A resident was burglarized by a “hot prowler” around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. She said she was late in getting up to go to work, opened her living room window in her first floor apartment on the 2000 block of Delaware Street. 

She turned on her television and went into the bathroom to take a shower and heard something fall, but didn’t worry, said Capt. Bobby Miller of the Berkeley Police Department. 

When she returned to the living room she found that a blanket that had been on the couch was gone and also a large container or tower almost full with 300 cassette disks was missing. There are no leads.

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. 

BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE 

“Let My Enemy Live Long!” by Tanya Shaffer, April 19 through May 12. The story of an ill-advised boat ride up West Africa's Niger River to Timbuktu. 

$19 to $48.50. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; April 19, 8 p.m.; NO PERFORMANCES APRIL 25 AND APRIL 26. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“The Skriker” by Caryl Churchill, April 29 and April 30. In this ecological play faeries are damaged due to polluted rivers and woods, and are forgotten. 

$15 general; $10 seniors and students. Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. Julia Morgan Center for the Art s, 2640 College Ave., 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 

Nameless and Faceless Hiphop on the Moon, Prophets of Rage, Loki and DJs Poizen, Riddm, Inspector DBL Negative, April 27, 9:30 p.m. A benefit for Bay Area Arts Collective. $8. 

Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, April 28, 9:30 p.m. $11. 

California Cajun Orchestra, April 29, 9:30 p.m. $11. 

Funkanauts, Dubwise, Boswick Turstile Jr., Magic Mike, April 30, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. A family affair to celebrate the first birthday of the daughter of the leader of the band Funkanauts. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. there will be children's performers, activities and a birthday cake. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. there will be music and dancing to Funkanauts and the reggae band Dubwise. $5 general; $1 children. 

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

BLAKES 

Ripe, April 27. $4. 

Blue Marmalade, Pucker Up, April 28. $5. 

Free Association, West Coast Rhythm Section, April 29. $5. 

Jimbo Trout and The Fishpeople, Spikedrivers, April 30. $3. 

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

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE 

The Crooked Jades, April 27. $13.50 to $14.50. 

SoVoSo, April 28. $15.50 to $16.50. 

Rebecca Riots, April 29. $13.50 to $14.50. 

Mary Schmary, April 30. $13.50 TO $14.50. 

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

924 GILMAN ST. 

Crosstops, East Bay Drifters, Tantrums, The Thumbs, Smokejumpers, April 28. 

Babyland, Black Cat Music, Blackie, Pale Horse, April 29. 

Blitzkreig, Forgotten, Intrepid A.A.F., Society Dog, April 30, 5 p.m. 

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

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

Species Being, Vacuum Tree Head, April 27. 

Amy Denio, The Gazillions, Zmrzrilna, April 28. 

Deke Dickerson and The Eccofonics, April 29. 

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. 

MUSEUMS 

UC BERKELEY ART 

MUSEUM 

“Anne Chu/MATRIX 184 Untitled,” April 16 through June 18. The exhibition features a selection of Chu's T'ang dynasty funerary figures sculpted following her travels to Xian and Guangdong. The wooden figures range in height from 28 inches to over six feet.  

“China: Fifty Years Inside the People's Republic,” through June 18. The work of 25 Chinese and Western photographers explores half a century of social and political upheaval in this unusual exhibit. The 200 photographs, both black-and-white and color, cover the many regions, cultures and people that make up China as well as the mix of traditional life and the modern one. 

“Autour de Rodin: Auguste Rodin and His Contemporaries,” through August. An exhibit of 11 bronze maquettes on loan from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation in Los Angeles. The bronzes range in style from the artist's classically inspired “Torso of a Woman” to the anguish of “The Martyr.” Some of the maquettes were cast during Rodin’s lifetime, others have been cast fairly recently under the aegis of the Musee Rodin which alone is authorized to cast his sculptures posthumously. 

$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. 

“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. 

Free. For children ages 3 to 12 and their parents. 

(510) 549-1564 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERNICE LAYNE BROWN GALLERY 

“Bridging the Bay: Bridging the Campus,” through April 30. The exhibit has been created from the libraries of the eight University of California campuses. The exhibit includes books, documents, architectural drawings, blueprints, artifacts, maps and photographs that record the building of the San Francisco Bay area’s bridges. It also includes documents detailing Bay area bridge projects that were seriously considered but never built. Free. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Doe Memorial Library, University of California, Berkeley. (510) 643-9999. 

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. 

“The News About Dinosaurs,” through June 4. Learn more about the “Dinosaurs 2000” exhibit with live demonstrations exploring recent paleontological discoveries and how scientists know what they do about prehistoric creatures. Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. 

$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 

“Modern Treasures from Ancient Iran,” through Oct. 29. This exhibit explores nomadic and town life in ancient and modern Iran as illustrated in bronze and pottery vessels, and textiles. 

“Pana O’ahu: Sacred Stones – Sacred Places,” through July 16. An exhibit of photographs by Jan Becket and Joseph Singer. 

“Phoebe Hearst Museum-Approaching a Century of Anthropology,” a sampling of the vast collections of the museum, its mission, history, and current research, with selections from ancient Egypt, ancient Peru, California Indians, Asia (India), and Africa. 

“Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture,” Ishi, the last Yahi Indian of California, spent the final years of his life, 1911 to 1916, living at the museum, working with anthropologists to record his culture, demonstrating technological skills, and retelling Yahi myths, tales, and songs. 

Wednesday through Sunday 10 am -4:30 pm; Thursday until 9 pm. 

(510) 643-7648 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

A museum especially for children age 7 and younger. 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. 

Admission is $4 for adults; $6 child age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child.  

Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

(510) 647-1111 

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. 

GALLERIES  

A.C.C.I. GALLERY 

“Recycled Art,” April 1 through April 30. A group exhibit featuring jewelry, sculpture and functional art all from refuse. 

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. 

GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION 

“On Common Ground.” through June 23. This exhibit is a portrait of faith-based communities in Los Angeles. 

“Finding the Sacred Mountain,” through June 20. An exhibit of sumi-e and watercolors by Robert Kostka. 

Free. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., Berkeley. (510) 649-2541. 

KALA ART INSTITUTE 

“High Touch/High Tech: Crossing The Divide,” through May 6. An exhibit of juried and invited artists. 

Free. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Workshop Media Center Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. (510) 549-2977. 

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. 

A PIECE OF ART 

Solo show of oil paintings by landscape artist Peter Heelan of Oakland, through April 26. His works include landscapes of California and Ireland. Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 701 University Ave., in the parking lot across from Spenger’s. (510) 204-9653. 

TRAYWICK GALLERY 

“minimalPOP,” April 15 through May 14. A group exhibit of a variety of media. 

Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 1316 10th St., Berkeley. (510) 527-1214. 

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 one week before the opening of a new exhibit or performance. Please include a daytime telephone number in case we need to clarify any information.

Some like it hot, and some like it cold. And after Berkeley High’s 12-6 loss to league rival Davis in the scorching heat on Wednesday afternoon, it was painfully obvious which team had what preference. 

Having edged Davis by a goal in the two schools’ previous meeting at Berkeley High, the Yellowjackets knew their opponents would be pumped for the rematch. And after Davis mounted a quick offensive surge in the first half, it became clear that it was the team better conditioned for the heat. 

“We got shocked from the heat,” BHS coach Lia Farley said. “(We) were a little rusty, skill-wise, and even more so, fitness-wise. It was a lot hotter than it’s been. People on our team don’t usually beg for substitutes.” 

The Berkeley High defense, despite missing several key players due to illness, had a stronger evening than the inflated final score suggested. According to Farley, the defensive breakdown was more a result of sluggish play by the midfield, which suffered on the transition game and was out-hustled for the majority of loose balls. 

“There was a lot of potential for turnovers in the midfield, and people weren’t hurrying toward ground balls,” the BHS coach said. “In the second half, we started rallying a bit, but the midfield was still having problems, not giving the effort they needed to (in order) to win.” 

“We weren’t having very good transitions,” agreed Berkeley High attacker Jamie Lee, the team’s leading scorer. “We’d defend, create a turnover, and then couldn’t work it to the offense.” 

Lee tallied two of the Yellowjackets’ six goals, while Naomi Coffman led the way with a hat trick. Dani Ganes, the final weapon on Berkeley’s three-pronged offensive attack, also pitched in a score. According to Lee, the six-goal deficit was due to Davis’ more enthusiastic approach to the game, and not a huge jump in skill from the first 2000 meeting.  

“We beat them last time, so they really wanted to win,” she said. “They weren’t necessarily improved, they just really wanted to win. They ran hard to every ground ball. 

“A lot of (our) people let the weather affect their game.” 

The league loss puts added pressure on the ’Jackets to win their final game of the 2000 season, this Saturday at Acalanes. Currently residing in fourth place, Berkeley is likely to qualify for the postseason if it can get by Acalanes, but may risk losing its berth with a defeat. With a possible playoff spot at stake, Farley expects her squad to approach the showdown with a guttier attitude than it showed vs. Davis.  

“People were pretty upset about (the loss),” the coach said. “We had a long talk after the game (about Saturday), and hopefully words will translate into actions.” 

“We need to approach (Acalanes) with a lot of intensity. It’s up to each person to decide if they want to win,” Lee added. “I think (the Davis defeat) will motivate a lot of people.” 

If Berkeley High makes the playoffs, it would likely be looking at a first-round matchup with either Monte Vista or St. Ignatius – both of which swept the ’Jackets over two games in the 2000 regular season. Both schools have developed strong rivalries with Berkeley over the past few season, and according to the BHS coach and players, will make for challenging first-round opponents.  

“We’d prefer to play Monte Vista,” Farley opinionated. “The past three years, we’ve lost to them in the regular season, and beat them in the playoffs. It’s a bit of a tradition.” 

Not everyone on the BHS side wants to see a rematch with the Mustangs, however, especially with the team’s tendency to play its best against St. Ignatius. 

“I’d rather play SI,” Lee said. “They’re a better fundamental team, a cleaner team – it’s just easier to play against them. We seem to play well when we play against them.”

While the State of California enjoys a budget surplus because of strong income tax collection, local governments and local schools see a rising gap between the cost of services and the unrestricted revenues available from the taxes they rely on - sales tax (cities) and property tax (cities, counties, and schools). 

For cities, the trend in untaxed Internet sales could mean a future of more reliance on property taxes. For schools and for cities, voter passage of Propositions 13 and 218 limited funds available. It also shifted the tax burden by effectively decreasing the percentage of tax paid on business property and increasing the share paid by new homeowners. The current controversy over taxing the Internet offers a unique opportunity to re-think the way California funds local government and local schools. 

Existing law requires that Internet sales be taxed according to the sales tax regulations of the purchaser’s locality. (Remember the multi-state sales tax tables in your old Sears Roebuck catalogue?) However, states find the law difficult to enforce, in the case of catalogue sales as well as Internet sales, so there is currently a very high level of noncompliance - especially with the Internet. 

A Federal Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, established by Congress in 1998, brought together eight business representatives, eight state and local government representatives, and three federal government appointees, to address the issue of internet taxation. While local governments were inclined to ask for a national sales tax, the business representatives wanted to exclude the Internet from existing taxation. As a result, the commission was unable to approve, by the two-thirds vote required, any recommendation. 

Recently, the majority did issue a report, which was immediately denounced by The Local Government Finance Officers, National League of Cities, National Conference of State Legislatures, and others, as being favorable to special interests and unfavorable to taxpayers and to state and local governments. 

While Congress and the presidential candidates continue to debate this issue, California State Senator John Vasconcellos has introduced legislation to address the Internet taxation problem. SB1933, as originally proposed, would have required that the State Board of Equalization meet with other states to develop a way to develop a multi-state sales and use tax collection system. 

As amended, it establish a Commission on Tax Policy in the New Economy, for the purpose of conducting a year long study and series of public hearings, to address changes in tax policy. The bill specifically states the intent of removing inconsistencies and inefficiencies; addressing equity and fairness concerns; improving administration, and considering base-broadening measures. 

While the State of California should not give up on the idea of enforcing the existing sales tax laws, it may be time to consider replacing local governments’ reliance on sales tax, and schools’ reliance on property tax, with a system of increased state income tax revenues. 

The sales tax is already a regressive tax. That is, poor people pay a much higher percentage of their income when they pay sales tax. Online shopping makes the tax even more regressive: shoppers with access to computers and credit cards are avoiding taxes that those who shop in stores continue to pay. 

While property taxes are not as regressive as sales tax, they are notable, in California, for inconsistencies in impact, as a result of Proposition 13. Because residential property is re-sold more frequently than commercial property, more taxes are paid by homeowners than by businesses. The highest taxes are paid by first-time homebuyers. 

In addition, the State has shifted more of the property tax revenues away from localities and towards its own coffers. According to the California Budget Project’s Budget Watch, part of the State’s budget surplus is due to property tax shifts in 1992 and 1993, which transferred $3.9 billion of property tax revenues from counties, cities, and special districts to schools, but also reduced the state’s required contribution to K-14 education. Only $1.7 billion of this loss was offset by the half percent sales tax increase, and the state profited by $2.2 billion from this transaction. 

Local communities find that tax dollars returned to the community by the State and the Federal government come back with strings attached. A school may have insufficient dollars for teacher salaries, but money to pay for programs it lacks the staff to implement. A city may spend valuable resources chasing state and federal dollars, and fail to deal with basic financial or physical infrastructure issues. 

The threat to local revenues posed by e-commerce brings with it a rare opportunity. It is time to take a good, hard look at our convoluted and inequitable system of paying for schools and local services. We can do better. Senator Vasconcellos’ bill is a first step in the right direction. 

Ann-Marie Hogan was elected City Auditor of the City of Berkeley in December of 1995.

HAYWARD – After hearing from both sides of the issue, the Alameda County Board of Education decided late Tuesday night not to rescind its call for a moratorium against school field trips to Lawrence Hall of Science. 

Instead, the board passed a substitute resolution noting the “differences of opinions” over the risk of tritium exposure at the Hall, and advising educators, students and parents to “independently assess” the risk and make “individual decisions” about visiting LHS. 

Tuesday’s action was a follow-up to an April 11 board vote in support of a parent/teacher advisory about tritium emissions from the National Tritium Labeling Facility, located on 

the grounds of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory just below the Lawrence Hall of Science. 

That vote generated publicity and controversy not just because tritium is a hot-button issue for many people, but also because no one from the Lab or LHS was notified that item was going to be discussed. So, the board only heard one side of the story. 

Neither side of the issue walked away entirely satisfied Tuesday night, but the members of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste – which had representatives on hand for the vote two weeks ago – seemed moderately satisfied by the vote. 

“There’s disappointment, but we feel that it’s still a form of a warning,” said Gene Bernardi, co-chair of the committee. 

Lawrence Hall of Science representatives said the approved resolution didn’t go far enough in the other direction: reassuring educators and parents that it was safe to visit the Hall. 

“If you look at the resolution, we’re still a part of it, and I’m dismayed that the board did not rescind it as requested,” said Barbara Ando, the Hall’s associate director for public programs. During the Hall’s presentation, Ando had argued that LHS had been dragged into the middle of a long-standing dispute between community activists and the Lab. 

The night’s theme could have been “Will the trustworthy scientists please stand up?” Each side paraded a list of experts to back up its arguments. The Lab-Hall-Environmental Protection Agency speakers reiterated that all three agencies have conducted tests showing that the tritium air emissions pose no risk to LHS visitors or Hall employees. Speakers brought forward by the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste said the pro-Lab scientists used flawed methodologies and presented evidence that lacked credibility. One went so far as to call the scientists liars. 

In their presentation, LBNL representatives used a hypothetical person – a “maximum exposed individual,” who spent 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the LHS site – to support their argument. They said such an individual in 1998 would have received a total of 0.3 millirem of tritium radiation, and about 0.1 millirem in 1999. The maximum limit under EPA guidelines is 10 millirem in a year. 

So, a person who makes a three-hour visit to the Lawrence Hall of Science would be exposed to just 0.000034 millirem, the Lab representatives said. That’s the equivalent of sleeping six or seven hours in a bedroom where a smoke detector sits just a few feet away. 

But scientists brought in by the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste offered a series of criticisms against the data presented by the Lab, Hall and EPA. In particular, they challenged the assertion of how many millirem the average person is exposed to by visiting the Hall. The Committee contends that if the “correct parameters” were used in the computer model, it would show that the average dose over a year for that hypothetical person would be 50.5 millirem. The Committee also argued that the danger of the tritiated water vapor – what’s actually released at the end of the tritium labeling process – is 25,000 times more damaging than tritium gas. 

The facility at the Lab uses tritium to “label” a molecule, which can then be used by researchers. The tritium serves as a “homing device” for those scientists, the Lab says in one of the informational items distributed at the board meeting. 

After both sides presented their cases, County Schools Superintendent Sheila Jordan encouraged the board to adopt a resolution rescinding the April 11 decision, which had never actually been distributed but had been discussed already in schools throughout the region. But the majority of the board was unwilling to take that action, and a substitute motion was introduced and then adopted, after some modifications. 

Jordan made it clear that she agreed with the assertion that the Hall is a safe place to visit, even pointing out that her son will attend a two-week educational camp this summer at LHS. 

“The real risk is that teachers, students and families will unnecessarily miss out on the great educational experience the Lawrence Hall of Science provides,” she said. 

Of the seven board members, five voted for the substitute resolution, one voted against it and one abstained. 

“I was completely satisfied with the explanations and information provided by the Lab and the EPA,” said board member Ernest Avellar, the only person who voted against the substitute. “I realize that the substitute was done to keep that group (the Committee) happy, but I wanted to rescind the original resolution.” 

But Carmen Carillo, who introduced the original resolution two weeks ago, said the board “acted correctly the first time.” 

“In my view, the original resolution was fairly mild,” she said. “It called for a moratorium, but we don’t have any jurisdiction for enforcing that. But I think the Lab got so upset because they don’t want any unwanted publicity. I believe that the more discussion we have on issues like this, the better off we are as a society.”

The site of the Hinks parking garage on Kittredge Street west of the library is targeted as the site of a new $50 million development with more than 150 rental apartments to be built next year. 

John DeClercq, senior vice president of Transaction Companies, Ltd, whose offices at 2065 Kittredge St. are across from the proposed development, said he expects to apply to the city for a use permit within a month. 

Transaction owns the block of property north of the proposed development, which includes the Shattuck Ten theaters and Mel's Diner. 

The apartment complex would be accompanied by parking to replace the 375 spaces that will be lost when the Hinks parking garage is demolished. The existing public garage, built in the 1950s, cannot support any additional weight above it. 

DeClercq said the complex would have four floors of apartments to be built over two and one-half floors of parking. 

He said in addition to the 375 replacement public parking spaces, the city code requires one parking space for every two apartments if there are no variances. 

One and one-half levels of parking are planned to be subterranean, he said. The other is half a level below that. DeClercq anticipates two entrances: Kittredge and Bancroft Way. 

Although Transaction has chosen an architect, Cox and Associates, the design and the exact number of apartments have not yet been determined. DeClercq expects the number to be between 150 and 200 units and it is likely they will be one- and two-bedroom apartments. 

The starting date is planned for January 2001, and the project would take from 12 to 18 months to complete. 

Parking will be a challenge during construction, and addressing that issue DeClercq said, "We will take care of people." He said Transaction is working with the city's transportation and planning departments to mitigate the loss of Hinks Garage during the interim. 

Bill Lambert, director of the city's Economic Development Department, said the proposed development "sounds absolutely wonderful." He said the proposed housing would add customers to the retail base and boost sales tax, as well as adding to the property tax rolls. 

The St. Mary’s boys golf team completed the 18-hole course know as the 2000 regular season on Wednesday, shooting a 217 at Tilden Park Golf Course to defeat Pinole Valley, and improve to 14-4 on the year. 

Scheduled in the middle of St. Mary’s spring break, Wednesday’s match was not a particular priority for the Panthers, who competed without most of their top golfers. Still, the squad’s depth and consistency kept the score relatively low – much lower than Pinole Valley, which shot a 245 on the hilly course. Pat Rau and Kyle Davies led a tight pack of Panther golfers, both shooting 42. St. Mary’s rounded out the scoring with two 44s and a 45, giving Pinole little opportunity to pick up ground.  

“I didn’t exactly have my A-team out there (because) it was non-league,” St. Mary’s coach Phil Doran said after the match. “They did just what I expected them to do.” 

At 11-3 in league, the Panthers have already captured second place, and will enter Monday’s league playoffs competing chiefly for individual berths at North Coast Section. Undefeated Alameda, which took first place in the Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League with a 14-0 regular season, is expected to be the league’s only full team to be invited to NCS playoffs. 

“Alameda’s already won league, so what we play for is three positions to go to NCS,” said Doran, who believes his team has the skill and depth to beat Alameda with its best effort. “We believe in our heart we can beat them. I think we’re evenly matched – we’re not that far away from Alameda.” 

The Panthers, who sent two golfers to North Coast playoffs last year, hope to have at least three athletes representing them this season. Brian Haller, the only returning NCS entrant from 1999, is expected once again to earn a berth, with No. 1 golfer Chris Weidinger and No. 2 Ian Salisbury also in the running. 

“Hopefully we’ll get two or three (to NCS),” the St. Mary’s coach said.

The recent outcry over Alameda County school children visiting the Lawrence Hall of Science and being exposed to tritium emissions from DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory should FINALLY awaken the university community to this local radiation health hazard. Cal students must understand that the debate over radiation up at the children’s museum is but the tip of the iceberg. Concerns over tritium exposure reach down into the Central Campus and its radiation labs, raising additional questions about radiation exposure and Cal students. 

Nearly three decades ago, I walked onto the campus and became a Cal Bear. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the campus setting and the grandeur of the architecture, I was completely unaware of the more than 2,500 labs on the Central Campus, or the tonnage of hazardous and radioactive waste generated each year at the university site. It took me years to discover that I had been exposed to radiation daily from the DOE laboratories located on the Central Campus. 

Radiation came to the Berkeley Central Campus sometime in the early 1930s. The radiation work of Professor E.O. Lawrence and others made UCB an important research center. This led to the Manhattan Project, and ultimately, to the creation of the atom bomb. After World War II, the campus’ radiation facilities expanded their operations. Today, these DOE research laboratories and their emission stacks stretch across the Central Campus and up the Lawrence Hall of Science. 

Most students have a difficult time finding part-time work within a school schedule I was fortunate, I thought, to be able to work on campus with the university’s custodial services. My first assignment was three months at Etcheverry Hall, at Hearst and Euclid, dumping trash cans from offices, labs and classrooms. No one warned me of the vault in the basement, or that the large doors that I worked around were housing a nuclear reactor and radiation lab. (Many years later, the Berkeley community forced its removal.) 

In the next several years, my job designation was custodial fill-in, and consequently, I worked in or around a number of radiation labs funded by DOE, both on the hill and on the Central Campus. One of my work assignments took me to the DOE Donner Lab, near the Campanile. It’s difficult to ascertain past emissions at this or other DOE/LBNL labs because of the lack of documentation. However, a recent environmental site report identifies over a dozen source points of radiation coming from Donner, primarily uncontrolled lab fume hoods. 

Eventually, I worked around DOE’s Melvin Calvin labs at Bancroft and Piedmont. Environmental reports from the mid-’70s document releases of hundreds of curies of tritium annually in that area of the Central Campus. To my own grief, I used to eat the plumbs from the trees around that lab during the summers, as did many students. Since that time, I have learned much more about radiation exposure, and the shocking fact that tritium when organically bound in plants is 25,000 times more harmful to human tissue than tritium gas. Some in the radiation industry would like to ignore the dangers of low-level radiation, but the fact remains: there is no safe dose. 

In the last half century, the potential for UCB student exposure to lab radiation has grown exponentially. This growth is now being aided by the biotech radiation industry. Such commercial influences on both the university and DOE-LBNL will mean increased use of radioactive materials and a greater possibility of radiation exposure for the students, faculty and employees of UCB. Moreover, today’s tritium emissions on the Central Campus and Upper Campus will still be radioactive a century from now when the class of 2100 enters UCB. It’s time to address this growing crisis of UCB student exposure to radiation. 

Finally, this ex-Bear reminds the Berkeley lab and university that science should exist primarily for the betterment of humanity and not the other way around. I would suggest that the health notice being posted by the Alameda County Board of Education on the door of the Lawrence Hall of Science should be placed on Sather Gate as well. Everyone, including students, has a right to know. 

L.A. Wood is a Berkeley resident active in environmental issues.

Judging from the seven or eight times people broke in with enthusiastic applause and the standing ovation the two-term mayor got when her State of the City address was delivered, the crowd that filled almost every seat in the City Council Chambers Tuesday night loved Mayor Shirley Dean’s speech. 

“I liked what she said about helping the school district,” Barbara Wittstock said, referring to Dean’s call for the city to help the district with maintenance and policing efforts. “There’s been a separation between the two entities.” 

School Board Director Shirley Issel agreed. 

“I welcome the help of the city to assist the schools,” she said. 

While Dean focused on what the city could do for the schools, she promised not “to do a Jerry Brown” by making recommendations regarding curriculum. 

The mayor underscored the need for job training for Berkeley youth and promised to work with the schools to create a “Saturday academy” for pre-apprenticeship training in the building trades. 

And Dean made a plea for citizens to volunteer in the schools. 

“If you are an employer, give your employees time off to be a school volunteer,” she said. Then appealing to the employees, she quipped, “Tell your employer that the mayor said it was OK (to volunteer).” 

The mayor also called on every employer to hire at least one youth during the summer. 

Turning her attention to the local economy, Dean touted the reduction in ground-floor retail vacancies downtown under her watch. Vacancies have dropped from 25 percent in December 1994, when she took office, to today’s 3 percent, she said. 

“Berkeley must shed the perception that it is anti-business,” Dean said, noting that the city lacks a department store downtown. “If you live in Berkeley and want to buy an ordinary item like a sheet, you find yourself driving to Walnut Creek.” 

The mayor also took a swipe at the federal policies which exempt Internet business from paying local sales taxes. “These policies are projected to have a devastating impact on small business throughout the nation.” 

Housing development was also a critical part of Dean’s message. 

“Since I became mayor, the total number of new housing units has more than doubled, with 535 new units and more in the pipeline. Two hundred and fifty-seven of these units are affordable to low- and very low-income people,” she said. Low income is considered $43,000 for a family of three and very low income is considered $29,550 for a family of three. 

Efforts must be made to increase affordable housing, Dean said. People who hold Section 8 certificates - housing vouchers for which low-income people pay 30 percent of their income as rent - often cannot find housing, because landlords can find market rate renters who will pay more. 

“I will pursue income tax credits for owners in areas of high rent levels like the Bay Area, who provide housing for Section 8 certificate holders,” Dean said. 

There is a need to retrofit apartment buildings so that they will withstand a major earthquake, Dean said. “Given regulations by the Rent Board, apartment owners buy earthquake insurance on their buildings rather than retrofit them, simply because it costs less.” Dean was referring to restrictions on passing through retrofitting costs to renters. 

She laid out a three-pronged plan to get the apartments retrofitted: 

• Allow passing through a portion of retrofitting costs to renters whose rents are low – those whose rents have not been allowed to rise to market rate, because they have not vacated their apartments. 

• Set up a low-interest or revolving loan fund through state or federal agencies. 

• Allow new apartment-house owners relief from a portion of the transfer tax to pay for the retrofitting. This may mean increasing transfer taxes for apartment-house and commercial-building owners. 

Building more student housing is an additional concern. Subsidized housing needs to be available for students who need it, Dean said. 

She further called on the university to join with the city to build student-faculty housing on vacant land at Haste Street and Telegraph Avenue. 

The mayor made a special point of including the South Berkeley business district in her speech. 

“Let us turn away from divisive politics and roll up our sleeves to give a hand to areas like South Berkeley,” she said. 

She pointed to the Black Repertory Theater, saying that despite the problems it has had, it “can be an anchor development in South Berkeley that will attract restaurants and retail that will reflect the African-American heritage.” 

Last year, City Auditor Anne-Marie Hogan wrote a scathing report detailing management problems at the theater, whose building belongs to the city. 

Dean called for more parking, particularly at the City Center Garage and near Fourth Street. 

As for traffic problems, the mayor pointed to stepped-up enforcement and the additional enforcement that will come when three new traffic officers come on board. 

“I’d even like to see the police stop people and present them with tickets for dinner or lowers or some small nicety when they notice that people ware extra courteous and polite.” 

Dean said that a citywide fast pass needs to be explored, as well as all kinds of public transportation. 

Among her personal successes, Dean listed: 

• Her work with the community to get new sports fields at Fourth and Harrison streets. The groundbreaking was Monday. 

• The revitalization of the arts and theater district, with the city’s help, including loans to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre for construction of its new theater and to the Freight and Salvage for its new venue. 

• Working with the county, the university, Alta Bates Medical Center and the city, the Mayor’s Task Force on the Uninsured set up a clinic staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses. 

But the mayor, part of a moderate four-member faction, said she often was unable to get a majority for many of her projects. 

For example, Dean is a strong supporter of a ferry network, proposed by state Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland. 

“The City Council (majority) does not support ferries, but I believe that the public can and will reverse that position,” she said. 

She called on the audience for its support. 

“I want you to be a part of my team, not only in terms of support for my ideas, but in terms of new ideas...(and) assistance in getting proposals implemented.”

As one might suspect, members of the liberal-progressive council faction took issue with some of the statements Mayor Shirley Dean made in her State of the City address. 

“She’s trying to take credit for 

accomplishments that belong to the whole council,” said Councilmember Dona Spring. “She talked about schools. The whole council is trying to work cooperatively with the schools.” 

Spring took issue with Dean’s proposal for the city to help the schools maintain their property. 

“It’s impractical. We don’t have the money to do that,” she said. “We can’t even take care of our parks.” 

Spring disagreed with Dean’s proposal to pass apartment-retrofitting costs through to tenants. 

“Property owners are reaping profits from vacancy decontrol,” she said. “The profits should go into (retrofitting).” 

The Black Repertory Theater should not be held up as a possible anchor for the South Berkeley business community, Spring said, pointing to management problems at the Black Rep as well as criticisms of the theater for not including the community on its board of directors. 

The councilmember countered Dean’s assertion that Berkeley is perceived as anti-business. 

“That’s a convenient stereotype,” Spring said. “We’ve bent over backwards for the Bayer Corporation and Urban Ore and we’ve given money to downtown year after year.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, also a member of the liberal-progressive faction, took issue with Dean’s attack on council opposition to the ferry network. He underscored that the council majority opposed the network, which would take funds from other transportation projects, but not ferries in general. 

Spring noted that there were things in the mayor’s talk that she appreciated. 

“I liked her inspirational message,” she said, “trying to get people to strive for the highest goal and her talk about teamwork. It was very positive.”

The Green Party of California will hold its Statewide General Assembly this weekend on the UC Berkeley campus. 

Registration begins Saturday at 8 a.m. with breakfast at 126 Barrows Hall and on Sunday beginning at 8 a.m. at 145 Dwinelle till 5 p.m. Sunday presentations will be made by Medea Benjamin, candidate for the U.S. Senate, and Rebecca Kaplan, candidate for Oakland’s at-large City Council seat. The state platform, consensus items and proposals will be discussed and voted upon. 

Observers and students are welcome, organizers note. More information is available at www.greens.org/cal/alameda

Armed robbers target nighttime pedestrian 

A man was robbed after leaving the Cal campus around 10 p.m. Monday. 

As the man was walking home, he heard footsteps behind him, becoming faster as he walked along. He was overtaken by two men, one of whom stood on his left side, pointed a dark pistol in the victim’s face and said, “Give me all your money” and repeated the demand. 

The victim had two $5 bills in his jeans pocket and took it out and gave it to the man with the gun who handed it over to his accomplice. Scared, the victim ran away and the suspects fled in the opposite direction. Police Capt. Bobby Miller said both of the suspects were Hispanic males. The one with the gun was about 18 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing about 160 pounds. He was wearing light blue jeans and tennis shoes. The accomplice was about the same age and height, but weighing about 190 pounds. He was wearing a navy blue sleeveless vest and baggy blue jeans. 

University Avenue motel robbed at gunpoint 

A masked gunman robbed the Ramada Inn at 920 University Ave. around 11:15 p.m. Sunday. 

Wearing a black knit cap with holes cut out for eyes, nose and mouth, the suspect walked right up to the desk clerk, who was working alone. He held up a silver semi-automatic hand gun and in the same motion cocked the gun, and said, “Give me all the money,” according to Police Capt. Bobby Miller. 

The desk clerk complied, taking the money from the cash register and laying it on the counter. Then the suspect wanted the money under the cash drawer and he wanted the clerk to open another cash register below the counter. As the robber proceeded around a pillar to the rear of the counter the desk clerk fled down a hallway leading to the stairway to the second floor. 

Miller said the clerk feared the suspect was in pursuit but managed to scramble up the stairs and down a hallway. He hid upstairs until he no longer heard the suspect and then went downstairs and he and the manager called the police. 

The suspect is described as an African-American male in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, weighing about 200 pounds. He was wearing a dark jacket and blue sweat pants. 

Miller said the suspect stole more than $100. 

Stolen vehicle reported 

A 1984 Toyota Extra Cab pickup truck was stolen last weekend from the 2800 block of Seventh Street. The victim said he left the truck in front of his workplace for the weekend and when he returned at 3 p.m. Sunday it was gone. 

– Daily Planet Staff

Two burglars were thwarted around 6 a.m. Sunday when they attempted to break into a second-floor bedroom window in a multi-unit apartment building in the 1300 block of Burnett Street. 

In what is known as a “hot prowl” in police terms, the two would-be burglars awakened the victim who was sleeping in his bedroom as they tried to slide the window open, said Capt. Bobby Miller. The victim went to the window, looked out and saw one of the suspects – an African-American male, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, about 18 years old, wearing a black nylon jacket and blue jeans – who was crouching. The other suspect, an African-American female, wore a blue nylon jacket and blue jeans, said Miller. The victim yelled and the two suspects ran away and remain unidentified. 

In another “hot prowl” which occurred at 2 a.m. Friday, a burglar awakened a man who was sleeping in a bedroom in his house on the 2000 block of Garber Street. 

Miller said the suspect smashed the glass in a laundry room door to gain entry. The suspect rifled through drawers and cabinets on the second floor where the victim and his wife were sleeping. When he hear something fall, the victim thought it was caused by his cat and got up to investigate. He saw lights on in the closet in another bedroom and lights on in a third bedroom. The prowler was still in the house as the victim walked into the bedrooms and he heard what seemed to be someone running down the stairs. The victim never saw the prowler, said Miller. 

The prowler sought small electronic items and cash and left a small pile of items in the hallway. Miller said it appeared the prowler became frightened and left behind the things he intended to steal.

Fremont Police Detective Dennis Madsen said Ron Mix A.K.A Amandeep Singh Ahluwalia, a British subject, turned himself in to the Fremont Police Department at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday. 

Police had distributed his photo and description on Monday in connection with a shooting Saturday night during a Fremont wedding reception, in which 34-year-old Jatinder Singh of Berkeley was killed and Jot Preet Singh of Union City received a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. Jot Preet Singh was released from hospital on Sunday. 

Ahluwalia allegedly fled to a nearby gas station after the shooting and stole a car at gunpoint. A stolen assault rifle, not believed to be the one used in the shooting, was found during a search of his home. 

He was booked into Santa Rita jail in Dublin and charged with homicide, attempted homicide, carjacking, use of a gun in the commission of a felony and possession of stolen property. 

He has been denied bail, and his first court appearance has not yet been scheduled.

Earth Week 2000 

9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. 

UC Berkeley campus 

This weeklong event features a series of activities and workshops each day: morning presentations from 9:30 a.m. to noon, lunch/entertainment from noon to 1 p.m., first workshop block from 1 to 2:30 p.m., second workshop block from 3 to 4:30 p.m., entertainment from 5 to 7 p.m. and panel discussion from 7 to 9 p.m. Call organizers to get a detailed list of each day’s program, or visit the group’s web site. The group’s office is in 303 Eshleman Hall. 

510-643-9703; 

www.earthweek2000.org 

“Gary Lapow” 

Noon and 1:30 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive above UC Berkeley campus 

This is part of a series of family events being held through April 28. “Celebrate Spring” events are included with admission. 

510-642-5132; www.lhs.berkeley.edu 

Schubert: Trout Quartet 

Noon 

Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Janice Park on violin, Stephanie Ng on viola, Benjamin Hagemann on cello, Corey Chandler on bass, and Wendy Liao on piano will perform Schubert’s Quintet in A Major (“Trout”), D. 667, op. post. 114. This is a free concert. 

“Intellectual Debates in ‘90s China” 

Noon 

3335 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Wang Hui (Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) is the featured speaker. Wang is also editor in chief of “Reading” and “The Scholar,” and a visiting fellow/professor, University of Washington. 

510-643-6321 

Special Berkeley City Council Meeting 

1 p.m. 

Third Floor Conference Room, 1900 Addison St. 

Five council members called this special meeting to discuss three items: waiver of fees for the April 30th People’s Park Anniversary and Street Fair; the living wall project between the freeway and Aquatic Park and rescheduling a public hearing slated for May 16, due to conflicts with other public hearings to be held that night. 

Art in the Garden 

2-4:30 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive 

Karen LeGault, a local artist and teacher whose work has been exhibited internationally, is leading this eight-week class in drawing and painting from nature. Both experienced artists and beginners are welcome. Call ahead for more information or to enroll. 

510-643-2755 

Energy Commission 

5:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Discussion of tritium-filled signs is among the items on the agenda. 

Mental Health Commission Agenda 

6:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Mental Health Clinic, 2640 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

The commission will be talking about “5150” - people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, due to mental health needs, the forum on the city’s drug policies and more. 

Community Energy Services Corporation Board of Directors 

6:30 p.m. (follows the Energy Commission meeting) 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

The agenda includes election of the board of directors. 

510-644-8546 

Planning Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Among other items on the agenda, the commission will hold a public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Underhill Area projects. The commission will also hear a report on the results of the draft Southside plan working group process. 

“Travel Tips: Gearing Up for Adventure” 

7 p.m. 

REI Berkeley, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Learn how to make the most of your next adventure with experienced travelers Dallas Foster and Ruth Tretbar. 

510-527-4140 

Disaster Council 

7 p.m. 

Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. 

Among the items to be discussed are disaster preparedness in the schools, and Project Impact, the city’s designation as a model earthquake-safe community. 

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

West Branch Berkeley Public Library, 1125 University Ave. 

This storytime program is designed for families with children up to 3 years old. 

510-644-6870 

Poetry Flash 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books, 2454 Telegraph Ave. 

The featured poets this week will be members of the San Francisco Slam Team, co-winners of the 1999 National Poetry Slam, with their coach, poet and slam master Charles Ellik. 

510-845-7852; 510-525-5476 

About 30 buses from throughout the state will travel to Sacramento on Thursday to demonstrate support for legislation that would document racial profiling by California law enforcement agencies. 

One of the buses will leave from South Berkeley Community Church, 1802 Fairview St., with a local contingent led by the Rev. Sandra Decker. The bus leaves at 9 a.m. and returns at 4:30 p.m. 

Police Review Commission member Mel Martynn said that available statistics indicate that drivers who happen to be people of color are stopped more often by police officers because of their skin color. 

During a forum earlier this year at the McGee Avenue Baptist Church, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, an African American, discussed his experiences with racial profiling. Carson recalled an incident in which he was stopped by a police officer, even though he was not speeding, he didn’t have a broken taillight, and he wasn’t driving a stolen car. The supervisor said his crime was “driving while black.” 

The demonstrators want Gov. Gray Davis to sign the “driving while black or brown” bill (SB 1389). Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Los Angeles, reintroduced the bill in January after Davis vetoed similar legislation that had passed the Senate and the Assembly earlier. 

“At this point the governor and the governor’s staff continue to have discussions with the authors of this legislation, and we hope we can find middle ground on this bill,” said Hillary McLean, a spokesperson for the governor. 

The governor initiated a voluntary data collection program through the California Highway Patrol. The CHP asked 433 state law enforcement agencies if they collected demographics on traffic stops and learned that 55 jurisdictions are collecting data for an annual report. If Murray’s bill passes, all California law enforcement agencies would be required to collect data regarding the race and ethnicity of motorists stopped and searched by the police, to learn if the agencies are discriminating against people of color. 

Here in Berkeley the police department already is collecting data, said Capt. Bobby Miller. 

“We started last August and that information will be released pretty soon, probably in a couple of weeks,” he said. 

Miller said Berkeley police developed a system for officers to report the traffic stops according to race and sex into the computerized communication center, and it will be retrieved and analyzed. 

“There was no law that required us to do it,” he said. “We just decided it was the right thing to do. We’ll keep our minds open to whatever it says. We are open to corrections.” 

A woman was assaulted and the puppy she was holding was stolen Wednesday evening as she waited for her husband and the new owner of the dog to return from a cash machine. 

The victim said two men came to her home on the 2600 block of California Street with the intention of buying one of her Rottweiler puppies, but the woman told them the one she was holding was already sold. 

One of the two suspects snatched the puppy from her arms, said Berkeley Police Capt. Bobby Miller, and struck her in the face with a closed fist and then they fled from her home with the Rottweiler puppy. 

The suspects are described as African-American males, one of them about 24 years old, 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, wearing a red Fubu shirt with the number 05 in white lettering. The other bears the same description except he was wearing blue jeans, a jean jacket, a white shirt and a gray hat with ear flaps.

The student campaign, formed in October, requests that students pledge not to work for, buy from or invest in targeted companies until the companies meet the group’s environmental demands. 

The campaign is currently running in 153 college campuses throughout the country, said Ben Prochazka, Western States Field Organizer for ecopledge.com. Their goal is to collect 75,000 signatures nationwide, calling on specific companies to take simple and specific steps to protect the environment, he said. 

One targeted company is Citibank/Citigroup. Ecopledge is asking the bank to stop or cancel funding for the Three Gorges Dam Project on the Yangtze River in China. 

Prochazka said Citibank is one of the chief financial participants in the proposed three-mile dam. He said it will displace l.2 million people and thousands of acres of land. 

“We want to make it clear that students should take their values to the workplace,” said Lauren Baker, campaign coordinator for the California Student Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG), which backs ecopledge.com. 

Saying that Cal students generally can anticipate rewarding careers, the freshman organizer said, “as students we have the power to influence companies as their future workers.” 

Dave Harris, Earth Week 2000 Program Coordinator, said the signature goal for the Cal campus is 4,000 pledges. 

“Students no longer are going to just buy what makes them happy,” said Harris. They’re going to take their consciences with them to the marketplace. 

Ecopledge.com also is calling on Nestle to end its production of genetically modified food product, said Prochazka. Also on the boycott list is the Disney Corporation - ecopledge is requesting tem to stop using pbc in their toy manufacturing. Prochazka said pbc can release the toxic chemical dioxin. The group also wants Coca-Cola to use 25 percent post recyclable material in its plastic bottles. 

Prochazka said the ecopledge was formed to leverage the power of students, consumers and investors in the marketplace to hold these companies and others directly accountable, by asking them to take simple steps to protect the environment.