A Berkeley institution is closing its doors, perhaps for good, unless the right new rental turns up sometime soon. 

The United Nations Association/UNICEF gift shop is poised to close June 17 after 35 years in Berkeley. 

“We won’t make our 36th anniversary Aug. 1 unless we get a new place,” said the center’s director, Kara Speltz. 

Last Friday the prices of non-UNICEF gifts were reduced 10 percent and that discount percentage will grow 5 percent daily until June 17 when it reaches 75 percent. 

The UNICEF merchandise cannot be reduced in price but the jewelry, Russian stacking dolls, small flags of nations around the world, cloth wallets, painted German clocks, books, and small wooden or ceramic sculptures are all dropping in price. 

Speltz said the inventory reflects the center’s aim to offer merchandise that is not typically available elsewhere. The merchandise comes from 60 countries around the world – the right way to go for a United Nations store. 

Some of the store’s best sellers, Speltz said, are illustrated books meant for children to learn words in foreign languages, which adults also seem to like. 

Many of the folk art objects were handcrafted in traditional styles of countries worldwide and purchased as part of “fair trade” agreements, but Speltz says she also picks up things from a twice-a-year San Francisco gift show. 

A passel of 32 hanging stuffed monkeys she purchased earlier this spring was down to only two remaining monkeys on Friday afternoon. 

The center pays $1,500 a month to rent the 750-square-foot store at Shattuck Avenue and Delaware Street; its managers and volunteers are hoping to find a smaller, more affordable venue. 

While the store carries a full line of UNICEF merchandise such as the popular cards, T-shirts and wreaths, it must return 90 percent of sales of UNICEF goods profits to the agency. 

Last year the center sold $50,000 worth of UNICEF products, and the director is proud of the whopping register receipts – but a 10 percent profit doesn’t pay the rent. 

The 350-member East Bay Chapter of the United Nations Association owns the nonprofit center and expects the sale of non-UNICEF gifts to pay the way. But the gifts are not making the rent, said Speltz. 

“It costs $200 a day just to open the door,” she said. 

If they could find a downtown location they would be in heaven, but they would need an angel to offer a rent they could afford. In the meantime they’re looking outside the downtown. 

The center has a sister store in Palo Alto, another university town, and the two UNICEF outlets are tied for No. 1 place in the pantheon of United Nations Association stores, a group that has dwindled to fewer than 10 stores from a field that once included about 25 nationwide. 

Plastic, colorful globes dangle from the ceiling and a map of the world on a wall facing a small table in the back of the store are apt choices for the international bent of the store. 

The table is for visitors who come to the store to use its library that is arranged on shelves on the rear wall. 

The library carries books and publications about the United Nations and it has “almost every periodical the UN publishes,” said Speltz. The library sees at least 12 people who use its services every month. 

“There’s no resource as up-to-date and valuable,” said Mary Lee Trampleasure, who directed the center for 15 years. 

“It doesn’t look like much, but people come in and always find what they want here.” 

Saturday, June 3 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can.  

510-649-9874; 

www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

510-548-3333 

UC Berkeley Campus 

10 a.m. to noon 

With a limit of 30 people, the tour begins at the Campanile. University Archivist Bill Roberts will provide a look at the history of the Berkeley campus, emphasizing the growth of the student body and of academic programs, as reflected in the physical development of the campus. Highlights will include the first building on campus, South Hall, the architecture of the John Galen Howard era, and post-World War II expansion. The price is $5 per tour for Berkeley Historical Society members. The price is $10 per tour for non-members. Call ahead for reservations. 

510-848-0181 

Wild About Books 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Public Library, 2121 Allston Way 

Judy Sierra, author of children’s books and well-known storyteller, will present a program for children. Sierra, who lives in Albany, will read from her books and tell some interactive stories. Her appearance is part of the library’s Wild About Books program for 3 to 7-year-olds and their families. 

510-649-3943 

“LGBTQ Family Financial Strategies” 

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

Pacific Center, 2712 Telegraph Ave. 

This workshop will help you learn ways to financially protect your family. All LGBT couples and families can achieve long term financial security with planning and investment. Free child care is provided with advance notice. Donations are requested but not required, and the center is wheelchair accessible. ASL interpretation is also available with advance notice. Family Program workshops are for current and prospective Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender parents. 

510-548-8283; 415-789-8560 

“The Rides of Spring” 

11 a.m. 

Meet at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center Street between Milvia and MLK 

This will be an easy-paced, all-ages, fun bike ride and will depart at for parts unknown. UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens, the Ohlone Greenway, Cedar-Rose Park, Berkeley Marina and Beach, Cesar Chavez Park, Albany Waterfront Park and the Bay Trail are all possible places to ride, rest, snack, fling a Frisbee, fly a kite, beachcomb, sing a cycle-song, have a picnic party or just explore. 

510-601-8124 

Boat sale 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Marina 

The City of Berkeley Marina will auction off approximately nine boats. Eight sailing vessels are being sold to pay for the delinquent berthing fees owed to the City of Berkeley, and a power vessel is surplus equipment once belonging to the Department of Boating and Waterways will also be auctioned. 

510-644-6376 

Home At Last Rescue’s Adoption Day 

Noon-4 p.m. 

Outside Slater Marinoff & Co. at 1823 Fourth St. 

Both dogs and cats are available for adoption. 

510-501-7021; info@homeatlastrescue.org 

UC Botanical Garden Anniversary 

200 Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley campus 

3-7 p.m. 

The Botanical Garden, will hold a gala to celebrate its 110th anniversary. There will be wine, hors d’oeuvres, music, and a chance to walk in the garden. Tickets for the Garden Party are $30 for members, $35 for nonmembers in advance, or $35 at the gate. Call ahead to reserve tickets. 

510-643-2755 

BOSS Tea Party 

3-5 p.m. 

Rose Garden Inn, 2740 Telegraph Ave. 

BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) will hold its first-ever tea party, during which Ursula Sherman will be honored by the community. Sherman is a local educator, advocate, volunteer, and activist on human and civil rights, homelessness and poverty, and Jewish history and issues. She has served as a BOSS board member since 1971. 

510-649-1930 

Jelinek Roast 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Berkeley Citizens Action will roast and honor Don Jelinek for decades of service as a civil rights lawyer, defender of Vietnam War draft resisters, chief counsel for the indicted survivors of the 1971 Attica Rebellion, resident and attorney in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island, Berkeley city councilman, and other active roles. Surprise special guest. Middle East cuisine, music and entertainment. This fund-raiser will support progressive candidates in November elections. 

510-549-0653 

“Bat Watch” 

7:30 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Learn about the mysterious mammals of the night skies. 

510-525-2233 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This is the world premiere of “When Sorrow Turns To Joy - Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary” by Jon Jang and James Newton. The work illuminates the common thread and the musical traditions binding the African-American and Chinese cultures. Tickets are $20 to $32. 

510-642-9988 

Pedestrian “Drive-In” movie night party and protest 

9 p.m. 

Underhill parking lot (Channing and College) 

Activists intend to hold weekly movie parties and protests throughout the summer to demonstrate their opposition to UC Berkeley’s plans for a new parking structure at the Underhill site. 

510-666-8464 

Sunday, June 4 

Playground construction 

8 a.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is the final “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held around 5 p.m. at the site. 

510-649-9874; 

www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

“Work in the Butterfly Garden” 

9 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Lend a hand in the butterfly garden with weeding, watering, and whatever else needs to be done. This will be followed by a butterfly hike at 1:30 p.m. 

510-525-2233 

Walkathon for the Children of Iraq 

9:30 a.m. 

Mineral Springs, Tilden Park 

Participants will pledge to walk a certain number of miles and gather pledges before the walkathon. Proceeds will support a campaign to raise awareness about the plight of the people in Iraq, especially the hundreds of thousands of children who have died from causes such as malnutrition and inadequate health care attributed to the stifling sanctions on Iraq. Lunch will be served after the walk for $5. 

925-209-5516; www.amaal.org 

Free hands-on bicycle repair clinic 

11 a.m. 

REI Berkeley, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 

510-527-4140 

Resources for Community Development benefit party 

2-5 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

RCD will celebrate its 15th anniversary of creating and preserving affordable housing in the East Bay. Admission is $15, which includes food. 

510-843-0588 

Prometheus Symphony Orchestra 

3 p.m. 

Saint Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman St. 

Eric Hansen will conduct this performance, with guest artists Philip Santos, violin; and Lawrence Granger, cello. The concert will feature a program of works by Strauss, Liadov and Brahms. Donation admission. 

510-527-1519 

Soli Deo Gloria 

3:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way 

Allen H. Simon will conduct this performance of the “Handel Coronation Anthems.” Tickets $11 to $15. 

650-424-1242 

“An Afternoon of Sacred Song” 

3:30 p.m. 

St. Paul AME Church, 2024 Ashby Ave. 

Eliza O’Malley, soprano; Doralicia Sandoval, contralto; and Jonathan Dimmock, organ will perform Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater; Handel’s He Shall Feed His Flock; Bach’s Wir Eilen, Franck’s Panis Angelicus; Schubert’s Ave Maria; Hebrew songs. 

510-845-8433; 510-540-6065 

Monday, June 5 

Political Junkies 

Noon 

119 Moses Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

Peace and Justice Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

The commission will discuss the trial of Sara Olson (a.k.a. Kathleen Soliah) and will discuss the “possible false testimony” of an officer at the trial of Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi among other items on its agenda. 

Landmarks Preservation Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Public hearings will be continued on the Civic Center Historic District and other structures. Among the new public hearings is one on the “H.S. Heinz Co. Plant” at 1099 Ashby Ave. 

Nobel Peace Prize nominee lecture 

7:30 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and founder of Sahaja Yoga Meditation, will deliver a free lecture. Mataji has created an international cancer research center in Bombay, India, a hospital in Bombay, an academy of the arts in Nagpur, India, an organization in New Delhi for homeless people, and a school to create youth with idealism and with honesty of purpose of life. 

510-895-3005

Great Britain’s Queen Victoria – everyone’s favorite pear-shaped monarch and popularizer of “The Royal We” – gave her name to an era most commonly associated with prudishness, rampant imperialism and pretty buildings. 

And while Berkeley finds itself with a rather limited supply of prudishness (obviously) and rampant imperialism (short of a Starbuck’s on every corner), the city is sprinkled with lovely old Victorian buildings that, much as Delbert Grady told Jack Torrance in the movie The Shining, “have always been here.” 

While the common perception of Victorian buildings the city has grown around (or, all too often, over) is of gaudy gothic spires, arched doors and rounded castle-like towers, this is something of an overgeneralization. Between roughly 1850 and 1900, numerous styles of Victorian architecture sprouted up throughout the city, including the tiny, plain “pioneer” style cottages inhabited by many of the city’s first laborers.  

“In the Oceanview (West Berkeley) pioneer settlements, the houses belonged to people who worked relative to the bay or in factories. There are few large Victorians in Oceanview,” says Lesley Emmington of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association on the small New England-esque homes known as “Balloon Frames” because they looked as if a stiff wind would do them in. “The style in West Berkeley was many simple workers’ cottages.” 

While a cluster of pioneer Victorians can still be seen on Delaware Street between Fifth and Sixth streets, a grove of a very different sort of Victorians used to line Bancroft Way – and these, for better or for worse, are no more.  

Many of the city’s most prominent families – all with names such as LeConte or Hillegass now adorning street signs – lived in palatial Victorian homes starting at the present-day site of the International House on Piedmont Avenue and running almost clear down to Shattuck along the University’s Southern border. As the University expanded, these houses, and much of the affluent Southside residential community, were razed. 

While clusters of Victorians do (or did) exist, many more are peppered throughout Berkeley neighborhoods, now often looking somewhat out of place in the shade of large apartment buildings. The seemingly random distributions of these aging beauties are actually the physical ramifications of 150 years of Berkeley development. Some of the old Victorians now amidst densely packed neighborhoods began their lives as isolated farmhouses back in the days when Berkeley was mostly farms and orchards. As the farms began to give way to building expansion, a new class of Victorians popped up to house wealthy businessmen and their families, attracted to a suburb that advertised itself as “beautiful Berkeley, a city of homes and gardens and gracious living.” 

While large-scale farms were not a feature of this “gracious living,” most of the Victorian homes in this exclusive suburb sat on luxuriously large tracts of land, and featured exotic gardens, orchards, and perhaps a barn with livestock (runaway cows seem to have been more of a pressing concern than stray dogs for the Berkeley pound keepers of the Victorian era). 

While the Bay Area and East Bay in particular house a number of well-known Victorian houses, Berkeley’s small population during the Victorian era (a scant 12,000-odd souls in 1895) and the rampant expansion in the early-to-mid part of the 20th century mean the city never really had too many Victorians to start with, and most of them are long gone. 

Being that no building records exist prior to 1909 (permits were not required back then), landmarking the city’s remaining Victorians becomes a truly arduous task, requiring extensive research of assessor’s records, directories, maps and old newspapers. 

“The landmarking process is stacked in the favor of A. the owner of a building and; B. well-to-do people landmarking the buildings of the formerly well-to do,” says J. Michael Edwards who, along with his wife Pat, is attempting to landmark a 105-year-old Victorian in his neighborhood on 2418 California St. “While some development is obviously necessary and inevitable, you don’t want to take away the character of the neighborhood. That house gives the neighborhood its character.” 

The Edwards have spent months culling through city directories, tax assessment rolls and century-old issues of the Berkeley Gazette and Berkeley Daily Advocate to gather enough information about “The Hunter House,” to fill out a landmark application. The couple will make their case before the landmark commission on Monday. 

“It’s a labor of love,” says Pat Edwards. “We’ve lived with this building for 27 years. Everyone in the neighborhood loves this building. Everyone who walks past it loves this building.” 

The Edwardses argue that Berkeley’s West-Central “Flatlands” are historically unappreciated, and the Hunter House on its large plot of land is one of the few Victorian structures in the city that still appears much as it was intended to a century ago. 

“That house is a window to the past,” adds J. Michael Edwards, “and I intend to tell the commission on Monday that it’s a window that we shouldn’t intend to close.”

Vacancy decontrol good for Berkeley 

Michael Katz’s recent letter (Restore local home rule over rent stabilization), exemplifies the irrationally exuberant tenant activist behavior that has brought nothing but chaos to Berkeley’s housing market since the late Seventies. 

Vacancy decontrol has improved Berkeley’s neighborhoods by opening up rental housing and providing upgraded units to renters who would normally be shut out in an over-regulated market. 

But Katz and his cohorts want to revert to the old system, where owners were forced to rent vacant units at hysterically below-market levels, providing lunacy and chaos to rental housing instead of upgraded apartments. Perhaps Katz has visions about becoming a game show host on “who wants to live in a rent-controlled apartment in Berkeley?” 

Katz would like all of us to think that vacancy decontrol distorts the housing market by creating new incentives for tenants to hold onto rent-controlled units. In fact, Katz, and thousands like him, would be just as likely to hold onto their enviable situation regardless of vacancy decontrol. 

Katz is, no doubt, a long-term tenant, enjoying perhaps the strictest protections ever offered in any American municipality, with a life-estate to the apartment in which he lives at a frozen rent most people only dream of. For some strange reason, he expects to pass legislation forcing his landlord to offer the same unrealistic terms to the next tenant who comes along, in the unlikely event that Mr. Katz vacates his gold mine. 

The abolition of vacancy decontrol will create, once-and-for-all, the seeds for the permanent destruction of rental housing in Berkeley. If Mr. Katz has his wish, you can kiss goodbye the thought of ever finding an apartment in Berkeley again. And Mr. Katz will be one of the primary beneficiaries of that mayhem. 

Leon Mayeri 

Berkeley 

Tower cartoons a bit off target 

Your cartoon artist is very good and is to be commended for addressing local issues. However, as an opponent of the McKinley Street tower I think two recent cartoons were off the mark. 

The tower is not just a NIMBY issue (cartoon of April 5) but in fact a citywide issue where a too-tall ugly structure was put up almost instantly. 

Last Friday’s cartoon seems to accept the notion that the tower must be put SOMEwhere in Berkeley. Wrong! 

The city is now funding no less than $50,000 to find a proper way to upgrade the city’s radio communication system, and the city manager now believes that the tower will come down (Daily Planet, May 24). 

Bob Marsh 

Berkeley 

Ruling is a threat to legal abortion 

You reported on June 1st that a Berkeley man was convicted of three murders – that of his girlfriend, his child and the woman’s fetus. Are you sure that the killing of a fetus can be prosecuted as murder? This was a terrible act but we tread on dangerous ground when we call it murder. The next step is to make abortions illegal. 

Nancy Ward 

Berkeley 

Editor’s Note: Michael Manjeet Singh was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder.

THEATER 

AURORA THEATRE 

“Split” by Mayo Simon, June 1 through July 2. A mordant clear-eyed view of an older couple's love affair. $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 

“Closer” by Patrick Marber, through July 9. A funny, touching and unflinchingly honest examination of love and relationships set in contemporary London. $38 to $48.50. Tuesday, Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; May 27, June 1, June 3, June 10, June 15, June 24, June 29 and July 8, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

CALIFORNIA 

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 

“Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare, June 3 through June 24. The classic romantic comedy of mismatched lovers forced into a union. $21 to $38 general; $19 to $38 seniors; $10 to $38 children. Wednesday and Thursday, 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m.; June 13 and June 20, 7 p.m. June 24, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Bruns Memorial Amphitheatre, Shakespeare Festival Way/Gateway Exit on state Highway 24. (510) 548-9666 or www.calshakes.org 

IMPACT THEATRE 

“The Wake-Up Crew” by Zay Amsbury, May 5 through June 3. A comic book on stage that pits unemployed UC Santa Cruz grads against the forces of chaos and destruction. 

$10 general; $5 students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 464-4468. 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“The Skriker” by Caryl Churchill, through June 4. In this ecological play, faeries are damaged due to polluted rivers and woods, and are forgotten. 

$15 general; $10 seniors and students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. The Warehouse Performance Space, 1850 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco. (510) 655-0813. 

MUSIC VENUES 

ASHKENAZ 

West African Highlife Band, June 3, 9:30 p.m. Dance lesson with Comfort Mensah at 9 p.m. included in the price. $11. 

Maureen and Friends, Michelle Jordan, June 4, 2 p.m. A benefit for Resources for Community Development. $15. 

Gypsy Moon, Lost at Last, June 4, 8 p.m. $8. 

Edessa, June 6, 8:30 p.m. Dance lesson with Nancy Klein at 7:30 p.m. included in price. $8. 

Zydeco Flames, June 7, 9 p.m. Dance lesson with Olivia Thierry at 8 p.m. included in price. $8. 

Grateful Dead DJ Night, June 8, 10 p.m. With Digital Dave. $5. 

Ras Kidus, Shakaman, Foundation, Hurricane Gilbert and Majestic, P.O.D.E. Ville Man Dem-Unda P, Senagalese Dancers, DJ - Ashanti Hi Fi, June 9, 9:30 p.m. $11. 

Frog Legs, June 10, 9:30 p.m. Dance lesson with Dana de Simone at 8 p.m. included in price. $11. 

Requebra, June 11, 4 p.m. A children's Brazilian dance performance celebrating 500 years of Brazil. $7 to $9 teenagers; $5 children; free children under age 5. 

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

BLAKES 

Nobody From Ipamena, Brazilian Dance Party, June 3. $6. 

Indian Summer, The Serfs, June 4. $3. 

The Blue Monday Jam with The Steve Gannon Band, June 5. $3. 

An Evening With Quimbambo, June 6. $3. 

“Third World” with UC Buu, DJ Add, Jah Bonz, Big Willie, June 7. $5. 

Ripe, JDogs, June 8. $4. 

Psychokinetics, Felonious, June 9. $5. 

An Evening With Tang, June 10. $5. 

Doilies, June 11. $3. 

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

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE 

Karan Casey with Niall Vallely, June 3. $15.50 to $16.50. 

Hurricane Sam, June 4. $13.50 to $14.50. 

The Ellis Island Old World Folk Band, Marhaba, June 7. $13.50 to $14.50. 

Rory Block, June 8. $17.50 to $18.50. 

Gunnar Madsen, June 9. $15.50 to $16.50. 

Jose-Luis Orozco, June 10, 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. A children's concert and a benefit for Bahia. 

Mark Naftalin, June 10. $15.50 to $16.50. 

Darryl Purpose, June 11. With Daryl S. $13.50 to $14.50. 

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

LA PEÑA CULTURAL CENTER 

Union, June 3, 8 p.m. Featuring Group Uv Nuts, Sayyadina, Born Kings, J.C., Mic-T, Qraun, and more. $8. 

Don't Look Back, June 8, 6 p.m. $5 to $25. 

Amistades, June 9, 8 p.m. A CD release celebration featuring Rafael Manriquez and Quique Cruz. $12; $20 includes CD. 

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

924 GILMAN ST. 

Dystopia, Scum Brigade, Benumb, Contravene, Tartantula Hawk, June 3. 

Plus Ones, Allison Williams. Smokejumpers, Sarah Bishop, Coleman Lindbergh, June 10. 

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

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

Los Mex Pistols Del Norte, June 3. $6. 

Carlos, Fluke Starbucker, Replicator, June 8. $5. 

Custard Pie, June 9. $5. 

Penelope Houston, Deborah Lyall, Valerie Esvray, June 10. $7. 

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 

“Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition,” May 20 through July 2. The 13th annual exhibit of work by candidates for the Master of Fine Arts degree. Artist Talk, May 21, 3 p.m. At Gallery 2. 

“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. 

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. 

“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 (Sept-May) 

(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 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

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 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.

When people meet Nadine Naber for the first time, they often see her through the lens Hollywood has provided. 

They see an Arab woman, and assume Naber is docile, Muslim and pathologically oppressed as the victim of a brutal sheik. Any male Arab companion is surely a bomb-wielding terrorist. 

Naber doesn’t fit the profile. 

At the same time, dressed in stylish overall jeans and sitting in her sunny South Berkeley kitchen, the graduate student in anthropology looks like an all-American – or all-Berkeley – woman. But that’s not a good description either, Naber says. 

Born in San Francisco to parents from Jordan, Naber, 30, has made frequent visits to the country of her ancestors and feels her Jordanian roots profoundly. 

“People say, ‘But you were born here.’ But does that mean you have to lose everything?” she asks. 

When she travels to Jordan, Naber’s cultural identity is reinforced by her large extended family there. “When I go to Jordan, it’s just like being at home.” 

It’s different from living in the United States. “You always have support. You never have to be on the street alone. You have people who understand you, who understand your culture.” 

Naber’s identity as an Arab-American is intensified by the prejudices and stereotypes she faces in her daily life. U.S. foreign policy has provided fertile ground for the stereotyping of Arabs, she says. 

“Making the Arab world seem backwards justifies U.S. policies, especially in Palestine and Iraq,” she said. “There’s definitely a systematic media war.” 

Paradoxically, the distorted view of Arabs has unified people from the Middle East, causing them to identify themselves as Arabs, rather than Jordanians or Iraqis. 

By working through the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and the Arab Cultural Center in San Francisco, Naber says she is attacking the stereotypes and building community at the same time. 

The work is “not just about parties and food,” she says. “It’s about knowing your history and literature. It’s about establishing ourselves as Arabs in the United States, integrating our literature into academic institutions here, becoming a visible part of the United States on our own terms, defining that for ourselves, studying the history of Arabs in the U.S.” 

Some of the work of the Arab American groups is local. The Arab Cultural Center recently got a grant to assess the specific needs of Arab Americans. 

Biculturalism, “people living between two cultures at the same time,” can bring richness to one’s life, but it can bring confusion as well. This is true especially for recent immigrants, Naber said. 

There are also intergenerational needs, “immigrant parents raising U.S.-born kids. There’s a lot of conflict on that level.” 

Working with the Arab community, and working against injustice in various parts of the world, led Naber to join the fight against U.S.-imposed sanctions in Iraq. These sanctions will have been in place for 10 years in August. 

“There is genocide happening. I think it is horrendous, a huge tragedy, knowing that hundreds of thousands of people have died and an entire society has been destroyed,” she said. 

The restrictions on Iraq’s sale of oil means it cannot purchase sufficient food for its people. It cannot replace pipes and sewers damaged in the 1991 Gulf War, which results in unsafe drinking water. Sanctions prohibit the country from importing chlorine, which would be used to purify water. 

The organizations are working politically to try to get the United States to end the sanctions. 

And they are working locally to build a groundswell to oppose the sanctions. Since January, they have been working to finance an advertising campaign. They want to purchase space on billboards, bus benches and at BART stations. Naber said the ad campaign needs to go beyond simply calling for the end to sanctions. 

“If people know that Iraqi people are dying, they don’t care. (To them) Iraqis aren’t human, anyway.” 

So the ads will strive to put a human face on the death and destruction. 

To raise funds, the AADC and ASWA are among the groups sponsoring a walkathon in Tilden Park on Sunday. The event was endorsed May 23 by a unanimous City Council – with Councilmember Polly Armstrong abstaining. 

It will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Mineral Springs, which is on Wildcat Canyon Road. When entering the park from the west, one goes east to the Botanic Garden, then north beyond the Equestrian Camp. People will be asked to pledge whatever amount of money per mile they wish and need not be preregistered to participate. A $5 donation for lunch after the walk is requested. 

The walkathon will be dedicated to the memory of Adil Al Hadithy, an Iraqi and Berkeley resident who was killed in an automobile accident earlier this year. Al Hadithy was among those in the local Arab American community, dedicated to removing the sanctions from Iraq, Naber said. 

“He was a member of the community who was politically astute and respected.” 

Naber sees the walkathon as part of a campaign, not only to raise funds, but also to politicize the Arab community. 

“The walkathon is part this larger campaign.” Naber said. “We want to especially work on empowering the Arab community. Since the Gulf War, a lot of people have a feeling of failure. We want to bring people back to life politically.” 

The march is open to the entire community. “It’s a walkathon for the children of Iraq,” Naber said. “It’s a walkathon for hope.”

A 21-year-old man was arrested Friday afternoon after he allegedly hit a Berkeley police officer who stopped the vehicle because of an expired vehicle registration. 

The incident happened around 3 p.m. near the intersection of Bancroft Way and Ninth Street. According to police reports, the officer was attacked as he approached the vehicle. 

After the unprovoked attack the officer’s partner called for help as a fight ensued involving the driver, the police officer and two women who were riding in the car. 

Berkeley Police Lt. Allen Yuen said a crowd formed around the fight, and about 15 police officers arrived to calm the crowd. The three suspects in the car all were arrested: one of them for assault on a police officer, another for battery on a police officer and the other for inciting a riot. Their names were not immediately available.

Tertius P. Chandler, historian, writer and Berkeley resident has passed away at age 85. 

Mr. Chandler was struck by a car while walking in a crosswalk near his home in North Berkeley April 21. He died at Highland Hospital in Oakland almost four weeks later, on May 17. 

His family will hold a memorial service in Massachusetts, and plans for a memorial service in Berkeley are still pending. 

In 1978, Mr. Chandler campaigned for a seat on the Berkeley City Council and in 1980 he ran for Congress as a Republican candidate against Rep. Ron Dellums. He lectured about such topics as history and religion in Berkeley and was a frequent letter-writer to local newspapers. 

Berkeley historian Carl Wilson met Mr. Chandler in 1948 while working as a ranger at Lassen National Forest. He said Mr. Chandler had recently graduated from Harvard and was living in a cave near Susanville. Mr. Chandler was looking for work and joined the force. 

“We just happened to have one vacancy for a job as a firefighter,” Wilson said. “At that time we were doing some work on a septic tank near the office at the ranger station. So he started digging. He got, all over his hands, nothing but blisters, but he worked hard and didn’t complain about it.” 

Wilson said that Mr. Chandler worked for the fire department for one summer before moving on. He spent 15 years roaming the West, moving from town to town. Some 20 years later, Wilson received word that Mr. Chandler was living in the same neighborhood in Berkeley. He said that the two had remained in touch ever since. 

Mr. Chandler was born in Massachusetts in 1915 and attended Harvard and UC Berkeley. He was an avid walker and jogger who never drove. In his last years of life, Mr. Chandler still woke up at 6 a.m. to go on morning jogs in his neighborhood. He also ran in the Bay to Breakers race several times and competed in the Boston Marathon.  

“I can’t imagine anybody as vital and bright,” Wilson said. “I never had a feeling that he was derogatory or harsh in any way. He was soft spoken and caring.” 

His unpublished autobiography is on file at the Berkeley Historical Society, located at 1931 Center St. 

Mr. Chandler is survived by his wife, Margot Chandler of Berkeley; a sister, Elizabeth Alexander of Sunappe, N.H.; and a brother, Roger M. Chandler of Ridge, Md. 

Volunteers are still needed to assist Berkeley High School with security and fire watch during the last two weeks of the school year, which ends June 15. 

Volunteers can make a major impact just by volunteering a couple hours a day, BHS officials say. Anyone who is interested can go to the Breezeway (the entrance to the G and H Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Way between Allston and Bancroft) and sign in. The safety officer will put you to work. 

The Berkeley Unified School District is offering a $5,100 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person/s responsible for the B Building fire, which occurred April 12. 

The special arson tip telephone number is still in operation: 510-644-8721. The Berkeley Police Department encourages anyone with information regarding the B Building fire or any of the fires at Berkeley High School to call the arson tip line. To date, all tips have been checked out by the police department, but no concrete leads have resulted.

After just 11 days, the Greens are beating the Grease at Malcolm X Elementary School. 

The school’s new salad bar is a hit with students, who have decided that a lunch of veggies and fruits really isn’t that bad. In fact, many say it’s better than the bulk-produced cafeteria food that most of us grew up on – or avoided. 

“The hamburgers come in these plastic bags, and when you get them, the bun’s all wet because of the moisture, and it really gets annoying eating soggy hamburgers,” fourth-grader Ciara Sudjian-Carlisle said Thursday afternoon, in between bites of her salad. 

Or as fellow fourth-grader Jaylon Simpson put it, the salad is “better than that nasty food.” 

The salad bar is part of the ongoing improvements in the nutrition program around the Berkeley Unified School District. Last summer, the BUSD attracted national attention for adopting an organic food policy, reputedly the first policy of such breadth and depth for any school district in the country. 

Malcolm X’s program incorporates at least two key elements of that policy: serving meals that are organic to the “maximum extent possible,” and promoting “maximum meal participation.” 

Most of the items on the salad bar are purchased by Suzanne Bernhard, who oversees the fledgling salad bar program, at the twice-weekly Berkeley Farmers’ Market. The school’s new garden is nearly complete, so beginning in the fall, produce grown on-site will augment the supply bought at the Farmers’ Market. So not only will the food be organic, Bernhard notes, but students will have a better understanding of how the food cycle works. 

After just 11 days of operation, the salad bar is helping to increase the number of students eating in the cafeteria, moving the school toward that “maximum meal participation.” On Thursday, the cafeteria served 284 meals – and only 75 of them were grilled cheese sandwiches. Before the salad bar was launched, between 200 and 220 meals were served each day. 

“This just blows away all those myths,” Tom Bates, the former state assemblymember who now heads the Food Systems Project, said while watching students eagerly chow down on their salads. “They say kids won’t eat lettuce, or they won’t eat a healthy lunch, but look - they’re doing it. 

“If we can get kids to eat like this at school, we’re hoping they’ll influence their parents and start eating like this at home, too.” 

So far, the benefits of the fresh salad bar are purely anecdotal, although Bates hopes research can be done to see how the Malcolm X students’ dietary habits affect their academic performance and their behavior. 

Fourth-grade teacher Janice Blumenkrantz admitted that she couldn’t see many changes in behavior yet, but she did support the idea of providing quality lunches for the students so they’re able to perform well in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. 

“I think it’s important that they’re well fed, because they wouldn’t be able to jump through all the hoops if they weren’t,” she said. 

Her comments were echoed by Joaquin Rivera, president of the BUSD School Board. 

“It’s really good that kids enjoy eating this nutritious food,” he said. “For a lot of our kids, this may be the best meal they have all day.” 

The salad bar “team” hopes to expand to three more schools in the fall. Oxford and Rosa Parks (formerly Columbus) elementary schools are likely candidates, and several other campuses are interested. Bates said the goal is to have full salad bars at eight schools by the end of the 2000-2001 school year. Of course, that will require funds, no easy task for the financially strapped BUSD. But Bates said the district is in line for a $1 million state Healthy Network grant that would provide much of the necessary money to expand the program.

Friday, June 2 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can.  

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

“Public School Reform” 

Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 

Susan W. O’Donell, an education activist, will speak during this week’s meeting of the City Commons Club. Social hour begins at 11:15 a.m. Luncheon is served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Speaker starts promptly at 12:30 p.m. Lunch is $11 or $12.25; admission to the speech is $1, free for students. 

510-848-3533 

Circle dancing 

7:45-10 p.m. 

Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. 

Simple folkdancing in a circle; beginners are welcome, no partners needed. 

510-528-4274 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This is the world premiere of “When Sorrow Turns To Joy - Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary” by Jon Jang and James Newton. The work illuminates the common thread and the musical traditions binding the African-American and Chinese cultures. Tickets are $20 to $32. A pre-performance talk with Jang and Newton will be held at 7 p.m. 

510-642-9988 

Saturday, June 3 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills.  

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

510-548-3333 

UC Berkeley campus tour 

10 a.m.-noon 

With a limit of 30 people, the tour begins at the Campanile. University Archivist Bill Roberts will provide a look at the history of the Berkeley campus, emphasizing the growth of the student body and of academic programs, as reflected in the physical development of the campus. Highlights will include the first building on campus, South Hall, the architecture of the John Galen Howard era, and post-World War II expansion. The price is $5 for Berkeley Historical Society members, $10 for non-members. Call ahead for reservations. 

510-848-0181 

Wild About Books 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Public Library, 2121 Allston Way 

Judy Sierra, author of children’s books and well-known storyteller, will present a program for children. Sierra, who lives in Albany, will read from her books and tell some interactive stories. Her appearance is part of the library’s Wild About Books program for 3 to 7-year-olds and their families. 

510-649-3943 

“LGBTQ Family Financial Strategies” 

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

Pacific Center, 2712 Telegraph Ave. 

This workshop will help you learn ways to financially protect your family. All LGBT couples and families can achieve long term financial security with planning and investment. Free child care is provided with advance notice. Donations are requested but not required, and the center is wheelchair accessible. ASL interpretation is also available with advance notice. Family Program workshops are for current and prospective Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender parents. 

510-548-8283; 415-789-8560 

“The Rides of Spring” 

11 a.m. 

Meet at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center Street between Milvia and MLK 

This will be an easy-paced, all-ages, fun bike ride and will depart at for parts unknown. UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens, the Ohlone Greenway, Cedar-Rose Park, Berkeley Marina and Beach, Cesar Chavez Park, Albany Waterfront Park and the Bay Trail are all possible places to ride, rest, snack, fling a Frisbee, fly a kite, beachcomb, sing a cycle-song, have a picnic party or just explore. 

510-601-8124 

Boat sale 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Marina 

The City of Berkeley Marina will auction off approximately nine boats. Eight sailing vessels are being sold to pay for the delinquent berthing fees owed to the City of Berkeley, and a power vessel is surplus equipment once belonging to the Department of Boating and Waterways will also be auctioned. 

510-644-6376 

Home At Last Rescue’s Adoption Day 

Noon-4 p.m. 

Outside Slater Marinoff & Co. at 1823 Fourth St. 

Both dogs and cats are available for adoption. 

510-501-7021; info@homeatlastrescue.org 

UC Botanical Garden Anniversary 

200 Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley campus 

3-7 p.m. 

The Botanical Garden, will hold a gala to celebrate its 110th anniversary. There will be wine, hors d’oeuvres, music, and a chance to walk in the garden. Tickets are $30 for members, $35 for nonmembers in advance, or $35 at the gate. Call ahead to reserve tickets. 

510-643-2755 

BOSS Tea Party 

3-5 p.m. 

Rose Garden Inn, 2740 Telegraph Ave. 

BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) will hold its first-ever tea party, during which Ursula Sherman will be honored by the community. Sherman is a local educator, advocate, volunteer, and activist on human and civil rights, homelessness and poverty, and Jewish history and issues. She has served as a BOSS board member since 1971. 

510-649-1930 

Don Jelinek Roast 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

Berkeley Citizens Action will roast and honor Don Jelinek for decades of service as a civil rights lawyer, defender of Vietnam War draft resisters, chief counsel for the indicted survivors of the 1971 Attica Rebellion, resident and attorney in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island, Berkeley city councilman, and other active roles. Surprise special guest. This fund-raiser will support progressive candidates in November elections. 

510-549-0653 

“Bat Watch” 

7:30 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Learn about the mysterious mammals of the night skies. 

510-525-2233 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This is the world premiere of “When Sorrow Turns To Joy - Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary” by Jon Jang and James Newton. Tickets are $20 to $32. 

510-642-9988 

Pedestrian “Drive-In” movie night party and protest 

9 p.m. 

Underhill parking lot (Channing and College) 

Activists intend to hold weekly movie parties and protests throughout the summer to demonstrate their opposition to UC Berkeley’s plans for a new parking structure at the Underhill site. 

510-666-8464 

Sunday, June 4 

Playground construction 

8 a.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is the final “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held around 5 p.m. at site. 

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

“Work in the Butterfly Garden” 

9 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Lend a hand in the butterfly garden with weeding, watering, and whatever else needs to be done. This will be followed by a butterfly hike at 1:30 p.m. 

510-525-2233 

Walkathon for the Children of Iraq 

9:30 a.m. 

Mineral Springs, Tilden Park 

Participants will pledge to walk a certain number of miles and gather pledges before the walkathon. Proceeds will support a campaign to raise awareness about the plight of the people in Iraq, especially the hundreds of thousands of children who have died from causes such as malnutrition and inadequate health care attributed to the stifling sanctions on Iraq. Lunch after the walk for $5. 

925-209-5516; www.amaal.org 

Free hands-on bicycle repair clinic 

11 a.m. 

REI Berkeley, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 

510-527-4140 

Resources for Community Development benefit party 

2-5 p.m. 

Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 

RCD will celebrate its 15th anniversary of creating and preserving affordable housing in the East Bay. Admission is $15, which includes food. 

510-843-0588 

Prometheus Symphony Orchestra 

3 p.m. 

Saint Ambrose Church, 1145 Gilman St. 

Eric Hansen will conduct this performance, with guest artists Philip Santos, violin; and Lawrence Granger, cello. The concert will feature a program of works by Strauss, Liadov and Brahms. Donation admission. 

510-527-1519

Our youth must be served. Berkeley athletic facilities are abysmally small and inadequate for the needs of our city, and especially the students of Berkeley High School. This city (and School District) has a golden opportunity to expand our existing athletic facilities on the property around Derby Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way and show our young people that we care about them and want them to participate in healthy and productive activities to the fullest. 

However, the vote at the May 23rd City Council meeting, to preclude the possibility of building the largest possible athletic facility for our city was a slap in the face of our youth, especially Black, Brown and women who always get shortchanged in this society. 

The majority of the City Council voted against “studying” the possibility of closing Derby Street, between Milvia and MLK Jr. Way in order to build a regulation size baseball field. This would be only the second baseball field in all of Berkeley. This field would also provide the most space for all other field sports such as soccer, rugby, field hockey and softball. 

The majority of the City Council was in effect, saying: “One block of one street is more important than the youth of Berkeley. We refuse to even consider closing one block of Derby Street.” 

But why? Who is served by this vote? Let’s set the record straight. 

The comments from the public, at the City Council meeting, reported in the Daily Planet on Friday, May 26, are insightful. The Ecology Center Board of Directors President, Leona Benten, said her group endorses the “less intrusive project.” That is keeping Derby Street open and building smaller playing fields. Since when are children playing sports considered “intrusive” and to whom? 

Benten goes on to say that closing Derby Street could compromise the ecoliteracy program. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every plan proposed for the Derby Street property includes the same amount of space for a garden for our students. No planned educational program will be negatively impacted by closing Derby Street. 

One of the main arguments put forth by some of the public was that closing Derby Street would somehow negatively impact the Farmers’ Market that now occurs on Tuesdays at Derby and MLK. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. The plan presented to the City Council on May 23rd guaranteed the continuing existence of the Farmers’ Market on a permanent site on the property, just as large and just as visible to the public as the present site. The plan stated very clearly that the farmers market would not lose one day of operation while the park was under construction. 

For Penny Leff, co-manager of the Farmers’ Market, to state publicly that keeping Derby Street open would somehow save the Farmers’ Market and allow the School District to devote more space to community and school garden efforts is disingenuous at its best, and a complete fabrication at its worse. 

And what about the arguments put forth by City Councilmember Linda Maio? She stated that fencing in the playing field, by closing Derby Street, would be too upsetting to the neighbors. 

However, every plan put forward, keeping Derby Street open or closing Derby Street, included a fence around the athletic field. Any playing field built needs a fence, and all the plans call for trees and landscaping to hide the intrusive nature of a necessary fence for any ball field built on this site. 

So, what we really get down to is traffic and parking. The truth is that parking is provided in the proposal to close Derby Street (on the permanent site for the Farmers’ Market) and a traffic study was included in the use of the $65,000 that was rejected by the majority of the City Council. 

The majority of the City Council felt that these issues could not be worked out and that as a consequence the youth of our community must suffer. They rejected an offer from the School Board for $65,000 to “study” ways to mitigate the negative impact on the community that might occur if Derby Street were closed. 

Why did the City Council reject the offer from the School District to “study” closing Derby Street? 

I believe every argument put forth against the closing of Derby Street and the building of a full size baseball field by the public and the City Councilmembers were meager window dressings for petty and shortsighted interests of some people in this city outweighing the needs of our youth, the students of Berkeley High School and the larger community. 

There is still time to reverse this horrendous decision on the part of the City Council. Every study that has focused on the effect of organized athletics on any and all youth has proven the following: Athletic participation has a lasting positive effect on kids. It increases self-confidence. It teaches teamwork and cooperation. It provides wholesome activity. And it positively impacts their future. This is so for all youth, not a selected few. 

The final EIR report on the use of this land must still be brought back to the City Council for a vote after a review and recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission. The youth of Berkeley may yet be served as may the larger community. 

------------------ 

Terry Doran is vice president of the Board of Education. He is also a retired Berkeley High School teacher.

URORA THEATRE 

“Split” by Mayo Simon, June 1 through July 2. A mordant clear-eyed view of an older couple's love affair. $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 

“Closer” by Patrick Marber, through July 9. A funny, touching and unflinchingly honest examination of love and relationships set in contemporary London. $38 to $48.50. Tuesday, Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; May 27, June 1, June 3, June 10, June 15, June 24, June 29 and July 8, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

CALIFORNIA 

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 

“Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare, June 3 through June 24. The classic romantic comedy of mismatched lovers forced into a union. $21 to $38 general; $19 to $38 seniors; $10 to $38 children. Wednesday and Thursday, 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m.; June 13 and June 20, 7 p.m. June 24, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Bruns Memorial Amphitheatre, Shakespeare Festival Way/Gateway Exit on state Highway 24. (510) 548-9666 or www.calshakes.org 

IMPACT THEATRE 

“The Wake-Up Crew” by Zay Amsbury, May 5 through June 3. A comic book on stage that pits unemployed UC Santa Cruz grads against the forces of chaos and destruction. 

$10 general; $5 students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 464-4468. 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“The Skriker” by Caryl Churchill, through June 4. In this ecological play, faeries are damaged due to polluted rivers and woods, and are forgotten. 

$15 general; $10 seniors and students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. The Warehouse Performance Space, 1850 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco. (510) 655-0813. 

Rick Young will continue battling the university over plans to build a parking structure on the Underhill lot – but he probably won’t be making his point by camping there in the near future. 

Arrested three times for refusing to leave the lot, the law student says he is considering a new form of protest. He may put his training to the test and sue the university over its plans for the lot. 

The university wants to build a three-story, 1,000- to 1,400-car parking structure, a dining hall, sports field, and offices on the block bordered by College Avenue, Haste Street, Bowditch Street and Channing Way. 

UC Berkeley has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Report on the project and will release a final EIR after the public comment period ends. Young says his decision to sue the university will depend on what is written in the final report. 

Although the university plans to build nearly 900 units of housing not far from the lot – in what they’re calling the Underhill Area – Young said that is not enough. Housing and not parking should be built at the Underhill lot proper, giving more students the opportunity to walk to campus rather than drive, he said. 

“I feel a moral responsibility not to create global warming,” said Young, who argues that greenhouse emissions, caused by burning fossil fuels, cause global warming and are responsible for floods, death and destruction in equatorial countries. 

On Wednesday, after being arrested May 19 for lodging in public, and May 20 and May 21 for trespassing, Young appeared before Judge Jennie Rhine. 

“The judge said stay off the lot,” Young told the Daily Planet Thursday. “If they arrest me again, they may not let me out until trial.” 

The second-year Boalt Hall law student defied police warnings to stay away from the lot. 

“But a judge’s order is a little more. I may be before the judge later on as a defendant or as a lawyer,’’ he said. 

Young’s goal had been to camp out in the lot until the chancellor agreed to meet with him and discuss the university’s responsibility in reducing greenhouse gasses. 

“From the environmental point of view, UC Berkeley’s incredibly progressive,” Young said. “There are so many individuals interested in global warming. If UC Berkeley will not step forward, who will?” 

In court Wednesday, Young turned down Rhine’s offer to plead guilty to one misdemeanor. “I think that we can get a better deal,” he said. He’ll be back in court at 9:30 a.m. June 21, his 34th birthday. 

Last week, Councilmember Kriss Worthington, asked the City Council to pass a resolution supporting Young’s protest. He had put the item on the consent calendar, where noncontroversial resolutions are approved without discussion. However, Mayor Shirley Dean “pulled” the item, which means it will be discussed at a future council meeting. 

Young isn’t the only protester picked up by police at the lot. On Saturday morning, about 4 a.m., Ryan Salisbury, a junior in computer science at the university, was arrested for trespassing. Young bailed him out Sunday afternoon. 

Salisbury will be in court June 28 on a single misdemeanor trespassing charge. 

“Housing must take precedent over parking,” Salisbury said, adding that he doesn’t know at this point if he’ll go out and be arrested again to make that point. 

The public comment period on the draft EIR on the Underhill Area Projects continues through June 9. Written comments can be submitted by 5 p.m. that day to the UC Berkeley Physical and Environmental Planning Office, Room 1, in the A&E Building. 

Information on Young and Salisbury is at www.geocities.com/rickisyoung.

Many people, especially parents of children in the baseball program at Berkeley High School, were disappointed by the City Council’s recent vote not to consider a proposal to close Derby Street in order to build a hard ball field at Derby and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. This was a difficult vote for me because I am a strong supporter of programs for our young people. Initially, I favored the baseball field and felt that closing the street to build one was reasonable. Then I came to realize it was not that simple. As I considered the neighborhood around Derby at MLK, I realized it had always seemed to lack a sense of place. Large institutional uses surround the site, Iceland and a UC administration building to the east, East Campus and a large childcare program on the site itself, and a major thoroughfare, MLK, to the west. The neighborhood and the many families would not be well-served by a large, fenced field that will tend to further erode its sense of cohesion. When I visualized closing Derby and fencing off the vacant land, almost two whole blocks, for a baseball field, I could not agree. The extensive fencing loomed like a barrier, one that would further cut into the residential soul of this neighborhood. 

The parents have good reasons for wanting a new field. The baseball teams currently play at San Pablo Park, and have for years. Scheduling for the teams is a problem, as lots of sports are played there. San Pablo Park is not fully fenced, as the field proposed for the Derby site would be, and it is not close to the high school. San Pablo Park is not ideal, but it has served. Bill Savidge, a baseball parent, worked hard to develop the new option that the Council considered. The plan included spaces for gardens and placed the Farmers’ Market at the perimeter of the ball field on MLK, but it still proposed closing Derby and fencing in most of two blocks. It was a worthy try, but one that ultimately could not be supported by the Council. 

With the development of the Harrison soccer field and skateboard park, which I supported, and with another smaller, regulation soccer field possible at Derby, the pressure on scheduling baseball games at San Pablo Park should be reduced. Voting not to consider this latest option for closing Derby Street was not an easy decision, but ultimately I came to feel that it was the right one for the largest number of people, and for the city. 

---------------- 

Linda Maio is a Berkeley City Councilmember, representing West Berkeley and a portion of Central Berkeley.

ASHKENAZ 

Session, June 2, 9:30 p.m. Dance lesson with Nick and Shanna at 8 p.m. included in price. $11. 

West African Highlife Band, June 3, 9:30 p.m. Dance lesson with Comfort Mensah at 9 p.m. included in the price. $11. 

Maureen and Friends, Michelle Jordan, June 4, 2 p.m. A benefit for Resources for Community Development. $15. 

Gypsy Moon, Lost at Last, June 4, 8 p.m. $8. 

Edessa, June 6, 8:30 p.m. Dance lesson with Nancy Klein at 7:30 p.m. included in price. $8. 

Zydeco Flames, June 7, 9 p.m. Dance lesson with Olivia Thierry at 8 p.m. included in price. $8. 

Grateful Dead DJ Night, June 8, 10 p.m. With Digital Dave. $5. 

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

BLAKES 

KGB, Zoppi, June 2. $5. 

Nobody From Ipamena, Brazilian Dance Party, June 3. $6. 

Indian Summer, The Serfs, June 4. $3. 

The Blue Monday Jam with The Steve Gannon Band, June 5. $3. 

An Evening With Quimbambo, June 6. $3. 

“Third World” with UC Buu, DJ Add, Jah Bonz, Big Willie, June 7. $5. 

Ripe, JDogs, June 8. $4. 

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

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE 

The Hanes Family, June 2 . $13.50 to $14.50. 

Karan Casey with Niall Vallely, June 3. $15.50 to $16.50. 

Hurricane Sam, June 4. $13.50 to $14.50. 

The Ellis Island Old World Folk Band, Marhaba, June 7. $13.50 to $14.50. 

Rory Block, June 8. $17.50 to $18.50. 

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

LA PEÑA CULTURAL CENTER 

Maria F. Marquez, June 2, 9 p.m. $15. 

Union, June 3, 8 p.m. Featuring Group Uv Nuts, Sayyadina, Born Kings, J.C., Mic-T, Qraun, and more. $8. 

Don't Look Back, June 8, 6 p.m. $5 to $25. 

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

924 GILMAN ST. 

Subincision, Venus Bleeding, Intrepid A.A.F., Homeless Wonders, June 2. 

Dystopia, Scum Brigade, Benumb, Contravene, Tartantula Hawk, June 3. 

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

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express, Dickel Brothers, June 2. $7. 

Los Mex Pistols Del Norte, June 3. $6. 

Carlos, Fluke Starbucker, Replicator, June 8. $5. 

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. 

Tibetologist, professor and filmmaker Richard Jay Kohn succumbed to cancer at his home in Kensington on Sunday. He was 51 and had been diagnosed over five years ago. 

Kohn taught Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at Indiana University and UC Santa Cruz, and was a research associate at the Center for South Asian Studies at UC Berkeley. He lectured widely, and served as associate curator for the historic “Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet” exhibition at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. A prolific scholar, he published in scores of academic and popular journals and anthologies. His first book, “Lord of the Dance: The Mani Rimdu Festival in Tibet and Nepal” will be released next year by SUNY Press. Recently he was a founding director of the International Buddhist Film Festival, and executive editor of its forthcoming book, “Buddhism on Film.” 

Kohn’s long relationship with Tibet and Buddhism began when he was a teen-ager. He was introduced to Tibetan music and art while working off-Broadway in Manhattan. His fascination with this otherworldly realm led him to the University of Wisconsin – at the time, the only institution in America to offer a comprehensive program in Tibetan language, culture and philosophy. Kohn earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in South Asian Studies, complementing his knowledge with adept skills in anthropology, art history and photography. 

In 1979, Kohn won a Fulbright Fellowship to study Tibetan ritual and art in Nepal. He spent five years in the Himalayan kingdom, translating texts so obscure that their existence was virtually unknown before his arrival. “Rituals are what Tibetan monks spend most of their time doing,” he once observed. “If we want to understand these people on their own terms, we should look at their rituals.” 

His deep understanding of the great Sherpa festival of Mani Rimdu came to fruition in 1985, with the release of his documentary film, “Lord of the Dance/ Destroyer of Illusion.” The film embodied Kohn’s meticulous attention to detail. 

“I want my (audiences) to know,” he said, “that when you enter a Sherpa monastery at four in the morning to begin a 14-hour day of ritual, your tea from the night before is frozen solid in your cup.” 

“Lord of the Dance” was a critical success, hailed as “a jewel” and described as “mesmeric” and “ravishing.” Variety saluted Kohn “for having penetrated a secret world.” A shortened version – “Destroyer of Illusion: The Secret World of a Tibetan Lama” – was narrated by Richard Gere, and broadcast on the Discovery Channel and PBS. Kohn often showed his film at benefits, donating the proceeds to help restore the ancient Tibetan Buddhist monasteries he had filmed. 

To his many devoted friends, Kohn will be remembered for his generous heart, unflagging humor, and intense appreciation of good food, good films and great music. A gentleman scholar, he had the taste of a count – and the soul of a poet. 

Richard Kohn died peacefully on the evening of May 28th, with his wife Marianne by his side. Their 8-year-old son, Jack, helped perform the customary Tibetan Buddhist farewell rituals. Kohn was cremated, in accordance with Buddhist tradition, at the Sunset View Chapel in El Cerrito on Thursday.

UC BERKELEY ART 

MUSEUM 

“Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition,” May 20 through July 2. The 13th annual exhibit of work by candidates for the Master of Fine Arts degree. Artist Talk, May 21, 3 p.m. At Gallery 2. 

“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. 

“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 

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 (Sept-May) 

(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. 

Exhibit: “Back to the Farm,” open-ended. This interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and much more.  

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 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

Free. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

(510) 549-6950. 

Laubach Literacy’s Women in Literacy/USA (WIL/USA) initiative awarded Berkeley-based Women Take Care, Take Action a $6,000 grant to implement a leadership, literacy and policy development project called “Picturing Change.” 

The project will allow 10 to 15 home care workers to photographically document their work experiences. Their photos will be used to create an exhibit that will tour in local state administration buildings and in community sites chosen by the workers. 

WIL/USA is part of a global women’s literacy campaign sponsored by Laubach Literacy, the world’s oldest and largest literacy organization. 

Each year WIL/USA awards grants to community-based organizations in the United States that offer programming designed to meet the needs of low-income women with limited literacy or English skills. This year it awarded nine organizations with $54,000 in grants. 

Laubach Literacy is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1955 by literacy pioneer Frank C. Laubach. The organization has 1100 member programs throughout the United States and 69 partner programs in 36 developing countries around the world.

BERKELEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, SOUTH BRANCH 

“You’re Blase: The Art of Nick Mastick,” May 15 through June 15. An exhibit of collages. Free. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1901 Russell St., Berkeley. (510) 644-6860. 

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. 

A PIECE OF ART 

Jane Fox, Mixed Media Works, April 27 through June 10, with an artist reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 1. Ongoing new works by Gallery Artists in ceramic, metal, glass, wood and works on canvas and paper. 

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 

“nudge,” May 17 through June 18. An exhibit of new work by Terry Hoff. Reception, May 17, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Artist Talk, June 9, 10:30 a.m. 

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

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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.

During this week’s Employee Recognition Day for school district employees, top Berkeley Unified officials thanked the various BUSD staff members, city employees and others who helped get Berkeley High School “up and running” after the April 12 arson fire in the B Building. 

Here are the names of the individuals honored. The community volunteers will be recognized during next week’s school board meeting, where a resolution of commendation is scheduled to be approved. 

--------------- 

Berkeley High School Staff 

Jennifer Antonuccio 

Guillermo Barcenas 

Abaz Bey 

Earl Bill 

Rory Bled 

Billye Boatman 

Judy Bodenhausen 

Steve Brand 

Mary Lee Carey 

Richard Clyburn 

Bob Collier 

Wilma Cooper 

Fred Dunn-Ruiz 

Patty Duvall 

Belinda Floyd-Smity 

Ellie Goldstein-Erickson 

Mark Griffin 

Mike Hassett 

Jason Howard 

Lance James 

John January 

Deidra Johnson 

Toni Johnson 

Jerry Johrday 

Billy Keys 

Larry Lee 

Laura Leventer 

Wanda Lorde-Geer 

Jamie Marantz 

Donna McKinney 

Robert McKnight 

Barbara Mellion 

Marty Mershatt 

Alan Miller 

Walter Mitchell 

Judson Owens 

Michele Patterson 

Rita Perez 

Cassandra Powell 

Flora Russ 

Theresa Saunders 

Carolyn Shaw 

Betty Spillman 

Bob Traum 

Robbie Valentine 

Doris Wallace-Tanner 

Assali Waters 

Craig White 

Barry Wiggan 

Bennette Williams 

John Williams 

------------------- 

B Building teachers who got the portable classrooms up and running 

Rick Ayers 

Myron Berkman 

Patricia Bonsall 

Godhul Bose 

Jessica Delaney 

Elizabeth Garst 

Gregory Giglio 

Lisa Guisto 

Rodrigo Guitterez 

Joshua Hutnut 

Nancy Issakesen 

William Joyce 

Thomas Kordic 

Lila Krutel 

Karen McCombs 

Constance Murphy 

C. William Pratt 

Heidi Ramirez-Weber 

Dana Richards 

Tom Sayles 

----------------- 

Board of Education 

Pamela Doolan 

Terry Doren 

Shirley Issel 

Joaquin Rivera 

Ted Schultz 

----------------- 

Central Office Staff 

Ann Aoyagi 

Frank Brunetti 

Cheryl Crockett 

Doris Davis 

Linda Delehunt 

Queen Graham 

Catherine James 

Lew Jones 

Herrieze Jones 

Chris Lim 

Francisco Martinez 

Jack McLaughlin 

Alex Palau 

Irving Phillips 

Diane Pico 

Cathy Richard 

Karen Sarlo 

Marianne Splenda 

Ruby Taylor 

Monica Thyberg 

Jennifer Vital 

----------------- 

Technology Department 

Mike Cooke 

Tom Landis 

Zina Lindsay 

Paul Monroe 

----------------- 

Plant Operations 

Ron Adams 

Sidney Allan 

Michael Carraway 

Veronica Collins 

Ricky Cox 

Susan DeLeon 

Dorothy Dorsey 

Dave Eastman 

Kevin Eirvin 

Phil Frick 

Yvonne Garnett 

Eric Gilreath 

Karl Hardiamon 

Jose Hernandez 

Wallace Jones 

Gene LeFevre 

Rodney Lewis 

Francisco Martinez 

Steve Rathbone 

Gerry Reyes 

Sam Scott 

James Simon 

Willie Thibodeaux 

Ed Whittle  

David Wilson 

----------------- 

Transportation 

Johnny Billups 

Wiley Carter 

Bernadette Cormier 

Patricia Johnson 

Andre Kellum 

Charles Moore 

Elaine Pecot 

Stephan Scrubs 

Tom Spohrs 

----------------- 

Receiving 

George Duncan 

Reggie Van Hook 

----------------- 

Food Services 

Cecilia Adams 

Mary Carter 

Marjorie Clark 

Michael Dixon 

William Harris 

Jeanette James 

Christine Johnson 

Diane Kearns 

Elsie Lee-Szeto 

Alan Lymon 

Elizabeth St. Mary 

----------------- 

City of Berkeley 

Nabil Al-Hadithy 

Officer Rosie Brown 

Police Chief Dash Butler 

Arrietta Chakos 

Mayor Shirley Dean 

Fire Chief Garcia 

James Keene 

Inspector Lui 

Juanita McMullen 

Fred Medrano 

Deputy Police Chief Meisner 

Captain Bobby Miller 

Assistant Fire Chief David Orth 

Weldon Rucker 

Officer Spiller 

----------------- 

Berkeley Mental Health 

Dr. Matthew Mock 

Nancy Ellinger 

----------------- 

BHS Health Center 

Ana Giron 

Tracy MacDonald 

Corinne Marchoke 

Barbara Morita 

Vicki Potts 

Anthony Santangelo 

----------------- 

Volunteers  

(There are so many volunteers who have served the high school during this time. The following is a list of those who had signed in. Anyone who has helped but is not on this list can contact the Public Information Office to be included.) 

Eve Ahmed 

Jahlee Arakaka 

Coleen Arnold 

Roberta Baker 

David Biale 

Terry Bloomsburgh 

Joel Blumenfeld 

Rochelle Blumenfeld 

Vicki Bullman 

Lois Brubaker 

Vicki Bullman 

Oscar Campos 

Lisa Chow 

Gloria Clark 

Diana Cohen 

Barbara Cohn 

Theodore Cohn  

Mary Lee Cole 

Phil Cotton 

Jerry Derblich 

Leslie Dickersin 

Nancy Ellinger 

Karen Elliott 

Tara Ellman 

Anthea Engle 

Samuela Evans 

Bob Fabry 

Merle Fajans 

Jerry Fillingim 

Alice Filmer 

Dan Fingerman 

Karen Fox 

Jim Gasperini 

Diane Gerstler 

Susie Goodwin 

Dna Harris 

Kathy Helliesen 

Rick Herbert 

Jane Hobeman 

Meghan Humlie 

Jane Hunter 

Janet Huseby 

Rory Ingalls 

Paula Israel 

Lynanne Jacob 

Ron Jacobs 

Beth Johnson 

Janie Kahn 

Gail Keleman 

Marcie Kleiman 

Rebecca Lacocque 

Madalyn Law 

Miftah Leath 

Helene Lecar 

Laurie Leiber 

Ellen Lerner 

Anne Lown 

Joseph Mallay 

Jan Malvin 

Anna Manatell 

Ruth Marlin 

Emily Marthinsen 

John Maynes 

Karen McKie 

Juanita McMullen 

Laura Menard 

Woody Mertens 

Jerry Miller 

Beverly Mire 

Patrick Mitchell 

Burt Norall 

Ellin O’Leary 

Margy Ortiz 

Lee Nora Owens-Glover 

Irma Parker 

David Pugatch 

John Rasmussen 

Martha Richards 

Roberta Riesenfeld 

Linda Ross 

Susan Ryan 

Bill Saufley 

Emily Schneider 

Susan Schumacher 

Bruce Shannon 

Lili Shidlovski 

Delane Sims 

Ivan Siurman 

Lynnette Smith 

Peggy Stein 

Carla Stone-Vogel 

Meghan Sullivan 

Candace Sultan 

Beth Summers 

Dan Thornton 

David Wee 

Bruce Wicinas 

Lynnette Wold 

Eldon Wolf 

Virginia Wolfe 

Teresa Wong

Wednesday evening, the Berkeley Unified School District honored employees who retiring at the end of this school year, along with employees who have reached major employment milestones with the BUSD. 

The annual Employee Recognition Day involved all three unions that represent BUSD workers. Here is the list of the honorees: 

-------------- 

RETIREES (this list is based on employees who have officially notified Personnel and who are retiring on or before June 30, 2000): 

Carolyn Adams (Teacher - 31 Years Longevity) 

Ruthie Blacksher (Teacher - 31 Years Longevity) 

Betty Desmuke (Teacher - 37 Years Longevity) 

Fred Dunn-Ruiz (Teacher - 34 Years Longevity) 

Cecile Floyd (Senior Accountant - 32 Years Longevity) 

Anne Hatch (Executive Secretary - 26 Years Longevity) 

Jean Masumura (School Secretary - 20 Years Longevity) 

Frances Robinson (School Secretary - 12 Years Longevity) 

Joseph Romero (31 Years Longevity) 

Michael Sorina (Carpenter - 11 Years Longevity) 

Geraldine Watson (School Secretary - 31 Years Longevity) 

Rebecca Wheat (Principal - 32 Years Longevity) 

Ellis White (School Bus Driver- 16 Years Longevity) 

El Ray Young (I.A. - 18 Years Longevity) 

-------------- 

10 YEARS LONGEVITY 

Joette Al-Hakim-Hall (Teacher - Longfellow) 

Jimette Anderson (VP - King) 

Harlan Attfield (Instructional Asst. - BHS) 

Abaz Bey (School Safety Officer - BHS) 

Irene Boltz (Speech Therapist - BHS) 

Tonette Carter (School Service Asst. - Cragmont) 

Francoise Case (ESL Teacher - Jefferson) 

Sonia Colon (School Secretary - City of Franklin) 

Kenya Crockett (I.A. - LeConte Extended Day Care) 

Craig Davis (Food Service Asst. - Jefferson) 

Kathleen Giustino (Teacher - Cragmont) 

Deborah Howe (I.A. - Rosa Parks Child Care) 

Joey G. Ilori (School Secretary - BAHS) 

Lance James (Asst. Theater Manager - BHS) 

Janice Johnson (I.A. - Franklin Early Childhood) 

Diana Kearns (Food Service Asst. - BHS) 

Rodney Lewis (Custodian - BHS) 

Kristen Lono (Teacher - Emerson) 

Karen Matza (Teacher - Malcolm X) 

Linda Molina-Roach (I.A. - Cragmont) 

Isabel Parra (Clerical Asst. - Adult School) 

Patricia Preston (School Safety Officer - King) 

Vivian Robinson (Food Service Satellite Operator - Malcolm X) 

Mahalia Ryba (Teacher - Malcolm X) 

Elaine Sanders (Account Clerk - Transportation) 

Roseann Santa Cruz (Teacher - Jefferson) 

Mary Beth Sonnenberg (Teacher - King)  

Betty Spillman (School Safety Officer - BHS) 

Loretta Stanton (I.A. - Hopkins) 

Dona Suzuki (Teacher - John Muir) 

Barbara Vogel (Teacher - John Muir) 

Dana Wahlberg (Teacher - Oxford) 

Leila Washington (I.A. - BHS) 

Laura Gorton West (Teacher - Cragmont) 

La Rue Weston (Food Service Asst. - Willard) 

Ethel Wiley (I.A. - BHS) 

Patricia Wilkins (Clerical Asst. - Willard) 

Lodee Williams (Food Service Satellite Operator - Longfellow) 

David Wilson (Custodian - BHS) 

Kevin Wooldridge (Principal - Thousand Oaks) 

-------------- 

15 YEARS LONGEVITY 

Rosie Lee Adams (Inst. Tech. - TLTC) 

Anita Baker (Program Supervisor - ECE) 

Cynthia Bella (School Bus Driver - Transportation) 

Heidi Boley (Teacher - BHS) 

Lorna Brand (I.A. - Jefferson) 

Matthew Bremer (Teacher - BHS) 

Wendell Brooks (Teacher - BHS) 

Marilyn Bruno (Teacher - Washington) 

Candyce Cannon (Teacher - Malcolm X) 

Yvonne Cooper (Speech Therapist - Rosa Parks) 

Josephine Crochet (I.A. - Rosa Parks Child Care) 

Jennifer Curtis (School Secretary - Rosa Parks) 

Juan Dolorfino (Custodian - BAHS) 

Cheri Dutiel (I.A. - Thousand Oaks) 

Wendy Fong (Teacher - Jefferson) 

Barbara Foster (Teacher - Malcolm X) 

Gerry Furuzawa (School Secretary - John Muir) 

Carol Gamblin (Teacher - Washington) 

Theresa Gerritz (Resource Specialist - King) 

Ann Gilbert (Teacher - Rosa Parks) 

Michael Grossman (I.A. - Hopkins) 

Michael Hassett (English Department Chair - BHS) 

Joan Horikoshi (Teacher - BHS) 

Marie Hunter (Teacher - Hopkins) 

Willie Jackson (Driver Trainer - Transportation) 

Earl Jenkins (Custodian - LeConte) 

Theresa Leader (I.A. - LeConte) 

Nancy Mar (Teacher - Cragmont) 

Tonie-Lynn McCoy (I.A. - BHS) 

Mary Ough (Teacher - Washington) 

Ella Owyang (I.A. - Jefferson) 

Diana Penney (Vice Principal - King) 

Bonnie Powers (I.A. - BHS) 

Gerardo Reyes (Painter - Plant Operations) 

Louise Rosenkrantz (Teacher - Malcolm X 

Samuel Scott (General Maintenance Worker - Plant Operations) 

Nancy Silver (Teacher - Cragmont) 

Thomas Spores (School Bus Driver - Transportation) 

Andre Todd (Custodian - BHS) 

John L. Williams (Student Service Specialist - Willard) 

Aiyanna Williams (Program Coordinator - Business Dept.) 

Michael Williams (Teacher - Willard) 

Carol Wolfley (Teacher - Thousand Oaks 

Raymond Young (Custodian - Adult School) 

-------------- 

20 YEARS LONGEVITY 

Don Abare (Manager - Data Processing) 

Gayle Brown (I.A. - Malcolm X) 

Donna Chan Chu (School Secretary - LeConte) 

Melinda Cowan (I.A. Jefferson) 

Barbara Davis (Computer Operator - Data Processing) 

Deborah Falk (Library Media Tech -Emerson) 

Edna Flitcraft (I.A. - Willard) 

Cathleen Jones (Teacher - Oxford) 

Bill Liebman (Psychologist - King Child Care) 

Taeko Okamura (I.A. - King) 

Isaac Osuna-Mac (Teacher - Rosa Parks) 

Shirley Robinson (Food Service Assistant - King) 

Cynthia Simon (Senior Accountant - Accounting) 

Myretta Whitaker (School Secretary - Adult School) 

Adrienne Yank (Teacher - BHS) 

-------------- 

25 YEARS LONGEVITY 

Cornelius Brown (Manager - Plant Operations) 

Virginia Chyou (I.A. - Franklin) 

Emily Guiterrez (I.A. - Oxford) 

Salvador Murillo (Attendance Specialist - Student Welfare) 

Doug Powers (Teacher - BHS) 

-------------- 

30 YEARS LONGEVITY 

Jesse Anthony (Teacher - King) 

Ruthie Blacksher (Teacher King Child Care) 

Irene Brass (Teacher (Washington Extended Day) 

Joseph Brulenski (Teacher - Rosa Parks) 

Ellie Cagnina (Teacher - Cragmont) 

Patricia Culpepper (Teacher - Longfellow) 

Pauline Delgado (Resource Specialist - Oxford) 

Verda Delp (Teacher - Willard) 

Mary Ellis-Raguth (Teachers - Malcolm X) 

David Fidiam (Delivery Driver - Purchasing) 

Sarah Goldstein (Teacher - Jefferson) 

Venita Graggs (I.A. - Washington Extended Day) 

John Levy (Teacher - Adult School) 

John Martinez (Teacher - Willard) 

Eugene Nakamura (Vice Principal - Willard) 

Carole Ono (Teacher - Special Assignment) 

Joseph Romero (Teacher - BHS) 

Rosa Street (I.A. - Hopkins) 

Patricia Sutherland (Teacher - Hopkins) 

Susan Tanisawa (Teacher - Longfellow) 

Steven Teel (Teacher - BHS) 

Ernestine Troutman (Library Media Tech - BHS) 

Sandra Wood (Teacher - BAHS) 

-------------- 

35 YEARS LONGEVITY 

Carolyn Adams (Teacher - LeConte) 

Carl Brush (Principal - Longfellow) 

De Ette La Rue (Teacher - Malcolm X) 

Alexander Panasenko (Teacher - BHS) 

-------------- 

40 YEARS LONGEVITY 

Maruko Hiratzka (Clerical Assistant - Malcolm X)

The chants were no different then they’ve been since the hotel and restaurant workers began union organizing efforts nine months ago. 

“Radisson, Radisson, you’re no good/Treat your workers like you should.” 

But the group demonstrating in front of the Berkeley Radisson Marina and holding billboards along University Avenue intersections Wednesday had a victory to chant about this time. 

Hospitality workers and their community supporters were celebrating last week’s National Labor Relations Board decision to accept 130 of their complaints against the Boykin Management-owned hotel. 

“The federal government has said (the hotel) has gone too far,” said Stephanie Ruby, organizer with the Hotel Employee Restaurant Employee Local 2850. “We’re going to prosecute the hotel.” 

The NLRB will go to before an administrative judge on Aug. 1 on the workers’ behalf. 

Charges include numerous counts of hotel management surveillance of workers trying to unionize, bribery of workers in an attempt to thwart the push to unionization, and harassment. 

Radisson Hotel General Manager Brij Misra took the court date in stride. 

“That’s what the court system is for,” he said, declining to discuss specific complaints. “We’ll have to abide by whatever the ramifications are.” 

The NLRB does not issue these complaints lightly, said JoEllen Marcotte, attorney for the NLRB. 

If the court agrees with the NLRB, the workers will get their union. 

The complaint concludes that “the unfair labor practices...are so serious and substantial in character that the possibility of erasing the effects of these unfair labor practices and of conducting a fair election by use of the traditional remedies is slight.” 

The NLRB is asking the court to consider that the majority of workers have signed cards calling for a union. The workers sentiments would “be better protected by the issuance of a bargaining order than by traditional remedies alone,” the NLRB says. 

Among the specific charges made by the workers and supported by the NLRB are allegations of harassment and retaliation for union activities. 

“On an unknown date in September 1999, in the kitchen (employees were told) that sometimes hotel employees who want a union are discharged,” one charge notes. 

Another complaint says that an employee was told that “none of the (Boykin) hotels had unions and that others had tried to organize a union by (Boykin) had ‘destroyed’ them.” 

Further, hotel rules discourage union organizing, including wearing union buttons. 

“Other than my nametag, I will not wear any badge, pin, button or decoration without my supervisor’s approval,” says the complaint, quoting from the workers’ handbook. 

The Marina Radisson is on the Alameda County Central Labor Committee’s boycott list and is being boycotted by the city of Berkeley. 

Hotel management must respond to the complaint within two weeks. The hearing before an administrative judge is set for 9 a.m. Aug. 1 at the Oakland Regional Office of the Board, 1301 Clay St., Room 300N. 

“The hotel should just come to the table now, instead of wasting money on high paid lawyers,” Ruby said. 

Wise Council vote on Derby playing fields 

At its May 23rd meeting, the Berkeley City Council, by a six-to-two vote, reaffirmed the city’s commitment to long-standing Berkeley values. 

With little need for debate, Councilmembers Shirek, Woolley, Maio, Spring, Breland, and Worthington said no to the Berkeley Unified School District’s bid to reexamine closing the 1900 block of Derby Street in order to build a $2,000,000 plus sports facility. One by one, with clear and concise statements, they assured Berkeley citizens that their rights will be upheld, and valued institutions will not be threatened. 

Two plans for playing fields at Berkeley High School’s East Campus have already been studied in the existing Environmental Impact Review (EIR). One plan offers a regulation soccer/softball field combination and leaves the 1900 block of Derby Street open. The second option recommends closing the street to build a regulation-sized hardball field. The closed street option would cost an additional million dollars to construct. On May 23rd, the school district asked the Berkeley City Council to consider a third sports facility plan that would also permanently close Derby Street. 

In addition to costing more money than the open street variant, both closed street plans have risks attached. The quality and/or survival of the popular Tuesday Farmers’ Market, the integrity of the intended Milvia Street Bicycle Boulevard as a “safe route to school,” and the potential to expand the East Campus gardening program would all be jeopardized. 

The council’s vote encourages pursuing the less expensive alternative field plan which keeps Derby Street open. It indicates support for building a softball and superior soccer field configuration that will not threaten the above mentioned programs valued by most Berkeley residents. The major demand for field use by Berkeley youth sports teams is for soccer and softball. By promoting the open-street variant, the council commits to serving the majority of youth. 

Please acknowledge these six council members. Their fiscally responsible votes are also responsive to community values. I encourage all Berkeley citizens to thank them. 

Pamela Webster 

Berkeley 

Unwise Council vote on Derby playing fields 

For voting against the Derby Street Field, Councilmembers Shirek, Maio, Spring, Woolley, Worthington and Breland are a fine example of partisan, weak-minded politics bowing to a small constituency with short-sighted vision – a disgrace to our community. The council’s constituency includes families whose children have been left out in the cold. It’s a slap in the face to this generation of baby boomers as large or larger than the post-war baby boomers, as the “Six” voted for the status quo, with little regard for Berkeley’s families who work hard, pay their taxes (paying more taxes for education than any other Bay Area city), and want only for this community of children to enjoy their short young childhood. Childhood passes quickly, and clearly, the “Six” have forgotten theirs. 

There’s a direct relationship between the “Six” actions and the chaos and dysfunction at Berkeley High – a school trying to educate a diverse student population. Over the years teachers, educators and parents have put together programs celebrating all cultures and to educate the high-end learners and those who struggle academically, as well as provide sports programs (32 teams) to promote healthy minds and bodies. In spite of its efforts, this school has failed to bring educational equality across the board, not for want of trying but for lack of the full support of its community, where hidden agendas in its politics exist, most of which subvert common sense on a regular basis. I firmly believe we need six new councilmembers. 

Jahlee Arakaki 

Berkeley 

Wise Council vote on Derby fields, Pt. 2 

Thank you to the City Council members who had the courage and wisdom to reject another narrow vision for the East Campus site as proposed by Stephanie Allan and Bill Savidge. Although this project has been touted as community-oriented and for the “kids,” those of us who are able to look beneath the surface, realize it to be anything but. 

As a father of two students currently attending Berkeley public schools (including Berkeley High School), and as someone who works closely with children in our community, on many levels, my experience has taught me that our children have a variety of needs which are not being addressed; hard-ball fields should certainly not be a priority. We should remember that a majority of male, minority students drop out of Berkeley High School long before they graduate. The music and art programs available in our schools are poorly funded; they are always the first to take the cuts when the school district tightens it’s belt. The $150,000 spent so far, simply studying the various options for East Campus, could have been much better spent to address these shortcomings, rather than to focus on a small minority of BHS students who play hardball. In this light, it seems unreasonable for Ms. Allan to continue to insist that these fields must be built here... now. I am not insisting, mind you, that East Campus be the future site of a music/arts complex. 

I would also like to address the use of the word “community” and how it relates to the events surrounding these proposals for East Campus projects. Those of us who live in the area surrounding East Campus have sat back and watched as several groups of sports-enthusiasts (including this latest group) met, behind closed doors, to plan these playing fields. We have been left out of the planning process for a good reason; it is clear that a large majority of people living here oppose closing Derby Street for a myriad of reasons (which I will not address here). We had to learn of these plans through gossip and by reading newspaper editorials. Community, however, is an inclusive term. It includes all groups, especially neighborhood groups and communities already established here. It was not until two weeks before the City Council vote, after the plans had already been drawn, was I contacted by Ms. Allan, who expressed, in the last paragraph, interest in “working” with us. Days later, in an editorial in these pages, and at the City Council meeting, neighborhood input was hilariously characterized as a few neighbors “standing in the way.” This terminology is typical of the us vs. them mentality that has fueled this debate from the start. These tactics have not only effectively divided our community, but revealed the winner-take-all game plan which was rightly rejected by so many. 

Michael Bauce 

Berkeley 

Unwise Council vote on Derby fields, Pt. 2 

The Berkeley City Council’s vote to not consider a compromise that would accommodate a both a baseball diamond and the farmers’ market now makes it clear that the issue is closing Derby St. and the issue of the farmers’ market was a red herring. The arguments used in opposition to the baseball diamond, such as Ms. Woolley’s, “Berkeley is a small place, so if you want to have lots of play fields move to the suburbs.” or Ms. Maio’s canard about fences, which would be needed for a softball field in any case, were rank nonsense. 

Recently the Ecology Center has introduced a ‘green herring’ into the debate – that the whole space be devoted to gardens. Thinking that organized sports are going to go away is like thinking that plastic bottles would go away if we didn’t recycle them – wishful. The school district is going to build sports fields on the property and closing Derby St. certainly won’t decrease the space available for gardens. 

Your reporter assumed that those present at the council meeting to oppose closing Derby St. represent neighborhood sentiment. At meetings in the neighborhood there has been strikingly minimal neighborhood resistance and as much support. The real source of resistance is individuals from the Ecology Center who live nearby the project site and are orchestrating the opposition. The council’s (expect Olds & Dean’s) votes were based on political expediency, not the furtherance informed and reasonable public policy. 

Mark Petrofsky 

Berkeley 

Here’s a project for kids that you can agree on 

Well, the time is here at last. Berkeley is about to get a creative play space for our kids that is like no other. With fanciful wooden towers to inspire the imagination and physically challenging features to entertain even the most energetic, it will be an instant attraction the moment the ribbon is cut Sunday evening. 

But this “Dream Land for Kids” needs your help right now – because it’s all being done by volunteers! 

Construction for this innovative playground began Wednesday morning and continued throughout the day until dark. We’ll be back every day through the weekend. Lunch and dinner are served and child care is provided onsite for workers. 

The setting is magnificent. Surrounded by mature trees, the structure commands a view of the nearby meadows and lagoon. With its environmental theme, it is a fitting addition to Berkeley’s original shoreline with the bay. Just go to the foot of Bancroft Way in Aquatic Park and head one block south. 

I went on Friday of phase one and found it so rewarding and fun that I went back the next day as well. If I hadn’t had to go to my cousin’s wedding on Sunday, I’m sure I would have been there again! 

So even if you can spare only half an hour, make sure you come chip in some time. I guarantee it’s an experience you’ll remember for a very long time to come. 

And those kids will thank you, too! 

Jodi Laures 

Berkeley

The Shlepperellas or, as they also like to call themselves, Mothers Gone Mad, are a comedy musical review comprised of three Bay Area women, all married, all with children, who do skits about trying to survive in the increasingly competitive Bay Area world that demands that women do it all. 

The Shlepperellas’ one-year anniversary show plays Saturday at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts in Berkeley. 

“These characters are highly educated, and living in a high stress world,” said Shlepperella Karen Schilling-Gould about the group’s characters. “They are trying to be the perfect mother, perfect business person, perfect spouse, perfect social individual. The show delves inside these women’s fantasies, fears, hopes, and dreams, in a very comedic way.” 

The Shlepperellas consist of 30-something Schilling-Gould and 40-something Linda Merriweather and Terry Sand. “I’d tell you my exact age,” said Sand, “but I’ve lied about it for so long, I don’t remember.” 

Sand is the member of the group with the longest list of professional credentials. She received a Masters in dance choreography from UCLA in 1977, learning through that study that she had a flare for comedy. 

Sand began performing at the Holy City Zoo in San Francisco in 1978 with the improv group Papaya Juice, whose most famous alum is Robin Williams. She later worked the San Francisco comedy clubs with Dana Carvey, Nora Dunn, Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone and others. 

After Papaya Juice, Sand was in an all-woman improv group called Femprov, from 1980-87. In 1982 she was elected San Francisco’s first Miss Haight Ashbury, in a comedy competition sponsored by the Other Cafe. 

For six years Sand worked for KPIX television doing the audience warm-up for “People Are Talking.” She currently travels the country as a motivational speaker, giving talks on humor, and doing improv in the workplace. 

“I got into the corporate environment where people are desperate for a break,” said Sand. “Now I don’t have to stay up late in smoky clubs. I can age gracefully and perform till I’m eight feet under. The older you get the more credibility you have as a speaker, which is the opposite of Hollywood and television.” 

What kind of corporate humor does she do? Well, there are “Tips from Terry,” which Sand describes as “Martha Stewart gone awry.” An example? “Well,” said Sand, “if you’re having company, and preparing food, and you can’t find a colander, you can use your panty hose instead.” 

Schilling-Gould and Merriweather are both stay-at-home moms and wives who have studied and performed comedy and improv locally. The three met “a bagel and lox spread” and came up with the idea of the Shlepperellas. 

“We laughed at the insanity of Bay Area women trying to keep every ball in the air at once,” sad Sand. “If it wasn’t for Webvan, we’d all be starving. They’re my new higher power. My daughter didn’t have a healthy meal until the Internet.” 

The Shlepperellas performed their first show last summer in a Redwood City synagogue a year ago. They’ve since played the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, and other local venues. 

The Shlepperellas’ show covers work, marriage, children, therapy, mothers, daughters, body image, husbands, fidelity and more. 

“In our segment ‘Vechaflesh,’” said Sand, “we deal with the horrifying experience that women have which is realizing that no matter how many triceps push-ups you do, that little hunk of skin on the back of your upper arm is still going to be flapping.” 

“So we sing a song about it, dance, celebrate it,’ said Sand. “I worked hard to get to this place in my life, and I want to celebrate it.” 

“We are having a ball,” she continued. “We’re happy we’re so well received. We’re giving a voice to a generation that there’s not a lot of comedy for. And our shows are early and short, so you can go home and get the baby sitter back.” 

The Shlepperellas (Mothers Gone Mad) play Saturday, 8 p.m., at Julian Morgan Center for the Arts, 2963 College Ave., Berkeley. For tickets, call 925-798-1300.

The second week of work on the playground at Aquatic Park began Wednesday morning with some 80 volunteers on hand. 

When the structure is complete by the end of this weekend, it will feature slides, swings, a jungle gym, garden, and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge overlooking Aquatic Park and the bay. 

However, a lot of work still needs to be done to finish the new playground, and local organizers Mark Liolios and Zasa Swanson are stressing the need for volunteers this week. 

“It’s all about a community activity,” said Swanson, the project general manager. “It’s awesome.” 

The playground, located on the east side of Aquatic Park, just south of Bancroft Way, will be finished by Sunday evening. But the project is less than halfway done, and everybody is welcome to help, regardless of skill level. 

“We’re a little behind schedule, all we need is people,” said Jeb Mead, who works for Leathers and Associates, the architectural group from Ithaca, N.Y., that helped design the project. “It all depends on volunteer turnout at this point. We can make it nicer and fancier (with more people working).” 

Wednesday morning, the first volunteer shift began at 8 a.m. but people were already setting up for the day at 6:30 a.m. Madeline Wallen’s U.S. History class from Berkeley School helped out in the morning, as did workers from a San Francisco-based company that sells agricultural chemicals. 

“I thought it would be a nice opportunity for us to get out of the classroom and do some cooperative learning in a real situation, where it really counts,” Wallen said. “(The students) can find a little bit more about themselves, about their work styles. We are going to talk about it after today, how they approached decisions and problem-solved.” 

Not only will the outcome of volunteer work result in a brand new playground for the city, but volunteers are also coming together for a unique experience. 

“It’s nice working with the community, everybody seems very friendly,” said Joe Edwards, a park maintenance employee for the City of Berkeley. “To see people come from everywhere and get along, I feel good about that.” 

Volunteers are currently working on the basic structure of the park, which was given the name Dream Land for Kids earlier this month. Once the play structure is complete, gravel, wood chips and bricks will be laid on the ground and a small garden will be installed. 

The playground was designed with suggestions from several hundred Berkeley elementary school students last November. It will emphasize the ecology of Aquatic Park, with an egret-shaped slide and the Butterfly-Hummingbird Ecology Walk Garden. 

“The original concept was we were just going to have one of those out-of-the-catalog, off-the-shelf playgrounds, and we realized with the help of the incredible people of Berkeley, we could build something much more impressive,” Liolios said. 

“We are hoping that all the community members within Berkeley with their kids, and teachers, and parents can all come out and use the playground,” Swanson said. 

The project cost about $130,000. They have received grants, one from the City of Berkeley, as well as some $9,000 in volunteer donations. However, for the time being the real demand is workers, rather than money. 

“When people come down and see what a unique project it is and how they can physically be a part of it, the donations will come later,” Liolios said.

THEATER 

AURORA THEATRE 

“Split” by Mayo Simon, June 1 through July 2. A mordant clear-eyed view of an older couple's love affair. $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 

“Closer” by Patrick Marber, through July 9. A funny, touching and unflinchingly honest examination of love and relationships set in contemporary London. $38 to $48.50. Tuesday, Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; May 27, June 1, June 3, June 10, June 15, June 24, June 29 and July 8, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

IMPACT THEATRE 

“The Wake-Up Crew” by Zay Amsbury, May 5 through June 3. A comic book on stage that pits unemployed UC Santa Cruz grads against the forces of chaos and destruction. 

$10 general; $5 students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 464-4468. 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“The Skriker” by Caryl Churchill, through June 4. In this ecological play, faeries are damaged due to polluted rivers and woods, and are forgotten. 

$15 general; $10 seniors and students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. The Warehouse Performance Space, 1850 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco. (510) 655-0813. 

MUSEUMS 

UC BERKELEY ART 

MUSEUM 

“Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition,” May 20 through July 2. 

“Anne Chu/MATRIX 184 Untitled,” April 16 through June 18. 

“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. 

“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. 

$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. 

“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 

“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. 

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

(510) 643-7648 

HABITOT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 

Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 

A museum especially for children age 7 and younger. 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 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” Free. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

(510) 549-6950. 

GALLERIES  

BERKELEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, SOUTH BRANCH 

“You’re Blase: The Art of Nick Mastick,” May 15 through June 15. An exhibit of collages. Free. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1901 Russell St., Berkeley. (510) 644-6860. 

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. 

NEW PIECES GALLERY 

“Rock, Stone, Masonry and Mosaics,” through June 1. An exhibit of quilts by Charlotte Patera. 

“The Rhapsody of Dolls,” through June 1. An exhibit of dolls by Patti Medaris Culea. 

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 

Jane Fox, Mixed Media Works, April 27 through June 10, with an artist reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 1. Ongoing new works by Gallery Artists in ceramic, metal, glass, wood and works on canvas and paper. 

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 

“nudge,” May 17 through June 18. An exhibit of new work by Terry Hoff. Reception, May 17, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Artist Talk, June 9, 10:30 a.m. 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.

Hey – thanks for the thoughts/concerns, those of you who called or e-mailed thinking some bigwig earwig ordered us to buzz off after our last column. 

Only UC cheerleader Polly Armstrong lamented our fall into the murky waters of Opinion. By the way, Armstrong, who staunchly defends the university’s right to build anywhere but in her district, is vigorously attacking proposed Memorial Stadium lights and the Big U’s refusal to do an Environmental Impact Report on them. Go Polly. When you get back from vacation. 

Actually, we’ve been bizzy. The Planet powers let us out of the hive for a week at the Lost Coast, where we briefly interrupted ocean/redwood bliss to read what passes for papers up there. Gee, all you who say Berkeley’s business-unfriendly, up in Fort Bragg, the council’s trying to get a hotel that’s been up and running for two years to do an EIR.  

Back in our Buzzerkeley honeycomb, we jumped stinger-first into the paper morass and joined the council struggling to speed read its weekly 800- to 1,000-page agenda reports. 

Bet I’m not alone to skip items. But then, the fifth column doesn’t vote. 

Even if the most compulsive of our public servants did read through every report, it’s still often impossible for them to make informed decisions. That’s because, when they arrive at the council dais, they’re presented with a fresh stack of documents detailing the items on which they’re expected to vote. 

There are solutions – other than the characteristic group whine. 

When the buzz used to fly ‘round Oakland, we’d watch a couple of council people regularly refusing to vote on items they hadn’t been able to study. An interesting concept, n’est-ce pas? 

Another idea that doesn’t take too many smarts, is simply to slash the trivia.  

Some questions need to be fully aired – like deciding whether to plow $1 million into a parking garage or a bike/wheelchair/foot overcrossing. The council should be applauded for giving these issues full public debate.  

Why can’t our overactive policy makers need to trust staff on the minutia? 

Come on, let Jim Keene decide if the Personnel Department should be called the “Human Resources Department.” Leave it up to public works to get the college paper to clean up after itself. And have enough confidence in the parks’ folk that they can figure out themselves how to mark off a doggie area. 

Alas, even without micromanaging, the council would still have its plate full. So it ought to be able to establish a reasonable agenda. 

And if common sense does not dictate what reasonable is, the state’s sunshine law, the Brown Act, covers it. 

Councilmembers might want to read the commissioners’ handbook: “The purpose of the agenda is to inform the public regarding the issues to be discussed. It is required by the Brown Act that agenda item titles describe fully the issue or action to be discussed and/or taken. This requirement, therefore, precludes ... listing a topic on every meeting agenda to cover the “possibility” of discussion. In preparing the agenda, you should place yourself in the position of a member of the public.” 

Other jurisdictions have figured it out. Some hold extra council catch-up sessions. Others meet every week or take fewer vacations. Some use rules committees to limit the agenda to a reasonable number of items. Berkeley council has a Rules Committee that hasn’t met in months. 

While council meetings tend to be packed to the brim, some of the most interesting stuff seems to happen away form the public ear. 

Remember the bureaucracy’s musical chairs program we wrote about a while ago – renaming four staff people as Neighborhood Liaisons and giving them $90,000 salaries. The process continues. Seventeen top staffers put in their bids for the plum posts. They’ve taken a written exam – and will be interviewed by a group of department heads. 

The subject of this interview will be a book by Peter Koestenbaum: “Leadership, the Inner Side of Greatness.” We were gonna buzz through it for you - but none of our independent local booksellers – or corporate ones either – have it in stock. Must be a good read. 

Here’s Amazon.com’s thumbnail of the $36 tome: “Adopt the characteristics common to all great leaders – realism, vision, ethics and courage – to achieve your own brand of greatness.” 

NO, NO, Andy (Cody’s own) we have not, nor ever will order e-commercely. 

Here’s something else wending its way through bureaucratic back rooms.  

Remember that auditor’s report of a year ago revealing that relatives were supervising one another? More surprising, perhaps, was that the city has no policy prohibiting the practice. And even more shocking, the city manager didn’t know there was no policy against relatives supervising each other. 

Well, there’s still no policy on the matter. 

But the bureaucratic gears are grinding. A proposed policy prohibits: “a supervisor-subordinate relationship between (related) employees, whether direct or indirect,” shared duties between related employees or related employees having the same supervisor. 

The buzz applauds this good – normal – policy, but thinks it should go farther. 

Recall the alleged peccadilloes we buzzed about, where the city attorney was ordering councilmembers to deny, deny, deny some bureaucrat’s alleged affairs with an underling? 

So we asked the guy charged with employee relations – Dave Hodgkins – if the proposed rules apply to persons who haven’t officially tied the knot, but are, uh, knotting. Shouldn’t staff be prohibited from supervising their lovers? 

“I don’t know how you can have a policy (like that) and enforce it,” Hodgkins replied. “As we all know, it’s common for people to meet at the work place. Things happen.” 

Oh, by the way, there is an exception built into the city’s proposed relationship policy: “Where no transfer is possible or practicable, the City Manager may authorize exceptions to this policy whenever the City Manager determines that the best interests of the City so require.” 

• • • 

Meanwhile, on the parking lot beat, the buzz noticed that downtown parking’s got a bit tighter. 

Patrick Kennedy – you know, the developer the mayor mentioned three times in her state of the city speech – took over 27 spaces on the city-owned Oxford Parking Lot for his work on the so-called Gaia building. 

Interim Planning Director Wendy Cosin says Kennedy forks over $12 per day per space, six days a week for the spaces. The rest of us who park there more than five hours, shell out $15. 

Normally, there’s no monthly parking in that lot. Remember the hours of council discussion about needing that lot for short-timers to help out nearby merchants and bibliophiles. 

• • • 

Back to council, budget discussions are off and running – and that’s put a bee in the buzz’s bonnet. 

Numerous money requests have been directed, over the past few months, to “the budget process,” for example, staff for the University-City Commission, dormant because it’s not staffed and funding for programs such as Berkeley’s Dispute Resolution Services. (Hey – maybe they could trade work for funding. Could they tackle the council?) 

But, no one whispered admonitions to wait for “the budget process” when the manager’s salary was raised 9 percent ($13,946) from $141,010 to $154,956 annually. 

And the council wasn’t asked to wait for “the budget process” when the manager got the council’s OK for him to hike senior staff salaries, at his will, up to 31 percent? 

By the way, we checked with Nikki Spillane over in personnel – oops, Human Resources – and found that only few increases have been authorized so far: 

• The auditor’s raise – Ann-Marie Hogan’s an elected official, so the council, not CM OKs her pay hike from $85,188 annually to $97,116 – a cost of about $11,928 to you and me. 

• Housing Director Steve Barton’s salary went from $84,708 annually, to $89,808, a cost to us of about $5,000 a year. 

Some staff got raises when their duties shifted. 

• John Rosenbrock took over as manager of capital projects his salary jumped about $8,000, from $85,776 to $93,768. 

• And Brian Zandipour, deputy city auditor, got a merit increase under the old, not new, pay schedule, going from $71,604 to $75,900, a mere $4,000 increase. 

One buzz reader in deep cover displays his or her cynicism, e-mailing the buzz: These (projected) raises are “but another example of the council’s proclivity to pander to the manager’s wishes and his ability to manipulate the shrinking divide between the council’s two political factions for his own ends.” 

The buzz, with its own brand of “realism, vision, ethics and courage,” could not have stung it stronger.

A memorial services will be held at 5 p.m. Friday for Berkeley Arts Magnet School fifth-grade teacher Janice Kohler, who died Tuesday after a fight against cancer. 

“Janice was heroic in her struggle with cancer and we want to honor her dedicated service to our school community and her sincere love of, and involvement with, all students,” friends said in a statement released Wednesday. 

A Janice Kohler Memorial Book Section in the school’s library and a birdbath in the BAM Shade Garden will be established as a lasting memorial to Kohler. 

To celebrate her life and indomitable spirit, contributions can be made to the Janice Kohler Memorial Fund, c/o Berkeley Arts Magnet, 1645 Milvia Street, Berkeley 94709. 

Anyone who would like to express their feelings through song, poetry, reading or remembrances is welcome to share at the service. Her family is planning to bring food to share; please feel welcome to bring something as well. The family has requested no flowers, please. For more information on the memorial service, call the school at 644-6225.

Police closed off the block of Hearst Avenue between Shattuck Avenue and Milvia Street on Wednesday afternoon when a cast iron water main broke and water leaked out onto the street. 

Reynold Bray, a crew foreman for East Bay Municipal Utility District, said his department was called about 12:30 p.m. to fix the broken six-inch pipe. After almost three hours EBMUD crews had pumped enough water out of the hole dug by a company backhoe to find and repair the leak. 

One crew member down in the approximately five-foot-deep pit around the leaky part of the pipe bent over and held a mirror in front of him that allowed him to see the two-inch hole. 

Bray estimated it was likely the hole could be repaired with a clamp. The cast iron water main that runs about three and one-half feet below the pavement is old pipe, he said. “It’s in an old part of town.” 

He said after the leak was reported, the crews pinpointed the site of the leak by the sound it makes, then the small section was excavated and drained. 

“We dig up the street, put it back together and do the final paving,” Bray said.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee came to lunch in Berkeley on Wednesday and asked 75 women to muscle their support behind issues that affect women and children at home and overseas. 

The guest speaker at the annual fund-raising event for The Zonta Club of Berkeley/North Bay, Lee said the club’s mission was a lot like her own: creating opportunity and justice for everyone. 

Zonta Berkeley/North Bay operates two scholarship funds for students to attend UC Berkeley, one of them capitalized at $56,000 and the other at $25,000. Other scholarships are for the Berkeley YMCA and the TechTrek Science Camp for Girls and the Merritt/Peralta nursing school. 

Lee, an Oakland Democrat, was first elected to Congress in April 1998 to fill the remaining term of Ron Dellums for the district that includes Berkeley. 

Before that she was a state legislator who sponsored 67 bills and resolutions that passed the legislature and were signed by Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, she noted to Zonta members. 

She is a member of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services and the House Committee on International Relations. 

Lee is a strong advocate of rights and economic advancement for women and children and people of color both in her district, in the United States and internationally. 

The Mills College graduate, who holds a master’s degree in social welfare from UC Berkeley, said the 58 women in the U.S. Congress are leaders in the gun safety movement. 

She said female legislators took the lead in maintaining that Elian Gonzalez should live with his father, and that his case never should have been politicized. 

She urged women at the Zonta luncheon to write Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., or contact people in North Carolina to pressure the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair to agree to ratify the treaty on the Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women. 

She said 165 countries have ratified the treaty, and the United States remains with Iran, Sudan, North Korea and Somalia in not signing. 

Reducing domestic violence is another of her key issues. She said she wrote the Violence Against Women Act in California. 

“Domestic violence in the past was not considered a crime. In terms of the status of women we must make sure we can add resources so law enforcement can do their job properly. Hopefully Zonta will help us lobby on this,” she asked. 

At home in Alameda County, Lee said more than 60 percent of all new AIDS cases in 1998 were African-American and the majority of those were women. 

“We had to declare a state of emergency in Alameda County, Lee said.  

In addressing the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS threat in Africa, Lee said Congressional legislators “put our heads together and we got a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a voice vote.” 

The World Bank AIDS Marshall Plan Act passed earlier this month. It will supply $500 million over a five-year period. Lee’s legislation, the AIDS Marshall Plan for Africa Act, was included in the House bill. 

She said 7.5 million African children, some of whom have AIDS, have been orphaned because their parents have died of AIDS. 

“It’s very important to hear your voices,” she urged Zonta members and guests.

Coming soon to a theater near you: anti-tobacco ads created by Berkeley teen-agers. 

Tuesday evening, the tobacco prevention program run by the city and school district presented awards to 40 young people whose artwork may help deter their peers from using tobacco in its various forms. 

Drawing on a personal encounter with the health risks posed by tobacco, Berkeley Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek told the students about her 76-year-old brother, who suffers from emphysema. 

“He wishes that he had never seen a cigarette, but it’s too late,” she said during the ceremony in the Berkeley Adult School auditorium. “I’m glad that many of you have decided not to smoke, and to have good health, and I hope we get many more young people who decide never to smoke.” 

The students were among 240 young people who entered an art competition sponsored by the Artists Resisting Tobacco Project, part of the tobacco prevention program. 

The entries – from middle school, high school and college students – depicted anti-tobacco messages, primarily through posters, although a few three-dimensional entries were also recognized. 

Each of the 40 winners received $40 in gift certificates: $20 from Amoeba Music, and $20 from United Artists cinemas. 

The awards ceremony coincided with today’s recognition as World No Tobacco Day, an annual event organized by the World Health Organization. This year’s focus is on the prominence of tobacco use in the entertainment industry, particularly in top-grossing movies. 

And this is where the decision to give the competition winners United Artists gift certificates comes into play. The local UA venue on Shattuck Avenue has agreed to turn some of the winning artwork into slides that will appear on the movie screen before the film starts – right up there with the reminders to avoid chatting and to buy popcorn. 

“We’re concerned about what kind of impact cigarette smoking in films has on our kids,” said Pauline Bondonno, coordinator of the Artists Resisting Tobacco project. 

City officials cited studies showing that a disproportionate number of characters in major motion pictures are seen smoking cigarettes and cigars. One study conducted by the Sacramento-Emigrant Trails chapter of the American Lung Association determined that leading actors used tobacco in 52 percent of the top 50 movies between May 1998 and April 1999. A UC San Francisco professor found that nearly 80 percent of the male stars in films from the 1990s were seen smoking, even though only about 25 percent of the male population in this country smokes. 

Health advocates say such depictions can make an impression on young people that smoking is cool, regardless of the health risks. They also cite studies claiming that 90 percent of all smokers in this country started smoking as teen-agers. 

The local tobacco prevention program is funded through Proposition 99, the tobacco tax measure passed by California votes in 1988. 

“I think it’s fitting that this program was actually funded from the smokers in California,” said Program Director Marcia Brown-Machen. 

The 40 winning entries, along with 25 runners-up, will be displayed in the Addison Street Windows, located on Addison between Milvia Street and Shattuck Avenue, beginning Thursday and continuing through June 19. 

“The great joy for me has been working with all the teens and young people who have created all this wonderful art,” Bondonno said. 

Wednesday, May 31 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday, and a second series of days will be held May 31 through June 4. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can. 

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

Congresswoman speech 

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 

Santa Fe Bar and Grill Restaurant, 1310 University Ave. 

The Zonta Club of Berkeley/North Bay’s spring luncheon will feature guest speaker Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Tickets are $40. All proceeds from the event will benefit programs sponsored by Zonta, a club focused on advancing the status of women worldwide. Lee will discuss issues affecting women’s legal rights and economic advancement, both from a local and national perspective. She will also speak about her views on the traditional “women’s issues” of education and healthcare. Reservations for this event are required. 

510-845-6221; 510-644-4480 

Public housing meeting 

6-8 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. 

This meeting is designed for people who live in public housing in Berkeley or who have a Section 8 voucher or certificate. The Affordable Housing Advocacy Project is sponsoring this meeting to discuss how the Berkeley Housing Authority works, how it can be improved and how residents can affect the planning process for the federally funded Public Housing Authority Plan. 

1-800-773-2110 

Thursday, June 1 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can.  

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.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 

“The Magnificent Monarch” 

3 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Find out how you can help local populations of this “King of Butterflies.” 

510-525-2233 

Environmental Sampling Project Task Force 

6:30 p.m. 

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way 

Among the items on the agenda are the sampling plan summary and comments on the plan. 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This is the world premiere of “When Sorrow Turns To Joy - Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary” by Jon Jang and James Newton. The work illuminates the common thread and the musical traditions binding the African-American and Chinese cultures. Tickets are $20 to $32. 

510-642-9988 

Friday, June 2 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can.  

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

“Public School Reform” 

Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 

Susan W. O’Donell, an education activist, will speak during this week’s meeting of the City Commons Club. Social hour begins at 11:15 a.m. Luncheon is served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Speaker starts promptly at 12:30 p.m. Lunch is $11 or $12.25; admission to the speech is $1, free for students. 

510-848-3533 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This is the world premiere of “When Sorrow Turns To Joy - Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary” by Jon Jang and James Newton. The work illuminates the common thread and the musical traditions binding the African-American and Chinese cultures. Tickets are $20 to $32. A pre-performance talk with Jang and Newton will be held at 7 p.m. 

510-642-9988 

Saturday, June 3 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can.  

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

510-548-3333 

UC Berkeley Campus 

10 a.m. to noon 

With a limit of 30 people, the tour begins at the Campanile. University Archivist Bill Roberts will provide a look at the history of the Berkeley campus, emphasizing the growth of the student body and of academic programs, as reflected in the physical development of the campus. Highlights will include the first building on campus, South Hall, the architecture of the John Galen Howard era, and post-World War II expansion. The price is $5 per tour for Berkeley Historical Society members. The price is $10 per tour for non-members. Call ahead for reservations. 

510-848-0181 

“LGBTQ Family Financial Strategies” 

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

Pacific Center, 2712 Telegraph Ave. 

This workshop will help you learn ways to financially protect your family. All LGBT couples and families can achieve long term financial security with planning and investment. Free child care is provided with advance notice. Donations are requested but not required, and the center is wheelchair accessible. ASL interpretation is also available with advance notice. Family Program workshops are for current and prospective Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender parents. 

510-548-8283; 415-789-8560 

“The Rides of Spring” 

11 a.m. 

Meet at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center Street between Milvia and MLK 

This will be an easy-paced, all-ages, fun ride and will depart at for parts unknown. UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens, the Ohlone Greenway, Cedar-Rose Park, Berkeley Marina and Beach, Cesar Chavez Park, Albany Waterfront Park and the Bay Trail are all possible places to ride, rest, snack, fling a Frisbee, fly a kite, beachcomb, sing a cycle-song, have a picnic party or just explore. 

510-601-8124 

Boat sale 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Marina 

The City of Berkeley Marina will auction off approximately nine boats. Eight sailing vessels are being sold to pay for the delinquent berthing fees owed to the City of Berkeley, and a power vessel is surplus equipment once belonging to the Department of Boating and Waterways will also be auctioned. 

510-644-6376 

Home At Last Rescue’s Adoption Day 

Noon-4 p.m. 

Outside Slater Marinoff & Co. at 1823 Fourth St. 

Both dogs and cats are available for adoption. 

510-501-7021; info@homeatlastrescue.org

THEATER 

AURORA THEATRE 

“Split” by Mayo Simon, June 1 through July 2. A mordant clear-eyed view of an older couple's love affair. $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 

“Closer” by Patrick Marber, through July 9. A funny, touching and unflinchingly honest examination of love and relationships set in contemporary London. $38 to $48.50. Tuesday, Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; May 27, June 1, June 3, June 10, June 15, June 24, June 29 and July 8, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. 

(510) 845-4700 or (888) 4BRTTIX. 

CALIFORNIA 

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 

“Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare, June 3 through June 24. The classic romantic comedy of mismatched lovers forced into a union. $21 to $38 general; $19 to $38 seniors; $10 to $38 children. Wednesday and Thursday, 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m.; June 13 and June 20, 7 p.m. June 24, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Bruns Memorial Amphitheatre, Shakespeare Festival Way/Gateway Exit on state Highway 24. (510) 548-9666 or www.calshakes.org 

IMPACT THEATRE 

“The Wake-Up Crew” by Zay Amsbury, May 5 through June 3. A comic book on stage that pits unemployed UC Santa Cruz grads against the forces of chaos and destruction. 

$10 general; $5 students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. (510) 464-4468. 

SHOTGUN PLAYERS 

“The Skriker” by Caryl Churchill, through June 4. In this ecological play, faeries are damaged due to polluted rivers and woods, and are forgotten. 

$15 general; $10 seniors and students. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. The Warehouse Performance Space, 1850 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco. (510) 655-0813. 

MUSIC VENUES 

ASHKENAZ 

Crooked Jades, Bluegrass Intentions, May 31, 9 p.m. $8. 

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

BLAKES 

Third World with UC Buu, DJ Add, Jah Bonz, Big Willie, May 31. $5. 

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

FREIGHT AND SALVAGE 

Norman Blake, June 1. $17.50. 

The Hanes Family, June 2. $14.50. 

Karen Casey with Niall Vallely, June 3. $16.50. 

Hurricane Sam, June 4. $14.50. 

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

LA PEÑA CULTURAL CENTER 

Roberto Borrell, May 31, 8 p.m. $15. 

Maria F. Marquez, June 2, 9 p.m. $15. 

Union, June 3, 8 p.m. Featuring Group Uv Nuts, Sayyadina, Born Kings, J.C., Mic-T, Qraun, and more. $8. 

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

924 GILMAN ST. 

Subincision, Venus Bleeding, Intrepid A.A.F., Homeless Wonders, June 2. 

Dystopia, Scum Brigade, Benumb, Contravene, Tartantula Hawk, June 3. 

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

THE STARRY PLOUGH PUB 

The Keeners, Go Kart Go, June 1. $4. 

Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express, Dickel Brothers, June 2. $7. 

Los Mex Pistols Del Norte, June 3. $6. 

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 

“Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition,” May 20 through July 2. The 13th annual exhibit of work by candidates for the Master of Fine Arts degree. Artist Talk, May 21, 3 p.m. At Gallery 2. 

“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, 11 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. 

“This is Your Heart!” ongoing. An in teractive exhibit on heart health. 

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

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

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

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. 

“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 (Sept-May) 

(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. 

Exhibit: “Back to the Farm,” open-ended. This interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and much more.  

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 

“Telling Time: To Everything There Is A Season,” through May 2002.  

An exhibit structured around the seasons of the year and the seasons of life with objects ranging from the sacred and the secular, to the provocative and the whimsical. Highlights include treasures from Jewish ceremonial and folk art, rare books and manuscripts, contemporary and traditional fine art, video, photography and cultural kitsch. 

Through Nov. 4: “Spring and Summer.” 

Free. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

(510) 549-6950. 

GALLERIES  

BERKELEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, SOUTH BRANCH 

“You’re Blase: The Art of Nick Mastick,” May 15 through June 15. An exhibit of collages. Free. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1901 Russell St., Berkeley. (510) 644-6860. 

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 26. 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 

“Rock, Stone, Masonry and Mosaics,” through June 1. An exhibit of quilts by Charlotte Patera. 

“The Rhapsody of Dolls,” through June 1. An exhibit of dolls by Patti Medaris Culea. 

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 

Jane Fox, Mixed Media Works, April 27 through June 10, with an artist reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 1. Ongoing new works by Gallery Artists in ceramic, metal, glass, wood and works on canvas and paper. 

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 

“nudge,” May 17 through June 18. An exhibit of new work by Terry Hoff. Reception, May 17, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Artist Talk, June 9, 10:30 a.m. 

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.

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. 

Jim Keene says he’s not thinking of going to Tucson to get away from the heat of Berkeley battles, but to take advantage of the challenge it presents. 

“It’s a growing city, with a rich cultural and arts life,” he said, noting that although he’s been recruited for a number of posts, this is the first city in which he’s decided to seriously interview. Tucson’s one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, with an estimated population of 483,000, more than four times bigger than Berkeley. 

“There are a lot of different kinds of people in Tucson,” Keene said, listing another advantage. 

In 1997, 63,7 percent of the city was white, non-Hispanic; 28.7 percent was Hispanic; 3.5 percent was Native American; 2.4 percent was Asian or Pacific as other, according to statistics on the city’s web site. 

Noting that his wife does contracting in Tucson for a health agency she once worked for, he said it would be a good place for his family. 

“We have lots of friends and contacts (there),” he said. 

Keene was city manager in Coconino County in northern Arizona for five years. 

Keene underscored that even though he’s tossed his name in the hat, he won’t really know if he wants the job until he’s met directly with the Tucson mayor and council on Thursday. 

The previous city manager, retiring after four years on the job and 28 years with Tucson, earned $130,000. Keene’s salary is $154,000 in Berkeley. He says the Tucson salary is open to negotiation. 

Keene said he’s not ruling out investigating other cities but declined to talk about which ones he might be considering. 

Staunch Keene supporter Mayor Shirley Dean hopes she can convince the manager to stay. 

“I think it would be a great loss for Berkeley,” Dean said, in a telephone interview from Albuquerque, N.M., where she is attending a conference on the “digital divide.” 

Dean praised the city manager for putting a two-year budget process in place and introducing a system of tracking the budget’s “measurable outcomes.” 

Some in the community have blamed Keene for the 170-foot Public Safety Building communications tower that its neighbors hate. But Dean said the tower was adequately described in environmental documents and that everyone, including herself, the council and the neighbors should have realized it was coming. 

“We were all to blame,” the mayor said. 

A draft general plan is being revised because of an outcry from the public, but Dean says the reason it had to be redone – a yearlong and expensive process – is because of the sharp divisions in the community on the subject of development. 

“Don’t lay this all on the city manager’s door,” the mayor said. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, probably Keene’s most outspoken detractor on the council, doesn’t hide the fact that he’d shed no tears if Keene got the job in Tucson. 

Worthington, who’s most recently clashed with Keene on the question of the city subsidizing a parking garage on Fourth Street, said he’s not asking for a city manager who will agree with him on every issue. 

“Just someone who’s balanced, who doesn’t go against me on every issue,” Worthington said. 

Worthington says he would like to work with a manager who readily shares information. For example, he said he has been unable to get a copy of the manager’s neighborhood liaison plan, staffing for which Berkeley city administrators are currently competing. 

Tucson Personnel Director Jack Redavid said the recruiting firm, DMG Maximus of Los Angeles narrowed a field of 40 candidates to five, including Keene. 

On Thursday morning, the Tucson mayor and council will interview the five candidates, one at a time. Then the candidates will be interviewed that afternoon by a citizens’ panel. 

On Friday, the panel will give its feedback to the mayor and council. The decision could come soon thereafter, or the city could decide to talk to one or more of the candidates again, Redavid said. 

They also could decide that none of the candidates are suitable and ask the recruiting company to start all over again. 

Tucson is much larger than Berkeley, with an $820 million budget. Berkeley’s is about one-quarter of that. 

The county in which Tucson is located has 2.9 percent unemployment. In 1990 the median household income was about $31,000. In April the median home price was $126,000. A two-bedroom apartment rents for $636. 

Also in the running for the post is Benny J. Young, Tucson’s assistant city manager since 1996. Young headed the transportation department before that. 

Other candidates are Alan E. Tandy, city manager of Bakersfield since 1992; Juan Garza, city manager in Corpus Christi, Texas, for eight years, before working as an independent consultant; and Edward Beasley, III, assistant city manager in Glendale, Ariz. 

If he gets the post, Keene will not walk into unfamiliar territory. The council recently passed a living wage ordinance – minimum $8 per hour – and trailed California by just passing a ban on smoking in restaurants which will go into effect in October. 

He might trade the parking garage battles for fights between developers and those who want to protect the desert. As in Berkeley, there’s a strong and active preservationist community that sometimes clashes with developers. 

There are no contract constraints for the city manager in Berkeley, who can leave his post at any time.

Festival set 

The Academy will hold a World Day Festival and Carnival on June 3 to celebrate 30 years of education and the school’s diversity. The festival will be held on the campus grounds, 2722 Benvenue Ave. There will be games, face and hair painting, food court, and more. For more information, call 549-0605. 

Music presented 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra presents “Under Construction No. 9,” a free concert by local composers, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley. 

The ninth “Under Construction” features premieres by four local composers: Eric Marty’s “Lacquer With,” Thomas Day’s “Objcey 2,” Joel Lindheimer’s 3rd movement from Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, soloist Jean-Michel Fontenau, and Mark Fish’s “Tango non Troppo.” The concert features an unusual rehearsal-reading format that lets the audience experience the collaboration of conductor, orchestra and composer in creating a new work. 

Life in Haiti 

On June 7 at 7 p.m., La Peña Cultural Center at 3105 Shattuck Ave. will have a benefit for the Haiti Video Project. It will show “Lafanmi Selavi” (The Family is Life), a documentary about five Haitian children telling of their former lives on the streets. Entrance is on a sliding scale. Call 528-5403 for information. 

– Daily Planet Staff

Festival set 

The Academy will hold a World Day Festival and Carnival on June 3 to celebrate 30 years of education and the school’s diversity. The festival will be held on the campus grounds, 2722 Benvenue Ave. There will be games, face and hair painting, food court, and more. For more information, call 549-0605. 

Music presented 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra presents “Under Construction No. 9,” a free concert by local composers, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley. 

The ninth “Under Construction” features premieres by four local composers: Eric Marty’s “Lacquer With,” Thomas Day’s “Objcey 2,” Joel Lindheimer’s 3rd movement from Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, soloist Jean-Michel Fontenau, and Mark Fish’s “Tango non Troppo.” The concert features an unusual rehearsal-reading format that lets the audience experience the collaboration of conductor, orchestra and composer in creating a new work. 

Life in Haiti 

On June 7 at 7 p.m., La Peña Cultural Center at 3105 Shattuck Ave. will have a benefit for the Haiti Video Project. It will show “Lafanmi Selavi” (The Family is Life), a documentary about five Haitian children telling of their former lives on the streets. Entrance is on a sliding scale. Call 528-5403 for information. 

– Daily Planet Staff

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. 

Against the advice of the city manager and the city attorney, the members of the PRC decided last week that the commission needed to study the issue triggered by a 1999 decision by a Southern California Court of Appeals. The PRC’s vote asks for the City Council to fund the evaluation by the independent legal counsel. 

Because of the June 1999 decision of the 4th District Court of Appeals in the case of Caloca v. County of San Diego, the right of police officers to appeal a civilian review board’s decision of misconduct has been strengthened. 

In Caloca the appeals court reversed the judgment of a trial court that denied four sheriffs the right to an administrative appeal in light of the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act. 

The appeals court held that the findings of a civilian review board could lead to an adverse impact on the career advancement of a police officer, thereby affording the officer the right to appeal the board’s decision. 

Currently the Police Review Commission presents its findings to the police chief and to the city manager, who hold the authority to determine any discipline to be imposed on police officers. 

While the findings of the Police Review Commission are not used in the discipline of police officers, Berkeley Police Chief Dash Butler said he may consider the PRC findings for promotion and assignments, according to City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque. 

What the chief said about personnel decisions possibly arising from PRC findings is similar to the statement of the sheriff in the Southern California county, which the court found sufficient to trigger 

an appeal, said Albuquerque. 

She told the commissioners that Caloca leaves the door open to the type of appeal required, and that the process may be triggered if the chief considers PRC findings in making personnel decisions. 

Albuquerque and City Manager Jim Keene went to the Police Review Commission meeting to explain the implications of the Caloca decision for the city, and they said an appeal process would require evidentiary hearings and would be “cumbersome.” 

Sgt. Randolph Files, president of the Berkeley Police Association, said in speaking as an employee, “I want the legal due process guaranteed by Caloca.” 

He said the issue is labor related and that the police also are city employees, and they want to have the right to use an appeal process for some of the PRC decisions. 

He said he was not suggesting the Police Review Commission discontinue its business, but that police officers be allowed sufficient time to appeal if necessary. 

In order to avoid what they consider would be a cumbersome appeal process similar to an arbitration with witnesses, Keene and Albuquerque suggested the police chief no longer consider PRC findings for any personnel related purposes. 

Keene said the process would get bogged down in bureaucratic arrangements. 

“There isn’t a thing in Berkeley that doesn’t cost a whole lot more than it should,” he said. 

The commissioners strongly disagreed. 

“To sacrifice the only input we have in the chief’s decision would make our work a total charade,” said Commissioner Claire Zellman, echoing Commissioner Mel Martynn. 

She said to discontinue possible use of the PRC decisions in personnel matters would undermine the ordinance that established the commission. 

Barbara Attard, PRC Officer, said Berkeley’s commission is one of the oldest such agencies in the country. She said the PRC was established in 1973 through a voter initiative seeking commission investigation of all cases of police misconduct. 

The Police Review Commission investigates complaints only when people file them with the commission, and as such the PRC does not necessarily receive all the complaints filed with the Internal Affairs Division. The chief disciplines officers according to findings of Internal Affairs. 

In 1999 Attard said the PRC received 60 cases and held 29 hearings. The other 31 cases were either dismissed or withdrawn, she said. 

Martynn suggested that creating an appeal process for police officers may be the best way to proceed in light of the Caloca decision. 

He noted cases of police misconduct in Los Angeles and New York City and said more review is needed “to prevent egregious behavior. Cost is not the point,” said Martynn. 

Albuquerque said later that the PRC is understating the role of its hearings. Its public accountability process, she said, “has a very significant effect on how officers conduct their official duties.” 

“We have a pretty stellar record,” she said. “You just don’t see brutality cases. We’re not Los Angeles. We’re not New York.” 

But Commissioner David Ritchie said the commission would like to have more influence on police officers than just imparting moral authority. 

He said the purpose of an independent counsel would be to advise the commission on possible alternatives that would satisfy due process under Caloca. 

Ritchie maintained the form of the appeal can be worked out without entering a process as extensive as the city has foreseen.

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. 

Author Alice Walker will be on hand to read from her work, and the nine-member, Grammy Award-winning rap group The Roots will perform. Also performing will be Dwayne Wiggins and Ledisi and Martin Luther. 

The event will be hosted by KMEL and KPFA radio host Davey D. Advance tickets cost $18, tickets at the door will be $22. 

To purchase tickets, call (415) 392-4400 or visit the web site www.tickets.com. For more information, call 848-6767 x609.

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. 

According to Berkeley Police Capt. Bobby Miller, the suspect allegedly was carrying on a feud with the victim and apparently was seeking revenge when he punctured the tires of the victim’s van parked in the store’s lot around 10 a.m. Friday. 

He hid out and watched as the victim fixed his flat tire. The suspect then appeared to threaten him with a loaded semi-automatic pistol. Miller said the victim ran into the grocery store for safety. 

At that time, the suspect allegedly entered the victim’s van and stole a 40-way lug wrench, and again threatened the victim with the gun and the wrench. The victim was inside the store where employees were calling the police. 

The suspect then began throwing the victim’s belongings including clothing and store purchases out into the parking lot. He drove off in the victim’s van and was sighted on University Avenue. 

When police caught up with the vehicle a few minutes later, it was headed north on San Pablo right in front of Smart and Final. Police arrested 49-year-old John Daniel Parks in connection with the incident.

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. 

The camps, staffed by professional actors and educators, are designed to introduce children to the Bard, promote creativity, high self-esteem and a greater appreciation for the humanities. 

Enrollment is $295 per camper, with aftercare available for an additional $75. 

For more information, call (415) 422-2313 or (800) 978-PLAY.

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. 

The pit bull attempted to bite one of the dogs on the back of the neck but the owner pulled his dogs away from the unprovoked attack and called police.

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. 

The popular concert series, now a Bay Area tradition in its 20th year, always culminates PME’s season. 

A cappella jazz and pop singing maybe the rage at clubs and concerts all over the world, but they are usually presented with amplification appropriate for a rock band. PME does it acoustically, in small spaces, with no microphones. 

Selections for this year’s a cappella jazz and pop concert include the Beatles, Duke Ellington, the Everly Brothers, Monty Python, and more. 

Since its founding 20 years ago, the ensemble has grown to fill an important role in the cultural life of the Bay Area. 

PME provides the opportunity for composers to collaborate with a professional chorus in performances of new or experimental work. 

Tickets are $19 general and $15 for students. 

For tickets or for more information, call (415) 705-0848.

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. 

By Sunday evening, if enough people show up to help, a new playground structure, based on the designs of Berkeley elementary school students, will be finished along the eastern side of the park. The wooden creation will emphasize the ecological emphasis of Aquatic Park and will include an ecology walk and animal designs. 

In fact, it’s the unique design of the playground that has necessitated an extended construction project. The local organizers are working in conjunction with Leathers and Associates, an Ithaca, N.Y.-based architectural group that designs community playgrounds around the world. A typical Leathers project lasts a week, but the architects felt more time was needed because of the detailed work for the Berkeley playground. 

The first week of activity ran from May 18-21, and this week’s efforts begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday and continue through the end of the day Sunday. 

The name of the playground – Dream Land for Kids – was chosen earlier this month by 9-year-old Joseph Newell. The work site is located just south of the foot of Bancroft Way. 

Three volunteer shifts are available each day: from 8 a.m. to noon, from 12:30 to 5 p.m., and from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Lunch and dinner are served to volunteers each day. 

Organizers are asking volunteers who have work tools to bring them to the site. All loaned tools will be engraved with the person’s name and returned in “as is” condition. Tools damaged at the site will be replaced. 

Work gloves, hammer, tape measures, drill, circular saws, index cards and pencils are particularly needed. 

Here are other, more specific tools that are being sought: a backhoe; 6 screw guns; 4 orbital jigsaws; 2 bolt cutters; 17 brooms; 13 paint brushes; 38 scrub brushes; 10 bar clamps 2’ and over; 35 drills 3/8”; 40 25’ extension cords; 2 fire extinguishers; work gloves, as many as possible; 25 hammers; 12 hardhats; 2 garden hoses; 20 levels, all sizes; 7 rakes, bow tine (metal); rope, 1/2” and 3/8” 200’ each; 10 belt sanders; 4 disk sanders; 20 Skil saws; 15 long handled shovels; 30 kitchen sponges; 50 nail aprons; 20 combination squares; 4 8-10’ stepladders; 5 wheelbarrows; open end wrench set; and 4 ratchet sets. 

For more information on any aspect of the playground project, call 510-649-9874.

Tuesday, May 30 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.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 Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

510-548-3333 

Computer literacy course 

6-8 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center, 1720 Eighth St. 

This free course will cover topics such as running Windows, File Management, connecting to and surfing the web, using Email, creating Web pages, JavaScript and a simple overview of programming. The course is oriented for adults. 

510-644-8511 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

510-531-8664 

Wednesday, May 31 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can.  

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

Congresswoman speech 

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 

Santa Fe Bar and Grill Restaurant, 1310 University Ave. 

The Zonta Club of Berkeley/North Bay’s spring luncheon will feature guest speaker Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Tickets are $40. All proceeds from the event will benefit programs sponsored by Zonta, a club focused on advancing the status of women worldwide. Lee will discuss issues affecting women’s legal rights and economic advancement, both from a local and national perspective. She will also speak about her views on the traditional “women’s issues” of education and healthcare. Reservations for this event are required. 

510-845-6221; 510-644-4480 

Public housing meeting 

6-8 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. 

This meeting is designed for people who live in public housing in Berkeley or who have a Section 8 voucher or certificate. The Affordable Housing Advocacy Project is sponsoring this meeting to discuss how the Berkeley Housing Authority works, how it can be improved and how residents can affect the planning process for the federally funded Public Housing Authority Plan. 

1-800-773-2110 

Thursday, June 1 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. Older children can help, childcare is provided for younger, toilet-trained children. Bring work gloves and tools if you have them. Lunch is at noon, Dinner at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share or a sack lunch if you can.  

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.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 

“The Magnificent Monarch” 

3 p.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, Canon Drive off Grizzly Peak Boulevard 

Find out how you can help local populations of this “King of Butterflies.” 

510-525-2233 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This is the world premiere of “When Sorrow Turns To Joy - Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary” by Jon Jang and James Newton. The work illuminates the common thread and the musical traditions binding the African-American and Chinese cultures. Tickets are $20 to $32. 

510-642-9988 

Friday, June 2 

Playground construction 

8 a.m.-9 p.m. 

East side of Aquatic Park 

Today is a “build day” for the new community playground at Aquatic Park. The Dream Land for Kids - its name was chosen by 9-year-old Joseph Newell - is designed by and for Berkeley’s schoolchildren and will be built entirely by the community. Build days continue through Sunday. Everyone is welcome to volunteer, regardless of age or skills. 

510-649-9874; http://www.bpfp.org/AquaticPlayground 

“Public School Reform” 

Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 

Susan W. O’Donell, an education activist, will speak during this week’s meeting of the City Commons Club. Social hour begins at 11:15 a.m. Luncheon is served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Speaker starts promptly at 12:30 p.m. Lunch is $11 or $12.25; admission to the speech is $1, free for students. 

510-848-3533 

Cal Performances 

8 p.m. 

Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley campus 

This is the world premiere of “When Sorrow Turns To Joy - Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary” by Jon Jang and James Newton. The work illuminates the common thread and the musical traditions binding the African-American and Chinese cultures. Tickets are $20 to $32. A pre-performance talk with Jang and Newton will be held at 7 p.m. 

510-642-9988

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.  

But six weeks after dropping an embarrassing dual meet to East Bay Athletic League rival Foothill, the last laugh seems to have been reserved for the BHS girls. Though the Yellowjackets’ EBAL record may be blemished going into this weekend’s CIF state finals, Hampton’s squad has qualified more female athletes for the Southern California meet than the rest of the EBAL combined.  

“That’s the thing about having a program, sometimes you may have (to overlook) dual meets to see the bigger picture,” said Hampton, who will send four athletes covering nine events to this weekend’s championships in Cerritos. “I took a lot of flak for not running in dual meets. To make it a team thing, we’ve been putting the alternates in (for qualifying races).” 

While the BHS coach’s methods have come under fire, nobody can question his success with the girls’ sprint contingent, which has been recognized nationwide as one of the country’s fastest programs. Even at the relatively prestigious NCS Meet of Champions at Cal this past weekend, the vaunted Yellowjackets remained large fish in a small pond, qualifying at least one athlete in every sprint and hurdle event they entered.  

World-ranked sprinter Aisha Margain had the easiest time qualifying in perhaps the most competitive race, running the 100m in 11.63 to edge James Logan’s Adrena Williams. Margain also registered a convincing win in the girls’ 200m, outclassing Logan’s Cheri Craddock and BHS teammate Katrina Keith by nearly a second. Keith, who took third in the 200m with a time of 24.68, also qualified with a 12.03 in the 100m event. 

“I was just trying to qualify today. I came out and ran my hardest,” said Margain, who also participates on both Berkeley High relay teams. “I felt I could run 23 (seconds in the 200m) and I believe times will go down dramatically when we get to the state meet.” 

Despite a slower-than-usual 57.19 mark in the 400m, Berkeley’s T’carra Penick still managed to qualify second, behind Craddock of Logan. Penick also held down the third spot in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays – both won handily by Berkeley High. Raqueta Margain combined with her sister Aisha, Penick and Keith to run the long relay in 3:48.28, while Penick, Keith, Aisha Margain and hurdler Simone Brooks posted a 46.13 in the 4x100. Brooks also qualified for state in both the 100m and 300m hurdles, running the events in 14.65 and 45.22, respectively to take third in both. 

“I trained them to make sure how we chose the events,” Hampton said after Saturday’s Meet of Champions. “We’re looking real nice, and we can go faster.” 

As Berkeley High’s lone male representative at NCS, senior Daveed Diggs improved on his qualifying time of 14.74 in the 100m hurdles, winning the event in 14.32 over Liberty’s Carlos Johnson. Diggs also managed to qualify in his only other event – the 300m hurdles – garnering third place with a 39.20. High jumper Laura Winnacker, who visited the state meet last year after jumping 5-6 at NCS, just missed a qualifying mark on Saturday, topping out at 5-3 to place fifth. 

“It’s disappointing, since I did so well last year, and didn’t expect to,” said the senior, who hit a slump toward the end of the league season in which she repeatedly failed to match her personal best. “I thought I was on an upswing (coming in).” 

Berkeley High’s state qualifiers head to Cerritos this Friday afternoon, to kick off the preliminary day of CIF competition, before concluding with the Meet of Champions on Saturday. Though Hampton expects most of his qualifiers to survive the first day of events, he acknowledges the gaping jump in competition from sections to state.  

“The heat winner get the middle of the track (for the finals), that’s all we want to do,” the coach said about this weekend’s meet, which is expected to draw more than 10,000 fans. “I like the atmosphere in Cerritos, it’s much better than up here. It’s not (as big as) Penn (Relays), but there’ll be a nice crowd.”

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. 

Councilmembers voted to have the city’s legal team write ballot language for all of these items. The council will vote again next month on the question of putting the measures on the ballot. The measures will each have to garner a two-thirds majority in November to pass. 

UPGRADES TO LIBRARY BRANCHES 

All the councilmembers present at the post-midnight discussion Wednesday morning – Councilmember Polly Armstrong had excused herself early in the evening – voted to have the attorney write a $5 million library bond measure for the November ballot. 

The main library retrofit and expansion is under way, thanks to the 1996 Measure S, but the city’s branch libraries still need to be upgraded and made earthquake safe. 

If taxpayers put $5 million into the mix, the state will kick in matching funds. The state funds are a result of Proposition 14, passed by California voters in March – 87 percent of Berkeley voters cast their ballots in favor of this proposition. 

Proposition 14 was originally supposed to match municipal funds three-to-one. The libraries had hoped to get a $15 million match for the city’s $5 million bond measure. 

But Audrey Powers, branch services manager for the Berkeley library system says there is only $350 million available statewide from Proposition 14 and an estimated more-than-$2 billion of need throughout the state. So the state match will be less than anticipated, Powers said. 

The cost of the $5 million measure to the homeowner whose property’s assessed value (not market value) is $150,000 would be $6 annually; the cost to a person whose home is assessed at $400,000 would be $15. 

The purpose of the bond measure is to upgrade three of the library’s four branches. The Claremont Avenue branch recently underwent substantial remodeling, and although it still needs additional seismic work and other upgrades, the other three branches will be first in the queue for the funds, Powers said. 

The bond measure would pay for the branches’ seismic and technological upgrades. In addition, the North Branch would get a public meeting room. 

“It’s the only branch without one,” Powers noted. 

The West Branch would get expanded space for its literacy program and the South Branch tool lending library would be enlarged. 

If the local bond measure passes, the state would decide which of the projects get funded, Powers said. The library staff would then hold community meetings to refine the projects. 

RENOVATIONS TO THE WARM POOL 

Renovating the Berkeley High warm water pool, used each month by some 300 disabled and elderly clients and anyone else who wants to exercise in the 90-plus degree water, is also a popular issue with the council. It unanimously approved a resolution calling for the legal team to write a $3 million bond measure to fund the upgrades. 

Costs to repair the pool and improve water circulation is set at $2 million, with another $1 million to make the adjoining restroom completely accessible and to upgrade the locker room and dry exercise space. 

The 20-year $3 million bond will cost $3 per year for the homeowner with property assessed at $150,000 and $9 for a homeowner with property assessed at $400,000. 

FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT FOR EMERGENCIES 

An $8 million ballot measure to purchase emergency firefighting equipment was also sent by the unanimous council to the city attorney for ballot language. 

If approved, the parcel tax will cost homeowners $1.25 per square foot over 20 years. A person owning a 1,900-square-foot house will pay $24 annually. Low-income homeowners would be exempt. 

Citizens passed a public safety bond measure in 1992 – Measure G, which has been used to build the Public Safety Building and upgrade firehouses. If the city gets a judge’s OK, some Measure G funds will be spent on a new hills firehouse and for the purchase and retrofit of an old East Bay Municipal Utility District reservoir. 

The city had wanted to use Measure G money to purchase a firefighting system that would have pumped saltwater from the Bay underneath University Avenue or a nearby street, two miles up to Oxford Street. This plan was very unpopular with University Avenue merchants and nearby residents, it proved too costly, it was relatively untested, and a number of citizens said Measure G funds should not be spent on it because the project was not specifically named in the bond measure. 

So, after spending $2 million on planning for the project, the city set it aside. 

In place of the saltwater-firefighting project, the fire department wants the city to purchase a flexible hose/pump system for $8 million. 

Assistant Chief David Orth explains the need for the portable emergency water system. Using the city’s current firefighting capability, the city can access the necessary 10,000 gallons of water per minute to extinguish one warehouse fire, such as the five-alarm fire last week at Fourth Street and Bancroft Way. 

But in the case of an earthquake, where large fires might erupt in various parts of the city, or in a hills wildfire, the city needs to have access to more water. There is sufficient accessible water in the area, including the Bay, Lake Anza and reservoirs. To access this water, and to transport it everywhere in the city, the fire department wants to purchase pumps, eight miles of 12-inch flexible hose, and trucks to transport the equipment. 

Although this system is used infrequently in the United States, it has been used for several years in Europe and was used in Turkey with success during the major earthquake there, Orth said. 

He added that the hose and pump system would be critical after a disaster, when the East Bay Municipal Utility District water pipes could break. The department would run potable water through the hoses, he said. 

HIGHER PARKS AND LANDSCAPE TAXES 

An increase in the Parks and Landscape Taxes was more controversial with some members of the council. 

“Parks and landscape should 

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.  

“We had a great meet. We not only got through, but ran well. Everybody competed great today,” said St. Mary’s head coach Jay Lawson, who felt the convenient location of the meet stood as an advantage for the two local prep teams. “I think some teams are surprised at how well we’ve done.” 

The Panther boys left few events for anyone else on Saturday, winning both relays in addition to six of the fifteen individual events. Besides anchoring the winning 4x400 relay team, senior sprinter Denye Versher garnered titles in both the 200m and 400m events, edging El Cerrito’s Joe-k Onyenegecha by a scant three-tenths of a second in the shorter race. Sophomore Chris Dunbar also qualified in both events, placing fourth and second in the 200 and 400, respectively. Junior Sean Geraghty rounded out the short-distance events for St. Mary’s, running a 1:56.55 to qualify third in the 800m. 

“We think we have a good chance to win state. We’re staying focused on our goals,” said Versher, who will be competing in his third straight CIF championship meet. “We’re still strong – not tired or burnt out.” 

The St. Mary’s contingent complemented a successful day on the track with a solid day in the field, winning two of three jumping events and taking second in the other. State championship contender Ebon Glenn leapt a personal-best 6-11 to win the Meet of Champions by four inches, while Solomon Welch added a victory in he triple jump. Welch would also finish as first runner-up in the long jump, being outdistanced by eight inches at the hands of Concord’s Trevor Chatterton. St. Mary’s hurdler Halihl Guy brought home the only other Panther event title, winning the 300m hurdles in 38.23. 

“With Ebon and Solomon, I think we have two guys that compete for the state championships,” Lawson said. “The competition is better at state, so the kids will run faster, rise to the occasion.” 

Though not nearly as dominant as their male counterparts, the St. Mary’s girls squad managed to qualify a handful of athletes for state, with Tiffany Johnson, Bridget Duffy, Danielle Stokes and Kamaiya Warren all placing in the top four in their events. After qualifying in Friday’s triple jump, Johnson edged local rival T’carra Penick of Berkeley High with a 25.16 to take the last qualifying spot in the 200m, while Duffy hung on to third in the 1600m to lock up her second straight CIF berth. In the 100m hurdles, Stokes surged past Berkeley’s Simone Brooks, but failed to beat El Cerrito phenom Ashlee Lodree’s 14.46, and ultimately qualified second.  

Warren became the Panthers’ only other female dual-event qualifier, besides Johnson, taking second place in both the shotput and discus events. 

“Kamaiya did great, that was the best shotput she ever threw,” Lawson said about his star thrower, who posted a distant 44-1 in the shot. “All the girls ran well, and got a good taste of the state meet.” 

Lawson hopes the stellar performance at NCS will carry over into this weekend’s state meet, but does not expect a cakewalk – even in Friday’s preliminary heats. According to the coach, the lack of respect and hype surrounding his athletes will serve as an advantage, since the Panthers will be forced to compete their hardest if they hope to have a chance at making the finals. 

“A lot of our guys have been down there before, so they won’t have those big eyes,” said the coach, who admitted his athletes have been overwhelmed by the size and competitiveness of the CIF meet in years past. “When we get down to state, we’ll run everything like it’s our last race. That’s what each kid has to do.” 

“At state, you can’t hold anything back, even at trials,” Versher added. “It’ll be another hard race. I’m just trying to win my heat (at CIF prelims).” 

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. 

The five honorees – Lionell Dozier, Craig Lindenau, Jeff Luna, Joseph Mercado and Brian Wilson – are all relative newcomers to the department. 

When the officers, who were nearby, arrived at the scene before the fire department, they found the family of four perched on the roof of the front porch, in an attempt to escape the flames closing in on them. 

The police officers held a neighbor’s ladder up because it was too short to reach the roof. Pam Ernst climbed down on it, but her partner Leah Kushner, who was on the other side of the roof, jumped, probably at the same time, said Ernst. 

“We couldn’t see each other, but I could hear her,” said Ernst. “She didn’t know I was on the roof with the baby. 

“I threw her down, it was a do-or-die situation. It was the only way to survive.” 

The tot, almost 4 years old, fell into the waiting arms of Officer Mercado. 

Kushner pushed her other daughter, a teen-ager, off the roof and the girl fell safely into bushes. 

While the other three residents who were aroused from their beds were unharmed, the children’s mother lost consciousness after her leap, said Police Capt. Bobby Miller. She suffered a compressed vertebra and severe bruising. 

She is recovering in Alta Bates Medical Center, “but it will be a long road,” said Ernst. 

Miller said the officers had to kick over a fence and move Kushner as carefully as they could to a safe location away from the heat, smoke and flames. Neighbors brought blankets. 

All of these actions, Miller said, took place in a few minutes before the paramedics arrived and took the two women and the children to the hospital.  

While the couple lost almost everything in the fire, they salvaged the records of their adoption facilitation business that were stored in file cabinets in an office room. 

On Friday Ernst said she was getting ready to think about replacing car keys, credit cards and insurance. 

Assistant Fire Chief David Orth said department investigators determined the fire started in the kitchen with oily rags on the floor. 

He said the owners of the house had stained a table in the breakfast nook and worked late into the night. 

The kind of material they used to stain the table is susceptible to combustion under the right conditions. Some companies recommend soaking the rags in water and storing them in a metal container outside. 

Heat is generated by the chemicals in the stain to harden it, but if it is concentrated enough, Orth said, it can ignite and the fuel in the rag can burn through the floor. 

The investigation into last week’s other fire, the May 21 blaze on Fourth Street that started in Andros Inc., a company that manufactures gas-analyzing equipment, reveals that the fire apparently was accidental, said Orth. 

Its probable cause was a heater used in a room to test the gas-analyzing equipment. The room would be heated up to provide the right conditions to test the machines in a production area of the plant. 

“We don’t know any more abut the heaters in terms of malfunction. That will be done later with lab work. The insurance company will take the investigation from where it is now,” he said.

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

And the university’s one-year-old SETI@home project is one of five finalists in the science category of the 2000 Computerworld Smithsonian Awards. 

The awards are given each year to visionary projects and people in 10 separate categories, ranging from science and technology to arts and entertainment. The winner in each category will be announced June 5 at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. 

SETI@home was launched May 17, 1999. Within 48 hours, some 200,000 people had downloaded the software to participate in UC Berkeley’s search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The software acts like a screen saver, launching when the computer is idle to analyze a chunk of data in search of intelligent radio signals from space. Once the analysis is complete, the computer connects to the internet, returns the analyzed data and retrieves a new chunk of data to chew on. 

In the past year, users of the SETI@home software have contributed more than 280,000 years of free computing time. A group at Sun Microsystems, dubbed SETI@sun, contributed more than 520 years. Sun has been one of SETI@home’s major sponsors, donating the server computers that send out work units to subscribers. The other major sponsors are the Planetary Society, which provided early seed money, and the University of California’s Digital Media Innovation Program. 

“We seem to have benefited from an obvious public fascination with everything related to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), UFOs and the X-Files,” project director David Anderson said in a news release. 

Project scientist Dan Werthimer and UC Berkeley colleagues operate several ongoing SETI projects, including the 21-year-old SERENDIP project (Search for Extraterrestrial Radio Emissions from Nearby Developed Intelligent Populations), whose newest instrument, SERENDIP IV, provides the data for SETI@home. The project was designed in part as an experiment in “distributed computing” – a way of breaking down a problem requiring lots of computation into small chunks that can be done by many small computers distributed anywhere in the world. The SETI@home project is the first distributed computing project to allow the general public the opportunity to participate in important research. 

To date, the peak signals plucked from the data have all been terrestrial radio pollution rather than extraterrestrial messages. As more data come in on more and more frequencies, distributed computing allows the team to keep pace. Computers will continue to get faster, users will upgrade, and SETI@home gets faster analysis without having to invest in a supercomputer. 

To improve the search, Werthimer also is exploring the option of collecting data from a radio telescope in the southern hemisphere. This would complement the northern sky data coming from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, Anderson said the current phase of the project is scheduled to wind down in a year’s time, primarily because the Arecibo telescope will have scanned the same area of the sky three to four times, which is sufficient for now. 

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

That’s the image that African American playwright Adrienne Kennedy uses to sum up her difficult and painful Obie Award-winning play “Funnyhouse of a Negro,” revived for a run at Intersection for the Arts in San Francisco. 

“Funnyhouse of a Negro” was written in 1961, before the civil rights movement and Black pride political activism of the Sixties reached its full momentum. 

First produced off-Broadway by playwright Edward Albee and his partners in 1964, “Funnyhouse of a Negro” is the painful story of a young woman who is filled with conflicting feelings of self-hatred over her mixed race identity. 

Director Margo Hall and her seven actors have created an effective stylized staging of this challenging and unusual non-realistic play. 

In “Funnyhouse,” a young college literature student in New York named Negro Sarah (Moya Furlow) is tormented by her racial identity, as the daughter of a father who is black and of a mother who could pass for white. 

Sarah has created for herself a nightmare and dream world in which real and imagined characters battle in her head over her racial identity. 

Two of the characters are Queen Victoria (Selana Allen) and the Duchess of Hapsburg (Comika Griffin), who represent to Sarah the white European aristocracy to which she aspires as a successful university student of European literature. 

Assassinated African leader Patrice Lumumba (Benton Greene), Sarah’s Jewish boyfriend Raymond (Joel Mullennix) and Jesus Christ (Marcus Conrad Poston) also wander through her imagination and fight for position. 

Finally, Sarah’s landlady and a mother figure (both played by the same actress, Sarah Kliban) ridicule Sarah’s suffering, and further lower her self-esteem. 

These characters in Sarah’s memory and imagination shift in their relationships with each other in odd and sudden ways, as characters and relationships in a dream do. 

Sarah, for example, has the assassination of Lumumba equated with her own father’s hanging death in a New York hotel room, which she at times claims to be responsible for. 

Another part of Sarah believes that her father’s unfulfilled destiny was to return to Africa, become Jesus, and heal his people. 

Paradoxically, Sarah has also come to think of her black father as someone who raped her white mother. 

Many of the unhappy characters in Sarah’s imagination appear to be pulling out patches of hair from their heads in misery. 

Running about an hour, with no intermission, “Funnyhouse” is a dream story about the pain of denying one’s identity. In director Margo Hall’s stylized staging, it appears as though Sarah is undergoing is a nervous breakdown. 

Playwright Kennedy, who is also a poet, has written much of the play’s dialogue as impressionistic, non-realistic solo monologues for Sarah. 

Kennedy was born in Pittsburgh in 1931 to middle class, well-educated parents – a social worker father, and a school teacher mother. Her maternal grandfather was a wealthy, white farmer. Kennedy’s mixed race heritage heavily influenced her writing. 

Director Hall’s staging of this difficult and challenging play is effective, and she gets a strong performance from lead Moya Furlow. 

Sarah’s wail of torture when she can’t stand her conflicted feelings any longer, puts the viewer right inside the mind of someone having a nervous breakdown. This is not a light evening in the theater. 

“Funnyhouse of a Negro” runs Thursday through Sunday, 8 p.m., through June 11 at Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia St. (at 16th Street), San Francisco – a block and a half walk from the 16th Street BART Station. 415-626-3311. 

Thursday performances are pay-what-you-can.

Paul F. Wendt, a co-founder of the real estate program at UC Berkeley and one of the first scholars to apply modern finance theory to real estate, has died at the age of 91. 

Wendt was one of the most important figures in real estate finance in the past century, said Kenneth Rosen, chairman of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. 

Wendt was a native of New York City who earned his Ph.D. attending Columbia University primarily at night while working on Wall Street, recalled Wendt’s former Haas School colleague Sherman Maisel. Wendt served as an officer in the U.S. Navy in WWII and came to UC Berkeley in 1946 as a lecturer. 

At the same time, California’s population was expanding quickly. Gov. Earl Warren and University of California President Robert Sproul agreed to a state real estate industry request to use some funds generated by real estate license fees to support an urban research program, along with real estate training and education. Wendt was asked to head the program and became its chairman in 1947, the same year he was appointed assistant professor.  

“His footsteps are all around the Bay Area, believe me,” Leon Rimov, a Berkeley resident who had Wendt on his thesis committee while at the business school in the 1950s, said in a statement released by the university. 

Wendt resigned from UC Berkeley in 1972, leaving to start a similar real estate center at the University of Georgia in Athens. He returned to UC Berkeley in 1979, remaining until 1983 as a visiting professor at the business school. Rosen said Wendt helped him revive the real estate program starting in 1979, after it had been closed for several years. 

Wendt made major contributions to the theory underlying appraisals, to concepts used daily in valuing real estate investments, and to international comparisons of housing policies, financing and land use. He wrote more than six books and 60 articles in major publications. He also worked on land use studies and research for real estate organizations and government agencies, according to Maisel, a UC Berkeley professor emeritus. 

Rosen called him “certainly one of the kindest and smartest and most dynamic people we’ve had in the (real estate) field.” 

Wendt died on May 14 in Chapala, Mexico, where he and his late wife Alice had lived since 1983, dividing their time between homes in California and south of the border. He is survived by his son, Peter Wendt, and daughter, Susan Shoemaker, both of Oregon.

SAN FRANCISCO – An all-day public information workshop on the future of the Bay Area’s major airports will be held Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the auditorium of the Hiram W. Johnson State Office Building, at 455 Golden Gate Ave. in San Francisco. 

The workshop will include presentations on planning issues facing the Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose airports. Topics include future demand for air passenger travel and cargo, proposed runway expansions and other alternatives to meet increasing air travel and cargo demands, impacts of runway expansions on San Francisco Bay, and economic issues. 

The Association of Bay Area Governments, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission are currently updating the Regional Airport System Plan to address existing and future air transportation issues in the Bay Area. The public will have opportunities to comment and ask questions during the workshop. For more information, call 510-464-7861 or visit www.mtc.ca.gov.

A 20-year-old man and a 15-year-old youth were attacked by six to eight youths as they walked toward the Hare Krishna temple about 6:45 p.m. Friday evening. 

The youths, about 14 to 16 years old, approached the two pedestrians and asked them if they wanted marijuana. The victims ignored them and walked on turning west on the 2400 block of Stuart Street, but the pack of boys surrounded them and sprayed them with a chemical substance that caused severe redness and irritation to their eyes, said Police Capt. Bobby Miller. 

The substance, like a pepper spray, almost rendered them helpless, he said. As they struggled to regain their sight, one of the attackers reached into the front pocket of one of the victims, took $3 and pushed him to the ground. Then some of the suspects kicked and punched him before running away toward Telegraph Avenue where they disappeared. The other victim had run to the Hare Krishna temple where he called police.

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. 

Riasanovsky commented on the fact that Russian history from the 9th century to the reign of Peter the Great was a variant of European medieval history without the Renaissance or Reformation. The Czar led Russia into European modernization in the 17th century, maintaining a society which was 90 percent illiterate peasantry, ruled by a small educated elite. This structure altered very little, and found Russia under Czar Nicholas II with 50 percent of the population illiterate, and a government unwilling to share power, although a good legal system had developed during reforms in 1861-74. By the eve of World War I, both Germany and Russia were primarily nationalistic, but the German government had the full support of the country’s elite, while Russia’s elite gave no support to its reform government after the First World War. 

As Russia’s government moved from provisional to Communist to Soviet, every effort was made to carry out the principles of Marxism, which resulted in the complete failure to develop a foreign policy, since it was assumed that the entire world would evolve into a state of communism. 

Dr. Riasanovsky feels Vladimir Putin will never allow a reversion to communism. He lived through two great purges of the KGB under the Soviets and his years as Chief of Security will have given him better knowledge of the condition of the country. The situation may be better than generally thought. People are not starving, and the crisis of 1999 affected mainly the nouveau riches. Putin is not likely to shake things up and cultural variety and student exchanges are bringing Russians a new view of the modern world. 

In his presentation, Fowler referred to the completion of the Human Genome Project and the promotion of new health treatment, the development of genetically modified foods, such as tomatoes with longer shelf life, potatoes that resist pests, and salmon which are raised to grow much faster. Fowler posed the question, Are we causing too much change? 

Global warming is another phenomena needing more media exposure. Fowler, a practiced scuba diver, mentioned research showing evidence of massive die-offs of the coral reefs of Belize and elsewhere in the Caribbean resulting from the warming of ocean temperatures not seen for 4,000 years. He mentioned several theories accounting for global warming, including burning for fossil fuels and a proposal by Dr. Robert Muller of UC Berkeley that the Earth periodically passes through a belt of asteroid dust which causes global cooling alternating with warming. 

He states that the problem for the media involves how much credence to give to these theories, and how to balance the pros and cons so as to educate the public. He pointed out that our need to be able to manage our environment places a great responsibility upon the media to provide information to the public crucial to our understanding of these issues. 

– Submitted by Patricia Wilson for Berkeley City Commons 

The Berkeley City Commons Club meets every Friday at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., with a social hour at 11:15 a.m., followed by luncheon and a lecture. For more information, call 510-848-3533. 

If your Berkeley club or organization would like to submit a short article from a recent meeting, please submit it to the Berkeley Daily Planet at news@berkeleydailyplanet.com, or fax it to 510-841-5695, Attn: Newsroom. Please include the name of the individual submitting the article, and a telephone number that we can call if we need additional information or clarification. You also may submit brief announcements of upcoming speakers or events to calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.com or via fax.

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. 

Campers will learn all aspects for theater from acting, singing, and dancing to creating their own sets and props. 

The camp’s three components are Kids OnStage, for students entering third to fifth grade, On Broadway, for students entering fifth to ninth grade, and Backstage, for teens entering 10-12th grade. Campers are not required to have previous theater experience. 

For a brochure and application, call 527-5939 or email SDCcamp@aol.com.