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Wednesday, May 31 -more-

THEATER -more-

The city manager, who fought for and won a new contract with a hefty raise from a bitterly divided council last year – after a series of more than a half-dozen closed door evaluation sessions – is now looking to cactus country for a new home base. -more-

Festival set -more-

Festival set -more-

The Police Review Commission wants the City Council to hire independent legal counsel to evaluate the extent of a possible appeal process by police officers when complaints against them have been sustained by the PRC. -more-

There will be a benefit concert for Mumia Abu-Jamal’s legal defense fund, as well as the Prison Radio Project and KPFA Radio on June 10 at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Community Theater. -more-

An Emeryville man was arrested Friday in connection with an attack in the parking lot of the Smart and Final store at 1941 San Pablo Ave. -more-

The Shakespeare Festival will offer summer camps for eight to 14 year-olds in Berkeley this summer. The sessions will be held June 19-30, July 17-28, and August 14-25 at John Hinkle Park, on Southampton Place at Arlington Avenue. -more-

A pit bull ran out of a building in the 1700 block of Ward Street and attacked two dogs going for a walk with their owner at 3 a.m. Sunday. -more-

The Pacific Mozart Ensemble (PME), under the direction of Richard Grant, will present its annual a cappella jazz and pop concert on June 10 at The Crowden School in Berkeley at 5 p.m. -more-

Phase Two of the construction project for the new playground at Aquatic Park gets under way Wednesday morning, and organizers are reissuing their call for volunteers. -more-

Tuesday, May 30 -more-

Berkeley High track and field coach Darrell Hampton received some criticism for his “big meet” strategy in 2000 – taking it easy in league meets to conserve and strategize for the more prestigious weekend invitationals. -more-

Repairs to the warm pool, purchase of a portable firefighting system, upgrades to the branch libraries, beautification of the University Avenue median, improving parks maintenance and lighting the streets – all could be placed before Berkeley citizens in November. -more-

After wrapping up the North Coast Section team titles at last weekend’s Bay Shore meet, the ultra-deep St. Mary’s boys and girls track teams already knew they had quantity entering this past weekend’s NCS Meet of Champions. And after winning seven events en route to qualifying 13 athletes for CIFs at Edwards Track Stadium on Saturday, it’s safe to say the Panthers also have plenty of quality. -more-

Five police officers will receive letters of commendation from the Berkeley Police Department for their rescue effort in last week’s house fire on Josephine Street. -more-

More than 2 million people are helping researchers at UC Berkeley in their search for intelligent signals from space. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – A funnyhouse at a carnival contains distorted mirrors where the viewer’s reflection is bent in unexpected and eerie ways. -more-

Housing shortages and the creation of a “virtual Berkeley” were two of the issues raised in a meeting Friday of East Bay business and civic leaders. -more-

Gimme an ‘F!’ -more-

Last week I heard about a unique opportunity to help create an amazing addition to Berkeley’s landscape. In Aquatic Park volunteers are building a 17,000 square foot wooden playground structure that is bound to become an instant hit with both the younger set and their parents. -more-

THEATER -more-

The preliminary day of North Coast Section Meet of Champions competition is intended to act as a sort of centrifuge. With so many competitors in so many heats, the hectic pace at the section finals can leave less serious athletes spinning – but the best will always rise to the top. -more-

Saturday, May 27 -more-

They’re the Davids fighting for a voice in the Goliath world of mass corporate communications. -more-

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 hit the Bay Area at 8 a.m. Thursday, as the Hayward Fault gave way north of San Leandro and the area suffered one of its largest disasters in decades. -more-

Friday, May 26 -more-

In a May 16 Perspective, Robert Cabrera of the Berkeley Property Owners Association (BPOA) wrote that vacancy-decontrolled rents in Berkeley are some $100 higher than they would otherwise bee. He sympathized with the plight of “the poor, the elderly and students for whom $100 is a significant portion of their income,” and cited anecdotal evidence that some tenants may be “hoarding” apartments to avoid forfeiting rent control. -more-

Over a period of several years, four acquaintances – two male and two female – become involved in a round robin of sexual and romantic relationships, and learn to communicate about sex, in Patrick Marber’s 1998 London Critics’ Circle award-winning Best Play “Closer,” which opened in a strong production Wednesday at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. -more-

Having been snubbed by the North Coast Section for a playoff spot, the senior-filled Berkeley High boys volleyball team’s 2000 season is already a distant memory for players and coaches still involved in postseason play. -more-

The Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the Berkeley Unified School District reached a tentative contract agreement early Thursday morning, but the details of the deal won’t be released until early next week. -more-

THEATER -more-

Brilliant white egrets pose motionless along the lagoon’s edge, peering intently into the waters. Shoreline reeds yield to grassy upland meadows. Nestled amidst the high, leafy branches, magnificent wooden towers have suddenly arisen. -more-

Construction of a regulation-size baseball field at the East Campus site is looking more and more like a dead deal. -more-

In the article “BFT, BUSD closer to deal” (Daily Planet, May 18), your editor reported: “Wednesday night, no one showed up to speak up about the contract issue ...” It’s true, no one spoke about a contract, but I certainly did speak about the ISSUE. -more-

Older, disabled and long-term tenants may get a tool to help prevent property owners from moving into their units. -more-

A caller to the Daily Planet on Thursday said she had just sighted the man and his two pit bulls responsible for attacking Oakland resident Jamonie Robinson earlier this month. -more-

City officials who want to alleviate parking shortages in downtown Berkeley are examining several strategies, including computer-assisted parking. -more-

Thursday, May 25 -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – A hypothetical 1962 television series about a nun who rides a motorcycle and brings “cheer to the less fortunate” is the basis of F. Allen Sawyer’s new comedy “Whatever Happened to Sister George?” which opened Saturday at Theater Rhinoceros in San Francisco. -more-

With both local high school track teams, Berkeley High and St. Mary’s, ranking among the state’s best, it’s entirely appropriate that this year’s North Coast Section Meet of Champions will be held a javelin-throw away from both campuses – at Cal’s newly renovated Edwards Track Stadium. -more-

After a year of commission discussions and staff research, Berkeley has taken a step toward adopting the highest “living wage” standard in the country. -more-

The Judah L. Magnes Museum, located at 2911 Russell St., recently acquired a significant collection of original Spanish Inquisition documents. -more-

The Berkeley High School Athletic Department is sponsoring the first-ever Berkeley High School Golf Tournament on June 12 at the Tilden Park Golf Course. Check-in time is 11:30 a.m., with the shotgun start at 1 p.m. -more-

Negotiators from the Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the Berkeley Unified School District worked another marathon day Wednesday, but a contract agreement had yet to be announced as of midnight. -more-

THEATER -more-

The Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation recently awarded $10,000 to New Ethiopian Ministry in Berkeley. The funds are part of a Church Extension grant of $558,800 given to the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) to serve Lutheran congregations. The grant will be used to provide resources for special evangelism programs and to develop mission congregations. -more-

The “microdollar” was the currency of choice Tuesday morning at the City of Franklin Microsociety Magnet School, where students held their first-ever Market Day. -more-

University of California police used a non-traditional method to identify people who threw rocks and bottles at them after the big game at Stanford last November. They posted photos of the suspects on the department’s web site. -more-

An orientation for Berkeley Alternative High School programs will be held tonight at the school’s multipurpose room, located at 2701 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, at the corner of Derby Street. -more-

The Berkeley City Commons Club recently heard talks from Dr. Nicolas Riasanovsky, professor of history at UC Berkeley, on political and cultural aspects of historical and contemporary Russia, and from John Fowler, science and Health Editor for KTVU Channel 2 on issues related to the environment and the media. -more-

Stage Door Conservatory, a musical theater day camp with three unique programs for kids and teens, will run June 19-August 11 at the Epworth United Methodist Church. -more-

DEA searches home -more-

Youth musical staged -more-