News Updates

UC to Host Discussion on Development of Anna Head School Site

Daily Planet staff

Tuesday December 16, 2008

UC Berkeley is hosting a discussion on Wednesday about the proposed development of the Anna Head parking lot site for student housing. -more-

Window-Smashing Burglar Sought by Berkeley Police

Tuesday December 16, 2008

Berkeley police said today that they have a person of interest and a vehicle of interest in connection with seven daytime "window-smash"burglaries, and one attempted burglary, at homes in northwest and north central Berkeley in the last 10 days. -more-

Malcolm X Elementary Acknowledged for Closing the Achievement Gap

By Kristin McFarland

Monday December 15, 2008

Berkeley’s Malcolm X Arts and Academics Magnet, an elementary school that integrates art and academics, has been awarded the Title One Academic Achievement award for 2008-2009. -more-

Prime West Berkeley Property Headed for the Marketplace

By Richard Brenneman

Monday December 15, 2008

Berkeley’s largest private development site—8.2 acres adjacent to Aquatic Park—is coming on the market, and the owners want the city to ease the rules. -more-

UC Santa Cruz's Science Hill Grove Felled

By Richard Brenneman

Monday December 15, 2008

The last UC Santa Cruz treesitter surrendered to campus police Saturday, moments before a chainsaw-wielding crew began to level the redwood grove they had occupied for 402 days. -more-

Neighbors Win One, Lose One In Friday Legal Actions Against Pacific Steel Casting

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Sunday December 14, 2008

Neighborhood opponents of West Berkeley's Pacific Steel Casting went one-for-two in Alameda County Superior Court legal decisions on Friday, with one judge overturning a previous Berkeley Small Claims Court ruling in favor of several PSC neighbors and, in a separate action, a second judge ruling that a class action lawsuit against the steel foundry can go forward. -more-

ZAB Delays Decision on Kashani Condos

By Richard Brenneman

Friday December 12, 2008

Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustment’s Board delayed approval of developer Ali Kashani’s five-story condo project at the corner of Ashby and San Pablo avenues on Thursday. -more-

Planning Commission Votes to End Downtown Fast Food Moratorium

By Richard Brenneman

Friday December 12, 2008

The man residents of downtown Berkeley elected to represent their district on the city council came to the planning commission Wednesday night to make a request. -more-

News

Reports Say Obama Will Name LBNL Director Secretary of Energy

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday December 10, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama has picked Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Director Steven Chu as the nation’s new Secretary of Energy, according to the Associated Press and numerous broadcast and wire service accounts. -more-

Council: UC Prof Should Be Charged With War Crimes

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Wednesday December 10, 2008

With two new faces on the dais, the Berkeley City Council returned to an old subject Monday night: international affairs. The council approved a compromise proposal calling for federal prosecution of UC Berkeley Boalt Hall Law Professor John Yoo for supporting torture by the Bush administration. -more-

State Budget Crisis May Lead to Cuts in City Goverment

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Wednesday December 10, 2008

With a growing national recession and state legislators and the governor stalled in Sacramento over solutions to California’s looming projected $28 billion two-year budget deficit, Berkeley city officials are predictably warning that the city is in for uncertain economic times. -more-

School Governance Council Passes BHS Redesign Plan

By Kristin McFarland

Wednesday December 10, 2008

After a daylong workshop spent honing the original proposal, the BHS Governance Council passed a redesign plan Tuesday that would put students on a new class schedule and incorporate an advisory curriculum into the school day. -more-

Planning Commission Rejects Downtown Plan’s Dwight Way Height Limits

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday December 10, 2008

When city staff drew the boundaries for the new Downtown Area Plan (DAP), they made a mistake that planning commissioners are now faced with resolving. -more-

Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, in a photograph taken in 1993 or 1994 in a classroom at the University of Iowa, where she was majoring in Spanish.

Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, 1968-2008

By Ruthanne Shpiner

Wednesday December 10, 2008

San Pablo Condos Top ZAB’s Agenda

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday December 10, 2008

LBNL Begins Environmental Review Of Scaled-down Helios Lab Building

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Young RichmondBUILDs solar installation trainees take a breather as they install panels on the roof of a Richmond home.

RichmondBUILDS Creates Green, Solar Jobs For East Bay Cities

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Tribune Company Bankruptcy Doesn’t Affect Sam Zell’s Berkeley Apartments

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Berkeley Classified Employees Get Pay Raise But Disagree on Contract

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Wednesday December 10, 2008

The Nolo Press building in West Berkeley.

Nolo Press Will Remain in Berkeley

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Landmarks Commission Says National Register Nomination Lacks Information

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Details Bedevil West Berkeley ‘Project’

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Some of the treasures to be found at Urban Ore, 900 Murray St.

Shopping Urban Ore: Dedicated to Ending Waste

By Lydia Gans Special to the Planet

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Al Winslow talks in Tamm’s video piece, Moment of Conciousness.

First Person: Aging as an Art Form

By Al Winslow

Wednesday December 10, 2008

First Person: A Memoir of Music and Calamity

By Marvin Chachere

Wednesday December 10, 2008

By Richard Brenneman

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Director Steven Chu has been selected to fill the Obama administration’s top energy post, according to the Associated Press and other media outlets.

Editorials

Keeping Newspapers Alive: A Few New Ideas

By Becky O’Malley

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Yes, it’s something big to worry about. This week’s announcement of the imminent bankruptcies of the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, not to mention other papers owned by super-capitalist Sam Zell, is giving newspaper fans everywhere a lot to think about. Even here. -more-