Full Text

WILLARD POOL IS FILLED UP WITH DIRT: A reader reports that "Willard Pool has been filled in. Since it was 'de-funded' the empty, unattended pool was seen as a hazard, and this was the solution." The top picture is his Photoshopped guess at what the site now looks like from a satellite.  The satellite picture he started with is below.
By David Rowland (and Photoshop)
WILLARD POOL IS FILLED UP WITH DIRT: A reader reports that "Willard Pool has been filled in. Since it was 'de-funded' the empty, unattended pool was seen as a hazard, and this was the solution." The top picture is his Photoshopped guess at what the site now looks like from a satellite. The satellite picture he started with is below.
 

News

Lawrence Berkeley Lab's RFQ Points toward Richmond Site Choice

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 05:36:00 PM

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [LBNL] plans a massive new second campus — including 2 million square feet of buildings up to 3,000 feet long —and they’re looking for a place to put it.

The main LBNL campus, the first of UC Berkeley’s Department of Energy [DOE] laboratories, will remain at its current site in the Berkeley Hills above Strawberry Canyon, while the new campus will consolidate existing labs scattered around the East Bay into a single new site.

Lab officials will pick the final site in June, with construction of the first phase currently set to begin in July 2013, with scientists taken possession of the new facilities in December 2015. 

A phone-in press conference with LBNL representatives Tuesday morning offered few new details. 

The lab has issued a call for proposals from communities and developers interested in the project, but the Request for Qualifications [RFQ] makes clear that the university’s Richmond Field Station [RFS], acquired in1950, would be the default site unless would-be developers can come up with something better. 

The RFQ is available online here: http://www.lbl.gov/Community/second-campus/ 

 

The lab’s specifications for the project closely match those of the an earlier proposal for the Field Station floated six years ago for a project of identical size dubbed the Bayside Research Campus. UCB picked Bay Area developer Simeon Properties to spearhead the project

The 9 April 2004 proposal for that project may be found here: www.cp.berkeley.edu/RFQ_BaysideResearch.pdf 

Simeon owns property adjacent to the RFS, dubbed Campus Bay, where plans to build a high rise condo complex were torpedoed after community activists forced a massive toxic waste cleanup on the site. 

Both RFS and Campus Bay were the sites of major chemical manufacturing facilities which left the soils heavily contaminated with a noxious brew of hazardous chemical waste. 

Lab representatives said Tuesday morning that they were unaware of the earlier plans for the Field Station. 

The new LBNL campus would consolidate a range of programs currently located outside the main campus, including the Joint BioEnergy Institute [JBEI], a Department of Energy lab working on development of fuels from plant crops. 

Research at the new facility would focus heavily on creating genetically modified organisms, with the labs to be brought onto the new campus focusing in three related areas, according to the RFQ: “Genomics, Life Sciences, and Physical Biosciences.” 

In addition to the Emeryville-based JBEI, other projects to be relocated on the new site include the Joint Genome Institute, currently located in Walnut Creek, the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center in downtown Oakland and “much of the Life Sciences Division in West Berkeley.” 

The biggest loser in the relocation would be Wareham Properties, which owns the buildings housing JBEI and the Berkeley Life Sciences labs. 

First on lab’s list of site attributes is this: 

 

“The site should allow for the development of a state-of-the-art facility with a beautiful environment that will be the location of choice for internationally recognized researchers. It should allow for sustainable land use and circulation patterns, maximizing density to reduce overall building footprints and conserve open space. The site should allow for the placement and massing of buildings to maximize shared views.”  

The Richmond Field Station, located on the shore of San Francisco Bay, certainly meets the beauty criterion, as well as the specification that the new site be within a 25-minute drive of the main campus. But the RFS falls short on some other attributes, especially the one specifying that it “should be proximate to existing or planned restaurants and cafes which offer a range in price and food types, preferably within walking distance.” 

Nonetheless, the RFQ notes that the RFS “by and large meets the parameters of the Site attributes. Respondents to this RFQ should know that the University may choose to site the second campus at RFS and will be evaluating potential sites relative to their ability to better meet the needs of the University and the DOE.” 

As for that 3,000-foot-long building specified in the RFQ, lab officials weren’t able to identify a specific use for a structure more than a half-mile in length: “We have nothing specific planned. . .it’s based on some concepts of projects we foresee but might not even execute.” 

But if the Field Station doesn’t work out, there’s a second site in Richmond that might work even better: A majority of Richmond voters last year passed a non-binding resolution opposing the $1.5 billion casino complex planned by Berkeley developer James Levine for Point Molate. 

With the casino industry hit hard by the economic crash, a university lab might be just the ticket for the Point. 

According to the RFQ, LBNL currently employs 4,200, including 11 Nobel Laureates. The lab’s budget for fiscal 2010 was $700 million, and the RFQ estimates related regional economic activity generated by the lab at “nearly $700 million annually.” 

Developers interested in the project have until 4 March to submit their responses, with the winner to be picked in June. 

 



Here’s the overview from the university’s 2004 proposal for the Richmond Field Station:  

The University of California, Berkeley, has designated a 152-acre property currently known as “The Richmond Field Station”, and located on I-580 adjoining the Regatta Boulevard interchange/off-ramp as a “Bayside Research Campus” (BRC). It is the University’s intent to encourage and enhance selected existing scientific research activities located on the property, maintain the environmental integrity of native grasslands and wetlands, and simultaneously encourage the development of approximately 70 acres of the property into a low-density, multi-building site scientific research campus. The objectives of the BRC are to provide significant benefit to the University by augmenting and enhancing the instructional and research base of the Berkeley Campus by: ● Creating a new world-class research campus with state of the art facilities and amenities to enhance UC Berkeley’s ability to continue to attract and retain top quality researchers and scientists. 

● Creating an intellectual resource through the opportunity for interaction among outstanding private sector and University academic research activities. 

● Creating an environment that supports private enterprise collaboration with University-led research activities, and through working in partnership with the community to establish a unique market identity for the BRC. 

● Creating a financial resource. 


Readers' contributions to the Fund for Local Reporting supported reporting for this article. 


Press Release: UC Faculty Outraged by "The Gilded 36", Worried About Repercussions

From the Berkeley Faculty Association
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 04:25:00 PM

Nearly 1000 UC faculty and staff have signed a petition to UC President Mark Yudof condemning the demands of the 36 UC executives threatening to sue UC over the pension cap on salaries above $245K. The number of signatories is remarkable given that the petition has been circulating for less than two days and campuses are only slowly reopening after winter break. Approximately 80% of the signatories are faculty. 

The petition reads in part: 

"At a time when the UC pension system is endangered and the entire instructional and research enterprise of UC is imperiled we find it outrageous that these managers -- whose very job it is to steward the system -- would demand exorbitant pension compensation. They cannot have it both ways: private sector salary levels and public employee pensions. 

The damage to the image of the university from excessive executive pay and benefits, and now from this threat of a law-suit….has been immense. Most of us work for reasonable salaries but also for the public good. If the elite earners do not care enough about the public university to stay, then let them depart for the private sector. We believe you can find dedicated people within and without UC who would be willing and able to replace these individuals." 

Signatory comments, many of which issue from distinguished faculty, range from "disgusting," "immoral," "shameful" and "fire them all" to "how about capping UC salaries at $245K?" and "this arrogant act of greed is symptomatic of the whole orientation of the current UC administration." Many signers, both faculty and staff, emphasized in their comments the importance of working for UC as public servants rather than as a road to private wealth. None bought the argument that excessive compensation packages are essential to attracting the talent that makes UC great or makes it run well. 

The Berkeley Faculty Association and SAVE the University, sponsors of the petition, are committed to maintaining the integrity of the UC pension system in combination with public sector salary scales.


Press Release: UC Police Report Telegraph Assault Last Thursday

From UC Police Department
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 04:17:00 PM

On Thursday, December 30, 2010 at approximately 1:15 a.m. two male victims and a few friends, affiliation unknown, were walking on Telegraph from Larry Blakes. At the intersection of Durant and Telegraph one of the victims was approached by an unknown male who stabbed him in the head. One of victim’s male companions intervened and was stabbed in the lower back by the suspect. The suspect and two companions fled the scene on foot. BPD responded to the scene and searched the area for the suspect and his companions but were unable to locate them. BFD treated the victims at the scene for non-life threatening injuries and transported them to a local trauma center. 

The suspect was described as: 

An Asian or Filipino male in his 20s, 5’7” in height, 180 lbs., with a heavy build, a bald head, brown eyes, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, a white t-shirt, and dark pants. He was in the company of possibly two other Asian or Filipino males in their 20s, all wearing black clothing. If you have any information about this crime, please contact: 

Berkeley Police Department (510) 981-5900 / 24 Hours


Oakland's First Chinese-American Mayor Walks Through the City

David Bacon
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 04:12:00 PM
David Bacon

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan walked through the city on her inauguration day. She is the first Chinese American woman elected mayor. She started at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Chinatown. She then stopped at the Asian Resource Gallery, which featured an exhibit of posters curated by Greg Morizumi, from the Third World Strike at the University of California and political movements in the Asian American community since the 1960s. Mayor Quan designed one of the posters in the exhibit, protesting the beating death of Vincent Chin. 

During her walk, she visited Lincoln Elementary School, in the heart of Chinatown. Quan was previously a member of the Oakland School Board, and students excited by her visit made small speeches and sang for her. Kindergarten-age children looked on through the school windows. 

Her walk took her down 17th Street, where storeowners have been hit hard by the economic recession. One storeowner hugged her, as the mayor urged Oakland residents to support local businesses by shopping in the city.  

The last stop on Mayor Quan's walk was the Leamington Hotel, where her father worked as a cook. There she was honored by the leaders of the Alameda County Central Labor Council, the International Longhsore and Warehouse Union, and other local unions, along with the longshore union's drill team. Mayor Quan's husband, Floyd Huen, her son and daughter, and state Assembly member Sandre Swanson, one of her strongest supporters, all walked with her together with dozens of well-wishers. 


Caffe Med Licking Its Wounds After Spate of Recent Violence;
"BabyCott" Sputters

By Ted Friedman
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 04:09:00 PM

Twas the night before New Year's Eve and the Caffe Mediterraneum on Telegraph Avenue was peacefully licking its wounds after a recent spate of violence and a boycott. 

The new owner, Craig Becker, 59, was taking his first vacation since he took over the Med more than three years ago. He had left the caffe in the hands of a triumvirate of loyal employees—something that surprised regulars. 

Becker has been a one man management team. He buys the food and supplies and delivers them to the Med himself and does many of the repairs inside and out. He also manages a large staff of mostly young baristas and cooks who seem pleased to be preserving a Berkeley institution—and unembarrassed by their loyalty to their boss. 

Attendance was low. It often is on Thursday night. That's why Becker started acoustic music nights, featuring local guitarists, pianists, and singers. 

A teenager was singing "The Times, They Are A-Changing," with a rousing guitar accompaniment Dylan might have liked. It reminded me that times have changed at the Med. 

But then again they haven't. My previous dispatch from the Med described an inscrutable boycott over free speech violations, classism, and insensitivity to homeless street people. 

The boycott brouhaha bracketed an episode of violence: a robbery in which a barista was mugged; and an altercation in which an irate man tangled with Becker and wound up hog tied (see my Planet piece Dec. 21). 

That previous article cited a 1986 boycott over smoking restrictions. 

But there have been other Med boycotts—going back to '69. The '69 boycott (it lasted a day) was over banning street people from restrooms. This presages the recent babycott. 

Before '69 the Med was hosting Free Speech and Black Panther meetings. 

Perhaps the mother of all boycotts rolled in during the early eighties. This one was complex, involving hard feelings toward the owners who were accused of elitism, in-fighting, and intolerance to drug dealing in the Med. One of the owners, a reserve police officer in a nearby town, posted the” No Soliciting; No Dealing" sign which now is hiding behind a community billboard. The community billboard was Becker's idea. 

That boycott emptied three tables. Some of the boycotters boasted they were brewing their own coffee at home. They never returned.  

But Medheads who still indulge the habit (addiction?) are today more likely to be concerned over the wounded carrot juicer when it roars like a 747 at take-off—stopping conversations throughout the caffe—as they are about the latest boycott. 

John Anderson, 88, buses in daily from Yountville, 50 miles away. He's deaf and blind, but finds his way to the Med, unassisted. He was at the Med's opening in '57. 

Elder Medheads have been involved in many phases of the Med's comeback after years of neglect under the previous owner. Becker refers to them affectionately, if sometimes warily, as "the peanut gallery." Perhaps he's wary because the gallery has grown surly. In fact, my previous Med article reeks of peanut gallery. 

Recently, a Medhead for 50 years stalked out after delivering a diatribe punctuated by four F-U's louder than the carrot juicer. He has not returned. Some Medheads (well, me) have asked him his secret for breaking the habit. 

Another peanut gallery laureate went to the front of the caffe—now known as the "looney box,"—an ersatz soap box, to deliver a spirited denunciation of a new piano Becker had installed. 

The piano, a turn of the century gem goes well with Joplin. Becker had to take a seminar in its operation and maintenance. 

But the peanut gallery denouncer was having none of it. He wanted the Med to nurture its conversational roots. The piano was drowning out talk, he claimed. 

And so it goes. Point and counterpoint, the Med's preferred dialectic. 

Berkeleyans are loyal to, but attitudinal about, their coffee houses. 

 

Ted Friedman has had a Med Jones for 35 years; he Medtweets about the Med at twitter.com/berkboy.


Jean Benson Wilkinson
November 24, 1914 - December 28, 2010

By Tony Wilkinson and Jo Wilkinson
Monday January 03, 2011 - 07:13:00 PM

Jean Benson Wilkinson, a longtime defender of civil liberties and beloved teacher, passed away at the age of 96 in Berkeley, California, on December 28 surrounded by her loving family. Jean was a California native with deep Bay Area roots whose life embodied almost a century of the state's history. She was a pioneering teacher who believed in allowing high school students to grapple with controversial issues and a civil liberties advocate who, with her husband, stood up for their belief in the constitutional protection of free speech in the face of the McCarthy-era HUAC and the State Committee on Un-American Activities–and paid a high cost. Jean was an active member of the teachers union, an advocate for academic freedom, women's history and multi-cultural education. 

Born in Monterey, California, she spent her early childhood in and around the East Bay. Jean's father Marvin Benson was one time Superintendent of the Hayward School District, and her mother Lydia Miner Benson, was a schoolteacher. Her sister Doris was born in 1917, also in Monterey. Jean's family moved to Los Angeles and she graduated from Fairfax High School in 1932. Jean then attended UCLA to study English and History, where she became student body president in 1936, and graduated with a B.A in History. Jean returned briefly to the Bay Area to obtain her teaching credential and her first teaching job was in Winters, California. From there, Jean returned to Los Angeles where she married her college boyfriend, Frank Wilkinson, in 1939. Frank went on to become the Director of the Los Angeles Federal Housing Authority, while Jean taught high school in rural Canoga Park. While there, Jean began to understand the importance of academic freedom. Many of her students were children of farmers, and the landowners of the surrounding farms made up a powerful conservative farming elite which tried to influence what was being taught. In 1940, Jean wrote a paper entitled “Controversial Issues in the Schools.” Jean asserted that it is the right of the student to hear both sides of a controversial issue in order to learn to distinguish between fact and opinion. And that it is also the right and responsibility of the teacher to express her own opinion. Jean believed the classroom should be a place for debate and discussion. Jean wrote, 

“The child is the first to realize when the issues which are so important to him are being avoided and neglected...As school becomes less helpful and meaningful to him, the farther away he draws from any influence it tries to wield over him. Education as an important force in a democratic society loses its purpose. If education continues to follow its mistaken policy of 'impartiality' which in reality is consent to the status of the moment, then it fails in at least one function which is vital to the continuance of democratic society.” 

In1952 during the McCarthy Era, Jean and Frank Wilkinson were both called before the State Committee on Un-American Activities and refused to answer questions based on the protections of the First and Fifth Amendments to the US Constitution. As a result, Frank was fired from the Housing Authority. Jean became one of the first public school teachers to be fired by the Los Angeles Board of Education for refusing to cooperate with the Committee. Jean took her case to the State Superior Court and lost, with one judge saying Jean had “sowed the dragon seeds of treason in the classroom.” 

Jean went to work as a private tutor and taught in private schools, while Frank became an organizer in the struggle to abolish the House Un-American Committee (HUAC). Their three children, Jeffry (born 1942), Tony (born 1945) and Jo (born 1947), quickly learned that their family was different from the neighbors. The Wilkinson family was under constant FBI surveillance, the phones were tapped, and there were death threats against Frank. In 1960 the house was fire bombed forcing the family to move. On May 1, 1961, Frank went to prison for taking the First Amendment when called to testify before HUAC in Atlanta, Georgia. Jean was left to raise the kids, pay the bills, as well as hold speaking engagements about Frank's case. Jean traveled to Washington, D.C., to appeal to President Kennedy with a petition for clemency which was denied. 

In 1965, Frank and Jean divorced, and Jean moved back to Berkeley where she was rehired in the public school system after years of being black-listed. She was the one of the first history teachers to teach Women's Studies in a secondary school in Berkeley. She went back to school for her Masters Degree in Eduction at UC Berkeley in 1970, and retired from teaching in 1977. In 1980, Jean was a unit developer under a grant from the U.S. Education Department for "In Search of Our Past: Units in Women's History." Once retired, Jean began working on an anthology of women writers, collecting stories about girls coming of age from around the world. She, Lyn Reese and Phillis Koppelman, fellow educators, published I'm On My Way Running in 1983. In 1987 under a second U.S. Education Department grant she co-edited "Women in the World: Annotated History Resources for the Secondary Student.” 

Jean was a long time fighter for peace and social justice. One of the proudest moments of Jean's very long life was on June 22, 1982, when at the age of 68, Jean was arrested during an anti-nuclear demonstrationinvolving 1,300 nonviolent protesters at Lawrence Livermore Lab in the East Bay. In Jean's later life, one of her greatest joys was frequently traveling internationally. She also loved music – Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger & The Weavers, Edith Piaf and Three Tenors. Jean is survived by her three children, Jeffry, Tony and Jo; her 12 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; nephews Richard Evans and Don Evans, and nieces Pamela Wilkinson, Barbara Harrington, and Elinor Reed; and scores of friends and admirers. No memorial service is planned at this time. Jean was a founding member of the International Museum of Women (IMOW) and contributions to IMOW may be made in her name. On-line contributions can be made at www.imow.organd checks sent to IMOW, PO Box 190038, San Francisco, CA 94119-0038. If you have questions you may contact Irene Morrison at IMOW, 415-543-4669, ext 27. 

The family may be contacted by emailing johillwilkinson@gmail.com  

 

 


Opinion

Editorials

"The Future Lies Ahead"--But What Does It Hold?

By Becky O'Malley
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 05:49:00 PM

“The Future Lies Ahead.”

As the year turns the temptation to consider this topic, time-honored at hundreds of thousands of high school graduations, becomes irresistible. And the break in routine provided by the winter holidays made it possible to read other writers’ speculations on the topic, particularly what’s being opined about the future of what is loosely called journalism.  

This week we’ve finally gotten around to reading the December 16 issue of the London Review of Books, which always comes a week late in the mail, but has been languishing in our in-basket for a few more weeks under the catalogues and Christmas cards. Despite its name, the LRB is not so much book reviews, á la the increasingly truncated and boring snippets in the New York Times, but long well-written essays on interesting topics, sometimes though not always motivated by books.  

In this issue, John Lanchester, an LRB editor, vamps on two pieces he’s read recently about the future of newspapers. The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) provided him with a long, statistics-packed and depressing treatise on The Evolution of News and the Internet, glibly summarized by Lanchester as “red ink all the way.” Bad news all around, Europe, U.S. and everywhere, and getting worse.  

He also draws on an analysis Alan Rusbridger contributed to the online Guardian of the geography of the media landscape as divided into three parts: “1. The press. 2. The big public broadcasters. 3. The new media, which are lively, chaotic, decentralised, prone to fads and crazes, and are opening up access to public spaces in all sorts of new ways.” Lanchester proposes to address only the first category, which for him seems to mean newspapers, whether distributed in print or online, 

His solution? “…what the print media need, more than anything else, is a new payment mechanism for online reading, which lets you read anything you like, wherever it is published, and then charges you on an aggregated basis, either monthly or yearly or whatever.” Temptingly simple, isn’t it? I-tunes is cited as a model. Well, maybe. 

This algorithm is predicated on somewhat loosey-goosey figures, not from OECD, which purport to show that more than half the cost of print papers is creating and distributing hard copy: “The production and distribution of newspapers is fantastically, outlandishly expensive.” Minus that, we are advised, it should be clear sailing for “newspapers” or “the press” (and here we do get into definition creep, because they’re no longer identical.)  

Lanchester notes approvingly that Rupert Murdoch (with obligatory disclaimer: “I think Murdoch has been a strongly negative force in British life and I don’t wish his enterprises well...”) seems to be planning a publication called simply The Daily which will be distributed via I-Pad in partnership with Apple for 99 cents a week.  

(One questionable detail: “There’s a rumour that they wanted to call it the Daily Planet, the paper that Superman worked for, but DC Comics said no.” My own knowledge of intellectual property law, on a topic which I investigated carefully some years ago, suggests that this ‘rumour’ isn’t accurate. Murdoch might need to talk to us about the name, as well as to the Twin Cities Daily Planet, a well-established online paper, however. We haven’t heard from him yet.) 

Overall, it’s a good piece, well worth reading free online, but as someone who’s devoted too much of her life to laboring in trenches entrepreneurial and journalistic, I fear it glosses over some key questions. 

First and foremost, what is news? 

The recent WikiLeaks explosion adds spice to this perennial discussion. At press time, probably early December, John Lanchester was sure that what Julian Assange was handing out wasn’t the real stuff: 

“…the WikiLeaks episode(s) shows both what the digital media can and can’t do. Its release of information is unprecedented: but it is not journalism. The data need to be interpreted, studied, made into a story. For that we need number 1, the press.”  

Well, what if the press can’t get ‘the news’, but amateurs like Julian Assange can? Should he be prosecuted for treason for spreading it around in his unprofessional way, while the ‘journalists’ at the Guardian and the New York Times go free? 

In any case, news, real news, is difficult and expensive to gather, whether you plan to distribute it on paper, over the airwaves, or via new media in its infinite variety. There’s less news in newspapers all the time. Lanchester again:“.. eventually newspapers will either die or (more likely) be so hollowed out by cost-cutting that they exist as freesheets with a thin, non-functioning veneer of pretend journalism.” 

At the Berkeley Daily Planet for financial reasons we’re currently engaged in trying to collect and disseminate a minimal amount of significant local news with mostly volunteer reporters, and, folks, it ain’t easy. Our readers also have at least four other purported sources of news about Berkeley which they can access via various media, sources with much more money to spend, but it’s still slim pickings, mostly aren’t-we-proud-of-our-talented-kiddies or celebrity-seen-at-local-restaurant, plus the usual run of litely re-written press releases and blatant steals from other publications.  

Americans in particular have gotten used to having advertisers pay for everything, and, as previously noted, the advertisers have left the building. It didn’t help the Planet to have zealots who didn’t like the reader commentaries we ran bullying our advertisers, but in truth that was a minor irritant as compared to our share in the general decline in ad revenue experienced all over the world by all kinds of publications. The OECD report cited by Lanchester provides a mind-numbing amount of detail on the topic, if you’re interested.  

In this context Lanchester offers a useful marketing tip based on his own editorial experience: 

“For the LRB, the internet offers a new way of getting readers outside the traditional channels of direct mail. The trouble with direct mail is that it’s expensive, and its audience is confined to an existing ‘universe’ of potential customers from mailing lists. The internet expands that audience to anyone with access to a web browser; in addition, the paper’s content becomes its own form of advertising. Another factor may be the length of the LRB’s articles: if you’re reading this online, your eyes are probably bleeding by now.” 

There’s a concept: Perhaps the way for “newspapers” (whether printed on paper or not) to squeeze their reporting costs out of readers is to concentrate on serious long-form articles which are just too much to read in full online, and then charge for printed or printable versions. LRB sells PDFs (easily printed graphic images) of its articles to non-subscribers for the modest fee of £2.75. We’ve taken a small step in that direction by making all of our copy available online as PDFs which can be printed out at home or at copy shops, but we haven’t been charging readers for the privilege—maybe we should. 

The form factor is more important than Lanchester’s willing to concede. We’re constantly besieged by former readers who plead for resumption of print publication, swearing that they just can’t—won’t—read their news on a computer. They seem to prefer no news at all to news in the wrong form, and they claim they will never change.  

Of course the Planet was previously free—would such people pay the real cost of a print paper? Doubtful, though a new local feel-good publication seems to be planning to test that concept one more time. Berkeleyans tend to be mingy: speaking out boldly for unions but shopping at union-busting grocers because (surprise!) they’re cheaper.  

As of this week we’re creeping up on a short thousand “subscribers”, that is to say readers who get a personal note every week with embedded links to the most interesting online articles. There’s no charge for this service. 

We’ve suggested that those who want to see more original reporting in the Planet can contribute to the independent non-profit Fund for Local Reporting, and a dozen or so have done that. They’ve paid for a few good stories, like Joe Eaton’s report last month of dark doings at Berkeley’s Aquatic Park, and Richard Brenneman’s update on LBNL’s expansion plans in this issue.  

But perhaps readers aren’t actually looking for news news in online papers, but are instead taking part in a rarefied form of social networking: exchanging ideas in the ether with people somewhat like themselves whose views interest them. Our genteel “letters to the editor” format produces mostly well-thought-out short opinions, and our long reader commentaries are usually informative. We’ve been considering adding direct comment forms to each article, but we’re put off by the rude mouthing-off which seems to dominate many of these in other publications. (We’re tired of “robot” letters, computer-generated on assigned topics, so we usually skip them.)  

Our speculations have reached the eye-bleeding length at this point with no obvious conclusions, so here’s where it’s time, once again, to ask you, our readers, what you think about these topics. If you read the LRB piece you’ll be an instant expert. This is just the Cliff Notes version—many more piquant propositions are offered in the 5,000 words original with its two footnoted and linked source articles. And if and when you make up your mind about what The Future holds for journalism, share your findings with us.


Cartoons

Cartoon Page: Odd Bodkins, BOUNCE

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 04:00:00 PM

 

Dan O'Neill

 

 

Joseph Young

 


Public Comment

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:41:00 PM

The Oaks Theater is No More! Witch Hunt; Cursed Cell Phones! The Truth about the Tea Party Movement; The New Left; No Need to Close the Warm Pool in June; Clarification  

The Oaks Theater is No More! 

We went to Howl. Dark totally. 

No marquee, zip nada. 

Yesterday they offered HOWL for tonight, now nothing. 

Phone disconnected. 

Very very sad. 

Laura X 

* * * 

Witch Hunt 

Daniel Issa is about to head up a 'Witch hunt' against Obama. 

Issa as the incoming Republican Chairman of the House Oversight Committee vows to get President Obama. He even calls Obama one of the most corrupt presidents. Already cocked and loaded with subpoena power and some 208 'hearings' scheduled to investigate Stimulus Corruption, BP, Obama's Czars,Issa, vows to get President Obama. He even calls Obama one of the most corrupt presidents, So, Issa will spend his time ignoring the crooks on Wall Street and the-on going wars which have spent trillions. 

Richard Nixon, as a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee, received national attention for his hostile questioning of Alger Hiss. In 1950 he was elected to the Senate following a bitter campaign in which he unfairly portrayed his opponent as a communist sympathizer; the epithet "Tricky Dick" dates from this period. They wouldn't listen to us about Nixon and his perfidy, but now he is exposed and deposed! 

Ted Rudow III,MA 

* * * 

Cursed Cell Phones! 

In the Holy Spirit/Newman Hall Chapel on Dwight Way, serving the campus community, there's large screen to the left of the altar. It bears the message, "God is present in this gathered assembly. He doesn't need cell phones to reach you." We're then asked to turn off all cell phones and pagers, whereupon there's a flurry of activity with parishioners digging in vest pockets and handbags to turn off the offending item before Mass begins. 

As a devout Catholic I've never for one moment doubted that God IS present at ALL times—not only in church but in such unlikely places as restaurants, theaters, and Trader Joe's. It pains me to think that He must listen to pathetic pleas for health, prosperity and reduced mortgage payments millions of times a day! Indeed, it's my fervent hope that our Heavenly Father will deactivate all cell phones, rendering them useless (except for emergencies) for the good of mankind. In my humble opinion this world would be a far better place were it not for that instrument of the Devil 

Dorothy Snodgrass 

* * * 

The Truth about the Tea Party Movement 

There's something I've got to get off my back before we have to go through another year of Tea Party hyperbole. Most people are still in the dark about the Tea Party movement. 

The Tea Party came into existence after the election of our first president of color. Since then, there has been a constant attack of President Obama by these so-called patriots. 

The Tea Party is 99% white. Hmmm. What does this tell you about this clan and is it representative of the American society? 

The Tea Party is not your quintessential "mom and pops" grassroots movement unless you see "grassroots" to be the home of racism, religious bigotry and hatred. 

Tea Party Republicans are middle-of-the-road racists and are a backlash of angry and frustrated people who see the American dream slipping through their fingers and have pegged President Obama as the perfect person to blame for their predicament. 

The Tea Party is a composite of anti-abortion, anti-gay and anti-immigration remnants and its manifesto could be "Keep America white." 

The Tea Party is an anomaly on the American landscape, a paraphrase for all that is wrong in America, and a ghost from our racist past. 

If only we could put this subject to rest and throw it out in the trash. 

Ron Lowe  

* * * 

The New Left 

The polls, well, they don't mean a thing. 

We have a new ref in the ring. 

While nobody budges 

The wills of the judges, 

New centrists are seen as left wing. 

Ove Ofteness 

* * *  

No Need to Close the Warm Pool in June 

The June warm-pool closure that pool users have been warned about may be unnecessarily pessimistic as “phase II” work is slated to commence only after “phase I” work, the stadium, is complete; the latter is behind schedule and according to the director of facility planning at the school district phase II is most likely to be delayed for three months beyond June. 

It would be premature for the city parks department to schedule a June shutdown of warm-pool programs; instead the city should plan to keep the warm-pool operational as long as possible with a very tentative September date or even later as a possibility. 

A thousand people have used the warm-pool at BHS during the past 2 or 3 years and the pool has become a hugely important resource for the disabled. I urge all players to work for the continuity of the warm-pool and its current system of programs 

Terry Cochrell 

* * * 

Clarification  

I noticed an inaccuracy in your December 1st column titled "Can KPFA Be Saved?" In the column you mention the Land Use Report, produced by KUSP volunteer Gary Patton. The issue with the Land Use Report was a failure to make clear to the audience professional relationships the producer had with subjects he was covering – a critical issue for the vast majority of people concerned with informing the public. Our station management and Mr. Patton worked out a new policy for disclosing these relationships. This improved the public service the Land Use Report provides and our working relationship with a valuable community volunteer. 

J.D. Hillard 

Talk and Information Producer 

Central Coast Public Radio KUSP


Chase Bank Customer Complains of Mistreatment:
Deposit Missed, Checks Bounced and Worse

By Judy Lackey
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 04:36:00 PM

My husband and I (Berkeley residents) were recently treated terribly by Chase Bank, as I briefly describe below. I think that this story is of interest to many of your readers because Chase is a new bank in California. We, along with thousands of other Californians, had our Washington Mutual accounts become Chase accounts after the buy-out. I've heard many stories of people being mistreated by Chase, whereas Washington Mutual was known for their customer service -- my husband, a Seattle native, had his Washington Mutual account since he was a child. 

My husband Ethan's grandma wrote us each a check for $100 for Christmas. She is going blind and she could only find a red pen to write the checks. My husband went to deposit these checks at our local Chase branch ATM last Tuesday (12/28/10). Apparently the red ink did not show up well on the scan that the ATM took of the check, so Ethan had to manually enter the amount of the checks. We went out of town for New Years, returning on Sunday (1/2/11). On Monday, I went to pay our mortgage (held by a different bank) online and realized that neither of our paychecks were direct deposited in our account, so we didn't have the funds to pay. I called Chase and was told that the direct deposits had been refused because our account was "restricted," had been closed by Chase due to "fraud," and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. They said that they would send us the funds remaining in our account in 10 days. I then went to my local branch in downtown Oakland and spoke to the branch manager who was sympathetic, made some phone calls, but could do nothing about the situation since Chase had already decided to close the account. She confirmed that the "fraud" concerned the checks from Ethan's grandma which they said were "blank'. Clearly no human every looked at the checks, as they were decidedly not blank. They made no effort to find out what had happened, instead just immediately closed our account. 

The letter informing us that our account was closed arrived only today (Monday 1/3/11). Meanwhile, not knowing our account was closed, we sent a check for our car registration to the DMV last week and gave our day care a check today. Per Chase's (unconscionable, I think) Account Agreement, they will not honor these checks, likely resulting in many fees, which they are not liable for according to this "agreement". Not to mention, we have no bank account, do not have access to the funds from our paychecks, and cannot pay our mortgage or other bills. We might have fraud reported to credit agencies and our credit will likely suffer because we will inevitably be late on some payments since we have no funds or bank account. All because no one at Chase bothered to actually look at the checks from Ethan's grandma, showing the ultimate disrespect to their customers and causing us completely unwarranted and unnecessary hardship.


“Plant Blight” Update: “Well...if you insist...meddling can be such fun!”

By Robert Brokl
Monday January 03, 2011 - 05:07:00 PM

A recent op ed in the Berkeley Daily Planet recounted how the verdant garden Alfred Crofts and I have tended for a decade at a nearby rental property aroused the ire of a neighbor who reported us for “blight”, resulting in steep fines. Since then, we’ve continued research--talking to other victims of the blight ordinance and pursuing an as yet-incomplete Public Records Act search of our file over Community and Economic Development (CEDA) stonewalling. We found a neighbor who had to spend $10,000 replacing shingles because some were “cracked.”

At the pocketbook level, we’re now out over $1300 in fines and a lien was placed on the property despite the payment. Our appeal dated Dec. 3, reviewed in-house by the CEDA Building Services Dept., was denied without comment or explanation Dec. 9. We were charged an additional $113 for their effort, and expect another charge for the “billing dispute” denial, both of which we were told to file to keep our appeal alive. The only options left to us now are small claims court or other legal action. And under the “two strikes” bite of the blight ordinance, we are vulnerable to the same fees for the next two years! 

We believe the blight ordinance, enacted to the rid the City of seemingly intractable and serious blight, has morphed into a funding mechanism for City coffers, aiding and abetting neighbors’ feuds. This was confirmed by City Hall insiders with access to the raw data from the blight complaint files. We learned over half of the complaints are over untidiness and housekeeping issues, like trash. A small percentage involve unregistered secondary units or unpermitted building. (This lack of emphasis on structures may explain the continuing existence even in upscale environs of high-profile, truly blighted commercial and residential properties.) There is no threshold for separating trivial or spiteful complaints from serious ones, nor any tying of zip codes to complaints that might reveal where the City’s resources are spent fighting “blight”, whether in the hills over plants blocking views or in the flats where presumably more blight exists. And, with the second strike, garbage cans left at the curb too long can break your bank account! 

Do the math: 40 inspectors, 22,000 blight complaints per year, $1239 for the second strike--quite a revenue stream. 

In our case, although neighbors over the years have complemented us on the garden and/or put in similar ones, one who didn’t managed to involve a sidewalk/right of way inspector, Fred Loeser, in Bldg. Services. He worked the system for the neighbor, although anonymous complaints get the same deference. When it turned out the cracked and lifted sidewalk was caused by City-owned street trees (and thus unfixable), the neighbor moved on to complaints about “how it was impossible for me to push my baby stroller down the sidewalk without my baby getting a bunch of leaves in her face” and the garden “continually growing and changing.”  

The trigger for the City to act was apparently when he spotted someone defecating in our garden. Rather than tell the person to stop, he e-mailed Loeser. We think rosebushes are useful deterrents for such antisocial behavior, and plants and trees are good not only for global warming but for aesthetic reasons, too. But even gray cement can’t force a malefactor to do his business on a potty. And, mind you, although the relentless neighbor hounded staff, only once some years back did we or the tenants get a note from him. In that case, the plant he objected to was removed. 

Political pay back? 

The documents we have so far pried lose under the Public Records request reveal how political and high profile our case is. Inspector William Patchen wrote to his supervisor Nov. 18: "The owner has been raising Cain...(and) have taken their case up the chain and I would like to have answers before it blows up." Ray Derania, Building Services administration and the court of last resort according to a Councilperson Brunner aide, wrote an e-mail to Walter Cohen, CEDA head, on Nov. 16: “For the new administration, would you consider turning over a new leaf and just letting us handle stuff? This is routine. If transgressors are turned back to us, it’s surprising how quickly they see-the-light and get with the program (even though it costs them some money sometimes.” Cohen--who you’d think was busy dreaming up stadii and downtown big box shopping malls--wrote back: “Well...if you insist...meddling can be such fun! But OK.” 

This is the same Ray Derania who we, along with a loose coalition of neighbors, tangled with over the recent demolition of the Courthouse Athletic Club, along with removal of the mature redwoods. Even though it was clear to everyone the developer owner had no intentions of building the market rate condos originally proposed, the City cooperated with the owner to scrape the site to put the empty (therefore more valuable) lot on the market. Derania was called before the City Council to defend the denial of our tree removal appeal and the City Council voted to refund our appeal fees. 

It doesn’t have to be this way: The outrageous fines, fees, and--if unpaid--liens on property shouldn’t be used to generate funds the way street sweeping violations do. (And the City of Albany doesn’t even charge for blocking street sweepers.) According to AuditOaklandCEDA.com, a site created by another blight victim, cities like Detroit have transparent appeal processes and work with citizens to fix blight, with the goal of keeping them in their houses and not forcing them out.  

Mayor Quan’s slogan is “changing Oakland block by block.” To correct the blight ordinance, she need look no further than to Richard Cowan, her Chief of Staff. For years, he headed Conciliation Forums, a group composed mostly of volunteers like our longtime neighbor Janet Keita, who mediated disputes between neighbors and groups. The idea was to bring about peaceful resolutions and compromises, not to exploit vendettas for City budgets. We need to get back to that model and maybe Cowan, in the “new administration,” wears another hat and “meddles” in a better way.  


Grandma Bev Defies Union-Busting at Summit Hospital

By Paul Rockwell
Monday January 03, 2011 - 07:05:00 PM

I am sitting at a table in the Summit Hospital cafeteria in Oakland, California. Beverly Griffith, a spirited African-American grandparent who worked for 32 years in the Summit EVS (Housekeeping) department, taps my arm. “See that security guard at the table? He’s watching us. SEIU gets Security to follow me.” 

I think to myself. How many grandmothers are security risks? So I ask: “Why would anyone follow you?” 

“It’s harassment,” she insists. “I’m involved in the NUHW campaign to decertify SEIU. The election between these two unions takes place January 19th. Both management and SEIU are working together to make employees who converse with me feel uncomfortable.” 

“Well,” I say, “harassment is not uncommon in contentious union elections.” She thought I was dismissive. 

“No. No. This isn’t just some local tiff. It’s not about me. It’s not about overzealous security guards. It’s about Employer union-busting. Summit is rigging the outcome of the election, trying to make sure SEIU defeats us January 19th.”  

Don Roberts, a transporter who has worked at Summit for 24 years, corroborated Beverly’s complaint. “Every time you see Bev, there’s a security guard around her. The guards follow me and they watch me, too. Yesterday I was on the first floor. A guard watched me. Then I went up to the third floor. There he was again. Summit even puts up security video cameras in the areas where the pro-NUHW people congregate. We are under constant surveillance.” 

Oscar Medina, an army vet and a single father, works as a transporter at Summit. “One guard told me straight out that Summit Security is instructed to watch Beverly and her friends. I have nothing against the guards. They do what they’re told, and they don’t even have a union.” 

So what’s the evidence that union-busting (in the middle of a union election) is official Summit policy? “Oh yeah, baby, it’s a top-down thing.” Suddenly, Oscar pulled out a Summit management memo, (along with Summit e-mails to employees, containing vote influencing threats that an NUHW victory could mean loss of benefits.) I don’t know how the internal document became public. (Unless it was released by Wikileaks.) It was signed by Monty Byrd June 26, 2009. “To Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Security Staff: Let me make this as clear as possible. Local 250 SEIU-UHW reps are allowed to conduct business as normal. NUHW--Beverly Griffith/ Joslyn and company are not allowed to conduct business on property, but we have not had very much luck with police support.” (I later learned why there is friction between the Oakland Police and Summit.) 

The memo continues, “We must make contact with anyone from NUHW that appears to be conducting business in any of the medical center buildings. We must ask them to stop conducting business and leave.” 

“If they refuse, contact appropriate police departments requesting that the person(s) be removed.” 

“This is of a high level of importance and it looks like we will be dealing with this group for a while.” 

Clearly, the experiences of Beverly, Don, Oscar (along with other employees who declined to publish their names) are not isolated incidents. The guards follow orders from the top. Summit has instituted a lockout of one union in order to facilitate the victory of the other. 

Employers are required by law to remain neutral in union elections. They are also required to respect the right of all employees to carry out union activity in non-working areas on their own time. In practice, Summit instructions flout the laws that, as I understand them, protect the rights of labor. 

Summit’s use of the Oakland Police at taxpayer expense to sway an election in favor of management and SEIU is particularly disturbing. 

On December 29th, I returned to the cafeteria to conduct my final interviews about Summit interference in the decertification election. Employees were sitting at a table, talking quietly with Sal Rosselli, interim president of NUHW. He asked questions, and he answered questions. At a second table, members of SEIU and NUHW debated union issues quietly. It was comforting to see civil democracy in practice. 

However, true to the instructions in the memo, management called the Oakland Police. All without cause. As four officers arrived, the affable Sergeant talked with the guards. Cops are trained to assess situations quickly. She realized in seconds there was no problem, no argument, no fight, not even a loud voice. Summit, it appeared, used the police, not to keep the peace, but to stink-bomb the pro-union climate in the cafeteria. Cops are obligated to respond to calls, even when employers cry wolf. But the Sergeant seemed irked by the misuse of her precious skills and time. The officers left quickly. Cops don’t like to be used. No doubt that is why the Summit memo states: “We have not had very much luck with police support.” 

In a nutshell, the situation at Summit boils down to this: one union is excluded from the workplace, or is driven into corners and shadows through systematic intimidation. The very presence of police at union discussions is itself a deterrent. Summit’s favored union, SEIU, receives free access to the campus, in accordance with the instructions in the official memo.  

Today the Summit facility is inundated with well-paid SEIU staff, some flown in from out of state at member expense. The paid lobbyists, outsiders, never worked at Summit.  

In contrast to SEIU privileges, Beverly Griffith and Don Roberts, who gave decades of their lives to the Summit healthcare community, are met with armed police when they dare to distribute flyers, or carry on normal pro-union discussions. And now Oakland Police and taxpayers are sucked into the fray.  

Clearly, the NLRB, which oversees elections, is losing control of due process at Summit, Oakland. 

As I left the cafeteria, I looked back. The police were gone. Still, there were the two security guards, their arms folded high on their chests like caricatures from Orwell’s 1984, staring down at NUHW supporters. At the table, like a heroic civil rights activist at a lunch counter in 1960, was Grandma Bev, undaunted and composed in face of outrageous provocations from the union-busting Summit/SEIU alliance. 

 


Pepper Spray Times

Grace Underpressure
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 06:58:00 PM

Editor's Note: The latest issue of the Pepper Spray Times is now available. 

You can view it absolutely free of charge by clicking here . You can print it out to give to your friends. 

Grace Underpressure has been producing it for many years now, even before the Berkeley Daily Planet started distributing it, most of the time without being paid, and now we'd like you to show your appreciation by using the button below to send her money.  

This is a Very Good Deal. Go for it! 


Columns

2010 Dispatches From the Edge Awards

By Conn Hallinan
Monday January 03, 2011 - 07:37:00 PM

Each year the column Dispatches From The Edge awards news stories and newsmakers that fall under the category of “Are you serious?” Here are 2010’s winners. 

The Harry Potter Award to the British technology company ATSC Ltd for its invention of a “wand” that, according to the company, detects explosives, drugs, and human remains for up to six miles by air and three fifths of a mile by land. The ADE 651 sells for $16,000 a unit. 

The only problem is that it doesn’t work, which users might have figured out by reading the manual: the device has no batteries or internal parts. It is powered by “static electricity” generated by the holder walking in place. A wand-like antenna then points to the drugs, bodies, or explosives. 

This past January ATSC Ltd was charged with fraud and banned by the British government. One ATSC source told the New York Times, “Everyone at ATSC knew that there was nothing inside the ADE 651,” and that the units cost only $250 to make. 

But the wand was widely used in Iraq. Ammar Tuma, a member of the Iraqi parliament’s Security and Defense Committee bitterly attacked the company for causing “grave and massive losses of the lives of innocent Iraqi civilians, by the hundreds and the thousands, from attacks we thought we were immune to because we have this device.” The Iraqi Ministry of the Interior purchased 800 ADE 651s at a cost of $85 million. 

The managing director of ATSC, Jim McCormack, staunchly defended the wand, which he claims the company has sold to 20 countries. He did admit, “one of the problems is that the machine looks primitive,” and said the company was turning out an upgraded model “that has flashing lights.” 

Runner-up for this award was the British firm, Global Technology Ltd, which sold $10 million worth of very similar wand—the GT 200—to Mexico. The unit retails for $20,000 apiece. In one demonstration the GT 200 detected drugs in a Volkswagen sedan. After thoroughly searching the car, authorities turned up a bottle of Tylenol (suggesting that one should switch to Advil). Human Rights Watch says it is “troubled” by the use of the wand, which is widely used in Thailand and Mexico. “If people are actually being arrested and charged solely on the basis of its readings, that would be outrageous,” the group said in a press release. 

A Mexican interior official defended the GT-200, however, claiming that it “works with molecules.” Hard to argue with science.  

The Golden Lemon Award goes to the Conservative government of Canada for shelling out $8.5 billion to buy 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters. According to Defense Minister Peter MacKay, “This multi-role stealth fighter will help the Canadian forces defend the sovereignty of Canadian airspace.” Exactly whom that airspace is being defended from is not clear. 

The contract also includes a $6.6 billion maintenance agreement, which is a good thing because the F-35 has a number of “problems.” For instance, its engine shoots out sparks, and no one can figure out why. It is generally thought a bad idea for an engine to do that. There are several different types of F-35, and the vertical lift version of the aircraft doesn’t work very well. It seems the fan that cools the engine, doesn’t, and the panels that open for the vertical thrust, don’t. Also switches, valves and power systems are considered “unreliable.” 

The F-35 is looking more and more like the old F-105 Thunderchief, a fighter-bomber used extensively at the beginning of the Vietnam War. Pilots nicknamed it the “Thud” (the sound the plane made when it hit the ground after failing to clear a runway, a rather common occurrence). One pilot said it had all the agility of a “flying brick,” thus its other nickname: the “lead sled.” 

The U.S. is spending $382 billion to buy 2,457 F-35s, although the price tag keeps going up as more and more “problems” develop. Maintenance and spare parts for the aircraft will run several hundred billion extra. 

One normally thinks of Canadians as sensible, but the country’s Conservative government is apparently as thickheaded as our own. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently had a summit meeting on the arctic and didn’t invite the Inuit (whom most Americans call Eskimos). 

Well, the F-35 may not fly very well, but it works just fine for Lockheed Martin: second quarter profits saw a jump from $727 million to $731 million over last year, and revenues rose to $11.44 billion, 3 percent over last year. 

The Panjandrum Award to the U.S. military in Afghanistan. For those unfamiliar with the “Great Panjandrum,” it was an enormous rocket propelled explosive wheel developed by Great Britain for breaching the Atlantic Wall that Nazi Germany had built on the French coast to defend against amphibious invasions. Tested on a Devon beach, it roared ashore, turned smartly to port, and thundered into a bevy of admirals and generals, scattering them hither and yon. Thus “Panjandrum” became a metaphor for really silly military ideas. 

And there is not a whole lot sillier idea than the one to deploy M1-Abrams tanks in southern Afghanistan. The M1 is a 68-ton behemoth, powered by a jet engine (miles per gallon is not its strong point). Since Afghanistan has virtually no roads and a good deal of the terrain is vertical—at least the part where the insurgents are ensconced—how the M1 is going to get around is not obvious. 

However, one U.S. Marine officer told the Washington Post, “The tanks bring awe, shock and firepower. It’s pretty significant.” Right. Show the Wogs a tank and they will be begging for mercy. 

Except the Taliban are quite familiar with tanks. The initial Soviet invasion included 1,800 of them, many of them T-72s. The T-72 is admittedly smaller than the Abrams—41 1/2 tons vs. 68 tons—but the former actually packed a bigger gun. The M1 sports a 120mm gun, the T-72 a 125 mm gun. T-72 carcasses are scattered all over Afghanistan, and the Taliban even managed to capture some of them. 

Tanks are effective against stationary targets and other tanks. The Taliban don’t have tanks, and they don’t stick around when one shows up. But shocked and awed by their appearance? Don’t these people read history? Try “The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan,” by Lester Grau. 

The George Orwell Award to the U.S. Defense Department for dropping the name of “Psychological Operations”—“Psyops” for short—because the “term can sound ominous.” Instead Psyops will now be known as Military Information Support Operation, or MISO, which sounds like a Japanese soup. 

Some military contractors, however, apparently didn’t get the memo about using names and acronyms that sound “ominous.” Northrop Grumman just successfully tested a radar system that will be attached to Predator and Reaper armed drones to allow the killer robots to “detect individuals walking over a wide area” and track vehicles, watercraft, people, and animals, as well as “stationary targets of interest.” Given that the drones pack Hellfire missiles and 500 lb bombs, you really don’t want to be “interesting” when they are around. 

The news system is called the “Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar” or “Vader” for short. Sound of heavy breathing is not included in the basic package. 

The Rudyard Kipling Award to the Pentagon and its program to train officers for extended service in Afghanistan. For those unclear on this award, a few lines from Kipling’s poem, “Arithmetic on the Frontier” about Britain’s unsuccessful effort to subdue Afghanistan, and how one adds up the cost of occupation: 

“A scrimmage in a Border Station-- 

A canter down some dark defile— 

Two thousands pounds of education 

Drop to a ten-rupee jezail*— 

It appears some officers read Kipling. In spite of a high profile push by the Defense Department to recruit officers to serve in Afghanistan, the program is less than half filled, according to Pentagon officials. 

*A jezail is a cheap, muzzle-loading rifle that took a heavy toll on British troops during their 19th century invasions of Afghanistan. 

The Barn Door Award to the Department of Defense (yes, yes they do win a lot, but then they excel at winning awards) for telling employees and contractors not to read WikiLeak documents online, because they are “classified.” Just close your eyes? 

The Air Force went one step further and barred personnel from using computers where the documents were on line, thus underlining conventional wisdom in Washington: the Army is slow, the Marines are dumb, the Navy lies, and the Air Force is evil. 

The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award (the author of Frankenstein) goes to the University of California at Berkeley, MIT, and Cornell University for using Defense Department money to turn the beetle, Mecynorrhina torquata, into a cyborg. The beetle is fitted with an electronic backpack attached to the animal’s wing muscles, allowing scientists to control the beetle’s flight path. 

The idea is to use the little beastie (actually, as beetles go, kind of a big beastie) to crawl or fly into areas where the “enemy” is. Once the “enemy” is identified, the military can target the area with bombs, rockets or artillery. This is a tad rough on the beetles. 

According to researchers Michael Maharbiz and Hirotake Sato, the long-term goal is to “introduce synthetic interfaces and control loops” into other animals. “Working out the details in insects first will help us avoid mistakes and false starts in higher organisms, such as rats, mice, and ultimately people. And it allows us to postpone many of the deeper ethical questions about free will, among other things, that would become more pressing if this work took place on vertebrates.” 

The Michele Bachmann Award to Australian legislator Bob Katter for sounding the alarm about a serious threat facing his constituents: “We have terrible problems with deadly flying foxes. They are going to kill more people than the Taipan snake in Australia.” 

The flying fox is the world’s largest bat, also called the “fruit bat.” It has broad, flat molars and feeds on soft fruit, from which it extracts juice. By all accounts they are gentle and intelligent and don’t attack humans. The Taipan snake, which can grow up to 12 feet, is considered the most venomous land snake in the world. However, the animal is shy and rarely bites people. 

It is comforting to know that there are other legislators in the world just as whacko as U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), who recently suggested that legislators “slit their wrists in a blood pact” to block health reform and said that people had to be “armed and dangerous” to block efforts to mitigate global warming. 

You can read more of Conn Hallinan’s writings at dispatchesfromtheedgeblog.wordpress.com 

 

 

 

 

 


The Public Eye: 2010 “Person” of the Year: The US Supreme Court

By Bob Burnett
Monday January 03, 2011 - 05:14:00 PM

It’s difficult to look beyond the tumult of current events and ask, “what happened this year that will be remembered ten, twenty, or fifty years from now?” However, there was one 2010 event that, in terms of its long-term impact, loomed above the others, the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court Decision. 

Writing in the NEW YORK REVIEW, law professor Ronald Dworkin explained Citizens United v. FEC: “In the 2008 presidential primary season a small corporation, Citizens United, financed to a minor extent by corporate contributions, tried to broadcast a derogatory movie about Hillary Clinton. The FEC declared the broadcast illegal under the BCRA [Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act]. Citizens United then asked the Supreme Court to declare it exempt from that statute on the ground, among others, that it proposed to broadcast its movie only on a pay-per-view channel.” In an extraordinary example of judicial activism, the Supreme Court conservative majority, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, declared the entire BCRA act unconstitutional. 

The Supreme Court hadn’t been the story of the year since the December 12, 2000, Bush v. Gore decision. This paved the way for Bush’s installation as President and his nomination of John Roberts as Chief Justice in September of 2005. Many Supreme Court observers regard Roberts as the judicial equivalent of the “Manchurian Candidate.” NEW YORKER legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin noted Roberts dogmatic conservatism: “In every major case since he became the nation’s seventeenth Chief Justice, Roberts [and his conservative allies] has sided with the prosecution over the defendant, the state over the condemned, the executive branch over the legislative, and the corporate defendant over the individual plaintiff.” 

John Roberts had worked as an attorney for both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush Administrations and, therefore, possible conservative “judicial activism” was a concern of the Democratic Senators that questioned him before confirmation. Roberts denied that he was an activist and appeared to honor the legal tradition of stare decisis, abiding by precedent. Five years later, it’s apparent that Roberts hid his true philosophy. 

In the Citizens United decision Roberts aggressively advanced the conservative agenda along three fronts. First, the decision to hear this case was an extraordinary example of judicial activism. Professor Dworkin observed, Citizens United “did not challenge the constitutionality of [BCRA]. But the five conservative justices—Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas—decided on their own initiative, after a rehearing they themselves called for, that they wanted to declare the act unconstitutional anyway.” [Emphasis added] Justice Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion, explained that the conservative justices called for the rehearing because they had dissented on the most pertinent precedent, McConnell v. FEC, and had continued to complain about it. 

Second, the Citizens United decision strengthened the conservative contention that corporations have “personhood” and, therefore, enjoy the same rights as ordinary individuals, including the right of free speech. (For a compelling account of how the bizarre notion that corporations enjoy the same constitutional rights as human beings has evolved, see radio host Thom Hartmann’s book, Unequal Protection.) 

Third, the Citizens United decision allowed corporations to spend unlimited funds in political contests. It was this aspect that caused President Obama to observe, during his January 27, 2010, State of the Union Address, “The Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests—including foreign corporations—to spend without limit in our elections.” The decision granted corporations more rights than those of human beings. 

The 2010 midterm elections demonstrated the lethality of the Citizens United decision. The non-partisan group, Opensecrets.org calculated that, excluding Party Committees, $294 million was spent by outside groups. Conservative outside groups spent twice as much as did Liberal groups. For example, the US Chamber of Commerce, a conservative-leaning outside group, spent $32.8 million, more than the combined total of the two leading Liberal groups: the SEIU ($15.7 million) and the AFSCME ($12.6). (The McClatchey Newspapers reported that the US Chamber, which has foreign corporations as members, expected to spend more than $75 million in all forms of political support.) 

Massive spending by outside groups influenced the outcome of the midterm election. In the Pennsylvania Senate race, outside spending was more than $12 million: $5.9 million was spent on ads attacking the Democratic Candidate (Joe Sestak), whereas only $1.9 was spent attacking the Republican (Pat Toomey); Sestak lost. In Illinois, $6.2 million was spent attacking the Democratic candidate (Alex Giannoulias), whereas only $1.5 million was spent attacking the Republican (Mark Kirk); Giannoulias lost. There are many similar examples, including outgoing New York Democratic Congressman John Hall who attributed his defeat to the decision. 

We’ve entered a new phase of American history, the Corporatist period where multinational corporations have unbridled political influence. This movement started before the Citizens United decision but the Roberts’ Supreme Court has accelerated the pace and thereby profoundly weakened our democracy. 

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


The Public Eye: 2010: America Held Hostage

By Bob Burnett
Monday January 03, 2011 - 05:04:00 PM

If you were out of the United States for most of the year, or rely upon the mainstream media for all your “information,” you missed the big news of 2010: we’re having a class war and greed is winning. To get their way, the rich are holding working Americans hostage. 

In September, new Census figures showed the income gap between America's richest and poorest was the widest on record: "The top-earning 20 percent of Americans - those making more than $100,000 each year - received 49.4 percent of all income generated in the U.S., compared with the 3.4 percent earned by those below the poverty line [15 percent]." It’s one example of what Senator Bernie Sanders called “a war against the working families of America.” 

This is not a covert action. Every day there’s a headline that some giant corporation had record profits and their executives got enormous bonuses; often on the same page there’s another story about record unemployment or middle-class folks who lost their homes to foreclosure. The question is why nobody but Bernie Sanders, and a few brave progressives, are willing to talk about our class war. 

There are three explanations. One is that it’s become politically incorrect to talk about class warfare In the US. By shouting “class warfare” every time progressives tried to raise taxes for the rich, conservatives have done an effective job of robbing the phrase of its potency. As a result, many Democrats – including the POTUS – run away from any suggestion that this country is turning into a plutocracy and regard it as too “radical” to suggest that Republicans are engaging in class warfare, holding Americans hostage. 

Another explanation is that the conservative media has become so powerful that most commentators on mainstream outlets like CNN and THE NEW YORK TIMES are afraid to mention the systematic war on working families waged by America’s power elite. It’s a subject that’s not popular with rich media CEOs. And, when pundits do write about this subject, they get a slew of angry mail suggesting they are (gasp!) a “socialist.” 

But the third and most troubling explanation is that our fellow citizens suffer from a collective psychosis: Americans think the US can’t operate without the rich and so they are, in effect, protecting them. 

Groucho Marx told a joke about a man who complains to a psychiatrist, “My brother thinks he’s a chicken.” The shrink responds, “That’s terrible! Why don’t you tell him the truth?” The man answers, “I would, but we need the eggs.” 

Americans don’t tell the truth about the class war because we believe we need the “eggs.” As a nation we’ve developed Stockholm syndrome and fallen under the spell of our captors. We’ve succumbed to the Republican message machine. 

Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, famously said: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” That’s what’s happened to our national discussion of economic policy, Republicans have sold the big lie to the American people. 

Multiple times every day, GOP talking heads claim “government is the problem” not a broken economic system. Republican shills also contend “trickle-down economics works,” that rich folks buying diamonds and Ferraris catalyzes the consumer economy. It doesn’t – it’s part of the problem – but average Americans don’t see that. They believe that if Rush Limbaugh pays higher taxes it will hurt the economy because he won’t be able to buy as many Arturo Fuente cigars. We’ve fallen in love with the folks running the prison. Rush Limbaugh fans want to be just like him. 

While the US is being looted, many American are content to sit in front of their TV and watch American Idol or a similar show that suggests if you are lucky, you too can join the ranks of the rich and famous. Not only are we not angry at the rich, we want to be like them! 

What can we do to snap America out of its trance and reverse our nation’s disastrous course? Obviously, those of us who have the stomach for it can continue to write about the class war, tell the truth about what’s happening to our beloved country. But what’s really needed is a coordinated progressive message campaign to counter the evil Republican spinmeisters. That’s what linguists George Lakoff and Drew Westen have been suggesting for two years. We need to counter the Republican spinmeisters with our own 24/7 message: “Your brother is not a chicken! You don’t need the eggs, they’re poison!” 

But a positive message starts with a clear statement of what we are for: A fair economy that works for everyone, not just the rich and powerful. An economy where everyone works, where full employment is more important than record profits. An economy that promotes democracy, not hostage taking. This is an economy that operates from the moral basis proposed by Thomas Jefferson, who wrote, “The care of human life and happiness… is the first and only legitimate object of good government."  

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


Ecletic Rant: Facebook and Privacy

By Ralph E. Stone
Monday January 03, 2011 - 05:33:00 PM

I am not here to bash Facebook. (Did I hear Mark Zuckerberg’s sigh of relief?) However, I do want to sound a note of caution to present and future Facebook users. 

I have a Facebook account. I only include publicly available information such as, for example, my Daily Planet articles. Even if I had dirty laundry, I wouldn't air it on Facebook, nor would I disclose intimate details of my life. I am always surprised, however, what some of my "friends" disclose on Facebook. 

"Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Now this sounds like a worthy mission. But know what you are signing up for when you join Facebook by reading its “terms” and “privacy,” which can be found at the bottom of the Facebook page

A little background on Facebook: Zuckerberg is the founder, CEO, and 24 percent owner of Facebook, a privately-held company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Facebook has almost 600 million users, nearly a twelfth of the world’s population. In a single day about one billion pieces of content are posted on Facebook. 

Nearly half of Americans are on Facebook, but 70 percent of Facebook users live outside the United States. Facebook is operative in 75 languages. 

Facebook's 2010 revenues are expected to reach $2 billion, which puts it on par with Google and ahead of Yahoo. It has just started to reach its earning potential; it has an estimated present value of $55 billion but could reach $200 billion by 2015. 

Generally companies are free to compile and sell personal information, once that information becomes public. Experts in the field of Internet privacy generally agree that Internet privacy does not really exist. Privacy advocates believe that it should exist. For example, the Federal Trade Commission convened a series of public roundtable discussions about the issue of online privacy, which will result in a staff report

The following websites are informative on the subject of internet privacy. <www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/internet-privacy> <www.privacyrights.org/netprivacy.htm

Should Facebook users be worried about personal privacy? Consider that early this year, Facebook announced that it was changing its privacy settings in order to make more user information public. This announcement caused an uproar in the media and the public. Facebook was urged to increase transparency about how user information is shared with third parties and encouraged to install more robust protections for this sharing. 

Facebook’s announcement is in accord with Zuckerberg’s view of privacy

“That privacy was no longer a social norm. The rise of social networking online means that people no longer have an expectation of privacy. People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time." 

I suspect many Facebook users would agree with Zuckerberg’s view of privacy. 

Let's consider some of the things you agree to when you join Facebook. Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere if it has been shared with others, was distributed under your privacy settings, or was copied or stored by other users. And Facebook has the right to retain certain information to prevent identity theft and other misconduct even if you requested deletion. 

Remember also,that subject to your privacy and application settings, you give Facebook a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use anything that you put on Facebook. This right ends when you delete your content or unless, of course, your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it. Make sure to check your privacy and application settings. 

Advertising is Facebook's major source of income. It has an advantage that advertisers cannot resist. Facebook can target consumers better than most others because it knows so much about you, such as where you live, your age, marital status, education level, what you are interested in, and so forth. How? Because you told Facebook about yourself and you gave it permission to use your information to target you for the delivery of advertisements. And Facebook may gather information on whether you acted on the advertisements. Thus, a profile of your buying habits can be developed. As Zuckerberg put it in a recent blog post, "to try to help people share information with their friends about things they do on the web.". 

Facebook has attracted big name advertisers including Coca-Cola, Adidas, JP Morgan, Blockbuster, Verizon, Sony Pictures and Condé Nast. As Carol Kruse, vice president, global interactive marketing, the Coca-Cola Company, put it, "With Facebook Ads, our brands can become a part of the way users communicate and interact on Facebook." 

You can use your privacy settings to limit how your name and profile picture will be used for commercial purposes. 

Facebook warns users that it may disclose information if it has a "good faith" belief that the release is required by law. This includes sharing information with other companies, lawyers, courts or other government entities. What is "good faith?" There does not appear to be any Facebook requirement to notify its users when it releases personal information. Can we be sure that government agencies --CIA, FBI, Homeland Security -- aren't mining this data? Do you care? 

Facebook is here to stay. I would caution you to carefully read Facebook's "terms" and "privacy policy" to make sure you know what you are agreeing to before signing up. You are bound by the provisions whether you read them or not. I would also recommend every user carefully check their privacy settings. Finally, before posting information on a social network like Facebook, just assume that the whole world may get access to this information. When you "let it all hang out," the information may come back to bite you when you, for example, interview for employment., apply for a loan, seek a security clearance, etc. 

For background information on Mark Zuckerberg and the inner workings of Facebook, I recommend Time magazine's Person of the Year: Mark Zuckerberg issue (Dec. 27, 2010) I also recommend the docudrama, The Social Network , a story about the founding of Facebook. 

 

 


Senior Power: “Graying prisons,” early release, and ‘assisted living’

By Helen Rippier Wheeler
Monday January 03, 2011 - 05:01:00 PM

The U.S. prison population grew from over 319,000 in 1980 to nearly 1.5 million in 2005. Elderly inmates represent the fastest growing segment of federal and state prisons.Conservative estimates suggest that this population now represents 33%, reflecting the general aging of society. 

Definitions states have established for elderly prisoners vary; some have no official age designation for the elderly prisoner population. The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that the number of men and women in state and federal prisons age 55 and older grew 76 percent between 1999 and 2008, the latest year available, from 43,300 to 76,400. The growth of the entire prison population grew only 18 percent in that period. The aging inmate population has created new challenges for states.  

Inmates tend to age faster than members of the general population, on average 7 to 10 years older than their chronological age. Older inmates tend to develop age-related health problems earlier. The National Institute of Corrections lists arthritis, hypertension, ulcer disease, prostate problems and myocardial infarction among the most common chronic diseases among elderly inmates. Diabetes, Hepatitis C and cancer are also common. General accommodations and protection against younger offenders also increase the cost of housing older inmates. Stress contributes to accelerated aging.  

Corrections professionals, academics and policymakers are considering whether some older inmates should be released through medical (so called assisted living) and early release programs. Proponents argue that once released, inmates may be eligible for Medicare, Social Security or veterans’ benefits. “Prisons aren’t geared to the needs and vulnerabilities of older people. In the prison environment, there are a number of unique physical tasks that must be performed every day in order to retain independence,” according to Brie Williams, M.D., a geriatrician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. [Graying Prisons; states face challenges of an aging inmate population. By Carrie Abner. State News. Nov/Dec 2006]  

The Project for Older Prisoners (POPS), directed by Jonathan Turley, at George Washington University Law School, D.C., encompasses a number of prison projects in which students are involved as volunteers or work for academic credit. Some assist individual low-risk prisoners over the age of 55 to help them obtain paroles, pardons, or alternative forms of incarceration. In a typical case, a student will prepare an extensive background report on a prisoner to determine the likelihood of recidivism. If the risk is low, the student will then locate housing and support for the prisoner and help prepare the case for a parole hearing. In five states (Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia), law students interview and evaluate older and geriatric inmates in obtaining parole or other forms of release from incarceration. 

Turley testified in the House Judiciary Committee on prison reform and older prisoners in December 2007 that some prisons are 200% to 300% over capacity and rehabilitation work programs have been eliminated to make room for bunks. It is no longer a question of whether California’s prisoners will be released, but which ones. 

POPS proposed a risk-based approach in dealing with California’s burgeoning older population. The decision made on the basis of societal and not political risks, makes risk-based decisions that select the lowest-risk individuals for early release.As a general rule, people become less dangerous as they age. In males, the greatest drop in recidivism occurs around age 30 and tends to continue to fall. The average cost of an older prisoner is two to three times that of younger prisoner. In 2006-7 there were almost 20,000 prisoners over 55, including 717 over 70. 

The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that elderly prisoners — the fastest growing segment of the prison population, largely because of tough sentencing laws — are three times more expensive to incarcerate than younger inmates. ACLU estimates that it costs about $72,000 to house an elderly inmate for a year, compared to $24,000 for a younger prisoner.
In New York State as of January 1, there were 1,836 inmates older than age 60 serving time. Officials say 77 percent of those inmates were in custody on violent felonies.  

Information released after a public records request from Associated Press indicated that Washington State had 2,495 inmates age 50 or older, the state's definition of elderly. A new assisted-living facility at Coyote Ridge has a capacity of 74 inmates. To qualify, an inmate must be disabled and be considered a minimum security risk. The average age in the assisted living unit was 59, a figure skewed slightly by three inmates in their 30s with disabilities. Nearly all the inmates in the assisted-living unit were in for murder or sex crimes, although a few are serving time for assault, drug or property crimes. 

Many states are studying ways to reduce the number of elderly prisoners. New or expanded early release programs have been adopted by some.. But a study by the Vera Institute of Justice in New York City found the laws have rarely been used, in part because of political considerations and complicated reviews. Early release for infirm inmates would be fine, but prisoners need to be able to pay for the nursing care they need. 

And this is an international problem. Japanese prisons face a swelling elderly population. Mari Yamaguchi reported that Japan's population is aging faster than anywhere else. [Dec. 5, 2010 Washington Post] The number of Japanese prisoners aged 60 or older has doubled over the past decade to more than 10,000. The elderly now represent 16 percent of the nation's inmates. Though Japan's crime rate remains relatively low, the spike in elderly crime is another sign of the social and economic strains on the nation. An entire floor has been converted into a pilot geriatric ward at Onomichi Prison, near the city of Hiroshima. The government has also invested $100 million to build larger facilities at three other prisons around the country, and more are planned. Most of the inmates have been convicted of shoplifting and theft, reflecting the financial pressures and lack of family support facing many older Japanese amid a lengthy economic slump and fraying social cohesion. About half are repeat offenders, including some who steal to get caught and return to the relative security of prison, where at least shelter - if Spartan - and three meals a day, as well as a twice-weekly bath, are guaranteed. 

"The number of senior inmates has been surging, and there is no sign of decrease," according to Koki Maezawa, a Justice Ministry official in charge of prison services. "It's a serious problem that the entire society must tackle so that offenders don't keep coming back to prison once they get out." 

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS: 

Saturday, December 18, 2010: Holiday Food Baskets were delivered to Berkeley senior housing tenants who had indicated interest in such bounty. Fresh fruit and vegetables, chickens, and other groceries were provided by the City of Berkeley Fire Department, San Francisco Fire Credit Union, Berkeley Lions Club, Ashby Pluming & Heating supply, Berkeley Bowl, Monterey Market, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods. They were delivered by “many volunteers & Berkeley Firefighters.”


On Mental Health: Adequate Housing Is An Inalienable Right

By Jack Bragen
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 04:38:00 PM

Affordable, safe, accessible, clean housing should be provided for all persons with major mental illnesses, across the board. This is an area that creates numerous and persistent problems for those who are economically and otherwise affected by having these psychiatric diseases.  

Numerous persons with mental illness experience a lonely death on the streets because of the fact that housing was not provided. While others are assaulted in or near their own homes, and their housing has become place of dread or terror. Some must put up with substandard housing, some of which may include living in a place of filth and cockroaches. Others can barely afford their housing and sometimes must choose between either paying rent or eating.  

Moreover, there are some mentally ill people who still live with parents, well into their middle age. I would have done this if my parents permitted it; I was kicked out for good in my early twenties.  

I have experienced several housing situations in which I was bullied, intimidated or harassed by a criminal element. This took place in an apartment complex intended for mentally ill people, in which the staff that was supposed to be supervising allowed people other than tenants to live there. It took place in another apartment complex that had low rental, and the landlord wasn’t very selective about who was allowed to rent. In another housing situation, it was the staff persons who were the bullies, and the tenants were made to feel criminalized.  

One of the problems that cause bad housing situations to exist is that these apartment complexes are treated as moneymakers for the corporations that run them. The regulations that are supposed to protect the tenants either aren’t there or they aren’t being enforced. When practicable, the corporations that own these places will fire qualified staff who might require more salary, and will replace them with unqualified people, and give them minimal hours. Whistleblowers, whether they are tenants or staff, are subject to retaliation.  

People in the middleclass as well as those who are affluent don’t want housing for mentally ill people in their neighborhood. People believe that mentally ill people will assault their grandmothers and will sell drugs to their daughters. They see mental health housing as a factor that will devalue their property. Because of all this, it can be very hard to get mental health housing approved in a number of neighborhoods. Those who want to create such a facility may be forced to build it in a high crime, or blighted area.  

Public attitude toward the mentally ill isn’t always very good. It can be an unpopular move for a politician to push for a costly project that will help mentally ill people. Since popularity is necessary for any politician to keep their job, these projects can be few and far between.  

However, if people would look at the amount of suffering caused by inadequate housing for mentally ill people, they might change their minds about funding it.


Arts & Events

Stage-San Francisco Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:43:00 PM

"CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S OVO," -- through Jan. 24. A lively rush into a world of insects and acrobatics. Written and directed by Deborah Colker. See website for times, dates and complete details. Performances take place under the "Grand Chapiteau'' at AT&T Park. 

$38-$250.www.cirquedusoleil.com.< 

 

BEACH BLANKET BABYLON This long-running musical follows Snow White as she sings and dances her way around the world in search of her prince. Along the way she encounters many of the personalities in today's headlines, including Nancy Pelosi, Condoleezza Rice, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harry Potter, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, George and Laura Bush, Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise, Angelina, characters from Brokeback Mountain and Paris Hilton. Persons under 21 are not admitted to evening performances, but are welcome to Sunday matinees. 

"Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon," ongoing. 8 p.m. Wed. - Thurs.; 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fri. - Sat.; 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sun.  

$25-$134. Club Fugazi, 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. (formerly Green Street), San Francisco. (415) 421-4222, www.beachblanketbabylon.com.

 

CHANCELLOR HOTEL UNION SQUARE  

"Eccentrics of San Francisco's Barbary Coast," ongoing. 8 p.m. Fri. -Sat. Audiences gather for a 90-minute show abounding with local anecdotes and lore presented by captivating and consummate conjurers and taletellers. $30.  

433 Powell St., San Francisco. (877) 784-6835, www.chancellorhotel.com.

 

CLIMATE THEATRE  

"The Clown Cabaret at the Climate," ongoing. 7 and 9 p.m. First Monday of the month. Hailed as San Francisco's hottest ticket in clowning, this show blends rising stars with seasoned professionals on the Climate Theater's intimate stage. $10-$15.  

285 Ninth St., Second Floor, San Francisco. www.climatetheater.com.

 

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO  

"Lost In Yonkers by Neil Simon," through Jan. 16, 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; 2 and 7 p.m. Sun. $20-$39. 

Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 3200 California St., San Francisco. (415) 292-1200, Box Office: (415) 292-1233, www.jccsf.org.

 

KIMO'S BAR  

"Fauxgirls," ongoing. 10 p.m. Every third Saturday. Drag cabaret revue features San Francisco's finest female impersonators. Free. (415) 695-1239, www.fauxgirls.com. 

1351 Polk St., San Francisco. (415) 885-4535, www.kimosbarsf.com.

 

THE MARSH  

"The Mock Cafe," ongoing. 10 p.m. Saturdays. Stand-up comedy performances. $7.  

"The Monday Night Marsh," ongoing. 8 p.m. Mondays. An ongoing series of works-in-progress. $7.  

1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. (415) 826-5750, www.themarsh.org.

 

NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER  

"Dirty Little Showtunes," through Jan. 16, 8 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; 2 p.m Sun. No performances Dec. 24, 25 or Jan. 1. An off-color, adults-only antidote to the sugarplum saturation of the holidays. $24-$40.  

25 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org.

 

PIER 29 SPIEGELTENT  

"Teatro Zinzanni," through March 6, 6 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; 5 p.m. Sun. Teatro Zinzanni presents a new production, "License To Kiss II, A Sweet Conspiracy,'' offering a blend of European cabaret, circus arts, music, comedy and more. $117-$145.  

Embarcadero at Battery Street, San Francisco. (415) 438-2668, www.zinzanni.org.

 

PIER 39 A pier filled with shops, restaurants, theaters and entertainment of all sorts from sea lions to street performers.  

"SAN FRANCISCO CAROUSEL" -- The Pier's two-tiered, San Francisco-themed carousel with hand-crafted ponies that rock and move up and down and tubs that spin. In addition, carousel has hand-painted pictures of San Francisco scenes like the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown and Coit Tower. $3 per ride. "FREQUENT FLYERS'' -- A bungee trampoline where people can safely jump and flip over 20 feet in the air thanks to the help of bungee cords and a harness. Jumpers must weigh at least 30 pounds and not more than 230 pounds. $10 per session. (415) 981-6300.  

"RIPTIDE ARCADE" -- A 6,000-square-foot, surfer-themed arcade offering the Bay area's only 10-gun, Old West-style shooting gallery and 100 cuttingedge video games, virtual reality units and popular novelty games. Included are the "Dance Dance Revolution'' game, driving and roller coaster simulators, the "Global VR Vortex'' virtual reality machine, "Star Wars Trilogy,'' "Jurassic Park,'' "Rush 2049,'' and classics such as "Pac Man'' and "Galaga.'' Games are operated by 25-cent tokens and range in price from 25 cents to $1.50. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; through Feb. 26: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (415) 981-6300.  

"TURBO RIDE" -- Three simulated rides where the hydraulic seats move in synchronization with events on a giant screen are available at the Turbo Ride complex. The 12-minute-long rides in 3-D and 4-D are: "Dino Island II''; "Haunted Mine Ride,'' and "Extreme Log Ride.'' $12 general for one ride; $8 seniors and children ages 3 to 12 for one ride; $15 general for two rides; $11 seniors and children ages 3 to 12 for two rides; $18 general for multi-rides; $14 seniors and children ages 3 to 12 for multi-rides. (415) 392-8872.  

STUDIO 39 MAGIC CARPET RIDES -- A comedy action adventure utilizing special effects to created a personalized movie with visitors as the "stars'' flying above San Francisco. The Magic Carpet Ride is free. No reservations required. Ride is approximately five minutes. Personalized videos will be available for $30 for one: $10 for each additional tape. (415) 397-3939. SEA LIONS -- California sea lions, nicknamed "Sea Lebrities,'' "hauled out'' on Pier 39's K-Dock shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and by January of 1990 had taken over the docks. Due to a plentiful supply of herring and a protected environment, the population has grown and now reaches as many as 900 during the winter months. Weather permitting, free educational talks are provided by Marine Mammal Center volunteers on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Free. (415) 705-5500. 

"Tony n' Tina's Wedding," ongoing. The original interactive comedy hit where audience members play the roles of "invited guests'' at a fun-filled wedding ceremony. The popular dinner comedy performs at Swiss Louis Italian Restaurant. Thursday-Saturday, 7 p.m.; Matinees: Thursday and Saturday, noon. $88.50-$115.50. (888) 775-6777, www.pier39shows.com. 

Free. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; certain attractions and shops have differing hours. The Embarcadero and Beach Street, San Francisco. (415) 623-5300, (800) SEADIVE, www.pier39.com.

 

SF PLAYHOUSE  

"Coraline," through Jan. 15, 7 p.m. Tue.-Wed.; 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; 3 p.m. Sat. Neil Gaiman's children's book is brought to life on the stage with music by Stephen Merritt of the Magnetic Fields. $30-$50.  

533 Sutter St., San Francisco. (415) 677-9596, www.sfplayhouse.org.

 

SHELTON THEATER  

"Shopping! The Musical," by Morris Bobrow, ongoing. A quick-paced musical about those obsessed with buying things. Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m. $27-$29. (800) 838-3006, www.shoppingthemusical.com. 

Big City Improv, ongoing. 10 p.m. Fridays.  

$20. (510) 595-5597, www.bigcityimprov.com. 

533 Sutter St., San Francisco. (415) 433-1227, www.sheltontheater.com or www.sheltontheater.com.

 

THE STUD  

"Trannyshack," ongoing. A drag cabaret show that incorporates popular music, dance, props and outrageous humor into a stage show. Hosted by Heklina. Tuesday, midnight. $7. (415) 252-7883, www.heklina.com/. 

399 Ninth St., San Francisco. < 

 

THRILLPEDDLERS HYPNODROME  

"Pearls Over Shanghai," ongoing. 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; 7 p.m. Sun. See San Francisco's longest running Cockettes musical, running through Dec. 19. $30-$35.  

575 10th Street, San Francisco. www.thrillpeddlers.com/.<


Readings-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:42:00 PM

BERKELEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, CENTRAL BRANCH  

Edwin Bernbaum, Jan. 8, 2 p.m. "The Heights of Inspiration.''  

Free. Monday-Tuesday, noon-8 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. 2090 Kittredge St., Berkeley. (510) 981-6100, www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/.< 

 

BOOKS INC., BERKELEY  

Roseanne Barr, Jan. 9, 3 p.m. "Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm.''  

Mary Volmer, Jan. 16, 6 p.m. "Crown of Dust.''  

1760 4th Street, Berkeley. (510) 525-7777, www.booksinc.net.

 

DIESEL, A BOOKSTORE  

M.L. Liebler, Jan. 16, 3 p.m. "Working Words.''  

5433 College Avenue, Oakland. (510) 653-9965.< 

 

FRANK BETTE CENTER FOR THE ARTS  

Julie Gilgoff, Jan. 16, 3 p.m. "A Granddaughter's Rite of Passage.''  

Free. Wednesday and Friday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. 1601 Paru St., Alameda. (510) 523-6957, www.frankbettecenter.org.

 

MRS. DALLOWAY'S  

Claire Dederer, Jan. 12, 12:30 p.m. "Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses.''  

Peter Dale Scott, Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m. "American War Machine.''  

Adair Lara, Jan. 16, 4 p.m. "Naked, Drunk, and Writing.''  

2904 College Avenue, Berkeley. (510) 704-8222, www.mrsdalloways.com.<


Stage-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:42:00 PM

ASHBY STAGE  

"Shotgun Players present Of The Earth," through Jan. 30, 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; 5 p.m. Sun.; 7 p.m. Wed. Written and directed by Jon Tracy. $17-$60. (510) 841-6500, www.shotgunplayers.org. 

1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. < 

 

EAST BAY IMPROV  

"Tired of the Same Old Song and Dance?" ongoing. 8 p.m. East Bay Improv actors perform spontaneous, impulsive and hilarious comedy on the first Saturday of every month. $8.  

Pinole Community Playhouse, 601 Tennent Ave., Pinole. (510) 964-0571, www.eastbayimprov.com.<


Professional Dance-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:41:00 PM

ZELLERBACH HALL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY  

"San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival Auditions," Jan. 8 through Jan. 16, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 8; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 9 and Jan. 16; 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Jan. 15. More than 130 Northern California dance companies will be performing in hopes of securing a spot in the 2011 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. $10; free children 12 and under. (415) 474-3914, www.worldartswest.org. 

UC Berkeley campus, Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley. (510) 642-9988.< 

"CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S OVO," -- through Jan. 24. A lively rush into a world of insects and acrobatics. Written and directed by Deborah Colker. See website for times, dates and complete details. Performances take place under the "Grand Chapiteau'' at AT&T Park. 

$38-$250.www.cirquedusoleil.com.< 

 

COUNTERPULSE  

"2nd Sundays," ongoing. 2-4 p.m. Sun. Sept. 12: Philein Wang, ZiRu Tiger Productions, Tammy Cheney, Lenora Lee. Free.  

1310 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 626-2060, www.counterpulse.org.

 

MARINES MEMORIAL THEATRE  

"Luis Bravo's Forever Tango," through Jan. 9, Times vary; see website. $55-$100. 

609 Sutter St., San Francisco. (877) 771-6900, www.marinesmemorialtheatre.com.

 

ODC THEATER  

"ODC: The A.W.A.R.D. Show," Jan. 12 through Jan. 15, 8 p.m. $18. 

3153 17th St., San Francisco. (415) 863-9834, www.odctheater.org.

 

PENA PACHAMAMA  

"Flamenco Thursdays" with Carola Zertuche, ongoing. 8:30 p.m. Thursdays Music and dance with performers of traditional flamenco. $10.  

Brisas de Espana Ballet Flamenco, ongoing. 6:15 and 7:15 p.m. Sun.  

$10-$15. 

For ages 21 and older. 1630 Powell St., San Francisco. (415) 646-0018, www.penapachamama.com.

 

PIER 29 SPIEGELTENT  

"Teatro Zinzanni," through March 6, 6 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; 5 p.m. Sun. Teatro Zinzanni presents a new production, "License To Kiss II, A Sweet Conspiracy,'' offering a blend of European cabaret, circus arts, music, comedy and more. $117-$145.  

Embarcadero at Battery Street, San Francisco. (415) 438-2668, www.zinzanni.org.<


Classical Music-San Francisco Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:34:00 PM

AUDIUM  

"Audium 9," ongoing. 8:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. An exploration of the spatial dimension of music in a unique environment of 176 speakers. $15.  

$15. 8:30 p.m. 1616 Bush St., San Francisco. (415) 771-1616, www.audium.com.

 

HERBST THEATRE  

"San Francisco Performances presents Soyeon Lee," Jan. 9, 5 p.m. Works by Bach, Shostakovich, Ravel and more. $25. www.sfperformances.org. 

401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 392-4400, www.cityboxoffice.com.

 

LEGION OF HONOR MUSEUM DOCENT TOUR PROGRAMS -- Tours of the permanent collections and special exhibitions are offered Tuesday through Sunday. Non-English language tours (Italian, French, Spanish and Russian) are available on different Saturdays of the month at 11:30 a.m. Free with regular museum admission. (415) 750-3638.  

ONGOING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM --  

"Doing and Viewing Art," ongoing. For ages 7 to 12. Docent-led tours of current exhibitions are followed by studio workshops taught by professional artists/teachers. Students learn about art by seeing and making it. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to noon; call to confirm class. Free with museum admission. (415) 750-3658. 

ORGAN CONCERTS -- Ongoing. 4 p.m. A weekly concert of organ music on the Legion's restored 1924 Skinner organ. Saturday and Sunday in the Rodin Gallery. Free with museum admission. (415) 750-3624. 

$6-$10; free for children ages 12 and under; free for all visitors on Tuesdays. Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Lincoln Park, 34th Avenue and Clement Street, San Francisco. (415) 750-3600, (415) 750-3636, www.legionofhonor.org.

 

RED POPPY ART HOUSE  

The Musical Art Quintet, Jan. 7, 8 p.m. $10. 

2698 Folsom St., San Francisco. (415) 826-2402, www.redpoppyarthouse.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY  

Helene Grimaud, through Jan. 9, 2 p.m. Thu., Sun.; 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Works by Schumann and Rachmaninoff. $15-$140.  

"Yan Pascal Tortelier conducts Prokofiev," Jan. 13 through Jan. 15, 2 p.m. Thu.; 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. $15-$140. 

"Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival," Jan. 16, 3 p.m. Six Bay Area Youth Orchestras will come together to perform at this benefit for homeless youth hosted by Wendy Tokuda. $15-$60.  

$25-$130. Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org.

 

SEVENTH AVENUE PERFORMANCES  

San Francisco Renaissance Voices, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m.  

$20-$25. www.sfrv.org. 

1329 7th Ave., San Francisco. (415) 664-2543, www.sevenperforms.org.<


Classical Music-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:15:00 PM

FIREHOUSE ARTS CENTER  

Cypress String Quartet, Jan. 9, 3-5 p.m. Works by Mozart, Debussy and more. $12-$30.  

4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 931-4848, www.firehousearts.org.

 

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF BERKELEY  

"Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra presents David Daniels," Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, 8 p.m. Sat.; 7:30 p.m. Sun. Works by Vivaldi, Handel and more. $30-$90.  

2345 Channing Way, Berkeley. (510) 848-3696, www.fccb.org.

 

ST. MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH  

"MusicSources presents The Italian Lute in the Renaissance and Early Baroque," Jan. 7, 7 p.m. $15-$20. 

2005 Berryman St., Berkeley. <


Popmusic-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:40:00 PM

924 GILMAN ST. All ages welcome. 

Punch, Loma Prieta, Vaccine, No Statik, Secret People, Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m. $7. 

Big Kids, Algernon Cadwallader, Summer Blondes, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. $7. 

Owen Hart, Bloodhunger, Tigon, Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m. $8. 

$5 unless otherwise noted. Shows start Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. (510) 525-9926, www.924gilman.org.

 

ALBATROSS PUB  

Whiskey Brothers, ongoing. 9 p.m. First and third Wednesdays.  

Free.  

Free unless otherwise noted. Shows begin Wednesday, 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 1822 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-2473, www.albatrosspub.com.

 

ASHKENAZ  

"Breaking Up X-mas with The Stairwell Sisters," Jan. 7. Call or check website for details.  

Zydeco Flames, Jan. 8, 9 p.m. Cajun/Zydeco dance lessons at 8 p.m. $10-$13.  

Coutrableu, Jan. 11, 8:30 p.m. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. $10.  

Palavra, Bass Culture Revue, Jan. 12, 9 p.m. $10. 

Mamadou & Vanessa, Soul Union, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. $10. 

Moonalice, Jan. 14, 9 p.m. $10-$12. 

Front Street with Stu Allen, Jan. 15, 9:30 p.m. $12-$15. 

Four Shillings Short, Jan. 16, 3 p.m. $4-$6. 

Koudmen, CSM Panhandlers Steel Orchestra, Jan. 16, 8 p.m. $10-$20. 

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.

 

BECKETT'S IRISH PUB  

Jacques Ibula, Jan. 8.  

Shoes In The Dryer, Jan. 12.  

Adrian Gormley Jazz Ensemble, Jan. 13.  

Justin Anchetta Band, Jan. 14.  

Matt Lucas, Jan. 15.  

Free. Shows at 10 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2271 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 647-1790, www.beckettsirishpub.com.

 

BLAKE'S ON TELEGRAPH  

New Age Rage, Jan. 8, 8:30 p.m. $8-$10. 

Crypt Keeper, Hysteria, Jan. 14, 9 p.m. $10. 

Anaura, Fever Charm, Emily's Army, Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m. $8-$10. 

For ages 18 and older unless otherwise noted. Music begins at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2367 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-0886, www.blakesontelegraph.com.

 

CHOUINARD VINEYARDS AND WINERY The winery features an exhibit of stone craft and baskets honoring the rich culture of the Ohlone Indians. Palomares Canyon was a summer home to the Ohlone Indians. The exhibit also includes historical photos and artifacts that document more recent colorful inhabitants to the canyon."Music at Chouinard," ongoing. 4:30-8:30 p.m. on select Sundays June-August. The rest of the year features live music in the tasting room on the second Sunday of each month. Enjoy the best of Bay Area artists at Chouinard. Bring your own gourmet picnic (no outside alcoholic beverages). Wines are available for tasting and sales.  

$40 per car. 

Free. Tasting Room: Saturdays-Sundays, noon-5 p.m. 33853 Palomares Road, Castro Valley. (510) 582-9900, www.chouinard.com.

 

FOX THEATER  

Joe Satriani, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. $39.50-$75. 

Rebelution, Jan. 15, 8 p.m. $20. 

1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 452-0438, www.thefoxoakland.com.

 

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE  

"Freight Open Mic," ongoing. Tuesdays. $4.50-$5.50. 

Duck Baker, Jan. 7, 8 p.m. $18.50-$20.50. 

Cheap Suit Serenaders, Jan. 8, 8 p.m. $24.50-$26.50. 

Bruce Molsky, Jan. 9, 8 p.m. $20.50-$22.50. 

"Vocal Jazz Open Mic," Jan. 11, 8 p.m. $8.50-$10.50. 

Dr. K's Home Grown Roots Revue, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. $14.50-$16.50. 

Steve Seskin, Craig Carothers, Don Henry, Jan. 14, 8 p.m. $20.50-$22.50. 

John McCutcheon, Jan. 15, 8 p.m. $26.50-$28.50. 

Tom Russell, Jesse Winchester and Jimmy Webb, Jan. 16, 8 p.m. $32.50-$34.50. 

Music starts at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 548-1761, www.freightandsalvage.org.

 

JAZZSCHOOL  

Aaron Bahr Dectet, Jan. 7, 8 p.m. $10. 

Brama Sukarma, Jan. 8, 8 p.m. $10. 

The Nick Grinder Group, Jan. 9, 4:30 p.m. $10. 

Stephanie Crawford, Jan. 14, 8 p.m. $15. 

Erik Telford, Jan. 15, 8 p.m. $15. 

Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 2087 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com.

 

JUPITER  

"Americana Unplugged," ongoing. 5 p.m. Sundays. A weekly bluegrass and Americana series.  

"Jazzschool Tuesdays," ongoing. 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Featuring the ensembles from the Berkeley Jazzschool. www.jazzschool.com. 

Josh Jones Trio, Jan. 7, 8 p.m.  

Expandable Trio, Jan. 8, 8 p.m.  

DJ Delon and Dangerous Alien, Jan. 13, 8 p.m.  

Kaz George Quartet, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.  

Steve Carter Trio, Jan. 15, 8 p.m.  

8 p.m. 2181 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-8277, www.jupiterbeer.com.

 

KIMBALL'S CARNIVAL  

"Monday Blues Legends Night," ongoing. 8 p.m.-midnight. Enjoy live blues music every Monday night. Presented by the Bay Area Blues Society and Lothario Lotho Company. $5 donation. (510) 836-2227, www.bayareabluessociety.net. 

522 2nd St., Jack London Square, Oakland. < 

 

THE NEW PARISH  

The Pharcyde, Jan. 8, 9:30 p.m. $23. 

Big Sean, Jan. 9, 9 p.m. $20-$25. 

Frankie Feliciano, Timmy Regisford, Jan. 15, 10 p.m. $10-$20. 

579 18th St., Oakland. (510) 444-7474, www.thenewparish.com.

 

ROUND TABLE PIZZA  

East Bay Banjo Club, ongoing. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays.  

Free.  

1938 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill. (925) 930-9004.< 

 

SHATTUCK DOWN LOW For ages 21 and older. 

"King of King's," ongoing. 9 p.m. Sun. $10. 

"Live Salsa," ongoing. Wednesdays. An evening of dancing to the music of a live salsa band. Salsa dance lessons from 8-9:30 p.m. $5-$10. 

"Thirsty Thursdays," ongoing. 9 p.m. Thursdays. Featuring DJ Vickity Slick and Franky Fresh. Free.  

Blue Light River, Jan. 7, 9 p.m. $5. 

"The Feel Good: Love Below," Jan. 8, 9 p.m. $5. 

Orquestra Elefante, Jan. 12, 8 p.m. Live salsa dance lessons at 8:30 p.m. $10.  

The Hundred Days, Light Bridges, Jan. 14, 9 p.m. $5. 

2284 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-1159, www.shattuckdownlow.com.

 

STARRY PLOUGH PUB  

The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, ongoing. Sundays, 8 p.m. Sliding scale.  

Vir, Tremor Low, The Quiet Americans, Jan. 7, 9 p.m.  

Rice, Guitar Wizards of the Future, Jan. 8, 9 p.m.  

Skeleton Television, Straggler, Great Girls Blouse, Jan. 13, 9 p.m. $8. 

Miguel Viveiros, Jan. 14, 8 p.m. $8. 

Miss Essence, Sector Seven, Jan. 15, 9 p.m. $8. 

For ages 21 and over unless otherwise noted. Sunday and Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com.

 

UPTOWN NIGHTCLUB  

Man In Space, Maniac, Jan. 7, 9 p.m.  

Free.  

The Badmen, Shelby Cobra, Stigma 13, Jan. 8, 9 p.m.  

Free.  

Oakland Active Orchestra, Jan. 11, 9 p.m.  

Free.  

Rooftop Vigilantes, Jan. 12, 9 p.m.  

Tito Gonzalez, Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m. $8-$10. 

Throwrag, Jan. 14, 9 p.m. $10. 

"Hella Gay," Jan. 15, 9 p.m. $7. 

1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 451-8100, www.uptownnightclub.com.

 

YOSHI'S  

Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, Jan. 7 through Jan. 9, 8 and 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 2 and 7 p.m. Sun. $5-$24. 

Kenny Washington, Michael O'Neill, Jan. 10, 8 p.m. $16. 

Kev Choice Ensemble, Jan. 11, 8 p.m. $15. 

David Grisman and Martin Taylor, Jan. 12 and Jan. 13, 8 and 10 p.m. $16-$28. 

"Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonic Blowout," Jan. 14 through Jan. 16, 8 and 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 2 and 7 p.m. Sun. $5-$30. 

Shows are Monday through Saturday, 8 and 10 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. (510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.com.<


Around & About—Theater & the Performing Arts ...

By Ken Bullock
Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 05:08:00 PM

Looking back on a year of theater, a few moments spring to mind, more than a view of the whole of what took place ... The last scene, especially, in Central Works' Penelope's Odyssey, with Terry Lamb's outrageous portrait of the wily Odysseus as a raucous drunk, retailing war stories, capper to a collaborative show that displayed, once again, what makes that little company unique—and plucky. Jan Zvaifler, Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Matt Lai all played at the top of their game—as did director John Patrick Moore, playwright-lighting designer Gary Graves, soundman Greg Scharpen and costumer Tammy Berlin. In the same room at the City Club, Just Theater produced a very contemporary rendering of the Arabian Nights, Jason Grote's '1001', which also showed the theatricality a small company could create onstage with limited means, in many ways more artistically successful than more lavish stagings locally of the same material. 

Another remarkable production at the City Club, where Central works is in residence: Galileo's Daughters, written, directed and designed by Giulio Perrone for his Inferno Theatre, displaying an intimate panorama of the innovations of 20th century European theater with a committed tiny ensemble, including Michael McCamish of Berkeley, whose solo show with Sun & Moon, Twobird, was so engaging a year ago. 

The professional theaters around the Berkeley area had memorable moments: for the Aurora, the most memorable to me was Joel Drake Johnson's The First Grade, which seemed at first to be going in the direction of so many prefabricated contemporary American comedies-of-manners that are really live-on-stage TV sitcoms—yet turned out to be real theater about, in part, the way we've internalized that broadcast glibness, that passive-aggressive stance in our workaday and private lives to gloss over our increasing isolation. Artistic director Tom Ross and a fine cast led by Julia Brothers distinguished themselves. 

At The Rep, it was more the imported than the local, more the intriguing than the fully realized, with Broadway star Mandy Pantikin, supported by excellent acting and tech design, in a wildly uneven Compulsion, worth seeing for its values of professionality—and the best moments of The Great Game, a three-part marathon of short plays by various hands, British and American, staged by the UK's Tricycle Theatre, something that, whatever its limitations, surpassed much of what we call socially conscious theater here. 

CalShakes, in Orinda, the descendant of the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, continues every summer to assemble some of the best professional actors in the Bay Area to play The Bard—but Shaw, Wilde and Chekhov as well. The addition of Shakespeare scholar Philippa Kelly as dramaturg has been notable, already showing a sharpening of values in production that before were intangible—or absent altogether. 

And another seasonal tradition, Woodminster Summer Musicals, at the splendid WPA amphitheater in the Oakland hills, goes on producing diverting shows of quality after almost 45 years of service by the Schlader family, despite the loss of co-founder Jim Schlader. 

Berkeley Playhouse consolidated with the Julia Morgan Center for family and youth theater productions, including YMTC—Youth Musical Theatre Company. 

Shotgun's ongoing onslaught of new and not-so-new plays was topped, this year by the splendid ensemble production of Jenny Schwartz's God's Ear, staged by choreographer-turned-director Erica Chong Shuch. Ambitious design-based shows, both outside and in, continued with Jon Tracy's The Salt Plays and Mark Jackson's rendering of Schiller's Mary Stuart as prison drama, sans Cagney, but with a charged-up Scott Coopwood.  

Small companies that not only survive but thrive include plucky Ragged Wing Ensemble, who've staged outdoor spectacles and launched their youth ensemble, displaying ongoing dedication to a theater based on movement, stylization and the materialization of values that often seem intangible in most stage productions. Impact Theatre, downstairs from the pizzaria in Laval's Subterranean, has continued, into their 14th year, to expand ambitiously their entertainment-plus-new-playwright scheme, notably with Evren Odcikin's direction of The Play About the Naked Guy, by David Bell, which caught the attention of the whole Bay Area. 

After finding a new home at the Marion Greene Theatre, by the Fox Theatre in Oakland's Uptown, TheatreFirst has gone on producing very solid shows, mostly from North America, under the new, capable artistic direction of Michael Storm, transitioning from its more internationalist approach in the years under Clive Chafer's distinguished direction. 

And Wilde Irish, Berkeley's Hibernian histrions, keep up their tradition of Bloomsday James Joyce events and spirited staged readings. 

The Berkeley area continues, too, to be fortunate in its community theaters: Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, over 50 years old, has undergone something of a renaissance the last year or so, with such good shows as a choice Blithe Spirit, directed by that trouper Hector Correa, and a diverting Winter's Tale, helmed by Jeremy Cole, as well as a new series of staged readings—something new for many Bay Area troupes, though not for Subterranean Shakespeare, whose marathons of The Bard's canon, plus selections from his contemporaries, keep tradition alive weekly at the Unitarian Fellowship on Cedar. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater in El Cerrito passed the 50 year mark, going on with engaging entertainment for the community. Altarena Playhouse, in Alameda, more than 70 years old, weighs in with a diversity of plays under Frederick Chacon's artistic directorship. And the Masquers Playhouse, in Point Richmond, wrapped up this year, their 53rd, with Robert Estes' production of Other People's Money—an apt title for 2010. 

Virago, the five year-old troupe based in Alameda, continued adding new forms to their repertoire ... after engaging versions in the past of Three Penny Opera andCandide, they staged a present-day cabaret-styleLa Boheme this year—in addition to continuing their programs of new dramas and comedies, including staged readings. 

And local storyteller-to-music Jovelyn Richards gave swan-song performances of her unique, contemporary African-American tales at La Pena—but we may see her again, after her successes in Budapest! 

Some of the best theater around is by the many local opera companies, often the smallest and most adventurous. Berkeley Western Edge Opera opened in their brilliant new home at El Cerrito High with Mark Streshinsky's wonderful staging of Don Giovanni, with Eugene Brancoveneau shining in the lead, with splendid support on all sides. Oakland Opera Theatre was dormant this year, but its innovative shows will hopefully spring back again. Smaller, itinerant companies, memorably Harriet March Page and Mark Alburger's Cabaret Opera and Fred Winthrop’s Verismo Opera, respectively brought exciting new works and intimate versions of the old war horses to local venues. 

CalPerformances, sharing the Zellerbach Playhouse with the University's own productions and Zellerbach Auditorium with a plethora of events, produced Zenshinza Kabuki in both traditional and modern plays, a refreshing look into a great theatrical tradition too little staged here, and this May will feature the return of Ireland's extraordinary Druid company, with a Martin McDonagh play staged by their brilliant founder, Garry Hynes. 

Otherwise, I remember, throughout the Bay, shows like Oleg Liptsin's innovative solo piece, with iPhone and extraordinary comic acting, of Gogol's The Nose and his direction of a telescoped-down Three Sisters—both, in some performances, in an Embarcadero pier, utilizing that space impressively, with unusual video counterpoint. And John O'Keefe, co-founder of Berkeley's 70s troupe, the Blake Street Hawkeyes, teamed up with Noh actors and musicians in an unusual, spirited sample of a projected piece of mytho-theatrics around the Shinto creation myths, wild and full of O'Keefe's humor and the hypnotic style and sounds of Noh in syncopation. Larry Reed's Shadowlight Theater goes on with its innovations, many available on DVD, filmed by multi-talented Reed himself. 

No telling what will spring up around here, any given moment, even in such scrimping times as these. But so far the survival rate of the long and short-term standbys has also been extraordinary—so, on into the second decade of this century of performance! 


—At The Rep, Mike Daisey's solo shows of The Agony & the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs and The Last Cargo Cult go into previews on January 11; the Lemony Snickett—Nathaniel Stookey hit, The Composer is Dead, continues through the 17th.Tickets: $29-$73. 647-2949; berkeleyrep.org 

—It's the last week for Belinda Taylor's local hit, Becoming Julia Morgan, directed by Barbara Oliver at the Morgan-designed City Club—but the show is sold out! Future performances will be announced online at: juliamorganproject.org 

—Chanticleers, the Castro Valley community theater, whose spirited production of Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, directed by Oakland's Marty Nemko, with Sue Trigg and Chris Chapman as the parents of the precocious stagestruck brothers, was a memorable show last year, hosts their annual Crow awards, with scenes from last year's shows, including Broadway Bound, at 7 this Saturday, Chanticleers Theatre, 3638 Quail Avenue. Free—with refreshments following. (Donation requested.) Reservations recommended. 733-5483 or chanticleers.org 


Outdoors-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:40:00 PM

"MONARCHS -- BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING," -- Jan. 8. Join a Hayward Area Recreation and Park District Monarch Butterfly expert to learn about the animal's amazing life cycles. Adults only; meet at the Mulford Marina Branch Library entrance, 13699 Aurora, San Leandro. 

$16.Noon.(510) 881-6700, www.haywardrec.org.

 

ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM Ardenwood farm is a working farm that dates back to the time of the Patterson Ranch, a 19th-century estate with a mansion and Victorian Gardens. Today, the farm still practices farming techniques from the 1870s. Unless otherwise noted, programs are free with regular admission.  

ONGOING PROGRAMS --  

"Blacksmithing," Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watch a blacksmith turn iron into useful tools.  

"Horse-Drawn Train," Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A 20-minute ride departs from Ardenwood Station and Deer Park.  

"Animal Feeding," Thursday-Sunday, 3-4 p.m. Help slop the hogs, check the henhouse for eggs and bring hay to the livestock.  

"Victorian Flower Arranging," Thursday, 10:15-11:30 a.m. Watch as Ardenwood docents create floral works of art for display in the Patterson House. "Toddler Time," ongoing. Tuesdays, 11-11:30 a.m. Bring the tiny tots out for an exciting morning at the farm. Meet and learn all about a new animal friend through stories, chores and fun.  

"Horse-Drawn Train Rides," ongoing. Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Meet Jigs or Tucker the Belgian Draft horses that pull Ardenwood's train. Check the daily schedule and meet the train at Ardenwood Station or Deer Park. 

"Country Kitchen Cookin'," ongoing. Sundays, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy the flavor of the past with treats cooked on Ardenwood's wood burning stove. Sample food grown on the farm and discover the history of your favorite oldtime snacks. 

"Animal Feeding," ongoing. Thursday-Sunday, 3 p.m. Feed the pigs, check for eggs and bring hay to the livestock. 

"Potato Harvesting," ongoing. Learn the spectacular history of this New World native as you dig with your spade and help find the spuds. 

$1-$5; free children under age 4. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont. (510) 796-0199, (510) 796-0663, www.ebparks.org.

 

BAY AREA RAIL TRAILS ongoing. A network of trails converted from unused railway corridors and developed by the Rails to Trails Conservancy.  

BLACK DIAMOND MINES REGIONAL PRESERVE RAILROAD BED TRAIL -- Ongoing. This easy one mile long rail trail on Mount Diablo leads to many historic sites within the preserve. Suitable for walking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Accessible year round but may be muddy during the rainy season. Enter from the Park Entrance Station parking lot on the East side of Somersville Road, Antioch.  

IRON HORSE REGIONAL TRAIL -- Ongoing. The paved trail has grown into a 23 mile path between Concord and San Ramon with a link into Dublin. The trail runs from the north end of Monument Boulevard at Mohr Lane, east to Interstate 680, in Concord through Walnut Creek to just south of Village Green Park in San Ramon. It will eventually extend from Suisun Bay to Pleasanton and has been nominated as a Community Millennium Trail under the U.S. Millennium Trails program. A smooth shaded trail suitable for walkers, cyclists, skaters and strollers. It is also wheelchair accessible. Difficulty: easy to moderate in small chunks; hard if taken as a whole.  

LAFAYETTE/MORAGA REGIONAL TRAIL -- Ongoing. A 7.65 mile paved trail converted from the Sacramento Northern Rail line. This 20-year old trail goes along Las Trampas Creek and parallels St. Mary's Road. Suitable for walkers, equestrians, and cyclists. Runs from Olympic Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road in Lafayette to Moraga. The trail can be used year round.  

OHLONE GREENWAY -- Ongoing. A 3.75-mile paved trail converted from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway. Suitable for walkers, strollers and skaters. It is also wheelchair accessible. The trail runs under elevated BART tracks from Conlon and Key Streets in El Cerrito to Virginia and Acton Streets in Berkeley.  

SHEPHERD CANYON TRAIL -- Ongoing. An easy 3-mile paved trail converted from the Sacramento Northern Rail Line. The tree-lined trail is gently sloping and generally follows Shepherd Canyon Road. Suitable for walkers and cyclists. It is also wheelchair accessible. Begins in Montclair Village behind McCaulou's Department Store on Medau Place and ends at Paso Robles Drive, Oakland. Useable year round. 

Free. (415) 397-2220, www.traillink.com.

 

BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL ongoing. The Bay Area Ridge Trail, when completed, will be a 400-mile regional trail system that will form a loop around the entire San Francisco Bay region, linking 75 public parks and open spaces to thousands of people and hundreds of communities. Hikes on portions of the trail are available through the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. Call for meeting sites. ALAMEDA COUNTY -- "Lake Chabot Bike Rides." These rides are for strong beginners and intermediates to build skill, strength and endurance at a non hammerhead pace. No one will be dropped. Reservations required. Distance: 14 miles. Elevation gain: 1,000 feet. Difficulty: beginner to intermediate. Pace: moderate. Meeting place: Lake Chabot Road at the main entrance to the park. Thursday, 6:15 a.m. (510) 468-3582.  

ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA COUNTY -- "Tilden and Wildcat Bike Rides." A vigorous ride through Tilden and Wildcat Canyon regional parks. Reservations required. Distance: 15 miles. Elevation gain: 2,000 feet. Difficulty: intermediate. Pace: fast. Meeting place: in front of the North Berkeley BART Station. Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. (510) 849-9650. 

Free. (415) 561-2595, www.ridgetrail.org.

 

BICYCLE TRAILS COUNCIL OF THE EAST BAY ongoing. The Council sponsors trail work days, Youth Bike Adventure Rides, and Group Rides as well as Mountain Bike Basics classes which cover training and handling skills. "Weekly Wednesday Ride at Lake Chabot," ongoing. Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. A 13- to 20-mile ride exploring the trails around Lake Chabot, with 1,500 to 2,000 feet of climbing. Meet at 6:15 p.m. in the parking lot across from the public safety offices at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley. Reservations requested. (510) 727-0613.  

"Weekly Wednesday 'Outer' East Bay Ride," ongoing. Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. Ride some of the outer East Bay parks each week, such as Wild Cat Canyon, Briones, Mount Diablo, Tilden and Joaquin Miller-Redwood. Meeting place and ride location vary. Reservations required. (510) 888-9757. 

Free. (510) 466-5123, www.btceb.org.

 

BOTANIC GARDEN Ongoing.  

Intersection of Wildcat Canyon Road and South Park Drive, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. www.ebparks.org.

 

CIVIC PARK, WALNUT CREEK  

"Walnut Creek On Ice," through Jan. 17. A special holiday time outdoor ice skating rink. See website for complete details. www.walnut-creek.com. 

1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. < 

 

CRAB COVE VISITOR CENTER At Crab Cove, you can see live underwater creatures and go into the San Francisco Bay from land. You can also travel back in time to Alameda's part. The goal is to increase understanding of the environmental importance of San Francisco Bay and the ocean ecosystem. Crab Cove's Indoor Aquarium and Exhibit Lab is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the East Bay."Catch of the Day," ongoing. Sundays, 2-3 p.m. Drop by to find out more about the Bay and its wildlife through guided exploration and hands-on fun. 

"Sea Siblings," ongoing. Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Explore the natural world and take part in a theme related craft. Designed for the 3-5 year old learner. Registration is required.  

$4. (888) 327-2757. 

"Sea Squirts," ongoing. 10-11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Discover the wonders of nature with your little one. Registration is required. $6-$8. 

Free unless otherwise noted; parking fee may be charged. 1252 McKay Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-6887, www.ebparks.org.

 

DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE ongoing. Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.  

ESTATE GROUNDS -- Ongoing. Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.  

GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free. 

Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.

 

FIFTY-PLUS ADVENTURE WALKS AND RUNS ongoing. The walks and runs are 3-mile round-trips, lasting about one hour on the trail. All levels of ability are welcome. The walks are brisk, however, and may include some uphill terrain. Events are held rain or shine and on all holidays except Christmas and the Fifty-Plus Annual Fitness Weekend. Call for dates, times and details. 

Free. (650) 323-6160, www.50plus.org.

 

FOREST HOME FARMS ongoing. The 16-acre former farm of the Boone family is now a municipal historic park in San Ramon. It is located at the base of the East Bay Hills and is divided into two parts by Oak Creek. The Boone House is a 22-room Dutch colonial that has been remodeled several times since it was built in 1900. Also on the property are a barn built in the period from 1850 to 1860; the Victorian-style David Glass House, dating from the late 1860s to early 1870s; a storage structure for farm equipment and automobiles; and a walnut processing plant. 

Free unless otherwise noted. Public tours available by appointment. 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon. (925) 973-3281, www.ci.sanramon. ca.us/parks/boone.htm.< 

 

GARIN AND DRY CREEK PIONEER REGIONAL PARKS ongoing. Independent nature study is encouraged here, and guided interpretive programs are available through the Coyote Hills Regional Park Visitor Center in Fremont. The Garin Barn Visitor Center is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In late summer, the Garin Apple Festival celebrates Garin's apple orchards. The parks also allow picnicking, hiking, horseback riding and fishing. 

Free; $5 parking fee per vehicle; $2 per dog. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 1320 Garin Ave., Hayward. (510) 562-PARK, (510) 795-9385, www.ebparks.org/parks/garin.htm.< 

 

GREENBELT ALLIANCE OUTINGS A series of hikes, bike rides and events sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance, the Bay Area's non-profit land conservation and urban planning organization. Call for meeting places. Reservations required for all trips.  

ALAMEDA COUNTY --  

"Self-Guided Urban Outing: Berkeley," ongoing. This interactive smart growth walking tour of central Berkeley examines some of the exciting projects that help alleviate the housing shortage in the city as well as amenities important to making a livable community. The walk, which includes the GAIA Cultural Center, Allston Oak Court, The Berkeley Bike Station, University Terrace and Strawberry Creek Park, takes between an hour-and-ahalf to two hours at a leisurely pace. Download the itinerary which gives specific directions by entering www.greeenbelt.org and clicking on "get involved'' and then "urban outings.'' Drop down and click on Berkeley. Free. 

Free unless otherwise noted. (415) 255-3233, www.greenbelt.org.

 

HAYWARD REGIONAL SHORELINE With 1,682 acres of salt, fresh and brackish water marshes, seasonal wetlands and the approximately three-mile San Lorenzo Trail, the Hayward Shoreline restoration project is one of the largest of its kind on the West Coast, comprising 400 acres of marshland. Part of the East Bay Regional Park District.Ongoing.  

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 3010 W. Winton Ave., Hayward. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org/parks/hayward.htm.< 

 

HAYWARD SHORELINE INTERPRETIVE CENTER Perched on stilts above a salt marsh, the Center offers an introduction to the San Francisco Bay-Estuary. It features exhibits, programs and activities designed to inspire a sense of appreciation, respect and stewardship for the Bay, its inhabitants and the services they provide. The Habitat Room offers a preview of what may be seen outside. The 80-gallon Bay Tank contains some of the fish that live in the Bay's open waters, and the Channel Tank represents habitats formed by the maze of sloughs and creeks that snake through the marsh. The main room of the Center features rotating exhibits about area history, plants and wildlife. Part of the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. "Exploring Nature," ongoing. An exhibit of Shawn Gould's illustrations featuring images of the natural world.Ongoing.  

"Weekend Weed Warriors," ongoing. 1-4 p.m. Help the shoreline to eliminate the non-native plants that threaten its diversity. Ages 12 and older. Registration required. 

"Waterfowl of the Freshwater Marsh," ongoing. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Join an expert birder to go "behind the gates'' to areas of the marsh that are not open to the public. 

"Nature Detectives," ongoing. 11 a.m.-noon. An introduction and exploration of the world of Black-Crowned Night-Herons. Ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Registration required. 

Free. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward. (510) 670-7270, www.hard.dst.ca.us/hayshore.html.< 

 

JOHN MUIR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE The site preserves the 1882 Muir House, a 17-room Victorian mansion where naturalist John Muir lived from 1890 to his death in 1914. It was here that Muir wrote about preserving America's wilderness and helped create the national parks idea for the United States. The house is situated on a hill overlooking the City of Martinez and surrounded by nine acres of vineyards and orchards. Take a self-guided tour of this well-known Scottish naturalist's home. Also part of the site is the historic Martinez Adobe and Mount Wanda. Public Tours of the John Muir House, ongoing. Begin with an eight-minute park film and then take the tour. The film runs every 15 minutes throughout the day. Wednesday through Friday, 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.  

MOUNT WANDA -- The mountain consists of 325 acres of grass and oak woodland historically owned by the Muir family. It offers a nature trail and several fire trails for hiking. Open daily, sunrise to sunset. 

JOHN MUIR HOUSE, ongoing. Tours of this well-known Scottish naturalist's home are available. The house, built in 1882, is a 14-room Victorian home situated on a hill overlooking the city of Martinez and surrounded by nine acres of vineyards and orchards. It was here that Muir wrote about preserving America's wilderness and helped create the national parks idea for the United States. The park also includes the historic Vicente Martinez Adobe, built in 1849. An eight-minute film about Muir and the site is shown every 15 minutes throughout the day at the Visitor Center. Self guided tours of the Muir home, the surrounding orchards, and the Martinez Adobe: Wednesday-Sunday, 1 a.m.-5 p.m. Public tours or the first floor of the Muir home: Wednesday-Friday, 2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Reservations not required except for large groups.  

$3 general; free children ages 16 and under. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez. (925) 228-8860, www.nps.gov/jomu.< 

 

KENNEDY GROVE REGIONAL RECREATION AREA ongoing. The 95-acre park contains picnic areas, horseshoe pits and volleyball courts among its grove of aromatic eucalyptus trees.  

$5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs Through September: daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante. (510) 223-7840, www.ebparks.org.

 

LAKE CHABOT REGIONAL PARK ongoing. The 315-acre lake offers year-round recreation. Services include canoe and boat rental, horseshoe pits, hiking, bicycling, picnicking and seasonal tours aboard the Chabot Queen. For boat rentals, call (510) 247-2526. 

Free unless noted otherwise; $5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs. Daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 17930 Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital.Ongoing.  

SPECIAL EVENTS Ongoing.  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. June 16-Sept. 15: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; Sept. 16-June 15: noon.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

LIVERMORE AREA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT ongoing.  

4444 East Ave., Livermore. (925) 373-5700, www.larpd.dst.ca.us/.< 

 

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SHORELINE ongoing. This 1,200-acre park situated near Oakland International Airport offers picnic areas with barbecues and a boat launch ramp. Swimming is not allowed. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Grove, a group of trees surrounding a grassy glade, is at the intersection of Doolittle Drive and Swan Way. The area also includes the 50-acre Arrowhead Marsh (part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network) and a Roger Berry sculpture titled "Duplex Cone,'' which traces the summer and winter solstice paths of the sun through the sky. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted Doolittle Drive and Swan Way, Oakland. (510) 562-PARK, Picnic reservations: (510) 636-1684, www.ebayparks.org.

 

MILLER-KNOX REGIONAL SHORELINE ongoing. A 295-acre shoreline picnic area with a secluded cove and swimming beach, and a hilltop offering panoramic views of the north Bay Area. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted. 900 Dornan Dr., Richmond. (510) 562-PARK, Picnic Reservations: (510) 636-1684, www.ebparks.org.

 

MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK ongoing. The 3,849-foot summit of Mount Diablo offers great views of the Bay Area and an extensive trail system. Visitors to the park can hike, bike, ride on horseback and camp. Notable park attractions include: The Fire Interpretive Trail, Rock City, Boy Scout Rocks and Sentinel Rock, Fossil Ridge, Deer Flat, Mitchell Canyon Staging Area, Diablo Valley Overlook, the Summit Visitor Center (open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the Art Gallery, the Observation Deck and the Mitchell Canyon Interpretive Center. 

Free. $6 per vehicle park-entrance fee; $5 for seniors. Daily, 8 a.m. to sunset. Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard, from the Diablo Road exit off Interstate Highway 680, Danville. (925) 837-2525, www.mdia.org or www.parks.ca.gov.

 

PLEASANTON RIDGE REGIONAL PARK ongoing. This 3,163-acre parkland is on the oak-covered ridge overlooking Pleasanton and the Livermore Valley from the west. A multi-purpose trail system accommodates hikers, equestrians and bicyclists. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Foothill Road, Pleasanton. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

POINT PINOLE REGIONAL SHORELINE ongoing. The 2,315-acre parkland bordering Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo offers views of Mount Tamalpais, the Marin shoreline and San Pablo Bay. There are trails through meadows and woods, and along the bluffs and beaches of San Pablo Bay. Visitors can hike, ride bikes or take the park's shuttle bus to reach the 1,250-foot fishing pier at Point Pinole. 

$5 per vehicle; $4 per trailered vehicle; $2 per dog (guide/service dogs free). Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted. Giant Highway, Richmond. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

PREWETT FAMILY WATERPARK ongoing. There are pools and water slides for all ages, from the Tad Pool for toddlers to Boulder cove for older swimmers. In addition to fun pools and slides there are fitness pools for lessons and exercise, lawns for relaxing, locker rooms, community room and kitchen. Lap lanes are open year round. Food and beverages are not permitted in the park. Picnic tables are available outside the park. 

$4-$11. Sunday through Friday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Aug.23-27, 30-31. 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch. (925) 776-3070, www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CitySvcs/Prewett.< 

 

QUARRY LAKES REGIONAL RECREATION AREA ongoing. The park includes three lakes sculpted from former quarry ponds. The largest, Horseshoe Lake, offers boating and fishing, with a swim beach that will open in the spring. Rainbow Lake is for fishing only, and the third lake, Lago Los Osos, is set aside for wildlife habitat. In addition, there are hiking and bicycling trails that connect to the Alameda Creek Regional Trail. The park includes three lakes sculpted from former quarry ponds. The largest, Horseshoe Lake, offers boating and fishing, with a swim beach that will open in the spring. Rainbow Lake is for fishing only, and the third lake, Lago Los Osos, is set aside for wildlife habitat. In addition there are hiking and bicycling trails that connect to the Alameda Creek Regional Trail. 

$5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs; boat launch fees; Park District fishing access permit fee of $3. Through Labor Day: daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sept. 6 through Sept. 30, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 2100 Isherwood Way,, between Paseo Padre Parkway and Osprey Drive,, Fremont. (510) 795-4883, Picnic reservations:: (510) 562-2267, www.ebparks.org.

 

REI CONCORD A series of lectures on hikes and outdoor equipment. 

"Climbing the Indoor Wall," ongoing. Saturdays, noon-4 p.m.; Wednesdays, 6-8:30 p.m. $5.  

"Free Bicycle Classes," ongoing. 2:30-3 p.m. Sundays. Learn how to remove a wheel, fix a flat and more.  

Events are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. (925) 825-9400.< 

 

REI FREMONT A series of lectures on hikes and outdoor equipment. 

"Climb the Indoor Pinnacle," ongoing. 1-6 p.m. Saturdays. $5. 

Events are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 43962 Fremont Blvd., Fremont. (510) 651-0305.< 

 

ROBERT SIBLEY VOLCANIC REGIONAL PRESERVE ongoing. East Bay residents have several volcanoes in their backyard. This park contains Round Top, one of the highest peaks in the Oakland Hills. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 6800 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

RUTH BANCROFT GARDEN One of America's finest private gardens, the Ruth Bancroft Garden displays 2,000 specimens from around the world that thrive in an arid climate. Included are African and Mexican succulents, New World cacti, Australian and Chilean trees, and shrubs from California. 

DOCENT TOUR SCHEDULE -- ongoing. 10 a.m. Saturdays. Docent-led tours last approximately an hour and a half. Plant sales follow the tour. By reservation only. $7; free children under age 12.  

SELF-GUIDED TOURS -- Ongoing. 9:30 a.m.-noon Mon. - Thurs.; 9:30 a.m. Fri.; 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sat.; 5 p.m. Sunday. Self-guided tours last two hours. No reservations required for weekday tours; reservations required for Friday and Saturday tours. Plant sales follow the tours. $7; free children under age 12.  

Gardens open only for tours and special events listed on the garden's telephone information line. 1500 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek. (925) 210-9663, www.ruthbancroftgarden.org.

 

SHADOW CLIFFS REGIONAL RECREATION AREA ongoing. The 296-acre park includes an 80-acre lake and a four-flume waterslide, with picnic grounds and a swimming beach. Water slide fees and hours: (925) 829-6230. 

$6 per vehicle; $2 per dog except guide and service dogs. May 1 through Labor Day: daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; shortened hours for fall and winter. Stanley Boulevard, one mile from downtown, Pleasanton. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

SULPHUR CREEK NATURE CENTER A wildlife rehabilitation and education facility where injured and orphaned local wild creatures are rehabilitated and released when possible. There is also a lending library of animals such as guinea pigs, rats, mice and more. The lending fee is $8 per week. "Toddler Time," ongoing. Learn about animals by listening to stories and exploring. Themes vary by month. Call for schedule. $7 per family.  

"Day on the Green Animal Presentations," ongoing. Meet an assortment of wild and domestic animals. Wildlife volunteers will present a different animal each day from possums to snakes, tortoises to hawks. Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. 

CHILDREN'S EVENTS -- Ongoing.  

Free. Park: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Discovery Center: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Animal Lending Library: Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: daily, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1801 D St., Hayward. (510) 881-6747, www.haywardrec.org/sulphur_creek.html.< 

 

SUNOL REGIONAL WILDERNESS This park is full of scenic and natural wonders. You can hike the Ohlone Wilderness trail or Little Yosemite. There are bedrock mortars that were used by Native Americans, who were Sunol's first inhabitants."Sunol Sunday Hike," ongoing. Sundays, 1:30-3 p.m. A natural history walk in the wilderness. 

"Sunol Sunday Hike," ongoing. Sundays, 1:30-3 p.m. A natural history walk in Sunol Regional Wilderness. 

Free unless otherwise noted; $5 parking; $2 dog fee. Geary Road off Calaveras Road, six miles south of Interstate Highway 680, Sunol. (510) 652-PARK, www.ebparks.org.<


Museums-San Francisco Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:39:00 PM

ASIAN ART MUSEUM OF SAN FRANCISCO The Asian Art Museum-Chon-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture recently unveiled its new building in San Francisco's Civic Center. The building, the former San Francisco Public Library, has been completely retrofitted and rebuilt to house San Francisco's significant collection of Asian treasures. The museum offers complimentary audio tours of the museum's collection galleries. "In a New Light," ongoing. There are some 2,500 works displayed in the museum's new galleries. They cover all the major cultures of Asia and include Indian stone sculptures, intricately carved Chinese jades, Korean paintings, Tibetan thanksgas, Cambodian Buddhas, Islamic manuscripts and Japanese basketry and kimonos.  

ONGOING FAMILY PROGRAMS --  

Storytelling, Sundays and the first Saturday of every month, 1 p.m. This event is for children of all ages to enjoy a re-telling of Asian myths and folktales in the galleries. Meet at the Information Desk on the Ground Floor. Free with general admission.  

"Target Tuesday Family Program," first Tuesday of every month. Free with general admission.  

"Family Art Encounter," first Saturday of every month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Drop in to make art related to the museum's collection. Children must be accompanied by an adult. In the Education Studios. Free with admission.  

DOCENT-LED ART TOURS -- The museum's docents offer two types of tours: a general introduction to the museum's collection and a highlight tour of specific areas of the collection. Free with museum admission.  

ARCHITECTURAL GUIDES -- Tuesday through Sunday at noon and 2:30 p.m., Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Learn about the former Main Library's transformation into the Asian Art Museum on this 40-minute tour. Free with museum admission.  

RESOURCE CENTER -- Tuesday through Sunday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Watch a video, or learn more about Asian art with slide packets, activity kits and books. Free with museum admission.Ongoing. Free with general admission unless otherwise noted.  

$7-$12; free children under age 12; $5 Thursday after 5 p.m.; free to all first Sunday of each month. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 200 Larkin St., San Francisco. (415) 581-3500, www.asianart.org.

 

BEAT MUSEUM Formerly located on the California coast in Monterey, the Beat Museum now sits in historic North Beach. The Museum uses letters, magazines, pictures, first editions and more to explore the lives of leading beat figures such as Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and many others. A gift shop and bookstore are open to the public free of charge."North Beach Walking Tour,", ongoing. A 90-minute walking tour of North Beach with Beat Museum curator Jerry Cimimo. See the bars, coffeehouses, homes, and other Beat-related highlights of North Beach. Call for info. $15.Ongoing.  

$4-$5. Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. CLOSED MONDAY. 540 Broadway, San Francisco. (800) KER-OUAC, www.kerouac.com.

 

CABLE CAR MUSEUM The museum is located in the historic Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse. Visitors can see the actual cable winding machinery, grips, track, cable and brakes, as well as three historic cable cars, photo displays and mechanical artifacts. The best way to get to this museum is by cable car; street parking is practically non-existent.Ongoing.  

Free. April 1-Sept. 30: daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 1-March 31, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 1201 Mason St., San Francisco. (415) 474-1887, www.cablecarmuseum.org.

 

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES  

"Nightlife," ongoing. 6 p.m. Thursdays. Every Thursday night, the Academy transforms into a lively venue filled with provocative science, music, mingling and cocktails, as visitors get a chance to explore the museum.  

"Where the Land Meets the Sea," ongoing. Exhibition features sculpture by Maya Lin.  

BENJAMIN DEAN LECTURE SERIES -- Ongoing.  

$14.95-$24.95. Daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. (415) 379-8000, www.calacademy.org.

 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

HISTORY WALKABOUTS -- Ongoing. A series of monthly walking tours that explore the history, lore and architecture of California with veteran tour guide Gary Holloway. Walks take place rain or shine so dress for the weather. Reservations and prepayment required. Meeting place will be given with confirmation of tour reservation. Tour price includes admission to the Museum.  

MUSEUM -- Ongoing. The museum's permanent collection is made up of the Fine Arts Collection, consisting of 5,000 works of art that represent the history of California from pre-Gold Rush days to the early decade of the 20th century; and The Photography Collection, containing nearly a halfmillion images in an array of photographic formats documenting the history of California in both the 19th and 20th centuries. The Library and Research Collection contain material relating to the history of California and the West from early exploration time to the present including texts, maps, and manuscripts.  

"Landscape and Vision: Early California Painters from the Collections of the California Historical Society," open-ended. An exhibit of oil paintings including a large number of early landscapes of California, from the museum's collection.  

"Think California," through Feb. 5, Wed.-Sat. noon-4:30 p.m. An exhibition highlighting the colorful history of California through the institution's remarkable collection of artwork, artifacts and ephemera. Themes include: Coming to California, Scenic Splendors, Earthquakes, Floods and Volcanoes, and more. $1-$3; members are always free. 

"Think California," through Feb. 5. Exhibition features artworks, artifacts and ephemera exploring California's colorful history.  

$1-$3; free children under age 5. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-4:30 p.m. 678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848 X229, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

 

CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA The CHSA Museum and Learning Center features a permanent exhibition, "The Chinese of America: Toward a More Perfect Union'' in its Main Gallery, and works by Chinese-American visual artists in its Rotating Galleries. "Leaders of the Band," ongoing. An exhibition of the history and development of the Cathay Club Marching Band, the first Chinese American band formed in 1911.Ongoing.  

$1-$3; free children ages 5 and under; free for all visitors first Thursday of every month. Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m. 965 Clay St., San Francisco. (415) 391-1188, www.chsa.org.

 

DE YOUNG MUSEUM The art museum has now reopened in a new facility designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron and Fong and Chan Architects in San Francisco. It features significant collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries; modern and contemporary art; art from Central and South America, the Pacific and Africa; and an important and diverse collection of textiles. 

"Van Gough, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay," ongoing. Exhibit open through Jan. 18, 2011.  

LECTURES AND SYMPOSIA -- Ongoing.  

"Pat Steir: After Hokusai, after Hiroshige," through Jan. 30. Exhibition shows the continued influence of the Japanese print on Western artists into the late twentieth century.  

"To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color," through Jan. 9. Exhibition features over 50 textiles and costumes from the Fine Arts Museums' comprehensive collection of textiles from Africa, Asia and the Americas.  

$6-$10; free for children ages 12 and under; free for all visitors the first Tuesday of every month. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m.-8:45 p.m. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco. (415) 863-3330, www.deyoungmuseum.org.

 

GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM The museum is a project of the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) Historical Society.Ongoing.  

EXHIBITS Ongoing.  

$2-$4. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. 657 Mission St., Suite 300, San Francisco. (415) 777-5455, www.glbthistory.org.

 

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN Ongoing.  

101 Howard Street, Suite 480, San Francisco. (415) 543-4669, www.imow.org/home/index.< 

 

LEGION OF HONOR MUSEUM DOCENT TOUR PROGRAMS -- Tours of the permanent collections and special exhibitions are offered Tuesday through Sunday. Non-English language tours (Italian, French, Spanish and Russian) are available on different Saturdays of the month at 11:30 a.m. Free with regular museum admission. (415) 750-3638.  

ONGOING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM --  

"Doing and Viewing Art," ongoing. For ages 7 to 12. Docent-led tours of current exhibitions are followed by studio workshops taught by professional artists/teachers. Students learn about art by seeing and making it. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to noon; call to confirm class. Free with museum admission. (415) 750-3658. 

ORGAN CONCERTS -- Ongoing. 4 p.m. A weekly concert of organ music on the Legion's restored 1924 Skinner organ. Saturday and Sunday in the Rodin Gallery. Free with museum admission. (415) 750-3624. 

"Japanesque: The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism," through Jan. 9. An exhibit introducing audiences to the development of the Japanese print over two centuries, and reveals its profound influence on Western art during the era of impressionism.  

$6-$10; free for children ages 12 and under; free for all visitors on Tuesdays. Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Lincoln Park, 34th Avenue and Clement Street, San Francisco. (415) 750-3600, (415) 750-3636, www.legionofhonor.org.

 

MARKET STREET RAILWAY MUSEUM ongoing. The museum will permanently display a variety of artifacts telling the story of San Francisco's transportation history, including dash signs, fare boxes, a famed Wiley "birdcage'' traffic signal and more. 

Free. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 77 Steuart St., San Francisco. (415) 956-0472, www.streetcar.org.

 

MEXICAN MUSEUM ongoing.  

THE MEXICAN MUSEUM GALLERIES AT FORT MASON CENTER ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED --  

The Mexican Museum holds a unique collection of 12,000 objects representing thousands of years of Mexican history and culture within the Americas. The permanent collection, the Museum's most important asset and resource, includes five collecting areas: Pre-Conquest, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican and Latino, and Chicano Art. The Museum also has a collection of rare books and a growing collection of Latin American art. 

Fort Mason Center, Building D, Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard, San Francisco. (415) 202-9700, www.mexicanmuseum.org.

 

MUSEO ITALOAMERICANO ongoing. The museum, dedicated to the exhibition of art works by Italian and Italian-American artists, has a small permanent collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper by such renowned artists as Beniamino Buffano, Sandro Chia, Giorgio de Chirico and Arnaldo Pomodoro.  

DOCENT TOURS -- Wednesdays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Free. 

$2-$3; free children under age 12; free to all first Wednesday of the month. Wednesday-Sunday, noon -4 p.m.; first Wednesday of the month, noon-7 p.m. Fort Mason Center, Building C, Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard, San Francisco. (415) 673-2200, www.museoitaloamericano.org.

 

MUSEUM OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY Ongoing.  

Free. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Humanities Building, Room 510, SFSU, Font Boulevard and Tapia Drive, San Francisco. (415) 405-0599, www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/.< 

 

MUSEUM OF PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN Ongoing.  

Free. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister, 4th Floor, San Francisco. (415) 255-4800, www.mpdsf.org.

 

MUSEUM OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA A new museum exploring and celebrating the influence of the African Diaspora on global art and culture through interactive, permanent and changing exhibits and special programs. The museum occupies the first three floors of the new St. Regis Hotel at Third and Mission streets.  

PERMANENT EXHIBITS --  

"Celebrations: Rituals and Ceremonies," "Music of the Diaspora,'' "Culinary Traditions,'' 'Adornment,'' "Slavery Passages,'' and "The Freedom Theater.''Ongoing.  

"Urban Kidz Film Series," ongoing. Noon-3 p.m. An offshoot of the San Francisco Black Film Festival, featuring a striking assemblage of short and feature films designed to spark the imaginations of the 5-to-12-year-old set. $10 adults; children free. (415) 771-9271.Ongoing.  

$5-$8; free children age 12 and under. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; CLOSED MARCH 13 THROUGH MARCH 21. 685 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 358-7200, www.moadsf.org.

 

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM LIBRARY (THE J. PORTER SHAW MARITIME LIBRARY) ongoing. Closed on federal holidays. The library, part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, focuses on sail and steam ships on the West Coast and the Pacific Basin from 1520 to the present. The museum library holdings include a premiere collection of maritime history: books, magazines, oral histories, ships' plans and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park's 250,000 photographs. 

Free. By appointment only, Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m., and the third Saturday of each month 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fort Mason Center, Building E, Third Floor, Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard, San Francisco. (415) 560-7080, (415) 560-7030, www.nps.gov/safr.< 

 

PACIFIC HERITAGE MUSEUM ongoing. The museum presents rotating exhibits highlighting historical, artistic, cultural and economic achievements from both sides of the Pacific Rim. The museum features a permanent display documenting the history and significance of the Branch Mint and Subtreasury buildings. 

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 608 Commercial St., San Francisco. (415) 399-1124.< 

 

RANDALL MUSEUM "Earthquake Exhibit," ongoing. Learn about plate tectonics. Make a small quake by jumping on the floor to make a "floor quake'' that registers on the seismometer in the lobby. See the basement seismometer that registers quakes around the world. Walk through a full-size earthquake refugee shack that was used to house San Franciscans after the 1906 earthquake that destroyed so many homes.  

"Creativity and Discovery Hand in Hand," ongoing. A photography exhibit that gives visitors a look into the wide variety of programs the Museum offers in the way of classes, workshops, school field trips, and special interest clubs.  

"Toddler Treehouse," ongoing. Toddlers may comfortably climb the carpeted "treehouse'' and make a myriad of discoveries, from the roots to the limbs.  

"Live Animal Exhibit," ongoing. Visit with more than 100 creatures including small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, raptors and small birds, insects, spiders and tide pool creatures. "Saturdays Are Special at the Museum," ongoing. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A series of drop-in ceramics and art and science workshops. All ages are welcome, though an adult must accompany children under age 8. $3 per child, $5 per parent-child combination.  

"Bufano Sculpture Tours," first and third Saturdays of the month, 10:15 a.m. A tour of the giant animal sculptures of Beniamino Bufano. The sculptures were carved out of stone in the 1930s and include a giant cat and a mother bear nursing her cubs.  

"Animal Room," ongoing. Visit some of the animals that live at the museum, including reptiles, raptors, tide pool creatures and small mammals.  

"Meet the Animals" Saturdays, 11:15 a.m. to noon. See the Randall's animals close-up and in person.  

"Animal Feeding," Saturdays, noon. Watch the animals take their meals.  

"Golden Gate Model Railroad Exhibit," Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

DROP-IN ART AND SCIENCE WORKSHOPS -- Ongoing. 1-4 p.m.  

$3-$5. "Third Friday Birders," ongoing. 8 a.m. The hike through Corona Heights Park allows participants to enjoy the early morning views and learn more about the feathered inhabitants of the area. Children aged 10 and older if accompanied by adult. 

"Meet the Animals," ongoing. Saturdays, 11:15 a.m. Learn about the animals that live at the Randall Museum. 

"Drop-in Family Ceramics Workshop," ongoing. Saturday, 10:15-11:15 a.m. $5. 

"Golden Gate Model Railroad Exhibit," ongoing. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 

"Meet the Animals," ongoing. 11:15 a.m.-noon. 

"Animal Feeding," ongoing. Saturday, noon. 

"Drop-in Family Ceramics Workshop," ongoing. Saturday, 1:15-2:15 p.m. 

"Film Series for Teenagers," ongoing. Fridays, 7 p.m. 

Free. All ages welcome; an adult must accompany children under age 8. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS. 199 Museum Way, San Francisco. (415) 554-9600, www.randallmuseum.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CAR MUSEUM ongoing. The museum is located in the historic Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse. Visitors can see the actual cable winding machinery, grips, track, cable and brakes, as well as three historic cable cars, photo displays and mechanical artifacts. The best way to get to this museum is by cable car; street parking is practically non-existent. 

Free. October 1-March 31: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Daily; Closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 1201 Mason St., San Francisco. (415) 474-1887, www.cablecarmuseum.com.

 

SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK One of only a few "floating'' national parks, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park includes four national landmark ships, a maritime museum, a maritime library and a World-War-II submarine named the USS Pampanito.  

HYDE STREET PIER -- Demonstrations, ship tours, programs, music and special events offered throughout the day. Check ticket booth for schedule. At the foot of Hyde Street, Hyde and Jefferson streets.  

Entering the Pier is free but there is a fee to board the ships.  

HISTORIC SHIPS AT THE HYDE STREET PIER -- The historic ships at the Pier are the 1886 square-rigger "Balclutha,'' the 1890 steam ferryboat "Eureka,'' the 1895 schooner "C.A. Thayer'' (not available at this time due to restoration), the 1891 scow schooner "Alma,'' the 1907 steam tug "Hercules,'' and the 1914 "Eppleton Hall,'' a paddlewheel tug.  

"Balclutha." This historic ship, a three-mast square-rigger, has undergone extensive repairs and preservation work. She now contains more original materials and fittings than any other historic merchant square-rigger in the United States. The Balclutha is a designated National Historic Landmark. At Hyde Street Pier.  

"Eureka." Explore this 1890 ferryboat with a 40-foot walking-beam engine. The boat once carried passengers and autos across the San Francisco Bay. At Hyde Street Pier. Daily, call for times of boat tour.  

"C.A. Thayer." A three-mast schooner used in the lumber and cod fishing trades. At Hyde Street Pier.  

"Alma." Between 1850 and the early 1900s, the best highways around the San Francisco Bay area were the waterways and the delivery trucks and tractortrailer rigs of the time were the flat-bottomed scow schooners. Able to navigate the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region's shallow creeks, sloughs and channels, the scows' sturdy hulls could rest safely and securely on the bottom providing a flat, stable platform for loading and unloading. Made of inexpensive Douglas fir, scow's designs were so simple they could be built by eye or without plans.  

"Hercules." Tugs in the early part of the 20th century towed barges, sailing ships and log rafts between Pacific ports. Because prevailing north/west winds generally made travel up the coast by sail both difficult and circuitous, tugs often towed large sailing vessels to points north of San Francisco. In 1916 Hercules towed the C.A. Thayer to Port Townsend, Wash., taking six days to make the trip. At the end of the sail era, the Hercules was acquired by the Western Pacific Railroad Company and shuttled railroad car barges back and forth across San Francisco Bay until 1962.  

"Eppleton Hall." Built in England, the steam side-wheeler plied the Wear and Tyne rivers of Northeast England. Designed to tow ocean-going colliers (coal-carrying sail vessels) the tugs saved transit time getting the sail vessels upriver to load. The side-wheelers were also used to tow newly built ships out to sea. From 1969 to 1979, the Eppleton Hall served as a private yacht. She was modified for an epic steam via the Panama Canal to San Francisco, passing through the Golden Gate in March of 1970.  

HISTORIC SHIP AT FISHERMAN'S WHARF --  

"USS Pampanito." This World-War-II-era submarine is berthed at Fisherman's Wharf. The submarine celebrated her 50th anniversary in November of 1993 and is perhaps best known for her participation in a "wolf pack'' attack on a convoy of enemy ships during World War II. The entrance fee includes a taped audio tour that describes what life on this submarine was like. At Pier 45, near foot of Taylor Street. Monday through Thursday, Sunday and holidays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. $9 general; $5 seniors, $4 active duty military, $4 youth ages 6 to 12; free children under age 6. (415) 775-1943. "Historic Ship Volunteer Work Party," Saturday, 9 a.m. Become part of an effort to preserve four of the park's nautical treasures. Work on a different ship each Saturday. Bring work clothes, work shoes and lunch. Call for meeting place. (415) 332-8409.  

Unless noted otherwise, events take place on the Hyde Street Pier, located at the foot of Hyde Street on Jefferson Street.Ongoing. Current Exhibits at the Visitor Center:  

"What's Your Pleasure? Recreational Boats of California's Past," openended. This exhibit includes 1940s Sacramento Hydroplanes, a Russian River launch from the 19th century, classic wooden motor launches and motor boats, and other smaller crafts.  

"Hydroplanes and Racing Boats," open-ended. A small exhibit showcasing 1930s racing engines and hydroplane boats.  

"Frisco Bound," an exhibition about immigration to San Francisco, clipper ships, and the Gold Rush era.  

"Hyde Street Ship Models," an exhibit of models of the historic ships at the Hyde Street Pier.  

"Discovery Room," a preview of the Maritime Library where visitors can look up documents and photographs.  

(415) 447-5000.Ongoing.  

"Adventures at Sea: Life Aboard a 19th century Sailing Ship," ongoing. Daily, 2:15 p.m.-3 p.m. Take a guided tour of the sailing ship Balclutha and learn about the hardships and awards of the sailors show fought for survival during the treacherous Cape Horn passage. Vessel admission. 

"Historic Waterfront Walking Tour," ongoing. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Park Rangerled, hour long tour of San Francisco's northern waterfront. Tour takes place on various days throughout December; see website for full details. Free. 

"EUREKA Engine Room Tour," Jan. 8, 3-3:45 p.m. Take a Park Ranger led tour of the ferryboat Eureka's engine room and get a close-up look at what makes a steam ferry run. $5; under 16 free. 

"Chantey Sing," ongoing. 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Monthly sing-a-long aboard a historic ship. Bring a mug for hot apple cider served from the ship's galley. Free; reservations required. Reservation line: (415) 561-7171. 

"A Singing Tour of BALCLUTHA," Jan. 9 and Jan. 23, 3-3:45p.m. Listen to examples of sea chanteys -- work songs sung by sailors. Join in to haul a line and sing along! $5, children under 16 are free. 

"Small Craft Collection Tour," Jan. 15, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tour of small craft collection. Free. 

"Music of the Sea for Kids," Jan. 15, 3-3:45 p.m. Sing songs that are geared for younger ears and chosen especially for fun. Ages 6 and up. $5; children under 15 are free. 

"HERCULES Engineering Tour," Jan. 16, 3-3:45 p.m. Explore the major engineering spaces and learn about steam engine technology and its effects on the working environment of the marine steam engineer. $5; under 16 free. 

VISITOR CENTER -- Ongoing. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Daily  

Entering the Pier is free but there is a fee to board the ships. The fee allows access to all ships and is good for seven days. $5; free children under age 16. May 28-Sept. 30: daily, 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Oct. 1-May 27: Daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Foot of Hyde Street, San Francisco. (415) 561-7100, www.nps.gov.

 

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF CRAFT AND DESIGN A museum celebrating and promoting the art of contemporary craft and design. The museum showcases diverse exhibitions from regional, national and international artists, working in mediums such as wood, clay, fiber, metal and glass.Ongoing. TEMPORARILY CLOSED.  

$2-$4; free youths under age 18. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 550 Sutter St., San Francisco. (415) 773-0303, www.sfmcd.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO PERFORMING ARTS LIBRARY AND MUSEUM ongoing. "Dance in California: 150 Years of Innovation," ongoing. This permanent exhibit traces the history and artistic range of modern dance in California, with photographs and documents highlighting the achievements of Lola Montez, Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, Martha Graham, the Christensen brothers, the Peters Wright School, the company of Lester Horton, Anna Halprin and Lucas Hoving.  

"Maestro! Photographic Portraits by Tom Zimberoff," ongoing. This permanent exhibit is a comprehensive study of a generation of national and international conductors. In Gallery 5.  

"San Francisco 1900: On Stage," ongoing. In Gallery 4.  

"San Francisco in Song," ongoing. In Gallery 3. 

Free. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 1-5 p.m. San Francisco War Memorial Veteran's Building, 401 Van Ness Ave., Fourth Floor, San Francisco. (415) 255-4800, www.sfpalm.org.

 

SEYMOUR PIONEER MUSEUM ongoing. The museum, owned by The Society of California Pioneers, houses a permanent research library, art gallery and history museum. Exhibits include a photography collection documenting California history. 

$1-$3. Wednesday-Friday and the first Saturday of the month, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Society of California Pioneers, 300 Fourth St., San Francisco. (415) 957-1859, www.californiapioneers.org.

 

TREGANZA ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY ongoing. The museum, founded in 1968, houses collections of archaeological and ethnographic specimens from Africa, Oceania, Asia, and North America as well as small collections from Central and South America. There are also collections of photographs, tapes and phonograph records from Africa and Europe. In addition, there is an archive of field notes and other materials associated with the collections. The museum also houses the Hohenthal Gallery that is used for traveling exhibits as well as exhibits mounted by students and faculty. 

Free. Museum office: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Hohenthal Gallery, SCI 388: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Science Building, SFSU, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco. (415) 338-2467, www.sfsu.edu/~treganza/.< 

 

ZEUM Zeum is a technology and arts museum for children and families featuring exhibits and workshops that cover a variety of fascinating subjects.Ongoing.  

$8-$10. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday. 221 Fourth St., San Francisco. (415) 820-3220, www.zeum.org.<


Kids-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:38:00 PM

ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM Ardenwood farm is a working farm that dates back to the time of the Patterson Ranch, a 19th-century estate with a mansion and Victorian Gardens. Today, the farm still practices farming techniques from the 1870s. Unless otherwise noted, programs are free with regular admission.  

ONGOING PROGRAMS --  

"Blacksmithing," Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watch a blacksmith turn iron into useful tools.  

"Horse-Drawn Train," Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A 20-minute ride departs from Ardenwood Station and Deer Park.  

"Animal Feeding," Thursday-Sunday, 3-4 p.m. Help slop the hogs, check the henhouse for eggs and bring hay to the livestock.  

"Victorian Flower Arranging," Thursday, 10:15-11:30 a.m. Watch as Ardenwood docents create floral works of art for display in the Patterson House. "Toddler Time," ongoing. Tuesdays, 11-11:30 a.m. Bring the tiny tots out for an exciting morning at the farm. Meet and learn all about a new animal friend through stories, chores and fun.  

"Animal Feeding," ongoing. Thursday-Sunday, 3 p.m. Feed the pigs, check for eggs and bring hay to the livestock. 

"Country Kitchen Cookin'," ongoing. Sundays, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy the flavor of the past with treats cooked on Ardenwood's wood burning stove. Sample food grown on the farm and discover the history of your favorite oldtime snacks. 

"Horse-Drawn Train Rides," ongoing. Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Meet Jigs or Tucker the Belgian Draft horses that pull Ardenwood's train. Check the daily schedule and meet the train at Ardenwood Station or Deer Park. 

"Potato Harvesting," ongoing. Learn the spectacular history of this New World native as you dig with your spade and help find the spuds. 

$1-$5; free children under age 4. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont. (510) 796-0199, (510) 796-0663, www.ebparks.org.

 

ASHKENAZ  

Four Shillings Short, Jan. 16, 3 p.m. $4-$6. 

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.

 

BAY POINT LIBRARY  

"Monthly Craft Night," ongoing. 4-5 p.m. Last Friday of every month. Each month features a different themed craft.  

Riverview Middle School, 205 Pacifica Ave., Pittsburg. (925) 458-9597.< 

 

BLACKHAWK MUSEUM ongoing.  

AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM -- The museum's permanent exhibition of internationally renowned automobiles dated from 1897 to the 1980s. The cars are displayed as works of art with room to walk completely around each car to admire the workmanship. On long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution is a Long Steam Tricycle; an 1893-94 Duryea, the first Duryea built by the Duryea brothers; and a 1948 Tucker, number 39 of the 51 Tuckers built, which is a Model 48 "Torpedo'' four-door sedan. "International Automotive Treasures," ongoing. An ever-changing exhibit featuring over 90 automobiles.  

"A Journey on Common Ground," ongoing. An exhibit of moving photographs, video and art objects from around the world exploring the causes of disability and the efforts of the Wheelchair Foundation to provide a wheelchair for every person in need who cannot afford one. Free Public Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Docent-led guided tours of the museum's exhibitions. 

$5-$8; free for children ages 6 and under. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville. (925) 736-2280, (925) 736-2277, www.blackhawkmuseum.org.

 

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP ongoing. An interactive place where children, and adults, can learn how a stuffed animal is made, then choose an animal pattern from the offering of bears, elephants, dogs and rabbits; stuff the chosen animal; dress it; and create a birth certificate. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

$10-$25; clothing and accessories extra. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Broadway Plaza, 1248 Broadway, Walnut Creek. (925) 946-4697, www.buildabear.com.

 

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films. 

ASK JEEVES PLANETARIUM -- Ongoing. The planetarium features one of the most advanced star projectors in the world. A daily planetarium show is included with general admission. Call for current show schedule.  

"Space NOW!", ongoing. Each week, this real-time ride through constellations, stars, and planets will reflect current happenings in our sky. Space NOW! will also tie in activities going on throughout the center. This is Chabot's first daytime guided tour of the universe. 

"Tales Of The Maya Skies," ongoing. "Tales of the Maya Skies'' is a new full-dome planetarium show that explores the cosmology of the ancient Maya, along with their culture and their contributions to astronomy. Starts November 21. 

"Astronaut," ongoing. What does it take to be part of the exploration of space? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. Narrated by Ewan McGregor. 25 min. 

"Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity," ongoing. Take a ride to the inside of a massive black hole and learn about the latest scientific evidence, which suggests that black holes are real. Narrated by Liam Neeson. Suitable for age 12 and older. Free with General Admission ticket. 

"The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" ongoing. A voyage from the ocean deep to the outer reaches of the cosmos in search of life, narrated by Harrison Ford. 

"The Sky Tonight," ongoing. Saturdays, 8 p.m. Take a live tour of the starry sky overhead on the night of your visit. The show includes a look at constellations, planets and special celestial objects. 

"Immersive Space: Fly Through the Cosmos," ongoing. Fridays, 8 p.m. Experience the "digital universe'' in a new full-dome system. Travel to the nearest star and beyond in seconds. 

"Secret of the Cardboard Rocket," ongoing. Take a journey through the solar system with two young adventurers who turn an old cardboard box into a rocket. Recommended for ages 5-10. 

"Sunshine," ongoing. A 15-minute planetarium show for children ages 5 and under. In the show, Sunshine, a lovable animated cartoon of the Sun, urges children to sing and play along with his tricks. In the process, he introduces the colors of the day sky and the other suns of the night sky. Free with regular general admission. 

"Sonic Vision," ongoing. Friday-Saturday, 9:15 p.m. This show uses the latest digital technology to illuminate the planetarium with colorful computer-generated imagery set to today's popular music, including Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Moby and more.Ongoing.  

"Chabot Observatories: A View to the Stars," ongoing. This new permanent exhibit honors the 123-year history of Chabot and its telescopes. The observatory is one of the oldest public observatories in the United States. The exhibit covers the three different sites of the observatory over its history as well as how its historic telescopes continue to be operated today. Included are informative graphic panels, multimedia kiosks, interactive computer programs, hands-on stations, and historic artifacts. 

"Dinner, Movie and the Universe," ongoing. Every Friday and Saturday evening. Enjoy a bistro-style dinner, then cozy up for a film in the 70-foot MegaDome theater and end the evening with a telescope viewing. Call to purchase general admission tickets and to make dinner reservations. (510) 336-7373. 

Telescope Visions Class, ongoing. 7 p.m. This course introduces participants to the astronomer's main tool: the telescope. Classes are held in the Galileo Room twice monthly. $85-$95; reservations required. (510) 336-7373. 

TIEN MEGADOME SCIENCE THEATER -- Ongoing. A 70-foot dome-screen auditorium. Show times subject to change. Call for current show schedule. Price with paid general admission is $6-$7. Theater only: $7-$8. (510) 336-7373, www.ticketweb.com. 

"Cosmic Voyage," ongoing. A breathtaking journey through time and space. Zoom from the surface of the Earth to the largest observable structures of the Universe and back down to the sub-nuclear realm, a guided tour across some 42 orders of magnitude. Explore some of the greatest scientific theories, many of which have never before been visualized on film. 

"Dinosaurs Alive," ongoing. A global adventure of science and discovery, featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous, "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant screen. Audiences will journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendents of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. From the exotic, trackless expanses and sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, the film will follow American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) paleontologists as they explore some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history. 

"Forces of Nature," ongoing. This film showcases the awesome spectacle of earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe storms as scientists continue their quests to understand how these natural disasters are triggered. 

"The Living Sea," ongoing. The film celebrates the beauty, power and importance of the ocean. Produced in association with The National Maritime Center, the Ocean Film Network and Dr. Robert Ballard. 

"The Human Body," ongoing. This show explores the daily biological processes that go on in the human body without our control and often without our notice. This amazing story is revealed in detail on the giant screen. 

Center Admission: $14.95; $10.95 children 3-12; free children under 3; $3 discount for seniors and students. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Also open on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. after June 29. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.

 

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND A fairy tale theme park featuring more than 30 colorful fantasy sets. Designed especially for children ages 10 and under, there are gentle rides, a train, the "Peter Rabbit Village,'' puppet shows, story-telling and lots of slides and animals. Admission price includes unlimited rides, special shows, guest entertainers and puppet shows.  

OLD WEST JUNCTION -- Children's Fairyland's newest attraction is a Wild West-themed town sized just for children, with a livery stable, bank, jail and a water tower slide.  

PUPPET SHOWS -- Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. All shows are at the Open Storybook Theatre. Free with regular Fairyland admission.  

ARTS AND CRAFTS CENTER -- Activities on Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3 p.m.  

ANIMAL OF THE DAY -- Saturday and Sunday, 1-1:20 p.m. at the Humpty Dumpty Wall. Learn about one of Fairyland's animal friends."Animal of the Day!" ongoing. Saturdays and Sundays, 1-1:20 p.m. Come up close and learn about Fairyland's creatures. 

"Arts and Crafts," ongoing. Noon-3 p.m. Event features arts and crafts projects for children and their families. $6. 

$6; free for children under age 1; $2 for a Magic Key. No adult admitted without a child and no child admitted without an adult. Summer (June through Labor Day): Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fall and Spring: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Winter: Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CLOSED DEC. 25-JAN. 4. 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. (510) 452-2259, www.fairyland.org.

 

CIVIC PARK, WALNUT CREEK  

"Walnut Creek On Ice," through Jan. 17. A special holiday time outdoor ice skating rink. See website for complete details. www.walnut-creek.com. 

1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. < 

 

CRAB COVE VISITOR CENTER At Crab Cove, you can see live underwater creatures and go into the San Francisco Bay from land. You can also travel back in time to Alameda's part. The goal is to increase understanding of the environmental importance of San Francisco Bay and the ocean ecosystem. Crab Cove's Indoor Aquarium and Exhibit Lab is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the East Bay."Sea Siblings," ongoing. Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Explore the natural world and take part in a theme related craft. Designed for the 3-5 year old learner. Registration is required.  

$4. (888) 327-2757. 

"Catch of the Day," ongoing. Sundays, 2-3 p.m. Drop by to find out more about the Bay and its wildlife through guided exploration and hands-on fun. 

"Sea Squirts," ongoing. 10-11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Discover the wonders of nature with your little one. Registration is required. $6-$8. 

Free unless otherwise noted; parking fee may be charged. 1252 McKay Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-6887, www.ebparks.org.

 

DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE ongoing. Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.  

ESTATE GROUNDS -- Ongoing. Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.  

GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free. 

Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.

 

FOREST HOME FARMS ongoing. The 16-acre former farm of the Boone family is now a municipal historic park in San Ramon. It is located at the base of the East Bay Hills and is divided into two parts by Oak Creek. The Boone House is a 22-room Dutch colonial that has been remodeled several times since it was built in 1900. Also on the property are a barn built in the period from 1850 to 1860; the Victorian-style David Glass House, dating from the late 1860s to early 1870s; a storage structure for farm equipment and automobiles; and a walnut processing plant. 

Free unless otherwise noted. Public tours available by appointment. 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon. (925) 973-3281, www.ci.sanramon. ca.us/parks/boone.htm.< 

 

HABITOT CHILDREN'S MUSEUM A museum especially for children ages 7 and under. Highlights include "WaterWorks,'' an area with some unusual water toys, an Infant Tree for babies, a garden especially for toddlers, a child-scale grocery store and cafe, and a costume shop and stage for junior thespians. The museum also features a toy lending library. "Waterworks." A water play gallery with rivers, a pumping station and a water table, designed to teach about water.  

"Little Town Grocery and Cafe." Designed to create the ambience of shopping in a grocery store and eating in a restaurant.  

"Infant-Toddler Garden." A picket fence gated indoor area, which includes a carrot patch with wooden carrots to be harvested, a pretend pond and a butterfly mobile to introduce youngsters to the concept of food, gardening and agriculture.  

"Dramatic Arts Stage." Settings, backdrops and costumes coincide with seasonal events and holidays. Children can exercise their dramatic flair here.  

"Wiggle Wall." The floor-to-ceiling "underground'' tunnels give children a worm's eye view of the world. The tunnels are laced with net covered openings and giant optic lenses.Ongoing.  

$6-$7. Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Closed Sunday-Tuesday. 2065 Kittredge St., Berkeley. (510) 647-1111, www.habitot.org.

 

HALL OF HEALTH ongoing. A community health-education museum and science center promoting wellness and individual responsibility for health. There are hands-on exhibits that teach about the workings of the human body, the value of a healthy diet and exercise, and the destructive effects of smoking and drug abuse. "Kids on the Block'' puppet shows, which use puppets from diverse cultures to teach about and promote acceptance of conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, leukemia, blindness, arthritis and spina bifida, are available by request for community events and groups visiting the Hall on Saturdays. "This Is Your Heart!" ongoing. An interactive exhibit on heart health.  

"Good Nutrition," ongoing. This exhibit includes models for making balanced meals and an Exercycle for calculating how calories are burned.  

"Draw Your Own Insides," ongoing. Human-shaped chalkboards and models with removable organs allow visitors to explore the inside of their bodies.  

"Your Cellular Self and Cancer Prevention," ongoing. An exhibit on understanding how cells become cancerous and how to detect and prevent cancer. 

Suggested $3 donation; free for children under age 3. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 2230 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 549-1564, www.hallofhealth.org.

 

HAYWARD SHORELINE INTERPRETIVE CENTER Perched on stilts above a salt marsh, the Center offers an introduction to the San Francisco Bay-Estuary. It features exhibits, programs and activities designed to inspire a sense of appreciation, respect and stewardship for the Bay, its inhabitants and the services they provide. The Habitat Room offers a preview of what may be seen outside. The 80-gallon Bay Tank contains some of the fish that live in the Bay's open waters, and the Channel Tank represents habitats formed by the maze of sloughs and creeks that snake through the marsh. The main room of the Center features rotating exhibits about area history, plants and wildlife. Part of the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. "Exploring Nature," ongoing. An exhibit of Shawn Gould's illustrations featuring images of the natural world.Ongoing.  

"Weekend Weed Warriors," ongoing. 1-4 p.m. Help the shoreline to eliminate the non-native plants that threaten its diversity. Ages 12 and older. Registration required. 

"Nature Detectives," ongoing. 11 a.m.-noon. An introduction and exploration of the world of Black-Crowned Night-Herons. Ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Registration required. 

"Waterfowl of the Freshwater Marsh," ongoing. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Join an expert birder to go "behind the gates'' to areas of the marsh that are not open to the public. 

Free. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward. (510) 670-7270, www.hard.dst.ca.us/hayshore.html.< 

 

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE EAST BAY  

"Shabbat Celebration for Young Children," ongoing. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Join other families with young children to sharethis weekly Jewish holiday of joy and renewal.  

"The Buddy Club Children's Show," Jan. 9, 1 p.m. Featuring Dan Chan the Magic Man. $8. (510) 236-7469, www.thebuddyclub.com. 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. (510) 848-0237, www.jcceastbay.org/.< 

 

JUNIOR CENTER OF ART AND SCIENCE ongoing. A center dedicated to encouraging children's active wonder and creative response through artistic and scientific exploration of their natural urban environment. The center's classes, workshops, exhibits and events integrate art and science. Three educational exhibits are mounted in the "Children's Gallery'' each year. A docent-led tour, demonstrations, hands-on activities and art projects are available to school groups throughout the year.  

"Jake's Discovery Garden," ongoing. Jake's Discovery Garden is a new interactive studio exhibit designed for preschool-aged children and their adult caregivers that teaches young visitors about the natural environments found in their backyards, playgrounds and neighborhoods.Ongoing.  

Free; programs and special exhibits have a fee. September through May: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June through August: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 558 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. (510) 839-5777, www.juniorcenter.org.

 

LAKE CHABOT REGIONAL PARK ongoing. The 315-acre lake offers year-round recreation. Services include canoe and boat rental, horseshoe pits, hiking, bicycling, picnicking and seasonal tours aboard the Chabot Queen. For boat rentals, call (510) 247-2526. 

Free unless noted otherwise; $5 parking; $2 per dog except guide/service dogs. Daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 17930 Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE "NanoZone," ongoing. Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," ongoing. A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.  

"Real Astronomy Experience," ongoing. A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.  

"Biology Lab," ongoing. In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

"The Idea Lab," ongoing. Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.  

"Math Around the World," ongoing. Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.  

"Math Rules," ongoing. Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.  

HOLT PLANETARIUM Ongoing. Shows on Saturdays and Sundays. Programs recommended for ages 6 and up unless otherwise noted. $2.50-$3 in addition to general admission.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital.Ongoing.  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. June 16-Sept. 15: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; Sept. 16-June 15: noon.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART A museum of art for and by children, with activities for children to participate in making their own art.  

ART CAMPS -- Hands-on activities and engaging curriculum for children of different ages, led by professional artists and staff. $60 per day.  

CLASSES -- A Sunday series of classes for children ages 8 to 12, led by Mocha artists. Sundays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

OPEN STUDIOS -- Drop-in art play activities with new themes each week.  

"Big Studio." Guided art projects for children age 6 and older with a Mocha artist. Tuesday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. $5.  

"Little Studio." A hands-on experience that lets young artists age 18 months to 5 years see, touch and manipulate a variety of media. Children can get messy. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5.  

"Family Weekend Studios." Drop-in art activities for the whole family. All ages welcome. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. $5 per child.  

FAMILY EXTRAVAGANZAS -- Special weekend workshops for the entire family.  

"Sunday Workshops with Illustrators," Sundays, 1 p.m. See the artwork and meet the artists who create children's book illustrations. Free.Ongoing.  

"Saturday Stories," ongoing. 1 p.m. For children ages 2-5. Free."Saturday Stories," ongoing. 1 p.m. For ages 2-5. Free. 

Free gallery admission. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 538 Ninth St., Oakland. (510) 465-8770, www.mocha.org.

 

PIXIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK ongoing. This amusement park for children features pixie-sized rides such as a dragon roller coaster, swirling tea cups, a carousel, red baron airplanes, an antique car ride and a miniature train among other attractions sure to please the little ones. Classic carnival-style food and souvenirs round out the experience. Admission to the park is free; ride tickets are $1.25 each or 10 tickets for $10; Day wrist band for unlimited rides, $25. Specials and season passes are also available. 

Dec. 1-12 2010: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Closed Dec. 13-Jan. 8. 2740 E. Olivera Road, Concord. (925) 689-8841, www.pixieland.com.

 

POINT PINOLE REGIONAL SHORELINE ongoing. The 2,315-acre parkland bordering Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo offers views of Mount Tamalpais, the Marin shoreline and San Pablo Bay. There are trails through meadows and woods, and along the bluffs and beaches of San Pablo Bay. Visitors can hike, ride bikes or take the park's shuttle bus to reach the 1,250-foot fishing pier at Point Pinole. 

$5 per vehicle; $4 per trailered vehicle; $2 per dog (guide/service dogs free). Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted. Giant Highway, Richmond. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

PREWETT FAMILY WATERPARK ongoing. There are pools and water slides for all ages, from the Tad Pool for toddlers to Boulder cove for older swimmers. In addition to fun pools and slides there are fitness pools for lessons and exercise, lawns for relaxing, locker rooms, community room and kitchen. Lap lanes are open year round. Food and beverages are not permitted in the park. Picnic tables are available outside the park. 

$4-$11. Sunday through Friday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Aug.23-27, 30-31. 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch. (925) 776-3070, www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CitySvcs/Prewett.< 

 

ROBERT SIBLEY VOLCANIC REGIONAL PRESERVE ongoing. East Bay residents have several volcanoes in their backyard. This park contains Round Top, one of the highest peaks in the Oakland Hills. 

Free. Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 6800 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

SHADOW CLIFFS REGIONAL RECREATION AREA ongoing. The 296-acre park includes an 80-acre lake and a four-flume waterslide, with picnic grounds and a swimming beach. Water slide fees and hours: (925) 829-6230. 

$6 per vehicle; $2 per dog except guide and service dogs. May 1 through Labor Day: daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; shortened hours for fall and winter. Stanley Boulevard, one mile from downtown, Pleasanton. (510) 562-PARK, www.ebparks.org.

 

SULPHUR CREEK NATURE CENTER A wildlife rehabilitation and education facility where injured and orphaned local wild creatures are rehabilitated and released when possible. There is also a lending library of animals such as guinea pigs, rats, mice and more. The lending fee is $8 per week. "Toddler Time," ongoing. Learn about animals by listening to stories and exploring. Themes vary by month. Call for schedule. $7 per family.  

"Day on the Green Animal Presentations," ongoing. Meet an assortment of wild and domestic animals. Wildlife volunteers will present a different animal each day from possums to snakes, tortoises to hawks. Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. 

CHILDREN'S EVENTS -- Ongoing.  

Free. Park: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Discovery Center: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Animal Lending Library: Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: daily, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 1801 D St., Hayward. (510) 881-6747, www.haywardrec.org/sulphur_creek.html.< 

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center. "Limited Access Day," ongoing. Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," ongoing. A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," ongoing. Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m.Ongoing. Closed on New Year's Day. 

"Family Day," ongoing. Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member. 

"History Mystery After Hours Tour," ongoing. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Explore the USS Hornet after hours and learn the history of this ship while it is illuminated in red lights used for "night ops." Also, hear stories about the ships' legendary haunts. Reservations required. (510) 521-8448 X282. 

"Flashlight Tour," ongoing. 8:30 a.m. Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day. $30-$35 per person. 

"Living Ship Day," Jan. 15. Kick off the Celebration of the 100th year of Naval Aviation with guest speakers; special exhibit openings and simulated flight operations. Participate in mission briefings; meet former crew; and sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet! 

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.< 

 

WATERWORLD CALIFORNA ongoing. ` 

$19.95-$31.95 General Admission; Season pass: $39.99-$59.99. Park closes in October and reopens in May. 1950 Waterworld Parkway,, Concord. (925) 609-1364, www.waterworldcalifornia.com.<


Museums-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:38:00 PM

AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND ongoing. The Oakland Public Library's museum is designed to discover, preserve, interpret and share the cultural and historical experiences of African Americans in California and the West. In addition, a three-panel mural is on permanent display. 

Free. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-5:30 p.m. 659 14th St., Oakland. (510) 637-0200, www.oaklandlibrary.org.

 

ALAMEDA MUSEUM ongoing. The museum offers permanent displays of Alameda history, the only rotating gallery showcasing local Alameda artists and student artwork, as well as souvenirs, books and videos about the rich history of the Island City. 

Free. Wednesday-Friday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 2324 Alameda Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-1233, www.alamedamuseum.org.

 

BADE MUSEUM AT THE PACIFIC SCHOOL OF RELIGION The museum's collections include the Tell en-Nasbeh Collection, consisting of artifacts excavated from Tell en-Nasbeh in Palestine in 1926 and 1935 by William Badh, and the Howell Bible Collection, featuring approximately 300 rare books (primarily Bibles) dating from the 15th through the 18th centuries. 

"Tell en-Nasbeh," ongoing. This exhibit is the "heart and soul" of the Bade Museum. It displays a wealth of finds from the excavations at Tell en-Nasbeh, Palestine whose objects span from the Early Bronze Age (3100-2200 BC) through the Iron Age (1200-586 BC) and into the Roman and Hellenistic periods. Highlights of the exhibit include "Tools of the Trade" featuring real archaeological tools used by Badh and his team, an oil lamp typology, a Second Temple period (586 BC-70 AD) limestone ossuary, and a selection of painted Greek pottery.  

"William Frederic Bade: Theologian, Naturalist, and Archaeologist," ongoing. This exhibit highlights one of PSR's premier educators and innovative scholars. The collection of material on display was chosen with the hopes of representing the truly dynamic and multifaceted character of William F. Badh. He was a family man, a dedicated teacher, a loving friend, and an innovative and passionate archaeologist.  

Free. Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Holbrook Hall, Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-0528, www.bade.psr.edu/bade.< 

 

BERKELEY ART MUSEUM AND PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE  

"Thom Faulders: BAMscape," through Nov. 30. This commissioned work, a hybrid of sculpture, furniture, and stage, is the new centerpiece of Gallery B, BAM's expansive central atrium. It is part of a new vision of the gallery as a space for interaction, performance, and improvised experiences.  

2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. < 

 

BLACKHAWK MUSEUM ongoing.  

AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM -- The museum's permanent exhibition of internationally renowned automobiles dated from 1897 to the 1980s. The cars are displayed as works of art with room to walk completely around each car to admire the workmanship. On long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution is a Long Steam Tricycle; an 1893-94 Duryea, the first Duryea built by the Duryea brothers; and a 1948 Tucker, number 39 of the 51 Tuckers built, which is a Model 48 "Torpedo'' four-door sedan. "International Automotive Treasures," ongoing. An ever-changing exhibit featuring over 90 automobiles.  

"A Journey on Common Ground," ongoing. An exhibit of moving photographs, video and art objects from around the world exploring the causes of disability and the efforts of the Wheelchair Foundation to provide a wheelchair for every person in need who cannot afford one. Free Public Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Docent-led guided tours of the museum's exhibitions. 

$5-$8; free for children ages 6 and under. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville. (925) 736-2280, (925) 736-2277, www.blackhawkmuseum.org.

 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

HISTORY WALKABOUTS -- Ongoing. A series of walking tours that explore the history, lore and architecture of California with veteran tour guide Gary Holloway. Walks are given on specific weekends. There is a different meeting place for each weekend and walks take place rain or shine so dress for the weather. Reservations and prepayment required. Meeting place will be given with confirmation of tour reservation. Call for details.  

678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

 

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films. 

"Beyond Blastoff: Surviving in Space," ongoing. An interactive exhibit that allows you to immerse yourself into the life of an astronaut to experience the mixture of exhilaration, adventure and confinement that is living and working in space.  

"Chabot Observatories: A View to the Stars," ongoing. Explore the history of the Chabot observatories and how its historic telescopes are used today. Daytime visitors can virtually operate a telescope, experiment with mirrors and lenses to understand how telescopes create images of distant objects and travel through more than a century of Chabot's history via multimedia kiosks, historical images and artifact displays. Ongoing.  

"Daytime Telescope Viewing," ongoing. Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. View the sun, the moon and the planets through the telescopes during the day. Free with general admission. 

"Live Daytime Planetarium Show," ongoing. Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Ride through real-time constellations, stars and planets with Chabot's full-dome digital projection system. 

"Galaxy Explorers Hands-On Fun," ongoing. Saturday, noon-4 p.m. The Galaxy Explorers lead a variety of fun, hands-on activities, such as examining real spacesuits, creating galaxy flipbooks, learning about telescopes, minerals and skulls and making your own comet. Free with general admission. 

Center Admission: $14.95; $10.95 children 3-12; free children under 3; $3 discount for seniors and students. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Also open on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. after June 29. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.

 

HABITOT CHILDREN'S MUSEUM A museum especially for children ages 7 and under. Highlights include "WaterWorks,'' an area with some unusual water toys, an Infant Tree for babies, a garden especially for toddlers, a child-scale grocery store and cafe, and a costume shop and stage for junior thespians. The museum also features a toy lending library. "Waterworks." A water play gallery with rivers, a pumping station and a water table, designed to teach about water.  

"Little Town Grocery and Cafe." Designed to create the ambience of shopping in a grocery store and eating in a restaurant.  

"Infant-Toddler Garden." A picket fence gated indoor area, which includes a carrot patch with wooden carrots to be harvested, a pretend pond and a butterfly mobile to introduce youngsters to the concept of food, gardening and agriculture.  

"Dramatic Arts Stage." Settings, backdrops and costumes coincide with seasonal events and holidays. Children can exercise their dramatic flair here.  

"Wiggle Wall." The floor-to-ceiling "underground'' tunnels give children a worm's eye view of the world. The tunnels are laced with net covered openings and giant optic lenses. 

"Architects at Play," ongoing. This hands-on, construction-based miniexhibit provides children with the opportunity to create free-form structures, from skyscrapers to bridges, using KEVA planks. Ongoing.  

$6-$7. Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Closed Sunday-Tuesday. 2065 Kittredge St., Berkeley. (510) 647-1111, www.habitot.org.

 

HALL OF HEALTH ongoing. A community health-education museum and science center promoting wellness and individual responsibility for health. There are hands-on exhibits that teach about the workings of the human body, the value of a healthy diet and exercise, and the destructive effects of smoking and drug abuse. "Kids on the Block'' puppet shows, which use puppets from diverse cultures to teach about and promote acceptance of conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, leukemia, blindness, arthritis and spina bifida, are available by request for community events and groups visiting the Hall on Saturdays. "This Is Your Heart!" ongoing. An interactive exhibit on heart health.  

"Good Nutrition," ongoing. This exhibit includes models for making balanced meals and an Exercycle for calculating how calories are burned.  

"Draw Your Own Insides," ongoing. Human-shaped chalkboards and models with removable organs allow visitors to explore the inside of their bodies.  

"Your Cellular Self and Cancer Prevention," ongoing. An exhibit on understanding how cells become cancerous and how to detect and prevent cancer. 

Suggested $3 donation; free for children under age 3. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 2230 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 549-1564, www.hallofhealth.org.

 

HAYWARD AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM The museum is located in a former post office and displays memorabilia of early Hayward and southern Alameda County. Some of the features include a restored 1923 Seagrave fire engine and a hand pumper from the Hayward Fire Department, founded in 1865; a Hayward Police Department exhibit; information on city founder William Hayward; and pictures of the old Hayward Hotel. The museum also alternates three exhibits per year, including a Christmas Toys exhibit and a 1950s lifestyle exhibit.Ongoing.  

50 cents-$1. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 22701 Main St., Hayward. (510) 581-0223, www.haywardareahistory.org.

 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM The museum's permanent collection includes objects of Jewish importance including ceremonial art, film and video, folk art and fine art, paintings, sculptures and prints by contemporary and historical artists. 

"Projections," ongoing. Multimedia works from the museum's extensive collections of archival, documentary and experimental films. Located at 2911 Russell Street. Ongoing.  

$4-$6; free for children under age 12. Sunday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. CLOSED APRIL 3-4 AND 9-10; MAY 23-24 AND 28; JULY 4; SEPT. 3, 13 AND 27; OCT. 4; NOV. 22; DEC. 24-25 AND 31. 2911 Russell St., Berkeley. (510) 549-6950, www.magnes.org.

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE "NanoZone," ongoing. Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," ongoing. A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.  

"Real Astronomy Experience," ongoing. A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.  

"Biology Lab," ongoing. In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

"The Idea Lab," ongoing. Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.  

"Math Around the World," ongoing. Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.  

"Math Rules," ongoing. Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.  

"Animal Discovery Room,,' ongoing. 1:30-4 p.m. Visitors of all ages can hold and touch gentle animals, learn about their behavior and habitats and play with self-guided activities and specimen models.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," ongoing. This science park shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building.  

"Ingenuity in Action," ongoing. Summer 2010. Enjoy the best of the Ingenuity Lab. Engage your creative brain and use a variety of materials to design, build and test your own innovations.  

"Kapla," ongoing. Play with simple, versatile building blocks that can be used to build very large, high and stable structures.  

"KidsLab," ongoing. This multisensory play area includes larger-than-life blocks, a crawl-through kaleidoscope, the Gravity wall, a puppet theater and a reading area.  

"NanoZone," ongoing. Discover the science of nanotechnology through handson activities and games.  

"Planetarium," ongoing. Explore the skies in this interactive planetarium.  

"Science on a Sphere," ongoing. Catch an out-of-this-world experience with an animated globe. See hurricanes form, tsunamis sweep across the oceans and city lights glow around the planet. Ongoing.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital.Ongoing.  

SPECIAL EVENTS Ongoing.  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. June 16-Sept. 15: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; Sept. 16-June 15: noon.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

MEYERS HOUSE AND GARDEN MUSEUM The Meyers House, erected in 1897, is an example of Colonial Revival, an architectural style popular around the turn of the century. Designed by Henry H. Meyers,the house was built by his father, Jacob Meyers, at a cost of $4000.00.Ongoing.  

$3. Fourth Saturday of every month. 2021 Alameda Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-1247, www.alamedamuseum.org/meyers.html.< 

 

MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE VILLAGE ongoing. A science museum with an African-American focus promoting science education and awareness for the underrepresented. The science village chronicles the technical achievements of people of African descent from ancient ties to present. There are computer classes at the Internet Cafi, science education activities and seminars. There is also a resource library with a collection of books, periodicals and videotapes. 

$4-$6. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. 630 20th St., Oakland. (510) 893-6426, www.ncalifblackengineers.org.

 

MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART A museum of art for and by children, with activities for children to participate in making their own art.  

ART CAMPS -- Hands-on activities and engaging curriculum for children of different ages, led by professional artists and staff. $60 per day.  

CLASSES -- A Sunday series of classes for children ages 8 to 12, led by Mocha artists. Sundays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

OPEN STUDIOS -- Drop-in art play activities with new themes each week.  

"Big Studio." Guided art projects for children age 6 and older with a Mocha artist. Tuesday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. $5.  

"Little Studio." A hands-on experience that lets young artists age 18 months to 5 years see, touch and manipulate a variety of media. Children can get messy. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5.  

"Family Weekend Studios." Drop-in art activities for the whole family. All ages welcome. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. $5 per child.  

FAMILY EXTRAVAGANZAS -- Special weekend workshops for the entire family.  

"Sunday Workshops with Illustrators," Sundays, 1 p.m. See the artwork and meet the artists who create children's book illustrations. Free.Ongoing.  

"Saturday Stories," ongoing. 1 p.m. For children ages 2-5. Free. 

Free gallery admission. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 538 Ninth St., Oakland. (510) 465-8770, www.mocha.org.

 

MUSEUM OF THE SAN RAMON VALLEY The museum features local artifacts, pictures, flags and drawings commemorating the valley's history. It also houses a historical narrative frieze. In addition to a permanent exhibit on the valley's history, the museum sponsors revolving exhibits and several guided tours. The restored railroad depot that houses the museum was built on the San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific Railroad 108 years ago.Ongoing.  

Free. August: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Depot, West Prospect and Railroad avenues, Danville. (925) 837-3750, www.museumsrv.org.

 

MUSEUM ON MAIN STREET Located in a former town hall building, this museum is a piece of local history. It has a photo and document archive, collection of artifacts, local history publications for purchase, and a history library. It is supported by the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society.Ongoing.  

$2. Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; CLOSED DEC. 23-JAN. 8. 603 Main St., Pleasanton. (925) 462-2766, www.museumonmain.org.

 

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA "Art a la Carte," Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. Art docents offer a variety of specialized tours focusing on one aspect of the museum's permanent collection. Free with museum admission.  

"Online Museum," Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Explore the museum's collection on videodisks in the History Department Library.  

Docent Gallery Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. 

"Explore our New Gallery," through Dec. 2. The new Gallery of California Art showcases more than 800 works from OMCA's collection-one of the largest and most comprehensive holdings of California art in the world.  

"Gallery of California History," through Dec. 2. This new gallery is based on the theme of Coming to California.  

OPENING -- "Pixar: 25 Years of Animation," through Jan. 9. Exhibition presents an unprecedented look at the Emeryville-based animation company.  

$5-$8; free for children ages 5 and under; free to all on the second Sunday of the month. Special events are free with museum admission unless noted otherwise. Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 238-2200, www.museumca.org.

 

PARDEE HOME MUSEUM ongoing. The historic Pardee Mansion, a three-story Italianate villa built in 1868, was home to three generations of the Pardee family who were instrumental in the civic and cultural development of California and Oakland. The home includes the house, grounds, water tower and barn. Reservations recommended. Group tours may be arranged between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tues.-Sun.  

Private Tours and Teas: Take a private tour followed by tea in the Pardee family dining room (available for 4-12 persons).  

Tour with light tea: $12 per person  

Tour with high tea: $25 per person.  

High tea without tour: $20 per person. 

$5-$25; free children ages 12 and under. House Tours: 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday and second Saturday of each month; 2 p.m. the second Sunday or each month. 672 11th St., Oakland. (510) 444-2187, www.pardeehome.org.

 

SAN LEANDRO HISTORY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY ongoing. The museum showcases local and regional history and serves as a centerpiece for community cultural activity. There are exhibits on Ohlone settlements, farms of early settlers, and contributions of Portuguese and other immigrants. There will also be exhibits of the city's agricultural past and the industrial development of the 19th century. "Yema/Po Archeological Site at Lake Chabot," ongoing. An exhibit highlighting artifacts uncovered from a work camp of Chinese laborers, featuring photomurals, cutouts and historical photographs. 

Free. Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 320 West Estudillo Ave., San Leandro. (510) 577-3990, www.ci.sanleandro. ca.us/sllibrarymuseum.html.< 

 

SHADELANDS RANCH HISTORICAL MUSEUM Built by Walnut Creek pioneer Hiram Penniman, this 1903 redwood-framed house is a showcase for numerous historical artifacts, many of which belonged to the Pennimans. It also houses a rich archive of Contra Costa and Walnut Creek history in its collections of old newspapers, photographs and government records.Ongoing.  

$1-$3; free-children under age 6. Wednesday and Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Closed in January. 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. (925) 935-7871, www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us.< 

 

SMITH MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, HAYWARD The museum houses significant collections of archaeological and ethnographic specimens from Africa, Asia and North America and small collections from Central and South America. The museum offers opportunities and materials for student research and internships in archaeology and ethnology.Ongoing.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Meiklejohn Hall, Fourth Floor, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward. (510) 885-3104, (510) 885-7414, www.isis.csuhayward.edu/cesmith/acesmith.html.< 

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY ongoing. "Native California Cultures," ongoing. This is an exhibit of some 500 artifacts from the museum's California collections, the largest and most comprehensive collections in the world devoted to California Indian cultures. The exhibit includes a section about Ishi, the famous Indian who lived and worked with the museum, Yana tribal baskets and a 17-foot Yurok canoe carved from a single redwood.  

"Recent Acquisitions," ongoing. The collection includes Yoruba masks and carvings from Africa, early-20th-century Taiwanese hand puppets, textiles from the Americas and 19th- and 20th-century Tibetan artifacts.  

"From the Maker's Hand: Selections from the Permanent Collection," ongoing. This exhibit explores human ingenuity in the living and historical cultures of China, Africa, Egypt, Peru, North America and the Meditteranean. 

$1-$4; free for children ages 12 and under; free to all on Thursdays. Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4:30 p.m. 103 Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College Avenue, Berkeley. (510) 643-7648, www.hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu.

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY ongoing. "Tyrannosaurus Rex," ongoing. A 20-foot-tall, 40-foot-long replica of the fearsome dinosaur. The replica is made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing.  

"Pteranodon," ongoing. A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22 to 23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.  

"California Fossils Exhibit," ongoing. An exhibit of some of the fossils that have been excavated in California. 

Free. During semester sessions, hours generally are: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-10 p.m. Hours vary during summer and holidays. Lobby, 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building, #4780, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 642-1821, www.ucmp.berkeley.edu.

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center. "Limited Access Day," ongoing. Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," ongoing. A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," ongoing. Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m.Ongoing. Closed on New Year's Day. 

"Family Day," ongoing. Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member. 

"History Mystery After Hours Tour," ongoing. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Explore the USS Hornet after hours and learn the history of this ship while it is illuminated in red lights used for "night ops." Also, hear stories about the ships' legendary haunts. Reservations required. (510) 521-8448 X282. 

"Flashlight Tour," ongoing. 8:30 a.m. Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day. $30-$35 per person. 

"Living Ship Day," Jan. 15. Kick off the Celebration of the 100th year of Naval Aviation with guest speakers; special exhibit openings and simulated flight operations. Participate in mission briefings; meet former crew; and sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet! 

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.<


General-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:37:00 PM

"MONARCHS -- BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING," -- Jan. 8. Join a Hayward Area Recreation and Park District Monarch Butterfly expert to learn about the animal's amazing life cycles. Adults only; meet at the Mulford Marina Branch Library entrance, 13699 Aurora, San Leandro. 

$16.Noon.(510) 881-6700, www.haywardrec.org.

 

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS  

"RV & Boat Show," Jan. 7 through Jan. 17, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. Hundreds of new and used RV and Boat products, dealers, manufacturer's reps, accessories and more. $10-$12; children 16 band under free. (925) 931-1890, www.rvshow.net. 

"Bay Island Bonsai's Annual Exhibit 2011," Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. An exhibit of the finest bonsai trees in the United States. Event takes place in Hall of Commerce at the Fairgrounds. $5. (510) 919-5042, www.bayislandbonsai.com. 

4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 426-7600, www.alamedacountyfair.com.

 

ASHKENAZ  

"I Like My Bike Night," ongoing. 9 p.m. First Fridays of the month. This monthly series brings bicycle innovators, enthusiasts, artists and organizations together under one roof, as well as encourages regular Ashkenaz show-goers to leave their cars in the driveway and arrive at the venue by bicycle instead. $8-$25.  

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.

 

AUCTIONS BY THE BAY  

"ArtiFacts: A Lecture Series for Collectors," ongoing. 3 p.m. First Sundays of the month Guest curators, scholars and conservation experts from throughout the Bay Area discuss the art of collecting. First Sunday of every month, 3 p.m. $7; includes a preview of the monthly estate auction which takes place the following day at 10am.  

Auctions by the Bay Theater-Auction House, 2700 Saratoga St., Alameda. (510) 835-6187, www.auctionsbythebay.com.

 

BAY AREA FREE BOOK EXCHANGE  

"Free Books," ongoing. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. - Sun. Donate your unwanted books and receive new titles for free.  

10520 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. (510) 526-1941, www.bayareafreebookexchange.com.

 

CALIFORNIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY AND LIBRARY  

"California Genealogical Society and Library Free First Saturday," ongoing. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Event takes place on the first Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Trace and compile your family history at this month's open house event. Free. www.calgensoc.org. 

2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland. (510) 663-1358.< 

 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

HISTORY WALKABOUTS -- Ongoing. A series of walking tours that explore the history, lore and architecture of California with veteran tour guide Gary Holloway. Walks are given on specific weekends. There is a different meeting place for each weekend and walks take place rain or shine so dress for the weather. Reservations and prepayment required. Meeting place will be given with confirmation of tour reservation. Call for details.  

678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

 

CALIFORNIA MAGIC THEATER  

"Dinner Theater Magic Show," ongoing. 7:30 p.m. Fri - Sat. Enter the joyous and bewildering world of illusion while chowing down on a home cooked meal. Each weekend features different professional magicians. Recommended for ages 13 and older. $54-$64 includes meal.  

729 Castro St., Martinez. (925) 374-0056, www.calmagic.com.

 

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER State-of-the-art facility unifying science education activities around astronomy. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, indoor stargazing, outdoor telescope viewing and films. 

ASK JEEVES PLANETARIUM -- Ongoing. The planetarium features one of the most advanced star projectors in the world. A daily planetarium show is included with general admission. Call for current show schedule.  

"Sunshine," ongoing. A 15-minute planetarium show for children ages 5 and under. In the show, Sunshine, a lovable animated cartoon of the Sun, urges children to sing and play along with his tricks. In the process, he introduces the colors of the day sky and the other suns of the night sky. Free with regular general admission. 

"Secret of the Cardboard Rocket," ongoing. Take a journey through the solar system with two young adventurers who turn an old cardboard box into a rocket. Recommended for ages 5-10. 

"Tales Of The Maya Skies," ongoing. "Tales of the Maya Skies'' is a new full-dome planetarium show that explores the cosmology of the ancient Maya, along with their culture and their contributions to astronomy. Starts November 21. 

"Immersive Space: Fly Through the Cosmos," ongoing. Fridays, 8 p.m. Experience the "digital universe'' in a new full-dome system. Travel to the nearest star and beyond in seconds. 

"Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity," ongoing. Take a ride to the inside of a massive black hole and learn about the latest scientific evidence, which suggests that black holes are real. Narrated by Liam Neeson. Suitable for age 12 and older. Free with General Admission ticket. 

"The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" ongoing. A voyage from the ocean deep to the outer reaches of the cosmos in search of life, narrated by Harrison Ford. 

"Space NOW!", ongoing. Each week, this real-time ride through constellations, stars, and planets will reflect current happenings in our sky. Space NOW! will also tie in activities going on throughout the center. This is Chabot's first daytime guided tour of the universe. 

"The Sky Tonight," ongoing. Saturdays, 8 p.m. Take a live tour of the starry sky overhead on the night of your visit. The show includes a look at constellations, planets and special celestial objects. 

"Sonic Vision," ongoing. Friday-Saturday, 9:15 p.m. This show uses the latest digital technology to illuminate the planetarium with colorful computer-generated imagery set to today's popular music, including Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Moby and more. 

"Astronaut," ongoing. What does it take to be part of the exploration of space? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. Narrated by Ewan McGregor. 25 min. 

CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER -- Ongoing. "Escape from the Red Planet,'' a cooperative venture for families and groups of up to 14 people, age 8 and up. The scenario on this one hour mission: You are the crew of a shuttle to Mars that has been severely damaged in a crash landing. Your replacement crew is gone, the worst dust storm ever recorded on Mars approaches, and air, food, and water are extremely low. The mission: get the shuttle working again and into orbit before the dust storm hits. Reservations required. Children age 8-12 must be accompanied by an adult; not appropriate for children under age 8. $12-$15; Does not include general admission to the Center. Reservations: (510) 336-7421.Ongoing.  

"Dinner, Movie and the Universe," ongoing. Every Friday and Saturday evening. Enjoy a bistro-style dinner, then cozy up for a film in the 70-foot MegaDome theater and end the evening with a telescope viewing. Call to purchase general admission tickets and to make dinner reservations. (510) 336-7373. 

"Chabot Observatories: A View to the Stars," ongoing. This new permanent exhibit honors the 123-year history of Chabot and its telescopes. The observatory is one of the oldest public observatories in the United States. The exhibit covers the three different sites of the observatory over its history as well as how its historic telescopes continue to be operated today. Included are informative graphic panels, multimedia kiosks, interactive computer programs, hands-on stations, and historic artifacts. 

Telescope Visions Class, ongoing. 7 p.m. This course introduces participants to the astronomer's main tool: the telescope. Classes are held in the Galileo Room twice monthly. $85-$95; reservations required. (510) 336-7373. 

TIEN MEGADOME SCIENCE THEATER -- Ongoing. A 70-foot dome-screen auditorium. Show times subject to change. Call for current show schedule. Price with paid general admission is $6-$7. Theater only: $7-$8. (510) 336-7373, www.ticketweb.com. 

"Cosmic Voyage," ongoing. A breathtaking journey through time and space. Zoom from the surface of the Earth to the largest observable structures of the Universe and back down to the sub-nuclear realm, a guided tour across some 42 orders of magnitude. Explore some of the greatest scientific theories, many of which have never before been visualized on film. 

"The Human Body," ongoing. This show explores the daily biological processes that go on in the human body without our control and often without our notice. This amazing story is revealed in detail on the giant screen. 

"Dinosaurs Alive," ongoing. A global adventure of science and discovery, featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous, "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant screen. Audiences will journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendents of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. From the exotic, trackless expanses and sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, the film will follow American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) paleontologists as they explore some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history. 

"The Living Sea," ongoing. The film celebrates the beauty, power and importance of the ocean. Produced in association with The National Maritime Center, the Ocean Film Network and Dr. Robert Ballard. 

"Forces of Nature," ongoing. This film showcases the awesome spectacle of earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe storms as scientists continue their quests to understand how these natural disasters are triggered. 

Center Admission: $14.95; $10.95 children 3-12; free children under 3; $3 discount for seniors and students. Telescope viewing only: free. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Also open on Tuesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. after June 29. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. (510) 336-7300, www.chabotspace.org.

 

CIVIC PARK, WALNUT CREEK  

"Walnut Creek On Ice," through Jan. 17. A special holiday time outdoor ice skating rink. See website for complete details. www.walnut-creek.com. 

1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. < 

 

DUNSMUIR HOUSE AND GARDENS HISTORIC ESTATE ongoing. Nestled in the Oakland hills, the 50-acre Dunsmuir House and Gardens estate includes the 37-room Neoclassical Revival Dunsmuir Mansion, built by coal and lumber baron Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride. Restored outbuildings set amid landscaped gardens surround the mansion.  

ESTATE GROUNDS -- Ongoing. Self-Guided Grounds Tours are available yearround. The 50 acres of gardens and grounds at the mansion are open to the public for walking Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Booklets and maps of the grounds are available at the Dinkelspiel House. Free.  

GUIDED TOURS -- Docent-led tours are available on the first Sunday of each month at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (except for July) and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 seniors and juniors (11-16), children 11 and under free. 

Dunsmuir House and Gardens, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. (510) 615-5555, www.dunsmuir.org.

 

FRANK OGAWA PLAZA  

"Oakland Artisan Marketplace," ongoing. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays. The City of Oakland and Cultural Arts & Marketing Department presents a weekly market featuring fine arts and crafts of local artists. Free. (510) 238-4948, www.oaklandartisanmarketplace.org. 

14th Street and Broadway, Oakland. < 

 

JACK LONDON AQUATIC CENTER  

"Oakland Artisan Marketplace,"' ongoing. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays The City of Oakland and Cultural Arts & Marketing Department presents a weekly market featuring fine arts and crafts of local artists. Free. (510) 238-4948, www.oaklandartisanmarketplace.org. 

115 Embarcadero, Oakland. < 

 

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE EAST BAY  

"The Buddy Club Children's Show," Jan. 9, 1 p.m. Featuring Dan Chan the Magic Man. $8. (510) 236-7469, www.thebuddyclub.com. 

1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. (510) 848-0237, www.jcceastbay.org/.< 

 

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE EAST BAY OAKLAND BRANCH  

"Housewarming Party," Jan. 9, 2 p.m. Celebrate the grand opening of the new Oakland Branch of the JCC with snacks, tours, entertainment and more. Free.  

5811 Racine St., Oakland. www.jcceastbay.org.

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE "NanoZone," ongoing. Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," ongoing. A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.  

"Real Astronomy Experience," ongoing. A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.  

"Biology Lab," ongoing. In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

"The Idea Lab," ongoing. Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.  

"Math Around the World," ongoing. Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.  

"Math Rules," ongoing. Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.  

HOLT PLANETARIUM Ongoing. Shows on Saturdays and Sundays. Programs recommended for ages 6 and up unless otherwise noted. $2.50-$3 in addition to general admission.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE ongoing. Exploring cinema from the Bay Area and cultures around the world, the Pacific Film Archive offers daily film screenings, including rare and rediscovered prints of movie classics; new and historic works by world famous directors; restored silent films with live musical accompaniment; retrospectives; and new and experimental works. Check Web site for a full schedule of films.  

"First Impressions: Free First Thursdays," first Thursday of every month. Special tours and movie presentations. Admission is free. 

Single feature: $5-$8; Double feature: $9-$12 general. PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-5249, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, MORRISON LIBRARY  

"Lunch Poems," ongoing. 12:10-12:50 p.m. First Thursdays of each month  

2600 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-3671.< 

 

USS HORNET MUSEUM Come aboard this World War II aircraft carrier that has been converted into a floating museum. The Hornet, launched in 1943, is 899 feet long and 27 stories high. During World War II she was never hit by an enemy strike or plane and holds the Navy record for number of enemy planes shot down in a week. In 1969 the Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule containing the first men to walk on the moon, and later recovered Apollo 12. In 1991 the Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now docked at the same pier she sailed from in 1944. Today, visitors can tour the massive ship, view World War II-era warplanes and experience a simulated aircraft launch from the carrier's deck. Exhibits are being added on an ongoing basis. Allow two to three hours for a visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to climb steep stairs or ladders. Dress in layers as the ship can be cold. Arrive no later than 2 p.m. to sign up for the engine room and other docent-led tours. Children under age 12 are not allowed in the Engine Room or the Combat Information Center. "Limited Access Day," ongoing. Due to ship maintenance, tours of the navigation bridge and the engine room are not available. Tuesdays.  

"Flight Deck Fun," ongoing. A former Landing Signal Officer will show children how to bring in a fighter plane for a landing on the deck then let them try the signals themselves. Times vary. Free with regular Museum admission.  

"Protestant Divine Services," ongoing. Hornet chaplain John Berger conducts church services aboard The Hornet in the Wardroom Lounge. Everyone is welcome and refreshments are served immediately following the service. Sundays, 11 a.m.Ongoing. Closed on New Year's Day. 

"Family Day," ongoing. Discounted admission for families of four with a further discount for additional family members. Access to some of the areas may be limited due to ship maintenance. Every Tuesday. $20 for family of four; $5 for each additional family member. 

"History Mystery After Hours Tour," ongoing. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Explore the USS Hornet after hours and learn the history of this ship while it is illuminated in red lights used for "night ops." Also, hear stories about the ships' legendary haunts. Reservations required. (510) 521-8448 X282. 

"Flashlight Tour," ongoing. 8:30 a.m. Receive a special tour of areas aboard the ship that have not yet been opened to the public or that have limited access during the day. $30-$35 per person. 

"Living Ship Day," Jan. 15. Kick off the Celebration of the 100th year of Naval Aviation with guest speakers; special exhibit openings and simulated flight operations. Participate in mission briefings; meet former crew; and sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet! 

$6-$14; free children age 4 and under with a paying adult. Daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pier 3 (enter on Atlantic Avenue), Alameda Point, Alameda. (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org.<


Highlights-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:37:00 PM

"MONARCHS -- BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING," -- Jan. 8. Join a Hayward Area Recreation and Park District Monarch Butterfly expert to learn about the animal's amazing life cycles. Adults only; meet at the Mulford Marina Branch Library entrance, 13699 Aurora, San Leandro. 

$16.Noon.(510) 881-6700, www.haywardrec.org.

 

BOOKS INC., BERKELEY  

Roseanne Barr, Jan. 9, 3 p.m. "Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm.''  

1760 4th Street, Berkeley. (510) 525-7777, www.booksinc.net.

 

CIVIC PARK, WALNUT CREEK  

"Walnut Creek On Ice," through Jan. 17. A special holiday time outdoor ice skating rink. See website for complete details. www.walnut-creek.com. 

1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. < 

 

FIREHOUSE ARTS CENTER  

Cypress String Quartet, Jan. 9, 3-5 p.m. Works by Mozart, Debussy and more. $12-$30.  

4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 931-4848, www.firehousearts.org.

 

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF BERKELEY  

"Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra presents David Daniels," Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, 8 p.m. Sat.; 7:30 p.m. Sun. Works by Vivaldi, Handel and more. $30-$90.  

2345 Channing Way, Berkeley. (510) 848-3696, www.fccb.org.

 

FOX THEATER  

Joe Satriani, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. $39.50-$75. 

1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 452-0438, www.thefoxoakland.com.

 

YOSHI'S  

Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, Jan. 7 through Jan. 9, 8 and 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 2 and 7 p.m. Sun. $5-$24. 

"Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonic Blowout," Jan. 14 through Jan. 16, 8 and 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 2 and 7 p.m. Sun. $5-$30. 

Shows are Monday through Saturday, 8 and 10 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. (510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.com.<


Exhibits-San Francisco Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:36:00 PM

"SUN SPHERES," -- ongoing. "Sun Spheres'' is a trio of mosaic sculptures by artist Laurel True at the intersection of Ocean and Granada Avenues in the OMI District of San Francisco. 

(415) 252-2551, www.sfartscommission.org/pubart.< 

 

EVENING GALLERY WALKS These monthly evening gallery walks or "crawls'' are a way to learn about art for the casual viewer without the intimidation of visiting a gallery with no one else around. Generally the galleries are filled on the "walk'' evenings with people drinking wine and talking. Gallery owners are happy to answer questions about the art on view. The important thing to remember is that it is free to gaze and drink. 

"First Thursday," ongoing. 5:30-8 p.m. Generally some 20 galleries participate in this monthly evening of open galleries. Many are located around Union Square. Some of the galleries that participate on a regular basis are Pasquale Iannetti Gallery, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, and Hackett-Freedman Gallery, all on Sutter Street; Meyerovich Gallery and Dolby Chadwick Gallery on Post Street; and Rena Bransten Gallery and Stephen Wirtz Gallery on Geary Street. Sponsored by the San Francisco Art Dealers Association. First Thursday of the month. Free.  

San Francisco. < 

 

HOTEL DES ARTS The boutique 51-room art hotel in Union Square features an art gallery by Start SOMA. 

"Painted Rooms," ongoing. An exhibit of painted rooms in the hotel by emerging artists.  

Free. Daily, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. 447 Bush St., San Francisco. (415) 956-4322, www.sfhoteldesarts.com.

 

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO  

"The Digital Liberation of G-d," ongoing. A permanent interactive media installation created by New York-based artist Helene Aylon, which examines the influences of patriarchal attitudes upon Jewish traditions and sacred texts.  

Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 3200 California St., San Francisco. (415) 292-1200, Box Office: (415) 292-1233, www.jccsf.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY, BAYVIEW-ANNA E. WADEN BRANCH  

"Bayview's Historical Footprints," ongoing. A permanent photographic exhibition celebrating the diverse history of Bayview Hunters Point featuring multimedia oral histories from community elders.  

Free. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday, 1 p.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday, 1 p.m.-7 p.m.; Friday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. 5075 Third St., San Francisco. (415) 355-5757, www.sfpl.org.

 

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY, MAIN BRANCH  

"Digging Deep: Underneath San Francisco Public Library," ongoing. Exhibition collects archaeological remains from the Gold Rush-era cemetery and the ruins of old City Hall destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.  

"Holiday Train," through Jan. 7. The library's 5th annual holiday train exhibit features three separate tracks carrying three of literature's favorite trains; the "Polar Express,'' "Thomas The Tank Engine,'' and "Hogwarts Express.''  

Free. Monday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 100 Larkin St., San Francisco. (415) 557-4400, www.sfpl.org.<


Exhibits-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:35:00 PM

CARMEN FLORES RECREATION CENTER  

"El Corazon de la Communidad: The Heart of the Community", ongoing. Painted by Joaquin Alejandro Newman, this mural installation consists of four 11-foot panels that mix ancient Meso-American and contemporary imagery to pay homage to local activists Carmen Flores and Josie de la Cruz.  

Free unless otherwise noted. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 1637 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. (510) 535-5631.< 

 

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE "NanoZone," ongoing. Discover the science of the super-small: nanotechnology. Through hands-on activities and games, explore this microworld and the scientific discoveries made in this area.  

"Forces That Shape the Bay," ongoing. A science park that shows and explains why the San Francisco Bay is the way it is, with information on water, erosion, plate tectonics and mountain building. You can ride earthquake simulators, set erosion in motion and look far out into the bay with a powerful telescope from 1,100 feet above sea level. The center of the exhibit is a waterfall that demonstrates how water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Bay. Visitors can control where the water goes. There are also hands-on erosion tables, and a 40-foot-long, 6-foothigh, rock compression wall.  

"Real Astronomy Experience," ongoing. A new exhibit-in-development allowing visitors to use the tools that real astronomers use. Aim a telescope at a virtual sky and operate a remote-controlled telescope to measure a planet.  

"Biology Lab," ongoing. In the renovated Biology Lab visitors may hold and observe gentle animals. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

"The Idea Lab," ongoing. Experiment with some of the basics of math, science and technology through hands-on activities and demonstrations of magnets, spinning and flying, puzzles and nanotechnology.  

"Math Around the World," ongoing. Play some of the world's most popular math games, such as Hex, Kalah, Game Sticks and Shongo Networks.  

"Math Rules," ongoing. Use simple and colorful objects to complete interesting challenges in math through predicting, sorting, comparing, weighing and counting.  

"Kapla," ongoing. The hands-on exhibit features thousands of versatile building blocks that can be used to build very large, high and stable structures and models of bridges, buildings, animals or anything else your mind can conceive.  

$6-$12; free children ages 2 and under. Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. University of California, Centennial Drive, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

 

LINDSAY WILDLIFE MUSEUM This is the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in America, taking in 6,000 injured and orphaned animals yearly and returning 40 percent of them to the wild. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs using non-releasable wild animals to teach children and adults respect for the balance of nature. The museum includes a state-of-the art wildlife hospital which features a permanent exhibit, titled "Living with Nature,'' which houses 75 non-releasable wild animals in learning environments; a 5,000-square-foot Wildlife Hospital complete with treatment rooms, intensive care, quarantine and laboratory facilities; a 1-acre Nature Garden featuring the region's native landscaping and wildlife; and an "Especially For Children'' exhibit.  

WILDLIFE HOSPITAL -- September-March: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hospital is open daily including holidays to receive injured and orphaned animals. There is no charge for treatment of native wild animals and there are no public viewing areas in the hospital.Ongoing.  

SPECIAL EVENTS Ongoing.  

$5-$7; free children under age 2. June 16-Sept. 15: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; Sept. 16-June 15: noon.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. (925) 935-1978, www.wildlife-museum.org.< 

 

OAKLAND ASIAN CULTURAL CENTER  

"Oakland's 19th-Century San Pablo Avenue Chinatown," ongoing. A permanent exhibit of new findings about the rediscovered Chinatown on San Pablo Avenue. The exhibit aims to inform visitors about the upcoming archaeological work planned to explore the lives of early Chinese pioneers in the 1860s.  

Free. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Pacific Renaissance Plaza, 388 Ninth St., Suite 290, Oakland. (510) 637-0455, www.oacc.cc.

 

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT  

"Going Away, Coming Home," ongoing. A 160-foot public art installation by Mills College art professor Hung Liu. Liu hand painted 80 red-crowned cranes onto 65 panels of glass that were then fired, tempered and paired with background panes that depict views of a satellite photograph, ranging from the western United States to the Asia Pacific Area. Terminal 2.  

Free. Daily, 24 hours, unless otherwise noted. Oakland International Airport, 1 Airport Drive, Oakland. (510) 563-3300, www.flyoakland.com.<


Dance-East Bay Through January 16

Tuesday January 04, 2011 - 07:35:00 PM

ASHKENAZ  

Zydeco Flames, Jan. 8, 9 p.m. Cajun/Zydeco dance lessons at 8 p.m. $10-$13.  

Coutrableu, Jan. 11, 8:30 p.m. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. $10.  

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com.

 

ELKS LODGE, ALAMEDA  

"All You Can Dance Sunday Socials," ongoing. Sunday, 4-6 p.m. Marilyn Bowe and Robert Henneg presents monthly socials with ballroom, swing, Latin and rock & roll themes. www.dancewithme.info. 

2255 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. (510) 864-2256.< 

 

SHATTUCK DOWN LOW For ages 21 and older. 

"King of King's," ongoing. 9 p.m. Sun. $10. 

"Live Salsa," ongoing. Wednesdays. An evening of dancing to the music of a live salsa band. Salsa dance lessons from 8-9:30 p.m. $5-$10. 

Orquestra Elefante, Jan. 12, 8 p.m. Live salsa dance lessons at 8:30 p.m. $10.  

2284 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-1159, www.shattuckdownlow.com.

 

SOLAD DANCE CENTER  

"Persian Dance," ongoing. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 and 10 p.m. Rosa Rojas offers traditional dance classes. $10.  

Citrus Marketplace, 2260 Oak Grove Rd., Walnut Creek. (925) 938-3300.< 

 

STARRY PLOUGH PUB  

"Ceili and Dance," ongoing. Traditional Irish music and dance. The evening begins with a dance lesson at 7 p.m. followed by music at 9 p.m. Mondays, 7 p.m. Free.  

For ages 21 and over unless otherwise noted. Sunday and Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com.

 

UPTOWN NIGHTCLUB  

"Hella Gay," Jan. 15, 9 p.m. $7. 

1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. (510) 451-8100, www.uptownnightclub.com.<