beginning class for those with little or no sewing experience. We will cover the basics of sewing on the home machines, several important bag making techniques, an intro to bag design, as well as a brief look at the industrial machines. From noon to 4 p.m. at Waterside Workshops, 84 Bolivar Drive, at Berkeley’s Aquatic Park. Cost for beginning and advanced class is $85. To register call 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

“Ancient Tools for Successful Living” Workshops from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 2929 Summit St., Suite 103, Oakland. Cost per workshop is $10. 536-5934. 

Tree of Life Qi Gong Workout at 10 a.m. at 2929 Summit St., Ste. 103, Oakland. Cost is $15. 253-8120. 

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 

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

SUNDAY, DEC. 7 

International Craft Bazaar from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. at Gilman. Cost is $1 and up. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Richmond Holiday Arts Festival from noon to 5 p.m. at Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. 620-6772. www.therichmondartcenter.org 

Fungus Fair “Fungi and Fire” with exhibits, talks, tastings and marketplace from noon to 5 p.m. at Oakland Musesum of California, 10th and Oak sts., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Winter Wanderland Hike Series An invigorating fast-paced hike from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This week we will visit Kennedy Grove. Call for meeting place. Bring water, layered clothing and a snack to share. 525-2233. 

“Spirit of Activism” Silent auction, raffle, appetizers and music by Peg Millet and others, from 6 to 10 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8 and up. Benefit Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters. 548-3113. 

23rd Annual Holiday Appeal for Class-War Prisoners Fundraising party with dinner for Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier and 14 others, from 1 to 5 p.m. at 2939 Ellis St. Cost is $5-$10. 839-0852. pdcbayarea@sbcglobal.net 

“Printmaking: Holiday Cards” Stamp printing and simple screen printing activities for the whole family from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Oakland. Cost is $25-$40 per family. To register call 431-9016. 

“Sample This!” Children’s Community Center Sample Sale from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Gym at Martin Luther King Middle School, 1871 Rose St. Cost is $5, includes raffle entry. 528-6975. www.cccpreschool.org 

Holiday Card Show & Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 398 Colusa Avenue at the Kensington Circle. 

Berkeley Rep Family Series “Discovering Dr. Seuss” 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. 

“Scientific Revolutions and Religion: The Darwinian Revolution” with Prof. Bill Garrett at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Open House with introduction to Tibetan yoga and meditation, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at 1815 Highland Place. 809-1000. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Betty Cook on “Maps to Enlightenment” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

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. 

MONDAY, DEC. 8 

East Bay Track Club for girls and boys ages 3-15 meets Mon. at 6 p.m. at Berkeley High School track field. Free. 776-7451. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 6 p.m. at West Pauley Ballroom, MLK Student Union, UC campus. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com  

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. 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 

TUESDAY, DEC. 9 

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 Landfill Loop on the Richmond Bay Trail. 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. 

Invitation to Serve on the Berkeley Public Library Board of Trustees Information on the application process and library services and programs at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 3rd floor meeting room, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6107. 

International Human Rights Day: A Call for Human Rights in Iraq, Haiti, US Vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay St., Oakland., near 1th St. BART. www.haitisolidarity.net 

“Lake Tahoe: What Will It Look Like in 2040?” with Geoffrey Schladow, Director, Tahoe Environmental Research Center, at 5:30 p.m. at 112 Wurster, UC campus. 642-2666, waterarc@library.berkeley.edu, www.lib.berkeley.edu/WRCA/ccow.html 

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. 

Pacific Boychoir Academy Open House to learn about the academic and music program from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at 410 Alcatraz Ave. Please RSVP to 652-4722. www.pacificboychoiracademy.org 

The Association for Women in Science East Bay Chapter meets at 6:30 p.m. at Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Ave. www.ebawis.org 

“Snowcamping Essentials” at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Red Cross Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 8 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. To sign up call 594-5165. 

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 

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. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

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

Caribbean Rhythms Dance Class begins at 5:30 p.m. at Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St., and meets every Tues. eve. Donations accepted for Community Rhythms Scholarship Fund. 548-9840. 

Ceramics Class Learn hand building techniques to make decorative and functional items, Tues. at 9:30 a.m. at St. John's Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Free, materials and firing charges only. 525-5497. 

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

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10 

Richmond Main Street Holiday Festival from 10 a.m. to noon for preschool and kindergarten, and 5 to 7:30 p.m. for the community at Nevin Park and Community Center 598 Nevin Ave., Richmond. 236-4049. www.richmondmainstreet.org  

60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Reaffirming Action Amidst Global Crises” with panelists from Amnesty International, Jesuit School of Theology, Survivors International, UCB Human Rights Center, UCB Political Science. Brown bag lunch from noon to 2 p.m. in the Home Room, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. at Bancroft. 540-8017. unausaeastbay.org  

Sudden Oak Death Preventative Treatment Training Session Meet at 1 p.m. outside Tolman Hall at the oak tree, Hearst Ave. and Arch/LeConte, UC Campus for a two hour field session, rain or shine. Pre-registration required. SODtreatment@nature.berkeley.edu 

Temescal Branch Library Turns 90! Join in the Community Celebration of the Temescal Branch Library's 90th Anniversary at 6 p.m. at 5205 Telegraph Ave., Oakland.  

“Bigfoot Encounters in California: The Hoopa Project” with David Paulides at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“The Way Bobby Sees It” A documentary about Bobby McMullen, a blind mountain bike racer, at 7:30 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, Oakland. Open captioning and open narration available. Cost is $12-$15. www.norcalmtb.org 

Evergreen Wreath Making at 7 p.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Registration required. Cost is $25-$30. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

“Night of Remembrance” A night to remember those loved ones who have passed and celebrate their lives, at 6:30 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. 654-0123. 

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 

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, DEC. 11 

Introduction to Urban Permaculture Learn about what is possible in a city with members of Merritt College’s Landscape Horticulture Dept. at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Free. 548-2220, ext. 233. www.ecologycenter.org 

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

Circle of Concern Vigil meets on West Lawn of UC campus across from Addison and Oxford, Thurs. at noon and Sun. at 1 p.m. to oppose UC weapons labs contracts. 848-8055. 

East Bay Mac Users Group with Howard Cohen of Timefold on “Terminal and the Unix shell under OS X” at 7 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St. Emeryville. http://ebmug.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, DEC. 12 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Leslie Kowalewski on “Infant Mortality in the United States.” 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 

“It Will Be Magic” Alameda Holiday Home Tour candlelight preview at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75. Benefits Alameda Family Services. Day tour on Sat. from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for $30-$35. 629-6208. alamedaholidayhometour.info 

Class Struggle Classics film series presents “Blue Collar” a 1978 film, starring Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel, depicting the deadend life of factory workers, at 7 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 595-7417. www.marxistlibr.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. 

“What is Jewish Spirituality?” at 6:15 p.m. in El Cerrito. RSVP to Rabbi Bridget at 559-8140. 

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, DEC. 13 

Palestinian Hand-Crafted Gift Sale from noon to 6 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Benefit for Palestinian craftspeople & Middle East Children’s Alliance. 548-0542, meca@mecaforpeace.org.  

Holiday Crafts Fair at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market with live music, hot lunches and a variety of handcrafted gifts, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Civic Center Park, Center St. at MLK Jr. Way. 548-2220, ext. 227. www.ecologycenter.org 

Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair with over 200 street artists, merchants, community groups and entertainment, Sat. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.between Dwight and Bancroft. 234-1013. 

El Cerrito’s Annual Holiday Pancake Breakfast with a visit from Santa and a puppet show, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane. Tickets are $8. 559-7000. 

Berkeley Open Studios Sat and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Dec. 21. 845-2612. www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Berkeley Potters Guild 38th Holiday Sale Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 73 Jones St. at Fourth St. www.berkeleypotters.com 

Heyday Holiday Book Sale from noon to 4 p.m., with a presentation by naturalist John Muir Laws at 2 p.m. at 1633 University Ave. 549-3564, ext. 376. www.heydaybooks.com 

Holiday Wreaths—Naturally Learn to make wreaths, garlands and other decorations using natural materials, from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park.. Please bring a small pair of hand clippers, and large flat box and a bag lunch. Cost is $25-$56. Registration required. 1-888-327-2757. 

Working with Wool Watch as the spinning wheel turns wool into yarn, try a drop spindle and create a felted holiday ornament, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Wrap it Up” Design handmade gift bags and wrapping paper, Sat. and Sun. from 1 to 4 p.m. at Museum of Children’s Art, 538 Ninth St., Suite 210, Oakland. Cost is $7. 456-8770. www.mocha.org 

“It Will Be Magic” Alameda Holiday Home Tour from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $30-$35, benefits Alameda Family Services. 629-6208. alamedaholidayhometour.info 

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

Vegetarian Cooking Class Healthful and Humane Holiday Cooking and Baking Learn to make warm lentil salad, grilled portabello mushrooms, purple potatoes and cashew cream, chocolate truffles and more from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $50, plus $5 food and material fee. Advance registration required. 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com 

“Paws and Claus” Santa visits the Oakland Zoo Sat. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. 632-9525. www.oaklandzoo.org 

Origami with Margot Wecksler Learn how to make stars at 2 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave, Albany. 526-3720, ext. 16. 

Edwardian Holidays Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate Weekends through Dec. 21 with costumed docents, festive trolley, live music, entertainment, cozy tea in the cottage, and Breakfast with Father Christmas, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $7-$12. For reservations call 925-275-9490. www.dunsmuir.org  

The 2nd Annual STW (Stanley Tookie Williams) Legacy Summit “What Is Really Happening on Death Row?” from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Merritt College, Huey P. Newton/Bobby Seale Student Lounge, 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland. 434-3935. www.merritt.edu 

NAACP Berkeley Branch meeting at 1 p.m. at 2108 Russell St. 845-7416. 

The East Bay Chapter of The Great War Society will hold its monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m. at the Albany Veterans Memorial Bldg., 1325 Portland Ave., Albany. Robert Deward will present “Lawrence, Guirilla Pandemic & Iraq.” 526-4423. 

Cinema Dreaming “Busby Berkeley Bliss-Out” from 2 to 6 p.m. at The Dream Institute, 1672 University at McGee. Cost is $10-$12. 845-1767. 

Tree of Life Qi Gong Workout at 10 a.m. at 2929 Summit St., Ste. 103, Oakland. Cost is $15. 253-8120. 

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

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, DEC. 14 

Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair with over 200 street artists, merchants, community groups and entertainment, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.between Dwight and Bancroft. 234-1013. 

Waterside Workshops Sustainable Holiday Event and Toy Making Workshop Learn how to make your own wooden toy, or sew up a fleece hat to keep your ears warm from 2 to 5 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr. in Berkeley’s Aquatic Park. For all ages. Free. 644-2577 www.watersideworkshops.org 

Affordable Art Exhibition/Sale from 4 to 7 p.m., Sat.-Mon. from noon to 7 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 655-9019. www.thecompoundgallery.com 

Winter Wanderland Hike Series An invigorating fast-paced hike from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This week we will visit Point Pinole. Call for meeting place. Bring water, layered clothing and a snack to share. 525-2233. 

Little Farm Open House Come grind some corn to feed the chickens, pet a bunny or groom a goat, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Little Farm at Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Old Time Radio East Bay Collectors and listeners gather to enjoy shows together at 5 p.m. at a private home in Richmond. For more information email DavidinBerkeley -at- Yahoo.com 

East Bay Atheists’ Annual Solstice Party at 1:30 p.m. at Giovanni’s Restaurant, 2420 Shattuck Ave. 222-7580. eastbayatheists.org 

Chanukah Celebration for the Very Young with puppets, songs, menorah lighting and latkes, for ages 0-5 and thier parents at 10:30 a.m. in El Cerrito. RSVP to Rabbi Bridget 559-8140. 

“Scientific Revolutions and Religion: The Einsteinian Revolution” with Prof. Bill Garrett at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

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 Elizabeth Cook on “The Stupa: Sacred Symbol of Enlightenment” 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., Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., at 2118 Milvia St. 981-7461.  

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5400.  

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs., Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7419.  

City Council meets Mon., Dec. 8, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. Budget workshop at 5 p.m. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., Dec. 8, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5158.  

Commission on Disability meets Wed., Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6346. TDD: 981-6345.  

Homeless Commission meets Wed., Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5426. 

Planning Commission meets Wed. Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7484. 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. 981-6740.  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., Dec. 11, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356.  

Mental Health Commission meets Thurs., Dec. 11, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. 981-5213.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Dec. 11, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7410.  

ONGOING 

Help Low-wage Families with Their Taxes United Way’s Earn it! Keep It! Save It! needs Bay Area volunteers for its 7th annual free tax program. No previous experience necessary. Sign up at www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org