Page One
Calendar of Events & Activities
Wednesday, May 10
Demonstration against Secretary of State Madeline Albright
Noon
Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley campus
Bay Area organizations, groups, students, and individuals representing a diversity of issues and viewpoints are organizing a regional response to protest Secretary of State Madeline Albright’s appearance as the Commencement Speaker for UC Berkeley’s graduation ceremony. At 1:30 p.m., protesters will march to the Greek Theatre, where Albright will be speaking later in the day. Demonstrators will be protesting Albright’s support for sanctions against Iraq, the embargo against Cuba, the drug war in Columbia and more.
510-343-2139 x1957; 510-548-0524
Low-vision support group
1 p.m.
North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave.
510-644-6107
Discussion of Globalization, hosted by the Berkeley Gray Panthers
1:30 p.m.
North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave.
Medea Benjamin from Global Exchange will be the featured speaker.
510-548-9696
Carefree, Carfree Tour to Berkeley Art Center (Berkeley Arts Festival)
1:30 p.m.
Festival Gallery, 2216 Shattuck Ave.
UC Berkeley Commencement Convocation
4 p.m.
Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley campus
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will be the keynote speaker. This event is open to students, faculty and family, and a ticket is required.
510-642-7026
Commission on Disability
6:30 p.m.
North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave.
Among the items the commission will address are: working with implementing recommendations on the Bike/Pedestrian Task Force and Berkeley Bike Coalition on Traffic Calming; the advisability of having disability organizations “ghettoized” at the proposed Ed Roberts campus at the Ashby BART station, and recommendation on the continuing lack of accessible polling places.
Special BUSD school board meeting
7-10 p.m.
Board/Council Chambers, Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
The board will discuss reports for the current and upcoming fiscal years. The board also will receive a more comprehensive overview of the Maintenance Report, which highlighted various maintenance problems around the district and funding proposals to address those problems.
Planning Commission Meeting
7 p.m.
Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda
As part of the General Plan planning process the commission will discuss land use in Berkeley. Information is on the city web site at: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Planning/advplan/genplan/GenPlan2ndDraft/lunot.htm.
Improvisational theater
7:30-9:30 p.m.
The “Improvsters” is a group of intermediate-level improvisational players who meet weekly. The group is looking for additional members; an audience is also welcome and there is no charge to join them. Call the group for specific location.
510-848-4357
Poetry Flash at Cody’s (Berkeley Arts Festival)
7:30 p.m.
2474 Telegraph Ave.
Hannah Stein, Sandra Gilbert will be the featured poets.
Buses No. 40, 64
Pianist John Wolf Brennan and flutist Diane Grubbe
7:30 p.m.
Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave.
Tickets are $12.
510-84-JULIA
New Music Bay Area (formerly 20th Century Forum - Berkeley Arts Festival)
8 p.m.
Festival Gallery, 2216 Shattuck Ave.
This is a concert of music by Bay Area composers foreshadowing music of the 21st century. $8, FOF free.
Thursday, May 11
Orchestra concert with elementary students
9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave.
The first part of the concert, at 9:30, will feature Oxford Elementary School students performing with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra. Students from Washington Elementary School will perform at 10:45.
Men’s chorus performance
11:15 a.m.
Movie: Outbreak
1 p.m.
North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave.
510-644-6107
Jazzschool BART Plaza Concert (Berkeley Arts Festival)
Noon
The Brazilian Ensemble, under the direction of Marcos Silva, will perform. The concert is sponsored by the Downtown Berkeley Association, Amoeba Music, BART and the Berkeley Daily Planet.
Free computer class for seniors
1-4 p.m.
South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation.
510-644-6109
Berkeley Arts Magnet Instrumental and Choral Concert
1:30 p.m.
1645 Milvia St.
Carefree Carfree Tour to Judah L. Magnes Museum (Berkeley Arts Festival)
1:30 p.m.
Meet at the Festival Gallery, 2216 Shattuck Ave.
Community Health Commission
6:30 p.m.
Mental Health Clinic, 2640 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
Among the items the commission will address are: the Health Access Report, the midwife crisis and the budget.
Zoning Adjustment Board
7 p.m.
Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Among the items the board will discuss is a recommendation to deny a permit to demolish a 2,900 square-foot house on Woodmont Avenue and replace it with a 5,200 square-foot house.
Update on Haiti
7 p.m.
Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, Cedar and Bonita
Members of a recent delegation to Haiti, including local activists Pierre Laboissiere, will be talking about their trip, the recent episodes of violence in that country and the upcoming elections. The event is sponsored by Global Exchange, the Bay Area Haitian American Committee and others.
The Plight of the Redwoods
7 p.m.
Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave.
Forest defender Redwood Mary, tree-sitter Nate Madsen (via live cell phone), and Chie Abad, human rights activist and former Saipan sweatshop worker will be on hand to explain the current campaign to focus attention on the connection between sweatshops, Fair Trade, and forest destruction. There also will be a screening of the 20-minute video “ Timber Gap” by the Headwaters Action Video Collective, about the efforts to save the last of Mendocino’s coastal redwood forest from overexploitation.
510-548-2220, ext. 233
Friday, May 12
Berkeley Potters Guild Spring Show
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Jones and Fourth streets
This show-and-sale highlights work by clay artists, Ikebana demonstrations, one-of-a-kind bargains throughout the complex of art studios, and more. The event is free.
510-524-7031
Fund-raiser for the Aquatic Park Children’s Playground
6 p.m.
Downtown Berkeley YMCA, 2001 Allston Way
This event will help raise funds for the Aquatic Park Children’s Playground project. Build Days are May 18-21 and May 31-June 4. Volunteers (skilled and unskilled), food, beverages, and money are needed for that event. There is a sliding scale donation of $2 to $10 per person for the fund-raiser.
510-649-9874; ZasaSwanson@EminentSoftware.com; http://www.bpfp
Poetry reading
7:30 p.m.
Boadecia’s Books, 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington
Monza Neff will read from her two poetry collections, “Exultation: A Poem Cycle in Celebration of the Seasons” and “Healing the Womanheart.” This event is free.
510-559-9184; www.boadeciasbooks.com
Saturday, May 13
Berkeley Farmers’ Market
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street
510-548-3333
