The city-owned parking lot at Oxford and Addison streets is not yet available for development, but that hasn’t stopped Berkeley’s most prolific – and perhaps most controversial – developer from spreading the word about his plans to develop housing and provide theatre space for the Shotgun Players at the site. 

Patrick Kennedy has scheduled a two-and-a-half-hour press conference at a downtown bistro late Monday afternoon to announce his plans and, Kennedy says, to pressure the city to speed up its release of a Request for Proposals for the lot. 

Kennedy, owner of Panoramic Interests, is not shy in acknowledging the something-for-everyone approach he uses to deftly guide his projects around opponents and tie up at least five votes on the City Council. 

His plans for the Oxford lot include: 

• A 75-foot, seven-story-plus-mezzanine building, with 150 to 175 apartments on the top three floors. One-fifth to one-quarter of the units would be affordable for very low-income people. 

• A 330-space, three-story parking garage. “A mom and her three kids going to the Y(MCA) can’t take public transportation,” he said in support of doubling the parking now at the surface lot. 

• A 150-space theater for the Shotgun Players, gallery space and classrooms for the Berkeley Arts Center, and another small theater for citywide performing arts groups. 

Part of the deal which Kennedy describes as “privately financed” would be for the city to turn over its land to him. 

The developer would then build the three-story parking component, which would be a benefit for the city and its downtown merchants, shoppers and theatergoers. Kennedy says the exchange is fair because building garages are always money-losing propositions. He would charge no more for parking in this garage than the city charges in its lots, he said. 

Kennedy said he thought he would not need a variance from the city to build a seven-story project. But City Planner Vivian Kahn says that, with density bonuses for housing and the cultural element, she thinks he can build only five stories and 60 feet high. 

Kennedy says he would like to submit his proposal to the city as soon as possible, but there will not be a request from the city for proposals from developers until late summer, said Economic Development Manager Bill Lambert. 

Lambert said he is waiting for preliminary results from a parking-needs study and for an assessment of the property value. He said the project the city wants is something like the one Kennedy is proposing, with cultural uses, parking and housing. 

Once the call for proposals comes from the city, Kennedy is likely to face at least two competitors – John De Clercq of Transaction Companies and the nonprofit housing developer Resources for Community Development. 

De Clercq declined to talk about the project he has in mind. Dan Sawislak, RCD executive director, said the site “offers a great opportunity to build needed affordable housing, with retail and cultural uses.” he said. Sawislak said, however, that he hasn’t done a detailed analysis of the site. 

Councilmember Dona Spring, who represents the downtown district, is no fan of Kennedy’s. She said she didn’t think the city would turn over the parking portion of the development to him, and wants to see more than the mandated 20 percent low-income housing. 

The best mix would be for the city to develop the ground floor and parking and have a nonprofit housing developer maximize the housing component, she said. 

In an attempt to get five votes from the council, Kennedy “tried to figure out what would be very sexy,” Spring said. 

Kennedy’s detractors note that the developer has used this tactic on previous projects, attracting such businesses as Anna’s and Gaia Bookstore to help generate council support. 

One of Kennedy’s strongest supporters is Patrick Dooley, artistic director of the Shotgun Players. The theater company, in its ninth year in Berkeley, has bounced around from pizza parlor basements to parking lots. Currently, the company is using space at Black Pine Circle School on Seventh Street. 

The agreement with Kennedy is that Shotgun would build its theater, which should cost them about $300,000, then rent it from Kennedy for $1 per year. 

Dooley said he has no problem with the notion that Kennedy might pick up votes because his company is in the project. 

“The arts community will get a huge benefit,” he said. 

There is another way of looking at the partnership, he said. “I’m taking advantage of Patrick Kennedy to build my theater.”

Saturday, April 1

School garage sale 

9 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Skytown Parent Cooperative Preschool, 1 Lawson Road, Kensington 

The school will hold this garage sale to benefit its programs. All donations are tax-deductible. 

510-526-8485 

Child Development 

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

Pacific Center, 2712 Telegraph Ave. 

Learn about current ideas in the field of child development: how your child learns, developmental ages and milestones, and how you can best support the growth and development of your child. Donations are requested, but not required. This is part of the LGBTQ Parent and Prospective Parent Groups series. 

415-789-8560; familyprogram@yahoo.com 

April Fools Day celebration 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Library temporary location, 2121 Allston Way 

Pam Brown, storyteller and magician, will entertain with stories of tricksters and fools from around the world. She will perform a series of magic tricks and will teach the audience how to do some of the tricks. This free program is designed for children ages 5 to 10, and their parents. 

510-649-3943; TDD 510-548-1240 

Saturday Morning Children’s Programs 

10:30 a.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Jane Timberlake will present a performance of original songs. Tickets are $4 general, $3 for children. 

510-849-2568 

Small Press Distribution Open House 

Noon-4 p.m.  

1341 Seventh St. 

This free event will feature readings by Brenda Hillman, Marci Blackman, Mary Burger, Truong Tran and Elizabeth Willis, and guests will have an opportunity to browse through open stacks of books. 

510-524-1668 

Artist salon 

2 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park 

Mel Adamson, painting, and Lucy Snow, installation, will be featured in this salon. Admission is free. 

510-644-6893 

“Wildflower Watching” 

2-3:30 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park 

Participants can look for blooming poppies, lupines and Indian paintbrush. For ages 8 and older. Meet at Tilden’s Big Springs Canyon if South Park Drive is open. If it is closed, meet at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden parking lot. 

510-525-2233 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Juan de Marcos’ Afro-Cuban All Stars will perform. Tickets are $18 to $32. 

510-642-9988 

Bach performance 

8 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 

Hopkinson Smith is featured in this baroque lute performance of works by J.S. Bach. Tickets are $19 to $22. 

510-528-1725 

Sunday, April 2

“Post-April Fools Day Hike” 

10 a.m.-noon 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

On this hike, look for examples of deception in nature and talk about the history of April Fools Day. 

510-525-2233 

The Buddy Club 

11 a.m. 

Albany Community Center Theater, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany 

This performance will feature juggling and comedy with Hearty and Lissen, and singer Robbie Dunbar. Tickets $7 general admission, free for children under 2. 

510-652-7469 

Kurt Vonnegut Writer’s Day 

2 p.m. 

Trinity United Methodist Church, 2362 Bancroft Way 

Celebrating and sharing concerns for writers, this event features local authors reading from their works. Donation for admission. 

510-528-2942 

“Meadows Canyon Loop” 

2-4 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park 

Take a 2.85-mile loop hike up sunny Meadows canyon and down shady Wildcat Gorge. Meet at the bulletin board at Lone Oak picnic site. 

510-525-2233 

San Francisco City Chorus 

3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way 

Larry H. Marietta conducts the chorus in a performance of Haydn’s “The Creation” with the Chamber Symphony of the West. Tickets are $15 general; $10 students and seniors. 

415-765-SONG 

Open house 

3-5 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Place 

The open house will be followed by Tibetan chanting at 5 p.m. and a lecture entitled “Inner Compassion” by Sylvia Gretchen, dean of Nyingma Studies, from 6 to 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. 

510-843-6812 

Benefit concert 

6 p.m. 

Home of Elise Cappella and Elisha Cooper, at 77A Tamalpais 

Musicians for a Better World is sponsoring a benefit classical guitar concert for the victims of the floods in Mozambique. Leonardo García and Martha Masters will perform works by Astor Piazzolla, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Johannes Brahms, and others. All proceeds go directly to Direct Relief International to help aid the victims of the floods in Mozambique. Suggested donation $10. Children welcome. 

For more information email Leonardo Garcia at mayaleo@earthlink.net 

Peltier event 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. 

Native American political activist Jean Day will discuss the ongoing, nationwide campaign to gain freedom for Leonard Peltier, a Native American leader who has been declared a political prisoner by Amnesty International. 

Monday, April 3

Harris Seminar 

4 p.m. 

Institute for Governmental Studies Library, 109 Moses Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

David Broder, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and columnist with the Washington Post, will discuss his book “Democracy Derailed: The Initiative Movement and the Power of Money.” 

“New Moon Hike” 

6:30 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park 

Hike Big Springs, view sunset city, stars and planets. Meet at Big Springs Canyon pullout off South Park Drive. If closed meet at the Botanic Garden parking lot. 

510-525-2233 

Landscape architecture and environmental planning 

7-8:30 p.m. 

145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Robert B. Riley, emeritus professor of landscape architecture and architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will speak on “Vernacular-Narrative-Garden: Musings, Maxims, and ... ?”  

510-643-9335 

Rent Stabilization Board 

7 p.m. 

Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

Among other issues the board will discuss funding for the Tenant Action Project and a proposal to add an office assistant and a community services assistant. 

Theater conversation 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 

“Page to Stage: A Conversation with Tony Taccone, Joan Holden and Geoff Hoyle” is a free event sponsored by the Berkeley Rep’s Hilde Mosse Programs for Education. Taccone is artistic director of the Rep, Holden is the principal playwright for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, and Hoyle is a comic actor who has appeared in a number of shows at the Rep. This event will focus on the legacy of comic theater in the Bay Area. 

510-841-2541 

New Century Plan workshop 

7:30-9:30 p.m. 

UC Alumni House (enter campus at Bancroft Way and Dana Street; located across from Haas Pavilion) 

Community members are invited to Workshop No. 4, which will feature a panel of representatives from Downtown Berkeley business, arts, and civic organizations. The discussion will explore ways to utilize town and gown connections to further the revitalization of Downtown Berkeley. The New Century Plan, currently being developed, will guide UC Berkeley decisions and set priorities for the future use of its facilities and properties in Berkeley and the surrounding region. 

510-643-3382; 510-643-5299

Barge into the Kala Institute, bark out the old cliché “stop the presses!” and you very well may trigger a major shutdown. That’s because the 25-year-old art institute’s 8,500-square-foot main studio is inundated with more varieties of presses than you can shake a lithograph at. There are giant presses and baby-sized presses, venerable old presses and shiny new presses, presses used for one form of printing or another, presses used to meld one form of printing with another and even a press sporting an eye-catching, 6-foot-wide crank wheel that, over the past quarter-century, at least one artist has probably stood behind and suddenly felt compelled to lapse into his or her Long John Silver impersonation. 

“Every piece of equipment has a story,” says Kala Institute Executive Director Archana Horsting, who co-founded the institute with fellow Paris art student Yuzo Nakano 25 years back. “We saved enough to each buy one-half of a press, and got a little lumber to construct a table. A couple of artists joined us and brought some tools, rollers, that sort of thing. We jury-rigged a hot plate. We still have that first press we ever bought. We had one press willed to us, some of the larger presses we got through equipment grants, and a couple are long-term loans. Over time, we’ve built up equipment.” 

Over time, they’ve also built up clientele. The tiny art studio that Horsting and Nakano opened up as a single press in a San Francisco garage now serves roughly 80 artists a year out of its home in the former “ketchup kitchen” of the old Heinz plant on San Pablo Avenue. 

“Even though we’re on the third floor, we’re still something of an underground organization,” jokes Horsting. “The average person around here might never have heard of us. But artists in Japan, Norway, Iceland, South America and all over Asia have.” 

This international appeal is no coincidence. Horsting and Nakano aimed to create a diverse, multi-national atmosphere right from the start (in the name “Kala,” for example, the founders picked a word that has “good vibes” in Greek, Sanskrit, Japanese, Hawaiian, Turkish and Hebrew, just for starters). The idea is, if you bring artists from varying backgrounds together to work shoulder-to-shoulder in the studio, the process of osmosis ought to benefit everyone. In furthering this goal, the Institute features “artists in residence” from all over the globe. These internationals work alongside the six-to-12 artists a year who receive Kala fellowships and the dozens and dozens of others who pay a fee for the right to utilize the Institute’s numerous facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

“It’s always totally in flux,” says Kala Institute administrative assistant and self-described “Jill of all trades” Elisheva Marcus. “We’re open 24 hours a day, so you can never really predict (when people will show up).” 

Yet the Kala Institute is more than just an art studio. More than 700 students a year take the 80-plus courses offered through the Institute (in fact, Kala’s course catalog looks much like UC Berkeley’s – except it’s smaller and sprinkled throughout with much better artwork). Kala sends a number of artists into local schools and communities through its “Artist in the Schools” Program. The mural on the yet-to-be-completed downtown Berkeley Public Safety Building was painted by local schoolchildren and organized by the Kala Institute. Also, Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley kids have gone on numerous field trips to the Institute. 

And while a major focus of the Kala Institute will always be the art of printing, the studio offers artists and students alike more than just presses. The Institute is equipped with an art library, an oft-used gallery, darkroom facilities and, most impressively, a rather high-tech Electronic Media Center. Located in a large single room protected by more locks than one would expect to find on a front door in the Bronx, the media center comes chock full o’ computers, scanners, printers, video editors, digital samplers and more. 

This unusual juxtaposition of printing presses – some of which utilize processes developed thousands of years ago – and cutting edge digital equipment is the subject of the symposium the Kala Institute is planning for its 25th anniversary celebration. 

Entitled “High Touch/High Tech: Making Art in the 21st Century,” Kala has organized a number of speakers and expert panels for the April 8 event at the Oakland Museum. The number of artists and authorities in attendance will analyze the current art scene, and, of course, ponder the big question: What comes next? 

The look backwards and forwards seems to be a fitting celebration for the Kala Institute, a progressive institution based around an eons-old practice. And as is the case with so many Berkeley nonprofits born out of the 1960s and ‘70s, founders Nakano and Horsting have outlasted the lean years, and can’t believe how time has flown. 

“I think Nakano and I had no idea we’d still be doing this,” chuckles Horsting. “I guess we’re both kinda stubborn as hell.” 

For more information on the Kala Institute and the upcoming symposium call 510-549-2977 or visit the Institute’s web site at http://www.kala.org

THEATER 

ACTORS ENSEMBLE OF BERKELEY 

“Rough Crossing” by Tom Stoppard, April 7 through May 6. The writers of a Broadway musical are simultaneously trying to finish and rehearse a play while crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner. 

$10. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; May 4, 8 p.m. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 528-5620. 

AURORA THEATRE 

“The Homecoming” by Harold Pinter, April 6 through May 7. A dark comedy about a philosophy professor who brings his wife home to meet his all-male family. 

$25 to $28. Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. 

BAYSTAGE 

“Tinker's Nebula” by Michael Thomas Tower, closing April 1. The story of the Creation gone awry, and learning what it means to be human anyway. 

$15 general; $12 students and seniors. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. (510) 464-3000. 

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE 

“The Alchemist” by Ben Johnson, through April 7. A scathingly satiric look at the “science” of alchemy and other scams. 

$38 to $48.50. Tuesday through Friday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Feb. 26, March 4, March 11 and March 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. 

(510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

IMPACT THEATRE 

“Commedia 2000: Soccer Mom vs. Monster Bud,'' through April 1. A supremely irreverent look at Berkeley, the college life, and parents. $10 general; $5 students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. 8th Street Studio, 2525 8th St., Berkeley. (510) 464-4468. 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“3 Sisters” by Anton Chekhov, through April 9. A play about three provincial sisters yearning to move to Moscow and the toy-soldier men who adore them. $15 general; $10 students and seniors. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; March 27, 8 p.m. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 Seventh St., Berkeley. (510) 655-0813. 

Subterranean Shakespeare 

“Measure for Measure,” by William Shakespeare. Run has been extended through April 30. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays, at 8 p.m. each night, and Sundays at 7 p.m. $10 general; $6 students. La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 234-6046. 

MUSIC VENUES 

ASHKENAZ 

Soukous Stars, April 1, 9:30 p.m. $11. 

Julia Butterfly, Leslie Limbo, Jennifer Berezan and Jami Sieber, Adele Getty, April 2, 7 p.m. $10. 

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 525-5099 or www.ashkenaz.com 

BLAKES 

For age 18 and older. Music at 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. (510) 848-0886. 

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE 

Chris Grampp and Club Sandwich, April 1. $15.50. 

“Freight Piano Fundraiser,” April 2. With Barbara Higbie, Katrina Krimsky, Libby McLaren, Liz Story, Margie Adam, and Terry Riley. $17.50. 

Music at 8 p.m. 1111 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 548-1761 or (510) 762-BASS. 

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER 

Will Power, Marvin Sewell, Awana Nzingha, April 1, 8 p.m. The Hip Hop Blues Review performs as part of the Silver Star Series. $12. 

3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 849-2568 or www.lapena.org 

924 GILMAN ST. 

From Ashes Arise, Abstain, Remains of the Day, April 1. 

$5. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. (510) 525-9926. 

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

For age 21 and over. Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:45 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-2082. 

GALLERIES  

A.C.C.I. GALLERY 

“The Women’s Show,” March 3 through April 8. A group exhibit of works by six Bay area artists. 

“The Annual Staff Exhibit,” through March 31. An exhibit of works featuring ceramics, fiber, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and digital mixed media. In the Interim Gallery. 

Free. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 843-2527. 

BERKELEY ART CENTER 

“Adamson/Snow,” through April 1. An exhibit of paintings by Mel Adamson and installation by Lucy Snow. Free. Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Live Oak Park, 1275 Walnut St., Berkeley. (510) 644-6893. 

NEW PIECES GALLERY 

“Irish Stones and More,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of quilts by Denise Snell. 

“Down from the Attic,” April 1 through April 27. An exhibit of dolls by Gretchen Jennings. 

Free. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1597 Solano Ave., Berkeley. (510) 527-6779.  

TRAYWICK GALLERY 

Dennis Begg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new sculpture and installation. 

Lothar Osterburg, March 11 through April 9. An exhibit of new photography. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1316 10th St., Berkeley. (510) 527-1214. 

MUSEUMS 

UC BERKELEY ART MUSEUM 

“Autour de Rodin: Auguste Rodin and His Contemporaries,” through August. 

“2x2: Architectural Collaborations,” Jan. 22 through April 16. 

“Roma/Pacifica: The Phoebe Hearst International Architecture Competition and the Berkeley Campus, 1896-1930,” through April 23. 

$6 general; $4 seniors and students ages 12 to 18; free children age 12 and under; free Thursday, 1 1 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. (510) 642-0808 

HALL OF HEALTH  

2230 Shattuck Ave. (lower level), Berkeley A hands-on community health education museum and science center sponsored by Children's Hospital Oakland and Alta Bates Medical Center. Free. For children ages 3 to 12 and their parents. (510) 549-1564 

LAWRENCE HALL 

OF SCIENCE 

“Dinosaurs 2000,” through June 4. An exhibit featuring 16 lifelike robotic creatures, fossils, activities to compare yourself to a dinosaur, and daily live demonstrations. 

$6 general; $4 seniors, students and children ages 7 to 18; $2 children ages 3 to 6; free children under age 3. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

PHOEBE HEARST MUSEUM 

Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley 

Wednesday through Sunday 10 am -4:30 pm; Thursday until 9 pm (Sept-May) (510) 643-7648 

JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM 

2911 Russell St., Berkeley 

“Chagall: Master Prints and Posters, Selections from the Magnes Museum Collection.” Accompanying the exhibition is “Exploring Chagall and His Use of the Elements of Art,” a child-friendly Interactive Educational Room with five work-stations and a central activities space. Free. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (510) 549-6950 

To publicize an upcoming event, please submit information to the Daily Planet via fax (841-5695), e-mail (calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.com) or traditional mail (2076 University Avenue, 94704). 

Calendar items should be submitted at least four days in advance. 

Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information.

The Yellowjackets began their second league match of the season as an underdog on Friday, hosting rival Amador Valley at San Pablo Park in Berkeley. The ’Jackets, who missed out on a month of preseason practice due to the rain, managed to plough over this obstacle with a 12-2 victory over the Dons. The game was halted in the bottom of the fifth by the umpires, due to a 10-run “mercy rule.” 

“This is the most stressful day in my 16 years of coaching,” coach Larri Gordon barked to his players before the game. “I’m on my stress reserve. This (game) is your last chance to get some respect.” 

The huge score was caused in part by the Wolves’ struggling starter – Tom Walker – who lived up to his name by walking two and hitting three batters, all in the first inning. Senior Greer Wiggins capitalized on the Dons’ pitching problems, smacking an RBI line drive to center that scored two teammates, giving Berkeley a 2-0 first-inning lead.  

The Yellowjackets had more success with starting pitcher Cole Stipovich, who gave Amador the sting, allowing just six hits and one earned run, with just 56 pitches in five innings.  

“This is the first game I pitched in league,” Stipovich said. “I’m psyched. I’m overwhelmed. The way this game turned out isn’t something I expected at all.”  

The second inning turned out to garner the largest point tally for the ’Jackets. The bases were loaded – due in part to a walk by Walker – and sophomore Julian Benavidez hit a double to centerfield and earned three RBIs. Paco Flores and Lee Franklin subsequently chimed in with an RBI to end the inning 5-0. 

“It’s my goal for us to be a sleeper in the league,” Wiggins said. “We’ll tip-toe in, tip-toe out and no one will see us coming.” 

Another three runs were knocked onto the board in the third. Benavidez played a key part again by driving in runs with a basehit to right field. In the Yellowjackets’ last chance at bat, sophomore Dan Pfister increased the score with a line drive to second which cost him an out, but earned him a sacrifice RBI. Benavidez scored Berkeley’s final run from third, on a sacrifice fly by Jay Moor. 

“It seems like one problem after another,” Dons’ coach Tom Bischofberger said. “I don’t think we should have lost to Berkeley like we did (today).” 

“I had high expectations and we were able to live up to them in this game,” Gordon said.

By Rob Cunningham 

Daily Planet Staff 

Disparity in public education remains a central part of Audie Bock’s agenda, a year after her surprise election to the California State Assembly. 

“We’ve really been mistreating our kids,” she said Friday during the weekly gathering of the City Commons Club. “(Improving our schools) requires a commitment of our taxpayer money to go into education on a much larger scale than we’re spending right now.” 

Monday marks the start of Bock’s second year representing the 16th Assembly District, which includes Piedmont, Alameda and much of Oakland. During the last year, she has gone from the insurgent challenger who shocked the East 

Bay political system to a incumbent who has to gather enough signatures by August to appear on this fall’s ballot. 

A year ago, Bock pulled an upset and won her Assembly race against former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, who used to hold the 16th District seat. She became a self-described “guerrilla legislator,” as the only member of Green Party serving in the Legislature. 

But in October, she withdrew from the Green Party in a politically risky move. Had she retained her Green affiliation, her name would have appeared on the March primary ballot. No one doubted whether Bock would win her party’s nomination. But the issue was how well she’d fare against the other candidates, particularly Democrat Wilma Chan, president of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Fund-raising squabbles with members of her own party also factored into Bock’s decision to become an independent, skip the March primary and focus her efforts on gathering signatures for that her name can appear on the November ballot. 

But Bock, a product of the Berkeley public school system, believes that her record could carry her to victory again. Granted, it’s taken time to build that record: When she arrived in Sacramento last year, the deadline had already passed for any bills to be introduced, and some of the choice committee appointments and bills that were being “reserved” for Harris weren’t passed her way. 

And Bock soon learned that as the only Green in the Legislature, she had no party caucus to help with such basic tasks as distributing press releases. 

“When you’re only one person, you can’t walk in and change the whole system overnight,” she said. “But you can be heard.” 

Being heard meant working with like-minded legislators on such issues as education, health care and social justice. She also found an ally in Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, part of a de facto progressive caucus, who gave Bock better committee assignments than previous Democrat Speakers might have. And even though she couldn’t offer any new bills, she was able to introduce resolutions, including one on the level of dioxin in the San Francisco Bay. 

The issue of education came up several times during her speech to the City Commons Club. Even though she went through Berkeley public schools, Bock chose to live in Piedmont when she moved back to the area because of the quality school system. 

She also addressed an initiative being promoted by the California Teachers Association for the November ballot. The measure would increase state per-pupil spending to at least the national average over five years. 

California ranks 40th in spending per pupil (ADA), according to the National Education Association. The state average was $5,627 in 1997-98, $1,011 lower than the U.S. average of $6,638 and just over half of New Jersey’s expenditure per pupil. 

The proposal, Bock said, was generated by individuals who volunteered for her campaign a year ago.

Any coach will tell you that, in team sports, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. The San Ramon boys tennis team learned that lesson on Friday afternoon at the Berkeley High tennis courts, winning the top two singles spots, but still falling to the notoriously deep Yellowjackets, 7-2. 

The Berkeley contingent picked up the slack for losses by Michael Ross and Patrick Hamilton, getting wins from Noah Farb, Nicky Baum, Nate Simmons and Jamie Bloomsburgh at Nos. 3-6 singles.  

Despite the absence of top doubles team Dave Grunwald and John Madigan, the ’Jackets (9-2) managed to come away with a sweep in the doubles, with the teams of Gabe Zeldin-Chris Jain, Ian Buchanan-George Thomas, and Chris Lee-Brett Cohen all winning their respective matches in straight sets. 

“(San Ramon’s) definitely a challenge. We had to be ready for them,” said BHS coach Dan Seguin, whose squad registered a 6-3 win in the two schools’ previous meeting on March 21. “We didn’t have one of our singles guys last time we played. (Our players) are looking good.” 

The win marks the second straight for the Yellowjackets since March 28’s loss to Monte Vista – a result that could cost Berkeley High its East Bay Athletic League title. The Mustangs remain undefeated in league, with just two games to play. The ’Jackets look to hold onto sole possession of second place Tuesday, when it travels to Granada to face the Matadors – a team Berkeley expects to be a pushover.  

“I might let the doubles play some singles, and (play) some JVs (against Granada),” Seguin said. “I think there are certain spots that could always be stronger, but they’re doing the right things.” 

Tuessay’s match is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. at Granada’s home courts.

Daily Planet Staff 

A carjack was the weapon of choice in a downtown confrontation between two taxi drivers Thursday night. 

The incident occurred just after 10 p.m. at Constitution Square in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue, where taxis frequently wait for customers. According to Berkeley Police Lt. Bob Maloney, the two drivers got into a fight over a customer, and one of the drivers pulled out a carjack. 

The driver could have been charged with brandishing – because of the threatening manner in which he displayed the carjack – and disturbing the peace. But the other driver, when he reported the incident to police, simply requested that officers talk to the man and ask him to never do it again.

The Berkeley High girls lacrosse team gets its second shot of the season at league rival St. Ignatius, in an 11 a.m. matchup this morning at the BHS football field.  

The Wildcats won a heated offensive battle, 15-11, at home against the ’Jackets on March 11, and are considered to be among the toughest teams in the league. Coming off a 10-9 win over Davis on Monday, however, Berkeley has momentum in its favor and will be looking to defend its home turf.  

“We have home field advantage this time, so it should be good,” coach Lia Farley said.  

“Hopefully we’ll play the same (as Monday) against St. Ignatius,” attacker Dani Gaines added. “Our heads are up, our spirits are high. We just have to go all out.”

The X-Plicit Players, perhaps best known for performing nude, are holding auditions and open rehearsals for new members. 

The auditions/rehearsals are being held Sundays from to 5 p.m. 

The group is seeking “adventurous folks” for “radical street theater actions, festival stage shows and indoor performance art pieces.” 

For more information on location or other details, call 510-848-1985.