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Richard Brenneman
          People of all stripes joined in the 40th anniversary celebration of People’s Park Sunday afternoon.
Richard Brenneman
Richard Brenneman People of all stripes joined in the 40th anniversary celebration of People’s Park Sunday afternoon.
 

News

Malcolm X Elementary Will Reopen Wednesday

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday May 05, 2009 - 04:09:00 PM

Malcolm X Elementary School will reopen Wednesday after a two-day closure due to swine flu concerns, Berkeley public health officials announced Tuesday afternoon. 

On Sunday, May 3, Berkeley Acting Public Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman ordered classes at Malcolm X to be dismissed for at least a week starting Monday after the parent of two students at the school was identified as a probable swine flu case. The two children were suspected swine flu cases. No one was hospitalized.  

Berreman said the decision to close the school was based on federal guidelines. 

A statement from the city’s Public Health Division released Tuesday afternoon said Dr. Berreman and Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Bill Huyett had agreed to resume classes after receiving new guidelines on school closures in response to the H1N1 flu virus from the Centers for Disease Control. 

“These guidances are evolving rapidly and we are adjusting our policies to reflect these recommendations,” Dr. Berreman said in a statement. “We are now reducing the spread of the virus by advising students, faculty and staff with flu symptoms to stay at home while they are ill and recovering. Control of the disease at this time depends on the responsible actions of all members of our community.” 

The CDC issued a revision to its school closure guidelines Tuesday because most U.S. swine flu cases had been less severe than initially feared, leading to few hospitalizations. A 2-year-old Mexico City boy visiting a border town in Texas was the first person to die of swine flu in the United States. Texas health officials announced Tuesday that a 33-year-old Texan woman had died from contracting the H1N1 virus, but added that she had an unnamed pre-existing medical condition. The woman, who had recently given birth, was a schoolteacher who lived near the Mexican border. 

A message on the CDC’s website said that CDC and local and state health officials will continue to monitor the severity and spread of the H1N1 influenza outbreak closely. 

The CDC is recommending that schools not be closed for “a suspected or confirmed case” of swine flu.” 

Health departments across the country are starting to reopen schools and childcare facilities based on the CDC’s current guidelines. 

With classes ready to start tomorrow, the Berkeley Public Health Division and the CDC is asking all students, faculty, staff and volunteers with flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat) to stay home and not go out in public for a week after becoming ill, except to see a doctor. 

Ilona Sturm, whose daughter attends Malcolm X, said most parents were happy with the news. 

“I just got a call from the superintendent that school is on for tomorrow,” she said. “We are glad that our kids don’t have to miss any more school. My daughter, on the other hand, is not too happy about it. She just had the most fantastic two days playing non-stop at her friend’s house.” 

Sturm said that Burr Tyler, another Malcolm X parent, has been taking care of four children at her house since the school closed. 

“Burr is a saint and has been open to letting four other children play, eat, and even sleep over,” she said.  

Malcolm X PTA President Cheryl Eccles said parents had been scrambling for the last couple of days to provide alternate care for their children. Some parents managed to arrange for shared childcare through the week to accommodate their work schedules, she said. 

Eccles called the initial decision to close the school “a bit drastic,” based on the flu’s mild symptoms. 

“I was forced off work this week. I teach drama to children at various local pre-schools, but am unable to, since our kids are quarantined,” she said. “My kids are currently selling our school raffle tickets outside our home to passersby. They have hand sanitizer readily available for anyone fearful of touching the same ticket.”


Man Murdered in South Berkeley

By Ali Winston Special to the Planet
Tuesday May 05, 2009 - 04:08:00 PM

An 18-year-old man was murdered last night on the 1300 block of 67th Street, according to Berkeley police.  

Around 11:30 p.m., the Berkeley Police Department received calls of shots fired in the area. Officers responding to the scene found the 18-year-old in the rear yard of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Berkeley Fire Department paramedics.  

The murder was Berkeley’s second of the year.  

The shooting rattled residents of Southwest Berkeley.  

“It’s a damn shame,” said Shay, a dreadlocked young man standing with two friends on the corner of 67th and Mabel, a short distance from the crime scene. Berkeley police would not release the name of the deceased or any information about the cause of the incident.  

Another area resident named Calvin said he was lying awake in bed when he heard several gunshots fired. However, he did not see the incident, choosing to take cover instead. “I grew up in West Oakland,” Calvin said. “When you hear shots, you don’t go looking out the window.” 

Detectives are asking for the community’s help with this investigation. Anyone who may have any information regarding this crime is urged to call the BPD Homicide Detail at 981-5741 (office) or 981-5900 (non-emergency dispatch line). Callers who wish to remain anonymous are asked to call the Bay Area Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). 

 


Swine Flue Update: Malcolm X Students to Avoid Public Areas; Montessori Eighth Graders Asked to Stay Home

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday May 04, 2009 - 04:41:00 PM

Alameda County health officials said Tuesday morning the county has one confirmed and three probable swine flu cases so far. 

One of the three probable cases is the parent of two children at Malcolm X Elementary School in Berkeley. 

Janet Berreman, Berkeley’s acting health officer, dismissed classes at Malcolm X Elementary School Sunday after the parent was determined to be a probable swine flu case. Both children are suspected swine flu cases. All three are on their way to recovery, district officials said.  

District Superintendent Bill Huyett sent out a phone message to the Berkeley Unified community Sunday, asking Malcolm X students to stay away from school until May 11. He said the city’s health officer would determine at the end of the week whether students should return to school at that point. 

Reports of confirmed and probable cases of swine flu have closed at least 14 schools across the Bay Area, including Tamalpais High School in Marin County, Malcolm X Elementary in Alameda County and five elementary schools in Contra Costa County. 

The other two probable cases in Alameda County, Willis said, were two new cases. 

“The Centers for Disease Control have told us 99 percent of the probable cases have turned out to be confirmed, so we are treating the probable as a confirmed case clinically,” Berkeley Public Health Division spokesperson Zandra Lee. “It has the same effect on the community.” 

The 50-year-old woman who was identified as a probable case last week has been confirmed as having the H1N1 Influenza virus, Willis said. 

Alameda County has not canceled any events because of swine flu, Willis said. The county’s public health lab sent more than 150 specimens to the state lab so far. 

“We have received some test data back from the state lab and are culling through it.” Willis said. “We should have a statement about the number of negative test results by Wednesday.” 

Malcolm X students are being asked by district officials to stay home and keep away from other people and groups. They have been told not to gather in public venues such as shopping malls, movie theaters, church, sporting events or community centers. Families of Malcolm X students have also been asked to avoid large gatherings. 

Meanwhile, Berkeley Montessori School is asking its eighth grade class to stay home for at least seven days after returning from a trip to Mexico last week.  

Janet Stork, the head of the Montessori School, declined to be interviewed for this story. “I can confirm that there is no swine flu in our school currently,” she said. 

Parents of Montessori students are receiving e-mail updates about the situation. 

Zandra Lee told the Daily Planet the city was aware the students had recently returned from Mexico, but had not played a role in the decision to keep them out of school. 

“They can always consult with us if they want to, but because they are a private school they can proceed with their own decision-making,” she said. 

 

Tips from Berkeley’s Public Health Division for helping those who are sick with the flu: 

• Have them drink a lot of liquid (juice, water). 

• Keep the sick person as comfortable as possible. Rest is important. 

• For fever, sore throat and muscle aches, use ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not use aspirin with children or teenagers; aspirin use with viral illnesses (like flu) has been associated with the development of Reye’s Syndrome, a life-threatening illness. 

• Keep tissues and a trash bag within reach of the sick person. 

• Be sure everyone in your home washes their hands frequently.  

• Keep people who are sick with the flu away from the people who are not sick.  

 

For more information: 

Call the city at 981-2489 or 981-5300, or the toll-free, English- and Spanish-language Swine Flu (H1N1) Hotline, 1-888-865-0564. Assistance in other languages is also available. The hotline is operational Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-6 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.


Berkeley School Board Promises Additional Land at West Campus for Warm Pool

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday May 04, 2009 - 03:47:00 PM

The Berkeley Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to provide as much as 1,900 additional square feet of land to build a pool that’s comparable in size to the existing Berkeley High School warm water pool, if the need arises. 

Boardmembers also re-asserted their willingness to host the warm water pool at the West Campus. 

At its April 15 board meeting, the board received the draft Citywide Pools Master Plan from a task force that outlined a preferred option and two alternatives. The master plan seeks to improve and replace the city’s public pools. 

Board members were scheduled to vote on whether the city should move ahead with the environmental analysis. District officials had recommended that the board approve this step. The Daily Planet reported on April 16 that the board had asked city officials to proceed with the master plan’s environmental review, but the district’s facilities director Lew Jones told the Daily Planet May 1 that the board had not taken any action on the matter. 

“They didn’t ask them to proceed, but they didn’t ask them not to proceed either,” Jones said, explaining that the city did not need any formal direction from the school board to carry out an environmental review. 

Instead, the board voted unanimously to accept the report from the pools task force and affirmed their willingness to house a warm pool at the West Campus. 

The task force’s preferred plan includes a warm pool and a recreational pool at West campus, a competition pool at King and a lap pool with play features at Willard.  

The two alternatives presented include a smaller warm pool and maintaining the existing lap pool at West Campus, a competition pool at King and a lap pool at Willard. 

According to Jones, both the board and the council “appeared to express interest in exploring a modified alternative plan, which kept the current outdoor pool at West Campus and allowed the construction of a warm pool, similar to its current size, at West Campus.” This plan, said Jones, would likely see a warm pool built on the western edge of the property and the elimination of the dive pool, while the existing lap pool would be saved. 

“In order to build the warm pool at this size and maintain the existing outdoor lap pool, the warm pool must bump out to the north and go beyond the current fence line,” Jones explained in his report to the board, adding that the approximately 1,900 additional square feet needed for the job would extend approximately 32 feet north of the current fence and about 58 feet from east to west. 

At Wednesday’s meeting, district officials once again recommended that the board encourage the council to proceed with the environmental analysis of the task force’s preferred plan and the alternative plan that keeps the existing lap pool and builds a new warm pool at West Campus similar to the size of the existing one. 

But the board instead approved a motion to host a warm pool at West Campus, retain its 

existing lap pool and add up to an additional 1,900 square feet of land to build a pool comparable to its current size, which is around 2,250 square feet. 

“They are really kind of silent on it,” Huyett told the Planet of the board’s decision to not address the environmental review issue. “They are not for it or against it. They are leaving it up to the city. The board sees its role as very limited in terms of the pools—we give permission to the city to use our pools or our property.” 

Huyett said that it was now up to the city to take the master plan to the next level. 

“It [the board’s vote] does clear the way for the city,” Huyett said. “I think they have done the positive thing. They are welcoming the city to use district property and are also fine with giving additional land.” 

The city and the district, Huyett said, have yet to work out an agreement about the land. 

“It could be a very long term lease with the city or just permission to use the property,” he said. “We haven’t decided that yet.”


Flash: Berkeley School Classes Closed Because of Swine Flu; Malcolm X Students to Be Out for a Week

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Sunday May 03, 2009 - 03:29:00 PM

Berkeley has its first probable case of swine flu. A parent of two Malcolm X Elementary School students has been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, prompting the Berkeley Unified School District to dismiss classes at the school for a week, city officials announced Sunday.  

Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz has signed a proclamation of emergency, based on the probable case, which will be brought before the City Council for ratification Tuesday.  

Mary Kay Clunies-Ross, the city's public information officer, told the Daily Planet that the parent and the two children, who are suspected swine flu cases, have not been hospitalized and are recovering at home. None of them have traveled anywhere recently, she said.  

"They are all feeling better," she said. "The children have flu-like symptoms, but they are all mild cases. Everybody is getting better."  

City officials issued a press release about the case at 12:36 p.m. Sunday and held a press conference at 1 p.m. in the Cyprus Room at City Hall, where acting Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman announced the one probable and two suspected swine flu cases. She was joined by Kamlarz and Berkeley Unified Superintendent Bill Huyett.  

The California Department of Public Health informed the Berkeley Public Health Division of a probable case of H1N1 influenza in Berkeley on Saturday, Clunies-Ross said. The patient's children had flu symptoms and are suspected of having H1N1 because of "close household contact," the city's press release said. Both the Center for Disease Control and the state Department of Public Health recommend the dismissal of classes at schools to reduce the spread of infection. 

Classes at Malcolm X will be dismissed for at least seven days, in accordance with state and federal guidelines, and the situation will be reviewed at that time. Health and school officials are encouraging parents to consider alternative child care for up to 14 days if the situation does not improve.  

"We know that dismissing schools is disruptive, and we do not take this decision lightly," said Dr. Janet Berreman in a statement. "But considering how quickly the flu can spread in a school environment, we think this is one of the most important steps we can take to reduce this flu's presence in the student and overall community. These actions are consistent with actions of neighboring health departments and school districts."  

Clunies-Ross told the Daily Planet that at this point the school district was dismissing classes at Malcom X, not closing the school down.  

"Faculty and staff can still go to the school, but all classes and student activities have been canceled," she said. "Everybody is getting directions from the school district."  

Berkeley Unified spokesperson Mark Coplan said Superintendent Huyett had sent out an automated telephone message to everyone in the district informing the community about the case and providing instructions for what to do next. Malcom X Principal Cheryl Chin will send a similar phone message to her school community, Coplan said.  

"These are precautionary times," Superintendent Huyett told the Planet. "We are cooperating with the city's health department. It's important for us to know how the children with the flu symptoms are doing. We know it's not a serious flu symptom or illness. We want everyone to know that classes and after-school programs are being dismissed at Malcom X only and will reopen again on May 11."  

Information for Malcolm X  

All classes and after-school activities at Malcolm X are dismissed. Staff who are well can continue to work and are encouraged to contact the district for further information. The Public Health division will be working with the school district to distribute information and answer questions for families and staff.  

Information for other schools and programs  

No other schools are affected by this dismissal. Healthy students and staff should plan to attend their regular school and after-school activities.  

Persons who are sick (including students, faculty and staff) with fever and flu-like symptoms should stay home from work and school.  

Residents are urged to use common-sense methods to reduce the chance of getting or spreading the flu.  

"The best way to protect yourself and your family is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water, always cover your coughs and sneezes, and stay home if you are sick," said Dr. Berreman. "Fortunately, the H1N1 has been a mild virus to date. Our actions are cautious and aimed at reducing the spread of the disease. This is a time to prepare, not to panic."  

Tips for advance planning 

• Be sure to have enough medicine, food and water on hand if you or a family member are ill and need to stay at home for an extended period.  

• Reduce trips outside the house by combining errands. 

• Find childcare alternatives in case your child's school is dismissed. 

For background on the H1N1 flu, including a description of symptoms, links to state and federal agencies, and prevention tips, see www.CityofBerkeley.info/publichealth or www.cdc.gov

 


Alameda County Gets First Probable Case of Swine Flu

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Saturday May 02, 2009 - 12:02:00 PM

Health officials have announced Alameda County’s first probable case of swine flu, a 50-year-old woman with no recent travel history to Mexico. 

Alameda County Public Health spokesperson Sherri Willis said Friday afternoon that the woman was not hospitalized, but had received medical care and was recovering. Willis declined to offer any other information about the case, explaining that sharing too much detail could give rise to speculation. 

“We can only confirm that she is an Alameda County resident,” she said. “We are continuing to monitor the situation.” 

There have been 17 confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza virus in California so far, including eight in San Diego County, five in Imperial County, two in Marin County and one each in Sacramento and San Bernardino counties, according to information posted online by the state Department of Public Health. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website showed 13 confirmed swine flu cases in California as of Friday afternoon and 141 cases nationwide, including one death, a Texas child who had recently returned from Mexico. 

In addition to California’s 17 confirmed cases, 55 probable cases have been reported, including 11 in San Diego County, 10 in Imperial County, six in Santa Clara County, four in Sacramento County, two in San Mateo County and one each in Alameda and San Francisco counties, according to the state health office. 

“The incidence of swine flu is increasing across the Bay Area,” said Alameda County Public Health Director Dr. Tony Iton. “This is our first case and we expect more.” 

Willis said to date, the Alameda County Public Health lab has sent 92 swine flu specimens for testing at the state laboratory in Richmond, and more samples are coming in daily. 

“The state Department of Public Health told us 95 percent of probable cases in California turn out to be confirmed,” she said. 

The county health office, Wilis said, has been preparing for the epidemic ever since news broke of the cases in San Diego and Imperial counties. 

“Both counties were Southern California border cases, and then the cases in Texas cropped up,” she said. The Center for Disease Control reports 28 confirmed cases in Texas, second only to New York, which has 50. 

The county health office is working with the state health department to survey the new virus and lessen its impact. 

Willis said so far no schools have been closed nor events canceled in Alameda County. 

“The message we are giving out to everyone is consistent,” she said. “They need to practice good hygiene. It’s an airborne virus, so we need to take precautions that are common during a regular bad flu season.” 

Willis says those who have recently traveled to Mexico or who are experiencing persistent flu-like symptoms should see a doctor and get screened for the virus. Simple precautions are very effective, she said, advising people to wash their hands regularly, cover their mouths when coughing, and to avoid large gatherings. 

“We are not recommending people run out and get a mask or get Tamiflu until we know amore about the flu,” she said. 

Because H1N1 is a new strain of virus—a combination of pig, human and bird viruses—no one is immune to it. 

“This is a brand new virus,” Willis said. “Nobody has seen this virus before. There is no immunity and no vaccine. That is maybe why healthy people are getting it. Children don’t have a strong immune system, so we are seeing a lot of children getting affected.” 

Berkeley Unified School District spokesperson Mark Coplan said that although there have been situations where students have gone home after feeling sick, the district had no confirmed or reported cases of the swine flu yet. 

“I haven’t heard any reports of decline in attendance or anything, or of kids being kept at home,” Coplan said. “We know that at some point it’s going to hit, because we have a lot of people who travel to Mexico, but right now we are just telling everyone to take precautionary measures.” 

In the case of a swine flu outbreak in the Berkeley public schools, Coplan said Berkeley’s acting Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman would make the call about whether or not to close down the district. 

Zandra Lee, a spokesperson for the city’s Public Health Department, said that although Berkeley still did not have any identifiable or confirmed cases, city health officials were anticipating the first case soon. 

“We understand it’s causing a lot of anxiety for everyone because of the uncertainty and the severity of the virus,” she said. “We are asking people to balance fear with action—to stay informed and updated, follow simple steps and be prepared.” 

County, state and federal agencies are advising the public to stock up on family emergency preparedness kits. Households should have a minimum of two week’s worth of food, water, medicine and emergency supplies sufficient for the entire family. 

“Parents should begin to plan for child care should there be school closings,” Lee said. “If we have a case at a Berkeley school, we would consider closing down an individual school or the whole district based on federal guidelines. It would be a regional and local decision, and both Dr. Berreman and Berkeley Unified Superintendent Bill Huyett would make that decision.” 

Lee said that city health officials had been busy working behind the scenes preparing for any kind of emergency in case the flu changes its course. 

“We also want people to know that not all the cases in the Bay Area are linked to tourism or travel,” she said. “It’s also because of close contact with people who traveled to Mexico or did not. The association with travel to Mexico is getting less direct.” 

“People should remain calm,” Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said. “The flu could be a major problem, but so far symptoms have been mild. People should exercise precaution—when they are coughing they should cough into a tissue or their elbow. If they feel sick they should stay home and go to bed, and if they get worse they should report to their doctor. So far we don’t know of any case in Berkeley, but that’s not to say we will not see it here. Berkeley people are world travelers and the flu will find its way here, too.” 

Berkeley residents without medical insurance who find themselves with flu-like symptoms can call the city’s nurse of the day at 981-5300. 

There is currently no vaccine, but there are actions that people can take to help prevent the spread of germs: 

• Stay at home if you are sick. 

• Cough and sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water and use hand sanitizer. 

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. 

• Avoid close contact with sick people. 

• Avoid attendance at large gatherings. 

For further information: 

• Berkeley City Public Health Division: 981-5300 or www.ci.berkeley.ca.us

California Department of Public Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

• For a list of products to have at home, click here

 

 

 


College Avenue Neighbors Voice Concern Over Safeway’s New Plans

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 11:01:00 PM
Safeway's rendering of the new store, as seen from the west side of College Avenue.
Safeway's rendering of the new store, as seen from the west side of College Avenue.

If Safeway representatives thought fresh carrots and celery sticks would appease the disgruntled crowd at the Claremont Hotel Wednesday, they were wrong. 

The supermarket chain unveiled the latest design for its revamped College Avenue store, and while there were some in the audience who applauded it and made a beeline for the nibbles, others fumed and fretted, arguing that the proposed expansion was out of scale with the neighborhood. 

Safeway’s current store at College and Claremont avenues is a modest 25,000 square feet. It sits right on the Berkeley-Oakland border against the backdrop of the Oakland hills, and serves the Rockridge and Claremont communities. 

While some area residents understand the company’s need to upgrade, adding softer lighting, earthy tones and wider aisles, they don’t agree with its need to expand. They think a two-story structure will attract more people, leading to traffic snarls in an already congested neighborhood. 

The 61,972-square-foot project, which will be submitted to the City of Oakland May 6, includes a 50,400-square-foot Safeway on the second floor and eight new retail storefronts on College, totaling 11,572 square feet. Safeway itself will be enclosed in a glass facade, much like a design proposed last year, and customers will be able to access it via elevators and stairs. 

The gas station located at the edge of the Safeway parking lot, at the corner of College and Claremont, will be converted to about 3,500 square feet of retail space, with a public roof garden that connects with the grocery store through a skywalk. The underground parking lot, which Safeway promises to keep well illuminated and monitored by video cameras, will hold 173 cars. 

Many area residents who came to see the new design were bewildered by the fact that the dozen or so colored architectural renderings on display Wednesday lacked any mention of square footage. 

“There is no size under the drawings, which is a big problem,” said Anne Metzger, a neighbor. “Why don’t they have any figures? It’s ridiculous.” 

Metzger joined a group of people watching a Power Point presentation conducted by architect Ken Lowney, who was fielding questions about the size of the project. 

Lowney, the only person from Safeway at the event who agreed to talk to the Daily Planet, said that creating a pedestrian-friendly retail environment had been one of the highlights of the remodeling. 

“I was specifically told by Safeway to not look at any of their other stores,” he said, explaining that he had incorporated a lot of glass, copper, bronze and stone to help the new building blend in with the surrounding environment. 

A man in the audience praised Lowney for doing a terrific job with the retail space. 

“It’s honoring pedestrian culture, which is missing on that part of the street,” he said. 

Karen Nickel, who lives at College and Boyd, said that she was in love with the new plan. 

“I absolutely love it,” she exclaimed. “It’s awful to shop there right now. I think the building looks beautiful.” 

Dean Metzger, president of the Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association and Anne Metzger’s husband, said he was disappointed Safeway had not taken into consideration the community’s feedback about keeping the new store small. 

“I don’t see anything that accommodated the neighborhood’s concerns at all,” he said peering at a drawing that showed a view from Cole Coffee on 63rd Street. 

Since last fall, Safeway has held a series of stakeholder meetings with neighborhood groups, local merchants and community members to get feedback on the expansion project. Requests ranged from improving a bulky grey wall adjacent to College on the current Safeway building to controlling traffic. 

At Wednesday’s unveiling, Safeway displayed an informational chart that pointed out that the company had removed the wall in the new design. As for whether or not the redesign would make traffic conditions worse, the company’s display materials said it would carry out a traffic analysis. Next to the statement, someone had scrawled “When?”, but no answer was forthcoming. 

The question on a lot of people’s minds, however, was why Safeway had not paid attention to concerns regarding the size of the new store. 

“It seems like they paid no attention to our feedback at all,” said Susan Shawl of Concerned Neighbors of College Avenue Safeway. “At each meeting, the overwhelming response was that Safeway needs to cut back on the size. Size has been our issue all along. We are really disgusted. They’re in for a major fight.” 

Safeway spokesperson Esperanza Greenwood did not return calls for comment by press time. 

Denny Abrams, developer of Berkeley’s very successful Fourth Street retail neighborhood, who lives a few blocks away from the store, called the design a “monster that looks like Walnut Creek.” 

“I am quite insulted by the sign on top that says ‘Rockridge,’ as if it’s supposed to represent Rockridge,” he said. “In fact Rockridge is the total antithesis of that. It doesn’t represent Rockridge at all. It’s an insult to what Rockridge is all about.” 

Abrams said most neighbors would like to see the existing market renovated, but didn’t want Safeway to turn it into a “$100 million vacuum cleaner” to suck money out of the local community. 

Joseph Anderson, who was shuttling from one end of the room to the other with a plate of food, agreed. 

“Too high, wall to wall with the sidewalk,” he said shaking his head. “Reminds me of the Broadway Plaza, which is a shopping mall. I don’t think anybody wants a shopping mall. The only thing that looks good is the food.” 

For more information on the Safeway expansion, see www.safewayoncollege.com. 

 


Flash: First Swine Flu Case In Alameda County

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 09:35:00 PM

Alameda County Public Health Director and Health Officer Dr. Tony Iton announced late Thursday that the first probable case of swine flu in the county has been identified: a woman in her 50s with no recent travel history to Mexico. She was not hospitalized, is being treated and is recovering well.  

To date, 92 suspected swine flu specimens have been sent by the Alameda County public health lab to the state laboratory in Richmond for testing, with more coming in daily.  

 


Zoning Board Allows West Berkeley Bowl to Skip Traffic Fixes

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:17:00 PM

Despite concerns voiced by more than two dozen neighbors at a special public meeting Monday, April 27, the Zoning Adjustments Board gave Berkeley Bowl the green light to open a new store in West Berkeley without previously required traffic changes. 

At least four community members urged the city to approve the project, explaining that the Bowl would bring vitality to the area and greater economic stability to the city. 

Berkeley Bowl’s use permit, approved by the zoning board in 2006, mandates the new store, at 920 Heinz St., to install a traffic light at Heinz and San Pablo Avenue and a left-turn signal from eastbound Ashby Avenue onto northbound San Pablo before the store opens for business. 

Project applicant Kava Massih Architects told the board that CalTrans had not signed off on the projects for various reasons, although the new store is scheduled to open in two weeks. CalTrans oversees both Ashby and San Pablo because each is a state highway. 

The city’s planning and transportation departments, in consultation with Berkeley Bowl, came up with interim solutions to address the six-month delay for the traffic light at Heinz. Michael Vecchio, the city’s associate traffic engineer, said that a sign will go up at the Berkeley Bowl exit at Ninth and Heinz, directing drivers to turn either left or right on Heinz and not head straight on Ninth. There will also be another sign on the other side of Ninth and Heinz requesting northbound traffic to use Seventh Street. A sign at Heinz and San Pablo will tell drivers not to make northbound left turns onto San Pablo.  

The city will also prohibit left turns from westbound Ashby to southbound San Pablo. 

CalTrans does not normally allow a left-hand turn signal in one direction on a state highway without a corresponding left-turn signal in the opposite direction. To address this and allow a turn signal for traffic turning left from eastbound Ashby onto northbound San Pablo, the city plans to create a corresponding left-turn lane from westbound Ashby onto southbound San Pablo once the 1200 Ashby Ave. condo project at the intersection’s southeast corner dedicates land for the new lane. That project has been approved by ZAB, but is the subject of two appeals. Aaron Sage, the city’s senior planner working on the project, said the left-turn lane was expected to be completed by 2012. 

West Berkeley business owners and residents said the interim modifications for Heinz and San Pablo will only exacerbate the problem by bringing more traffic into the neighborhood, particularly to Eighth, Ninth and Tenth streets. 

The grocery store will open on May 14, right across the street from Ecole Bilingue, which enrolls about 500 students, ranging from pre-school to eight-grade. 

Traffic engineer Rob Rees, representing Bowl consultants Fehr and Peers, said traffic estimates show there will be one car coming from Berkeley Bowl every minute at peak hour. Rees said in order to install the traffic lights at Heinz and San Pablo, CalTrans had requested further documentation to consider the changes. 

“CalTrans also wants an analysis, which we did not know about until two months ago,” Rees said. 

Carey Robbins, who works at the corporate offices of Meyer Sound Laboratories at Heinz and San Pablo, called the temporary improvements a disaster. “There are going to be some serious problems on Heinz Street. What you are proposing now is not going to help the neighborhood. Better just let it be until the mitigations are put into place.” 

John Curl, chair of West Berkeley Artisans and Industrial Companies (WEBAIC), said the Bowl was not acting like a good neighbor. 

“They are not coming in humbly, they are coming in with arrogance,” Curl said. 

Ecole Bilingue Principal Antoine Portales said the proposal to amend the use permit had taken place “too fast,” adding that he was concerned about the safety of his students. 

“Maybe if we had a little bit more time to meet with the Bowl—we don’t want to see an accident on the first day of the opening,” Portales said. 

Some area residents said the redirected traffic from the Bowl would congest their streets and infringe on their quality of life. 

“Imagine how fast that light would be in place” if they prevented the Bowl from opening without it, said neighbor Barbara Bowman. “Properly you should say, ‘you didn’t do the mitigations, so you don’t have your permit until it’s done,’ as you would to any project that is not a cash cow.” 

Wareham Development, which owns 24 buildings in West Berkeley and four in the immediate vicinity of the new store, asked the city to make sure there were proper penalties in place if the Bowl did not make the required changes by the deadline. 

Sage said Berkeley Bowl will be posting a $250,000 bond—the cost of the traffic safety lights—which would go to the city if it did not complete the project by the end of 2009. 

Zoning board member Bob Allen said the neighbors were kicking up a fuss about nothing. 

“This kind of handwringing was done when Marin Avenue went from four lanes to two,” he said, explaining that the community’s concerns had turned out to be unfounded in that case. “I don’t think this is the end of the world.” 

Board member Michael Alvarez Cohen said the concerns should be given some importance, saying, “We don’t want to delay the opening, but once it’s open, we won’t be able to shut it down.” 

Sara Shumer, another board member, questioned Berkeley Bowl’s diligence. 

“I supported the Bowl when it first came before us, but I am disturbed that it is coming to us in a special Monday night meeting two weeks before opening,” she said. “There is no way the Bowl did not know they would not get those lights before May 15.” 

Board member Terry Doran suggested that the city carry out a traffic analysis of the temporary mitigations to find out if they were working. 

Sage pointed out that the city had required Berkeley Bowl to conduct a traffic study before the store opened and six months after its opening. Under the board’s direction, the city’s Planning Department will change the schedule to assess traffic three months after the opening and then again six months after the traffic lights are installed at Heinz and San Pablo. The board asked Berkeley Bowl to pay for these studies, estimated to cost as much as $20,000. 

 


People’s Park Celebrates 40 Years

By Lydia Gans Special to the Planet
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:30:00 PM
Richard Brenneman
              People of all stripes joined in the 40th anniversary celebration of People’s Park Sunday afternoon.
Richard Brenneman
Richard Brenneman People of all stripes joined in the 40th anniversary celebration of People’s Park Sunday afternoon.
The crowds were treated to music and food at People’s Park for its 40th anniversary.
Lydia Gans
The crowds were treated to music and food at People’s Park for its 40th anniversary.
The anniversary attracted celebrants of all ages.
Richard Brenneman
The anniversary attracted celebrants of all ages.

Sunday’s 40th anniversary celebration of People’s Park reflected Berkeley in all its passionate quirkiness. More than 1,000 people joined the party, from old- timers who remember the riots when it all started, to students for whom it is all ancient history—and everyone in between.  

There was music and speechifying, dancing and eating, hanging out with old and new friends. The mood was one of exuberance, people celebrating the existence of the park and being together to enjoy the occasion. Even the weather cooperated; despite forecasts of possible rain, the day was clear and sunny. 

Devin Woolridge, a site coordinator for the park who experiences it daily with all its ups and downs, with all the contentiousness and occasions of cooperation among its denizens, was ecstatic Sunday. “This is Utopia—so much positive stuff going on here.... This event is what I’ve been told and what I believe People’s Park is all about.” This is the biggest anniversary celebration Woolridge has seen in his 10 years working at the park. 

There was action on and around the stage throughout the day. A wildly diverse mix of performers appealed to an audience of all ages. A Berkeley High School band called “IS,” the Shelley Doty X-Tet, Jonathan Richman’s group and others with exotic names and music styles had people up and dancing with abandon. The graceful Nefer Tem belly dancers had a routine all their own. Older folks were content to sit and listen or join in song with Phoenix and Country Joe McDonald. It’s been a long time since a crowd sang “This land is your land, this land is my land” with such enthusiasm. There was also a stage out on Telegraph Avenue featuring bands such as Antioquia and Outlaw Dervish which had people dancing in the streets. 

Not surprisingly, there were people who took the stage with a message. City Councilmember Kriss Worthington touched off the celebration by expressing how much People’s Park means to the community. A group called for support to save Strawberry Canyon; Andrea Pritchett announced the opening of a CopWatch office in Oakland; Zachary Running Wolf called for a protest against the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s plan to dismantle the Bevatron and ship thousands of truckloads of radioactive waste through Berkeley streets. And as always, the diminutive figure of artist and filmmaker Claire Burch could be seen, recording the event with a video camera. 

Mellow people sat or wandered about the lawn, connecting with old friends, taking in the sun and the scene. Even the dogs were mellow. An old gentleman named Willie has been coming to the anniversaries on and off since the park started. He wasn’t so sure about the young people of today. But over at the display of photographs of the park through the years there was a constant crowd of young people who appeared intensely interested in its history. A lady calling herself “Maid Marion,” who now lives back east, was here “at the beginning.” She had spent the day before in Big Sur at a celebration of Nepenthe’s 60th anniversary. “This is more of the same,” she said. No doubt many people here would disagree with her on that.  

Near the basketball courts a woman named Sarah and colleagues were offering a chair massage in return for a donation to support Tristan Anderson, the young Berkeley activist severely injured while participating in a protest at the dividing wall in Israel. Slingshot newspaper, which has extensive coverage of Tristan’s case, was being given away at a table nearby. The Naked People were there too, but far fewer of them than in the past. 

While all that was going on, Food Not Bombs volunteers were cooking and serving their usual vegetarian meal under the trees at the eastern end of the park. They set up tables under a canopy and all day long they cooked rice and beans and chopped vegetables to stir-fry in an oversize wok. They also provided bread, salad and an endless supply of Cliff Bars. There was not a moment in the whole afternoon when there wasn’t a long line waiting to be served 

It was a glorious day of Berkeley at its best. Years ago during the earlier confrontations there was a flyer circulating, asking “Who owns the park?” That question is still being asked. The university may have the formal deed to this piece of land, but it was clear on this day who really owns People’s Park. Somebody noted that there was not a single police officer in the park all day. Nor did any official of the university participate in the celebration.  

The people had the last lick at the very end of the day when Food Not Bombs cut up a dozen chocolate cakes and passed them out, giving everybody one final charge of energy. 

 

 


People's Park Plus

By Judy Gumbo Albert
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:59:00 PM

Sunday around 3 p.m., I find myself in People’s Park, at the 40th anniversary celebration, in front of a crowd of at least 500 what, back in the day, we called hippies and freaks, letting their freak flags fly.  

Actually, the crowd is maybe 50 percent hippies and freaks, and the other 50 percent just plain folks: men, women, children, neatly dressed students, Vietnam vets, homeless women and men, belly dancers, bongo drummers, black, white and multi-ethnic, one crowd, together, happy under the warm California sun. Sitting on remarkably well-tended and clipped grass, with the unmistakable sweet odor of that other grass thick in the air. Just like I remember. Building People’s Park led to Berkeley’s largest community uprising of 1969. And gave Ronald Reagan a platform on which to build his greed-driven, free-market, laissez-faire, capitalist-loving presidency—whose upshot is, at least in part, the global financial crisis we suffer today. The economic “chickens” that Malcolm X first warned us about at the time of the Kennedy assassination have “come home to roost.”  

In April 1969 a few thousand of us, including my late husband Stew Albert and I, along with many, many others, created a green, eco-before-it-was-fashionable community out of a muddy parking lot owned by the University of California. We dug the earth, laid sod, planted gardens, cooked food, played music, built stuff, and just enjoyed. There were no official or elected leaders, just strong personalities; most of us felt empowered to be our own leader, some of us ended up more “leadership” than others. Decisions (such as they were) were made by consensus (such as it was in those days). At least that’s what I recall. 

Shortly after we seized the park, the Berkeley police sealed it off with a barbed wire fence. Police and National Guard tear gassed the entire city, battled thousands of us in the streets, and, for the first time that I know of in the 1960s, used deadly force against white demonstrators, wounding 100 protestors and killing a young man named James Rector. 

Forty years later, it’s easy to spot Michael Delacour. Mike, one of the park’s originals, is always recognizable by his craggy face and long formerly black now-silver hair falling way past his shoulders. He is, as far as I can tell, one of the unofficial keepers of the park’s flame.  

He asks if I want to speak. How can I decline?  

I start by quoting the Berkeley Liberation Program which a group of about 40 of us put together in an Oakland hotel because, in the immediate aftermath of the park uprising, the City of Berkeley banned gatherings of more than a few people. Naturally, we model our program on the 10-point Platform and Program of the Black Panther Party. “The people of Berkeley,” I begin, “passionately desire human solidarity, cultural freedom and peace.” No reaction from the crowd. Not interested? Too stoned? Time to move on—I’ll talk about Stew’s death. I urge anyone with Hepatitis C to get tested. I tell the story of how, two days before he dies, Stew asks me to type on his blog: “My politics have not changed.” I repeat this phrase, loudly and with more emphasis: “Our politics have not changed.” Suddenly, with no conscious effort on my part, in an atavistic, Monty Pythonish gesture, my left arm – and clenched fist – shoot straight up in the air.  

It’s just like driving or riding a bike. There are some things you never forget. I feel great. The crowd doesn’t exactly roar but at least I’ve caught their attention. Stewie would have been really happy. 

Wavy Gravy is the event MC. By now his trademark clown outfit is a bit worn, yet he’s still the same kindly, funny person who used to unintentionally scare my young daughter if he turned in her direction. Which leads, in some roundabout, two degrees of separation way, to Zayd Dohrn’s play Magic Forest Farm, which I saw recently at the Marin Theatre Company. Zayd was born when his parents, Weather founders Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers were underground. Zayd’s play directly addresses the question: “How do kids raised in the shadow of the ‘60s keep the parts of that experiment that were healthy—the idealism, the hope, the courage— while getting rid of the narcissism and silliness that had the potential to undermine it?” 

How indeed? It turns out that some of our most cherished, countercultural values—“do your own thing,” dope, nudity, sexual experimentation—had, at least in Zayd’s fictional recreation of Magic Forest Farm, negative, dysfunctional consequences for some—not all—of the kids who lived there. I don’t doubt for a moment that the play speaks an inconvenient truth—especially because, immediately after the play, I meet a total stranger in the woman’s bathroom who feels compelled to spill her story to me. The headline is that, as her mother lay dying, this woman was finally able to forgive her for raising her in such a commune.  

As I recall, the women’s movement was just coming into full flower in Berkeley during People’s Park. We were not especially sympathetic to mothers of young children. Nor did it occur to us—or me at least—to empathize with the mothers of those teenagers we so warmly welcomed in People’s Park. The Free Speech Movement’s Jack Weinberg coined the phrase: “Don’t Trust Anyone Over Thirty” which morphed into Yippie leader Jerry Rubin’s “Kill Your Parents”—a slogan which, Jerry later admitted, didn’t work because people thought he meant it literally. But symbolically Jack and Jerry were right—to change the system and completely re-invent ourselves, we had to break from the repressive, war-mongering, right wing, dysfunctional values of our parent’s generation. 

The kids I know today of 1960s parents are terrific people. They are teachers, lawyers, parents, playwrights, writers, documentary filmmakers, professors, health care professionals, entrepreneurs. But there are also some who didn’t make it, kids who tragically ended up in jail or dead by their own hand. Despite all the humane, positive and progressive values we passed on to our children, our 1960’s activism also gave them difficult stuff to work through. And resent. And rebel against. This may be the moment when our 60’s generation’s chickens are coming home to roost in their own right. 

I’m glad that Stew and I were able to pass our Yippie values to our daughter. I’m saddened if they caused her grief or harm in any way. Still and all, my politics have not changed.  

 

Judy Gumbo Albert was an original member of the 1960s countercultural protest group known as the Yippies , along with Abbie and Anita Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, the journalist Paul Krassner, the folk singer Phil Ochs and her late husband Stew Albert, who died Jan. 30, 2006. Judy co-authored The Sixties Papers: Documents of a Rebellious Decade (Greenwood Press, 1984) and The Conspiracy Trial (Bobbs-Merrill, 1970). Judy currently lives in Berkeley and is writing a memoir titled Yippie Girl: My Remarkable Adventures with the Yippies, Black Panthers, North Vietnamese and Weathermen. Judy can be reached through her website: www.yippiegirl.com.


Aretha’s Designer Visits Berkeley Hat Company

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:30:00 PM
Luke Song designed the hat Aretha Franklin wore at President Obama’s inauguration.
Riya Bhattacharjee
Luke Song designed the hat Aretha Franklin wore at President Obama’s inauguration.

Aretha Franklin’s hat. Three little words that stirred up a lot of excitement for avid hat buyers in Berkeley last week. 

The attention revolved around Luke Song, the Detroit milliner who created the gray felt rhinestone-studded big bow hat that became an instant sensation when the Queen of Soul took to the microphone to sing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” at President Barack Obama’s inauguration. 

Song was in the Bay Area for two days and visited Telegraph Avenue’s Berkeley Hat Company Friday, April 24, to meet owners Carol Lipnick and Ed Dougherty and their customers. Lipnick and Dougherty have been buying hats from Song for eight years. 

The son of Korean immigrants, Song came to the United States at the age of 9. Initially, he had very little interest in his parents’ hat business in Detroit. Instead, he studied biochemistry at Michigan State University, but dropped out a semester shy of graduation to pursue art at the Parsons school of design in New York. 

“Art was something I always had my heart set on, even though many people warned me it would not lead to a secure job,” he said. “But I stopped listening to people—I must have had some kind of epiphany—and decided to go with my heart and give it 200 percent.” 

Song wanted to leave Parsons and complete his studies in Paris, but the burden of student loans deterred him. Instead, Song took a six-month hiatus to help his mother with the family store, Mr. Song Millinery.  

His first hat was made from chicken wire he bought at Home Depot. The hat made quite a splash in the world of headgear and sold for $200. 

“I wanted to make something beautiful out of something that was not,” he said. “As soon as I saw the chicken wire, I knew it was going to be a hat. I sold 10 of them in a week.” 

Within six months, Song was able to pay off his student loans for six years of college. 

“That woke me up,” he said, and as one success after the other followed, Song forgot all about school and about Paris, though he frequented that city’s Pret à Porter fashion shows to meet hat designers from all over Europe. 

When Aretha Franklin, one of Song’s longtime customers, called him this year before visiting his store, he knew something was up. 

“She always comes without any notice,” he said. “But this time she called. When she told me she was going to wear one of my hats to the inauguration, I went from being thrilled to honored to scared to death. I knew it was going to be seen by a billion people.” 

Song said that he had expected reactions to range from “Wow, look at that hat,” but he was quite unprepared for the amount of interest it sparked. 

“It’s almost like everyone woke up the next day and realized there are hats in the world—that it can be a fashion statement,” he said. “And now we can’t keep up with the demand.” 

Song has so far had more than 5,000 orders for the Aretha Hat, and requests continue to flood his store every day, where he works with his parents and his sister. 

For all his celebrity status—interviews on CBS, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Spanish Vogue—Song retains his unassuming demeanor, chatting easily with the women who came to see him at the Berkeley hat shop, eager to wear his creations to church, to parties and fashion shows. 

Some were disappointed to learn that Song would not be duplicating Franklin’s hat—which is now on display at the Smithsonian—but calmed down when they saw the replicas he was selling for $179. 

“The difference is going to be in the material,” Song said. “Aretha’s hat is going to be the only one in felt.” 

Donatella Carta, who teaches French at Berkeley High School, tried on the Aretha Hat with Song’s help. 

“I think it’s great, although I probably won’t have a place to wear it to,” she said. “And I am too short, anyway.” 

Lipnick stood in a corner greeting longtime patrons who had come to swap fashion tips with Song. A kaleidoscope of colors, her store has been a fixture on Dwight and Telegraph for 29 years. 

As Basque berets, straw fedoras, Panamas, hat feathers and brushes flew off the shelves, Lipnick’s husband Dougherty talked about how the two of them had turned a little business into “the hat store for Northern California.” 

“The first time we sold hats was at the Live Oak Fair in 1977,” Dougherty said. “And that’s about how much money we made: $77. Then we decided to make some of our own hats.” 

Marcia Poole, another Berkeley resident, said she had been totally knocked out by Aretha Franklin’s hat. 

“When I heard Luke Song was going to be here, I had to be here,” she said, trying out a hat called “The Fascinator.” 

Brenda Bruner, another Song fan, donned one of his hats and shrieked with delight when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. 

“Oh my god, I want you to ship it to me ASAP,” she said, fawning over a little cake hat. “I love it, love, it, love it—except I want it in champagne.” 

Song promised to ship it to her in two weeks. 

Bruner, a consultant with the Oakland Unified School District, has been buying hats from Lipnick and Dougherty for three decades. 

“You can do anything with a beautiful hat,” she said. “Hats are classy. They remind me of the ’40s—people dressed in hats, gloves and raw silk. You can look like a million dollars in a hat that costs a dime.” 


First Two Berkeley High Grad Tickets Now Free, Rest: $15

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:30:00 PM

Berkeley High School announced Friday it will not charge for each student’s first two tickets to this year’s graduation ceremony at the Greek Theater. 

The Daily Planet reported April 23 that the school had decided to charge $10 each for the first two tickets and $15 for every additional ticket, a departure from the school’s earlier custom of giving out two free tickets to every graduating senior and charging $5 for each additional ticket. 

Berkeley Unified District officials and members of Berkeley High’s Associated Student Body had attributed the hike in ticket prices to increased expenses for the ceremony, estimated to be more than $100,000 this year. Some parents criticized the change in ticket prices, saying they could not afford the increase amid the economic downturn. 

Others pointed to Oakland’s public high schools, which have a much smaller budget for graduation ceremonies and do not charge for tickets, though the Oakland Unified School District does restrict the number of tickets per student depending on the ceremony’s venue. 

In an April 24 e-mail message, Berkeley High School administration informed the school community that each senior will receive two free tickets for the June 12 ceremony at UC Berkeley’s Greek Theater. 

“After that,” the brief note said, “seniors may purchase as many additional tickets as they want for $15 each.” 

It went on to explain that, “due to the cost of holding the ceremony at the Greek Theater—Berkeley High’s graduation venue for over four decades—the student leadership, working with the administration, had initially decided that there would be no free tickets.”  

The administration decided to increase the amount budgeted for the ceremony in order to ensure that each student receives the initial two tickets at no cost.” 

District spokesperson Mark Coplan told the Planet that Berkeley High Principal Jim Slemp had stepped in to make the decision. 

“When the discussion came up, probably prompted by the Planet article, he intervened and said the school would find a way to do the first two tickets for free,” he said. “He said they had found more money in the General Fund.” 

Calls to Principal Slemp and Vice Principal Vernon Walton were not returned before press time. 

Last year the Greek Theater charged Berkeley High a little over $19,000 for the venue, including university police, security, parking and staff. 

Coplan said the school spent additional money toward other expenses, such as $10,000 for the sound equipment, rental furniture and chairs, a truckload of bottled water, and overtime for safety officers and teachers. 

“If you had it at Berkeley High and not the Greek, you could probably cut the expenses down by half,” he said. “But if we had it at Berkeley High, we’d probably have to limit each student to three tickets, whereas at the Greek Theater, we can have more than 7,000 guests. 

Not everyone, however, is happy about the school’s decision to give out two tickets for free and still charge $15 for the rest. 

“That’s not fair,” said Guin Irvine, the mother of a Berkeley High senior. “They just didn’t do proper planning. If they had brought it to the parents before, maybe something could have been done. They should have talked to parents before asking the students what they want. Of course young people will say ‘I want to have my graduation at the Greek.’ But it’s the parents who are paying for the ticket—I know people who are almost losing their job.”


Cost of Oakland Grad Tickets: $0

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:31:00 PM

Despite budget constraints, Oakland Unified will stick with the school district’s tradition of not charging for high school graduation tickets this year, district officials said Thursday. 

The Planet reported April 23 that some parents and relatives of Berkeley High School seniors were upset that BHS had raised ticket prices for the June 12 graduation ceremony at UC Berkeley’s Greek Theater to meet increased expenses, estimated this year to be more than $100,000. 

This year, funding cuts and other economic uncertainties have drained the school’s budget, leaving it with little money to host a big celebration. Thus, the school decided to charge $10 for the first two tickets and $15 for every additional ticket. Until last year, the first two tickets were free and every ticket thereafter cost $5.  

Berkeley High has since decided to make the first two tickets for this year’s ceremony free of charge, announcing the decision a day after an earlier version of this article was published on the Daily Planet’s website.  

Some Berkeley parents had said they would not be able to afford the new prices during these bleak economic times. 

Berkeley Unified School District spokes- person Mark Coplan said student leaders at the school had made the decision to charge more money for the tickets in order to maintain a 40-year tradition of accepting diplomas on the stage of the Greek Theater. 

Oakland Unified School District spokesperson Troy Flint said Oakland public high schools had never charged for tickets to a graduation event. 

“It’s a momentous occasion for a lot of people, and we like to have as many people attend as possible,” he said. 

Flint said the district limits the number of tickets for each student. Students receive between six and 10 tickets, depending on the size of the school and the venue. 

Last year Berkeley High paid $19,109 to UC Berkeley for using the Greek Theater, including $900 for the facility, $4,000 for event staff, $9,942 for UC police and other miscellaneous expenses, according to numbers provided by university staff. The university increased this year’s charges by 3 to 4 percent, which they attributed to wage negotiations with workers. 

Berkeley High spends additional money on sound equipment, Berkeley Police Department security services, diploma covers and inserts and other miscellaneous expenses, but school officials did not return the Planet’s calls by press time regarding what expenses account for the remainder of the $100,000. 

Oakland Unified’s three big high schools—Oakland High, Oakland Tech and Skyline—pay $10,000 each to rent the Paramount Theater for graduation. 

“It’s steep, but paid for by the schools,” said OUSD Network Executive Officer Alison McDonald in an e-mail to the Planet. The Paramount’s fee includes ushers and security. 

Flint said that in the past, the district used to pick up the tab for the venue, but for the last few years the money has come out of individual school budgets. 

“The principal reserves money from the school’s budget every spring,” Flint said. 

Oakland Unified picks up the cost of diplomas and diploma covers for the district’s 25 high schools, Flint said, as well as printing expenses for tickets for the three big schools, which comes to about $30,000. 

The total number of students in the senior graduating class of Oakland’s three big schools is 963. Berkeley High has around 800 students graduating this year. 

McDonald said that many of the smaller high schools in Oakland Unified, such as Mandela, Media, Architecture, Life and Metwest, rent the auditorium at Holy Names College for about $1,600. 

Some smaller schools also use spaces for free. Dewey and Far West will use the auditorium at Oakland Tech this year. Last year they went to Oakland High. 

McDonald said she didn’t know how much the Mormon Temple or Laney College were charging for graduation events, but that the Oakland schools tried their best to keep costs reasonable.


Council to Revisit Climate Plan

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:50:00 PM

The Berkeley City Council on Tuesday will once again vote on whether to approve the Climate Action Plan for the purpose of environmental review. 

A draft version of the Climate Action Plan, as well as the city’s initial environmental study and proposed negative declaration, are already available for public review online. 

The California Environmental Quality Act requires public agencies to identify a project’s “potentially significant effects on the environment” and to mitigate those effects whenever possible. 

According to an April 28 e-mail sent out by Timothy Burroughs, the city’s climate action coordinator, the “city proposes to adopt a negative declaration” instead of carrying out an environmental impact report, “because the Climate Action Plan would not result in any significant adverse environmental impacts.”  

The plan seeks to help Berkeley comply with Measure G, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. 

Although the Climate Action Plan was on the City Council agenda for April 21, the council was unable to vote on it because of a packed agenda. 

At least 47 people spoke in favor of or against various aspects of the plan, starting at 11 p.m., and it was midnight by the time the council took it up for discussion. 

After extending the meeting several times, at least three councilmembers, including Kriss Worthington, Linda Maio and Jesse Arreguin, wanted to make amendments to the plan. 

There was also confusion about which motion should be voted on first, and the meeting was finally rescheduled for May 5. 

Worthington, who has proposed 14 amendments, said that he hoped the climate plan would be on the early part of the next meeting. 

“I believe my amendments will make a stronger and more effective Climate Action Plan,” Worthington told the Daily Planet Wednesday. “I have added some practical and effective tools that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Berkeley.” 

Worthington’s proposals include having the city adopt a “local hire” ordinance, which would give preference to local residents; a “buy local” ordinance and a free public transit “eco pass” for the downtown and Telegraph and San Pablo avenues. 

He would also like to create a state of the art Zero Waste Facility and phase out free parking for city councilmembers. 

Arreguin said he liked 95 percent of the climate action plan, but wanted to make some changes to improve it. 

He is calling for the plan to take into account more up-to-date scientific research about global warming, something he said has changed since voters approved Measure G in 2006. 

Other improvements he suggested include partnering with UC Berkeley to assess and address the unmet housing needs of its employees and students, encouraging the adaptive reuse of historic buildings near public transit and preserving trees on public streets. 

Maio did not return calls for comment by press time. 

 

Berkeley citywide pools master plan 

City Manager Phil Kamlarz will also ask the City Council to vote on whether the city should proceed with an environmental review of plans to expand and improve the city’s pools. 

City officials and the Berkeley Board of Education joined forces last year to create a citywide pools draft master plan, which would help them get an idea about which public swimming pools and aquatic programs need to be upgraded or replaced.  

The Berkeley Board of Education voted to approve the environmental review of the pools master plan at a public meeting April 16. 

For more information on the pool’s master plan and what the city is proposing as a replacement for the warm water pool at the Berkeley High Old Gym, see the Daily Planet’s April 16 story.  


Thousands Greet Dalai Lama at Greek Theater

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:31:00 PM
More than 7,000 people packed the Greek Theater Saturday afternoon to watch His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, give a speech on “Peace Through Compassion.”
Arnab Bose
More than 7,000 people packed the Greek Theater Saturday afternoon to watch His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, give a speech on “Peace Through Compassion.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama received a rock star welcome at UC Berkeley’s Greek Theater Saturday, April 18, his third visit to the campus since taking over as the head and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people in 1937 at the age of 2. 

Toddlers, teenagers, students, retired UC Berkeley professors and visitors from as far away as New Zealand braved the afternoon heat for a chance to see the 14th reincarnation of the Buddha of Compassion. Sponsored by the American Himalayan Foundation and the Blum Center for Developing Econo-mies, his speech, “Peace Through Compassion,” touched upon world affairs as well as issues closer to home. 

Wearing his signature red and yellow robes, the exiled leader, who lives in India, sat cross-legged on a beige armchair, imparting words of wisdom and humor, as well as a touch of the mundane. In the span of an hour, the Dalai Lama talked about Buddhism, his gall bladder operation, his fear of caterpillars, his preference for flying business class (“first class is too luxurious”) and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. 

The Dalai Lama said that while he was growing up in Tibet, his people saw America as the “champion of democracy, liberty and freedom.” But he said that sometimes, in spite of America having a worthwhile goal, “the method is not always so realistic.” 

“In order to understand reality, we need a holistic approach,” he said, later praising American citizens for their desire for peace. “Today peace cannot be achieved through prayer. We must achieve peace through ourselves—through non-violence,” he said. 

While speaking about President George W. Bush’s foreign policies, the Dalai Lama said he disagreed with some of them, but liked the former president on a personal level. 

“I love him as a human being—very straightforward, very sweet. But not a great leader or political person,” he said. 

Addressing the audience’s younger demographic, he said, “You are the real people, you are the source of hope. Time will always be moving; if you want to waste time that’s up to you.” 

He stressed the importance of compassion for a healthy and stress-free life. 

“In every sphere of life, affection is very important,” he said. Caring for others, the Dalai Lama said, has enabled him to remain young at heart. Recalling the words of a scientist he met in New York, he said, “Persons who use the words ‘I,’ ‘me,’ ‘myself’ have greater risk of heart attack...Too much thinking of oneself—’I, I, I’—will lead to more health problems. Think of others—that will help you feel better.” 

UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and actress Sharon Stone, who also sits on the board of directors for the American Himalayan Foundation, introduced the Dalai Lama Saturday. Birgeneau also presented UC Regent Richard Blum, the founder and chair of the Himalayan Foundation, with the Berkeley Medal, the university’s highest honor, for his contributions to social welfare. 

In a lighter moment, Blum joked about his own possible history of reincarnation. 

“I don’t know what I was in my last life,” Blum said, “but clearly there was a problem, because I ended up being an investment banker.”


Safeway Unveils New Plans for College Avenue Store

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:32:00 PM

Safeway was set to unveil the latest design for its College Avenue store at a public meeting at the Claremont Hotel Wednesday, April 29, after the Daily Planet went to press. 

The grocery chain’s proposal to remodel and expand the 25,000-square-foot ‘60s-era store has met with fierce opposition from neighbors since the plan was first announced in July 2007. 

Area residents complained that the new supermarket would take business away from the neighborhood’s small, locally owned shops, several of which specialize in the products and services Safeway wants to introduce in its expanded operation. 

Other concerns included traffic, congestion and the overall scale of the project, which critics said would lessen or destroy the Claremont neighborhood’s smalltown charm. 

However, Safeway officials have pressed on with their plans, part of a nationwide effort to revamp stores by introducing full-service meat and fish counters, florists, and organic produce, among other services and products. 

Safeway hosted a number of community and stakeholder meetings to address criticisms and concerns regarding the College Avenue store, none of which led to a resolution. 

After trying out two different architecture firms, the company brought in local architect Ken Lowney, who the company said would be more sensitive to neighborhood concerns. Lowney met with a group of local architects last month to discuss the project and get feedback. 

In a recent e-mail to neighbors, Elisabeth Jewel, of Aroner, Jewel and Ellis, the political consultants hired by Safeway to coordinate community outreach, said Safeway will show “updated and modified plans” for a new store and retail space at the April 29 meeting. 

She called the new building a “new, light-filled, energy-efficient building with lots of free parking for everyone.” Jewel did not return calls for comment by press time. 

Susan Shawl, of Concerned Neighbors of College Avenue Safeway, accused the supermarket chain of pulling a fast one. 

“We don’t know diddly about the meeting, except for what’s on the website,” she said. “I expect they are going to wine and dine everybody a bit and really just show the drawings. I don’t think they are going to give us a chance to comment. In the past they have been so not interested in listening to people, or allowing much communication. We have absolutely no idea about what’s going to happen at the meeting—they have been very close-mouthed.” 

Esperanza Greenwood, director of public affairs and government relations for Safeway’s Northern California division, did not return calls for comment by press time. 

Safeway plans to submit a formal application to the City of Oakland to begin the entitlement process after the meeting. 

“Our fear is they are going to go to the planning commission without taking in comment from the community who have been involved all along,” Shawl said. 

She said neighbors weren’t necessarily opposed to an upgrade, but wanted to see a smaller store than the one proposed, and one which would not cause traffic problems. 

“We have enough congestion there already,” Shawl said. 

The Safeway on College website says the new building will have accompanying shops, something Rockridge Community Planning Council Chair Stu Flashman said his organization had mixed feelings about. 

“If there weren’t small shops there already, it would be different,” he said. “But with more shops, can you think of the traffic it’s going to generate?” 

Flashman said the Rockridge Community Planning Council was still concerned about the project. 

“We still haven’t seen anything to indicate it’s going to be small,” he said. “At the last stakeholders’ meeting, Safeway told us they considered 50,000 square feet to be the bottom line. I don’t think they have changed that perspective. But I’ll be at the meeting to find out.” 

Safeway was expected to display the new drawings and architectural renderings for the College Avenue neighborhood store from 7-9 p.m. at the Claremont Hotel. Check www.berkeleydailyplanet.com for updates.


District Gets Federal Grant to Study Solarization of Schools

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:32:00 PM

A coalition of East Bay school districts and two local organizations was awarded a Solar America Showcase grant to explore energy independence, the U.S. Department of Energy announced April 28. 

Berkeley, Oakland and West Contra Costa Unified School Districts are set to receive up to $500,000 in technical assistance from the Department of Energy (DOE) to figure out which of their buildings have the potential to go solar. 

The coalition includes the Sequoia Foundation and its sponsored project, KyotoUSA, and Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc., a Berkeley consulting firm. 

Tom Kelly, who heads KyotoUSA, said the schools themselves would not get the money, but would instead receive support from national labs and financial corporations to develop comprehensive solar master plans which would speed up the process of solarizing schools across California. 

Experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, DOE’s Southeast and Southwest Regional Experiment Stations at the Florida Solar Energy Center, and New Mexico State University will guide the schools through the process. 

“It’s a way of creating a template for all school districts to do something similar,” Kelly said. “We saw that this grant was available and thought it was an appropriate instrument to achieve the solar master plan. I am very excited.” 

The grant process was announced in March with applications due at the end of the month. 

The Berkeley Board of Education approved the application on April 15 because district staff did not have time to ask them for permission before applying for the grant. 

The exact amount each school will get was not available immediately. 

“We are very interested in exploring solar options for Berkeley’s schools, and this grant from the Department of Energy will be a big help,” said Berkeley Unified Superintendent Bill Huyett in a statement. “We already have one solar school in the district, so we already see firsthand both the advantages and the potential challenges.” 

On Wednesday, April 29—after the Daily Planet’s deadline—district officials were to ask the Berkeley Board of Education to identify school sites that could be converted to solar in the future.  

Calls to district officials for further comment were not returned by press time. 

Kelly and his wife Jane were instrumental in getting solar energy to Berkeley Unified’s Washington Elementary School, which involved lobbying district officials and the Berkeley Board of Education to quite an extent. 

The project, which cost $1.17 million, was unveiled last August, and its 103-kilowatt PV system is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 tons every year over the next two decades 

“It took us two years to get one school done,” Kelly said laughing. “We will be dead before we can get 10 of them done. But the grant formalizes the process of getting solar up.” 

Kelly told the Planet there were more than 200 buildings in the three school districts which could be equipped with photovoltaic panels. 

“They are sitting on a little gold mine which will help them get their energy costs down,” he said. 

In its application, the Sequoia Foundation outlined specific efforts to evaluate the energy consumption and solar electricity generation potential for all schools and facilities within the three districts. 

The 18-month grant period will see the districts select one or more schools to become a “showcase” where the most “efficient and effective solar arrays will be installed.” 


Fate of Cerrito Theater to Be Decided

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:33:00 PM

The El Cerrito City Council is expected to decide the future of the Cerrito Theater Monday night, May 4. This will be the council’s first public meeting on the theater since it was revealed that the current operators, Speakeasy Theaters, have fallen behind on rent. 

The council has repeatedly affirmed its intention to maintain the Cerrito as a movie theater, whether with the current operators or with a new company. The city has determined that running the theater as a cinema with food service is a viable business and is working with Speakeasy to develop a plan by which the theater can stay in business, whether under the management of Speakeasy or another entity. 

Friends of the Cerrito Theater, a community organization founded in 2002 to help restore and reopen the theater, but with no official connection to either Speakeasy or the city, has voiced its support for the continuing operation of the theater. 

Speakeasy closed down the company’s flagship operation, Oakland’s Parkway Theater, March 22, citing the economic downturn and disputes with the landlord over rent. 

The meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. Monday night at City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. The agenda for the meeting, with a staff report outlining the issues and the background, will be available Thursday, April 30, at www.el-cerrito.org/gov.


Ashby Flowers, Whole Foods Agree to 10-Year Lease

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:32:00 PM

Ashby Flowers is here to stay. For another decade at least. The Berkeley flower shop, which has been battling Whole Foods Market since last year over a lease renewal, announced Wednesday afternoon that both parties had signed off on a 10-year lease. 

Whole Foods had planned to convert the family-owned flower shop’s small retail space, located on the grocery store’s Berkeley property at Ashby and Telegraph avenues, into a coffee shop or a juice bar. Public outcry forced it to reverse its decision a week later. 

Stacey Simon, spokesperson for Ashby Flowers, said the shop’s owners were thrilled with the news. She said the lease would not have been possible without community support and help from Councilmember Kriss Worthington. 

Whole Foods company officials could not be reached for comment by press time. 

 

—Riya Bhattacharjee 


Correction

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:33:00 PM

The year from which figures regarding the Greek Theater in the April 23 story, “Berkeley High Raises Graduation Ticket Prices,”was incorrectly reported. The figures were from 2008.


First Person: Berkeley Fights the War on Drugs —With Paintbrushes

By Sally Hindman
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:33:00 PM

It’s the corner of Ellis and Woolsey Street in the heart of South Berkeley. A young black male with dreadlocks opens the door of his grey BMW and unloads four plastic bags from the front floor of the car, as his counterparts in the back seat tell jokes and the radio blasts rap music. Dressed in a dark hoody, wearing dirty jeans dangling from his thighs, he opens the back gate to a neighborhood yard and he stashes the bags behind a garden trellis on the house’s patio. He drives off in a hurry. It’s nearly 6 p.m. in the Lorin District where a half block down the street three young black men sit on logs in front of a grey blue house, actively making drug deals this July evening, as their family members have for most of the last 20 years.  

I live in the house where the men stashed the bags. I’ve been trying to make friendly conversation with the dealers across the street since we moved in five years ago. They generally grunt or ignore me when I say hello. Midwestern girl-next-door type that I am, it makes me feel bad, but I know they are “very busy.” I’ve always been amazed at how hard these young people work! 

As I leave the house this particular morning, one of the men from across the street gets up from his log seat and crosses Ellis Street to approach me. I feel a sense of delight. Finally the neighbors are reciprocating my friendliness! “Hey, what are those dudes doing in your yard every day?” the neighbor asks casually. “What dudes?” I wonder aloud. “You know, those guys stashing the bags,” he elaborates. “Oh, them,” I say, realizing he didn’t just come over to say hi. “They’re youth artists painting wooden art benches down the street. The group I work for is painting art benches on Adeline. They’re storing art supplies in our back yard.” “Art supplies?” he asks. “Yea, you know, paint brushes, tubes of paint, plastic tarps.” “Right, you told us about that group…I was just curious.” He ends the conversation a bit abruptly and returns to his perch, as a young man approaches on a bicycle from around the corner.  

When we started Youth Spirit Artworks with the support of the City of Berkeley back in 2007, we set out to “compete with the corner” on every level. We wanted to beat them in creating an appealing extended social community (they’ve taken over the role the Church used to play in a lot of people’s lives). We wanted Youth Spirit artists to have more fun than they were having on the corner. And we wanted our youth to make just as much money as the guys sitting on those logs were making!  

That day last summer, at least in the moment, we were winning! With the City’s backing, the hard work of local Councilman Max Anderson, and the big team of folks who’ve come together to close Berkeley’s achievement gap, (including Darryl Moore, Max and Kriss Worthington from the Council pushing for youth jobs money), a cadre of young people whom the dealers might have wanted sitting on the stumps with them, were indeed involved in a competing enterprise, not fed by needles and guns, but by paint, paint brushes and humble minimum wage salaries. It seemed telling that the local dealers thought we might be encroaching on their “turf.” We were—but not in the way they had thought we were! 

Support by the City for the interfaith community art making and job training efforts of Youth Spirit Artworks (first called YaYa California), through grant money and provision of Youth Works teen employees is one of the hip, very creative, and even GREEN vehicles the City has committed resources to in its nonviolent war to get youth to finish high school, go on to college, or vocational training--and get off the streets and street corners. New life at Berkeley Technology Academy (fueled most recently with the exciting injection of California Dept. of Education 21st Century grant funds), as well as steps taken by the City of Berkeley for its 20/20 Vision Plan to close the achievement gap, and the innovative emphasis of Berkeley Community Fund’s new college scholarship program, have together already had a palpable impact. 

At a community art making day on the corner of California and Harmon Street two weeks ago, I eavesdropped as six of our South and West Berkeley youth artists casually “talked college.” Two had just returned from BTech’s spring tour of historic black colleges and were deciding whether they’d head for four year college right away—or get there by way of a stop at a community college. Another youth spoke of her scholarship application to the Berkeley Community Fund and her upcoming interview—seeking funds that she is hoping can pay for her studies at SF State where she’s already been accepted. Another youth was excited about her work as part of Berkeley City College’s PACE program, and the personal support and encouragement she was receiving through that effort.  

What’s the sound of a gun not going off, of drugs not being injected, of handcuffs not being closed on a youth’s wrists? As we sanded and dug out grout together on the mosaic street barricades we were completing that afternoon, Bertolt Brecht’s words came to mind, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”  

 

Sally Hindman is director pf Youth Spirit Artworks.


Opinion

Editorials

Fast Track to Obliteration

By Becky O’Malley
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:51:00 PM

The long knives are starting to come out for West Berkeley, now that Downtown has been carved up. Two harbingers this week: There was a special meeting on Monday of the Zoning Adjustment board which gave the new West Berkeley Bowl carte blanche to open even though the conditions on its use permit which called for changes to mitigate the project’s dire impacts on traffic have never been carried out. And there was another special meeting on Tuesday, so special that some engaged neighborhood stakeholders didn’t even hear about it until the last minute, a “workshop” for the City Council wearing both of its hats (Redevelopment is the other one) to discuss speeding up proposed zoning and traffic changes to the area covered by the West Berkeley Plan.  

We didn’t hear about it in time either (just a fax late on Thursday with no detail about the agenda), so we didn’t go to the Tuesday meeting, but conversations with those who suffered through it indicate that it was just more of the same-old same-old. It sounds like the mayor’s bad case of old-guy-itis is getting worse and worse—he just can’t resist cutting off anyone he disagrees with any more, even councilmembers trying to speak up for their constituents, and in the worst case even those councilmembers he generally agrees with.  

The Brown Act requires members of the public to be given a reasonable opportunity to comment, but does it extend the same courtesy to elected officials? Evidently not, or else we’re just continuing our hallowed local practice of ignoring the Brown Act until someone sues. 

Many home-based reviewers told us that the discussion at the council’s regular meeting last week of that great PR extravaganza, the Berkeley Climate Action Plan, was even more comic. Poor Carolyn Jones at the Chronicle made the fatal mistake of assuming that the river of words produced by the planners for the occasion meant what they said, and what the words said caused enormous consternation in the Berkeley circles which still read the Chron. Some of us listening to KPFB at home fell asleep before the widely mocked last fifteen minutes of that meeting, which featured feverishly back-pedaling councilmembers and an out-of-control mayor dissing everyone in sight, but luckily it can be savored in all its foolish glory in the online video—when we have time to watch it.  

Our small staff of reporters does its best to keep up with all of this, but there are only so many hours in a day, and there are so many meetings to cover now that the skids are really being greased on the fast track. Here’s a quick summary: climate change coupled with economic stimulus are being used (all over the country, not just here) as the latest excuses for rationalizing the most exotic fantasies of the building industry, and Berkeley’s planning department, the mayor, and a majority of councilmembers are eager enablers.  

One disbelieving spectator at Tuesday’s special meeting reports that Bates reprised Charley Wilson’s famous Eisenhower-era dictum that what’s good for General Motors is good for the country. Bates has been heard to opine on several occasions in various ways that we should do anything necessary to persuade new businesses to locate in Berkeley, that any kind of new venture is good for the city. He applied that same logic, for example, to ground floor offices proposed for Solano’s retail area, opposed by both merchants and neighbors. The recent fate of General Motors is a graphic illustration of the failure mode for that kind of simple-minded boosterism. 

It’s becoming a cliché that green is the new dot-com. Almost any enterprise that looks lucrative is green-washed as a matter of course, in exactly the same way that all kinds of foolishness were once thought to be okay if online. That’s the mindset that has honchos in Berkeley’s planning department, which is funded exclusively by permit fees, salivating over the prospects for a building boom bonanza in West Berkeley, now a pleasant mixture of older buildings with sunk environmental costs, low-impact industry and greenery. The mad rush to cut down all the trees and cover it with concrete which seems to be in the works could put a stop to all that.  

No one who’s paid much attention to the math believes that we can build our way out of global warming, even though construction is well-regarded as an economic stimulus mechanism. My friend in Bloomington reports that a long-opposed freeway project with dire consequences for Indiana is being tagged for stimulus fast-tracking, to the consternation of local environmentalists who fear that it will cause irreversible habitat destruction and other bad effects.  

The trick here is that an honest environment impact study for the myriad changes now being proposed will certainly show drastic local environmental effects, particularly traffic catastrophes, which simply can’t be mitigated. Unmitigatible environment effects will require the council to adopt a “statement of overriding considerations”—that is to say, something else, for example economic stimulus, is more important than the identified bad environmental consequences of the plan. If Berkeleyans are not vigilant, we’re likely to get big bucks to build bad stuff, in West Berkeley, Central Berkeley and elsewhere, which could even result in increasing Berkeley’s carbon footprint instead of shrinking it as Measure G specified.  

Keep an eye out for an accelerated schedule of special and unpublicized meetings pushing toward the desired EIRs between now and the council’s July 15 departure for its long, long vacation. 


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:51:00 PM

UN CONFERENCE ON RACISM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

At the United Nations Racism Conference in Geneva, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel “a cruel and repressive racist regime,” prompting delegates from European nations to walk out. While I am not a fan of the Iranian president and his numerous diatribes, he did make a point. Why doesn’t Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians belong at a forum on discrimination and xenophobia?  

Consider, Israel has erected a wall or fence, which cuts deep into Palestinian territory, joining large Jewish settlement blocks to Israel, further confining the Palestinians to isolated enclaves. Israel continues to establish new settlements (called outposts), demolishing homes and uprooting farms and families in the process. And since Israel instituted a strict closure policy in 2000, the Palestinian economy has been on a downward trend. Fuel, electricity and materials to maintain water and sanitation are under Israeli control. The lack of investment in public infrastructure and private enterprises are eroding the limited remaining Palestinian economic base. The economic blockade has devastated the Gaza private sector and driven almost all industrial producers out of business. About 63 percent of Gazans and 45 percent of the West Bank population live below the UN poverty line. The Palestinian unemployment rate is about 24 percent.  

How can a people, who have been persecuted for centuries and were the victims of the Holocaust, in turn persecute the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip? Looks like a prima facie case of racism to me and a proper item for discussion at a conference on racism. 

Succumbing to lobbying by Jewish and pro-Israeli groups, the United States boycotted this conference as did a number of other nations. Given our history of discrimination against blacks, Asians, Irish, Jews, etc., we could have provided a unique perspective on racism. After all, a conference on racism is an ideal place to discuss controversial opinions. And isn’t somewhat ironic that an African American president declined to provide leadership at a conference on racism? As Woody Allen once said, “90 percent of life is just showing up.” 

Ralph E. Stone 

San Francisco 

 

• 

CATTLE POLLUTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While federal, state and local politicians are tripping over each other trying to appear “green,” they seem unwilling to address what the United Nations 2006 report calls the biggest contributor to global warming: methane gas produced by cattle. It’s effects are more destructive than all forms of transport put together. 

Cattle excrement now amounts to more than 250,000 pounds per second. It is estimated that in order to reverse global warming, Americans must cut their daily meat consumption to the size of a half-dollar. Our leaders seem more interested in rearranging chairs on the Titanic than making the real changes in diet that would reverse our path. 

The real solution to our personal and planetary health is to change what we put in our mouths. How many are willing to effect real change by changing their diets? 

Michael Bauce 

 

• 

BHS TEACHER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a former high school teacher in Philadelphia and Oakland, and junior high school teacher at Willard, I write to protest the treatment of Eugenio Juarez. Mr. Juarez has worked at Berkeley High for 13 years under seven different principals, and has always received excellent to outstanding evaluations. However, after his advocacy and actions on behalf of primary language diagnostic testing for Spanish-speaking students, he has been threatened with dismissal. Juarez was a lone voice campaigning that these tests be administered, just as they are for non-Hispanic students. He believes that without them, students cannot receive the education they deserve. 

When his pleas where ignored by the Berkeley High School administration he appealed to the community for support, wrote leaflets, and handed them out at parent-teacher day. Ever since he began advocating for this cause he has been a target of retribution, systematic and selective discipline. 

Now, finally, the high school has mandated that primary language diagnostic testing will take place in the spring, as well as two or three weeks prior to the start of classes in the fall. Unfortunately, the Berkeley High School administration still wants to fire Mr. Juarez. He feels that he is definitely being treated unfairly and his only alternative is to appeal for federal assistance because his rights are being violated. 

I urge the superintendent, and principal of Berkeley High School to reconsider their actions against Eugenio Juarez, and keep a teacher who has demonstrated a strong devotion to the education of Spanish-speaking minority students. 

Daniel Rudman 

 

• 

BERKELEY MEADOW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

If Pete Najarian were being honest, he would admit that the previously unfenced wetland area near the Marina was being thoroughly abused by dog owners too lazy to take their pets to the area carefully created for them in the center of Cesar Chavez Park. 

The fences are a small price to pay for the opportunity, finally, to see the wildlife which now can survive a moment’s respite from a long migration, or a moment in the sun without being set upon by off-leash dogs whose guardians don’t mind seeing wildlife treated like chew toys. 

Carol Denney 

 

• 

SENIOR POWER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

My April 24 e-mails included this from Joanna Kim Selby: 

“Today, my proposal “Honoring Senior Volunteers in May,” SCR 28 (Senate Concurrent Resolution) passed Senate Floor unanimously 40-0. I went to the Senate Floor this morning to see how things are going and it went through and Senator Correa who is the author introduced me to the Senate Floor and my Senator Loni Hancock greeted me. 

I am really happy because we cannot do our work without our senior volunteers. We have to honor those volunteers in May of this year. Thanks for your support. Joanna.” 

I first met Joanna Kim Selby when we both served on the Alameda County Area Agency Advisory Commission on Aging. She has since been nominated to serve on California’s own Commission on Aging. Lately she’s been regularly trekking from the East Bay to Sacramento, as an elected member of the California Senior Legislature. Elections held for the Senior Legislature take place in senior centers. When the Senior Legislature is in session in Sacramento, sessions are televised on Channel 15. 

So, I ask, why for 31 days honor seniors who volunteer to do things that likely wouldn’t otherwise get done, largely in behalf of other seniors? And why aren’t more seniors willing and able to volunteer good works on behalf of their peers? Several explanations include lack of transportation, stereotypes that handicap some “volunteer coordinators,” and the unpleasant-sounding areas of greatest need for volunteers: caregiver abuse, nursing home conditions, ombudsmanship, meals-on-wheels, advocacy for health coverage, hospice. 

Helen Rippier Wheeler 

 

• 

STACY ROSS AS HEDDA GABLER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In his favorable April 16 review of Aurora’s Miss Julie, Ken Bullock reminds us that Lauren Grace, who plays Miss Julie, was Hilda Wangel in the 2006 Aurora presentation of The Master Builder, and he goes on to say that “maybe it’s time for her to play Hedda Gabler.” She would indeed be excellent in that role, too, but for me, a performance as good as any I’ve ever seen was that of Stacy Ross as Hedda Gabler in an Aurora production. How well the subtlety of her acting would reach a large audience I don’t know, but in the front row in the Berkeley City Club, it was stunning. 

Richard Wiebe 

 

• 

CRIMINALIZATION OF POVERTY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

This afternoon I bought the April edition of Street Spirit from a friendly young woman on Shattuck and I was disturbed to read the article “Oakland Police Criminalize Street Spirit Vendor.” I am writing out of concern for the violation of rights which seem to have occurred. According to the article, Ricky Anderson, a Street Spirit vendor, was ticketed by a police officer as a panhandler. For those who are not aware, the newspaper is published by American Friends Service Committee, to be sold by homeless individuals so that they can earn a living. Through this work, it seems likely that someone might go on to find more work and eventually get off the streets. Though this particular incident occurred in Oakland, there are many Street Spirit vendors in Berkeley. Seeing the vendors working everyday, rain or shine, demonstrates considerably more resolve than that possessed by the average office worker. I hope that Ricky Anderson’s ticket is rescinded and that police in Berkeley and in Oakland work on solving crimes instead of creating crimes. 

Iris Levitis 

 

• 

GO FOR BAROQUE! 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

For yet another of its popular “Arts in the Afternoon” events, the Women’s Faculty Club on the U.C. campus presented a very special program this past Thursday—a celebration of William Shakespeare’s birthday, his 445th! In honor of this auspicious occasion, Professor Davitt Moroney, a faculty member of the University of California, provided a concert perfectly suited for such a celebration. As director of the University Baroque Ensemble, he brought together 17 gifted young musicians who performed selections from composers of Shakespeare’s era—Henry Purcell, Marin Marais, Matthew Locke and Antonio Vivaldi. 

These brilliant young musicians in some instances played on original 18th-century violins, a sopranino recorder, Baroque guitar and harpsichord. According to Moroney, this is the only student group in the world performing on such antique instruments, all of which were donated to the Music Department over 40 years ago by the A. Salz Collection. 

Sitting in the lovely Stebbins Lounge, sipping wine and enjoying music dating back to the 1600s, one could easily imagine oneself watching one of the Bard’s plays in the old Globe Theatre (perhaps The Tempest, with music by composer Matthew Locke). The more imaginative of us almost sensed the presence of W.S. in our midst. 

Professor Moroney gave a brief history of the Baroque Music Endowment Fund, established in 2004, this at a time when other programs have had to slim down because of the university’s budget cuts. Anyone wishing to donate to the fund, donate an instrument or sponsor the restoration of an old instrument should contact him at the Music Department. 

After the concert, guests were treated to a reception in the dining room for a light buffet and a large birthday cake for Will—but without 445 candles! So, once again, the Women’s Faculty Club is deserving of warm thanks for this memorable event, enjoyed by an overflow of appreciative guests. 

Dorothy Snodgrass 

 

• 

TORTURE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Our country is currently absorbed with the question of how to deal with the fact that United States government personnel tortured suspected “terrorists.” The primary focus, perhaps narrowly framed by the mass corporate media, seems to be what to do with those public officials who approved torture, either by legal contortion or official fiat. While this question is definitely an important one and goes to our very identity as U.S. citizens, some of the very politicians who are so intent upon investigating and pursuing officials of the Bush administration on the one hand, vote with the other hand to send billions of tax dollars to prop up the security forces of Latin American governments who routinely practice torture on their own citizens. I refer specifically to the Merida Initiative (Plan Mexico) and Plan Colombia, two “plans” to allegedly “fight drug trafficking.” 

Why do we believe it is wrong for the United States to practice torture, but give funds, equipment and training to countries whose security forces regularly practice torture upon their own citizens? In contrast to our senators and congresspersons, that receive lots of classified information, we ordinary citizens rarely receive accurate news about either Mexico or Colombia in English through the corporate news media in the United States. Those of us who have both the time and interest have to search alternative media or read Spanish language media to find such information. 

I invite all those who are interested to come and see Mexican security forces in action in a video documentary filmed in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico. It will be shown at the Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3. Admission is free. 

Mary Ann Tenuto Sánchez 

Chiapas Support Committee 

 

• 

BANKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It’s time the government stopped all efforts to prop up irresponsible financial institutions that have capitalized on the government’s equally irresponsible deregulation and reframing of key economic safeguards. Pouring trillions of dollars into insolvent banks, with toxic assets of their own creation, eliminates the responsibility that comes with risk and creates a totally unwarranted debt to taxpayers that will only feed the economic spiral even as wealthy investors are salvaged. The zombie banks that are hoarding bailout money need to be put into receivership immediately to have their assets and liabilities clarified and dealt with responsibly. Then we need to rebuild our nation on a real economy and real human need, not on predatory financial institutions and junk products that add to environmental malaise. A fraction of the trillions of dollars wasted on zombie banks could have been put into responsible financial institutions to increase liquidity or into government programs or public banks that quickly put people back to work and restored confidence. It is not too late. By putting the failed banks into receivership immediately, perhaps some of our tax dollars can yet be retrieved for an economic recovery built on responsibility and accountability and an ethic of service. 

James Cisney 

 

• 

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In the April 23 Planet, my letter was included in those protesting the Climate Action Plan. I wish to expand on that letter, not by retracting my rude assessment of the City Council, who consistently run Berkeley like a charity bazaar rather than the municipal corporation it is, but by saying that I support, in general, the intent behind that plan. In trying to control global warming, I suppose that every effort may help. But in the grand scope of the problem, fussing about the color of our roofs or the caulking of our windows has about as much relevance as knitting tea cozies for the homeless. At the least, we may expect the sea level to rise three feet by the end of this century. Berkeley’s population could contribute one hundredth of an inch to that rise. But we may have a voice, and others may listen. 

If we consider the domino effect described by Matthew Taylor in the same issue, the sea level will probably rise much more, and meaningful remedies are far beyond those being voiced here or worldwide. Rational first steps certainly include minimizing the transportation of people, food, and goods. Toward this goal, petroleum taxes should be increased to raise the cost of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to ten dollars per gallon within two years, produce should be grown and consumed locally, and relocation of jobs and residences should be subsidized. While there is a small flurry of renewed interest in cold fusion, it is generally dismissed as fantasy by most of the scientific community. The proposed process for removing carbon dioxide from coal and sequestering it in the earth’s crust appears to be far more difficult and costly than burying waste from nuclear power plants, so the default choice may be the replacement of coal by nuclear. 

But all of these are baby steps. We are so far behind the warming curve that, given the lack of effective or cooperative world government, we must expect the end of the century to bring the displacement of millions from coastal areas, the parching of agricultural lands, and mass starvation. The only viable preparation for this prospect is the planned reduction of world population by at least one third by 2100. This can’t occur voluntarily—people will not stop breeding—so forced sterilization or genocide have been proposed. In either case, someone must decide where the cuts will be made. Surely those societies with the most advanced democracies, educational systems and technologies must be preserved, while those which contribute least to human betterment may be weeded out. Thumbs up to North America, Europe, China, and much of the Far East. On the down side are radical Muslim groups still slogging through the tenth century with their murderous fanaticism and crushing of women. How about the drug cartels south of the border? And those African states that seem only to exist for the ego battles of thuggish dictators—we can do without Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan. Even the Irish, with their especially benighted form of Catholicism and perpetual political infighting, can go down the drain. Oh, what a field day of cultural prejudice! 

You may find these conjectures laughable—your great-grandchildren won’t. I’m glad I won’t be around. 

Jerry Landis 

 

• 

EDUCATIONAL INEQUITY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Last summer, through a class at UC Berkeley, I volunteered as a tutor for elementary students in West Oakland, one of the poorest school districts in the state. For the first time, I saw the stark reality of the educational inequities in our state. I met students who were two or three grades behind in reading; a third-grader who could not add sums greater than ten; ESL students struggling to master a new language with little support; and students who had memorized multiplication tables but couldn’t solve simple problems. The experience deeply moved me, ultimately leading to my decision to become an elementary school teacher in the inner city. 

It breaks my heart that in the current economic climate, students like the ones I worked with are likely to lose funding for supplies, facilities, and teachers. If anything, these students need more funding from the state, not less. Even with incoming federal stimulus money, the legislature has slashed the education budget, and districts across California are laying off thousands of teachers. This is not the way to save California’s already underserved public schools. 

On May 13, I will travel to Sacramento with thousands of high school students from across the state to rally for educational equity. We believe that all graduating seniors in California should be 100 percent prepared to succeed in college or a meaningful career, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Even in these tough economic times, we can—and must—invest in our state’s most precious resource: our students. 

As a future inner-city teacher, I hope to provide students like the ones I met in Oakland with the resources they need to succeed in school and in life. Until the state government provides adequate funding for education, however, our most underserved students will continue to fall behind. We must let Gov. Schwarzenegger know that this is unacceptable. 

William Daly 

 

• 

BHS GRADUATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The first two tickets to Berkeley High’s graduation ceremony at UC Berkeley’s Greek Theater may be free, but UC Berkeley will probably gouge anyone who wants to park in their lots by again raising the normal prices to “special event” parking of $20 at their parking lots, without advance notice, just like they did for the Dalai Lama! 

I’d like to see a story about UC Berkeley’s horrible and unethical practice of gouging the elderly, disabled and infirm who need to park nearby. 

UC Berkeley does not provide advance notice of their exorbitant “special” fees. Why can’t they stick with their normal prices? Aren’t they high enough already? Why does UC’s parking department feel the need to gouge? If ticket scalping is illegal, gouging for parking should be too! They should be required to stick to their posted rates. 

David Lerman 

 

• 

FERLINGHETTI 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

What I call “A Berkeley of the Imagination” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti is worthy of the attention given to his “A Coney Island of the Mind” and “A Far Rockawy of the Heart.” I refer to the visual work of the artist now on display at the Berkeley Art Center under the title, “Lyric Escape” and to the title of two of his books of poems for which he is best known. The exhibition was reported on by Ken Bullock. 

The exhibition deserves to be seen in its own right because of the excellence of the individual works and the overall impact of the collection. What makes it especially valuable is that it allows many who have known Lawrence Ferlinghetti as a poet to see him as a painter on a large scale. In the paintings we find things like and unlike his written poems. The attention to detail on a broad canvas, the simple lines, the fine colors, the human figure in a particular setting: these we have “seen” in his poems. 

But the exhibition is full of surprises for one who has only read the his poems. There is mystery and there is revelation which has to be seen to be believed. There is an old saying that what can’t be said can’t be said and it can’t be whistled either. OK. But in this exhibition Ferlinghetti suggests that what can’t be said may be painted. 

This is why what I call “A Berkeley of the Imagination” belongs up there with Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s important printed and spoken words. Go see for yourself in this rare exhibition. 

David James Randolph 

Albany 

(Associated with the Center for the Arts, Religion and Education at the GTU) 

 

• 

MORE ON THE MEADOW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I couldn’t disagree more with Joe Eaton’s recent column on the North Meadow at the Berkeley Marina. I remember going there for years, when it was admittedly dirty, uncared for and full of homeless camps. But it was fun, free-wheeling, and dog owners could go there and enjoy it. Now we have a place where nature fanatics have made it resemble nothing so much as a reform school, with insulting fences to remind you that you are not worthy to share this area with nature, but only to look at its superiority. 

My greatest fear is that the same nature fanatics will ruin the area south of the little cafe at University and the freeway, and make it another place too good for ordinary people to use. 

Gui Mayo 

 

• 

MONSTERS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thank you for an excellent newspaper. 

Regarding Mr. Allen-Taylor’s column on the Oakland police officer shootings: I do not agree that Lovelle Mixon deserves the “monster” status the media has assigned to him. 

I think monster status should go to those people who open fire on the public, fellow students, business associates, or people like the woman who murdered that little girl in Tracy 

Mr. Mixon would warrant monster status if he had disarmed the police, made them lie face down on the street, handcuffed them behind their backs and then shot them. That’s a monster. 

Dan Alaniz 

 

• 

JOURNALISM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Not to cavil, as I too groan with every fund drive on NPR, but unlike Becky O’Malley (“Community-Supported Journalism: Is It Sustainable?”), I left the radio on during its recent fund drive. The drive you tuned into was, I think, a national programmatic fling with being green for a half-day’s local programming. 

You know, of course, that the Obama economic team will probably do a bailout of some sort—whether with cash or allowing newspaper conglomerates to reorganize as nonprofits or as public utilities is up for political grabs—so in some way, tree-chopping news delivery systems will be sustained, to answer your question. 

As a geezer currently at 79 still a writer for a Spanish magazine, a working newspaper arts reporter and art critic until my early 70s, I remember a scale and a mode of what is defined now as community-based that should be looked at. I.F. Stone’s weekly, Paul Krasner’s The Realist, and the local efforts of the late Carlton Goodlett and the Berkeley Daily Planet defined the community in the sense of how I think you mean community. National newspapers (unlike in the original Hearst street-sales days) monetized by advertising, whose business side has primacy over its editorial side, whose business model logically requires going global to sustain the reach to their community, are, of course, not sustainable. Do the Howard Dean and Obama campaigns (i.e., social networking) offer ways that sustainability might persist? 

Alfredo de la Rosa 

 

• 

MEETING MALFEASANCE? 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

There was no real “sunshine,” no transparency and openness, at the April 21 City Council meeting. And most of the public was illegally turned away for lack of room in council chambers, when ordinarily the overflow crowd is told to wait to speak on their items of concern. 

With 54 items on consent calendar, Mayor Bates violated his own published rules printed on the agenda: “Up to three speakers will be entitled to two minutes each to speak in opposition to or in support of a consent calendar item.” 

So item no. 1, for example, regarding the environmental review process for the Downtown Plan, had no speakers. This plan certainly needs a full environmental impact report and not a little quickie Mickey-Mouse procedure which shuts out the public on their own downtown. 

Reporter Richard Brenneman wrote eloquently regarding impacts of this plan for Berkeley’s downtown in the Daily Planet’s Feb. 5 issue. A must read! Brenneman wrote: “The development in the Downtown Area Plan (DAP), would have significant, unavoidable impacts—the highest level of detriment spelled out under the California Environmental Quality Act”— and he lists examples, such as views, air quality, including pollution and toxic air contaminants and odors, demolition of historic resources, increased noise from traffic and construction. 

Merrilie Mitchell 


Legal Cover for Torture Is Unconscionable

By Marvin Chachere
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:54:00 PM

I thought the rage I felt so often during the Bush administration would fade away. It actually quieted a little but got aroused to a fever pitch when memos from years ago authorizing torture were made public and started a whirlwind of furious reactions. Evidently, not everyone agrees that human beings inflicting excruciating pain on a bound and helpless human being is torture and that all torture, no matter the purpose, is a crime.  

Although torturing prisoners has ceased, our leaders are agonizing over the question of exactly how its use, while Bush was president, should be dealt with. Answers range from irrational exuberance through truth and reconciliation commissions and sober history-based analyses to slobbering and virulent justifications.  

After 9/11/01, Alan Dershowitz, renowned lawyer and Harvard professor, argued that “there are right times to torture.” Jay Bybee (now a federal judge) and John Yoo (then and now a law professor) working for the Justice Department, developed pseudo-legal grounds for using torture. Last week, in the wake of their memos that detailed what everyone already knew, former Vice President Dick Cheney went on CNN to introduce a Facebook Page for “fans of torture” (see Andy Borowitz blog). 

Becky O’Malley, Executive Editor of the Berkeley Daily Planet, wants the country to join in a “forthright denunciation of the Obama administration’s apparent plan to let the torturers and their instigators off the hook” (Editorial, April 23–29, 2009).  

David Brooks on the Lehrer News Hour (April 24) professed to withhold judgment until he knows for certain if harsh/enhanced interrogation techniques yielded “actionable intelligence,” unaware evidently that he takes Dershowitz’s side and thereby holds himself open to the moral error of permitting the end to justify the means—if torture helps catch terrorists and saves lives, then it’s OK. 

David Broder, Washington Post col-umnist, takes a sober historical view as befits his career spanning half of his four score years, a view I find so lukewarm that I want to spit (see Book of Revelations, 3, 16). He believes there are sound reasons for not prosecuting torturers and thinks that Obama, perhaps because of his kind heart, is right not to look back and try to humiliate and/or punish “those responsible for the policies of the past.” Broder accuses people like me and Becky O’Malley of being bent on vengeance, scapegoating, “looking for individual scalps—or at least, careers and reputations.” I can’t answer for Becky but there were many scalps close to Bush I wanted but was never close enough to take. 

It may be that being two years older than Broder I experience acute diminishments of my body’s strength, stamina and nimbleness, which luckily are offset by growths of those same features in my thinking. Allow me, therefore, to cite a few blood-curdling events of the past that are connected in a way that puts torture in perspective.  

In every war large numbers of human beings are organized, trained and equipped to inflict destruction and death on large numbers of their fellow human beings. To do this, individuals must be persuaded that the individuals on the other side are demons, less than human, worthless, dangerous, a plague on the planet and therefore undeserving of life.  

Destruction of the other side is the ultimate goal of war and in modern times fearsome technologies are available for spreading death on a massive scale from a distance, sight unseen. Killings by the tens and hundred of thousands from out-of-sight warriors highlight recent wars: a firestorm holocaust in Dresden (March 1945), Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945), napalm bombs, incendiary bombs, missiles, drones, etc.  

By contrast torture must be done face to face, or rather many faces to one face.  

Because the brotherhood of mankind is not easily cast aside, the face of the tortured person is often covered; the tortured one cannot see his torturers and they cannot see the face of the person they are torturing. A person without a face is a non-person. Without a face you can do anything you want. Covering a person’s face strips him of his manhood. In this way torturers render the tortured invisible, a predicament that Ralph Ellison elaborated dramatically, albeit less gruesomely, in his classic bestseller The Invisible Man (1955). 

Neither the reasons nor the efficacy of torture justify the unspeakable cruelty. The fact that persons can inflict extremely agonizing pain on another person is an abomination; it defiles the human species. The torture described in lurid detail in the memos is, from a moral standpoint, worse than murder. To provide legal cover for it is unconscionable. 

Perhaps Yoo and Bybee in their Justice Department offices could no more see the consequences of their legal hair-splitting, far away in a prison cell at Abu Ghraib, than the crew in the Enola Gay, tens of thousands of feet above Hiroshima, could see what their bomb had wrought.  

My heart bleeds for both the tortured and the torturers but it bleeds more for the torturers.  

Torturing a person creates indelible scars. Far deeper harm exudes permanently into the souls of those responsible for it. 

 

Marvin Chachere is a resident of San Pablo.


New Housing Isn’t a Solution for Downtown

By Randy Shaw
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:55:00 PM

According to the April 23-29 Planet, Patrick Kennedy recently told the Planning Commission that “downtown is on life support” and only new housing construction will save it. I once agreed with Kennedy’s assessment—but that was before the new buildings that he and other developers constructed in the past decade failed to improve the Berkeley downtown business climate. 

Kennedy’s logic was impeccable. Adding hundreds and even thousands of residents to downtown Berkeley should have dramatically increased demand for area restaurants and shops. It should also have improved public safety. 

Unfortunately, Kennedy’s prescription for revitalizing downtown Berkeley—which at the time I strongly shared—did neither. Much of the new housing was inhabited by UC Berkeley students who lack the disposable income to boost downtown businesses. Many students go home on weekends and holidays, so that the presence of thousands of new residents downtown has not brought a noticeable increase in weekend or evening foot traffic. 

In retrospect, it is remarkable that so much new housing could have so little impact. Constructing what became a large number of quasi-dorm units in the downtown may even have prevented more economically productive future development on these sites.  

In any case, continuing to promote new housing development as the solution to Berkeley’s downtown problems is like Republicans steadfastly promoting tax cuts for the rich: the evidence shows that the strategy does not work.  

 

A Lack of strategic investment 

While city officials understandably felt that greatly increasing downtown density was key for improving the area, focus must now shift in making downtown Berkeley a more exciting place to be. This could involve the city renting longtime vacant storefronts—such as the former Eddie Bauer’s—and then subleasing the space at below-market rents to desirable users. Or the city could agree to subsidize the rents for desirable businesses that lease such locations, while ensuring that it does not result in a windfall. 

For one of the nation’s most progressive cities, Berkeley has pursued a surprisingly free-market approach to its downtown. We wait for a private interest to express interest in a site and, thrilled to get any investment, do our best to make the project happen. In some cases—such as the construction of multi-plex movie theaters on Shattuck—it really seemed that such investment would increase in legitimate nighttime activity throughout downtown. But Kennedy is correct in claiming that there is little investor interest in opening retail in downtown Berkeley, so city government must step into the void. 

We can think of businesses that might succeed in downtown Berkeley, and then city staff should aggressively recruit them. The Brower Center may be too massive for some, but it provides a model of more community-driven development. Its success could become a model for the process needed to boost downtown. This direct government involvement in boosting Berkeley’s downtown is more consistent with the city’s progressive legacy than the free-market, laissez-faire approach of allowing for-profit developers to buy land and then rubberstamping their projects. 

 

Redesigning downtown 

Berkeley’s downtown has design defects—too wide streets, too much traffic, too much parking area adjacent to sidewalks—that inhibit its success. But whenever ideas are floated to redesign downtown to make it more inviting—such as barring traffic on Center Street or having a creek run through downtown—some Berkeleyans respond as if the destruction of a wonderful area is being proposed. 

It’s odd how many of those that promoted Barack Obama’s mantra of “Change” are so resistant to this concept when applied to downtown Berkeley.  

I give Patrick Kennedy credit for advancing a vision of rejuvenating downtown. But now that we know that vision has failed, where is the political will to try new and creative strategies? 

 

 

Randy Shaw is Editor of Beyond Chron and author of Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century (beyondthe fields. net).


Why We Appealed 1200 Ashby Ave. (Part 1)

By Steve Wollmer
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:07:00 PM

On Tuesday, May 5th, the City Council will consider two appeals of the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) approval of the Ashby Arts project, appeals that go to the heart of the City’s procedures for projects along San Pablo Avenue. 

Ashby Arts is a 98-unit, five-story mixed-use eyesore that overwhelms the commercial corner at San Pablo and Ashby Avenues and looms over the modest adjoining neighborhood. Toni Mester addresses the nature of the development, its impact upon the neighborhood, and the manipulation of the permitting process by Berkeley's newest dynamic development duo, Ali Kashani (ex-Affordable Housing Associates) and Mark Rhoades (ex-Berkeley Zoning Officer). 

My appeal addresses the City’s application of State laws: the density bonus law that encourages the production of affordable housing and CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) that ensures public disclosure and discussion of environmental impacts. 

The ZAB granted a use permit with a number of procedural errors, including failure to make a required variance finding for additional bulk (FAR, the ratio of building floor to lot area) and a vague wording of the project’s affordable housing condition.  

While the arguments in the appeal are specific to Ashby Arts, developers will be closely watching the decision to see if the Council delivers on their promise of “flexibility” in the planning process as a return for the development community’s continuing support for the Planning Department's budget and the campaign coffers of Council members. 

 

CEQA 

In the Ashby Art’s approval, staff used a “short-form” of environmental analysis (categorical exemption) reserved for infill projects that comply with all General and Area Plan policies and Zoning Ordinance development standards. The State grants categorical exemption if the plans and the zoning have already been analyzed under CEQA. Infill housing can be exempt if the General Plan and Zoning CEQA process included analysis of the impacts from the additional development allowed under the State density bonus, which Berkeley’s does not. 

The State CEQA guidelines for exemptions specify that they are to be “construed strictly, shall not be expanded beyond their terms, and may not be used where there is substantial evidence that there are unusual circumstances...” Ignoring this cautionary language, Planning Staff expanded the exemption granted for this project by adding the phrase “with the exception of waivers/modifications and concessions pursuant to State density bonus law.” This wording means that no matter what modifications of zoning standards a density bonus project requests, the impacts no longer need to be analyzed or mitigated under CEQA. 

The density bonus modifications awarded to Ashby Arts include the fifth story, height 60 feet, and reduction of the setback on Carrison Street. It will be up to the Council (and the courts) to determine whether complying with the density bonus law makes CEQA analysis and the public process of disclosure and mitigation 'optional' in Berkeley. 

 

State Density Bonus Law 

Ashby Arts is Berkeley's first project to be permitted under the new State density bonus law (Saldana AB2280). Two significant changes in the law were ignored by the ZAB: restricting waivers of development standards to those that physically preclude use of a density bonus and changing the basis for calculating the density bonus from the Zoning Ordinance to the General Plan. 

The ZAB justified the project’s added height and bulk and reduced setbacks to allow for tenant amenities (high ceilings, a courtyard, and sidewalk cafe), which are not necessary to fit in the bonus units. The ZAB approval presents a road map to developers on how they can improve a project’s bottom line at the expense of the neighbors.  

Under the new law, and confirmed by the legislative history, cities may no longer choose which standards to apply when their General Plan and Zoning Ordinances differ, but shall use the General Plan. But Staff maintains that Berkeley’s General Plan is so 'special' that a State law applying to all jurisdictions in the State doesn't apply here. 

The State law’s new basis for calculating the density bonus would impact Berkeley according to zone. Some residential districts (especially R-2A and R-3) would see larger projects, while most commercial districts would get some relief. The Ashby Arts lot (in medium residential density of 40 dwelling units per acre in the General Plan) would allow a maximum project of 31 units, but C-W zoning (commercial west including San Pablo Avenue) allows 70 units. The new law would grant 12 bonus units instead of the use permit’s grant of 24 units, which would force a redesign of the project. 

If the Council followed the new State law, it would protect neighborhoods and fulfill the City’s obligations to grant State mandated benefits to affordable housing projects. Through this appeal, the Council is being forced to make a choice between the citizens who have elected them and the few rogue developers who “push the envelope” with their massive projects and subvert the City’s stated policy of a fair and open public process. 

 

Stephen Wollmer is a former member of the Housing Advisiory Commission.


Unpacking Stimulus Funds for BUSD

By Mark Chekal-Bain
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:13:00 PM

Congratulations to Berkeley Unified School District for the award of federal stimulus funds serving low income and special needs students (Daily Planet, April 9). As the former student school board member when I was a high school senior and a BUSD parent, I urge Superitendent Huyett and the School Board to spend this money to set up systems that will reduce costs or increase revenue in the future. For example: 

1. Recover eligible expenses from health insurance companies. Establish a system to bill MediCal and other health insurance companies for special education services such as occupational therapy, speech services and staff time at IEP meetings. These are allowable costs under most insurance plans yet BUSD lacks a system to actually bill insurance companies. School districts throughout the state bill insurance companies, particularly MediCal, with great success. 

2. Reduce BUSD legal costs and settlement agreements requiring BUSD to pay for private school and other private services outside the district. BUSD needs to deliver free and appropriate education to all eligible special needs students in the District in the least restrictive environment in accordance with a student’s IEP. This is required under state and federal law; however, more than 100 families showed up at a meeting last fall to complain to the state that Berkeley Unified was not delivering special education services as mandated by law. These same parents end up prevailing when they seek restitution for BUSD’s failure to comply with the law costing millions of dollars. BUSD must hire a competent special education director who is seasoned in providing legally required services.  

3. Reduce outside consultants. Post and fill positions for special education services in the spring and summer so that all positions are full by the beginning of the school year, reducing the need to contract with outside vendors for more expensive services when parents begin pushing for the services that are mandated under their child’s IEP. 

4. Create a climate in Berkeley where district administrators work collaboratively with the parents of special needs students. Currently, most parents feel district employees are dishonest and out to get away with providing minimal services when it comes to meeting legal requiremts under IDEA. Neighboring districts have parent advisory boards that work side by side with district employees to develop systems that work for students and families. They wouldn’t have 150 parents show up at a public meeting to complain to the State about their districts. 

Parents of students with special needs are simply tired of hearing BUSD officials complain about the high cost of providing special education services when the District has failed to get its house in order. BUSD is missing out of being reimbursed for high costs and wasting money due to poor management. I applaud Superintendent Huyett and the Board for recently deciding to hire an experienced Special Education Administrator; however, I beg District officials to stop groaning about the high cost of providing services until a complete overhaul of Special Education is done. 

 

Mark Chekal-Bain is Berkeley resident.


Why We Appealed 1200 Ashby Ave. (Part II)

By Toni Mester
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:12:00 PM

When I encountered Planning Director Dan Marks at a workshop in December, he told me that “only two or three” neighbors opposed the Ashby Arts project. That’s when I realized that the process was rigged against them and that staff and the developers were in deep cahoots. 

It’s true that only three Carrison Street residents had stuck it out for the first two late night hearings, but they were representative. After Steve Wollmer got the Zoning Board to postpone action until January 22, a couple of us organized a dozen letters in opposition, and the neighbors came out in force for the decision. They got clobbered in a 7–1 vote to approve followed by a weak recommendation for a traffic diverter. 

Bob Allen pinpointed ZAB’s dilemma: “I’m not here to set planning policy. I’m here to interpret the zoning rules as reasonably and accurately as I can. We don’t have much latitude here.” 

Deborah Matthews, now the Chair of the ZAB, summed up her position “When you are sitting on a major artery like this, it lends itself to supporting this kind of development. That’s the compromise you make … and the burden of responsibility you as the homeowner take in choosing to purchase your property where you do.”  

Terry Doran said this building would help to reverse global warming, absorb the increase in Bay Area population and “not force people to move to the exurbs.”  

But it was retiring Chair Rick Judd who struck the key note in his wry valedictory, “The whole city is hiding behind the density bonus law. It would really be healthy to write a zoning ordinance that reflected what they think is the right thing for the City of Berkeley, because that’s what the Zoning Ordinance is supposed to do. It’s supposed to be the community’s collective decision about what’s appropriate.” 

Hoping to advance our collective thinking and help the neighbors, I decided to appeal. 

Unless better minds prevail, this hulk will be plunked down at Ashby and San Pablo with the residential parking garage and entrance on Carrison Street. Even the name Ashby Arts is deceptive. The building is not artful but an insensitive contrast to nearby historic homes, and its real address is Carrison Street. 

The “deliberate contemporary” style project will shadow seven existing apartments directly to the east, slow circulation at a critical intersection, and create a parking and traffic nightmare on a quiet working class street. The neighbors won’t even be able to get preferential parking, which is not available west of California Street. 

Big apartment buildings like this are supported by advocates of “smart growth” who argue that increased density creates demand for public transit and a vibrant, pedestrian centered urban environment. Look out for the word “vibrant”—that’s a dead giveaway. 

But increased density along San Pablo Avenue will most likely produce traffic gridlock due to the geographic centrality of West Berkeley in the Bay Area, the dominance of the freeway and auto uses, and a high crime rate. Residents and visitors drive for safety, especially at night, and street robbery is on the rise. 

The flawed traffic study, commissioned by the applicant, claimed that only half the new residents would drive and that neighbors would not notice the increase in traffic. The study failed to consider second cars or visitors or the necessity of driving at night. The building sits directly on Carrison Street without the required 15-foot setback, so the parking garage entrance is right in the face of the opposite homes. 

At first the developers promised the community condos and ample retail but changed the plans before the December ZAB meeting. The underground parking was eliminated, retail space reduced, the commercial parking entrance located on Ashby, and the condos were changed to rentals. 

The building interior is just as alienating as the outside, overcrowded with small apartments, 36 surrounding a long shady courtyard; at bottom the units will be dim, noisy, and lack privacy. There are no common rooms nor child care play space. With little natural cross ventilation, the 98 kitchens and 125 bathrooms will rely on mechanical HVAC.  

To make it more neighborhood friendly, the building should be reduced, setback on Carrison Street, and stepped down more along the east side, lessening shadow on adjacent properties, enlarging the roof deck and blending with the scale of Ashby Avenue. These reductions plus the creation of common rooms on the courtyard and combining a few smaller units into family sized apartments would reduce the parking requirement and allow residents to enter the garage on Ashby Avenue. The developer told ZAB that a reduction of nine spaces would make that option workable. Another possibility is partial restoration of the underground parking to free up space on the ground floor.  

These changes could be effected through a Council mandated mediation. It’s the WIN/WIN solution. Our appeals will be considered on Cinco de Mayo. See you there, amigos. 

 

Toni Mester is a West Berkeley neighborhood consultant.


First Remove Cars, Then Remove Lanes

By Russ Tilleman
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:13:00 PM

Len Conly correctly points out in his letter to the editor (April 16) that car use in Berkeley has steadily increased for the last three decades, even without the population increasing. Now that Berkeley is embarking on a building boom that will greatly increase the population and contribute to gentrification, it seems wise to assume that the trend of more cars will continue. The Berkeley  

Climate Action Plan’s “vision for 2050” doesn’t really include cars, but that is more likely a flaw in the vision than an indication that cars will vanish. 

Remember the City of Berkeley’s predictions about the ridiculous Pedestrian Safety Flags? After much fanfare and thousands of dollars of wasted public money, the project was cancelled due to the realities of human behavior. People weren’t ready to carry a flag across the street with them, just like they aren’t ready to give up their cars and ride the 1R bus if it gets its own lane. The debacle with the pedestrian flags was just another harmless failure of Berkeley’s planning process, but Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) appears to be a hugely more expensive failure in the making. If the planners couldn’t figure out that people won’t carry a flag when they cross the street, why should we believe their predictions in the Climate Action Plan? These planners don’t seem to understand Berkeley. 

Mr. Conly accuses me of ignoring the “current reality” in Berkeley. But I am acutely aware of the current reality here, that the government of Berkeley doesn’t care about our neighborhood or the people who live here. The city government is more concerned with grandiose plans to save the world than it is with the severe problems here in town. Hank Resnik, in his letter, suggests that I leave town, and due to the sad “current reality” in Berkeley, I have considered that at times. 

When I was awakened by a burglar and had to chase him out of my house on Parker Street in the dark, I considered moving out of Berkeley. When I watched my neighbor Meleia Willis-Starbuck bleed to death from a gunshot wound on College Avenue, a block from my house, I considered moving. When I saw a young woman violently kidnapped, kicking and screaming hysterically, on San Pablo Avenue, I considered moving. When a man who was soaked in blood slammed into me on the sidewalk on Shattuck Avenue as I was leaving the movie theater, nearly knocking me to the ground, I considered moving. When drug dealers stole a car and ran down a friend of mine’s boyfriend on Telegraph Avenue, purposely running over him twice and crushing his leg, I considered moving. When three young men attacked a friend and me on Telegraph and called us “fags” even though neither of us is gay, I considered moving. 

This is the “current reality” of Berkeley that I see. It’s bad enough that the City of Berkeley won’t do anything to help us with these problems. Now they want to go one step further and damage our neighborhood with a harebrained scheme to save the world by moving cars from Telegraph to College. The Express Lane might not have a chance because of this “current reality” in Berkeley, but that doesn’t make it a bad idea. The main appeal of the Express Lane for people who live in my neighborhood is that it will reduce the number of cars and trucks on College Avenue. Conversely, BRT will add 160 additional vehicles per hour to College. I have personally seen two bicyclists lying in College Avenue, one in a pool of blood, after being hit by cars in two separate accidents in front of my house. A few weeks ago, a pedestrian was killed on Warring Street, three blocks from my house. Mr. Conly and Mr. Resnik might consider future casualties like these, caused by BRT, to be acceptable losses, but my neighbors and I don’t want to see more of these accidents. We would like our neighborhood to be safe for pedestrians and bicyclists (who by the way are mentioned in the Climate Action Plan) and the Express Lane can help with that. 

Finally, David Vartanoff’s letter points out a problem with AC Transit service that the Express Lane proposal corrects. Just about everyone who lives in my neighborhood knows that the traffic on the last four blocks of Telegraph, between Dwight Way and Bancroft Way, is a mess. AC Transit buses get stuck there just like other vehicles. As part of the Express Lane proposal, we are suggesting that the 1R bus be rerouted to avoid this section of Telegraph. Since the 1R bus does not stop anywhere in this area, we would route it up Dwight to Bowditch, then north on Bowditch to Bancroft. Regardless of the fate of BRT or the Express Lane, rerouting the 1R bus like this will avoid the kinds of delays that Mr. Vartanoff describes, without changing any bus stops. This is a good example of the value of a community-driven project like the Express Lane, that it incorporates detailed local knowledge. If AC Transit ever bothered to listen to the people who live here, they would have learned of this shortcut years ago. They could have significantly improved service for the 1R riders on this section of Telegraph, the only place I have ever seen a 1R bus slowed down significantly by congestion. 

 

Russ Tilleman is Berkeley resident.


Preparing for the Next Big Quake

By Craig Hooper
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:16:00 PM

When the next big quake hits the East Bay, the only backup local first-responders can count on are nearby volunteers.  

In past Bay Area earthquakes, a good proportion of those volunteers were military personnel who lived nearby and did what they could. In the East Bay military volunteers responded after the 1989 Loma Prieta tremor, providing medical care, translation support, search and rescue and firefighting support.  

But today, the military has vanished, and the region is still struggling to recruit a civilian substitute. 

In Oakland, a centerpiece of this effort, “Citizens of Oakland Respond to Emergencies,” or CORE, trains civilian volunteers in basic disaster-preparedness techniques so residents can, in an emergency, rally their neighborhood and bolster overwhelmed first responders. 

CORE got started in 1990, after Loma Prieta and just as the region’s post-Cold War military exodus was getting under way. The CORE program got an additional boost after the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm and has been busy training residents ever since. 

The program is popular, with training sessions overbooked months in advance. But municipal support for CORE is uneven.  

Oakland leaders still hope that after a big emergency, the military will help. The military will help, but the nearest big base, Travis Air Force Base, is forty miles away. The Navy, dispatching ships from San Diego, is a day away in the best of circumstances. The Army will be hard-pressed to fix, open and utilize local airports.  

Military help will be slow to reach Oakland’s overwhelmed first-responders. 

With the military gone, urgent post-earthquake tasks of reporting major emergencies, cataloguing damage, shutting off utilities, providing light search and rescue or basic casualty care have been handed off to local volunteers. These basic, labor-intensive jobs are important and can be done by any neighborhood-based CORE volunteer. 

But CORE volunteers cannot do everything. Armed with nothing more than 20 hours of basic disaster training, an official ID, reflective vest and hard hat, volunteers have little else to offer. 

In contrast, the military, hours after Loma Prieta earthquake, directed Bay-based Navy frigates, the USS Lang and USS Gray, to support the crippled electrical grid, while a local cruiser, the USS Gridley, produced fresh water for a cutoff Treasure Island. A nuclear-powered warship, USS Texas, provided emergency communications, while overhead, Marine Corps helicopters moved heavy equipment, plucked stranded victims from the Bay Bridge and transported the injured from the collapsed I-880 freeway. 

Rather than acknowledge the limitations of this volunteer force, CORE volunteers are being encouraged to fill post-earthquake roles traditionally filled by local military volunteers. Rather than urge a rapid influx of military police or other law-enforcement, Oakland CORE training materiel suggests local volunteers help keep order by organizing neighborhood checkpoints. 

In East Oakland, people get shot for less. 

Oakland officials oversell the volunteer program, trumpeting that 20,000 residents have received CORE disaster training. A closer look at the statistics shows that less than half the trainees still actively participate. 

Only about 2,000 have completed training and hold official credentials. 

Funding is a constant struggle. Budget cuts have shrunk the CORE management to a single overworked staffer, hindering expansion from the tony Montclair and Temescal neighborhoods into high-density, low-income districts. With no money, data management is so primitive the Oakland Office of Emergency Services does not even know where CORE teams are set to operate in the city. 

Basic planning has gone undone. Oakland volunteers are trained to spare overtaxed phone lines by hand-carrying aid requests to local fire stations. According to plan, firefighters or volunteer radio operators will relay that information to city officials. But backup radios, bought years ago, still sit in boxes, undistributed.  

Even worse, Oakland Fire seems set to call every available firefighter out to the field, leaving fire stations unattended and CORE volunteers in the lurch.  

Like the soldiers that ran to help in 1906 and 1989, CORE volunteers will do amazing things. But if left underfunded and stripped of strong municipal-level management, this civic-minded substitute for America’s professional Army is a dangerously hollow force. 

 

 

Dr. Craig Hooper, a resident of Oakland, is a CORE volunteer and a lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.


The Homeownership Hornswoggle

By Sonja Fitz
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:16:00 PM

“When Secretary Alfonso Jackson in the Bush administration proposed ending Section 8 assistance to lower-income people in need of help to rent decent apartments, I objected that this would leave people with no affordable housing after five years. When I asked him directly what he planned to do for those who would find themselves in this situation if his five-year cap on Section 8 eligibility were to go through, his reply was that we would help these recipients become homeowners.” 

—Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) 

 

Is Washington mental? Where can you buy a home with very low income from naught but Social Security or disability benefits? The Ozarks? The Okefenokee? The still-devastated part of New Orleans? 

This exchange is extremely telling, demonstrating the brainwashing we have all experienced about the “everyone-can-have-it” American Hoax—sorry, Dream. It’s not called a dream for nothing, people: for thousands upon thousands of us, those on fixed very low incomes, who may never work more than parttime if at all, it will always be a dream. A very pretty white-picketed-fence dream. But let’s get real. 

A recent report by the Technical Assistance Collaborative Inc. (TAC) and Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force, “Priced Out: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities,” demonstrates yet again that rental housing—the gawky, impossibly uncool cousin of the American Dreamy homeownership industry—remains an essential yet vastly underfunded option for people with very low incomes, in particular people with disabilities. The National Low Income Housing Coalition demonstrates this annually with their Out of Reach report containing state-by-state details on the “housing wage” needed to afford a mere 1-BR apartment let alone one’s own home, and California Budget Project issues an annual Locked Out report on the status of the affordable housing crisis. Here are the facts: 

Renting ain’t cheap. On average across the nation, people with disabilities would have to pay 112 percent of their monthly income to rent a modest one-bedroom unit. The national average rent for said modest one-bedroom unit rose from $462 in 1998 to $749 in 2008—an increase of 62 percent. In Oakland, the NLIHC “housing wage” needed to afford a 1-BR apt. is $21.02 an hour. 

You try living on $668 a month. In 2008, the national average income of a person with a disability receiving SSI was $668 per month or $8,016 annually—equal to only 18.6 percent of the national median income for a one-person household. That level of income was almost 30 percent below the 2008 federal poverty level of $10,400 for an individual. In Oakland, the SSI payment is $807, a whopping 17.4 percent of median income. 

It’s illegal, but it happens. In fair housing tests conducted by HUD in the Chicago area to determine the prevalence of disability discrimination in housing, people with hearing disabilities were subjected to illegal acts of housing discrimination in 48 percent of the tests. People using wheelchairs were the victims of discrimination in 43 percent of the tests. The incidence of disability discrimination in these tests exceeded levels of discrimination uncovered in testing based on race and national origin. 

 

We need thousands more rental housing units. We need them now. And we need them to be affordable. (And yes, Mr. or Ms. Developer, that means affordable to someone on poverty. There are developments that define ‘affordable’, for the purpose of satisfying urban construction mixed use mandates, as targeted to tenants with $40K incomes—four times what an SSI recipient receives.) 

 

Homelessness is the most visible symptom of the housing crisis, but there are also thousands of hidden homeless who desperately need rental housing. According to Priced Out, “A crisis of much larger magnitude remains hidden within institutions where tens of thousands of people with disabilities live, simply because they cannot afford decent housing in the community. Over 420,000 people under the age of 65 live in nursing homes, many of them residing there unnecessarily because of the lack of community-based housing. Hundreds of thousands of other people with disabilities, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illnesses, and physical disabilities, live in group quarters, such as Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICFs/MR), mental hospitals, community residences, halfway houses, shelters, transitional living facilities, and board and care homes.” That’s tens of thousands of people living in institutions, dependent on the system, dignity and quality of life impaired—because they cannot afford an apartment.  

 

Yet we have done a disastrously poor job of creating rental housing for over three decades—in California, rental housing production fell roughly 70% between 1970 and 1990, and while it rebounded somewhat in the 2000s, the number of units created annually is still 50% of former levels: we remain far behind in terms of having adequate units to meet demand. To that end, the Priced Out authors recommends some concrete steps to help us create more rental housing for the people who need it, and hopefully nudge our ownership-obsessed national psyche towards a bit more reality, by enacting legislation to create at least 5,000 new units of permanent supportive housing (rental housing with on-site services for the disabled) each year, providing 10,000 new HUD-funded housing vouchers for people with disabilities, providing additional funding to the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund, reinvigorating fair housing (anti-discrimination) protections, and coordinating a national Disability Housing Policy across federal agencies. 

 

Can we all just get over the ownership mystique already? Never mind the fact that urban living necessitates higher housing density to pack us all in, never mind the fact that not everyone even wants the headache of fixing their own plumbing, mowing their own lawn, and property taxes, and most all never mind the fact that not everyone can afford a mortgage, thank you very much—the Bush administration and the Clinton administration before that pushed ownership upon us as the salvation for all of our housing woes. The result? Subprime mortgages and a worldwide economic meltdown. 

 

So a little more love for renting, please. Not only is it more affordable for the thousands of people who need it, it is more efficient in terms of energy consumption and land use. Climb over that white picket fence and rejoin reality. We need more rentals. 

 

Sonja Fitz, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) ~ BOSS is a nonprofit organization that provides housing, health, economic development, and social justice services to help families and individuals overcome homelessness in Alameda County, California, www.self-sufficiency.org. 


Columns

The Public Eye: Prop. 1A — No Answer to California’s Problem

By Bob Burnett
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:52:00 PM

Polls indicate that California voters are confused about Proposition 1A, which comes up for a vote on May 19. While Gov. Arnold Schwarz-enegger is for 1A, the California Republican Party opposes it. California Democrats are similarly split. Proposition 1A is unusually contentious because it proposes to fix a symptom rather than the underlying problem. 

California’s finances are in shambles because the budget process makes no sense. California is one of three states requiring a two-thirds legislative majority to pass a budget. Year after year, Republicans are able to highjack the process.  

The latest California registration statistics show Democrats widening their lead over Republicans, 44.6 percent to 31.1 percent, with 20 percent “decline to state” and 4.4 percent scattered among other parties. Republicans don’t have a majority of registered voters in a single congressional or legislative district and Washington Dems are talking about picking up eight new California congressional seats in 2010. 

Given the rising tide of voter support, why have state Democrats been so timid? 

The answer stems from February’s draconian bloody budget battle. After weeks of stalemate, and several consecutive all-night sessions, on Feb. 19 the California Legislature reached a two-part budget agreement. It closed the state’s $41 billion deficit through a combination of temporary tax increases, painful permanent service cuts, and $5.4 billion in new borrowing. However, to reach accord with a handful of Republican legislators to get the two-thirds majority required to pass the budget, Democrats were forced to agree to six budget-related propositions, including Proposition 1A that mandates a permanent spending cap. 

Apparently, California’s Democratic leaders chose the lesser of two evils, freezing expenditures at current levels, rather than have California go an indeterminate period with no budget. The same leaders entered into a Faustian bargain with Schwarzenegger wherein they would support Proposition 1A. 

In classic dark humor, a robber demands “Your money or your life” and the victim responds “Take my life; I’m saving my money for my old age.” The logic of California Democratic leaders is similarly nonsensical.  

Proposition 1A prohibits legislators from taking full advantage of additional revenues when California comes out of the recession and, instead, subjects service increases to an impenetrable equation that locks spending to a baseline that is already too low to guarantee provision of adequate services. In addition, Proposition 1A shifts responsibility for future budget decisions away from the legislature and onto invisible state employees who would have to decipher the proposition’s abstruse language and perform the linear regression analysis required to determine the revenue cap. And Proposition 1A allows the governor to make unilateral mid-year budget cuts. 

If Proposition 1A passes, most ob-servers expect painful degradation of service. Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, notes, “The baseline established by the proposed formula would be $14.2 billion below the amount needed to support the 2010-11 budget based on the governor’s long-term forecast.” 

It’s clear that California’s Democratic legislators were between the proverbial rock and a hard place and tried to do the best they could. But that’s no excuse. It’s not enough to put a temporary budget fix in place. The fundamental problem needs to be addressed. 

In the June 2010 primary election, voters will be given the opportunity to change the rules governing the California budget process. In the meantime, Proposition 1A should be rejected. 

 

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

 


The Public Eye: What Democratic Vote Means for May Special Election

By Paul Hogarth
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:53:00 PM

EDITOR’S NOTE: Paul Hogarth was a delegate at the California Democratic Party’s convention and gave one of the floor speeches against Proposition 1E. 

 

The California Democratic Party “split the baby” on the six propositions for the May 19 ballot—endorsing Propositions 1B, 1C and 1F, while not supporting Propositions 1A, 1D and 1E.  

This shifts the dynamic for the last three weeks. No longer can Prop. 1A’s defeat be a mandate against tax increases—because the measure’s “spending cap” is why progressives oppose it. Likewise, “no” on Propostions 1D and 1E is now a vote for the state to fund children’s health programs and mental health services. And while many liberals fear the short-term “budget gap” if the measures all go down, the party endorsed a “yes” vote on Prop. 1C—which would have the most immediate impact. The party’s support for Prop. 1B is a mandate for public schools—and while Prop. 1A’s defeat would prevent 1B from going into effect, a yes vote could pressure Gov. Schwarzenegger to stop gutting education money. Democrats in the Legislature promoted all six measures as a “budget package” to avert fiscal disaster. But it was a rotten deal, and the strategy would leave us no better off on May 20 towards a long-term solution. With this new dynamic, we can build momentum for scrapping the “two-thirds rule” in the state budget. 

This weekend’s state convention showcased the disconnect between the party grassroots and the Sacramento leadership. Our legislators cut a deal with Schwarz-enegger they honestly believed was the right thing to do, but the rank-and-file was angry at sacrificing core fiscal values just to kick the can down the road. California’s budget woes are structural, and until the state passes major reform the right-wing Republicans will keep holding a gun to our heads. Getting rid of the two-thirds rule—as soon as possible—is the only acceptable “budget reform” for the ballot. 

At the Young Democrats’ caucus on Friday night, various legislators urged us to support these flawed measures—because there would be dire consequences if they failed. As a friend said to me while we listened to each politician, “Q: How do you get young people to disagree with you? A: Tell them they have no choice.” That summed up the sentiment of many delegates, who felt pressured to back something they had no power in crafting. 

Some of the arguments we heard in favor of Proposition 1A were: (a) our right-wing foes at the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Association oppose it, and (b) if it fails, it will send a message that the public opposes tax increases. Of course, the latter is only true if the sole opposition is right-wing zealots and the Republican Party. Prop. 1A is a lot more than just extending a few temporary tax increases. It gives the state—which already has layers of fiscal straitjackets on the revenue side—another fiscal straitjacket on the spending side. 

After the Democratic Convention vote on Sunday, press coverage on Prop. 1A started to change. The Los Angeles Times called it a “state spending cap,” while the San Francisco Chronicle said it was a “proposed spending cap and rainy-day fund.” Before progressives began to oppose Prop. 1A, the media only focused on tax increases—even though these temporary measures will stay on the books for two years if Prop. 1A fails. That’s because the only ones complaining about 1A were Republicans like Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman, and the “tea party” crowd. 

Rather than allow right-wing zealots to “own” the opposition, liberals began to articulate a fiscal agenda to drive the post-May 19 debate. If our ultimate goal is to scrap the “two-thirds rule,” it is smart politics to influence what happens when the governor and legislature go back to the drawing board. Because the state will have an $8 billion deficit even if all measures pass, making the progressive case against 1A is a sound strategy. 

Going back to the drawing board will mean choosing what budget priorities need to be fought for. If the Democratic Party had endorsed Propositions 1D and 1E, it would have sent the message that children and the mentally ill are expendable. And the combined “savings” from diverting these funds to help balance the budget is less than one billion dollars—or about 1 percent of the entire budget. Nonprofits who directly work with these constituencies have campaigned against the measures. Defeating them will be a mandate to protect progressive fiscal priorities. 

Nevertheless, liberals are anxious and fearful about the next round of painful budget cuts. It’s understandable that many delegates at the Convention held up placards to endorse the measures while holding their noses. Which is why the Democrats endorsed Proposition 1C, the measure that borrows up to $5 billion against future lottery revenues to balance this year’s budget. Of all six measures on the May 19 ballot, Prop. 1C has the biggest short-term downside if it fails. 

Robert Cruickshank wrote a solid piece yesterday on the blog Calitics, advising Democratic leaders to dump the “yes on everything” strategy—and focus on Prop. 1C. “Aside from the flawed nature of the proposals and how they came onto the ballot,” he wrote, “selling them as a single package was a disastrous move. If they want to salvage anything from this sinking ship, they could tell Californians why take a chance on borrowing against the lottery via Prop. 1C, and how it will help our Democratic leaders more strongly resist Republican demands for massive cuts, instead of assume those cuts are a foregone conclusion.” 

The Democratic Party endorsed Proposition 1B, which would give the public schools $9.3 billion of money that already belongs to them. But because it would only take effect if the voters approve Prop. 1A, legislators have dismissed progressive groups who are “No on 1A” and “Yes on 1B” for being inconsistent. However, it has become popular for liberals to “hedge their bets” in case the voters pass Prop. 1A. If the state is going to have a spending cap, it makes sense to secure a slice of the money for schools. 

On the other hand, advocates have an alternative to Prop. 1B—which is to go to court to enforce the Constitutional requirement of education funding. But if voters pass 1B while defeating 1A, it could strengthen the hand of Democrats who negotiate with Arnold and the Republicans—because the voters have affirmed public schools. 

At the Democratic Convention, newly elected Chairman John Burton urged delegates who disagree on the propositions not to let these divisions keep us apart. The state will be in bad fiscal shape regardless of what happens on May 19, and progressives must keep their focus on eliminating the “two-thirds rule.” This weekend’s split decision on the various budget measures can help forge a path towards a sane fiscal policy.


Wild Neighbors: Return of the Painted Ladies

By Joe Eaton
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:03:00 PM
A painted lady nectaring at fuller’s teasel.
Michael Apel
A painted lady nectaring at fuller’s teasel.

If you were paying attention last month, you may have noticed a number of small pale-orange butterflies flying in a northwesterly direction. That would have been the painted lady migration, a not-quite-annual phenomenon that sometimes blankets the state. In peak years, numbers have been estimated in the billions. 

The painted lady (Vanessa cardui) also stages mass migrations in Europe. Two other closely related species, the American lady (V. virginiensis) and the West Coast lady (V. annabella), are strictly North American, and non-migratory. Distinguishing the three can be tricky, but the painted lady tends to be larger with a pinkish tinge on the upper wing surface. Another form, the Kamehameha lady (V. tameamea), is endemic to Hawaii.  

The ladies that were moving through the Bay Area originated in the deserts of southeastern California and northern Mexico. The great migratory flights appear to coincide with El Nino events, when heavy rainfall promotes the growth of the caterpillar’s food plants—a broad range including mallows, pea relatives, thistles, and fiddlenecks. Some outbreaks have occurred in non-El Nino years, though. 

There’s no way to get an accurate count of the fliers, but we have a back-of-the-envelope calculation from E. A. McGregor based on the migration of 1924. During a three-day passage in southern California, McGregor saw densities of 300 ladies per acre along a 40-mile front. Assuming twelve flight hours per day, he estimated a total of 3 billion butterflies. 

According to Art Shapiro at UC Davis, the last big movement, in the spring of 2005, may have been that large. He saw them moving through Sacramento at the rate of three per second. I encountered the ladies first in Death Valley, where Ron and I had gone to see the Big Bloom. By the time we got back to Berkeley they were beginning to show up in the Bay Area, and kept coming through for at least a week. 

This year I started seeing them locally in late March. Shapiro got reports of significant numbers at Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra on March 15. That wave reached the Davis-Sacramento area on St. Patrick’s Day. A second front, probably also trans-Sierran migrants, was observed at San Jose beginning March 24. 

By the end of the month, there was more traffic along the coast than inland. Then another surge came up the Central Valley around April 2. About the time the coast/valley flights began to taper off, there was a passage along the east slope of the Sierra.  

Some migrants may get as far as Oregon. But Shapiro says numbers dropped out of the migration in the Valley, having burned through the fat reserves they stockpiled as larvae. As long as the fat lasts, painted ladies don’t eat or mate; they just keep moving.  

The dropouts begin nectaring, and males set up courtship territories, typically in west- or southwest-facing sites with a vertical backdrop. Several males may share a display site, a behavior called lekking. Mating takes place up in a tree and is rarely observed.  

As with monarchs, the generation that breeds here will go no further north. But their offspring may. At the end of summer there’s a more leisurely movement south, often stronger east of the Sierra, culminating in a new desert generation.  

The whole butterfly developmental thing is quietly mind-boggling. Not long ago I found myself having to explain complex metamorphosis to a third-grader. “Why do they do that?” he asked. And caught me flat-footed. There must be an evolutionary advantage to going through larval, pupal, and adult stages, because the most successful groups of insects all do it.  

But think about the genetics that have to be involved. An aphid hatches into the world as a recognizable aphid. If it changes at all, it’s just to become a bigger aphid. So it’s intuitive to think of a genetic program for making an aphid. But there can’t be just one recipe for a painted lady. Each life stage would have to have its own set of instructions, switched on at the appropriate time. 

And then consider how evolution would work in such a creature. We think of natural selection as affecting reproductive adults—the stage that can produce more copies of itself. For butterflies (or beetles or bees), though, traits that promote survival would be selected at every stage, even though only the final stage can reproduce. Think of the stinging hairs of some moth caterpillars, or the cryptic appearance of some butterfly chrysalids. If the insect doesn’t survive through its nonreproductive stages, it’s never going to have a chance to demonstrate its Darwinian fitness. 

I hope some of the evo-devo folks are working on all this. In the meantime, it’s good to remember that there’s nothing simple about a butterfly. 


Maybeck Made La Loma Park His Own Country

By Daniella Thompson
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:06:00 PM
The concrete fireplace in the Maybeck Studio, 1950s.
Shipounoff collection, BAHA archives
The concrete fireplace in the Maybeck Studio, 1950s.
The Mathewson house, built in 1915.
Daniella Thompson
The Mathewson house, built in 1915.
Bernard, Annie, Jacomena and Wallen Maybeck in front of the Cottage, 1920s.
Courtesy Maybeck family
Bernard, Annie, Jacomena and Wallen Maybeck in front of the Cottage, 1920s.
The Maybeck Studio, built in 1924, is clad in Bubblestone.
Daniella Thompson
The Maybeck Studio, built in 1924, is clad in Bubblestone.
The Maybeck Studio’s bedroom addition.
Daniella Thompson
The Maybeck Studio’s bedroom addition.
The Maybeck Cottage, built in 1926 and expanded over four decades.
Daniella Thompson
The Maybeck Cottage, built in 1926 and expanded over four decades.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last in a series of three articles on La Loma Park. 

 

Bernard and Annie Maybeck were always attracted to open land. Rather than build next to other houses, they repeatedly ventured to the edge of town for their home site. 

In 1892, when the Maybecks purchased a double lot in northwest Berkeley, on the corner of Grove and Berryman streets, there was no other house on the block. This remained the case for over 10 years. By the time Berkeley began growing in earnest in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake and fire, the Maybecks were ready to find new frontiers. 

“As the town grows, homes climb the hills,” Maybeck famously said. The architect’s insight, combined with his wife’s business acumen, led the couple to La Loma Park, the former estate of Captain Richard Parks Thomas of the Standard Soap Company. Following the Captain’s death in May 1900, his widow subdivided La Loma Park into building lots which were sold in October—some to professors such as the geologist Andrew C. Lawson, others to speculators who resold them. 

The Maybecks were not among the first wave of land buyers in La Loma Park, but they ended up purchasing five large, irregularly shaped parcels east of La Loma Avenue. Three of those lots—18, 19, and 27—lay above (or north of) Buena Vista Way. The other two—lots 21 and 22—were situated below, on the south side of the street. Incomplete records indicate that their acquisitions took place in 1906 and 1907.  

The Maybecks’ first Berkeley home had been a simple one-story cottage that the architect transformed with the help of his students into a two-story house with a chalet-like roof, prominent sleeping porch, and a great variety of windows. Charles Keeler later described the house as “a distinctly hand-made home.” 

The new house, built in 1907 on the northeast corner of Buena Vista and La Loma, was a much grander affair. The Maybecks’ daughter-in-law, Jacomena, described it as “a glamorous place, a sleeping porch for each bedroom, two fireplaces, a raised dining room, and a kitchen absolutely full of dishes.” 

Clad in unpainted redwood shingles, the house projected gable roofs in several directions. At its center, the prow-shaped dining room with its large expanses of glass was a startlingly modern feature, several decades ahead of its time, as was the starkly framed open balcony on the east end. 

Maybeck was 45 when he built this house. His fame was already well established, and home-site buyers in La Loma Park were eager to engage him to design their houses. In the same year that his own house was going up, Maybeck designed professor Lawson’s reinforced concrete Pompeian villa at 1515 La Loma Ave. and a saltbox for Warren Gregory’s sister, Frances, at 1476 Greenwood Terrace. 

As advocates of living with nature and lovers of theatricals, the Maybecks found a kindred spirit in Florence Treadwell Boynton. A schoolmate and disciple of Isadora Duncan who went far beyond the Maybecks in her practice of open-air living, Mrs. Boynton was the subject of consdiderable press attention. In December 1909, the San Francisco Call devoted an entire illustrated page to her with the headline “Back to Nature and the Greek.” The subhead proclaimed, “This Alameda society woman, friend of Isidora [sic] Duncan, sleeps with her children on the roof, dances, plays and studies with them among the flowers, lives outdoors, banishes tight clothes and close rooms—all to arouse the souls of her Babes.” 

The article went on to describe Mrs. Boynton’s views and practices: 

 

She is the moving spirit in several circles of reform—dress, food, education, social culture, etc., the most notable being that of dress. Taking the view that woman should clothe herself to represent the finer qualities, purity, fidelity, love and patience, she urges the adoption of the loose, flowing robes of the ancient Greek, “garments that attract no attention in themselves,” but reveal all the beauties granted woman by the Creator, without being vulgar or crude. […] 

The Boynton family sleep every night, regardless of temperature or condition of the elements, upon the roof of their home. When they awake at 6 o’clock, their eyes first greeting the blue sky, Mrs. Boynton gives the children their first lesson. As they sit there in their little nighties gazing at the new morning the mother points out to them the pretty things of nature, the clouds, the trees, the distant mountains […] Dress gives them no trouble, and they are quickly downstairs and out upon the lawn with bare legs and feet, if the weather permits, the mother leading them in a dance of ecstasy, interpreting all the joys of the morning. 

 

It was inevitable that two crusaders like Maybeck and Florence Boynton should meet, especially since both lectured at the Hillside Club. In 1911, the Boyntons purchased from the Maybecks a lot at the eastern bend of Buena Vista Way, where Maybeck built them a temporary shelter in which they lived while their ideal home was being designed. The “model camp,” as Mrs. Boynton called it, consisted of two pergolas, one for living and sleeping, with a canvas roof, the second for cooking and dining, screened and surrounded by glass windows. 

The permanent residence, to be named “Temple of Wings,” was a circular portico of gigantic Corinthian columns set on a radiantly heated concrete platform and screened by canvas draperies. Owing to conflicts over budget and rights of way, Maybeck withdrew from the project, which was seen to completion by Arthur Randolph Monro, a young draftsman and another member of the Hillside Club and participant in amateur theatricals alongside Maybeck. 

In 1915, Maybeck designed two houses across the street from his own—one to the west, the other to the south. The first was built at 2683 Buena Vista Way for Professor Charles L. Seeger, head of the UC music department and father of folk singer Pete Seeger. The second is the marvelous Swiss-Japanese studio house constructed at 2704 Buena Vista for Richard and Gertrude Mathewson. Mrs. Mathewson, the Berkeley High School librarian, reportedly brought Maybeck a Japanese plate and said, “Please match a house to it.” 

With the exception of the Temple of Wings, all the neighboring houses mentioned above survived the 1923 Berkeley fire (the Temple was rebuilt to a different design). The Maybecks’ own house was reduced to ashes. About the same time, Annie’s brother (and Maybeck’s partner) Mark, already close to 50, was married. His widowed mother, Eleanor White, nicknamed “Blumey,” moved out of the house they had shared and rented a flat at 1518 Henry St. The homeless Maybecks went to live with her. 

Their son Wallen soon tired of the arrangement and returned to Buena Vista Way, camping on the concrete floor of his former workshop. In 1924, wishing to provide Wallen with shelter, Maybeck resolved to build a one-room fireproof house on the foundation of the lost family home.  

Even before the fire, Maybeck had begun to experiment with Bubblestone, a waterproof, aerated cement invented by his friend John A. Rice. He decided to use it on Wallen’s house. The material was cheap and easy to apply onto a wooden frame. A gelatinous mixture of glue, water, and formalin was whipped into a stiff foam, and the latter was mixed with Portland cement, sand, and water. Burlap sacks were then dipped into the frothy mixture and hung, shingle fashion, on slats nailed horizontally around the house. No skilled labor was required; edges were trimmed or hand-molded to fit around corners, doors and windows. The same material was applied on the roof. 

Wallen’s house became known as the Studio and soon began to grow, acquiring a bedroom wing. In 1925, ready to move back to the home site, the Maybecks purchased an abandoned real estate field office and had it trucked up and placed on the former tennis court above the Studio. This 12-by-24-foot wooden building, with a main room and a bathroom, became the core onto which the Maybecks tacked various additions. 

Like the Studio, this one-room house, which they called the Cottage, was clad in Bubblestone and grew organically over the years. Although the Maybecks resided in at least three of their post-fire Berkeley houses, the Cottage served as their principal residence until the end of their lives. 

In 1927, Wallen Maybeck married Jacomena Adriana Van Huizen, and their twin daughters were born 18 months later. The foursome squeezed into the Cubby, 1471 La Loma Ave., which had been converted from a garage built for Maybeck’s Packard, the latter nicknamed “Showboat.” Their rent was $1 a month. 

As the Depression deepened, Maybeck devised a way of keeping his office open while providing his family with better accommodations. Carpenters’ wages were a mere 50 cents an hour, so in 1932 the Maybecks decided to build two nearly identical houses—one above Buena Vista Way for Wallen’s family, the other below the street for themselves and their daughter, Kerna. 

The architect was now using stucco and steel windows, with interiors in knotty pine. The materials may be humble, but the living room and kitchen in the Wallen Maybeck house have the grandeur of a cathedral thanks to a lofty ceiling, imaginative roof trusses, and tall banks of windows. The exterior is enlivened by architectural puns: flat-board balustrades, mock broken pediments, and a drawbridge-like balcony hung on chains. 

In 1938, Bernard Maybeck retired from his architectural practice. Annie, the family’s business manager, continued to manage the sale and development of the couple’s land holdings in Berkeley and Kensington. Out of lot 21 in La Loma Park, the Maybecks carved out several parcels, some of which they sold. 

At that time, their tenants in the Studio were Charles Aikin, a political science instructor at UC, and his wife, Audrey, a teacher. In 1940, the Aikins purchased from the Maybecks an irregularly shaped parcel in lot 21. By then, all the frontage home sites were taken, and the Aikins got a mid-block parcel below Buena Vista Way. 

The Aikin house was Maybeck’s last design in La Loma Park. Its baronial living room contains one of the architect’s grandest fireplaces, on whose hood rests an heraldic shield with a griffin motif painted by Maybeck. 

Five of the La Loma Park houses designed by Maybeck will be open to tour goers on May 3, when the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association will hold its annual spring house tour. Tickets may be purchased online at www.berkeleyheritage.com. 

 

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

 


About the House: Why Is a Good Plumber Worth $130 an Hour?

By Matt Cantor
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:06:00 PM

I have suffered so that you don’t have to. I’m going to share a plumbing secret. The desire for knowledge of this secret has produced much gnashing of teeth, and the frequent abuse of the many names of God. In order to reduce heretical behaviors and to increase the likelihood that you will be welcomed at the Valhalla of your choosing, I offer the following: 

Plumbing is part muscle—say, 10 percent, and maybe 40 percent mechanics and physics, 30 percent logistics (where is that Teflon tape?) and at least 20 percent shopping skill (that might be logistics too, but I tend to place it with economics). 

Plumbing repair (not so much new installation) is about taking it apart—and putting it back as it was, only without the leak (or whatever other problem one might be having). The secret is that, once you take things apart and put them back together, everything wants to leak. One of the most common mistakes that novice plumbers make is to buy only the one part that relates to the repair. I did this myself this week and felt like I’d fallen in a trap I thought I’d long since mapped. 

When taking apart a plumbing fixture—let’s say a sink drain—it is best to get the seals and other obvious replacement parts for everything you are going to touch, move or think about. A sink drain starts with a tail piece that comes down for the drain. If you are absolutely certain that there are no leaks at the tail-piece or drain, and can feel that these are quite firmly connected to the sink, you might get lucky enough to leave them alone. If you have any doubt, it’s better to take them apart, buy all the seals that go with the tail-piece and drain as well as a little tub of “plumber’s putty.” This doughy emulsion is used for the marriage of porcelain and metal and is rarely used for anything else. When one sets a sink drain into a sink, a little hand-worried snake of this stuff should be laid in a ring around the sink hole prior to pressing the drain into place. This will fill any voids between the imperfect china and the more perfect metal funnel-shape that gets called a drain-piece. A nut on the back side of this affair will pull the drain down into the putty until the putty has pinched itself off at the junction. If you’ve done it right and centered the piece properly, the pinching will be uniform around the edges. If you miss your Playdough fun factory with its little star and triangle shapes, you’ll get your fix doing this job.  

From the drain on down, every single seal should be replaced. The right way to do this, especially for the beginner, is to take the drain apart and take the whole thing, in a bag, to a good hardware or plumbing store. There are many different sizes for each thing you are handling and the most common thing in the world is to come back from the store with the wrong sized thing. By taking your parts with you, you decrease the likelihood of this wretched occurrence. To be sure, one can easily look squarely at the wrong part and surmise it to be the right one. Check twice. Lay all the old parts out at the store and, one-piece at the time, fit each new part to the old one until you’re sure that you have everything you need. 

Locknuts on drains are cheap to replace and I am quick to buy them, even if I don’t intend to use them. This is another major secret. Lock nuts can either break or will turn out to have a little bur inside that keeps them from threading on fully, and when you’re back on the job putting things together, the option to replace one can be a Buddha-send. 

When buying seals, like the little rings that go under those lock-nuts on drains and traps, buy an extra. They’re cheap and if you mangle one or lose one on the way, you’ll save tooth enamel by having another. Actually, the replacement of an entire trap or other piece might be well worthwhile, even as a backup. The economics go something like this: Let’s say you spend an extra $25 on parts that you didn’t really need while at the store. OK, a trip to the store takes 40 minutes round trip if you’re lucky. How much do you make in an hour? What does a plumber cost for an hour? What’s your frustration/equanimity worth? When in doubt, just buy it. Buy everything you might need to complete the job. If you’re wise, you’ll save the receipts, keep all the extras in one paper bag and when the job is really, really done (are you sure?) then you can put the bag in the car for return. Most hardware stores are pretty good about returns, but even if they refuse to take back an item that you marred or is now missing an essential part, it doesn’t matter. You saved yourself from making one more trip to the damn hardware store. That’s worth it right? 

While you’re getting every single seal (and maybe the whole set of parts that you’re holding in your hand), be sure to get sealants for the marriage of these various parts. Here are a few suggestions to help you through the job with your mid-brain intact. 

 

Blue Block: 

This stuff comes from an alternate universe where everyone has gunk stuck to their hands and nothing leaks. Use it sparingly. It is so gummy that you can actually get piping that doesn’t fit quite right to hold water or gas. Very good for gas. For water, it’s not the best idea because you’ll have little specks of blue goo coming through your showerhead for a month. Nonetheless, it will stop leaks and will increase sanity under many conditions.  

 

TFE or PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon Paste): 

This is extremely useful stuff for joining threaded fittings together. It provides some sealant value but is primarily designed to get threaded fittings to tighten to their maximum point by decreasing friction. The material is carcinogenic in high aerosol volumes but it’s certainly not easy to breathe it in. TFE paste is quite similar to it’s sister product… 

 

Teflon Tape: 

Don’t do any plumbing job without Teflon Tape. Apply it clockwise, two to five revolutions, over the male threads that you intend to insert into a female fitting and you’ll find it lubricates and seals these connections nicely. Been a boon since I was in my teens. Back then, we all used good old fashioned… 

 

Pipe Dope or Pipe Lubricant: 

This is still available and still works well to join piping. It requires that pipes fit well because it lacks the additional sealant properties of Teflon or the arresting fascism of Blue Block. 

 

Rector Seal No. 5: 

This sadly named product is the old standby for gas piping, although I prefer Blue Block for it’s surreal ability to prevent failures on gas tests. If you are using all new fittings or genuinely believe that everything will fit tightly, this is a reasonable product to use. It’s still very popular and can be used on water fittings and with all metals, which is largely true for our other friends above. 

 

So, to repeat, take everything with you. Replace every seal you touch or look at. Use sealants where you’re threading items together, but not where a rubber or plastic seal is doing the job. This is a common mistake. When there are two similar seals that you are offered at the store, get both. Try them out and see what seems to fit better. There are, to this day, numerous methods available for many common plumbing connections, and often it isn’t clear until you try to fit things together which will work best for what you have in your hand. 

By the way, much of what I’ve said above applies to a faucet, a shower valve set, a hose spigot or any number of other plumbing applications. While I am not a consumerist and prefer the Goodwill to Mervyns (shudder), I do believe that when faced with potential purchases at the plumbing supplier, just buy it. 

 

ASK MATT 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor at mgcantor@pacbell.net.


Arts & Events

Arts Calendar

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:56:00 PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 30 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Think Green” Opening reception at 4 p.m. at City of Berkeley Planning Dept., 2120 Milvia St., 2nd flr. Art on loan from Expressions Gallery. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Clive Matson will read from his collection of poetry, “Mainline to the Heart” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Poetry Flash with Lynne Knight and Carolyn Miller at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Andrew M. Shanken reads from his new book, “194X: Architecture, Planning, and Consumer Culture on the American Home Front” at 7 p.m. at Builders Booksource, 1817 4th St. RSVP to vikateicher@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sergei Podobedov, pianist and Alison Lopatin-Podobedov, soprano at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste. Tickets are $20. 415-990-3851. 

Little Wolf & the Hellcats at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing/blues dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Tim O’Brien at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Misner and Smith, Pamela Parker, Steve Taylor-Ramirez at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Cuba Hurricane Benefit: End the Blockade at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

FRIDAY, MAY 1 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Luv” with gay, straight and lesbian versions, rotating Thurs.- Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through May 23. Tickets are $12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Aurora Theatre “Miss Julie” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m., at 2081 Addison St. to May 10. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley High School Drama “Double Digits” Fri. and Sat. at 7 p.m. at Florence Schwimley Little Theater, 1930 Allston Way. Tickets are $6-$12. 

Berkeley Rep “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. through May 15. Tickets are $33-$71. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Brookside Rep “Basha Rubenchek from Minsk, Comrade of Petaluma” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, through May 3. Tickets are $19-$24. www.BrooksideRep.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Saint Joan” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through May 10. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Impact Briefs: Puberty” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through June 6. Tickets are $10-$17. impacttheatre.com 

“Free Land” solo performance by Ariel Luckey, Fri.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$12. 849-2568.  

Masquers Playhouse “The Last Five Years” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, and runs through May 2. Tickets are $18. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Re:con-figure” Inaugural exhibition and reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in Kala’s new galleries at 2990 San Pablo Ave. Exhibition runs to June 27. 841-7000. www.kala.org 

“En Plein Air: California Landscapes by James Brosnahan” Reception and Benefit for Options Recovery Services at 6 p.m. at St. Clements Episcopal Church, 2837 Claremont Blvd. 666-9552, ext. 125. www.optionsrecovery.org 

“Eternal Sky: Reviving the Art of Mongol Zurag” An exhibition featuring the the work of artist and calligrapher Narmandakh Tsultem, through July 15, 2009 IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton Street, 6th Floor. 642-2809. ieas.berkeley.edu 

“Earth Days” Works by Tyrell Collins, Ralph Singer, and John Wood. Reception at 7 p.m. at Oakopolis, 447 Twenty-fifth St., Oakland. oakopolis@gmail.com 

“Nature Morte” Small images of pressed flowers by Naomi Weissman at Garage Gallery, 3110 Wheeler St. www.berkeleyoutlet.com 

“Death is Easy, Comedy is Hard” Group show of humorous art. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Red Door Gallery and Collective, 416 26th St., Oakland. Exhibit runs to May 31. 374-0444. reddoorgalleryandcollective.com 

WCCUSD Annual Student Art Show Reception and award ceremony at 5 p.m. at The Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave. at 25th St., Richmond. 620-6772. www.therichmondartcenter.org 

“Mindful Light” Photographic images by Gary Wilson. Reception at 5 p.m. at The Gallery @ Lavezzo Designs, 5751 Horton St., Emeryville. 428-2384. 

“Intimate Observer” paintings and drawings by Jill McLennan and “Speed and Ecstasy” paintings and pastel drawings by Jamie Morgan. Opening reception at 6 p.m. Mercury 20 Gallery, 25 Grand Ave., at Broadway, Oakland. Exhibit runs through May 30. 701-4620. 

“Tempered Fragility” New work by Reem Rahim. Opening reception at 7 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 655-9019. 

“Altars, Icons, & Drawings” works by Stanley WIlson and San Jose State Student Photography Exhibit, opening reception at 5:30 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. 465-8928. www.joycegordongallery.com 

FILM 

“Notorius” at 7 p.m. at the Paramount, 2025 Broadway. Tickets are $5. Box office opens at 6 p.m.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jane Smith reads from “The Garden of Invention” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Chamber Orchestra, members of the University Symphony Orchestra at noon at Hertz Hall, UC campus. 642-4864.  

Sylvia Nakkach in Concert at 8 p.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $15-$25. 486-8700.  

The Literary Groove of Jazz Weekend at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373.  

Medicine Ball Band at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

“I Like My Bike Night” with Antioquia, Carne Cruda at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8 iwth bike, $13 without. 525-5054. 

Suzy Thompson & Del Rey at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Papmalo, Amygdala, Hijack, Mooska at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Kymberly Jackson at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Fishbone, Bangdata, Monkey at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15-20. 548-1159.  

Crude, Hellshock, Wartorn, ADT 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. 

SATURDAY, MAY 2 

CHILDREN  

Active Arts Theatre for Young Audiences “Alice in Wonderland” a circus adaptation Sat. at 2 and 7 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 4:30 p.m., at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $14-$18. 296-4433. activeartstheatre.org 

Lori & RJ/Cotton Candy Express Music Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $7. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Young Americans” Mills College MFA Exhibition. Opening Reception at 7 p.m. at Mills College Art Museum, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. Exhibition runs to May 31. 430-2164. www.mills.edu/museum 

THEATER 

Stone Soup Improv Comedy at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. at Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $7-$10. www.stonesoupimprov.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry in Tribute to Ferlinghetti at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $12-$15. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Concerto Festival Concert with winners of Concerto Competition from the Preparatory Music Dept. at 4 p.m. in the Regents’ Theater in Valley Center for the Performing Arts, Holy Names University campus, Oakland. Tickets are $5-$10. 436-1224. 

Chapel College Men and Boys Ensemble “Music of the Anglican Tradition” at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$50. 834-4314. www.pacificcollegium.org 

Masankho Banda, African storyteller and drummer, along with intergenerational dancer and singer Soyinka Rahim at 10 a.m. at InterPlayce, 2273 Telegraph Ave, Oakland. www.bayareandw.org 

Mamadou & Vanessa from Mali at 2 p.m. at Down Home Music, 10341 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 525-2129. 

Music for Flute, Harp and Flute Choir Gail Edwards and Anna Maria Mendieta with the SFSU Flute Choir at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com 

Spirit of Africa A concert of dance-drumming from West Africa at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-9988.  

Ray Obiedo & Mambo Caribe at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

Mystic Roots Band, Lakay and Mystic Man at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Battle of the Salsa Bands at 7:30 p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way Cost is $20. Benefit for Project Peace East Bay. www.projectpeaceeastbay.org  

Sotaque Baiano at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

The Ditty Bops at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

Michael Zilber’s Billy Collins Project at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373.  

Beep with Michael Coleman at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

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

Grateful Dead Jams with Live Dead and The Dead Guise Acoustic at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

Deadfall, Conquest for Death, Eskapo, Dangers at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, MAY 3 

CHILDREN 

Asheba at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Above Ground” Works by Jacqueline Neuwirth Krayna. Reception at 4 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany. 524-9283. 

Jamie Erfurdt Art Gallery Art Opening from 2 to 6 p.m. at 1966 University Ave. at Milvia. 421-2912. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Art and the Creative Process” with Squeak Carnwath and Carrie Lederer at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org/tickets 

Poetry Flash with Carol Moldaw, Julia B. Levine, Ruth L. Schwartz at 3 p.m. at Diesel, 5433 College Ave., Oakland. 653-9965. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Vox Dilecti “Coronation Anthems” at 3 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $18-$25. www.sfcitychorus.org 

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra performs Dvorak’s “Stabat Mater” at 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Donations appreciated. www.bcco.org 

California Bach Society “From Tallis to Tavener” 300 years of British choral music, at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way, at Ellsworth. Tickets are $10-$30. 415-262-0272. www.calbach.org 

Tribute to John Coltrane: “Giant Steps” to a “Love Supreme” performed by students from Music 116B at 8:30 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Free. 642-4864. 

Bay Area Girls Rock Showcase at 7 p.m. at the Starry Plough Pub, 3101 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Cypress String Quartet at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Tickets are $46. 642-9988. www.calperformances.net 

Grupo Falso Baiano with Ana Carbatti at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

George Brooks’ Double Moiré at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

MONDAY, MAY 4 

EXHIBITIONS 

Political Art & Activism Works by graphic artists Lincoln Cushing, Ivan Rubio, Favianna Rodriguez and Susie Lundy at La Peña Cultural Center, through May 31. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Irene Kacandes reads from “Daddy’s War: Greek American Stories” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

Andrej Grubacic will read from “Wobblies & Zapatistas: Conversations on Anarchism, Marxism, and Radical History” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Ayelet Waldman reads from “Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace” at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/63644  

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

TUESDAY, MAY 5 

CHILDREN 

Children’s Delight Theatrical Storytellers with Darryl Hulsey & Gemma Barozzi at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. For ages 4 and up. 524-3043. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Hana Matt discusses “Counting the Omer” at noon at The Badè Museum, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

Tamim Ansary on “Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $5-$10. berkeleyarts.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Off the Classical Beat Jeremy Cohen and Karen Blixt with Quartet San Francisco and young Crowden musicians in a benefit for Crowden Music Center at 7:30 p.m. at Yoshi's Oakland, Jack London Square. Tickets are $10-$25. 559-6910. www.crowden.org 

Mariachi Colima in a Cinco de Mayo celebration at noon at Oakland City Center, 12th and Broadway.  

Mark St. Mary Lousiana Blues and Zydeco Band at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Soft Sculpture” by Emily Peters, through July 5 at Christensen Heller Gallery, 5829 College Ave., Oakland. 655-5952. www.christensenheller.com 

FILM 

Independent Filmmakers Screening Night Bring your 5 - 10 minute shorts & selects to screen every Wed. at 6:30 p.m. at Café of the Dead, 3208 Grand Ave., next to the Grand Lake Theater. Oakland. 931-7945. cafedeadscreening@gmail.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Legacy of Forgiveness in Shakespeare’s Late Plays” with actor-director Julian Lopez-Morillas at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 526-3805. 

Maria Espinoza and Clive Matson read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Alva Noe reads from “Out of Our Heads: Why You are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Fine Books, 1855 Solano Ave. 525-6888. pdtevents@gmail.com 

Jessica Valenti discusses “The Purity Myth” at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. Free, donations appreciated. 848-1196. 

10th Annual Berkeley Poetry Slam Finals with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with University Gamelan Ensembles at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Afro Cuban Ensembles from SF State College, directed by John Calloway, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $6. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Whiskey Brothers, old-time and bluegrass at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Zabava at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Balkan dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Candela at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. with salsa dance lessons. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Mayne Smith & Johnny Harper, Ray Bierl at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

THURSDAY, MAY 7 

CHILDREN 

Young Actors Workshop “Love’s Labors Lost” featuring students age 11-18 from middle and high schools from around the Bay Area, Thurs.- Sat. at 7 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Aesop’s Playhouse, Children's Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave. Tickets are $9-$13. 

FILM 

Project YouthView: The Power of Youth in Film Fifth annual evening festival of winning bay area local youth film shorts, plus the documentary “Trouble the Water” at 6 p.m. at Historic Theatre of the Alameda Theater & Cineplex, 317 Central Avenue, Alameda. Sponsored by Alternatives in Action. Tickets are $5-$8, $100 for VIP section. 748-4314, ext. 304. www.projectyouthview.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Raka Ray and Seemin Qayum discuss “Cultures of Servitude: Modernity, Domesticity, and Class in India” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

“Mongol Zurag: Artist’s Talk with Narmandakh Tsultem” whose work is featured in the IEAS Gallery exhibition “Eternal Sky: Reviving the Art of Mongol Zurag” at 4 p.m. in the IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton St., 6th Floor. 642-2809. ieas.berkeley.edu 

“Art and Culture of Cuba” with Sue Matthews, at 6 p.m. at West Auditorium, Oakland Main Library, 125 14th St. at Oak. 238-3136. 

Judy Yung and Eddie Fung will give a slide talk on their book “The Adventures of Eddie Fung: Chinatown Kid, Texas Cowboy, Prisoner of War” at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave. 536-7512. 

Poetry Flash with Chad Sweeney and Farrah Field at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Eva Hoffman reads from “Appassionata” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Koto Concert with Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto and Brian Mitsuhiro Wong in celebration of Asian Pacific Islander month at 12:15 p.m. in the Art and Music Dept., 5th flr., Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6241. 

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

Kelly Park Trio with guest vocalist Seaon at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Night of Roots Rock, Country Western and Blues with Natasha James, The Madison Blues Band and Pete Olson at 7:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $12. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

SalmonAID Festival with music, dancing and information about the salmon at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $25. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

FRIDAY, MAY 8 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Luv” with gay, straight and lesbian versions, rotating Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through May 23. Tickets are $12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse “A Streetcar Named Desire” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through June 7. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “Miss Julie” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m., at 2081 Addison St. to May 10. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Rep “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. through May 15. Tickets are $33-$71. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Saint Joan” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through May 10. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Impact Briefs: Puberty” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through June 6. Tickets are $10-$17. impacttheatre.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“All Gurls” A group show by women artists. Opening reception at 7 p.m. at Eclectix Gallery, 10082 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. Exhibition runs to June 20. www.eclectix.com 

FILM 

“Auntie Mame” at 7 p.m. at the Paramount, 2025 Broadway. Tickets are $5. Box office opens at 6 p.m.  

“Under a Shipwrecked Moon” A film by Antero Alli with filmmaker in person at 8 p.m. at Grace North Sanctuary, 2138 Cedar St., near Walnut. Tickets are $6-$10. 464-4640. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lucille Lang Day and Peter Tamases will read their poetry at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave., a little north of Hearst, as part of the Last Word Reading Series. There is also an open reading. 841-6374. 

Zachary Shore reads from “Blunder” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-9988. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Lina G Torio CD release concert of “Mestiza” at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Puska Sunda Gamelan Degung at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Extra Golden with Makuru and Ousseynou Kouyate at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Izabella, Alma Desnuda at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Coffins, Stormcrow, Adlebran, Alaric at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $10. 525-9926. 

2ME at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

SATURDAY, MAY 9 

CHILDREN  

California Revels performs songs and dances for May Day at 11:30 a.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $7. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

“Snow White” Puppet show by East Bay Waldorf’s School’s 7th grade class at 2 pm. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave. 536-7512. 

Family Film Series “The Princess Bride” Sat. and Sun. at noon at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, 2966 College Ave. at Ashby. Tickets are $4. 433-9730. 

Living Arts Playback Ensemble “A Celebration of Mothering” at 2 p.m. at Glitter & Razz, 5951 College Ave, Oakland. 654-7166. www.glitterandrazz.com 

Young Actors Workshop “Love’s Labors Lost” featuring students age 11-18 from middle and high schools from around the Bay Area, at 7 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Aesop’s Playhouse, Children's Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave. Tickets are $9-$13. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Images of Morocco” by Stephen Donwerth and “Photos of Mali” by Gary McIntyre. Reception at 1 p.m. at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave Suite 4. 414-4485. www.altagalleria.com 

“5 Takes” Photographs by Fraser Bonnell, Eric Kaufman-Cohen, Cathy Lozano, Martha Snider and Ted Williams. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Photolab, 2235 Fifth St. 644-1400. 

“The African Presence in Mexico: From Yanga to the Present” opens at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts. and runs through Aug. 23. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org/tickets 

“Becoming America: Becoming California” Exhibition on the history of the Peralta family and the Native People with food, crafts and games, dancing and tours, from noon to 5 p.m. at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, 2465 34th Ave., Oakland. Suggested donation $1. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org/VisitUs.htm  

“Exoskeleton” Paintings by Philippe Janssens, sculpture and jewelry by Victoria Skirpa. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Float Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place, Unit # 116, Oakland. 535-1702. 

THEATER 

“Food For Thought” Comedians and speakers, including Johnny Steele, Kamau Bell, Richard Stockton and Carmen Tedesco of Slow Food San Francisco in a benefit for the Alameda County Food Bank at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2460 College Ave. Tickets are $15. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.juliamorgan.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape” with anthology editors and contributors Jaclyn Friedman, Lisa Jarvis, Leah Lakshmi and others at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Mozart Matinee” The inaugural event of Midsummer Mozart’s new youth oriented concert at 11 a.m. at El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane, El Cerrito. Tickets can be purchased at the El Cerrito Community Center for $5 per child, $10 per adult. 559-7000. 

Golden Gate Boys Choir Concert at noon at C’era Una Volta, 1332 Park St. at Redwood Square, Alameda. 769-4828. www.ggbc.org 

Pocket Opera “The Haunted Manor” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $20-$37. 415-346-7805. www.pocketopera.org 

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra performs Dvorak’s “Stabat Mater” at 8 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Donations appreciated. www.bcco.org 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert at 8 p.m., silent auction at 6:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $12-$15. 849-9776. www.ypsomusic.net 

Community Women’s Orchestra Spring Family Concert “Music Around the World” at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Donation $10, children free. Reception following concert. www.communitywomensorchestra.org 

Paufve/Dance Benefit Performance at 5:30 p.m. at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, 2704 Alcatraz Ave. Tickets are $50-$100. www.shawl-anderson.org  

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Tickets are $5-$15. 642-9988. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Nosotras at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Body Tales Improvathon “The Divine Feminine Rising” Fundraising performances at 5, 6:30 and 8 p.m. at Studio 12, 2525 8th St., just south of Dwight Way. Tickets are $10-$25. No one turned away for lack of funds. 649-1791. www.bodytales.com 

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

Tito y su son de Cuba at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Black Olive Babes, Balkan, Turkish, Romani, Shepardic roots and original music at 2 p.m. at Down Home Music, 10341 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 525-2129. 

Robin Flower & Libby McLaren at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Natasha Miller at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Tempest, Avalon Rising at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $12. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

NoBunny, Ringers, R’N’R Adventure Kids, Street Eaters at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, MAY 10 

CHILDREN 

Mothers Day Stories and Songs with Doug and Todd Elliott’s cultural tour of America’s backcountry, at 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 544-3265. tnarea@ebparks.org 

The Nigerian Brothers at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

Oakland Museum of California Docent Tour A look inside the museum’s past, present and future, at 1 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts. www.museumca.org/tickets 

Jamie Erfurdt Art Gallery Art Opening from 2 to 6 p.m. at 1966 University Ave. & Milvia. 421-2912. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Ruth Reichl on “Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way” with desserts and drinks at p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $45-$65 includes copy of the book. reservations required. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Nuruddin Farah, author of “Knots” and “From a Crooked Rib” will discuss his work at 6:30 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra performs Dvorak’s “Stabat Mater” at 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Donations appreciated. www.bcco.org 

Celestial Sounds for Healing “Hovering Wings” a voice and Celtic harp duo at 4 p.m. in a private home in Berkeley, address to be emailed upon ticket purchase. Tickets are $15 available from www.eventbrite.com/event/318427425 

“Mother's Day Peace Fair” An afternoon of music and speakers including Carol Denney, Stephanie Hendricks, Anna -Lisa Smoker, Maxina Ventura, Hali Hammer, and The Brazen Squirrels, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Suggested donation $5. 841-4824. www.bfuu.org 

Bombazo de Madre Puerto Rican celebration of Mother’s Day at 3 p.m. in the lobby of Café Valparaíso, La Peña. Free. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Carlos Oliveira’s Brazilian Origins featuring Harvey Wainapel at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

Cascada de Flores at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org


Ayelet Waldman at Berkeley City Club

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:56:00 PM

Ayelet Waldman will celebrate her “brash, wise, provocative” new book, Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace, with a talk and booksigning, 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 4, at the Berkeley City Club, hosted by KPFA News Director Aileen Alfandary, as a benefit for KPFA. 

Bad Mother, available at the event, will be released by Doubleday on Tuesday. Pamela Paul, author of Parenting, Inc. said Waldman “writes about motherhood the way women live it: not only as parents, but also as wives, professionals, and most touchingly, as former children.” 

“It’s half memoir and rant,” Waldman said of her book, “and half social commentary on what contemporary American women find themselves in, the parlor game of how a mother feels—eternal ambivalence, anxiety. It’s a plea for a more humane approach to motherhood.” 

The book came about from blogging on the “bad mother” theme about five years ago at www.ayeletwaldman.com. “It was very, very successful, very fast,” Waldman recalled. “I only had it up for a couple of months, then shut it down. I started to feel it was taking away from my other writing. Because of the book being written, I started blogging again. It was better for me; I’m sure it doesn’t have the same audience, but that’s not what I’m trying to get—and not as a diary, either, but as a way to say stuff. I feel I’m more mature as a writer; maybe I’ll just quote an idea, stuff I’d maybe never write a book about. And at the moment, I’m not involved in another project.” 

Known also for her advocacy of Barack Obama’s candidacy, Waldman recalled “When [husband] Michael [Chabon] and I started supporting Barack, we heard, ‘Oh you writers, what do you know?’ I traveled all over the country, was a full-time volunteer between the convention and the election. I raised over $11 million. My favorite fundraiser was ‘Books for Barack,’ book baskets and grab-bags that writer friends put together, signed first editions sometimes, or volumes of poetry beloved by the writer ... How much of the surface of our house was covered with boxes and bubblewrap! There were great parties, never fundraisers, but for canvassing. The first ones I went to were deadly! Then Alice Waters organized local chefs; somebody shot a wild boar in Point Reyes, roasted it on a spit ... ‘No Rubber Chickens!’ was our motto. We had literary events, readings with Michael Pollan, Dave Eggers, my husband, Annie LaMott, Isabel Allende—my favorite was at Robert Mailer Anderson’s: ‘Light Appetizers, Heavy Cocktails.’” 

At the inauguration, Waldman and Alice Waters “put together a dinner, ‘Art Food Hope,’ the message being a sustainable culture, healthy food. I was so angry at the excess, the parties people were throwing at $10,000 a head. So we said, ‘Let’s do a soup kitchen in D. C. and feed not just the wealthy, but the hungry.’ We started with the idea for one dinner and ended up with 12 different locations, 12 internationally known chefs.” 

Waldman reflected on “the depth of poverty” in Washington, D.C.—“one of the most racially polarized cities in the United States”—yet the mood at the inauguration which “transcended” that, “once we left the all-white enclave, and you realize what it is.” 

On Obama: “I think Barack is doing a great job in a grim situation. I’m euphoric he released the torture memoranda—after Mark Danner had already publicized it—but intensely disappointed with the Justice Department’s position. The architects should be punished. It’s what was learned at Nuremburg, holding people responsible who should’ve known better.” 

Reflecting on the KPFA benefit, she said, “Six months ago, the progressive position was only really heard on KPFA; now it’s in the mainstream press. I guess I could say I’m to the right of KPFA, and Barack is to the right of me. In any other universe, I’m a crazed liberal, Newt’s socialist menace. Here, I’m in the mainstream. My 7-year-old stepdaughter’s an Eleanor Roosevelt fan; that’s what you get, raising children in Berkeley.” 

Waldman spoke of the political legacy from her own parents. “My mom was from Brooklyn, my dad Canadian; both were suspicious of mainstream U.S. culture.” Born in Jerusalem, she reflected, “In a very real way, America is the Promised Land for Jews. Germany once was, too ... I was a committed Zionist once; I lasted about six months.” 

Author of two novels—Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (Random House) and Daughter’s Keeper (Soucebooks Landmark)—as well as seven Mommy-Track Mysteries (Nursery Crimes being one title) from Prime Crime—Waldman talked about the film of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, now in the can, directed by Don Roos, with Natalie Portman, Lisa Kudrow and Scott Cohen starring: “I didn’t write the script; my role was as a cheerleader. Everybody has crappy things to say about Hollywood; for me it was tremendous, being part of it getting made. They’re artists in a different medium.” 

And on yet another, earlier career, as a federal public defender “for a brief period; since then, I’ve written for 12 years. But it’s informed for the longest time all my writing, both fiction and nonfiction: that sense of the powerless individual in the face of the might of government. We have to struggle together for that reason.” 

 

 

The Daily Planet will run an excerpt from Bad Mother in next week’s edition.


Five Berkeley Authors Win Northern California Book Awards

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:00:00 PM

"An East Bay Sweep!” reads a press release for the Northern California Book Awards, presented last Sunday in the 28th annual ceremony in the Koret Auditorium in the San Francisco Main Library. 

In fact, of the eight awards presented, seven went to East Bay authors—five of them Berkeley residents—with the Fred Cody Award for lifetime achievement going to Berkeley’s Dorothy Bryant (see the Daily Planet’s April 16 story). 

In fiction, the winner was Sylvia Browning of Berkeley, with Delivery Room, her third novel, about a Serbian psychotherapist practicing in London, concerned about her family’s fate in the fighting in former Yugoslavia, where “delivery” takes on the added meaning of NATO air strikes in Kosovo. 

In general nonfiction, UC Berkeley professor and Berkeley resident Richard A. Muller won for a book based on the textbook he wrote for his class for non-scientists, Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines, billed as “the knowledge needed to survive the ... political and increasingly nuclear contemporary world.” 

Well-known composer and Berkeley resident John Adams won the award for creative nonfiction with Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life. Named after the meeting of roadways in the Sierra where Adams had a major realization about his career (long dubbed a “Minimalist,” Adams hears Wagner’s Gotterdamerung playing, and realizes he’s been missing the rich textures of post-Romantic orchestration). Poet and former KPFA music programmer David Gitin says Adams’ memoir is “a good-spirited book, about his interesting upbringing and the early days of his career, caught up in electronic music. He talks critically of recording and of later developments of Minimalism, examines his ‘love/hate’ feelings about other composers’ music, is encouraging to young musicians—and plays himself down at every opportunity.” 

For the award in poetry, Richmond resident Rusty Morrison was chosen for her book the true keeps calm biding its story, billed as “the silvery underside of elegy,” in which the poem’s narrator reconciles herself to loss in the aftermath of her father’s death. The book also won the 2007 Sawtooth Poetry Prize and the 2008 James Laughlin Award. 

For translation, Katherine Schev of Berkeley won for her translation from Spanish of Honduran-born Horacio Castellanos Moya’s novel Senseless, in which the narrator, hired by the church to copy-edit a thousand-page report on an unnamed Central American military’s massacres of indigenous people, finds poetry in the testimony. Castellanos Moya’s style has been compared to the late Austrian author Thomas Bernhardt. 

For children’s literature, Pamela S. Turner of Oakland won for A Life in the Wild: George Schaller’s Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts, about the work the scientist involved with animal conservation (who figured in Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard) has done in Asia, Africa and Alaska’s North Slope.


Documentary Examines Battle Over Nation’s Largest Community Garden

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:00:00 PM
Latino farmers in South Central Los Angeles fought City Hall in an attempt to preserve a community garden created in the wake of the 1992 riots.
Latino farmers in South Central Los Angeles fought City Hall in an attempt to preserve a community garden created in the wake of the 1992 riots.
The 14-acre South Central Los Angeles community garden was the largest in the nation until the city council sold the land back to a private developer.
The 14-acre South Central Los Angeles community garden was the largest in the nation until the city council sold the land back to a private developer.

In the wake of the 1992 riots in South Central Los Angeles, the city sought to mitigate the damage to the social fabric with a series of community projects. One project was a community garden on a dormant plot of land.  

What developed was a 14-acre oasis in the midst of a blighted urban landscape, the largest community garden in the nation, sustaining more than 350 families, most of them Latino. The garden flourished for nearly a decade, until the city notified the gardeners in 2003 that in two months they would be evicted and the garden destroyed to make way for warehouses and a soccer field.  

Berkeley native Scott Hamilton Kennedy’s documentary, The Garden, traces the tale of the farmers’ attempt to retain their oasis. The film opens Friday, May 1 at Rialto’s Elmwood Theater on College Avenue and at the Lumiere Theater in San Francisco.  

The city had orginally acquired the land from owner Ralph Horowitz through eminent domain, paying him $5 million. In 2003 the farmers discovered that the Los Angeles City Council, in a secret, closed-session meeting, had sold the land back to Horowitz for $5 million—a price far below market value. 

Horowitz announced his intention to build warehouses on the land, as well as a soccer field.  

The soccer field was a pet project of Concerned Citizens of South Central L.A., a group that had previously spent several years and millions of dollars to develop another soccer field. Promised a grass field with seating for 800 spectators, the community was ultimately left with little more than a dusty lot with two lonely goals and shaky lines etched in white chalk.  

Though many of the questions behind the battle over the garden remain unanswered, and the nature of the corruption at play unexplained, the film touches on a host of issues, from racism to development to corruption to what one farmer refers to as “poverty pimping.” 

In the end, the district’s city councilmember still manages to get re-elected, as does the mayor; the head of Concerned Citizens of South Central L.A. dies of a stroke; a few of the gardeners accept compensation in the form of a smaller, less desirable plot of land beneath power lines; others lay down roots in Bakersfield; and Horowitz never constructs any warehouses or a soccer field, the lot remaining a fence-off, dusty expanse in the middle of an urban neighborhood. 

Scott Hamilton Kennedy credits “quite a bit of Berkeley spirit” for giving him “the confidence to talk to all the players in a story like The Garden,” recalling “all the wonderful types of people you meet in Berkeley— rich, poor, homeless, politicians—they’re all people, and I was taught to treat people with respect, as individuals. There aren’t too many situations where I feel out of place.” 

Kennedy cut his teeth in documentary filmmaking “the first summer after college, making a documentary on Long Island, then cutting it in New York City” with his mentor and friend, the late filmmaker and teacher Richard P. Rogers, to whom Kennedy dedicated The Garden. “Then I got away from doing documentaries for a long time, making music videos instead. With the digital revolution, I had the chance to make my own movies without having to raise money, without waiting for someone else to say, ‘Go ahead.’” 

The compactness of digital filmmaking makes a difference, too. “Many, many days it was just me and my camera with the microphone on top. You can’t underestimate how far that intimacy, that amateur quality, gets you with people: they think, ‘I can talk with this guy!’”  

Kennedy’s friend and co-producer Domenique Derringer saw “a piece on TV that led us to do The Garden. We knew there was a lot of good story there. From the start, we chose to tell it through the farmers’ eyes, their point of view, as information was hidden from them. There were backroom deals. The farmers kept digging for answers; some questions have never been answered. 

“Most [of the farmers] were Latino in origin, with a history of farming in their families—and most had not done much political work before. They ended up training themselves to become political. It was an exciting thing to see, the little democracy growing up among the farmers. And that meant infighting, too!” 

Kennedy related that to what he had experienced growing up in Berkeley. “Somebody said once, ‘The Perfect is enemy to the Good.’ I love the freedom of everything in Berkeley. But at the end of the day, when everybody’s fighting, everybody’s feeling everybody else is screwing them over, there’s a bigger thing than our own small squabbles. Making The Garden, we had to ask sometimes, why couldn’t it be a soccer field and a community garden too? It’s a film about the political process, about trying to communicate without getting derailed by ego, race, class ... to do what’s best, treat each other fairly. 

“I’m proud of my Berkeley roots,” Kennedy affirmed. “It’s a sensibility that got into my DNA, growing up in Berkeley—and came out in the film.” 


A ‘Luv’ Triangle in Three Versions

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:01:00 PM

But what about love?” The recurring question interrupts each character’s litany of woes, and each responds with an echo of the word, with or without a question mark, and the comedy—Murray Schisgall’s Luv—starts up again.  

Starts up times three, as the Actors Ensemble production features three separate versions—straight, gay and lesbian—changing place every night, on revolving Thursday-through-Saturday schedules. 

This triptych of different preferences—a love triangle, squared, becoming a nine-sided trapezoid—came about when director Alan Barkan suggested the company produce a play he’d seen in Long Island in the 1960s, then reflected on how to do it for here and now, coming up with a veritable hall of mirrors of manners and proclivities. 

“Part of it is my inability to accept simplicity,” Barkan said. “I don’t know what originated the inspiration for it being seen through the eyes of three different orientations, except for my feeling that we all drink from the same well, that it’s all what we do with it ... It’s all about pain and love; the only thing that changes is our emotional response to it.” 

Whether it was Proposition 8 in the air, or realizing that Schisgall had also penned the screenplay for the cross-dressing classic Tootsie, Barkan advanced the controversy over same-sex marriage as contemporary rationale for the three versions when applying for rights to produce. And when Dramatists Play Service initially turned down the request, Barkan appealed to Schisgall.  

“I was impressed that Dramatists forwarded our e-mail correspondence to Mr. Schisgall’s agent, who then contacted me with a few plain questions from him,” Barkan recalled. “I was kind of surprised, really. He didn’t probe too much as to approach. Then I heard he granted us permission.” 

It’s best to see all, or at least more than one. The details become significant by comparison. None of the three casts witnessed or were told how the others were performing it. It’s the same play, but “it’s either three straight, gay or lesbian people in a world that’s straight, gay or lesbian—that’s the norm of their particular world as we represent it, their window on it—displaying highly eccentric, but nonetheless real, actions and desires.”  

The gay version is the only one this critic was able to catch in performance, though Alan Barkan kindly invited me to rehearsals of the others; like birdwatchers, reviewers must catch such variegated flocks however they land. 

It is a stellar comedy. Stanley Spenger has never been better (certainly never funnier) than as Milt, the self-made, scheming entrepreneur, who saves his old schoolbuddy Harry (a loopy, physically comic Harold Pierce, who’s also done well by Actors Ensemble in recent shows) from jumping off the bridge, in order to introduce him to Milt’s spouse Elliot (an elegant, if smouldering Federico Edwards), hoping the two will hit it off, so Milt can hook up with his lover, the ever-unseen Leonard.  

Act One ends with Milt’s scheme a raving success after some awkward bumps along the way, a lot of competitive poormouthing reminiscence and a spreadsheet-supported lecture on the infrequency of connubial bliss. The humor is both symmetrical and syncopated. 

The second act is the charm, fraught with boasting one-upsmanship, with renegs, double-reverses, the specter of Gay Divorce—a boomerang across the Outback of love-at-first-sight (however engineered) and its after-effects. The trio is such an ensemble, they could pass for an old-time, lifelong vaudeville act: Spenger, Edwards & Pierce.  

It is the charm for the other versions, too, both as discrete theatrical phenomena, and as what links the local colors (and flavor) of each preference in a unifying chain—or spectrum of a rainbow. 

Each truly has its own slant. The straight version is really straight, in every sense. Benjamin Grubb as Milt is that guy from back in school who knows how to collect people and arrange them in a bouquet he graciously accepts—then tosses away. Eric Carlson realizes distracted, melancholic, whimsical Harry, abetted by forlorn, seductive Danielle Martino as Ellen, only searching—and backtracking—to find that elusive monosyllable, the homophone of which entitles the play. 

In the lesbian Luv, Catherine Lerza plays ambitious, micromanaging Mel, Stacy Sanders the quizzically nutty Harriet (with a great, outlandish strut in Act Two), and Crystal Bush plays a plaintive Ellen, with honeyed voice like an ingenue-turned-torch singer. 

(In fact, each incarnation of Ellen/Elliot is distinguished by a teasing voice, perfect for the frustrated nester the other two hover around.) 

And lest the likewise triply-challenged designers be forgot, Norman de Veyra (set), Jeremy Cole (lights), and ever-creative costumer Helen Slomowitz put together the look of these shows. Producer Jennifer Rice presided. 

Given a once-over, Luv might look like an offbeat collection of burlesque gags and routines refashioned to reflect ’60s “existentialism” (or was it a lower-case “situationalism”?), half Henny Youngman, half Woody Allen: “Take my wife ... please!” become a kind of maladroit sexual swinging.  

But Alan Barkan stated that he struggled “not to play up the slapsticky” element, but to instead take the characters as “real people, just wacky ... My thing with theater is that it’s about people real enough so you like them. Will we allow a sense of other possibilities, for them to pop up out of us? We all have our own ridiculous, ludicrous reactions. What came out of each cast was the outgrowth of how they interacted with each other, what the characters wanted from each other—what was germane to each orientation. It breathes new life into the play, which is so timely to the questions each version invokes, which are sweeping the nation. So timely, especially to the Bay Area.” 

 

LUV 

A comedy by Murray Schisgall, presented by Actors Ensemble in straight, gay and lesbian versions, rotating nightly.  

8 p. m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through May 23 at Live Oak Theater,  

1301 Shattuck Ave. $12.  

649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org.


Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra Presents Dvorkak’s ‘Stabat Mater’

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:01:00 PM

The Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra, the 180-voice, 40-year-old local musical institution, will present Anton Dvorak’s masterwork Stabat Mater this Sunday afternoon, May 3, and the following Saturday night and Sunday afternoon (May 9 and 10), at St. Joseph the Worker Church. 

The performances will feature Carol Schaffer (soprano), Sonia Gariaeff (mezzo-soprano), Berkeley native Kalil Wilson (tenor) and Jeffrey Fields (baritone). 

From musical sketches begun in early 1876, following the death of his daughter Josefa, Dvorak returned to the orchestration of Stabat Mater in late 1877, after two other children of his had died. It was first performed in Prague in 1880, expressing the anguish of the Virgin Mary after the death of her son. “It’s very melodic, very moving,” said Elizabeth Raymer of the chorus board of directors. “The chorus has expanded on the theme to honor families and all others with the abiding grief of having lost children to war, to illness, to accident—for any reason.” 

Raymer commented on the piece and the chorus’ choice of it: “It’s heavy in solos, in solos over the chorus. At an hour and a half, it’s quite an event for us and the orchestra. It’s the statement piece that brought Dvorak fame and acclaim. He’s more familiar in this country for The New World Symphony. Stabat Mater is far beyond that in scope.” 

The Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra was founded four decades ago by Eugene Price, originating in the Berkeley Adult School. Arlene Sagan, the current music director, took on the leadership 20 years ago. A board of directors was organized and bigger budgets followed. “We’ve come a long way,” said Raymer. 

Raymer spoke about the chorus and its mission: “It’s very special in that it’s a non-audition chorus; anybody can join who has a love of this kind of music. We only sing major masterpieces—nothing rinky-dink! We hire the orchestra. The performances aren’t amateurish. Our membership is on all levels, ranging from beginners without musical training to very experienced singers, some who sing for professional audition choruses. And we have several members who have been with the chorus for 20 years.” 

Raymer described some of the unique support features of the chorus: “Members are given a tremendous amount of help along the way, from musical instruction to extra rehearsals, weekly section meetings and buddy systems for individual help. Almost everything is done by volunteers; we have an active board of directors. Arlene and a halftime manager have the only paid positions. The concerts are free. We ask for donations, which make this possible. Many can’t afford this kind of music. We invite people, provide transportation, from the Strawberry Creek Senior Housing. We have a lot of involvement in the community—we’re really a large part of it.”  

 

STABAT MATER 

Presented by Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra. 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3; 8 p.m. Saturday, May 9; 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 10. St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free admission; donations appreciated. www.bcco.org.


Around the East Bay

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:02:00 PM

DOUBLE DIGITS:A MUSICAL 

Double Digits, an original musical about “the jumping-off point that is 5th Grade,” written by Berkeley High students Abby Simons (book and lyrics) and Nathan Kersey-Wilson (music, scored for nine-piece student ensemble), will be performed by 60 students, with choreography, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Florence Schwimley Little Theater, 1930 Allston Way. $6-12. www.bhs.berkeleypta.org. 

 

JULIAN LOPEZ-MORILLAS 

Berkeley’s Bardic thespian, Julian Lopez-Morillas, will talk on “The Legacy of Forgiveness in Shakespeare’s Late Plays” Wednesday night, May 6, at Northbrae Community Church. At the end of May, Lopez-Morillas will make a very special “Shakespearance” when he plays Cardinal Woolsey in HENRY VIII at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival: he’ll have performed in or directed every play in the Shakespearean canon. He’s been blogging about that event and the lead-up to it. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 6. Optional pasta dinner served at 6:30 p.m. ($6) Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Free admission. 526-3805. www.playshakespeare.com.  

 

 


Maybeck Made La Loma Park His Own Country

By Daniella Thompson
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:06:00 PM
The concrete fireplace in the Maybeck Studio, 1950s.
Shipounoff collection, BAHA archives
The concrete fireplace in the Maybeck Studio, 1950s.
The Mathewson house, built in 1915.
Daniella Thompson
The Mathewson house, built in 1915.
Bernard, Annie, Jacomena and Wallen Maybeck in front of the Cottage, 1920s.
Courtesy Maybeck family
Bernard, Annie, Jacomena and Wallen Maybeck in front of the Cottage, 1920s.
The Maybeck Studio, built in 1924, is clad in Bubblestone.
Daniella Thompson
The Maybeck Studio, built in 1924, is clad in Bubblestone.
The Maybeck Studio’s bedroom addition.
Daniella Thompson
The Maybeck Studio’s bedroom addition.
The Maybeck Cottage, built in 1926 and expanded over four decades.
Daniella Thompson
The Maybeck Cottage, built in 1926 and expanded over four decades.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last in a series of three articles on La Loma Park. 

 

Bernard and Annie Maybeck were always attracted to open land. Rather than build next to other houses, they repeatedly ventured to the edge of town for their home site. 

In 1892, when the Maybecks purchased a double lot in northwest Berkeley, on the corner of Grove and Berryman streets, there was no other house on the block. This remained the case for over 10 years. By the time Berkeley began growing in earnest in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake and fire, the Maybecks were ready to find new frontiers. 

“As the town grows, homes climb the hills,” Maybeck famously said. The architect’s insight, combined with his wife’s business acumen, led the couple to La Loma Park, the former estate of Captain Richard Parks Thomas of the Standard Soap Company. Following the Captain’s death in May 1900, his widow subdivided La Loma Park into building lots which were sold in October—some to professors such as the geologist Andrew C. Lawson, others to speculators who resold them. 

The Maybecks were not among the first wave of land buyers in La Loma Park, but they ended up purchasing five large, irregularly shaped parcels east of La Loma Avenue. Three of those lots—18, 19, and 27—lay above (or north of) Buena Vista Way. The other two—lots 21 and 22—were situated below, on the south side of the street. Incomplete records indicate that their acquisitions took place in 1906 and 1907.  

The Maybecks’ first Berkeley home had been a simple one-story cottage that the architect transformed with the help of his students into a two-story house with a chalet-like roof, prominent sleeping porch, and a great variety of windows. Charles Keeler later described the house as “a distinctly hand-made home.” 

The new house, built in 1907 on the northeast corner of Buena Vista and La Loma, was a much grander affair. The Maybecks’ daughter-in-law, Jacomena, described it as “a glamorous place, a sleeping porch for each bedroom, two fireplaces, a raised dining room, and a kitchen absolutely full of dishes.” 

Clad in unpainted redwood shingles, the house projected gable roofs in several directions. At its center, the prow-shaped dining room with its large expanses of glass was a startlingly modern feature, several decades ahead of its time, as was the starkly framed open balcony on the east end. 

Maybeck was 45 when he built this house. His fame was already well established, and home-site buyers in La Loma Park were eager to engage him to design their houses. In the same year that his own house was going up, Maybeck designed professor Lawson’s reinforced concrete Pompeian villa at 1515 La Loma Ave. and a saltbox for Warren Gregory’s sister, Frances, at 1476 Greenwood Terrace. 

As advocates of living with nature and lovers of theatricals, the Maybecks found a kindred spirit in Florence Treadwell Boynton. A schoolmate and disciple of Isadora Duncan who went far beyond the Maybecks in her practice of open-air living, Mrs. Boynton was the subject of consdiderable press attention. In December 1909, the San Francisco Call devoted an entire illustrated page to her with the headline “Back to Nature and the Greek.” The subhead proclaimed, “This Alameda society woman, friend of Isidora [sic] Duncan, sleeps with her children on the roof, dances, plays and studies with them among the flowers, lives outdoors, banishes tight clothes and close rooms—all to arouse the souls of her Babes.” 

The article went on to describe Mrs. Boynton’s views and practices: 

 

She is the moving spirit in several circles of reform—dress, food, education, social culture, etc., the most notable being that of dress. Taking the view that woman should clothe herself to represent the finer qualities, purity, fidelity, love and patience, she urges the adoption of the loose, flowing robes of the ancient Greek, “garments that attract no attention in themselves,” but reveal all the beauties granted woman by the Creator, without being vulgar or crude. […] 

The Boynton family sleep every night, regardless of temperature or condition of the elements, upon the roof of their home. When they awake at 6 o’clock, their eyes first greeting the blue sky, Mrs. Boynton gives the children their first lesson. As they sit there in their little nighties gazing at the new morning the mother points out to them the pretty things of nature, the clouds, the trees, the distant mountains […] Dress gives them no trouble, and they are quickly downstairs and out upon the lawn with bare legs and feet, if the weather permits, the mother leading them in a dance of ecstasy, interpreting all the joys of the morning. 

 

It was inevitable that two crusaders like Maybeck and Florence Boynton should meet, especially since both lectured at the Hillside Club. In 1911, the Boyntons purchased from the Maybecks a lot at the eastern bend of Buena Vista Way, where Maybeck built them a temporary shelter in which they lived while their ideal home was being designed. The “model camp,” as Mrs. Boynton called it, consisted of two pergolas, one for living and sleeping, with a canvas roof, the second for cooking and dining, screened and surrounded by glass windows. 

The permanent residence, to be named “Temple of Wings,” was a circular portico of gigantic Corinthian columns set on a radiantly heated concrete platform and screened by canvas draperies. Owing to conflicts over budget and rights of way, Maybeck withdrew from the project, which was seen to completion by Arthur Randolph Monro, a young draftsman and another member of the Hillside Club and participant in amateur theatricals alongside Maybeck. 

In 1915, Maybeck designed two houses across the street from his own—one to the west, the other to the south. The first was built at 2683 Buena Vista Way for Professor Charles L. Seeger, head of the UC music department and father of folk singer Pete Seeger. The second is the marvelous Swiss-Japanese studio house constructed at 2704 Buena Vista for Richard and Gertrude Mathewson. Mrs. Mathewson, the Berkeley High School librarian, reportedly brought Maybeck a Japanese plate and said, “Please match a house to it.” 

With the exception of the Temple of Wings, all the neighboring houses mentioned above survived the 1923 Berkeley fire (the Temple was rebuilt to a different design). The Maybecks’ own house was reduced to ashes. About the same time, Annie’s brother (and Maybeck’s partner) Mark, already close to 50, was married. His widowed mother, Eleanor White, nicknamed “Blumey,” moved out of the house they had shared and rented a flat at 1518 Henry St. The homeless Maybecks went to live with her. 

Their son Wallen soon tired of the arrangement and returned to Buena Vista Way, camping on the concrete floor of his former workshop. In 1924, wishing to provide Wallen with shelter, Maybeck resolved to build a one-room fireproof house on the foundation of the lost family home.  

Even before the fire, Maybeck had begun to experiment with Bubblestone, a waterproof, aerated cement invented by his friend John A. Rice. He decided to use it on Wallen’s house. The material was cheap and easy to apply onto a wooden frame. A gelatinous mixture of glue, water, and formalin was whipped into a stiff foam, and the latter was mixed with Portland cement, sand, and water. Burlap sacks were then dipped into the frothy mixture and hung, shingle fashion, on slats nailed horizontally around the house. No skilled labor was required; edges were trimmed or hand-molded to fit around corners, doors and windows. The same material was applied on the roof. 

Wallen’s house became known as the Studio and soon began to grow, acquiring a bedroom wing. In 1925, ready to move back to the home site, the Maybecks purchased an abandoned real estate field office and had it trucked up and placed on the former tennis court above the Studio. This 12-by-24-foot wooden building, with a main room and a bathroom, became the core onto which the Maybecks tacked various additions. 

Like the Studio, this one-room house, which they called the Cottage, was clad in Bubblestone and grew organically over the years. Although the Maybecks resided in at least three of their post-fire Berkeley houses, the Cottage served as their principal residence until the end of their lives. 

In 1927, Wallen Maybeck married Jacomena Adriana Van Huizen, and their twin daughters were born 18 months later. The foursome squeezed into the Cubby, 1471 La Loma Ave., which had been converted from a garage built for Maybeck’s Packard, the latter nicknamed “Showboat.” Their rent was $1 a month. 

As the Depression deepened, Maybeck devised a way of keeping his office open while providing his family with better accommodations. Carpenters’ wages were a mere 50 cents an hour, so in 1932 the Maybecks decided to build two nearly identical houses—one above Buena Vista Way for Wallen’s family, the other below the street for themselves and their daughter, Kerna. 

The architect was now using stucco and steel windows, with interiors in knotty pine. The materials may be humble, but the living room and kitchen in the Wallen Maybeck house have the grandeur of a cathedral thanks to a lofty ceiling, imaginative roof trusses, and tall banks of windows. The exterior is enlivened by architectural puns: flat-board balustrades, mock broken pediments, and a drawbridge-like balcony hung on chains. 

In 1938, Bernard Maybeck retired from his architectural practice. Annie, the family’s business manager, continued to manage the sale and development of the couple’s land holdings in Berkeley and Kensington. Out of lot 21 in La Loma Park, the Maybecks carved out several parcels, some of which they sold. 

At that time, their tenants in the Studio were Charles Aikin, a political science instructor at UC, and his wife, Audrey, a teacher. In 1940, the Aikins purchased from the Maybecks an irregularly shaped parcel in lot 21. By then, all the frontage home sites were taken, and the Aikins got a mid-block parcel below Buena Vista Way. 

The Aikin house was Maybeck’s last design in La Loma Park. Its baronial living room contains one of the architect’s grandest fireplaces, on whose hood rests an heraldic shield with a griffin motif painted by Maybeck. 

Five of the La Loma Park houses designed by Maybeck will be open to tour goers on May 3, when the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association will hold its annual spring house tour. Tickets may be purchased online at www.berkeleyheritage.com. 

 

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

 


About the House: Why Is a Good Plumber Worth $130 an Hour?

By Matt Cantor
Thursday April 30, 2009 - 07:06:00 PM

I have suffered so that you don’t have to. I’m going to share a plumbing secret. The desire for knowledge of this secret has produced much gnashing of teeth, and the frequent abuse of the many names of God. In order to reduce heretical behaviors and to increase the likelihood that you will be welcomed at the Valhalla of your choosing, I offer the following: 

Plumbing is part muscle—say, 10 percent, and maybe 40 percent mechanics and physics, 30 percent logistics (where is that Teflon tape?) and at least 20 percent shopping skill (that might be logistics too, but I tend to place it with economics). 

Plumbing repair (not so much new installation) is about taking it apart—and putting it back as it was, only without the leak (or whatever other problem one might be having). The secret is that, once you take things apart and put them back together, everything wants to leak. One of the most common mistakes that novice plumbers make is to buy only the one part that relates to the repair. I did this myself this week and felt like I’d fallen in a trap I thought I’d long since mapped. 

When taking apart a plumbing fixture—let’s say a sink drain—it is best to get the seals and other obvious replacement parts for everything you are going to touch, move or think about. A sink drain starts with a tail piece that comes down for the drain. If you are absolutely certain that there are no leaks at the tail-piece or drain, and can feel that these are quite firmly connected to the sink, you might get lucky enough to leave them alone. If you have any doubt, it’s better to take them apart, buy all the seals that go with the tail-piece and drain as well as a little tub of “plumber’s putty.” This doughy emulsion is used for the marriage of porcelain and metal and is rarely used for anything else. When one sets a sink drain into a sink, a little hand-worried snake of this stuff should be laid in a ring around the sink hole prior to pressing the drain into place. This will fill any voids between the imperfect china and the more perfect metal funnel-shape that gets called a drain-piece. A nut on the back side of this affair will pull the drain down into the putty until the putty has pinched itself off at the junction. If you’ve done it right and centered the piece properly, the pinching will be uniform around the edges. If you miss your Playdough fun factory with its little star and triangle shapes, you’ll get your fix doing this job.  

From the drain on down, every single seal should be replaced. The right way to do this, especially for the beginner, is to take the drain apart and take the whole thing, in a bag, to a good hardware or plumbing store. There are many different sizes for each thing you are handling and the most common thing in the world is to come back from the store with the wrong sized thing. By taking your parts with you, you decrease the likelihood of this wretched occurrence. To be sure, one can easily look squarely at the wrong part and surmise it to be the right one. Check twice. Lay all the old parts out at the store and, one-piece at the time, fit each new part to the old one until you’re sure that you have everything you need. 

Locknuts on drains are cheap to replace and I am quick to buy them, even if I don’t intend to use them. This is another major secret. Lock nuts can either break or will turn out to have a little bur inside that keeps them from threading on fully, and when you’re back on the job putting things together, the option to replace one can be a Buddha-send. 

When buying seals, like the little rings that go under those lock-nuts on drains and traps, buy an extra. They’re cheap and if you mangle one or lose one on the way, you’ll save tooth enamel by having another. Actually, the replacement of an entire trap or other piece might be well worthwhile, even as a backup. The economics go something like this: Let’s say you spend an extra $25 on parts that you didn’t really need while at the store. OK, a trip to the store takes 40 minutes round trip if you’re lucky. How much do you make in an hour? What does a plumber cost for an hour? What’s your frustration/equanimity worth? When in doubt, just buy it. Buy everything you might need to complete the job. If you’re wise, you’ll save the receipts, keep all the extras in one paper bag and when the job is really, really done (are you sure?) then you can put the bag in the car for return. Most hardware stores are pretty good about returns, but even if they refuse to take back an item that you marred or is now missing an essential part, it doesn’t matter. You saved yourself from making one more trip to the damn hardware store. That’s worth it right? 

While you’re getting every single seal (and maybe the whole set of parts that you’re holding in your hand), be sure to get sealants for the marriage of these various parts. Here are a few suggestions to help you through the job with your mid-brain intact. 

 

Blue Block: 

This stuff comes from an alternate universe where everyone has gunk stuck to their hands and nothing leaks. Use it sparingly. It is so gummy that you can actually get piping that doesn’t fit quite right to hold water or gas. Very good for gas. For water, it’s not the best idea because you’ll have little specks of blue goo coming through your showerhead for a month. Nonetheless, it will stop leaks and will increase sanity under many conditions.  

 

TFE or PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon Paste): 

This is extremely useful stuff for joining threaded fittings together. It provides some sealant value but is primarily designed to get threaded fittings to tighten to their maximum point by decreasing friction. The material is carcinogenic in high aerosol volumes but it’s certainly not easy to breathe it in. TFE paste is quite similar to it’s sister product… 

 

Teflon Tape: 

Don’t do any plumbing job without Teflon Tape. Apply it clockwise, two to five revolutions, over the male threads that you intend to insert into a female fitting and you’ll find it lubricates and seals these connections nicely. Been a boon since I was in my teens. Back then, we all used good old fashioned… 

 

Pipe Dope or Pipe Lubricant: 

This is still available and still works well to join piping. It requires that pipes fit well because it lacks the additional sealant properties of Teflon or the arresting fascism of Blue Block. 

 

Rector Seal No. 5: 

This sadly named product is the old standby for gas piping, although I prefer Blue Block for it’s surreal ability to prevent failures on gas tests. If you are using all new fittings or genuinely believe that everything will fit tightly, this is a reasonable product to use. It’s still very popular and can be used on water fittings and with all metals, which is largely true for our other friends above. 

 

So, to repeat, take everything with you. Replace every seal you touch or look at. Use sealants where you’re threading items together, but not where a rubber or plastic seal is doing the job. This is a common mistake. When there are two similar seals that you are offered at the store, get both. Try them out and see what seems to fit better. There are, to this day, numerous methods available for many common plumbing connections, and often it isn’t clear until you try to fit things together which will work best for what you have in your hand. 

By the way, much of what I’ve said above applies to a faucet, a shower valve set, a hose spigot or any number of other plumbing applications. While I am not a consumerist and prefer the Goodwill to Mervyns (shudder), I do believe that when faced with potential purchases at the plumbing supplier, just buy it. 

 

ASK MATT 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor at mgcantor@pacbell.net.


Community Calendar

Thursday April 30, 2009 - 06:55:00 PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 30 

UCB Entrepreneurs Forum: Finalists of the Business Plan Competition at 6 p.m. at Anderson Auditorium and the Bank of America Forum, Haas School of Business, 2220 Piedmont Ave. 642-4255. www.entrepreneurship.berkeley.edu 

“Girls Rock!” screening and director Q&A at 7:15 p.m. at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, 2966 College Ave. Cost is $10-$15. www.bayareagirlsrockcamp.org 

Volunteer Training for Circle of Care, a program of East Bay Agency for Children in Oakland. Email Shoshana at Shoshana@ebac.org for more information. 531-7551 ext. 195. wwww.ebac.org 

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. 

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. 

Buddhist Class on Shikan Meditation at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, Cedar at Bonita. http://caltendai.org 

FRIDAY, MAY 1 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Field Trip to Jewel Lake in Tilden Park Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the parking lot at the north end of Central Park Dr. for a one-mile, two-hour-plus stroll through this lush riparian area. Breeding birds are returning, and we should be treated to some wonderful bird song. Leader Phila Rogers 848-9156. www.goldengateaudubon.org 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Prof. Tony Kingsbury, Haas School of Business on “Paper or Plastic? Measuring Sustainability” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $15, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 527-2173. www.citycommonsclub.org 

“Torture and Popular Culture” with members of the Bay Area Religious Campaign Against Torture on how the post-9/11 US media frame the use of torture through writings and TV shows like “24” and uncover the truth about its effectiveness at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison. Free. 704-8859. 

“Climate Change Mitigation: Considering Lifestyle Options in Europe and the US” a workshop from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in 223 Moses Hall, UC campus. Hosted by the European Union Center. 643-4558. eucenter.berkeley.edu 

Celebration of 60 years of KPFA on Workers Day with a potluck at 6 p.m. and music, speakers and films at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. 848-4124. www.bfuu.org 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

Tian Gong Open House Celebration with Master Tian Ying at 5:30 p.m. at Tian Gong International Foundation, 830 Bancroft Way, Lotus Room 114. 883-192. tgif@tiangong.org 

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. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Fri. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

SATURDAY, MAY 2 

7th Annual Hidden Gems of Berkeley Ride and Walk Visit the unique and vernacular treasures in and grassroots greening initiatives around central Berkeley. Ride and walk start at 10 a.m. at the Civic Center fountain. Bring lunch and water. The event is family friendly, over the age of 10. Updated Hidden Gems of Berkeley maps will be available for a nominal fee. www.bpfp.org 

Berkeley Historical Society Spring Walking Tour “The Northern End of the Santa Fe Right-of-Way” led by Bebo Turman, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. For reservations and starting point call 848-0181. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland Explore the 9th and Washington St. district. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of Ratto’s, 821 Washington St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234.  

Annual California Wildflower Show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts. Presented in collaboration with the California Native Plant Society. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org/tickets 

Flowers in May Hike Join a three-mile up and down hike from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Briones Regional Park, Bear Creek Staging Area. for information call 544-3265.  

Bring Back the Native Garden Tour On Sat. and Sun., visit 50 pesticide-free gardens that conserve water and provide habitat for wildlife. Registration required. www.bringingbackthenatives.net 

“Urban Farming Basics: Grow Your Own Food” With Willow Rosenthal of City Slicker Farms from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. A second class will take place on May 9, outdoors in Berkeley. Cost is $10-$15. 548-2220, ext. 239. 

Berkeley High 3rd Annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Donahue Gym. Tickets are$20 at the door or at www.berkeleyathleticfund.org 

“Art from the Heart” Art by individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dimentias to be auctioned in a fundraiser and celebration for Alzheimer’s Services of the East Bay at 6:30 p.m. in the Rotunda Building, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. Tickets are $50-$100. 644-8282. 

“Día de Los Niños/Día de Los Libros” from noon to 3 p.m. at Cesar Chávez Park in Oakland with diverse performance groups, storytellers, literacy-related arts activities, and a free book for each child in attendance. Sponsored by KQED. 

“Not Just Change But Justice” a conference on U.S. trade policy and its impacts on food, land and immigration with David Bacon speaking on NAFTA and Pierre LaBossiere and Delvis Fernandez comparing Haiti and Cuba, from 1 to 6 p.m. at 110 Barrows Hall, near Telegraph & Bancroft, UC Berkeley campus. 525-5497. info@nacla.org  

Bay Area Community Land Trust Bus Tour of Elder Co-ops and Senior Cohousing communities in Berkeley and Davis. Tickets are $40 for members, $60 for others. For information call 841-5307. 

Designing with Succulents Learn how to use these beautiful and low water plants in your landscape at 10 a.m. at at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351.  

Annual Junktique Sale and Fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 Martina St., Point Richmond. Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 236-0527. 

Friends of Roman Cats and Feeding Ferals Local Promotion Slideshow about feral cat spay/neuter programs in Italy, at 2 p.m. at RabbitEARS, 377 Colusa Ave, Kensington. 525-6155. 

Full-Impact Women’s Self-Defense Techniques Demonstrations from 1 to 3 p.m., and a free intro class on Street Safety at 3 p.m. at Impact Bay Area Training Center, 1724 Mandela Pkwy #1, Oakland. 208-0474. erica@impactbayarea.org  

Beginning Internet Class “Useful Web Sites” at 10 a.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. Free, but call to sign up 526-7512. 

Preschool Storytime, including crafts and finger plays at 11 a.m. at The Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720 ext. 16. 

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 

Lawn Bowling on the green at the corner of Acton St. and Bancroft Way every Wed. and Sat. at 10 a.m. for ages 12 and up. Wear flat soled shoes, no heels. Free lessons. 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, MAY 3 

“Maybeck Country: Hillside Houses of the Early- and Mid-20th Century” Berkeley Architectural Heritage’s 34th Annual Spring House Tour from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $30-$40. 841-2242. www.berkeleyheritage.com 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Field Trip to Wildcat Canyon Regional Park Meet at 8 a.m. by Arlington Clubhouse on Arlington Ave. in El Cerrito, next to tennis courts between Brewster Drive and Thors Day Road. We'll drive to trailhead on Rifle Range Road, then walk a hilly transect of the canyon to bird brushlands, oak woodlands, riparian areas, and grasslands. Five-mile hike led by Malcolm Sproul for the 29th year. Bring lunch and liquids. www.goldengateaudubon.org 

Annual California Wildflower Show from noon to 5 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts. Presented in collaboration with the California Native Plant Society. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org/tickets 

Little Farm Goat Hike Join a short hike with the goats as we explore the historic connections between humans and our ungulate friends at 11 a.m. at the Little Farm, Tilden Park. For ages 6 and up. Children, please bring your adults along. 544-3265. tnarea@ebparks.org 

Tilden’s Pipes: Portholes to the Past Crisscrossing Tilden Park steel pipes hide under trails, go through bushes and cross creeks. Explore the historic network of waterways on this four-mile hike along Wildcat Creek, from 2 to 5 p.m. For meeting place call 544-3265. tnarea@ebparks.org 

“Gardening without Invasives: Protecting wildlands and waterways from invasive plants” with Christiana Conser of PlantRight at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at The Watershed Nursery, 601-A Canal Blvd., Richmond. 234-2222. www.thewatershednursery.com 

SASSAFRAS Shotgun Players’ Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser with barbeque, bluegrass music and a preview of upcoming shows at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Cost is $70-$100. 841-6500 ext. 301. 

“Maya of the Quiet Strength” Documentary about the Berkeley disability activist, Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalist Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation $10. 841-4824. 

Justice for San Salvador Atenco with videos on the community’s resistance to government plans to build an airport on their land and police crackdown and arrests at 6:30 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Sponsored by Chiapas Support Committee. 654-9587. www.chiapas-support.org 

Soul Sanctuary Dance Weekly Family-Friendly Freestyle Dance for children, teens and adults from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. www.bayareandw.org 

Dance-a-Rama Free Open Studio performances in celebration of National Dance Week, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Eighth Street Artists’ Center, 2525 Eighth St.  

Berkeley Rep Family Series “Story Builders” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Nevo Education Center, 2071 Addison St. Recommended for age four and up. Free, but bring a book to donate to a school library. 647-2973. 

Cinco De Mayo At Playland Celebrate Mexican and Latino contributions to the world of fun, Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Playland, 10979 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. Cost is $10-$15. 232-4264 ext. 25. www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org 

Personal Theology Seminars with Endre Nagy on “Religious Tradition as Freedom for Individual Theology” 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 

Tibetan Buddhism with Sylvia Gretchen on “Ancient Wisdom: Modern Application” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, MAY 4 

“Language Acquisition amd Immigrant Integration: Comparing European and U.S. Experiences” A conference from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Lipman Room, Barrows Hall, UC campus. Hosted by the European Union Center. www. 

law.berkeley.edu/4247.htm 

“Memory, A Remedy for Evil?” a lecture by cultural theorist Tzvetan Todorov at 4 p.m. in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall, UC campus. Free. Hosted by the Townsend Center for the Humanities, 643-9670. http://townsendcenter.berkeley.edu 

“The Math Behind the Cath: the Inside Story of Stents, Pacemakers, and Other Medical Miracles” Two speakers, one in biomedical R&D, the other an artist-mathematician, share their perspectives of how math underlies the invention of medical devices at 7 p.m. at the at Roda Theatre, Berkeley Rep, 2015 Addison St. Free. Sponsored by The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. www.msri.org 

Making Chocolate Truffles learn everything you need to know to make deliciously decadent truffles Mon. and Tues. from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Cost is $50-$75, plus $15 supply fee. For details contact The Institute of Urban Homesteading at iuh@sparkybeegirl.com 

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 

Community Yoga Class 10 a.m. at James Kenney Parks and Rec. Center at Virginia and 8th. Seniors and beginners welcome. Cost is $6. 207-4501. 

Three Beats for Nothing South Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Mon. at 3 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis at Ashby. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

Small-Business Counseling Free one-hour one-on-one counseling to help you start and run your small business with a volunteer from Service Core of Retired Executives, Mon. evenings by appointment at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. For appointment call 981-6148. www.eastbayscore.org 

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 

Free Boatbuilding Classes for Youth from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. at Berkeley Boathouse, 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Classes cover woodworking, boatbuilding, and boat repair. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

TUESDAY, MAY 5 

California Colloquium on Water “Ground Water Depletion: A National Assessment and GLobal Persepctive” with Leonard Konikow, scientist, U.S. Geological Survey,, at 5:30 p.m. at Goldman School of Public Policy, room 250, 2607 Hearst Ave. www.lib.berkeley.edu/ 

WRCA/ccow 

“Up the Yangtze” Screening of the documentary followed by skype interview with the director, Yung Chang at 6 p.m. at GAIA Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. Free. www.accountabilityproject.org 

Origami for Teens Learn how to fold shapes out of paper without cutting, glueing or stapling at 4 pm. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave. For students in grades 6-12. Sign up by calling 536-7512. 

Typing Chinese Learn how to type chines characters on a computer at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, Electronic Classroom, 3rd flr, 2090 Kittredge at Shattuck. Drop-in class with limited space for 16 students - first come, first served. 981-6136. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. 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. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 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 offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

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. 

Bridge for beginners from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m., all others 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sing-A-Long at 2:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190. 

Wheelchair Yoga at 4:30 p.m., Family Yoga on Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at Niroga Center for Healing, 1808 University Ave. between MLK Way and Grant St. All classes by donation. 704-1330. www.niroga.org 

Rhythm Tap Exercise Class Tues. at 5 p.m. at Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St. Donation $2. 548-9840. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 

Southside Plan Update A community meeting sponsored by the City of Berkeley at 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St. The plan is available at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=420 or call 981-7484. 

“The Century of the Self—Episode One: Happiness Machines” by Adam Curtis at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., uptown Oakland, between Telegraph and Broadway. Donation $5. www.HumanistHall.org 

Oakland Heritage Alliance Walking Tour of Chinatown Meet at 10 a.m. at the fountain of Pacific Renaissance Plaza, Ninth St., between Webster and Frainklin. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

“Paws to Read” Help your child practice reading with a friendly dog at 2:45 and at 3:20 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. Dogs and handlers are from Therapy Pets volunteering for Paws to Read. Children in grades 1-5 may sign up for 25 minute sessions with tested therapy pets. To reserve a session call 526-3720, ext. 5.  

Niroga Yoga Center Open House with yoga and meditation classes, including classes for cancer survivor, wheelchair users, youth and seniors, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1808 University Ave. www.niroga.org 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Watergate Towers, Suite 120, 2200 Powell St., Emeryville. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Laney College, ASLC Offices, 900 Fallon St., Oakland.. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

“Love and Light Empowerment” with Master Tian Ying at 7:15 p.m. at 830 Bancroft Way, Lotus Room 114. Donations accepted. 883-1920, tgif@tiangong.org 

“Benefits of Meditation and Spiritual Lifestyle” with authorized speaker for Sant Baljit Singh at 7:30 p.m. at Fireside Room, upstairs, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1606 Bonita Ave. 290-3013. 

Confused by Computers? Novice computer users can get one-on-one assistance from noon to 1:45 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. Sign up for an appointment at the reference desk or call 526-3720 ext. 5. 

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. 

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, MAY 7 

Berkeley Democratic Club with Assembymember Nancy Skinner on the state of the State, and the League of Woman Voters presents the propositions for the May 19th Special Statewide Election, at 7 p.m. at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda.  

SalmonAID Festival with music, dancing and information about the salmon at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $25. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money” with author Woody Tasch on his view of the world of capital markets and sustainability at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-3402. 

Project YouthView” The Power of Youth in Film Festival of winning bay area local youth film shorts, plus the documentary “Trouble the Water” at 6 p.m. at Historic Theatre of the Alameda Theater & Cineplex, 317 Central Avenue, Alameda. Sponsored by Alternatives in Action. Tickets are $5-$8, $100 for VIP section. 748-4314, ext. 304. www.projectyouthview.org 

“Reptiles and Amphibians” with Paul Hamilton as part of the Conservation Speaker Series at 6:30 p.m. in the Marian Zimmer Auditorium, Children’s Zoo, Oakland Zoo. Suggested donation $5-$20. 632-9525, ext. 122. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Laney College, ASLC Offices, 900 Fallon St., Oakland.. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

Film on Washington DC indepth exploration of this multi-cultural city at 1:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

“The Heart of Islam: Essentials of Islamic Religion and Spirituality” A four week introductory course, open to the general public, Thurs. nights at 7 p.m. at Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, 1433 Madison St., Oakland. Cost is $25 for all classes. To register call 832-7600. www.iccnc.org 

Teaching English as a Second Language Learn about the Foreign Language Certification Program offered by UC Berkeley Extension, at 5:30 p.m. at 1995 University Ave. To reserve a space call 642-4111. 

“Don't Be in Pain” with Dr. Ellliott Wagner on the benefits of acupuncture in relieving neuropathic pain at 1 p.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 278 Grand Ave., Oakland. 653-8625. 

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. 

Buddhist Class on Shikan Meditation at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, Cedar at Bonita, through May 28. http://caltendai.org 

FRIDAY, MAY 8 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Douglas J. Long, Chief Curator, Dept. of Natural Sciences, Oakland Museum of CA on “The California Grizzly Bear in Fact and Fancy” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $15, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 527-2173. www.citycommonsclub.org 

“What I Saw in Gaza” with Middle East Children’s Alliance Executive Director Barbara Lubin at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation $5-$10. 526-2900. www.bfuu.org 

The Orchid Society of California Annual Mother’s Day Weekend Show and Sale, Fri. noon to 6 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue, Oakland. Free. 582-3404. www.orchidsocietyofcalifornia.com 

Stockton Avenue Art Stroll Meet the artists at their studios or galleries, and have a great time exploring art along El Cerrito’s Stockton Ave. For more details, contact Well Grounded Tea & Coffee Bar, 6925 Stockton Ave. 528-4709. 

Womansong Circle “A Celebration of Mothers” An evening of participatory singing for women with guest Evelie Posch, at 7:15 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Small Assembly Room, 2345 Channing St. Suggested donation $15-20. www.betsyrosemusic.org 

Love and Justice for Tristan & Palestine with Charming Hostess, Devin Hoff Platform, Molotov Mouths, Hillary Lehr and others at 7:30 p.m. at AK Press Warehouse, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. Donation $7-$25. 208-1700. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Children’s Hospital, Outpatient Center Basement, 747 52nd St.,, Oakland.. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

Kamit Fest 36th Anniversary Ausar Auset Society Rregistration at 6:30 p.m., meditation at 7 p.m. Oakland Public Conservatory, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Other events throughout the day on Sat. 536-5934. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

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 

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Fri. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

SATURDAY, MAY 9 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Walk in Claremont Heights, Grand View, and Hiller Highlands Walk the old paths behind the Claremont Hotel that once helped commuters reach the Key Route trains, and look for traces of paths that are no more. Learn about historic Smith Lane and the family that built it. Finally, explore newer paths and streets in neighborhoods rebuilt after the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm. This route has long, steep hills and stairways, some with uneven footing. Meet at 10 a.m. at Peet’s, 2912 Domingo Ave. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Field Trip to Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve Join Rusty Scalf for a morning of bird watching at our own East Bay volcano. Drive south on Grizzly Peak Blvd until it ends; turn left onto Skyline, the park entrance is located a short distance, about a quarter mile, on Skyline on the left at 6800 Skyline. Meet at parking lot at 8 a.m. www.goldengateaudubon.org 

Blessing of the Animals at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, on the front lawn at 2619 Broadway, Oakland. Please bring pets on leashes or in carriers. 444-3555. www.firstcurchoakland.org  

Jefferson School Mayfair Games, prizes, food, performances, cakewalks, root beer floats and rockets abound at this year’s space-themed Mayfair. Come in costume and compete for prizes. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1400 Ada St., Sacramento St.  

Edible Schoolyard Jamboree and 5th Annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Edible Schoolyard, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1781 Rose St. Plant sale continues on Sun. 558-1335. 

Bike Day at the Farmer’s Market from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Center St between Milvia St. and M.L.K.jr. Way. Come learn to take care of your bicycle with workshops on everything from changing a flat tire to greasing your chain. www.bfbc.org 

“Opening Doors to Homes: A Walk for Affordable Housing” to raise awareness and funds for much needed affordable housing to the Bay Area from 1 to 4 p.m. at Memorial Glade, UC campus. Cost is $15-$30. Sponsored by Resources for Community Development. Register online at www.firstgiving.com/rcdhousing 

Walking Tour of Jack London Waterfront Meet at 10 a.m. at the corner of Broadway and Embarcadero. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

“Urban Farming Basics: Grow Your Own Food” With Willow Rosenthal of City Slicker Farms from 2 to 6 p.m. at Berkeley Youth Alternatives Garden, Bancroft Way between Bonar and West St. Cost is $10-$15. 548-2220, ext. 239. 

The Orchid Society of California Annual Mother’s Day Weekend Show and Sale Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue, Oakland. Free. 582-3404. www.orchidsocietyofcalifornia.com 

California Lawn Bowls Day Open House from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the corner of Acton St. and Bancroft. 841-2174. 

“Becoming America: Becoming California” Exhibition on the history of the Peralta family and the Native People with food, crafts and games, dancing and tours, from noon to 5 p.m. at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, 2465 34th Ave., Oakland. Suggested donation $1. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org/VisitUs.htm  

“Pakistan and Afghanistan: Obama’s and America’s Next Vietnam?” with speaker Conn Hallinan at 7 p.m. at the Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak St., Alameda. Sponsored by the Alameda Public Affairs Forum Suggested donation $5, no one is turned away. 814-9592. www.alamedaforum.org 

Common Agenda Regional Network meeting on reordering federal priorities from the military to human and environmental needs at 2 p.m. at 1403 Addison St. at the Gray Panthers’ Office, adjacent the back entrance of the Andronico’s Grocery. 

1st Annual Rock Paper Scissors Collective Cupcake Bake-off Benefit for the Community Collaborations Donor Campaign at 2 p.m. at Rock Paper Scissors Collective, 2278 Telegraph Ave, Oakland. 238-9171. www.rpscollective.com 

Origami Flowers with Margo Wecksler from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720. 

“Food For Thought” Comedians and speakers, including Johnny Steele, Kamau Bell, Richard Stockton and Carmen Tedesco of Slow Food San Francisco in a benefit for the Alameda County Food Bank at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2460 College Ave. Tickets are $15. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.juliamorgan.org 

“The African Presence in Mexico: From Yanga to the Present” Community opening of the exhibition from noon to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org/tickets 

Kensington Library Spring Book Sale Sat. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center, 59 Arlington Ave, Kensington, up the road by the library. 524-3043. 

Jitter-Bug Hunt Fun for the whole family trying to catch these bugs, at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 544-3265. tnarea@ebparks.org 

Mad Hatter Tea Party and White Rabbit Adoption Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEARS, 377 Colusa Ave, Kensington. 525-6155. 

Kids Go Green: Protecting Chabot’s Redwood Ecosystem from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the redwood forest surrounding Cahabot Space and Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $10.95-$14.95. 336-7373. 

Preschool Storytime, including crafts and finger plays at 11 a.m. at The Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720 ext. 16. 

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 

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, MAY 10 

Grand Opening of the David Brower Center Tour the Center, celebrate the planet, and explore environmental and social issues of our time, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 2150 Allston Way, between Oxford and Shattuck. For a complete schedule of events see www.browercenter.org 

Friends and Family Day at the Magnes Join us in the garden and museum as we reflect on memory and personal history through arts and crafts from 11 a.m. t0 3 p.m. at 2911 Russell St. www.magnes.org 

Welcoming the Three Sisters to the Garden Help us plant beans, squash and corn in the Childrens’ Garden and learn why they encourage eachother to grow, at 10 a.m. at Tilden Narure Area, Tilden Park. 544-3265. tnarea@ebparks.org 

Mothers Day Stories and Songs with Doug and Todd Elliott’s cultural tour of America’s backcountry, at 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 544-3265. tnarea@ebparks.org 

Treat Your Mother Right Join a tour of the Tilden Little Farm to meet the animal mothers, and two farm grandmothers, at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 544-3265. tnarea@ebparks.org 

Mother’s Day Peace Fair with speakers, music, refreshments from 3 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation $5, no one turned away. 841-4824. www.uucb.org 

CodePINK: Women for Peace Pink Follies for Mothers’ Day with music, dance, comedy, spoken word at 6:45 p.m. at a La Pena, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 540-7007. 

California Native Plant Society Walk Discover California native plants along the way. This loop has a 700 foot elevation gain, with many ups and downs. Round trip is about 5 miles. Meet at 10 a.m. in the Briones Reg. Park, Reliez Valley Staging Area parking lot. 223-3310. 

Personal Theology Seminars with Rosa Grandillo-Schwentker on “My Experience with the Toltec Shamanic Tradition” 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 

Tibetan Buddhism with Jack Petranker on “The Buddhist Path and the Scientific Method” 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 2 to 6 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Thurs. from 2 to 6 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., May 5, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Community Environmental Advisory Commission meets Thurs., May 7, at 7 p.m., at 2118 Milvia St. Nabil Al-Hadi